03 plate cooper

[David43]

Just seen an 03 plate cooper in silver with chili pack, tempted to buy it from dealer.

Are there any things I should look out for, eg any any fixes or build issues.

[Rakey]

if its a pre-facelift car the main thing is the gearbox has a habit of failing on them

any Midlands gearbox car could be a costly purchase, so make sure it has the Getrag box

[David43]

Thanks for that. How would I know if its Midlands box. The car is aJuly 03.
Do you think the mini cherished programme would cover a problem.

[Rakey]

I think the Getrag was added to the cooper in July 04 if I remember right

which front bumper did the car have?


If its the one on the right then it has the old Midlands box, which I would stay well away from unless your dealer confirms what cover you get, how long and if it covers the Gear Box

[David43]

Thanks for pics. I will ask the dealer about warranty cover

[Rakey]

Quote: Originally Posted by David43

Thanks for pics. I will ask the dealer about warranty cover

another option might be to invest a bit of money into your own warranty cover, might make the car you have seen a good purchase and give you a bit of peace of mind

http://www.mini2.com/forum/finance-insurance/105491-warranty.html

[MartinSSZ]

I bought an '03 Cooper last August, knowing it had the Midlands 'box and it's been absolutely fine. It's not all doom and gloom you know

[Prowse]

Quote: Originally Posted by MartinSSZ

I bought an '03 Cooper last August, knowing it had the Midlands 'box and it's been absolutely fine. It's not all doom and gloom you know

Quite - my car has the midlands box and its been perfect. My MINI dealer hasn't replaced a single gearbox or engine. I'm personally not a fan of the Getrag box, it somehow 'feels' cheaper, though I know it's meant to handle more torque.

[MartinSSZ]

Agree, I find the Getrag in my brother's 2005 ONE a bit notchy compared to mine

[memphisto]

Quote: Originally Posted by Prowse

Quite - my car has the midlands box and its been perfect.

Ditto. No problems.

I have read very few threads about Midlands gearbox problems. And the problems seemed to be batch specific - 2002 Minis and earlier mostly.

My guess is that approx 435,000 Minis were built up to the introduction of the Getrag gearbox in the summer of 2004, of which approx 300,000 (70%) had the Midlands gearbox. (Someone please correct me if I am wrong ).

So if the Midlands gearbox really was dodgy, these forums would be filled with reports of failures!