Sytner Leicester...

[oozeymc]

Hi there, I'm currently in the process of buying a second hand Cooper from Sytners at Leicester.

I've a couple of questions...

Firstly - would you buy a Mini that had a tow bar on it? Why on Earth someone would buy a Mini and tow something with it is beyond me, but the one I'm after has a tow bar...thoughts?

And when I went to view the car, Sytners had taken the plates off. When I questioned it they said it had to be re-registered because it was formerly in Essex but now in Leicester.

I've racked my brains and I can't think of one reason why they would have to re-register the car...any help??

Cheers.

[Paul]

Tow bar MAY mean it's been worked hard under load. You never know.

Registration, that makes no sense to me, I'd be cautious of that.

[oozeymc]

I agree Paul. I'm totally confused by it.

But surely Sytners don't need to be dealing with dodgy Minis? Surely there's enough of them going round and they don't seem to have any problems shifting them.

Totally bemused by it all. I'm going to be wanting some straight answers when I test drive it on Monday.

[ABG]

They may have taken the old plates of if they were vanity plates that the previous owner transferred to a new car. The answer they gave sounds like nonsense but its amazing how often people will guess at an answer (or repeat rubbish) rather than say they don't know why.

[oozeymc]

I've thought about that too. But on my spec sheet I have a copy of the original reg plate. It's OE53 plate.

So that's one possible reason I guess. I still find the whole thing odd. I also thought about the chances of it being from overseas, but that wouldn't explain the OE plate.

[Wobert]

Tow-bar......

Depends on what it has been towing, and how the owner set the trailer / caravan up.

I would expect increased wear on the clutch, due to prolonged slipping during pull-aways. A dry clutch will not take slip for very long, before the friction material begins to degrade.

I would expect increased wear on the brakes, particularly if the towed item did not have brakes, ie unbraked trailer.

I would expect increased wear on the rear suspension, and most caravan / trailer pullers rarely check the "bar weight" of the trailer, and end up running the rear suspension against the bump-stops. This will shorten the expected life of both the shock absorbers & the springs if heavily over-laden.

Personally I wouldn't buy a car like a MINI if it had a tow-bar.......

[SiBradbury]

They may have meant that the old plates had an Essex BMW dealers logo on the bottom of them and they are replacing them with plates with a Synters logo at the bottom instead. Did they say that the actual registration number is being changed?

As for the towbar, maybe it was fitted for cycle carrier reasons. Towbar mounted bike carriers are tons more convenient than the ones that fit to the tailgate! Maybe you can contact the previous owner? (shown on the V5 log book).

[Pansmiker]

Quote: Originally Posted by sibradbury

They may have meant that the old plates had an Essex BMW dealers logo on the bottom of them and they are replacing them with plates with a Synters logo at the bottom instead. Did they say that the actual registration number is being changed?

As for the towbar, maybe it was fitted for cycle carrier reasons. Towbar mounted bike carriers are tons more convenient than the ones that fit to the tailgate! Maybe you can contact the previous owner? (shown on the V5 log book).

Now the attached would be the logical reason!

A tow bar on the car does not necessarily mean that the car has been pulling caravans. it may even be a light trailer with grass cuttings and / or hedge trimmings. Don't forget that if a MINI is your only form of transport then the garden waste from a fair sized lawn wouldn't go in the back for trips to the dump.

You haven't bought yet so your not committed and you haven't had a test drive so you might not like it (hard to believe but you never know ). Make your decision on the actual facts.

What ever you do don't buy in a panic.

Paul

[Westie]

If you're at all in doubt - don't buy. There are plenty of Minis to choose from both at dealers and through this forum. So keep your money until you're absolutely sure of the provenance of your prospective purchase. Then - buy and enjoy!

[Wobert]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pansmiker

Now the attached would be the logical reason!

A tow bar on the car does not necessarily mean that the car has been pulling caravans. it may even be a light trailer with grass cuttings and / or hedge trimmings. Don't forget that if a MINI is your only form of transport then the garden waste from a fair sized lawn wouldn't go in the back for trips to the dump.

You haven't bought yet so your not committed and you haven't had a test drive so you might not like it (hard to believe but you never know ). Make your decision on the actual facts.

What ever you do don't buy in a panic.

Paul

The first comment I made was "....Depends on what it has been towing.....".

The originator asked for "thoughts" on the tow-bar.....yes it could have been used to mount a bike-rack, but it could have been used to tow something heavier like a trailer or caravan. Without asking the previous owner you'll never know.

My comments apply to the "worst case" scenario.......but personally I wouldn't buy a car with a tow-bar, as you cannot be certain what the tow-bar has been used for.

[Spotty Dog]

My advice.... Don't but it! I buy (new) Mini/BMW from Sytner Group and they're great. But they have no obligation to disclose previous treatment of a 2nd hand car. After all, the previous owner is hardly going to say "this thing can pull 10x it's own weight, and it's had a plough attachment stuck on it since new." If you want to get the car you want, be patient, and also, be even more patient!! Bargains are always around the corner. Hope this helps. As for the plate change, that just adds to the mystery, it's probably BFPO (British Army, bought in Germany and after the person had done his tour, he drives it back and sells it.) Good Luck!

[oozeymc]

Unfortunately there's no way to check the vehicle's history. I've been looking into the possiblility of an AA history check though for about £35. Might be worth it though I'm not sure it'll tell me what I need to know.

I wish I could speak to the previous owner really. That would sort it.

When I test drive tomorrow I'll be looking for the things wobert mentioned.

If I'm in any way unsure I'll give it a miss.

Indi Blue 5star Coopers with less than 15,000 miles on can't be that hard to come by...

[SiBradbury]

Quote: Originally Posted by Spotty Dog

My advice.... Don't but it! I buy (new) Mini/BMW from Sytner Group and they're great. But they have no obligation to disclose previous treatment of a 2nd hand car. After all, the previous owner is hardly going to say "this thing can pull 10x it's own weight, and it's had a plough attachment stuck on it since new." If you want to get the car you want, be patient, and also, be even more patient!! Bargains are always around the corner. Hope this helps. As for the plate change, that just adds to the mystery, it's probably BFPO (British Army, bought in Germany and after the person had done his tour, he drives it back and sells it.) Good Luck!

Why wouldn't the previous owner say that? They've obviously already sold their car to Sytners so they have no reason not to disclose what the tow bar was used for!

Even if its been used for pulling Vanessa Feltz out of bed, they don't own the vehicle anymore so they wouldn't have any reason not to tell you the story behind the towbar!

Any main dealer should be more than happy to give you the previous owners details from the V5 logbook. Get in touch with them using directory enquiries. They may put your mind totally at rest!!
Like I say, the car's not theirs anymore so they have no reason to lie!

[oozeymc]

Yeah I realise they have no reason to lie, I think Sytners might be a little hesitant to release the details of the previous owner.

But if that's the case, I guess it's a simple case of steer well clear!

[SiBradbury]

If thats the case then i agree, steer clear. I can't see it being a probem tho, its common practice to contact the previous owners when buying a pre-owned car.

Let us all know how you get on, i'll be interested to know if I was right about the plates.

Even if you do decide to keep looking, look on the bright side, while you're searching you'll be able to save even more money for tasty add-ons!