Mini Cooper for £2500.. Worth it? Buying guide/buying tips and checks?

Stormster

Stormster

Stormster

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Stoke-on-Trent
Hi guys. My missus' mum is looking for a new car soon... not a big budget. Likes the look of Mini Coopers. Around £2500 budget.

1) Is this even worth considering and...
2) If so, can you guys recommend some good buying guides, checks, tips, stuff to look for, common stuff which breaks/fails and is easy for non-mechanically minded people such as moi to spot if I help her find a car?

Any help appreciated :)
 
look at mini2 forum
You can get a good mini for £2500, but you will need to watch out for the gearbox as its rubbish on pre Aug 2004 models.
 
Put some lock on the front wheels when parked up and give them a shove. Any movement here is knackered rear wishbone bushes. Took me an evening to do (6hrs ish) but I did the ball joints/arb bushes etc whilst the subframe was off.

Check the battery in the boot is dry, water can get it there and isn't ideal...

Check that both windows drop slightly as you open the doors

Check footwells are dry

Check the dipstick hasn't snapped

Check it drives tight. Even basic models handle really nice, no clunks and crashing/banging.

Don't be put off by the high pitch wine, that's the electric PAS pump running
 
Does she really want to take on a 12 year old car? She presumably just wants a 'runabout' (I hate that term so much, I've no idea why I just used it) so wouldn't she be far better off with something much newer?
 
NoNameNoNumber said:
Don't be put off by the high pitch wine, that's the electric PAS pump running
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But they do get louder when they're on their way out - around a £300 fix if I recall.

[TW]Fox;26234922 said:
Does she really want to take on a 12 year old car? She presumably just wants a 'runabout' (I hate that term so much, I've no idea why I just used it) so wouldn't she be far better off with something much newer?
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But she's a girl and "likes the look of Mini Coopers". Female logic :p
 
As said above, you *can* get a decent one for £2500 but it's not easy. Particularly when your other half stipulates that it must be in British Racing Green but I digress...

Try and find one that has had the power steering pump replaced (it's guaranteed to fail at some point on the R50 models) and ideally you should be looking for one that's had the clutch replacement as that's about a £300-400 bill (unless you do it yourself).
 
Also the rads leak.
Battery in R50 in is engine bay, only the Cooper s is in the boot (i think).

Not sure if the R50s have duel mass flywheel, so check noise on idle, if it does quiet when clutch is pressed in walk away.
 
Thanks guys, much appreciated. Any more info greatfully received :) All noted down, gonna start doing a bit of a checklist to take along when we go to view. I'm not gonna tell my missus' mum how to spend her money, I'll just help if I can.
 
Stormster said:
Thanks guys, much appreciated. Any more info greatfully received :) All noted down, gonna start doing a bit of a checklist to take along when we go to view. I'm not gonna tell my missus' mum how to spend her money, I'll just help if I can.
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Ours had some work done on corroded brake lines, our local indy said he sees a few like that - might be worthwhile checking previous MOT's for advisories as it's something you might not be able to see on inspection.
 
I'm not too impressed with the build quality on early Mini's tbh - I recently had a minor head on with a 54 plate one and my X plate e46, narrow single track country road, I stopped, the Mini didn't, I ended up with a cracked number plate and loose peice of plastic trim on my front bumper, the Mini needed a bumper, headlamp,bonnet / wing and radiator (just by looking at the immediate aftermath, I dread to think what else they found upon inspecting it!) it seemed extremely flimsy from what was a very low speed impact.

Bar the bumper and plate damage,sorted via a payment from the drivers Dad, I didn't involve insurance,my e46 is fine!
 
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The brake lines are a good point actually... Mine has had two new front lines, they run from the servo at the right rear of the engine bay as you're stood at the front bumper... Kind of behind the N/S strut... The lines can be seen almost along their entirety for the fronts...
 
my brothers had a mini cooper from brand new 2000 plate, had a problem with the steering column from factory got sorted straight away, other than that he has had 3 new exhausts they rust through all the time and that is it no other problems

I had a mini cooper for a year didn't have any problems did 17K in it not a peep gone wrong.

id have one again fun to drive
 
kaptainmarc said:
my brothers had a mini cooper from brand new 2000 plate, had a problem with the steering column from factory got sorted straight away, other than that he has had 3 new exhausts they rust through all the time and that is it no other problems

I had a mini cooper for a year didn't have any problems did 17K in it not a peep gone wrong.

id have one again fun to drive
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Similar here. Mine's a late 2006 Cooper S which I've had for over 4 years and all it's needed was a wheel speed sensor and a knock sensor (although I did manage to get them to replace the clutch under warranty when I first bought it)
 
Cheers for the extra feedback, will definitely try and take a mechanic friend with me to get underneath if we spot one worth a proper good look over to check the brake lines.

Thanks guys :)
 
Hi guys, a bit of a bump, need to collate and write down everything so far which I appreciate but going to view one tomorrow night so any more tips and pointers would be fantastic, it sounds good, there's a bad scratch repair on the rear 1/4 he says (his daughters car), but mechanically it sounds good. Easier fix a bit of paint than swap loads of broken stuff mechanically really.

This is the car: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifi...per/mini-cooper------------------2003/2444089

Thanks for any help!
 
I think the rear lights are probably not legal? I've made my missus' mum aware.

It looks and sounds nice, it's a shame these things fetch top whack but she loves the white... milage aint great for such a price if you ask me but best go look at it first! Have to see about this "bad scratch repair" but mechanically it sounds good and a fair few bits replaced recently. Things like the exhaust, was blowing so said could weld it up for MOT but the girls dad just bought her a new exhaust.

We shall see :)

Are these timing chain engines rather than belt? I should have spent more time looking into them, but I'll try and find out as much as I can and get it jotted down quickly!
 
At that age is they haven't been done already you will be looking to have to have the weather seals done.

I'd also be wary of getting an old dear a mini as a run around, if she isn't fastidious with regular checks like oil and fluid levels (they drink oil like a mother, various things like leaking as had already been said), you could be looking at large costs.
 
She ended up buying it :)

The only things up with it were:

Back tyres have OK tread but cracking up a bit
Couple of body bits my missus' mum will probably sort, small crease on the little front wing panel on drivers side, couple of door scratches
Gangsta tints which are bubbling and peeling so gonna get them removed anyway
Front bumpers a bit loose so will get done when it has a few touch ups at the body shop...

About it really! Mechanically good, sounded good and drove fine, gearbox is smooth, just had a new clutch and gearbox oil, new exhaust cat back the other week, waterpump not long ago, quite a lot of paperwork etc, good spec with chilli pack, aero bodykit, pepper white, AC schitzer interior bits, harmon kardon audio. Paperwork for new PAS pump in 2008, other odds and sods brakes and so on.

So I think it would look bob on with 200 quid spent on the bodywork as mechanically it's sweet and to be fair didn't see any other pepper white ones at that price point.

It was up for 3k but we paid 2700, to me it's a rip off for a 10 year old car but it aint my money :) I was only there to help and advise.

Obviously I still don't know loads about them so what is this inspection 1 and 2 malarky?

Fox? :D
 
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