[droidekaus]

Primarily for a daily driver and auto-x/track car. By stripper I mean no sunroof and cloth interior. I'm wondering how hard it would be to unload a no sunroof/cloth interior MCS should I get tired of it, or run into problems that require considerable time in the shop as I have zero patience for problem prone cars.

I'm not expecting the MINI to turn into a POS, but relations with D/FW BMW dealers are a lesson in bad customer service.

[tip]

There is always someone how will buy it, it just may take time.


Charles

[SilverGAGT]

I think the cloth interior matches the car very well and seems to be really nice. I don't imagine that being too much of a minus against the car itself.

As for the sunroof. Just get a white roof, then you can say you got it without the sunroof to not break up the white in the roof. Again, some people do not like sunroofs because of leaking or noise....could be a minus, but possibly not.

The problem you might have getting rid of the car is if you strip the interior...such as cutting out carpet or removing other pieces that you do not feel is necessary. Some people really do not like the idea that the interior of the car has been removed and then put back. If you put it back well, then I don't think you'd even need to disclose that when selling.

Bottom line is I don't think you'd have a problem selling the car if you do get tired of it.

[Tom F.]

I almost did it myself, but got overruled.

When it comes to resale, you recover a smaller percentage of the money spent on options as opposed to the percentage of the car itself, so you will do fine. You may sell it to an enthusiast who thinks like you, or someone who is looking for a good price on an S and doesn't care about the extras.

I'd go for a white roof and a basic, retro Mini color like red that would have broad appeal. The space grey cloth interior on an MCS at the Washington DC auto show looked great!

[droidekaus]

Thanks for the replies! I stripped one down even further by eliminating the Sport Package which doesn't appear to include an actual suspension upgrade. Is this true? I want to do aftermarket wheels anyway and the MCS 17s don't really appeal to me.

[stokey]

Go for the stripper!!
In the UK it appears everone specced their S out with every extra, because they could!! My dealer is already taking repeat orders from S owners but this time they are tending to limit the options to keep the weight down!

[stryder]

Look for the threads on options people miss having. Neither a sunroof nor the leather/leatherette seats are big ones. If you really do however mean stripped as in no options, I could anticipate resale problems, but limited. I'd get the MFSW since selling a car that cost $20K new and didn't have cruise control could be difficult. (Besides that is a top 'wished I got it item, and doesn't weigh very much extra, as obehave is pointing out.)

[Tom F.]

In the US, and I presume in Canada, the basic S comes with sport suspension plus and sport seats.

I would dump the whole sport package. I don't see much in the DSC that ASC doesn't do, and you will probably want to have the foglight openings just that- open- to move more air toward the brakes. Get the xenons if you want, just buy them a la carte.

I also disagree on MFSW. If its a stripper, that's what it should be. A real stripper will have more appeal than a "kinda" stripper, which could appear to have some luxury items but not others. It clouds the personality of the specific car.

MFSW is a total luxury, IMHO, and serves no real purpose to the operation of the car. Cruise control is for big floaty boats, not for a car like the Mini where the driver should be fully involved in driving, 100% of the time. (I don't have it, as you can guess.)

No auto climate, either. Again, don't put a luxury item on a stripper. Three large knobs on the dash are clear and easy to use.

[OnlyS4me]

As far as I know the sport suspension plus and sport seats are a standard and base item of the S...

Correct me if I'm wrong

[CG.]

As a guy who trys to autocross or track a car at least twice a month that is exactly the way I'm thinking of specing a car. I want all the other goodies but I don't really need them so why bother.

[MarcoRacer]

I'm another that will be going the basic MCS route for autocrossing and track events. The only likely options/accessories will be 17" wheels (They look too cool and I hate the 16's. I will be getting a set of lightweight 17's with appropriate tires) the driving lamps and possibly the chrome mirrors. I will be looking to take out as much weight as possible without taking away too much interior.

Go for it!

[RickB]

Are leather seats going to slow you down??? I got only Sport Pack and leather as options, and consider my car a stripper. I also doubt that DSC adds any appreciable weight or complexity to the car. With ABS and ASC hardware/circuitry, how much could DSC weigh? I think someone stripped their interior pretty bare, and it saved 70 pounds. I'd rather get the lightest wheel/tire combo and a lighter battery; better acceleration, braking and handling, and I'd still be comfy.

[droidekaus]

Quote:

Originally posted by RickB
Are leather seats going to slow you down??? I got only Sport Pack and leather as options, and consider my car a stripper. I also doubt that DSC adds any appreciable weight or complexity to the car. With ABS and ASC hardware/circuitry, how much could DSC weigh? I think someone stripped their interior pretty bare, and it saved 70 pounds. I'd rather get the lightest wheel/tire combo and a lighter battery; better acceleration, braking and handling, and I'd still be comfy.

