Accidental eBay purchase - 2004 Mini Cooper
Discussion
I may have got carried away on eBay and ended up the winning bidder on an 85k 2004 Mini Cooper in metallic green.
The pictures on the auction are terrible. Ended at £1,180.
Picking it up on Wednesday night at which point I think I'll be hiding it in my council garage until I can work how to explain it to the wife.
The pictures on the auction are terrible. Ended at £1,180.
Picking it up on Wednesday night at which point I think I'll be hiding it in my council garage until I can work how to explain it to the wife.
I bought an 05 Cooper S last month for £1400 with a years MoT (god knows how in hindsight) and 95k on the clock and absolutely zero history.
So far I'm up to £2150 in expenses including the car. Coil springs, shocks, top mounts, drop links, front brakes, ambient temp sensor plus wiring, an air filter, some oil and various other bits. Oh and a bit of labour for some of the bits I couldn't fit.
It's a cat D and I'm turning into a track car - absolutely love the thing, especially the noise it makes - superchargers win!!
So far I'm up to £2150 in expenses including the car. Coil springs, shocks, top mounts, drop links, front brakes, ambient temp sensor plus wiring, an air filter, some oil and various other bits. Oh and a bit of labour for some of the bits I couldn't fit.
It's a cat D and I'm turning into a track car - absolutely love the thing, especially the noise it makes - superchargers win!!
They're fun little cars when pushing on but I don't like them when driving normally. Too bumpy although if you're not running the runflats anymore that's a big improvement.
My wife had this one years ago. Chocolate gearbox was making some noises when she sold it.
I bought this 95k 53 reg One for £700 a few months ago. Stood me £850 all sorted. Sold it for £1150 straight away.
Popular little cars.
The airbag lights on them are buggers though. You only have to sneeze and the light will appear.
I still look at cheap Cooper S models as I think a stripped out one would be a hoot on track.
Anyway I hope it's a good one. Watching......
My wife had this one years ago. Chocolate gearbox was making some noises when she sold it.
I bought this 95k 53 reg One for £700 a few months ago. Stood me £850 all sorted. Sold it for £1150 straight away.
Popular little cars.
The airbag lights on them are buggers though. You only have to sneeze and the light will appear.
I still look at cheap Cooper S models as I think a stripped out one would be a hoot on track.
Anyway I hope it's a good one. Watching......
marky911 said:
They're fun little cars when pushing on but I don't like them when driving normally. Too bumpy although if you're not running the runflats anymore that's a big improvement.
My wife had this one years ago. Chocolate gearbox was making some noises when she sold it.
I bought this 95k 53 reg One for £700 a few months ago. Stood me £850 all sorted. Sold it for £1150 straight away.
Popular little cars.
The airbag lights on them are buggers though. You only have to sneeze and the light will appear.
I still look at cheap Cooper S models as I think a stripped out one would be a hoot on track.
Anyway I hope it's a good one. Watching......
A cheap S, stripped out for track days you say My wife had this one years ago. Chocolate gearbox was making some noises when she sold it.
I bought this 95k 53 reg One for £700 a few months ago. Stood me £850 all sorted. Sold it for £1150 straight away.
Popular little cars.
The airbag lights on them are buggers though. You only have to sneeze and the light will appear.
I still look at cheap Cooper S models as I think a stripped out one would be a hoot on track.
Anyway I hope it's a good one. Watching......
Got a fair few things to do before it sees a track but enjoying working on it at the moment. Great little cars.
Mr Tidy said:
Looks like a bargain to me OP!
My sister wanted one last year and ended up paying 3 times that for an 06 plate in red, admittedly with less than 60K miles!
And Racing Green was her first colour choice - oh well, I won't tell her.
Does she want to swap? Green was way down my colour choices when browsing, but drunken ebayers can't be choosers! Lol.My sister wanted one last year and ended up paying 3 times that for an 06 plate in red, admittedly with less than 60K miles!
And Racing Green was her first colour choice - oh well, I won't tell her.
