Hi Folks,

I test drove a 2007 Cooper (base model) automatic Monday and it drove really well. For reference my sister had a base 2014 Cooper leased from brand new so I've driven them before.

Car has 110,000 miles on it with many service records. The current owners are extremely vigilant about maintenance and repairing anything that goes wrong promptly. They had the timing chain and all guides/tensioners replaced @ approx 89K miles. Apparently they said the timing jumped "one tooth" causing the motor to run rough. It starts up fine and idles smooth with no strange noises. They also recently had the vacuum pump and spark plugs replaced as well as oil changes every 3k miles (this seems extreme?). Oil was honestly the cleanest I've ever seen and I do 5K interval changes on my VW since brand new.

I did not see a transmission service and am thinking it would be best to change the fluid and filter pretty much right away after purchasing the car. My wifes old VW actually had the same transmission. The AISIN units in VWs tend to suffer from valve body failure if the fluid and filter is not changed regularly. I'm presuming this is the same with the Mini?

Any other items I should replace as preventative maintenance? I really don't mind going through systems like the ignition, cooling, or others if they will save some time in the future. What I don't want is to be constantly fixing the car and tinkering with it on a weekly basis so getting most problem items out of the way would be ideal from the start. On the other hand I do not just want to throw money at an otherwise well maintained car.

I do all the work on my cars myself and currently own a 2012 VW Golf (toyota level reliability really) and an 82 Mercedes 240D (very reliable but at 35 years old I've had to replace
many items preventatively).

Thoughts on the overall reliability of one of these? Heated seats, AC, sunroof, and all other features worked great when I test drove it. I also loved the paddle shifters!
Hoping these are pretty easy to DIY on?

Any good mod suggestions?

Thanks!

 

You seem to have checked out the car thoroughly. Worth a look with BMW software - ISTA-D - to see any past codes that may have cleared themselves (but will still be present in the history). A generic code reader will not reveal them. I always look for crash sensors that may have fired - especially the driver's seat belt tensioner since it fires for anything > 8mph? and does not require a replacement airbag control module to be fitted.
I always perform a compression test looking for both magnitude and consistency between cylinders - and while you are pulling the coil packs, look for signs of seepage around the center seals on the VC.
I would kick the front tires literally - look for worn bushings. With that many miles, its probably due if not already replaced. Its not a horrible job, but a PITA the first time.
Pull the pvc breather tube and look for any sludge built up inside - signs of other potentially major problems.

 

Check the strut tower bushings and the strut towers for mushrooming. If there is, tower defenders are available from some vendors and are easy to install.

 

Sounds like major potential problems have been addressed and is a well cared for Mini. Suspension is normal wear and tear but it depends on the the original owners driving habits. Overall sounds like a good vehicle