[thorne90]

Hi everybody - this is my first post here. I currently own a BMW e90 335 and spend most of my time on the e90post.com boards, but I am very impressed with your Mini board. I've been peeking for a few weeks!

I need some help. I'm going to buy my wife a used mini. I decided not to build and order a new one, since she's not the best driver in the world, and tends to put a few "nicks" in her cars .

After doing a ton of research on local minis (WA State) I found one about 2 hours away that seems to be pretty clean. It is a 2002 S, 35k miles, no mods (that I can see), silver body with a black top, ~$16000. There were many pictures on line and the car looks looks good.
I'm driving up within the next few days and give it the "what for". What should I look for to ensure I'm not getting ripped off? It's located in a fairly small town, with the closest mini dealership about 140 miles away. I'm trying to find a shop that knows at least a little something about the car....so I can get a pre-purchase inspection.

Is there anything in particular that I should be really carefull about? I already have a carfax...which came out clean. We all know carfax can be spotty sometimes, and "wrecked" cars can slip through. I don't really need any help with the body or interior....just the engine. I need to know if a 2002 S with 35 k miles (which is very low miles compared to others) has had any issues....fuel pump, brakes, clutch...stuff like that. And during the inspection (if I can even find a guy) what should he be looking for?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Matt FT]

Quote: Originally Posted by thorne90 (original)

Hi everybody - this is my first post here. I currently own a BMW e90 335 and spend most of my time on the e90post.com boards, but I am very impressed with your Mini board. I've been peeking for a few weeks!

I need some help. I'm going to buy my wife a used mini. I decided not to build and order a new one, since she's not the best driver in the world, and tends to put a few "nicks" in her cars .

After doing a ton of research on local minis (WA State) I found one about 2 hours away that seems to be pretty clean. It is a 2002 S, 35k miles, no mods (that I can see), silver body with a black top, ~$16000. There were many pictures on line and the car looks looks good.
I'm driving up within the next few days and give it the "what for". What should I look for to ensure I'm not getting ripped off? It's located in a fairly small town, with the closest mini dealership about 140 miles away. I'm trying to find a shop that knows at least a little something about the car....so I can get a pre-purchase inspection.

Is there anything in particular that I should be really carefull about? I already have a carfax...which came out clean. We all know carfax can be spotty sometimes, and "wrecked" cars can slip through. I don't really need any help with the body or interior....just the engine. I need to know if a 2002 S with 35 k miles (which is very low miles compared to others) has had any issues....fuel pump, brakes, clutch...stuff like that. And during the inspection (if I can even find a guy) what should he be looking for?

Thanks in advance for any help!

The only thing I had problems with on my 2002 MCS was the coolant expansion tank. Make sure it's not leaking/steaming/hissing after the engine has come up to speed. Apparently it's a common problem and my have already been replaced.

Other than that, make the gearbox isn't too nasty - the early boxes were not great and if you really rode them hard they can get a little "notchy".

Oh, and check the batter compartment (under carpet in the boot) for any water/damp. Water = leaky boot seal.

[thorne90]

Quote: Originally Posted by Matt FT (original)

The only thing I had problems with on my 2002 MCS was the coolant expansion tank. Make sure it's not leaking/steaming/hissing after the engine has come up to speed. Apparently it's a common problem and my have already been replaced.

Other than that, make the gearbox isn't too nasty - the early boxes were not great and if you really rode them hard they can get a little "notchy".

Oh, and check the batter compartment (under carpet in the boot) for any water/damp. Water = leaky boot seal.

I have written everything down that you mentioned, and will make sure I have it inspected properly. I am setting up a 1 hour inspection service with a local import shop that seems to know minis.

Thanks for helping out a new guy!

[MINIAC]

A few things to be aware of on 2002 models:

• No manual boot release
• Shared electrical circuit between power steering and radiator fans

Check the NADA user car value:

2002 MINI Cooper S

[MINI T]

the service history should give you a good idea of how well the car has been maintained.
my old s needed a new clutch, fly wheel, slave cylinder at about 35 k.. i didn't have a problem with the gear box but i am sure this has been a problem for some pre 53 face lift models.
other more minor things...sometimes the boot doesn't close properly. the driver window squeaks when opens and closes.

[thorne90]

I would like to thank you guys again for the help with this mcs I looked at today. Some of the suggestions on what to look for were spot on......drivers side window was bad, boot wouldn't close all the way (damp in the battery area), clutch was about to go out....and a few other things.

I now have my eyes on a '05 (the one I looked at today was a '02) mcs with spt pkg, pp, pretty much everything. It has 14k miles, and is priced at $22900. The only drawback is the fact that it's an auto....but my wife seems ok with that. I'll let you know.

I wish my forum (e90post) was as quick as this fourm was with some friendly advice/suggestions to help out a newbie.