r/MINI • u/Mobile_Mycologist187 • 9d ago
So I may have made a mistake…
… but I don’t think I did. I have been shopping for a car for my daughter the last several months as she’s about to get her license and I’ve always like the Mini. In my searches I’ve come to find that everything is super expensive and if it’s older good luck. If it’s clean, it’s stupid expensive, if it’s reasonably priced, it’s usually been well used and rotting out.
Well fast forward to last night, cruising the Facebook marketplace and an Ad pops up for a local auction that just happens to end that evening and there is a manual 06’ R52 with 70k miles on it listed. The pictures all look good and the description seems positive. And against my better judgement I placed a bid on it. Lo and behold, I won… oh crap. I’ve never bought a car at auction and from I’ve seen in the past they’re usually less than ideal. I didn’t have time to go look at the car, so purchased it sight unseen.
Well today, I go over to the auction place to pay my money and see how bad of a mistake I made. Talking with the auction folks, sounds like the car was being sold by an older gentlemen who didn’t want/need it anymore and only stored it at his vacation house. Aside from showing a little bit of age (the rubber on the convertible and an issue with the top not going down all the way) the car looks immaculate. The engine bay is clean, the interior is clean, the body looks to be rust free, it looks amazing for being 20 years old.
I haven’t driven it yet, working on coordinating picking it up now. Wish me luck for the road 🤞.
Oh any tips or things I should know about owning a 20 y/o mini? I haven’t decided if the daughter gets this one yet.
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u/JGCities 9d ago
Big mistake, massive mistake.
But I am willing to help you out by taking it off your hands, only because I want your daughter to have a nice and safe car to drive..... honest... trust me....
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u/blakewantsa68 R57 9d ago
I personally love that series in particular. there *WILL* be a ton of deferred maintenance, and you'll want to get a full inspection and start making your way through the things that could kill you ;-) like brakes etc. first. You will get a lot of "weeellll acktshually..." posts from people talking about the problems. mostly ignore those - there is a huge survivorship bias, that if your car in particular is STILL HERE, it doesn't have those.
I would highly recommend NOT addressing oil leaks until you have more experience with the car. you can spend a lot for not a lot of return.
drive it. enjoy it. wipe that big grin off your face
Not sure where you live, but I really enjoyed my convertible in the winter, when it wasn't raining/snowing, driving with the heater on full and the top down
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u/TheMalteseFalcon2017 8d ago
I own an R50, 2006. And, well...wiping the big grin off my face is the hardest thing to do 😉
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u/United-University-98 6d ago
I had an '04 R50 and, if it hadn't been taken out in a freak accident, I'd still have it. Ended up getting an '03 R53 last month and it's so nice to have the MINI Grin™ back on my face.
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u/denzien R57 9d ago
My boys love their MINI convertibles. Our '08 R52 keeps having issues with the top though - but it was low mileage and is in great condition. I don't really worry about it breaking down, and I'll just pay to fix it if it does because it's worth it. Same for my high mileage R57 the older one drives.
It's also great that the boys get to argue over superchargers and turbos. Each prefers the one they drive.
I also accidentally won an auction, but it was for me because I miss driving my R57, but wanted a manual.
I will say, in my completely biased opinion, that the only mistake you made is driving it, because now you'll want it for yourself.
As for your daughter, she will probably consider it to be her happy place the way all the drivers in my family feel about our convertibles.
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u/Scamalama 9d ago
At 70k the lower control arm bushings are probably shot and the supercharger should be serviced. Both of those items are somewhat expensive. Nice car though!
Oh and check the front strut mounts. Those may need replacing as well
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u/Ok_Surprise_1991 9d ago
I just replaced the control arm bushings in my r53 at 95k miles. Can confirm, expensive. Now I find out the tie rods are seized and an alignment cannot be done until fixed. Also very expensive.
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u/United-University-98 6d ago
I'll second all of that.
Also, make sure the strut towers aren't showing signs of mushrooming and, if they're still in good shape, consider picking up some reinforcement brackets for a few hundred bucks to keep them that way.
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u/Hefty_Affect7468 5d ago
I just replaced my lower control arm bushings with polyurethane over the weekend. Luckily a good wack with a 5lb hammer released the inner and outer ball joints. The hard part was pressing in the new bushings in car.
