zeitgeist57 Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 We have a 2004 Cavalier sedan in FL that, at $800, seemed like a great car when I drove it down last year. Now, the brake lines are busted, and the fuel lines are next. It runs well, A/C works, I JUST PUT NEW TIRES ON IT, but the last thing I want to do when we visit is put new brake lines on it. My wife knows this. This evening, we are looking at a 2002 MINI Cooper that someone in UA is selling since they bought it new from MAG. It's only got 82k miles, and looks pretty cherry. Love DAT BLUE. Stick, non-S. Asking $4k obo, KBB looks like $3400 for excellent examples. I can't find the screenshot she emailed me but it looks exactly like this: http://www.usedcarsgroup.com/2002-mini-cooper-potomac-md-1336065095951624448-2.jpg PROS: Seems to be a really solid car from a good, one-owner home. I need a f**king solid-but-cheap car for FL and we all know on this board that those cars are rare birds. I do have a standing offer from the greasemonkey at Goodyear on Immokalee Blvd that they'll give me $900 for the Cavalier. CONS: When I drove the non-S MINI a few years ago at CarMax, it was a huge POS with warped brake rotors and an A/C system that blows ice cold...on your hands. I'm also nervous about first-model-year cars, like they haven't worked the kinks out. However, I do feel that pretty much whatever car my wife OK's I just need to buy, knowing the ask doesn't come often. WWCRD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 No. I would buy this: http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5750527690.html I am tempted to buy it myself but it's hard to justify buying another car right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugen Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 My wife likes these cars too. I have looked at them on and off for a few years. I was mostly interested in a S model and a manual transmission. As the automatics are known to be junk. The engine has been known to have some major issues as well. I was weary of buying one for top dollar and just never pulled the trigger due to unreliability concerns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky31186 Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 NO! Check out where the oil filter is located.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwashmycar Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 Those R50 "just-a-coopers" are not that bad at all. All the engine problems are on the (I think it is N14) Turbo engines in the newer 07+ models in comparison. True, the oil filer is somewhere back behind the valve cover by the firewall IIRC. Can be tricky to get to, but not impossible. If excellent is 3400 I wouldnt give 4, but if you can strike a deal it'd be a good car to run around in. No sunroof is a bonus too....super annoyingly bright and heavy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99StockGT Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 Wait wait so you want a reliable car and are looking at a first gen "New Mini"? This was in the time when BMW didn't wholey build the car so they were known to be a bit of a pain. Cost wise right now you can definitely get into a Mini at a decent price but there are some things that can/will go wrong eventually that are painfully expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergwheel1647545492 Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120936&highlight=cooper DO NOT DO IT!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 No. I would buy this: http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5750527690.html I am tempted to buy it myself but it's hard to justify buying another car right now LOL @ comparing a 190k mile car to a 82k mile car. regardless of what it is.:dumb: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 I LOVED my r53 cooper S. It was awesome to drive. They are a lot bigger inside then they appear. They are pretty comfy and can throw more stuff in the trunk then you would think. I drove it from south Florida to New York City to Ohio and plenty of mountain passes. Perfect car to enjoy twisty roads. Stay far away from the autos in the non S models. They are junk. Also check the strut towers on top in front to make sure they aren't mushrooming. Other then that they are solid. Here's my old S http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee254/ca18det007/IMAG0222.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagner Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 Clay, don't go from a GM POS to a German POS, it's just not a good smell to have laying around you. Wife worked at BMW call center and had all kinds of fun stories about these cars, their problems, and the expense to get them fixed. Hardcore Mini people will tell you how great they are, but their drinking that German beer. I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 LOL @ comparing a 190k mile car to a 82k mile car. regardless of what it is.:dumb: When you're talking about 3k beaters, who gives a shit about mileage? I'm not comparing anything, but if I were, I would trust a 2001 Bonneville over a 2002 Mini Cooper regardless of mileage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE-O Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 imagine your BMW upkeep but now with more expensive harder to find parts that fail even more often Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 However, I do feel that pretty much whatever car my wife OK's I just need to buy, knowing the ask doesn't come often. WWCRD? I'd re-read the above initial statement and if she likes it, buy her a pretty blue car and let her say thank you FWIW my brother in law in Athens about a yellow/white 2002 S manual transmission for his wife to "test the waters" on this platform. That was like 3 years ago and it's been trouble free. It's old and not exactly the quality I would expect from the Germans but then theirs is old and has a ton of miles. I LOL at seeing a guy drive a yellow and white mini but he just looked at me and says "she's happy" and I know that means he's getting thanked more than I am for sticking my wife in a minivan 'nuff said. Save Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 Having been parts of mini owners group and active on mini boards for quite some time the only real issue with the non S early cars is the junk auto trans. If you are going to get a manual then it really is t an issue. They are also pretty bare bones. Not a whole lot that can go wrong with them. We aren't talking about a beat to shit S class or early 7 series here with electronic gizmos galore. Oh and if you are content with a non S do not drive an S. The non S Mimi's are fun and enjoyable until you drive an S then you will never want a non S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toph6888 Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 My fiance has an 09 Cooper S, and