Calling all Mini One owners, please help

Jarrod

Jarrod

Jarrod

Associate
Joined
28 Oct 2011
Posts
539
Looking to buy my first car, and scrolling through the list of cars that someone of my age (18) can get insured on only to find dull cars, however came across a Mini One and decided to do a insurance quote only to find insurers are willing to insure me on a 1.6 petrol Mini for the same cost as a KA or Punto 1.2.

So this Mini One is a 2003 model, with 150k miles, full service history and a recent flywheel and clutch change for listed at £2k.

My concern is with the amount of miles this car has done, though with a full service history should I be concerned?

Just looking for a bit of advice as this is my first dive into purchasing a car.

Cheers
 
Hmm...well, having the clutch and flywheel changed recently is good. However at mileages like that there can be other issues which will have crept in. Full service history is a good sign though. Generally means it shouldn't have gone too long between oil changes which will help greatly.

Could be worth a test drive.
 
I'd be a bit concerned about the gearbox at that mileage, the midland box in the R50 is known the be fragile and failure is fairly commom
 
Check wishbone bushes (move the front wheels and look for play), and top mounts (can be seen under the bonnet). These are two fairly common issues with them. Also have a good drive and pay attention to the steering. The pumps tend to go after a while and will cost you a fair whack to replace, you're looking at about £600.

You can also get a Superchips Bluefin for £250 which will unlock the engine to Cooper spec, as they're electronically limited. They have a slightly shorter gear range than a Cooper however, so will be quicker when chipped. Some claim 38bhp extra, but in reality this is usially between 25 and 32bhp which is great as the One has 98 to begin with.
 
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