Were some of them offered with a turbo, and some with a supercharger? I see ads switching these seemingly randomly. Were there 2 variants, or are people confused?
On the S model manuals- which ones had 5 spd, and which had 6 spd?
I'm looking for a low budget 6 spd S model. What should I look for? Watch out for?
The S models were supercharged at first. The 2nd generation (2006?) switched to turbo.
I think the ones with superchargers got 5 spd manuals while the turbo generations got 6 spd but don't quiote me on that.
IIRC- all the S models are 6 speeds. Prior to 2007 (r53 chassis designation) they were supercharged. After 2007 (r56 chassis) the s models were turbocharged. Stay away from anything prior to 2005- those seem to be the most problematic of the group. Check the interior trim, as the door handle covers have a tendency to break off- and you cannot just replace the cover- you have to do the whole door panel. Oil cooler likes to leak sometimes, so make sure that it's not... because it's not the easiest thing in the world to replace. Also make sure you check out the gas pedal- it's a bottom hinged design, and the hinge is plastic. If it's from a northern state that salts the roads, the hinge can break, and the only other attachment point is this flimsy plastic throttle linkage that goes through the firewall. Once you own it, keep an eye on the camber settings, ours eats tires like whoa because it's got some healthy camber in the front.
What kinds of problems are encountered in the pre-'05's?
My budget has me looking at higher mileage 02's and 03's.
Thank you for typing MINI and not Mini - they are not the same thing.
The supercharged ones (2001-2006) have a functional hood scoop (R53 in MINI lingo), the later turbocharged ones (2007-present)(R56 in MINI lingo)have a purely cosmetic Mustang inspired non-functional irks me to no end hood scoop.
Not sure on the 5 speed vs 6 speed though.
EDIT: Pretty much what others who type faster than me already said.
The pre-2005 ones were known to go through transmissions and clutches like popcorn, and occasionally to sneeze a supercharger pulley. Fun little cars, but are gonna be Mercedes money to fix if/when it goes south.
Well, don't get me wrong, I love Minis too, but I'm in the market for a MINI for a dd.
I think there is/was an issue with power steering pumps catching on fire and some of the earliest ones may have had a transmission problem? Not sure on either count, just what I think I remember hearing.
Looks like the price bumps by about $5K when I get into the 05's and newer.
I'm assuming I could do a trans, clutch AND supercharger for less than 5 large.
I need to keep in the lower price range.
Are you suggesting these went without warning? A car that shifts cleanly, no noise, leaks, slippage, evidence of abuse, etc. isn't likely to be heading for something catastrophic instantly, is it?
From what I've seen- yes. Now I have a 2005 S- so I haven't noticed one problem, and I'm not going to lie, I beat the ever-loving E36 M3 out of that car whenever I get a chance. (generally when the wife isn't looking) Assuming you could get used parts- you probably could do all that for less than 5k... so it's all up to you. I know they're piles of fun... I just also know I'm not brave enough for a pre-2005. Or a 2007+ for that matter- but that's cause they're aluminum blocks and I likes to turn up the boost.
Apart from encountering a deer, my '04 S has been pretty reliable. shifts well, my only irk about the shifting is it doesn't take all that much effort to get over into the reverse gate, so when running down through the gears, if you're not careful you'll miss 1st and try to pop it into reverse, which will result in a pretty nasty grinding noise. other than that, and the usual BMW issue with the power window motors crapping out over time (can be solved with a solid thwack to the inner door panel between the tweeter/door handle and the larger speaker on the front of the door, while holding the window switch), it's been pretty reliable.
the factory coil pack has steel terminals, which will corrode over time, starting at the #3 terminal, and the front strut tower tops are stamped out of thin metal and WILL mushroom if you drive on rough roads, so a set of strut tower reinforcement plates is a wise investment, either the type that goes under the top of the strut tower, or one that sits on top of the strut tower tops like the Cravenspeed and M7 Tuning units (I've got the M7 plates). and of course, the power steering fan is in a very vulnerable place, and if it gets jammed up or broken will let the power steering pump burn out, which is a $700+ fix, so getting a metal shroud from Moss Motors for it is a wise idea
if you're looking to save a bit of weight, the factory rims are HEAVY, just by swapping to 17x7.5 Rota RB, you can shave at least 4 pounds per rim, more than likely closer to 7-8 pounds per rim.
as far as places to get parts, I've had good experience with Mach V Motorsports/FastMini.net (also does work on Subarus, Evos, and DSMs, for anyone interested) as well as Moss Motors' Mini division and Mini Madness.
My '03 fried the power steering pump and harness, and had the mechanical door lock fail ,at the same time.The harness short killed the battery, the hood release is inside the car, and the mechanical door lock couldn't be opened with the key. The eventual solution involved a hole saw! The driver's door window lift has failed to operate twice, but you just beat on the right spot and it will "fix" itself. Oxygen sensor went last week, at 68K, and cost $474 to replace at the stealership. Last time I go there though, as the remaining emissions warranty is about to expire any day now. Other than those issues, it's a riot to drive !
