Most liked posts in thread: The Phoenix - The GP Roadster Project

05r50 · Mar 11, 2015

Great project.

Would you mine sharing how you found the donor to know it was up for auction and what the process was?

I mean was it local and you had to go or was it online and you submitted a bid etc?

Curious how one goes about finding these to bid on them.

cct1 · Mar 11, 2015

Either one would make a nice core for a stroker...

TheModFather · Mar 11, 2015

With my luck it would have metal parts sticking through the metal parts in no time! LOL...

BlimeyCabrio · Mar 12, 2015

GP Wing and Rear Interior are still available, if anyone wants to make an offer. Contact me via PM if interested.

After I receive the car, I'll be posting them on the various marketplaces, with copious pics, etc. But here's an opportunity for folks to get dibs on them, for following this thread.

Lowest offers I'm really willing to consider are be in the range of $1500 + shipping for the wing, and $1000 + shipping for the interior. Both would be available for MOTD delivery.
Yes, that's an insane amount of money. And about half MSRP. For genuine GP parts.

TheModFather · Mar 12, 2015

I call dibbs on the rear third brake light! Name your price, I will pick up in NC.

Metalman · Mar 13, 2015

Eric@Helix · Mar 13, 2015

BlimeyCabrio said: ↑

That's a very good question.
Because 4 days ago, I had no idea.

Most insurance salvage auctions in the US are handled by IAAI
They sell primarily to licensed automotive businesses (dealers, wreckers, reconstructors, brokers, etc.). In some states, members of the public can purchase from them directly. You pay them $200/yr to register, just to be able to bid. They make their money on auction fees paid by the buyer, based on the total value of the auction. Figure about 15%.

IAAI has over 150 auction centers throughout the US. You can search their auctions on their website. They typically have several auctions happening every day. You can search by make, model (at a high level), location, etc. They list cars that are ready for auction, as well as cars that have been reported to them by insurance but for which titling, etc. has not yet completed. So some cars have an auction date, others don't have a date set yet.

The search is not very sophisticated. They don't recognize anything more specific than "2006 MINI Cooper". From there, you have to browse all the cars to find what you're looking for. It can take some research time. For each car, you can see pics and some very vague descriptions of the damage. If you're local to a car, you can go see it in person. But generally, you're rolling the dice based on the damage you (think) you see in the photos.

For most people, the best option is to work with a broker. I worked with SalvageBid.com. For $250 per transaction, they will proxy bid on your behalf, and act as the middleman between you, IAAI, and transport companies. This enables you to bid on any car IAAI sells in the US, without any licensing issues.

You put down a security deposit with SalvageBid (on a credit card) for 10% of the maximum value you will bid (minimum $400). After 30 days of no bidding activity, if you're all paid up with them on any auctions, they automatically refund the security deposit.

The auction process is kinda weird. Once an auction date is set, they open up a period called "pre-bidding", that lasts until the day of the actual live auction. During this period, you can bid on the car, "eBay style". While it looks like this is happening on SalvageBid's site (and you're doing your bids through them), they are actually submitting your maximum bid to IAAI's system and this is where it's being tracked. All brokers and IAAI registered bidders can bid during the pre-bid period. The actual price goes up as folks make competing bids, to each bidder's maximum - just like eBay. You either win the pre-bid, or you get outbid.

At the end of the pre-bid, whatever the price is, becomes the opening bid of the live auction. Let's say you put in $5000 as your maximum, and you won the pre-bid at $2500. Then that's the opening bid. At the time of the auction, your car comes up and registered bidders on-site, at other iAAI sites, and online (not you... but the professionals and the IAAI direct registered bidders) can make competitive bids on the car, just like at a live auction. The proxy system will continue to bid on your behalf, up to your maximum bid. You can watch and hear this live auction on-line. They go very fast - about 30 seconds per car. They typically sell a hundred to several hundred cars at each auction site in each auction, over the course of 1-3 hours. It's pretty addictive to watch.

So that's how I won this car. Found it searching IAAI. I registered with SalvageBid and put down a security deposit sufficient for my maximum bid. I placed a bid during pre-bidding. Some other folks bid during pre-bidding, and ran the price up to a few thousand bucks. Then at the live auction, that was the starting price, and some other bidders ran the price up some more. But, ultimately, no one was willing to pay as much as I was. Win.

