keeping it going....2003 R53

[Jonty06FR]

So Ive been toying with the idea of getting a newer model - maybe a 2009- clubman cooper S but when I get into the reasoning of it I dont really have one....other than to change for the sake of it and waiste a bit of money. Im not sure I'd get what I want back from the car (££'s) and the local prices of what we would be looking at seem pricey - after all I have a great looking and driving Cooper S

We do maybe 9-10,000 km's per year with the car, bought it 4 (trouble free) years ago and it only has 100,000 km's on the clock (aprox 65,000 miles)

We service it annually to the amusement of our local MINI garage - they always point out that I have 15,000 (or whatever) km's until the oil needs changing (according to the computer).....

So the point of the thread -

What should I do, change, service to keep the car reliable for a good few more years.....I'd be happy to throw a few ££'s into the cooper to keep it spot on..

Just to note we are in the south of France and use the main MINI dealer - no specialists locally although im still reasearching this.



Thanks

JC

[Hartge220]

Keep it, you'll never replace the sound of the supercharger whine

[mab01uk]

Keep your MCS and keep changing the oil annually.......might be worth changing the gearbox oil, not required by BMW's 'filled for life' policy but there is no doubt old fashioned service intervals can extend the life of modern cars even further.
If you keep it long enough the R53 is also destined to be a future classic car!

[tnoy66]

Another vote to keep it
You have a reliable well looked after car, why risk buying potential problems

[Jonty06FR]

Thanks Guys,

HArtge220 - you have some time on your hand for te workyou got through!! It looks awesome- good job!

As for keeping mine RELIABLE - not tricked out :-) what should I be looking to get done in the next 30-40,000 miles??

JC

[Hartge220]

Thanks Jonty, it has been a 7 year MINI adventure, not finished yet......

[tnoy66]

Keeping it going.........
If not done already, wishbone bushes are probably on way out
Sump gasket might be leaking, just had mine done at 57000 miles
Make sure supercharger belt is changed every 2 years if standard or every year if smaller pulley fitted
Remove and clean intercooler out every couple of years, they do collect some oil in there

Just keep up with your regular servicing and if anything starts to go wrong sort it sooner than later.

Yes you might have to pay for repairs but it will be cheaper than buying a car you know little about

[SimoneSmith16]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hartge220 (original)

Keep it, you'll never replace the sound of the supercharger whine

to true :P

[The Nun]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hartge220 (original)

Keep it, you'll never replace the sound of the supercharger whine

You could replace it with the whistle of a turbo

All depends on whether you like to have a whistle or have a good whine.

[CJO]

Def keep it. My 03 MCS is great to drive and I wanted the supercharger version as opposed to the later turbo - previously had an '05 Saleen Mustang with a supercharger and missed the whine !!!!

I've been toying with changing it to a later MCS model either late '55 or even an '06 plate to retain the supercharger.

The reason I hesitate - better the devil you know and having replaced quite a few parts I'm reluctant to jump ship and spend a load of cash for no good reason.

p.s. thanks for the advice re the supercharger belt. Isn't this covered under the service schedule ?

[Jonty06FR]

Ive found a local indy MINI specialist and will make a visit to see what he thinks could be / should be done. Im definatly going to keep it and maybe make it a bit more "exciting"

Thanks for the replies so far - Ill post up what we decide to get into!!

JC

[tnoy66]

Quote: Originally Posted by CJO (original)

p.s. thanks for the advice re the supercharger belt. Isn't this covered under the service schedule ?

The service shedule is to change it at the 2nd inspection. In my case that would be just coming up at over 60000 miles.
In my opinion far too long.

A snapped belt means no water pump working so your engine would overheat very quickly. When the tensioner then releases, as the belt snaps, it can also damage the crank pulley.

This is one part where prevention is better than fixing it later. Tools for changing the belt yourself are available from ebay sometimes or orranje

[Jonty06FR]

So Dr.Cooper in Grimaud, France is going to do the following:

Brake Fluid Change
oil and Filter change
Polen Filter
Air filter change/upgrade
a/c system clean, and re-charge
Whish bone bush change
Super charger strip down and clean - as necessary
15% pulley instalaton
Belt replacement
Re-map - he expects to achieve around 200hp

This should keep us going with smiles for a little while longer....

Im happy with the look of the exterior and how it sits - Im not bothered about lowering, styling etc - I just want a reliable, great looking MINI - I dont want people thinking im still a boy racer

Future plans:
stainless steel exhaust system - Works or Milltek
Possible alloys change although I love the appearance of the s-spokes - and have no idea which i'd go for ......

Any thoughts on the above??

cheers

JC

[tnoy66]

Can't read French but looks ok

Coolant change too?

Air filter, either JCW with the eletronic flap removed and an itg foam filter inside or the cheaper option of a 'DaveF', search on minitorque for full details and sometimes they come up for sale 2nd hand

What's the remap he's offering? Custom or a bluefin type option?

[Bino]

I have a 2003 MINI Cooper S with 178,000+ miles.

All good points, above. I would add: swap out the cheap, prone-to-cracking OEM plastic radiator header tank for a decent aluminium replacement.

Per the suggestion to change the gearbox oil: I asked my dealer to replace the gearbox oil after I'd put on about 5,000 gentle breaking-in miles. He told me the gearbox is a "sealed unit" without the option to fix or service, only to replace. <sigh>

Front wishbone "rubber" bushings is a good one to check. Had mine done at about 90,000 miles when I replaced the stock shocks with Koni "gold" FSD units.

Keep your supercharger belt fresh by replacing it at least every two years.

I have changed my engine oil every 10,000 miles. My engine has never been out of the car or opened up, burns less than a quart between changes, and still gets about 34.5 MPG at 70 MPH with the A/C running.