High mileage R53 (95,000) - RISKS?

[olly-w]

I'm looking at upgrading my R50 to an R53 and have come across an example that's very, very cheap, maybe the cheapest Cooper S I've seen, which initially made me a bit cautious.

It's a black 2003 Cooper S JCW with 95,000 miles.

Here's the spec:

Chilli Pack
Built In SAT NAV
Computer
Multi Function Steering Wheel
6 CD Changer
Full Leather Interior
Xenon HID Lights With Built In Washers
Electric Windows
Electric Mirrors
Air Conditioning
17 inch S Alloys With Run Flats And Plenty Of Tread Left
Tool Kit
HPI Clear
Lumbar Support
Folding Rear Seats
Traction Control
Remote Central Locking With Two Keys
Traffic Master
Rear Privacy Glass
Brand New Battery With 5 Years Guarantee.

The price of it is £2,500 which seems strangely cheap to me, am I possibly reading into a fantastic bargain too deeply? Yes it's nearly 10 years old and has nearly 100,000 miles on the clock but this still seems remarkably cheap to me.

It looks in decent condition too. There's no mention of HPI but this could just be a genuine error. If I got the car checked, or asked the owner to provide evidence, and it had no history, would this be a good buy?

Here's the link for the advert, you can see pictures and the description:

2003 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works 215BHP in Worcester, Worcestershire | Used Mini for sale | Gumtree.com

Thanks in advance for any help.

(If you believe this is an absolute steal please don't go and now buy it) Haha.

[tnoy66]

It does sound cheap, but if all the paperwork is genuine and you can't find any faults with it then it would be a great buy.

It would definately be worth getting a garage check it over before parting with any money if the owners will agree to this.

[Ryanjdover]

Quote: Originally Posted by tnoy66 (original)

It does sound cheap, but if all the paperwork is genuine and you can't find any faults with it then it would be a great buy.

It would definately be worth getting a garage check it over before parting with any money if the owners will agree to this.

Would be worth an inspection but could just be someone needing to get shut off it quickly


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

[Rgb2709]

Hi, I bought my first mini which was an r53 cooper S 90,000 miles and its like brand new. The only thing I'd watch for Is the common power steering pump fan fault which is a nightmare but on the plus side even that would be replaced and fitted by your local dealer courtesy of MINI uk free of charge if you ask for it in good will. Other than that my car is solid and just passed another M.O.T no advisories. Just take your time checking over It and give it a good test drive, full Mini service history would be a bit more piece of mind

[The Nun]

I cant say Ive seen one that cheap before, must be the cheapest in the world, ha.
Sounds good from the description, just make sure its what it says, not 2 welded together, not accident repaired badly, seems to have a decent service history if thats true.
make sure it nots stolen or had its identity changed to be something its not?

[deadinamerica]

watch out for control arm bushings, aux fan, power steering fan (which is very easy to replace its held on by two 13mm nuts.) leaking oil pan, leaking water pump, leaking power steering hoses.

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

To quote the advert:

"Averaging 36MPG, 45MPG Can Be Reached If Driven Very Carefully."



Don't believe a word of it!! Treat any other statements with equal caution!

[JohnnyC]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tigger, Eeyore & Roo (original)

Don't believe a word of it!! Treat any other statements with equal caution!

Don't know about the 'Works', but I got 46mpg from my S shortly after buying it on a 120mile journey

I'd be more worried by the fact he's having to carry around a container of oil!!!!!!!

[olly-w]

Thanks a lot for the replies.
I've requested more information/pictures and got no reply from the seller, gumtree isn't great for contacting the seller and no phone number is supplied which means email is the only option. Hopefully the seller will get the email and reply.

Olly

[craig5]

this car is on ebay now

[craig5]

with different reg? and in minehead

[drozd]

sounds like a scam ...watch out!

[ihughes]

It's very cheap for a JCW's 'S' so do check carefully that its has the original JC Garages certificate and that the No. matches the engine plate. If there is no certificate, try to check the service history with a BMW MINI dealer. If the JCW's conversion was fitted by a BMW dealer there should be a record on the system.......but this isn't fullproof as many conversions were carried out after delivery by JC Garages. It's very difficult to check that 'Works' conversion is authentic without some some sort of service records. Or else an 'expert' mechanic who is familar with the specific engine mods.

I bought a Sept 03 'S' Works in October this year with 65k and I paid £6000 for it......but it does have the very rare 225bhp JCW conversion and Challenge Cup brake upgrade!

I looked at several JCW (210bhp) in dealers and didn't see any with mileage ranging from 60K - 98K for less than £5,500.

[CCroker]

Watch for the obvious brakeables, serpentine belt, supercharger and timing chain tensioner noises, worn bushings, clutch bearing noises. Other than that 95K is not really bad for a MINI as there was one in Michigan USA with 300K and I've seen on on a sales lot with 275K, but not that cheap. Also, remember you get what you pay for!!