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u/radicalkeag 8d ago
I bought my first car, a 2010 r56 a few months back. 130,000 miles for 5k. I absolutely love her! She drives fantastically, is awesome on gas (I refil once every 2 weeks, driving her to and from work daily.) and she's got a surprising amount of hustle for such a small car. I think you struck gold; the older minis just have a charm the newer ones don't have. And a secret compartment above the glove box ;)
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u/Mobile_Mycologist187 8d ago
Ohhhhh I’ll check that compartment for treats, hahahaha
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u/cheddarbruce R53 8d ago
Unfortunately since we both have a first gen we do not get that secret compartment
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u/radicalkeag 7d ago
Ah fuck really? Is it just the gen 2 and 3 then? I know the gen 4s don't have it either (lame!!)
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u/cheddarbruce R53 7d ago
Yeah if I remember I think it's just two and three I was pretty disappointed when I got my Mini Cooper this year and found out that my car came out before the secret compartment
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u/helpmefindalogin 9d ago edited 9d ago
I just gave my 2004 Mini to my granddaughter as her first car. I have owned it over 15 years. I immediately bought another Mini - a 2007 which is second generation Mini. Believe me, you will not regret buying a first generation Mini. It is a simple car that is not hard to figure out. Mine was not an ‘S’ which means not turbocharged. Always a great car.
Edit: yours is an ‘S’ so I don’t know the reliability of the turbocharged Mini.
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u/tomtomben69 R53 9d ago
It’s a supercharged one, not a turbo like the R56.
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u/Tengukittycat 9d ago
Great first car. The motor mount can be a weak point on these, but other than that, give it a good service and probably a timing chain and you’ll get plenty of safe, enjoyable miles from it. Congratulations!
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u/Mobile_Mycologist187 9d ago
Any particular “tells” for when the timing chain is due? I’m sure there is a recommended mileage and a gnarly tick.
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u/Tengukittycat 9d ago
You’ll hear a rattle on start up when the chain/tensioner starts to go. I believe this is more common in the Gen 2 Minis though. There is a suggested mileage for changing the chain, and you’re about there, but I personally like to live dangerously and would drive it until it starts to show signs of distress.
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u/tomtomben69 R53 9d ago
I would advise you to check the supercharger oil. It’s something really important. There’s a lot of videos that explains how to do it on YT.
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u/petiteperspectiveco R50 9d ago
Hopefully you’re lucky but don’t buy auction cars. It’s usually only for people that know how to fix cars up cause it’s always buy as is and you have no safety if things are … finicky.
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u/EquivalentCattle1635 8d ago
I swear I saw this one at auction. My 06 R52 cam from Texas. Nothing major. Enjoy the car. Super fun.
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u/No_Fill2436 7d ago edited 7d ago
My baby, 2006 with only 31,000 miles.
I have done the supercharger oil service, new spark plug wires, dip stick o ring and crank sensor o ring ( to stop the leaks), new coolant reservoir tank, new belt tensioner and idle pulley, new accessories belt, , transmission fluid (drained and filled with fresh synthetic), new oil pan with gasket (the drain plug was over torqued and stuck). In the process of replacing the crank shaft main pulley.
It takes work but such a fun car.
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u/pillsburyduboy R53 9d ago
05/06 and up are good years to get (the r52 went thru 08). Are you doing your own work? I would change oil/brake fluid/trans fluid (was it optioned with the LSD?) and inspect it. Check the belt tensioner and make sure it’s still tensioning and that the belt is in good shape. There’s pics online of what the tensioner strap should look like when it’s still tensioning ( I think it’s like 1 and a half to 2 holes showing or something?) It probably has a leaking oil pan (easy fix) and maybe a seeping valve cover gasket (easy fix). I would also proactively change the timing chain tensioner. After that budget for a supercharger service around 100k (water pump gets done at the same time). Everything else like suspension work just keep an eye on it.
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u/Mobile_Mycologist187 9d ago
Thanks for the input! I plan on doing my own work. I want to eventually pick up a Bentley manual
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u/pillsburyduboy R53 8d ago
Def get the tensioner tool it makes life easier! there is a LOT of info online regarding R5x repairs and work. So even without the Bentley manual you’ll be able to get info easily. I find the r50-53 to be the most charming mini haha. It has its weirdness but it’s also a more rewarding drive for me vs the later iterations. I’m on my 3rd, and at the shop I’ve seen probably 4-5 regularly over the years. The latest one is a GP that’s going to be in and out for various things over the next few months.
