Anything in particular I should be looking for, asking about? Ie certain mileage maintenance, rust spots, sounds of things going, etc.
Personally I would go for the 2011 or newer if you go turbo. My MINI mechanic said the N18 engine is easy better than the N14, starting with a carbon buildup problem in the 14. I have an 08 S and love it though.
rudeboyevan, there are a LOT of us former VW guys here. Mine was, let's see, a 1976 Rabbit (swallowtail!) 1985 Jetta D 1992 GTI (SCCA SSB spec, cage, techtonics motor, and all the goodies, we're getting serious now) 2000 1.8T chipped Passat (thought I'd grown up) 1990 small-bumper 2.0 GLI (guess not!) then the Cooper S in 2006 - and actually haven't looked back. VW;s are great, the Mini is like all the good stuff from the early, powerful/light VW's, rolled up into a fun yet grown-up package. There are many debates on the early supercharged S's (raw, firm) vs. the later turbo (slightly softer, better fuel econ, turbo power) cars, all I can say is drive 'em and choose a good one. Welcome!
Dixon, I'm glad I'm not the only one, I figured there would be a few scootin' around. And grownup is the key word. I teach now, and well...when my 5th grade boys Are comparing my loud, low jazz blue Gti to their dad's civic hatch and all his street racing...I knew it was time. I need something a bit more reliable than a mk3, and the scene is rather lame. Plus, this forum is a hell of a lot nicer than vortex :beer:
Welcome to MA. I'm a R53 guy (supercharged) its a 02 I have owned for 8 years. I have had a blast with it and have handed off it to my son. When time comes I plane on getting another R53 for myself. Heres a link to the Supercharger vs Turbo thread. If you would like to read differing perspectives. http://www.motoringalliance.com/forums/cooper-s/11202-supercharged-vs-turbo.html I believe both are great cars so pick the one you like and have fun. Your not buying a car your buying a pet that eats petrol :cornut: Good luck
I choose '05-'06 R53 over the old than 2011 for the reliability reasons. I too had VWs 99 Passat 86 Cab Air cooled sand rail
If you do go R53, one of the main items to check is the front strut towers. Apparently the steel is a hair on the thin side, and a number of the R53s ended up with the tops of the strut towers deforming/mushrooming. There are several after-market products that can reinforce the towers so as to prevent the deformation.
Thanks so much for all the support guys, it's appreciated more than you know. Woke up to 5 degrees out and my Gti was completely out of oil. I was due for a change anyways, so I figured the oil just thinned out. Got a full synthetic ($$$$), started my car and it pissed out 4 out of the 6.8qts of oil. Time for a mini I think.
Just got back test driving this. I'm in love. I definitely like the charged more than the boosted for sure. It's an 06' and and interior is awesome (compared to the tacky 09') Would anyone mind giving me a ballpark of what insurance prices are like?
Very nice MINI! :drool How many miles? Call your agent. I'm sure your rates & mine are going to be different.
Keep us informed! I know for the 'dub guys "stance" is important, and the more poke the better - the average seems to be a 1"+ drop and some "stretch" on VWV. Know that you'll find a more diverse set of opinions here! The "average" performance setup for the R53 is somewhere around "a little lower and a little stiffer", with Koni Yellows, a moderate drop, and an adjustable rear sway on "medium" being an acknowledged "great setup"... but you'll go anywhere from "stock with a stiffer rear bar" to "complete coilovers and bars" (or "bags") at the extremes. The "best" track setup may actually be lightweight 16's (some run 15's!), and there are some fairly serious AutoX and track junkies around... successfully running all sorts of combinations, to be fair. And it's all good, lots of acceptance for different styles and I've heard very little sniping except if things go too far off the charts! (though I tend to avoid that nonsense...) For the R56, it's a little different, as those come from the factory with what appears to be a 4x4-ish lift kit on, and (relaying general opinion here) need some drop just to look sane! Again, however, there's a fairly wide spread. Let us know how it goes! Your blue bomb pictured above looks rather good. (oh - those wheels are called "S-heavies" on NAM for a reason...)
I will absolutely keep everyone informed. At this point it's a matter of a loan going though, and I'm 99% the above mcs is the one. As far as the r53, what's recommended for initial performance? Does anyone know of any shops in NE that will install software, chip, etc? Would you recommend intake, pullies, etc?
My road to happiness, intake, 15% pulley & exhaust. You can do more, but what I've done pleases me & has been 100% trouble free. If you get that sweet blue one buying lighter wheels will help a lot. Good luck!
Dont know what that blue one has, but in this order: - Take care of all Maintenance items: Change oil, check fliuds, brakes, bearings, replace serpentine (supercharger drive) belt, bring 'er up to spec. Tons of threads on that. - Strut Towers Check for mushrooming (do a search), correct, add strut tower defenders or a strut bar with them molded in. - Handling: Get the car corner-weighted or make damn sure the coilovers are adjusted properly, seen too many coilover'd cars that are 1/2 turn "off" that look great but handle like poop. - Also check alignment, most Minis came from the factory with rear toe outta whack, there are adjustments available at the trailing arm mounting points. Then... Safety items first: Best to be able to handle the power before adding power: - Brakes: EBC RedStuff pads (greens or Hawk HPS if it's a grocery getter). Better stopping, less fade. - Handling: Slightly stiffer rear swaybar (though the PO may have that covered with the suspension upgrades) - Handling:Lighter wheels and tires, DEFINITELY. Put snows on the S-heavies shown on that car, those things are stones (if you'll drive in winter weather, snows are a must). If you insist on all-seasons, ContiDWS, 215/45/17 are outstanding. - Power: 15% pulley, more is overkill and less is either JCW or unavailable Then you get to the "compromise" mods, where comfort begins to get sacrificed for performance: - Exhaust (many threads, determine your cost/noise/power ratio and purchase smartly - Camber plates, fixed or adjustable: add some camber, but wear out the inside edges of the tires slightly faster, depending on your driving style - Stiffen: Stiffer PS engine mount and lower dogbone Oh yeah, add some Motoring Alliance vinyl, good for an additional 5hp!
Back up from the dead! So I finally sold the GTI and shopped around. Went to a fiat dealer to check out a pepper white hard top advertised for 14.5k, and found out it was really $17k...(finance 14 and trade in 3). 3 hours later I got them down to $15k even!!! Drive her home last night. I've never been a happier man. 08' mcs 39,xxx miles Pepper white Black panther leather Interior Think the next step is a tune. Any suggestions? I'm in RI.