$3200 was the repair shop estimate. (all new parts)
$2200 was the insurance estimate. (recycled & new parts)

Dropped it off Monday and got it back Friday of the same week.
My repair shop wasn't crazy about the recycled parts at first. Then the shop manager saw who the recycler was and has been happy with the quality of their parts in the past. The shop manager said if he didn't like what they give him he would not use it. He used almost everything from the recycler. Didn't change out the tail pipe/muffler as the insurance quoted. Manager was really happy with the straightening job they were able to do on it. Plus having to cut into the original one piece to put in the recycled piece..... I opted to keep the original in place so long as the straighten section looked undamaged, which it does. The black plastic trim along the bottom and around the license plate are new. As the recycled parts did not pass muster. The boot doors were removed from the vehicle, the bottom edge of the doors were straightened followed up by the whole doors being repainted.

So the "Football" is good as new. Just in time for the Chicago MINI Motoring Club drive up to Wisconsin.

 

Looks great! Glad you got a repair job you are happy with!

 

2013 "Green Park" edition just got back from "Minis on the Dragon" and from the dealer for replacing oxygen sensor. It's my favorite car ever and hopes it lives for many years. Definitely a dog lover's car! Big enough for large dog but small enough to still be "Mini". Really don't like the larger new Clubman so I don't know what I would do if this one dies.

 

My Clubby just passed the magical 100K zone. I just documented elsewhere that it came with a worn wheel bearing (left front) and a bad coil that is causing a misfire, all soon to be fixed for a smidge over $600.

I have averaged $400/month in 'car payments' over the past year :-(
Still, it's a joy to drive and, maybe.... it will settle down and behave.

 

I'll probably keep my 2008 S Clubman for a while. About as long as I have with my 1959
Morris Mini Minor which I still have. Still a hoot to drive with its 10 inch tires and go cart solid suspension. Have a two bar and really get strange looks when towing it with the
Clubman. Clubman looks as big as a Suburban with the mini hooked up.

 

Share a photo sometime! This sounds utterly delightful and I'd love to see it!

 

I recently just brought myself out of this pickle. I've had my '12 Clubman S since Jan. '13. I bought it to commute to university and back. I now have a different daily and it sits under a cover in my garage. I have it "for sale" but everyone wants to offer a low-low price. I resolved a problem my car had with MINI and it still runs like a champ.

I want to lightly modify it. I live in central Florida and driving around this state the car can run hot. I want to delete every bit of plastic this car runs on. Hoses, throttle body, etc. and replace it with parts that will improve the cars performance and life. I'm 6'2 and I enjoy driving agile cars. This is one of the very few I can drive "comfortably".

It is possibly the best MINI that is made. It had the recall issue resolved during my production year and the new Clubmans are fat and slow. (Who would buy one?!?!)

MINI's have a unique heritage. I wish BMW would stick to its heritage by making light weight cars that have the potential for "rally". Now they are trying to make them feel like a 3-Series.

Moral of the story, I'm keeping my Clubman. I know how it needs to be maintained, I can cruise at 120-130 and still be planted to the ground, and has the go-kart feel that I enjoy. Say what you want but this is possibly one of the best cars I'm going to own.

 

We actually traded ours in on something bigger when our then new puppy hit 95lbs and it became stupid to try to haul three dogs in it. Didn't think anything of it for a while when it showed up at the little, indy dealership near my office at which point a friend of my wife's bought it. Didn't think anything of it again until she bought her first house and decided that she needed a truck more than a tiny, tiny station wagon.

So, I bought it back and am turning it into a little Track Wagon. So far I've spent twice as much doing maintenance as I did on buying the car back, but it's nice to have a car that I can sit in like a normal human being while wearing a helmet again (something I cannot do in my wife's 435)

 

Bought my Clubman in the UK end of '08 to bring back. Was looking at a new one in '14 until some MINI marketing moron decided to stop production & didn't make that public until after the fact. Now coming up quickly on 132K. Just spent about $400 on electrical work but that is first non-routine maintenance in several years. Hoping for 175K and will like;y buy something with an automatic and all the anti-collision gadgets.

 

Just sold my 2012 a few days ago. Only kept it 18 months.

It was a fun car, and probably average issue wise. Ext. warranty is out in a couple months. Seemed like it would always develop a new rattle and now it needs new front bushings which is a fun labor intensive effort.

Anyway, drifting back to 'normal' size and a quieter ride. Maybe I'll be back someday...

 

Mine's still going strong, but only covered 1,200 miles last year. Currently at 43,000 on my 08.

 

Wow Big Jim, just a few sample miles this past year! Good to see that you still have it :-)

My trend is the other way- driving my Clubby more and more now that I'm retired the car is really getting a workout- over 20,000 miles this past year. It will be in Keystone at MTTS 2018, so this year will be another big driving one.