Seems that maybe their should be a Poverty Mini thread like the Poverty Pork thread.
My mate Marc helped me collect it so we went up in my R55 Cooper D.
The good. Apart from the pictured damage to the front bumper, the body and interior are excellent. The drivers seat has no wear on the bolsters and with a good clean and polish it should look a cracker. It's got loads of history and seems well cared for.
The bad. While the temp gauge reads normal the car smells very hot and of coolant. Coolant leak was on the MOT advisories on Feb. Worst case is head gasket so something to investigate. Tyre pressure warning light is on, brake pad warning light is on.
For now it's stuffed in my council garage and I Have a couple of busy weeks were I wont be able to look at it.
As for the wife. She went a bit nuts and were now embroiled in a conversation about me paying more than 50% of the bills as she's skint but clearly I can fritter my money on silly things.
The good. Apart from the pictured damage to the front bumper, the body and interior are excellent. The drivers seat has no wear on the bolsters and with a good clean and polish it should look a cracker. It's got loads of history and seems well cared for.
The bad. While the temp gauge reads normal the car smells very hot and of coolant. Coolant leak was on the MOT advisories on Feb. Worst case is head gasket so something to investigate. Tyre pressure warning light is on, brake pad warning light is on.
For now it's stuffed in my council garage and I Have a couple of busy weeks were I wont be able to look at it.
As for the wife. She went a bit nuts and were now embroiled in a conversation about me paying more than 50% of the bills as she's skint but clearly I can fritter my money on silly things.
Edited by HorneyMX5 on Wednesday 14th June 23:39
HorneyMX5 said:
My mate Marc helped me collect it so we went up in my R55 Cooper D.
The good. Apart from the pictured damage to the front bumper, the body and interior are excellent. The drivers seat has no wear on the bolsters and with a good clean and polish it should look a cracker. It's got loads of history and seems well cared for.
The bad. While the temp gauge reads normal the car smells very hot and of coolant. Coolant leak was on the MOT advisories on Feb. Worst case is head gasket so something to investigate. Tyre pressure warning light is on, brake pad warning light is on.
For now it's stuffed in my council garage and I Have a couple of busy weeks were I wont be able to look at it.
As for the wife. She went a bit nuts and were now embroiled in a conversation about me paying more than 50% of the bills as she's skint but clearly I can fritter my money on silly things.
The good. Apart from the pictured damage to the front bumper, the body and interior are excellent. The drivers seat has no wear on the bolsters and with a good clean and polish it should look a cracker. It's got loads of history and seems well cared for.
The bad. While the temp gauge reads normal the car smells very hot and of coolant. Coolant leak was on the MOT advisories on Feb. Worst case is head gasket so something to investigate. Tyre pressure warning light is on, brake pad warning light is on.
For now it's stuffed in my council garage and I Have a couple of busy weeks were I wont be able to look at it.
As for the wife. She went a bit nuts and were now embroiled in a conversation about me paying more than 50% of the bills as she's skint but clearly I can fritter my money on silly things.
Edited by HorneyMX5 on Wednesday 14th June 23:39
Excellent.
As a man you aren't living spontaneously enough if you don't get that lecture at least once every 12 months.
Fingers crossed the coolant issue is minor and all should be well. Looks good.
Very good, again, fingers crossed it's nothing too major.
My stepmam has a 2004 Cooper S in grey, great fun. As others have said, it's quite hard work around the doors, town bumpy roads, but once going, it's a hoot.
I've also driven a 'normal' Cooper (again 2004ish) on much smaller standard wheels, and probably found it better to drive than the S, but that extra poke and supercharger whine is addictive! 26mpg though!
My stepmam has a 2004 Cooper S in grey, great fun. As others have said, it's quite hard work around the doors, town bumpy roads, but once going, it's a hoot.
I've also driven a 'normal' Cooper (again 2004ish) on much smaller standard wheels, and probably found it better to drive than the S, but that extra poke and supercharger whine is addictive! 26mpg though!
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