Introducing myself - MINI Cooper Forum

tuscanidream · #1 (**permalink**) Aug 28th, 2010, 02:03 PM

Hello! I might be purchasing a mini Cooper S (r53). It has 103,000mi and is an 04. Currently, a ring has lost compression. The car is awaiting to be fixed.

I will be designing a website for the owner of a used car company and saw the car (not for sale yet due to it needing to be fixed). I offered to trade services for the koopa at his cost. I'm kinda excited. I am turned of by the fact that it isn't rwd, but I think it might be a fun car anyways due to it being small and supercharged.

Is there anything I should look for or common problems? Any advice?

If this is your old car, post up! It looks like it has an aftermarket interkooler. All I really noticed at a quick glance.

My 02 zx6r I built. The only thing stock left is the frame, subframe, engine, tranny and carbs.

If I get this koopa, I'm going to try to drop one ball and leave it at that until I save a large lump for it... But as you can see, I got the mod bug.

minicore · #2 (**permalink**) Aug 28th, 2010, 02:37 PM

Hello and welcome.

This R50/R53 buyers guide should prove pretty useful, and will answer a lot of your questions.

tuscanidream · #3 (**permalink**) Aug 29th, 2010, 05:34 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by minicore (original)

Hello and welcome.

This R50/R53 buyers guide should prove pretty useful, and will answer a lot of your questions.

Thanks for that great guide. I learned a lot.

gaush007 · #4 (**permalink**) Aug 31st, 2010, 05:56 AM

At what cost will you like to trade this car. Mini Cooper are mostly FWD. I liked the car. Thank you.

tuscanidream · #5 (**permalink**) Aug 31st, 2010, 01:47 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by gaush007 (original)

At what cost will you like to trade this car. Mini Cooper are mostly FWD. I liked the car. Thank you.

What? I think you misunderstood.

Micheal73 · #6 (**permalink**) Sep 6th, 2010, 05:18 AM

Hey, i am new member of this forum. Just say hello to everyone.

DaFlake · #7 (**permalink**) Sep 6th, 2010, 01:28 PM

You are in RI so if you need a great MINI mech, there is one up in Worcester Mass (Pete at Greasy's Garage). Many folks travel from your location to see him and many are members of massmotoringclub.com.

04 - 06 are some of the best builds so you should be good to go there. As for the RWD comment, all MINI's are front but that really adds to the handling. You can power through most corners with no problems where others are braking. Also check to see if it has a reduced SC pulley. If it doesn't go see Pete and have a 17 put on. You won't regret it.

tuscanidream · #8 (**permalink**) Sep 8th, 2010, 11:48 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by DaFlake (original)

You are in RI so if you need a great MINI mech, there is one up in Worcester Mass (Pete at Greasy's Garage). Many folks travel from your location to see him and many are members of massmotoringclub.com.

04 - 06 are some of the best builds so you should be good to go there. As for the RWD comment, all MINI's are front but that really adds to the handling. You can power through most corners with no problems where others are braking. Also check to see if it has a reduced SC pulley. If it doesn't go see Pete and have a 17 put on. You won't regret it.

Thanks for the recommendation! I do all my own work but I will keep that in mind in case I have to send a part out that I can't fix personally.

The car might be ready for me to test drive today. Wish me luck!

tuscanidream · #9 (**permalink**) Sep 16th, 2010, 12:24 AM

I just got back from looking at the car again. Apparently, the issue wasn't a ring. The part of the piston in-between the top two rings actually chipped off as if some one pried the section off with a butter knife. It's weird. I've never seen that happen and the cylinder and rings look completely untouched. I forgot to take a picture of the piston.

Anyways, I committed to buying the car and got approved for a loan. They are going to put all new pistons in for me. I forgot which ones he was looking at. I'll figure it out tomarrow or something. I think he said they were forged and from rev mini or mini mania. I don't remember. Recommendations?

So heres the mods I noticed on my mini;
Alta intercooler
Alta intake/filter
Alta muff
Alta 2.0 15% reduction pulley
Alta oil catch can
Craven strut savers or whatever is the official name

A carbon fiber engine strut with no name on it?

Any recommendations of mods I should do?

tuscanidream · #10 (**permalink**) Sep 30th, 2010, 01:51 PM

Well, they had the car all together yesterday and I took it for a test drive. Parts flew through the bottom of the engine on the highway. I was driving easy too. I would stay far away from this car. They obviously messed something up when putting the car together. Than god I didn't put any money on this car. I'll charge them for my web design services and walk away.

On the bright side, I might just buy an rx7 for now and maybe buy a mini in the future. They are cool cars. But I think it was a hint to stay away from pistons and go to roto where my heart is.

sunday-night-rider · #11 (**permalink**) Sep 30th, 2010, 04:29 PM

Not sure but in the UK they are an RX8, as the RX7 is an old car now. If it`s the RX7? what are you going to excpect from an old banger? And the RX8 is megga fuel-thirsty, and not as fun as the MINI.
Why not just buy a used MINI S?

But one that runs and offers ultimate fun!

MINIS in generall, and especially the COOPER S have rarely any "piston" problems!
The R53 Tritec engine is pretty much bullet proof.

CT Hiker · #12 (**permalink**) Jan 25th, 2013, 08:55 PM

Hello, My name is Gary, I live in southeastern Connecticut. I purchased a 2006 MINI Cooper S hardtop Red with black top, stripes and interior mid November 2012. I absolutely love the car. I was watching Autotrader for about a year when this one came up. It was 11 miles from my house. It had 74K miles on it when I picked it up. It has almost 78K now.
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