GREAT DECISION!!!! Congrats, and I mean it! You would never find a better MINI like that one and that year!
Well Thompson I think you have made a good choice. That is one fine MINI you have there. I'm sorry someone missed out on your sweet car.
Yeah thanks guys! Chuck, we sat around the dinner table last night and the minister of finance and daughter both were like, "I can't believe someone hasn't bought the MINI yet at this ridiculously low price, it is SUCH a nice car! ( it has been offered on CL locally for over a month...) We should really keep it." And the daughter follows up with,"Dad, now you can by me the S6 Avant". I have to say it is extremely entertaining to drive and the feeling I get when driving it flat out, harks back to how my 1972 Porsche 911 RS replica with mechanical injection drove, but all bonkers on the front wheels when you give it the berries. Honestly guys, I couldn't even imagine how this R53 would go if it had a thumper head, RMW tune and modded pulley. I've raced loads of Porsches, track, autocrossing and Audi quattros on the Virginia City Hillclimb, but limited autocrossing in my R53. Reason is my daily tarmac commute is completly sans traffic and over a mountain road for 12+ miles and provides all the hooning I need. It was definitely NOT a Monday or Friday build MINI.
Follow up... I'll probably just get another Audi quattro for driving in the winter and tuck the R53 in the garage for the winters.
It is truly a nice-looking car with relatively low miles for its age [mine is the same year and has 97k since I bought it new]. As said before, you just would have a hard time replacing it with another MINI, if that was the "plan". Your solution to keep the car was the best solution. Besides, the pics you posted wowed us all and made us all the more happy for you and your decision.
Great looking car and I know one guy that was interested and sad when you said you decided not to sell your R53.
I didn't mean to make your bud sad, sorry… It all added up, all your words of support and how amazed you were with the condition, super low miles, me as the original owner and yes, the photos speak many words (I shot those with my DSLR Oly E-500 and vintage Zuiko 50mm ƒ1.4 lens). I've had really good luck with this R53 since day one and to boot, MINI has actually been very responsive and taken care of me well the entire 8 years.
I bought a 2002 Audi S6 Avant with 340hp OMG ut: screw loose? Not. This quattro is delightful and wicked fast. The 4.2l V8 sounds like I'm always running the Mulsanne at Le Mans flat out, it makes the most insanely beautiful noise EVER. This just fits my 4 meter RC Scale Sailplanes in the back better than the R53. My R53 is still in the yard, still only 66k miles on her. I mounted the snows on, but not driving it in the winter. Happy New Year to all! Cheers, Thompson My daughter hammering on it during her first autocross at a BMWCCA Street Survival school at Barre, VT Thunder Road race track. You think that she would have driven the R53? Kids these days are all so in automatic mode… Tail tucked, I feel slightly embarrassed that she still has yet to learn the finer etiquette of making the R53 go and learning the Getrag 6-speed. In time. At the same time, VERY proud that she grabbed this S6 by the horns and showed all the other kids (and instructors) that she is my daughter. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khle5PVGyVI&list=UUtXIHUTaJxC8J1kwdd_Xa8g"]2002 Audi S6 Avant V8 street survival lane change - YouTube[/ame]