Anyone got any comments on the new engine? I am well versed in repair and rebuild, and get a little twinge when I see cast iron and aluminum in the same engine. Add to that a bit of Chrysler input and I get nervous. How has the previous Mini engine faired in higher mileage usage, say in excess of 100K, with proper maintenance. Would like to hear from you Mini experts! I have however ordered my Chili Red S with both packages anyway :smile: Thanks

 

Chrysler makes you nervous...heard of the K car...couldn't kill em with a gun. I had a Neon and I am rough on an engine..never missed a beat for 72K and gave it to a friend and still ticking like a Timex. Now if it was a minvan transmission...then I'd be worried.

 

>>Chrysler makes you nervous...heard of the K car...couldn't kill em with a gun. I had a Neon and I am rough on an engine..never missed a beat for 72K and gave it to a friend and still ticking like a Timex. Now if it was a minvan transmission...then I'd be worried.


You can add the slant six to the list.

 

>>Chrysler makes you nervous...heard of the K car...couldn't kill em with a gun. I had a Neon and I am rough on an engine..never missed a beat for 72K and gave it to a friend and still ticking like a Timex. Now if it was a minvan transmission...then I'd be worried.

2minis...I've seen you stand up for the K car at least twice on this board...so I'm curious (not doubting, just curious), if the K car was so indestructable, then how come I never see any around anymore? There WERE lots, but they all seemed to vanish about 10 years ago.

Now, contrast that to slant-6 engined chrysler products, and I still see these around some and used to see them often about 10 years ago (anything over 30 years old...which is what most of the newest slant 6 cars would be now...is rare I suppose). Maybe this is too off-topic, but I just wondered...

 

Come to Florida and look around. I said the engine....not the car. In the northern parts of the country, probably not too many, but here, Arizona etc. you can find one on any used car lot. Don't forget, America has changed since the slant six...evrything is disposable, even the faithful employee. I don't see many cars older than 3 or 4 years on the road anymore. 0% financing for an SUV...now who could turn that down . Me.

 

Ahhhhh...it's a rust thing. Yep, I'm in New England, and EVERYTHING rusts after about 10 years. But I have to say in this case, the removal of K cars from our roads is not a bad thing. I once drove one of those from MA to SC nonstop. One of the worst and most scary driving experiences I've had. Like, worse than driving a UHaul truck from KY to MA

 

I had a friend that had a K car, he claimed it was a chick magnet, and that it came to him when he whistled.

 

The MINI's engine was developed by Chrysler in Detroit, The bit of input was from BMW, not the other way around. The Chrysler guys are power/speed nuts with a great reputation around engines. They were excited to make a tiny, inexpensive yet powerful machine. Time will tell, but I think this'll be a good one.

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Indi Blue Cooper w/ Black top & mirrors, sport seats and Prem. Pkg. Christened "Ringo".

 

>>2minis...I've seen you stand up for the K car at least twice on this board...so I'm curious (not doubting, just curious), if the K car was so indestructable, then how come I never see any around anymore? There WERE lots, but they all seemed to vanish about 10 years ago.

Well, there are still some around, but didn't they stop making them over 10 years ago? and really, who felt like they were stylin and profilin in a K car???

But go to my mom's house.. she still has one...

Rocketboy_X

 

Where are most 10 year old cars like the K cars? Aside from Rocketboy's mom's house, what do you think happened to all those cars...and there were lots of them. They can't all be in the junkyard or crushed. Can they? Are there states where people are driving 10 year old American cars regularly? Or even stranger, perhaps countries? Like, if I go to someplace in South America, will I see everyone driving around in late-80s Oldsmobiles? Just a strange thought...

 

I just drove back from Palm Harbor,FL. to St. Pete on my motorcycle(Coop is resting today) and saw two K cars. One was a young guy and it looked brand new. The other was an older woman, car sounded like a diesel, but ran with no smoke. I was going to ask her how many miles on it when we stopped at the light but I figured she wouldn't here me. She looked like she had about 200,000 though.

 

>>>How has the previous Mini engine faired in higher mileage usage, say in excess of 100K, with proper maintenance.>>>


Hmmm...And we would know this how???

 

>> I had a Neon and I am rough on an engine..never missed a beat for 72K and gave it to a friend and still ticking like a Timex.>>>

Can't agree on you with this one. My wife had a Neon. A '96 or '97. Easily the worst car ever built IMO. Awful. Everything broke and leaked, the interior kept falling apart - all with under 35k miles!!! The engine was leaking at 28k miles - needed new head gaskets & I don't remember what else. Her frame bent (for no apparent reason that we can thing of!), an axle needed to be replaced...it was an absolute peice of garbage - and my wife Doesn't drive rough!!!!

One day someone hit my wife head on while she was waiting to make a left turn. Unfortunately, the airbag broke my wife's wrist (and it never healed correctly). The good thing is the car was totalled. Thank god.

Also had a relative with a minivan (chrysler) that needed a new engine by 28k miles!!!


The MINI engine (MCS) seems very solid & strong! It really likes to be revved. There seems to be very little engine breaking when you let up on the gas - it really wants to be revved up. I think it'll last!

 

I've heard horror stories with other Neons as well. I never said they were safe. I think engine longevity has a lot to do with break in and oil changes. I never went over 3000. I bought 2 1997 Geo Metros, same day, same dealership. The one I broke in is still a daily driver that a friend of mine uses. The other my ex broke in and died about 2 years ago. She replaced brakes at 35,000 and mine passed NY inspection at 72,000 with the original brakes. Go figure. I think break in and oil changes are the most important factors in engine longevity. Did I ever tell you about my '59 Renault?? . I constantly praise 'Cooper.'

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2Minis


Size matters!!!!!!

 

 

Man, I have had a lot of vehicles. My Trooper was the first year '84 I think. Aside from the rear door hinges rusting to inoperative status not a bad ride. At 110,000 I put a plow on it for the driveway and ultimately sold it to a restaurant that used it to plow their parking lot. It died a slow death. I wasn't impressed with the 4 WD system or the handling. Good gas mileage for its size though.

 

>>Where are most 10 year old cars like the K cars? Aside from Rocketboy's mom's house, what do you think happened to all those cars...and there were lots of them.

I'll check behind the garage next time i'm over...

Rocketboy_X