Learn me r53 mini cooper

So, it appears a damn near free non running mini cooper is falling into my lap. 2003 with unknown milage. Story is that guy had a starter put on it and it never ran again. That was 2021. It was sold as scrap earlier this month, and I was offered to me. I'm waiting on a key and title to bring it home and pole at it, but since I know essentially nothing about these other than supercharger and six speed, I come to the hive. I drove a friend's for a week a few years ago and loved it, which is what made me take a gamble on this.

Photos of the gamble

Like a schmuck, i didn't get underhood pictures. But the intercooler is naked, same as the underside of the hood. Looks like theres some plastics missing.

So, can anyone tell me how this thing is equipped? The mini I borrowed didn't have the screen, or all those switches, or...

Any common issues that I should look at for the no start ever again? 

Do the white k1s from my miata fit?

This, if the title and keys appear, with be an envelope class challenge car/dd beater for me assuming is fixable. 

So, learn me!!

Equipped:  Looks like a typical hard loaded one. That's the navigation screen in the center, so the speedometer is next to the tachometer on the steering column.  Probably pretty much everything you could order on a MINI in 2003.  Can't tell because of the sand blasting on them, but probably has the halogens too.

Miata wheels should fit if they're 15" or bigger.  MINI didn't change the brakes between the S and non-S, so you could fit the non-S 15's on an S.  Those wheels are heavy.

Not sure why it wouldn't start after installing a starter.  I'd begin with the basics of is the starter hooked up right, battery charged, no blown fuses, etc. 

Once you get it running, check all the motor and suspension mounts.  Specifically, see if you can rock the front wheels forward and back.  if so, that means the control arm bushings are shot (very typical).  There are poly replacements and fixing them is a bit of a process, but not impossible in a driveway with a jack.

-Rob

Oh wow. I can offer my prayers. 

They are fun cars, so I hope it goes as well as possible.

Aftermarket Miata wheels generally fit (so the K1s should). The center bore on stock miata wheels is too small to fit without modification (54ish mm vs 56ish). 

R53s have a well known list of stuff that can and will go wrong. I'm currently on my 3rd one, so I'm a beggar for punishment. Sunroof drains will rot and then the foot wells will flood and there's electronic stuff in the area, so gremlins happen. My current driver has 15,300 miles on it and it's sitting on a charger right now because it wouldn't start this morning. I found a bill in the owner's manual for roof drain replacement at a tire shop of all places, so it has been wet. The cooling fan for the power steering can fail. It's underneath, behind the sump. The supercharger has a PTO off the back end that drives the water pump. It will lose the lubricant, ruin the gears, and stop turning the water pump, with the expected results. MINIs are not for economical car ownership, they're for fun, and it can sometimes be expensive fun.

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Is there a link to the well known list? 

I'd junp the starter and go from there. Could be immo l/alarm or ignition switch. 
lmk if you need supercharger stuff I can send what I didn't use back

Here is the option list:

In reply to Slippery :

Holy crap. That may be the highest option car I've ever bought

Learn me: R53 Mini Coopers| Grassroots Motorsports forum | ......for starters.

There are several Facebook pages .....MINI Cooper Mechanics has a lot of stuff, but FB pages aren't easy to search through.

motoringalliance.com has a conventional forum format to make it searchable.

I use the Michigan MINI Owners FB page because the local MINI specialty shop proprietor is on there and has been working on these cars for twenty years or more. Detroit Tuned MINI Cooper Tuning

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Noice! Thank you!

White Claw in the cup holder  makes me question how well it was maintained.

In reply to Stampie :

But since it is in the passenger side cup holder spot, the last drive may have started with "Hold my beer, watch this"

Ain't no laws (or maintenance....or starting) when you're drinkin' claws.

With the amount of crap I shoveled out of the car before I took these pictures I'm not sure any maintenance was ever completed. But for $300 and a buyback guarantee from my scrap metal guy I figured I couldn't lose. If the motors garbage or I can't ever get it to run he'll give me my money back and come pick it up.

In reply to Stampie :

That stood out to me too. 

Stampie said:

White Claw in the cup holder  makes me question how well it was maintained.

Sooooo, you are saying it was maintained ...? 



 

The others have you on the right track, needed - deferred - maintenance on one of these is extensive, but if you do it they're generally reliable cars. I've owned two and had no real issues with either one.

If you get it to run and decide to keep it, I would def replace those lower control arm bushes, check the sway bar mounts for looseness while you're in there - and the ball joints. 

Put the car in service mode (remove the front end - plenty of YouTubes on how to do this)  as it gives great access to everything you'll need to do. Pull the supercharger and change/replenish the oil - you can really only do this off the car. Check the serpentine belt or just replace it and look at the tensioner and idler pulley. Check the crank pulley too - it's rubber mounted damper will fail, the best solution is the aftermarket high tech one, but it's pretty spendy. Takes a special puller to remove it - don't try to use the one you have in your tool box, it won't work. If that rubber fails it no longer turns the alternator, A/C compressor, alternator or - most importantly - the supercharger, which as mentioned above also turns the water pump! 

Pull the crank sensor off and replace the o-ring. I can;t tell you how many pan gaskets were changed because of this leaking, oil running down to the lip of the pan making people thing it was leaking too. It wasn't.

Be careful changing the oil, some people seem to think that the 22 ft lbs the factory calls for to tighten the drain plug isn't right and that it should really be 200, done with an impact wrench set on "all of it!"

Another caution.....removing the oil filter cannister off the back of the block, don't lose the little spring loaded gizmo, it's not available - also I only used factory oil filters, or maybe Wix. I put a cheap on in once and it failed miserably. The factory ones never did this.....

Pull the handbrake and see if it works, take a look at the rear rotors in particular and make sure there's a even wear pattern. if not you'll need some new calipers, rotors and pads. These are not expensive parts tho

Pull the plug wire for cyl #3 out of the coil and clean the corrosion off, no idea why it's always #3, but it is, and it can make it miss on that cylinder.