Buying advice please...
Discussion
We are a new owner to a mini, ours is a 2009 cooper.
We checked for a full service history.
Be aware of timing chain issues, likely it has already been replaced. Make sure the full complete kit has been installed, bolt crank, hubs in .
If the car is still running on the original timing chain and has over 60,000 miles on clock it a question of when not if. It’s a £900 garage job to replace.
They all use engine oil and must be kept topped up.
Other posters with lots more knowledge will be along to advise.
We checked for a full service history.
Be aware of timing chain issues, likely it has already been replaced. Make sure the full complete kit has been installed, bolt crank, hubs in .
If the car is still running on the original timing chain and has over 60,000 miles on clock it a question of when not if. It’s a £900 garage job to replace.
They all use engine oil and must be kept topped up.
Other posters with lots more knowledge will be along to advise.
05-06 will be a first generation. Bullet proof engines (ish) they leak oil from everywhere (ish). Not great on fuel, especially the Cooper S supercharged ones. They are the best looking variant in my view but that's pure opinion. Obviously the youngest of those will be thirteen years old by now, so you're into banger territory.
07 on is gen 2, Nicer interiors, updated tech etc. The big issue with those is the engines, Between 07-10, they have the N14 engine, the two big problems with those being direct injection which causes a build up of carbon, causing rough running that has to be cleared by blasting with walnut shells - tbh that wouldn't put me off & more seriously, they eat timing chains & that is something to be wary of. AIUI, those with stretched timing chains sound like diesels when they're cold. After 2010, they swapped to the N18 engine which is far more resilient.
Not an expert on gen 2 cars by any means, for all I know, BMW have revised the N14 to address the timing chain issues, worth reading up to see if this is the case.
07 on is gen 2, Nicer interiors, updated tech etc. The big issue with those is the engines, Between 07-10, they have the N14 engine, the two big problems with those being direct injection which causes a build up of carbon, causing rough running that has to be cleared by blasting with walnut shells - tbh that wouldn't put me off & more seriously, they eat timing chains & that is something to be wary of. AIUI, those with stretched timing chains sound like diesels when they're cold. After 2010, they swapped to the N18 engine which is far more resilient.
Not an expert on gen 2 cars by any means, for all I know, BMW have revised the N14 to address the timing chain issues, worth reading up to see if this is the case.
Personally I would look at a Cooper, not a Cooper S. I have a 2003 Cooper S. The wife had a 2009 Cooper Convertible for a while and that was a cracking car. The gen 2 (2006 onwards) really is a lovely car to drive. The interior, feel is much more updated than the older gen 1 cars. My Cooper S does about 25mpg, the wifes Cooper, we did 600 mile round trip to wales & back and it averaged 50+ mpg. (Petrol)
Things to look out for - check the MOT history. I found nearly all I looked at had advisories for oil leaks - very common on these. See what advisories its previously had and if they have been fixed. Servicing is very easy and well within DIY abilities, they are fairly each cars to work on, but check that its been serviced and looked after. Outside of normal stuff like checking shut lines, wheels for damage etc, check the strut towers where the top of the shock bolts to them. They have a tendency to mushroom if the cars hit potholes. Easy to fix but you need to take the shock off etc.
In general the interiors hold up well. The wifes cooper had done over 100,000 miles and genuinely looked like it had only done 10,000.
Tyres, the original Dunlop runflats cost a fortune, so most people will have long since ditched those for cheap non-runflats. These tend to be women`s cars more often than not, so check the wheels for kerbing etc.
You should be able to get a nice one for that budget.
Things to look out for - check the MOT history. I found nearly all I looked at had advisories for oil leaks - very common on these. See what advisories its previously had and if they have been fixed. Servicing is very easy and well within DIY abilities, they are fairly each cars to work on, but check that its been serviced and looked after. Outside of normal stuff like checking shut lines, wheels for damage etc, check the strut towers where the top of the shock bolts to them. They have a tendency to mushroom if the cars hit potholes. Easy to fix but you need to take the shock off etc.
In general the interiors hold up well. The wifes cooper had done over 100,000 miles and genuinely looked like it had only done 10,000.
Tyres, the original Dunlop runflats cost a fortune, so most people will have long since ditched those for cheap non-runflats. These tend to be women`s cars more often than not, so check the wheels for kerbing etc.
You should be able to get a nice one for that budget.
Hi all, found this one, any advice on what to look out for with it
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/77367507...
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/77367507...
asht1987 said:
Hi all, found this one, any advice on what to look out for with it
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/77367507...
Thats a gen one. Must be a very late registered one, as its a 2007 one. The speedo`s and interior on the gen 2 ones are different. MOT history has a lot of fails & advisories and it seems to have been off the road in 2016 for a while.https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/77367507...
Id look for a gen 2 if you can. We paid £3250 for our 2009 Cooper Convertible a few months back, it had done 100,000 miles, but full history etc and drove like new. I looked around at the time and that year/mileage was around £3500 so whilst we got a good deal, we wasnt far off.
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