On top of the actual car price, you also pay IAAI's auction fee and a documentation fee, plus SalvageBid's $250 transaction fee. Plus shipping if the vehicle is not local. So it all adds up A LOT. The SalvageBid site has a calculator to help you anticipate the total "off the lot" price, as well as shipping costs, prior to you bidding.

After you win, you have until the end of the next business day to pay, by WIRE TRANSFER ONLY.

SalvageBid has been FANTASTIC to work with so far. Their systems and communication work very well. A live person has traded a bunch of emails with me today to handle payment and shipping.

There are other auction businesses out there (Copart is one), but most of the selection is available through IAAI and SalvageBid.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this write-up.

BlimeyCabrio · Mar 13, 2015

The GP is on a truck en route from Ohio to NC, will be in my driveway tomorrow morning!!!

And I was able to identify the car, and trace back to the recent and original owners!

Sadly, it's this car, that was listed for sale here by the original owner just a few months ago... GP0769

http://www.motoringalliance.com/forums/minis-sale/22913-2006-mini-cooper-s-jcw-gp-sale.html

cct1 · Mar 13, 2015

That is pretty cool!

I called that guy yesterday. He said the passenger seat was a total loss. Except for the seat sensor.

RallyMini370 · Mar 14, 2015

This GP has your name on it, reminds me of the Audi ad

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkaJfbbHgM0"]Audi Certified Pre-Owned TV Commercial - Bumper Sticker - YouTube[/ame]

Good luck on the kangaroo driving for the first few miles.

RallyMini370 · Mar 14, 2015

If I lived closer I'd be down in shot. I love stripping cars ...should have got a job in a chop shop LOL

BlimeyCabrio · Mar 16, 2015

Kenny kustom said: ↑

Btw. Under the rear seat is a pull ring to open the rear hatch without power
Click to expand...

Kenny, take a pic under the rear seat of your GP and show me what you find.:frown2:

Dave.0 · Mar 16, 2015

You can cut styrofoam with a razor blade and find out really quickly. :lol:

Oh and I hope you also swap over the ECU & BCM with at GP speedo and don't forget the key/ ing switch so the immobilizer does not lock you out from starting your car.

TheModFather · Mar 16, 2015

You have to crawl all the way through the car to the hatch, and pull the hard plastic cover up that covers the actual latch mechanisim. (Not the hatch side, but the body shell) On the inside of that latch is a tiny lever that a barrel nut and cable attach to... (Its on the passenger side rear of the latch) If you trip that with a screwdriver, the hatch will open.

The latch itself was used on all the R50/53 hatchbacks (not cabrio's) and is the exact same on all of them. Most of the 02's just dont have the cable because it wasnt yet required, even though all the bracketry is there, and the latch has the relese lever for the cable.
The GP may not have some of the brackets (Because assembled in Italy) but I doubt they chanded the latch.

TheModFather · Mar 22, 2015

Dave.0 said: ↑

When you are done with the motor and everything else you should pait it Thunder Blue. :idea:
Click to expand...

I know a guy who could handle that...

BlimeyCabrio · Mar 22, 2015

I do, most definitely, bring honer to most of my endeavors. And even bring honor to some of them.

BlimeyCabrio · Mar 22, 2015

TheModFather said: ↑

I know a guy who could handle that...
Click to expand...

And I seriously wish he lived closer...

MCS02 · Mar 22, 2015

cct1 said: ↑

Ok, obviously a misspelling. 'Honer' could either be 'honor' or, more
likely, 'a boner'. So which is it?
Click to expand...

Well at my age that is probably better than honor.:frown2::lol:

TheModFather · Mar 24, 2015

See rusty GP engine.... I have the perfect car for it.

BlimeyCabrio · Mar 24, 2015

Starting on the manual... this is gross on the inside.

An hour later, nice and clean (mostly), with all new seals, guide tube, and bushings.

Nice, pretty flywheel.

Had some issues with the clutch combo I was going to run (Valeo kit, with the Clutchmasters flywheel I already had). Clutchmasters uses stock-size studs and bolts. Valeo uses smaller ones. Flanges on the Valeo pressure plate are so small, that if I drill or ream them there won't be much metal left around the holes. So the Valeo kit is going back, and I'll have a Clutchmasters kit on Thursday to finish the clutch install.

In the meantime, I'll get the rest of the engine reassembled and ready to go, and will work on the engine bay, pedals, and shifter.

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