ultimately the main saving grace on it is I can do the work myself on it. It has 50k miles on it, and I've put in a clutch, timing chain and thermostat housing. From what I have learned, be ready to pay a lot for parts, and when something needs done just pull the whole engine / trans (actually really easy on these cars as the whole front clip comes off as one piece) and just replace everything when its off of the car. The thing that sucks about the manual is at least the second gen had a dual mass flywheel, which you can't get turned/resurfaced, so be ready to buy a flywheel everytime, and the clutches don't seem to last that long as it is (we replaced hers at ~42-45kmiles, but other minis have had clutch repairs as early as 20-30k miles). We put in a solid mass flywheel though that we can turn, and it was half the cost of the dual mass. We haven't had any issues with it. The R53 engine was a bit more of a pain to work on from what I have seen in the forums. Plus to me the R56 with the turbo response is way better than the R53 supercharger response. I was not impressed with the supercharger at all, it took a lot of clutch work to get it going. We tried multiple (so don't say it was just a weird one) before we got the R56 with the turbo. Engine work aside, the car has been awesome. Regularly gets great gas mileage, is surprisingly big inside, and fun to drive around some corners. The alignment from the factory is definitely set up to understeer like a pig. A rear sway bar and alignment adjustment takes care of this. I still look at getting one every now and then to strip and run as a race car only just because they are a blast to throw around, and the parts aren't terrible figuring its a Euro car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwashmycar Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 Like jump'n said, the R50 you are looking at is almost a totally different car than even the R53 supercharged one and certainly completely different than the R56 referenced above. I had an R56 also and once I hit warranty up time I ditched it....way too many problems with it...but its apples to oranges. and LOL at the Bonneville. Id say there is a small chance on the mini youll spend a few hundred bucks once or twice but a 200K mi GM is going to have you spend that much as well, just $20 at a time.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Brian Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120936&highlight=cooper DO NOT DO IT!!! ya I was gonna point to that thread. Sounds like a less than splendid daily driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 I need a f**king solid-but-cheap car for FL... WWCRD? We were asked what we would do, I simply answered the question. Reliable 3800, cheap/easy platform to fix Looks nice, has tint & AC, it's Florida ready! Big, roomy, comfortable Not totally boring to drive like a Cavalier You folks can hate on the high mileage GM all you want, but keep in mind it's a $2k beater. You could do a hell of a lot worse for the money. If we're so concerned about mileage and maintenance, be lame and boring and go spend a lot more on the newest and lowest mileage Corolla you can find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 $4k or $3400 to fix a $500 brake problem. A. I doing this math right? Fix the Chevy, drive it till something else fails. Junk it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted August 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Including you, Steve I've read up on some of the historical issues with early R50 MINI Coopers...yes, thankfully since it's a stick (and I wouldn't have it any other way) and non-S (supercharged on early models) the only thing I'd have to worry about is the dual-mass flywheel and the P/S pump and fan, which are pricier parts but readily available on RockAuto. They have flywheel conversions, but I pretty much just need it to NOT RUST... Will report on the test drive. 7:45pm...I thought it was odd how very specific of a time that is... $4k or $3400 to fix a $500 brake problem. A. I doing this math right? Fix the Chevy, drive it till something else fails. Junk it. Kerry, the Cavalier is still in my possession and will ultimately get repaired, if the MINI doesn't tickle my wife's fancy that much. Some say $500 brake fix on an $800 car is junk-status already. Did I mention the fuel lines are next to go? If I have to fix it I will. If my wife OK's a nicer, lower-mileage car that's been garaged it's entire life, I'm all for that as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ansonivan Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 Top problems I see on first gen Justa coopers with the 5 speed box. Brake line rust, control arm bushing wear, Midlands transmission failure, water intrusion problems resulting in body wiring/connector damage, steering pump failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted August 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 IS THAT IT? :gabe: :no::no::no: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdk 4219 Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 LOL @ comparing a 190k mile car to a 82k mile car. regardless of what it is.:dumb: Doesn't really work like that with German cars. I would take a 190k mile Toyota over most German cars. I own plenty of German cars to compare to the Scion xB service vehicle I have. When German cars work, they tend to be very enjoyable, when they break, they tend to be very expensive, and time consuming to repair. If that mini is an automatic run like hell, even if it isn't, usually the German cars I have don't like to be left for more that 2 weeks without starting, as they will eat batteries quickly. If this is a Florida car sitting for a while, it will more than likely need a battery tender or it will be dead.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyM3rC Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 I wouldn't pay $3k for any early mini. One of my family friends bought a new cooper S, first model year, and it's been the biggest pile of shit I've ever seen for a new car. Rattles everywhere before it even hit 30k miles, horrible ride, nonstop electrical problems, stupid expensive parts for everything. OMG IMS OMG 996 has been more reliable with double the mileage and much harder use than his LOL cooper S. If someone GAVE me any new mini in any condition it would go on craigslist for "BEST OFFER TODAY TAKES IT" they are that bad. And I'm someone that only buys german cars with potentially catastrophic failures, for fucks sake. NO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99StockGT Posted August 31, 2016 Report Share Posted August 31, 2016 So, it's 8:20, I wonder how the test drive went? Old Mini = Be ready for repairs New Mini = Buy the base model, enjoy the HELL out of it under warranty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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