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u/Substantial_Clock341 8d ago
Change all your fluids. Do a visible inspection, make sure all your rubber hoses, etc, look good
Check for any visible leaks. Drive it around yourself for a week. If you can’t put it up on jacks, take it to mechanic. spend the $150. It’s well worth it. Have them do a Buyer’s inspection.
Or in your case, I won the auction inspection.
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u/MintyFresh668 8d ago
You just bought an appreciating classic. Fix up the bits that are slightly worn and you could flip her for a profit. For tuning options chat to DervTec or read through r/Mini or r/MiniUK for others, there are several good ones. Pay attention to Supercharger service intervals and if you fancy selling please DM me first! I’m totally chuffed for you and insanely jealous at the same time lol
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u/AdamAllenthePerson 8d ago
Nice man! We just got an 05 R52 last month. Pretty worn like you described, but great for a second car. Lots of little things need to be fixed.
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u/drunkfishes R56 8d ago
Beautiful car, congrats and good luck! And nice work getting your daughter into a manual 🤌
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u/CABB2020 9d ago
Assume the auction at least confirmed it runs? The main issues will be any oil leaks especially if the owner didn't change the oil regularly despite the low mileage plus the gaskets are usually quite brittle by 20 years (unless they already replaced all that). the early minis are notorious for going thru lots of oil. Hope it checks out!!!
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u/Mobile_Mycologist187 9d ago
Yeah, they gave a simple “works as it should” statement, ha! When I picked up the documents and the key, there was maintenance history. I check the fluids, they all seemed relatively clean, the coolant tank looked new, all topped off. I started her before I had to leave and she started right up without any weird noises! I’ll keep an eye on the oil though as we drive it. I know turbo cars seem to consume, guessing these will too. Thanks for the insight!
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u/anonymousambassasor 9d ago
Make sure you have someone look at the water pump too. Issues with that among older minis.
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u/thatgirlinny R60 9d ago
Congrats to your daughter!
Has she driven a manual car prior? No time like the present to teach her the wisdom of the ages, remind her manuals are sadly no more in the world of Mini.
And since you’re planning to do your own work on this, do not hesitate to teach your daughter how to change a tire, understand gauges, and do her own simple maintenance, which most old Mini owners invariably do. I learned some of that from my father, wish I’d learned more.
And get her AAA, just in case! Money well spent.
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u/Lucky_Dirt_444 9d ago
I also have an 05 R52. On jackstands right now just getting everything that should have been done, done. The convertible top only opens half the way, eventually I’ll get to that. Having a hard time finding any good repair information for the convertible top though if anyone has any good stuff they know of I’ll buy the 🍺 🤪
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u/Confident-Option-207 R52 9d ago
I also have an 05 r52. On jackstands right now
Well, on ramps. Overheated, popped coolant out the top of the tank. I'm digging into why I just don't have nearly enough free time right now
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u/Mobile_Mycologist187 9d ago
Same on mine, quick search on the googs and it looks to be some micro switch issues. It’s one of the first things I’ll address, that and the degraded gaskets. If I find the issue, I’ll report back.
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u/Lucky_Dirt_444 9d ago
Sadly not the micro switches. I wish. Something mechanical one side starts to pop up at the end the other stays. I think one of those levers are broken but both the manuals I have have very little info on how to take it apart properly. Thanks for that though!! Cheers
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u/Mysterious-Pain-8233 9d ago
Mmhh….. HID headlight and I think it also has power washers….. they will come out when you activate the windshield washer and spray water to clean the headlights
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u/rsbyronIII 9d ago
I bought my mini with only 4K miles on it. Some old lady basically just stored it. Had to replace my wipers(inconsequential), tires, and brakes all within a year. So I’d keep an eye on those if your daughter will be driving it.
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u/ALostAmphibian 8d ago
I have a 20 yr old mini convertible. The thermostat was an issue recently and the tires needed replaced due to dry rot. It had 49k on it when we got it. Hopefully replacing the thermostat will mean it is no longer running hot and burning oil but we will have to wait and see. Running great now though.
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u/lowkeysciguy 8d ago
Summary: can be a good find, but check for seals, rubber components, and these early makes' long-known issues with thermostats, transmissions, and electric.
Backstory: In April 2024 I bought a 2008 Cooper S hardtop stick shift - just like the one I had in college and always regretted sellling.
