Year: 2004
Make: MINI
Model: Cooper
Price: $8000
Mileage: 161000
Color: Indie Blue
Private or Dealer Listing: Private Listing
Location (Region): NorthEast

Hi All,

Up for sale is my 2004 Mini Cooper S with 161,000 mostly freeway miles. I drove this car from Wakefield, MA to Cumberland, RI for five years so it was definitely not on a track someplace.

I hate to part with this car but I really want one of the new MINIs. From the moment I bought this Mini I set out to customize it in a retro style with killer sound. I've always loved the union jack on the roof as depicted in 60' era Minis and back then chrome was commonplace on cars so I've chromed the wiper arms and cap covers and grills and maintained a union jack roof which was fully redone this month.

The car has been well taken care of through Greasy's Garage and Mini of Peabody over the years. It has 700 Watts of powerful audio and Dynamat in the doors.

Cool stuff that came from the factory:
- Sports Package
- Cold weather Package (Heated seats & mirrors)
- Premium Package (Sunroof)
- Factory OEM Navigation
- R90 wheels (as seen in The Italian Job)
- Rear Fog Lights (all switches used in center console)

Here is a list of things I added:
- JCW carbon fiber dash (original dash included in purchase)
- Cold air intake
- 17% reduction pulley
- Supersprint exhaust
- Official Mini OEM Driving lights
- British voice update for navigation system
- Navigation CD updated in 2007 (includes completed Big Dig projects)
- JL Audio 450/4 Watt amp with custom enclosure to preserve cargo space
- JL Audio 250 Watt subwoofer amp under driver's seat
- JL Audio Mini Cooper Subwoofer
- Custom enclosure for amp in boot that preserves flat cargo space
- Polk Audio speakers front and rear
- Alpine 9857 head unit with iPod interface (original OEM head unit included in purchase)
- Voice relay to cut out left front speaker when NAV voice speaks
- Rubber floor mats
- Chrome ring accents on interior including Nav ring
- 15" steel wheels and snow tires for winter
- Union Jack roof graphics that go to edge of roof line (new as of March 2012)
- Parcel shelf (Out of production now)
- Chrome door handle cups
- Chrome front grills
- Chrome hatch handle cover
- Chrome side mirrors
- Chrome wiper arms, caps and blades
- Chrome crosshatched intake covers (near wipers)


Stuff that's new on the car:
- Rear brake rotors and pads
- Spark plug wires
- Union Jack roof design
- Strut mounts
- Tires
- Door brakes
- RR Wheel bearing hub
- Serpentine belt
- Shifting cable
- Hatch lid lock and striker
- A/C charge

Listed for $8499 on Autotrader but I'll sell it for $8000 for any MINI fans on NorthAmericanMotoring.com who are interested. More pics are on Auto trader.

Thanks,

Kurt
Please email me at kheiden@mac.com if you are interested in checking it out. I'm in Wakefield, MA.

 

On the average, what do you spend on maintenance annually? I am not necessarilly sold on the whole MINI idea but really need a good MPG vehicle vs 200k '03 Chevy Avalanche. Your car is nice but am really afraid of getting into a money pit.

 

The best way to avoid maintenance costs (money pit) is via a low-milage vehicle. I wouldn't call this car a money pit but as with any high-mileage vehicle, you will have annual repair costs. I also don't think the dollar value of my expenditures will foreshadow what your costs for two reasons:

1.) I think I overspent on a number repairs by getting them done at a dealership. The largest repair I ever had done was at Mini of Peabody in 2009 when the car needed Ball joints, Wishbone brackets, power steering pan with grill, and an alternator. That single visit cost me $3k. The flip side of that is that the work was backed by Mini corporate. After that I almost always took it to the Mini experts at Greasy's Garage in Worcester, MA.

2.) Many of the parts are pretty new on this car since I was diligent about repairs, some parts are not. The ones that are not new range in repair cost depending on that specific part and where you choose to get the work done. For example, a supercharger rebuild will run you about $950 through Greasy's. If a rock damages one of the driving lights, it's around $150 (cheaper if you use non-Mini lights).

The clutch was replaced around 110k miles and it had no signs of slippage, I just did it preventatively. based on that I'd say you probably could get at least another 60k out of it depending on your driving.

I certainly don't want to discourage you from buying my car, but this is a Mini enthusiast's car. If you aren't fully sold on the Mini experience, you may be paying for specialty things on my car that you are unlikely to find on other used Minis. for example, it has things like the union jack roof, pulley reduction, exhaust, chrome front grill, driving lights, Rear Fog lights, factory Navigation, chrome wiper arms, carbon-fiber dash, original Mini badging and a custom sound system. It gets 30 MPG highway so it's definitely more economical on fuel than the Avalanche.

I would test drive mine before making any decision. It's very fun and kids on school buses will point it out when you pass them. :-)