Leather is a bit slippery sometimes, hence the reason I want the cloth. I've got the leather/heated seats and all that other crap on my Z, don't need it in a second car.

The MCS I drove Saturday was really stiff, like my Z on 18s. I can handle that in a daily driver and would like to mod the MCS vs. spending a lot more on the Z and turn the Z into the garage queen.

[stryder]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom F.
I also disagree on MFSW. If its a stripper, that's what it should be. A real stripper will have more appeal than a "kinda" stripper, which could appear to have some luxury items but not others. It clouds the personality of the specific car.

MFSW is a total luxury, IMHO, and serves no real purpose to the operation of the car. Cruise control is for big floaty boats, not for a car like the Mini where the driver should be fully involved in driving, 100% of the time. (I don't have it, as you can guess.)

No auto climate, either. Again, don't put a luxury item on a stripper. Three large knobs on the dash are clear and easy to use.

Auto climate is surely a luxury item, (I love it, but wouldn't consider it anything besides that) However, I recall someone driving their new stripper MCS from the dealer home for 1500 miles or so on a mini vacation, and wishing the one thing he ordered was MFSW. My last car didn't have cruise, and I dealt with it, but since I regularly drive anywhere from 300-500 mile interstate trips, and dislike stopping, not having to leave my foot on the gas doesn't become a luxury. Also, unlike the 'big 3 knobs' the radio was designed very poorly, and the MFSW really well, so its so much easier to adjust volume and channels/tracks by hitting the knobs on the back of the wheel. I've tried it both ways, and have gotten very spoiled. I'm sure either way you can adapt though.

[HonoluluDoug]

Latest issue of Sport Compact Car advised getting 16" wheels and no sunroof because the absence of the items lowers weight and makes the car faster and better handling. So I think there would be a demand for a "stripper" should you decide to sell it, particularly from tuners.

By the way I have a black on black with 16s, no sunroof, and no leather (not cloth but the fake leather). I can't think of it as a stripper because there is nothing essential missing, and the absense of stuff serves a purpose.

[gowest]

I bought my MCS to drive to and from autocrosses, my only option is the MFSW and I got the cloth seats for better grip and no sweaty backside after long trips.

[vdubdoug]

droidekaus

i ordered a stripped down MCS (should be here in Feb) My only option was the multi function steering wheel and bonnet stripes. My theory was the more options i get the more stuff that could break. Plus less wieght equals better performance. I am already looking into some lighter wheels and exhuast and an Air filter. It should make for one hell of a ride.

[MarcoRacer]

No...Don't go away. :-) I should have mentioned that the car will NEVER see snow, nor rain, if I can help it.


QUOTE]Originally posted by obehave
Just a thought.
Since you're going to buy afternmarkets anyway take the 16's to run skinny winter tires. That way you're thrashing rims you don't like anyway
OK, I'll go away now. [/quote]

[Tom F.]

Quote:

Originally posted by RickB
Are leather seats going to slow you down??? I got only Sport Pack and leather as options, and consider my car a stripper. I also doubt that DSC adds any appreciable weight or complexity to the car.

I think the idea of a "stripper" car originated a long time ago when dealers placed advertising in the papers " Jetflow 3000 - today only $1995 - only one at this price". It would be completely denuded of options, and then advertised at a price near invoice. The sucker showed up on he lot, which was the real objective of the ad. Then he would find out the car didn't have any options at all, indeed, even heaters were options ( or delete for credit) in times gone by.

So the saleman (they were all men) would say "well, if you actually want a heater, we have this little jewel over here...so it the stripper was part of the "bait and switch" tactic. With any luck it would rarely sell, and the dealer could run the ad for months.

Today, thank goodness, a MCS with no options is a very comfortable and very complete package. I'll have to disagree with RickB, 'cause IMHO leather and a sport package is no stripper. I see three subsets, strippers: no options, or one or two cheap ones, regular, and loaded: leather and the two big packages, or an equivalent amount of money spent on other options.


Very interesting thread. I'm surprised how many people like the stripper concept.

[Mugami]

For me ive gone from a fully loaded MCS to a stripper coming in march. Reasons for this is simple.

1. its lighter.. sunroof was fun but it kept shining on my shifter making it unbarable to touch.

2. im already changing everything. Tires, interior, Suspension and stereo. So no point in getting the options.

Only option i did get was the AC upgrade. Cause i like the looks of it.