I'm guessing the 2009 vert at least had issues... when did the turbo vert cars get a bit better? I'm trying to decide what year car to buy to avoid a lot of common issues. I'm also open to the supercharged later year cars, but they're harder to find.

Also, when can we expect to pay the big bills (over $500)? I know about the timing chain/death rattle - that seems to happen around 100K, right? But I saw one car with it done at 45K miles! I'm sure someone summarized this by year/cost somewhere, but I haven't found that yet. Thanks for any leads there.

 

Get a 2011 or newer car with the N18 engine. They sorted out the carbon build up problems and the timing chain problems on the later engines.

 

Low mileage 1st Gen MCS Convertible for sale ...

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post4324712

 

Thanks, but has rebuilt title.. http://grace-motorcars.com/mini-list...-sidewalk.html

 

WAIT: The 2011 convertible still had N14 motor. 2012 is N18 for both convertible and JCW. And production at April 2012 -> (see driver door jam) has the Bosh fuel pump, revised head/ecu. A little later in '12 (not sure when) the metal water pump was added.

 

N18 is just as unreliable as the n14, they share almost all the same part numbers, including the timing chain & guides, and the stupid cam driven vac pump, those are what grenade the engines

the only parts I could find different on the part diagrams are the oil pump, the n18 uses a variable pump, the n14 does not

the n18 has all the same carbon buildup problems too

 

Not true ... N18 was introduced in the 2011 US model year for all non-JCW Cooper S models, and 2013 model year for JCW models.

 

Yes the N14 JCW carried on till 2012, then the N18 JCW came out in 2013.