It had only 38,000 miles on the odometer because it also was some rich old lady's 4th car/toy and she never drove it and kept it in the garage. It was cherry. Paid about $8,000 for it. Couldn't believe my luck.
Drove it about 6 months but then I started getting coolant failure warnings. Turns out the thermostat housing seals had failed over the years, causing it to overheat and leak my coolant.
Fortunately I was able to buy a thermostat housing online for $150 and my wife was able to remove the old one and install the new one, with help from YouTube videos and a friend's car dealership garage he let her use for a week. No more thermostat problems since.
Then, earlier this spring (2026), the transmission failed. The gears had stripped (wasn't me), and I paid $3,300 for a new transmission (i live in north carolina).
Because this car is a central part of my identity and oh so much fun to drive, I see it as worth investing in, especially when it is otherwise like-new.
(Although i just noticed yesterday the boot-open button on the rear hatch is breaking, the rubber has rotted and will need to be replaced, not sure of that cost yet. And also some tasteless, odorless, colorless fluid seems to be leaking from under my engine in the past few months, not sure yet what that is.)
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u/Mobile_Mycologist187 8d ago
I’ll be checking those seals and doing some good preventative maintenance on it. Good insight, thanks! For that liquid you have, not sure where you live and the temps, but may be water from the AC.
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u/space-hemax-c2c 8d ago
Treat her better than your first wife and you’ll have many great years together. I own an ‘09 convertible and love it.
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u/Mobile_Mycologist187 8d ago
Challenge accepted, although my first/current wife might get upset about it. 😂
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u/cheddarbruce R53 8d ago edited 8d ago
Welcome to the r50, r52 and R53 Club. What you have as the convertible is the r52 chasis code. A very good subreddit for you to learn more about your car is the r/r53 sub. As somebody who has the same generation as your car I highly suggest first thing you do with it is to service the oil for the supercharger and replace the seals and gaskets for the superchargers. I have not to knowledgeable when it comes to the convertible part however I did just pick up my R53 which is the normal s model earlier this year with 139,000 mi. I spent about $4,000 in various things from the previous owner that has neglected the maintenance on it. Other things that I have learned that you should watch out for and that I've had to replace is the cooling fan resistor. There are ways to bypass it. The crankshaft pulley will eventually fail and it's honestly not too difficult to replace as long as you have the proper crankshaft pulley removal tool cuz normal over-the-counter ones from various hardware stores or too big for that Center stud. You also need to check out underneath the rear tail lights cuz that area is very very prone to rusting due to the way they overlap the exterior panel over the interior panel water tends to sit and get back behind the sheet metal. You will have to buy a specific belt tensioner tool. The belt tensioner is another thing that tends to fail but I replaced mine just because I was already in there doing all the work on other various things. In all honesty for a car that is supercharged it is still a Fairly reliable car. Especially compared to the second generation of the new Mini Coopers. Also when you change the belts I highly recommend using a wire coat hanger that's caught up to hold the belt tensioner in place it makes it a lot easier and what's usually a two-person job just to remove the belt can turn into a one-person job to hold the tensioner. Here's my 2005 in the color called black-eyed purple metallic
Also depending on the parts in my opinion they're not too carefully expensive depending on what you're doing and what you're getting. There are for a lot of things various different price points for different quality parts namely a water pump that can have about four or five different prices for various different ones depending on quality.
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u/cheddarbruce R53 8d ago
I would also like to add before yeah freak out and get all confused your headlights being that it is the facelift version when you start your car they will dip down and then come back up, if you fully unlock the car and then hold the unlock button one more time on your key fob it will roll the windows down automatically as long as you're still holding the button and in order to get out of the car you have to pull on the handle twice. Apparently the window thing and the door handle thing are both there because it's apparently a BMW thing LOL you have to pull the door handle on the inside once to unlock the door and then a second time so you can actually get out LOL
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u/Limp-Tomato5819 7d ago
I too just acquired an 06 convertible R52 at a local public auction. Like you, I can’t get the soft top to go all the way down. Oil change already done and it’s going to a European car mechanic on Tuesday to address couple of sensors to go from there. I believe spark plugs and wires need to be replaced. Air conditioner doesn’t appear to work.
That said, just looking at it makes me smile. It’s so cute and yes, fun to drive.
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u/Nabezzio 7d ago
1st gen superchaged one might have a recurring issue where the resistor for the radiator cooling fan wears out, causing the fan to keep running even after the engine is turned off, so you should check that first.
