1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: 3 problems that need fixing!!

1. I'd say throw out bearing or as you say thrust bearing is the culprit here. 100K miles on the OEM clutch is darn good. The throw out bearing on these is plastic and often is the first thing to go.

2. You can probably find a used OEM exhaust and graft in the left muffler. Or go with a one ball cutting out the left side altogether.

3. The leaking coolant tank is normal, they tend to split at the seams.

 

+1 on what Nathan said.

If you like the sound of the stock exhaust you should be able to find a used stock exhaust for free. There are many good aftermarket exhausts available to change the sound (improve in my opinion) but most cat-backs are in the $650+ range.

Way Motor Works does have an IE exhaust for $340 which seems very reasonable but I have never seen or heard the IE exhaust.
Ireland Engineering Catback Exhaust - Way Motor Works

 

1. I'm no clutch expert, but it doesn't sound like the slave. Kinda strange that one mechanic said "maybe the slave cylinder, but may aswell replace the clutch"... this is like saying "it might be a $250 job, but you may as well pay me $2500". I'm not impressed with his argument.

2. I frequently see Gen 1 exhausts being given away on my local club board (or for sale for $50) that are lightly used. There are some hanger differences between years, I think, but nothing that $30 at an exhaust shop won't fix. If you are handy with tools and have jack stands, you could probably do the replacement yourself. (People frequently upgrade their exhausts and shelve the old one incase they need it later... then they sell the car and think 'oh crap... what do I do with this thing?')

3. I had one leaking tank and when the second started seeping a bit, I went with a Forge stainless tank. Very well made, but a bit more expensive than plastic.

 

One-ball modification is removing the right side (resonator) and routing to the left (baffle) side. If the left side is faulty, replacement or repair is needed. Given the OP's location, oxidation is probably extensive making repair iffy.

 

Hate to revive a thread, but thought I had useful info. My slave cylinder just had to be replaced, about three months ago. If that was going, you'd know. Namely, my car would not shift. No gear changes other than when the engine was off. So I wouldn't consider that as an issue. Throwout bearing sounds more likely.