Mini got a new vacuum pump, new coils, new air intake muffler, and a new CCV (crankcase ventilation valve that goes in the valve cover for $30). I hope my monthly bills settle down now, but I could have owned a new car for less these past twelve months!

I think I have the oil consumption under control now. It was using a quart every 600 miles until the new vacuum pump and CCV were installed. It appears to use 'only' a quart every 1300 miles now, good enough to press on toward 200,000.

The photo was taken before the original intake muffler was reinstalled. The cold air intake was annoying under acceleration.

 

^^ Looking good

 

Been driving my 6 spd. '13 R55 since early Dec. '12, happily just over 67,000 at present. Bought 'off the lot' when the early '07-build R56 I'd struggled with for 96,000 miles finally got me so aggravated I would have abandoned it otherwise. Blizzaks in winter, Dunlop SP's in summer, all on their own 16" alloys.

Had wanted a Clubman when I'd ordered that '07 lemon but they hadn't been released here yet.

Intend to strive to continue our relationship as long as (economically) possible!

Being that I'm 2 hours from closest dealer, once the factory ext. warranty dies I'll be relying on local service as needed.

Nothing else out there (that I can afford) excites me much. Too, my C'man'll be paid off come December so the relevant funds will be re-purposed for other things.

 

Still driving our 08 Clubby, and still loving it every ride. This yr she will get new stripes and new wheels. Can't wait!!

 

Picked up an 08 S with 65k on it last December and have been modding ever since. So far I've added a Miltek exhaust and downpipe, AEM intake, Wagner intercooler, an Alta rear sway bar with adjustable end links, and a new wheel/tire set. It's on jackstands now while I wait for a set of Bilsteins to arrive which will go on with a set of Swift springs; previous owner have H&R Sport Cup kit on it and I'm not a fan. Did the standard maintenance and changed the oil filter housing and oil cooler seals and have a new water pump, crossover tube and thermostat to install. I've probably spent more than I should have, but I love driving this car. I also have a 2015 Harley and a 2010 M3 (Supercharged), but neither is as much fun as the Clubbie for everyday spirited driving. When the weather clears up in Germany I'm taking her to Nürburgring. While forever is a long time, I can see myself hanging on to this car for a little bit. My other "old" car is a 1991 Dodge Stealth TT. Another niche car that I won't get rid of.

 

Same here....there are many worse ways to spend your time and money.

 

Well it looks like 'Forever" is here now. After another expensive round of repairs, I've decided to let her go and start over. Late summer saw the failure of my second thermostat/housing and of the catalytic converter/oxygen sensor. I had it all fixed for $2grand only to have the new thermostat fail, so another $400, all this while living on social security...
I posted it on Facebook and sold it quickly for about the price of the past year's repairs. It may well run for years now.
Here are some of the last images of my dear old Mini-

 

^^^^^
The car is nearly 10yrs old. certainly understandable to sell it and start over. I've came to the conclusion that certain MY Mini Clubman's aren't worth much to keep throwing money at them. Also upkeep and maintenance cost can be extensive and costly. Unless that $2k of repairs was done by the stealership that seems quite high for those repairs in my opinion. The turbo Mini's with the N18 engines and any JCW seems to hold their value over all base models.

You're probably doing yourself good by selling it. I have 2011 and it's on it's 3rd stat temp sensor with 56k miles. It's the only repeated issue since ownership so I consider myself lucky. Have I changed my mind since I've got it? YES and NO. If the Clubman somehow appreciates in value over maintenance cost then I will sell it for sure!!!

 

My Clubman would be 11 years old in February. That $2000 in repairs includes two installations of the thermostat as the first was defective (Yes, I got credit for the part but not the labor x 2). At least it's going to a good home and a Mini owning household.

 

I dont know about forever but I've not sold a car in a long time. I now have five vehicles for myself and have no plans of letting any one of them go. The MINI is my new best car (insert a mile long smile here) and I'm having a great time driving it. It will be parked for the winter though and be given some love.

 

Sorry to see you go TorchMINI. I have enjoyed reading your posts on NAM. My MINI is still going strong at about 60K. I just did a few small rust repairs on the barn doors and will be replacing my vacuum pump very soon due to it leaking oil. As someone who keeps my cars for as long as possible I realize that the limiting factor here in the snow-belt is how soon the frame will be consumed by corrosion due to salted roads in the winter. Best to you and your next car choice!

 

I've got a couple small rust blisters forming on the barn doors. I took it into mini this morning to see about the 12 year rust warranty. They said a week or so before they get back to me. Wish me luck 😎

 

Let us know if MINI covers it. I remembered the 12 yr rust warranty but I thought the panel had to be rusted through to be covered.

 

Will do👍 and as far as I'm concerned a blister from the inside seam is a rust through.