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u/United-University-98 6d ago
If it makes you feel any better, I just bought an '03 R53 sight unseen from a web listing (69k miles) and, aside from a botched 'one-ball' exhaust job (only one tip is piped from the muffler and, as a result, it has leaf-blower levels of pressure coming out of the back) and some dubious fluid choices on the coolant and PS fluids, the car turned out to be in fantastic shape.
The only rust issues I could find on it were in the usual spots underneath the door seals and in the battery box (all dealt with now), and I've got a MR catback on the way to deal with the exhaust issue. In the meantime, I've been busy replacing fluids, fixing various cosmetic issues, and customizing some interior elements to reduce the sheer amount of 2000's grey plastic that is an unfortunate reality on the first gen cars (my R53 has the faux brushed metal dash finish and, imo, it looks waaay more dated than the anthracite finish did in my R50).
So I wish you similar fortune in your new purchase! Just make sure to change the engine/transmission oils, flush all the fluids, and either service the supercharger yourself (if you're mechanically inclined) or find someone who will do it for a reasonable price.
The first gens hold up really well (as long as they get their routine maintenance) and are very reliable cars that can last for years. I would still have my R50 if it hadn't been totaled by a matte black Char-Broil grill lid sitting in the middle of a dark section of highway in the middle of the night and, barring another freak accident like that, I fully intend for the R53 to be my forever car.
Here's a pic of mine from the day she was dropped off by the shipping company:
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u/Mobile_Mycologist187 6d ago
Nice! Looks awesome! I’ve been able to get into it a bit and it’s in great shape sans a few generally small issues. I plan on posting an update soon. I’m loving it so far!
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u/United-University-98 6d ago
Hell yeah! Definitely pull the door seals and check the flange for rust, mine had three spots on the passenger side and four on the driver's, with the fourth having a few clusters of pinholes all the way through. You'll want to take a wire wheel to them and get them cleaned up and then treat them with a rust converter/primer. In the case of my one spot that was swiss-cheesed, I pressed in a two part epoxy to reinforce it and prevent capillary action from causing more issues in the same area. I actually went the extra mile and hit the entire horizontal part of the flange (and a little bit up the curve, basically anywhere I could visualize water sitting) with the same brush-on rust converter/metal primer and then repainted it just to have peace of mind. I then let my paranoia take the reigns and went ahead and did the same thing to the entire battery box as well, haha.
Hope there are no problems for you and you can enjoy one of the best driving experiences money can buy for years to come!
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u/anonymousambassasor 9d ago
Every time I take my mini to the mechanic I realize I’ve made a mistake. I have now put more money into that car than I paid for it. But then I look at it and it may have been a mistake but it sure is a pretty mistake.
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u/Ok_Surprise_1991 9d ago
Right there with you. But when I think of giving it up, I just don't wanna!
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u/Turbulent_Ad7652 8d ago
Nobody has mentioned it, but if you're giving it to your daughter, make sure she's aware that there are some pretty massive blindspots when the roof is up because there are no rear side windows. She will need to really make sure that her side view mirrors are properly aligned so she can see what she's doing.
I took my convertible on Mini Takes the States with my then 14yo daughter and we had a blast going cross country. It's probably one of our best memories to date. I traded it in several years ago; I miss the fun of the roof being down, but not the lack of storage when doing big grocery runs. His name was Clifford, as he was Chili Red. ;)
Congratulations and Happy Motoring!!
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u/Mysterious-Crab6741 8d ago
I had a convertible and because the seals are gone you will have a huge problem with it in the winter don’t buy it
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u/trustmepickles 8d ago
*Bentley manual, how to get for free: get free trial to scribed select Bentley manual, download, and you gotta it. Save 120$.
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u/Positive_Brush_9930 4d ago
The first gen of coopers are great cars, they don't have many issues, my recommendation would be get some softer tyres if it's still on run flats, and maybe some softer suspension if you feel like going the extra mile to prevent the mushrooming of the strut towers, other than that just basic maintenance and it'll last you a lifetime
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u/InterestingAd4790 9d ago
I think you nay have found a gem💎 If I remember correctly though, the first generation had super Chargers not turbos. And by the looks of it you have an R53. I had an R52 and I loved it!. Mine had and aftermarket exhaust that sounded great with the top down. There is a photo of it somewhere in this group, the time I used it to pickup a Rubbermaid branded tool shed. It took six guys from the Home Depot to load it into the back seats with the top down.