Wifey's mechanic - seeking recommendations

[Biggi]

My wife finally has dumped the Soccermom Urban Van that she had, and got an '05 Mini (automatic).
Someday she might even let me drive it unaccompanied!
At this point, I am her mechanic. The car has 97K on it, but the engine only about 65K, according to the seller.
Here are some newbie questions:
-Recommended oil?
-Recommended spark plugs?
-Recommended expendables, in general?
-Recommended service manual?
-Recommended tire pressure for good gas mileage, but less than a cueball?
-What will start failing soon?
-A Mini mechanic near Mar Vista, CA (south of Santa Monica) for those things I can't do (e.g. new boots on the axles of my Jetta TDI last year)
-the preferred OBD reader and/or software
-


Remember this is the car of my wife. Don't bother w/ any recs on improving performance, aside from fuel economy. I just want this beauty to live long and well.

Thank you.

PS-Biggi is my wife, but you can call me what you want.

[MINIAC]

Oil = 5W-30 Fully Synthetic, either Castrol or Mobile 1
Plugs = NGK BKR6EQUP according to RealOEM
Service Manual = Bentley
What will start failing soon = just hope it's not the CVT transmission

[Biggi]

OK, good.
I'll go w/ Castrol b/c they make/made a two-stroke racing oil for motorcycles. I like to support those who support motorcycle racing.
I'll hope those NGK plugs aren't $20 each. But if it makes good explosions that push that car just a little further w/ each bang, it's worth it. Gas is on its way to $4/gal here in SoCal.
Sorta figured it would be a Bentley. I have one for my VW TDI; it's the standard.

So, does anyone have a recommendation for an online Mini parts/expendables supplier?

[MINIAC]

Quote: Originally Posted by Biggi (original)

... anyone have a recommendation for an online Mini parts?

Compare pricing at Pelican Parts, Classic Auto Campus and your local dealer.

Sometimes Googling a RealOEM part number will lead to a bargain price.