Dinan makes a MINI package too....
Couple of other problem areas:
They're neat little cars, they do have some problem areas but they're fairly service friendly once you learn the shortcuts.
(sigh...)
Go to www.motoringfile.com where you can find more information about MINI's that I have time to post here.
All S models (supercharged R53 and turbo R56)) have Getrag 6 spds.
'02 to '04 Coopers (R50) have Midlands 5 spds which can be problematic. '05 & '06 Coopers have Getrag 5 spds. '07 to current Coopers(non-turbo R56) have 6 spds.
The convertible R52 model is the same as the R50 and R53 but was produced until '08.
Dinan still sells some leftover upgrades, but dropped their full-on "package" a long time ago... mainly because the factory JCW cars were cheaper and better.
Buying a MINI is sort of like buying a C4 Corvette - they made continual improvements and changes throughout the production cycle, so buy the newest car you can afford. Most with an eye towards performance want the '05 and newer cars with the factory installed LSD and slightly different gearing that improved acceleration.
Personally, I would not shy away from a cheap, high-mileage early R53. However, I have a lot of experience (and special tools for) working on these cars and the car would not be a daily driver but more of a w/e toy.
Fortunately, I find the tasks ansonivan mentions easy to do. Like he said: short cuts. The front bumper is so easy to R&R that for the g/f's '03 MCS we have two - a slightly beat up "winter bumper" and a nicer "Summer bumper".
The cars do rattle a bit. My g/f's '03 with 90K miles definitely has more rattles than my '03 VW MkIV with 233K.
+1 for Ian's post.
A better solution, imho, for the reduction of the deformation of the front strut towers is camber plates. The stock strut mounts are wafer thin in comparision to the Ireland Engineering fixed plates. Negative front camber is good in my book. Plus, Ireland uses a heavier duty bushing for the fixed plate as well.
The u-joint at the end of the steering shaft can rust and bind causing some difficulty steering. if you have dropped the subframe to do the lca bushings, you might as well take out the steering pump to vacuum out the dust on the electronics. Overheated electronics have been the root cause of steering pump failure. And they will fail. Have one on the shelf.
Rattle smattle, it's British. lol Mine's a DD and a blast to drive.
one other thing, though it may seem like bling, a weighted shift knob from this fellow makes the throws just right.
+1 on the Ireland Fixed camber plates. Pretty much prevents tower mushrooming and improves tire wear if the car tends to be driven aggresively.
Good point about the p/s pump, although the way I replace the LCA bushings doesn't improve access much as I only drop the back half of the subframe a couple of inches.
...and I agree about the Whalen knob. Both of our cars have Helix extender-style SSK's and I hate them. The best MINI shifter I've felt is a stock one with a Whalen. It seems to help remove some of the notchy feeling (which the SSK seems to amplify). I do with they looked better... I'm not a fan of the raw aluminum look. If I ever get one, I'll probably try to figure out a way to cover it with leather.
I've got 46k on my '07 Cooper S and it hasn't demonstrated any of the problems noted above for the earlier cars. However, the motor is completely different and has known to have its own issues-- a timing chain problem, for example, that causes rattling on cold starts. MINI has been fixing these even when the car is out of warranty.
The notorious BMW fuel pump has plagued these cars, as well, although not on mine so far. MINI extended the warranty on fuel pumps rather doing the full-blown recall BMW did on their other cars.
Mine does tend to get new rattles inside, though, and the upright windshield is prone to catching rocks. It is already so annoyingly sandblasted that I'm thinking of replacing it just so I can see better.
The real downside is that it is basically an expensive economy car that costs as much as a BMW to fix, assuming you go to the dealer. Now that mine is out of warranty and out of the free service period I do the periodic maintenance myself.
Upside is that it is a LOT of fun to drive and really does have the go-kart handling they tout. The S is fast, too. A tossable car that is really a hoot to drive on the twisties. Tends to give the driver road rage, though, because everyone else is in your WAY!
See northamericanmotoring.com for some great forums and other insights.
Another good source of info is Motoring Alliance.
I've been upgrading my '03 MCS since I got it new. By now it is quite fast, a LOT of fun, and still in good shape, with 85K miles on it. I've had it at the track and at autocross for years now. There are a lot more choices than what is mentioned above for parts and upgrades, so do your homework before deciding what (if anything) you want to do.
I am assuming you have not experienced any of the issues previously mentioned with the earlier models, right?
Wanna sell? 
(Oh wait, CA is a long drive!)
SVreX wrote: I am assuming you have not experienced any of the issues previously mentioned with the earlier models, right? Wanna sell?
Lemme see. I do have the power window issue. About once a month, I have to hit the driver's door panel in the magic spot to get the window motor to work. Most anything else that's been wrong with the car has been due at least in part to the racing, so no complaints there. Overall, it's been a very reliable daily driver.
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