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'06 Cooper S 6-Speed on Black Friday

861 views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  SeanC 
#1 ·
Last Black Friday, I traded my car (Miata) for a nice Cooper S.
On the surface, it looks great for its age.

But it has some things that makes me cringe:
Heavily tinted windows on all sides (its a nightmare to drive at night)
Interior red LED light strips on the footwells (driver and front passenger). I really despise all electrical modifications (with the exception with radio head units).
There are several tiny "shopping kart" dings
There's a small but noticeable chip on the windshield
The driver's side leather seat is cracking and a bit torn
A couple of wheel center caps were missing/taken
The front left jack point is missing
The shield/cover that covers the battery cable (underneath the car) was bent on the opposing direction, exposing the cable
The left ball joint is loose
Left axel boot is cracked
The airbag light is lit
The phone steering wheel controls have no function (because the PO didn't opt to have a Bluetooth module)
Coolant overflow tank was cracked/leaking (easy replacement but very questionable on why this is a common occurrence)

Other than these gremlins, I love this car. This is my first "new and modern" car with lots of amenities. (I never had a car with climate controls, air bags, and a very soft ride).
 

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#6 ·
Thanks! The first "mod" I've done now is adding an AUX cable to the OEM radio. I've easily replaced the coolant overflow tank and all is well on the coolant department. This is all thanks to one of the threads on this site:nerd:
Today I found another issue...one of my key fobs won't lock the door. It'll unlock and the rest of the buttons work, but it won't lock :crying:

Oh, I forgot to mention it has 151,000 on the odometer :eeksurprise:. My Miata 23 year old Miata had 60,000 miles ::frown::
On a 10 year old car things could be much worse
Its not quite black. Its a custom dark blue. In any case, I love it better than black ::smile::
Your car looks beautiful! I love how R53 looks mighty in all black :)
I really hope that I can find cheap used parts the States. I love how easily parts are removable...Allen screws and Allen bolts :crying:
This is one instance that I'd hope the tint was done by an amateur...its so adhered to the glass that I'm afraid of damaging it by removing it myself.
The car looks ok and with a little time and effort I'm sure you can fix it up as the faults you mention are all easy fixes! Regarding the window tint, this can easily be replaced for a lighter tint. To remove it you can use a heat gun to soften the glue and peel it off then apply a lighter tint. I have a light smoke tint fitted to my cars and its perfect in the day and night and its easy enough to apply!
 
#5 ·
The car looks ok and with a little time and effort I'm sure you can fix it up as the faults you mention are all easy fixes! Regarding the window tint, this can easily be replaced for a lighter tint. To remove it you can use a heat gun to soften the glue and peel it off then apply a lighter tint. I have a light smoke tint fitted to my cars and its perfect in the day and night and its easy enough to apply!



 
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