Calling the Mini guys, pre-purchase analysis

[RUFFLZ]

Never heard a good thing about buying a pre-owned car w/o a warranty from a dealer..

[Kevinl]

Bmw wanted mini's to be authentic with British reliability terrible little cars

[rcsoundn1]

Ahh I see. Can you do a ppi on a dealership car? I also should add the dealership will be replacing tires/windshield, and doing a detail upon purchasing.

Just terrible practice, says a lot about the dealer to me. Why would you show a car that needs all this, and not just do the work? A dealer I used to work for did the same thing because the used car manager did not want to spend the money until the car was sold, but would put cars on the lot you could not test drive for safety reasons.

[md-va]

Along with the maintenance items already mentioned, have him pop off the plastic door sill plates and check for rust. Moisture likes to collect under those.

[Wschnitz]

Enjoy your water pump replacements.

[Zreberlcoe]

This sounds scary.

[ajhostetter]

They're not altogether bad cars, but they do need a lot of love...and money. I'd stay the hell away from that beater at the dealer though.

[Zreberlcoe]

They're not altogether bad cars, but they do need a lot of love...and money. I'd stay the hell away from that beater at the dealer though.

Why is it a beater?

[ajhostetter]

I'm judging by simple appearances, but that looks pretty rough for a 64K mile car. Anyway, as funfgan said, unless it has all the service history and everything is documented, it's a car to pass one. I know enough from an old job at a dealership in PA that when they toss a dirty car on the lot for a low-ish price, it's an attempt to punt a piece of shit.

[Zreberlcoe]

Ajhostetter, thank you for the insight! I have noticed that you can click on the carfax link on the side of the page.

Here's the link: http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory...RE33566TL19828

It's not too descriptive but I'm going to have a list of things he needs to ask and for him to check out.

Anyone know what this means on the carfax "Drivability/performance checked"? It's on the 4th owner at 10/01/2013

[mbonder]

Unless the dealer has all of the maintenance records I would pass on it. From what I've seen (My parents have an 06 S model) these things are hit or miss. Theirs has only had minor issues like a bad rear hatch wiper motor, worn brakes around 60k miles, new tires at 50k, pretty average stuff. However, I've spoken to people that have had miserable experiences with suspension pieces and the cooling system on these.

Without maintenance records you can't really judge and you'd be going in blind, which could cost you a whole bunch, simply a gamble. Plus 4 owners in 7 years is a bit much, seems to lean toward a car that has some issues.

[dvck]

i fucking hate getting out of minis, their doors are a mile long

[glnr13]

"musts" maintenance:
power steering pump/line/fan
control arm bushings
pulley tensioner
thermostat and thermostat gasket
superchargers go bad on earlier models but 05-06 are better
also the gearing on the 05-06 are better
window motors get sticky but with a fonzy bump they start back up
mushroomed strut towers
auxiliary fan relay
radiator
coil packs corrode quickly

good mods:
15-17% supercharger pulley reduction
coilovers: kw, bilstein pss9's, h&r. megan's are ok
camber plates are a must if canyon carver
rear control arms for more adjustability over the limited eccentric based OEM
JCW intake (stay away from cold air intakes, there are a few write ups with tests and they provide no advantages or changes)
GP intercooler if you can get a hold of one
rear sway bar

bads:
they have rattley interiors
windshields crack easily
seats get stuck
aftermarket exhausts tend to drone

fun to drive and very forgiving when you're too aggressive, easy to save.
sounds like a lot of bs but kind of like an e46 in regards to maintenance and costs

[Zreberlcoe]

So come Friday my brother will give the dealership a call when he has the time to ask for a ppi. I've let him know that if they refuse then he will keep looking. And if the car checks out ten take it! The guy doing the ppi is a friend of our dads who builds mini race cars and what not so it won't be some random shop.

[Zreberlcoe]

Ah!! I forgot to get back to you guys! So my brother ended up getting the car without doing the ppi! But he was told by an over qualified mini mechanic what exactly to look for and it turned out to be a gem! The day after purchase he brought the car to said mechanic and they went over it on the life and for even more conformation he said it was a solid find! So apparently the car came out to not be the POS we thought it was!