Thinking of buying this...advice please!!
Discussion
Thinking of buying this as a 'station' car to take the miles off my Cayman (now the new ones are going to be 4 cyl turbo, I want to hang on to my 6cyl as long as possible!!!).
Who would you suggest to replace the engine and roughly how much would it cost?
Cheers
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Cooper-S-2007-Astro...
Who would you suggest to replace the engine and roughly how much would it cost?
Cheers
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Cooper-S-2007-Astro...
I have just looked into engine rebuilds due to failure of my timing chain on my JCW - a very common fault on the turbo engines. The upside of this is there are lots of rebuilders repairing N14 engines and a I have seen quotes for a refurbished engine fitted from around £2.5k to over £6k if you get an engine from BMW.
Because of the timing chain failures - which potentially write off the engine - avoid 'used' engines and very carefully check what has been done to the refurbished units and get a decent warranty on the rebuild (none of this 3 month rubbish!). Alternatively find a non-turbo Cooper or an earlier or later model without the poorly designed N14 engine!
BTW - totally agree with you on Porsche! Am hoping to nurse my flat six Boxster into old age rather then go the flat 4 turbo route - although I must confess I haven't driven one!
Because of the timing chain failures - which potentially write off the engine - avoid 'used' engines and very carefully check what has been done to the refurbished units and get a decent warranty on the rebuild (none of this 3 month rubbish!). Alternatively find a non-turbo Cooper or an earlier or later model without the poorly designed N14 engine!
BTW - totally agree with you on Porsche! Am hoping to nurse my flat six Boxster into old age rather then go the flat 4 turbo route - although I must confess I haven't driven one!
I have to ask - why this one in particular? Its broken already.
Get an R53 engine - described as bullet proof by some. The R56 has many well documented problems and I think a replacement engine will just be the start of your journey with this car (the advert states, 'It has recently had a new turbo and clutch and the head gasket was replaced last year.' And the windscreen is cracked. The colour is nice though...). Walk away.
If you just want a car for the station, get a One or Cooper. If you want fun get a Cooper S. Any of these options will be better than this one and will cost far less in the short, medium and long term.
Get an R53 engine - described as bullet proof by some. The R56 has many well documented problems and I think a replacement engine will just be the start of your journey with this car (the advert states, 'It has recently had a new turbo and clutch and the head gasket was replaced last year.' And the windscreen is cracked. The colour is nice though...). Walk away.
If you just want a car for the station, get a One or Cooper. If you want fun get a Cooper S. Any of these options will be better than this one and will cost far less in the short, medium and long term.
NCKGRY said:
I have just looked into engine rebuilds due to failure of my timing chain on my JCW - a very common fault on the turbo engines. The upside of this is there are lots of rebuilders repairing N14 engines and a I have seen quotes for a refurbished engine fitted from around £2.5k to over £6k if you get an engine from BMW.
Because of the timing chain failures - which potentially write off the engine - avoid 'used' engines and very carefully check what has been done to the refurbished units and get a decent warranty on the rebuild (none of this 3 month rubbish!). Alternatively find a non-turbo Cooper or an earlier or later model without the poorly designed N14 engine!
BTW - totally agree with you on Porsche! Am hoping to nurse my flat six Boxster into old age rather then go the flat 4 turbo route - although I must confess I haven't driven one!
Many thanks for your comprehensive response....food for thought....and glad somebody else feels the same re the 4 pot Porsches...though like you...not driven one yet!!!Because of the timing chain failures - which potentially write off the engine - avoid 'used' engines and very carefully check what has been done to the refurbished units and get a decent warranty on the rebuild (none of this 3 month rubbish!). Alternatively find a non-turbo Cooper or an earlier or later model without the poorly designed N14 engine!
BTW - totally agree with you on Porsche! Am hoping to nurse my flat six Boxster into old age rather then go the flat 4 turbo route - although I must confess I haven't driven one!
Anyway, many thanks again
Frank
Brompty said:
I have to ask - why this one in particular? Its broken already.
Get an R53 engine - described as bullet proof by some. The R56 has many well documented problems and I think a replacement engine will just be the start of your journey with this car (the advert states, 'It has recently had a new turbo and clutch and the head gasket was replaced last year.' And the windscreen is cracked. The colour is nice though...). Walk away.
If you just want a car for the station, get a One or Cooper. If you want fun get a Cooper S. Any of these options will be better than this one and will cost far less in the short, medium and long term.
Indeed Brompty, I am starting to come around to that way of thinking. I guess I was seduced by the look of this car.....but I do concur....replacing a unreliable engine with a new unreliable engine is rather...um...unreliable!Get an R53 engine - described as bullet proof by some. The R56 has many well documented problems and I think a replacement engine will just be the start of your journey with this car (the advert states, 'It has recently had a new turbo and clutch and the head gasket was replaced last year.' And the windscreen is cracked. The colour is nice though...). Walk away.
If you just want a car for the station, get a One or Cooper. If you want fun get a Cooper S. Any of these options will be better than this one and will cost far less in the short, medium and long term.
Appreciate your thoughts
Yours, Frank
FrankCayman said:
Indeed Brompty, I am starting to come around to that way of thinking. I guess I was seduced by the look of this car.....but I do concur....replacing a unreliable engine with a new unreliable engine is rather...um...unreliable!
Appreciate your thoughts
Yours, Frank
Atta-boy, come one, walk away, walk away....Appreciate your thoughts
Yours, Frank
I bought an R53 MCS in November. It took a lot of looking to get a good one, but I love it. It was a bit of a handful with run-flat tyres, but a change to non-run-flats have transformed it. If you got it for a station car, you will taking the long way home just for the fun of it.
Disagree with all the buy a r53 comments, yeah a r56 does have a few engine issues but they can be fixed for a few hundred and while working the turbo is a far faster and a better car than the r53. In terms of the example the OP has shared, I would already be thinking bidding is about as high as its worth given the cost of sourcing and fitting an engine into a car that's already covered 117k miles isn't going to have a very high value even when done. (I also have an astro black r56 jcw that's covered just 40k miles and guess its value is about the same as this plus £4kish which would be the cost of fixing this one with a rebuilt engine).
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