Most liked posts in thread: New R53 Hopeful

Drilled rotors tend to crack and fracture if heated....so one or two hard driving sessions...could be dangerous...
Slots have taken over from drilled holes for this reason...reality is anything you do to remove material from a rotor hurts you...
Drilled rotors look OK...and are cheap on eBay cause folks buy plain rotors....and drill them and resell them for a few extra $$....
Hopefully the gal bought this car cause it looked "cool" and has never driven it hard...
Check the computer when you look at it...
Easy going drivers tend to get upper 20's mpg if mostly highway, middle 20's if mixed (till maybe below a 45 mph average speed)....so if the car has a trip computer...you might be able to infer how she has driven....that and asking about brakes...
Easy going is 60-80,000 on a set of pads....harder driving as low as 35,000 depending on driving style (and auto-x/track days...but that can be a set in a weekend)...

 

Welcome to M/A the FUN Mini site.


FYI ~ the battery in a R53 is already located in the trunk and you can run a straight back exhaust under it without any modding.

If you want to know about the R53 from a local shoot a PM to TheModFather.

 

Wait...we're not having the discussion on underbody lights?

Welcome! I've learned a ton about my MINI just from the wisdom of the people who frequent this forum. I think you will find that people here tend to favor quality over quantity which is a great thing.

 

I have a request....or maybe more of an idea...you can make that car into a "donk" mini....aka like 22+ inch rims..lol...think a gold crown on the dash...a few other mods...would be a interesting mini!! Lol

 

That's because they can not get a "Stance style" car out of the driveway. :lol:

 

MT is mostly Euro guys and I don't think lots of them run Meth because of country laws.
MU is a slow dying site but has a few followers that like a car that is un-drivable over 15 MPH because its slammed to the ground.

 

As far as the '02, whether he did "all the right mods" or not, when you're buying a car like that, that has lots of go-fast goodies, you're taking a HUGE gamble on buying someone else's problems. Plus, he mentions several times in the ad how he drives....you may be walking into a trap. I've bought and sold more cars than times I've changed chonies (yes, I know I'm due for my annual shower...I'll get around to it eventually). I can tell you from personal experience that it doesn't matter what brand of car you buy, if you buy it modified, you're buying a problem that you will be putting money into.

On the '05, looks clean and doesn't have a whole slew of stuff added. The miles are still really high though. If you're not in a huge hurry, you might want to bide your time because I guarantee you can find a lower mileage, cleaner example from an older, less speed-racer type individual for around the same price. Don't make the mistakes I have in the past by rushing into something just because you want it now. If you have the time/ability to really search, do so. It'll pay off for you big time.

 

The 02 is a POS. The coil is an MSD one issue, the crank damper looks like it was removed for something else and most of the other mods are cheap low and parts. Not to mention it has the wrong O2 and has codes because of a cheap header.

Just walk away from that one.



The 05 S on the other hand looks to be perfect except for the price. I would work that down and tell the guy its 10 years old with almost 100 K on the clock. That is a nice car that was serviced well and garaged. You may find one with lower mileage but the body may not be in that nice of shape and it may have been modded already.

If it was me I would take the virgin non modded car with the miles. My own 05 has 89k on the clock so it's not that bad for a 10 year old car at all. Heck you can even get him down lower because you have to replace the windshield.

 

I think the answer is clear...that '02 is not worth the trouble. Dave and ModFather are definitely the guys to talk to on this kind of stuff, so I would pay close attention to their advice. I kind of wish they were closer, so I could take them with me when I go pick mine up lol.

 

Make it down to the Dragon, or up here to MITM, I will be at both... Maybe AMVIV next time around too...

 

Its a not so fictional place on the Tennessee North Carolina line just south of Knoxville, where the blacktop is butter smooth and winds through 11 miles and 318 curves sandwiched between a ravine and the Smoky Mountains...

It is also the largest gathering of MINI people in the country, where we all get together actually put a face to a profile, and share many stories and beers for a few days every spring.

Last year was my first down there, and even though I had to drive my Jeep down, it was just the escape from reality I needed! MINIs, friends, beer, and IMHO the best scenery you can get in this country... Oh and BBQ... Lots of great BBQ... How can you go wrong!

 

Hey Junkie, wasn't I right in draggin' you over here?
Best site, right?

 

Like the fact it needs mor horsepowers and less weight?

 

Same thing applies.

:ihih: :ihih: :lol:

 

Yeah! I work for a living...

 

After break in, it really turned into a much more fun and powerful car. BUT, I did learn that Toyota's mapping is all wrong, as this car best performs not at WOT, but at about 80%. Anything beyond that and it feels like it's choking itself out, flooding. Also, the lack of torque is pretty sad. That's to be expected from a small displacement, normally aspirated engine. But a car that turns heads should be able to turn those heads at more a break neck speed, not Pebble Beach Concourse D'Elegance speed.

 

Livin' the slo lyfe...