I'm considering buying a 2008 MCS, 40000 miles on it.

Upon checking under the hood, I noticed it had a JCW strut brace. From what I've read, the brace only makes a difference on the track... Do I want to buy a car that has probably been on the track?

Also, how do I find out what other mods the car has (if any)?

 

Why not just ask the owner?

 

It's at a dealership that doesn't really know anything about minis. Again, is that a warning sign??

 

I wouldnt consider it a warning sign. A lot of people add "track benefits" to their cars for daily driving.

Also, it is not exactly uncommon for a person to move from a Mini to another brand, so no red flags there.

What you should do, if you are serious about the car, is take it to a Mini dealer or independent shop with Mini experience, and get it inspected. Better to know for a couple hundred bucks, than guess on a car you plan on keeping for a while.

 

No, that's just shows it was either a trade in or auction purchase.
Have you asked the dealership what's the history on the car?
Did the previous owner trade in on a different vehicle, or had to give it up due to delinquent payments?

Where's this vehicle located? Do you have a dealer listing and photos to show you all the details?

- Erik

 

People buy strut braces for different reasons, and just because the car has one does not mean it was a tracked car. From a purely non performance standpoint, the strut brace (strut tower caps specifically) help prevent mushrooming of the strut towers from hitting a pothole.

So contrary to what may seem logical, having a strut brace on any mini would first tell me that the owner cared enough to take preventive steps, not that the owner raced or hammered on the car.

In any event, you are doing the right thing asking here. everyone on NAM is really helpful.

 

Debatable. In my experience, most people that buy strut tower bars buy them as dress up items.

People that track their cars will typically invest in the parts that wil give a good bang for the buck performance difference: Tires, brakes, shocks, swaybars, springs, camber plates, weight reduction, etc. Strut tower braces however add weight and offer marginal performance benefits. And the JCW one is a ridiculously expensive one. Therefore I would argue that would be the last upgrade that someone that is serious about tracking their car would buy.

 

The best thing that you can do is to take it to a dealer to find out what warranty work has (or has not) been done. There are lots of threads her under the 'stock problems' section that you can learn about. With a car like you are looking at, I would have the following interests:

1. Aux water pump control (recall this year)
2. Timing chain/tensioner replacement
3. Carbon cleaning
4. Oil change history
5. High pressure fuel pump

If you know someone at the dealer, they can look that up for you if you have the VIN. They may not be able to give you all the info due to privacy laws, but if you give them the impression that the car will be serviced there, they will probably help. The dealer can also confirm what options were on the car (if the dealer was the original seller).

Take a couple of pictures (under hood, rear suspension) and post them, along with the warranty info. The more questions you ask here, the more info you will get. There are bunches of people here that will help guide you.

I bought my 08 MCSa last year, 49k miles, well optioned, fair to average condition, for $15k. What kind of deal are they giving you?

Have fun,
Mike

 

Thanks for all the excellent advice. After more deliberation, I'm a little unsure as to whether I'm going to pursue this car further. They want $19800 all in (talked down from $20800) and I think that's a little too pricey for me.

It seems in pretty good condition and has new tires/brakes, but there is something that makes me doubt it. The dealer is in the middle of nowhere and used to selling trucks rather than minis... he couldn't really offer me any information about the car other than the obvious. Plus, it has bad decals that would be a pain to take off!

It's not completely ruled out but they would have to drop the price dramatically for me to consider it more.

Really appreciated all the replies, thanks!

 

Sounds like an auction car based on location and description.

New tires/brakes would not scare me, having had one. We got new pads at 36k, and at 42k I had an oil change (and knowing the guy working on the car, I was back in the bay talking) and had him check the rotors. Only 6k after the previous brakes were done, he said I am just outside of factory thickness requirements on rotors, so next brake job I get new rotors as well.

Tires, with my wife driving the car, the runflats seem to be good for ~20-24k miles. So again, no worries there.


However, if it is a bit too much, and seems fishy, dont worry. You will find the right car!

 

You are clearly not confident, so do not do it. Any doubt in my head is an instant no-go for me.