Calling the Mini guys, pre-purchase analysis

[Zreberlcoe]

This sounds scary.

[Wschnitz]

Enjoy your water pump replacements.

[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.

[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.

[Kevinl]

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

[RUFFLZ]

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

[FunfGan]

paging funfgan

If it doesn't have a full packet and history of service, steer very clear away.

[Zreberlcoe]

Alright the plan is to get my brother to ask for a ppi, because I'm having my doubts while looking at these pictures closely. If the dealer wont let him do a ppi somewhere else, he has to walk away. If he does and the car checks out or the repairs are minimal, then it's up to him.

[E30NJ]

You could buy 4 relatively cheap E30's with that price of that mini . It doesn't look horrible but my first concern is whats underneath those seat covers? +1 on control arms, and make sure its got a good clutch. In order to pull the transmission on most minis you might as well yank out the trans. I also know that they leak powersteering fluid pretty bad. Keep us informed.

[Zreberlcoe]

If the dealership won't work with an independent mechanic for PPI, then that's another red flag. I'd suggest finding one close to you that you can look at in person and have a PPI done without hassle. If it's good, then your "brother" ;) can fly out and pick it up or drive it out or something.

Will do, I'm telling him to look into shops in his area and to ask the dealer if he can do a ppi on his terms. And yes it really is for my brother, I wouldn't buy a mini, I would do something worse and buy another E30.

[lambo]

paging funfgan

[ParsedOut]

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.

If the dealership won't work with an independent mechanic for PPI, then that's another red flag. I'd suggest finding one close to you that you can look at in person and have a PPI done without hassle. If it's good, then your "brother" ;) can fly out and pick it up or drive it out or something.

[Zreberlcoe]

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.

[SkiFree]

Without a qualified mechanic doing a PPI or you looking at it yourself with an educated eye/ear, then I wouldn't buy it.

This, try to really insist on getting a decent ppi done.

Things to check

- mushrooming front shock towers
- supercharger pully

[ParsedOut]

Ahh good to know. I wish I wasn't 5 hours away and I could look at it. But, is there any good you can tell?

Without a qualified mechanic doing a PPI or you looking at it yourself with an educated eye/ear, then I wouldn't buy it. Several years ago I was dead set on getting a Cooper S but after looking at SOOOOOOO many that were mechanically shitty with relatively low miles I decided to run away, very far away.