At 74 years old I bought a 2006 Cooper S last summer. Feel like a kid again! I bought it through a dealer in Seattle that only deals in used Minis. Mine was a one owner car out of Palm Springs, CA. Well documented and a clear Carfax. In nine months there have been zero issues. Not even an oil leak. Great little cars. And I mean little compared to what I was driving before it, a 95 Impala SS that I had bought new and driven for 23 years. No regrets.

@charliediebolt2148

3 жыл бұрын

What was the name of the shop? I think I actually saw them on Craigslist recently. Trying to get one out to Hawaii!!

@paullee2177

3 жыл бұрын

@@charliediebolt2148 The company is: northwesteuro.com Don't recall the owners name but had no issues dealing with him by email, phone or in person. He has a large indoor showroom and doesn't mind moving cars around so you can drive the ones your interested in.

@charliediebolt2148

3 жыл бұрын

Paul Lee Jason! Yeah I talked to him the other day, I’m looking at a 2002 with some nice upgrades and about 100k miles. How many does yours have? He seems to really know his stuff

@paullee2177

3 жыл бұрын

@@charliediebolt2148 My 2006 R53 had 88K on it when bought it. Now has about 92K after a bit over a year. Still running great.

@freddieparrydrums

2 жыл бұрын

@@paullee2177 My 2008 Cooper S Convertible (yes it’s a Supercharged 2008) and it has 40k miles

A lot of great advice here. If you're serious about a first gen Mini, I'd save this to a playlist.

Such a great and informative video, thank you so much!

Keep up the good work my friend...love your videos. 😊

Good information. Keep up the good work.

I just picked up a 2005 R53 supercharged 6 speed manual one owner with a bad clutch I took it apart myself and waiting on new clutch kit to put it back together it’s really fun to drive and I plan on keeping it as it’s growing in value

Was hoping you had the answer I’m looking for in order to fix this baby and get on down the road lol Your idea sounds amazing!!!! Ingenious!!

Good information for those of us looking at getting a first gen car.

very informative, thx

I’ve replaced just about everything on my ‘05 R53 Cooper S. This video is well done.

@alfredvalrie5541

5 жыл бұрын

The MINIac I have the R53 auto and just about everything on it has given me problems but the sunroof. I keep the sunroof rails lubricated with silicone.

Great video, I have had my R53 since new and still love and hate the car lol it’s like a crazy, but super hot girlfriend. I no longer use it as a daily driver and am slowly building it up as a very quick road car

Very glad I found your channel. Thanks for the thorough rundowns of the most likely R53 issues. The one I bought only has 15K miles on it so there's not a lot of maintenance history. I did find out that the power steering recall issue was never addressed so it'll give me a chance to meet my local Mini dealer. Is there a statute of limitations on a recall item? I hope they can still get whatever parts they need to correct the issue. Love your channel and very happily subscribed.

I owned a 2004 Cooper S .. Traded it in at 100k and the only real issues I had were power steering pump (which became a recall) and the lower control arm bushings starting to fail at around 60k. Other than that, just minor electrical niggles before I let it go. The clutch lasted til then as well. That car was an absolute hoot to drive. Loved that thing.

@mannyfnsc29

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac Yep, I just bought an F56.. 2016 Cooper S. Very different than the older models like the R53. Still a great car but not nearly as go-kart like in stock form. Better build quality and much more refined though..

This lad knows his shit!

Hi great informative videos being an owner of a 2006 R53 which is a car for life and wouldn’t swap her for a newer version it’s always nice to see other R53s being reviewed so keep up the great work. ps in this video you show a pic of an R53 challenge car where did you get that photo?

Excellent video mate, I'll b buying a r52 JCW 2006 with just 45k on the clock, it's my first time getting a mini, had a try b4 buying it and that thing pulls!, will be doing a full service since been parked for ova 8 months and have no mot history, I should point out I'm living in Panama and ppl don't tend 2 keep service records. Will be updating on how it goes with it, cheerio

Love your work mate

I bought a 2006 Cooper S Checkmate in 2015 with approximately 42k miles on it. A week after purchasing I had the coolant tank replaced. It was then replaced again the same year, but by MINI dealership. I haven't had a problem since with that part. Right now I'm at 73k miles in a 14 year old car and one of the fans failed last year . It's running the high fan all the time. I'll get it fixed this year. It needs a front control arm as well. Overall, it was well worth it to get this vehicle despite the few problems.

@titanium7992

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac How much does it cost to replace in your area?

Have 3 x R53 Mini Cooper S 1 x Red 23k miles: 1 x Blue 66k miles & 1 x Yellow 70k Miles - just a great little car. Red and Yellow are mint condition with full documented history from day 1 0 Bluey been a bit neglected by PO, eldest will get the blue one as a going away to College present, yellow one will remain total stock; Red one will have some discreet mods to take it to 250bhp, but will still retain stock appearance - lot of fun when they start to climb past 1800 rpm through to 3000 rpm, and they flat track through corners like nothing else; very fast.

I hate how these Cooper's are rock magnets . My front of my car looks like it's been sand blasted and my windshield has atleast 6 deep chips and 1 10in crack

The title is miss leading - this at best is not a definitive Guide, this is ones personal reflection on the model Mini R53 fulled with awakened moments

I'm getting an 03 r53 for free.. but it's coming with lots of dents trim missing driver side rear wheel hub is destroyed.. basically the guy rallied it cause he didnt care but when he fired it up it ran like a top. But the supercharger makes some scary noises.. I'm making it a track car so all if it will be fixed and upgraded.. thanks for the video

In the market for one right now - for my wife - its gonna be her first car - so I gotta a get a good one so that I dont have to tinker with it as much as with my e34! Thank you so much - so much priceless info packed in one video!!!

Great guide. I have a 2005 R53 JCW with close to 77,000 miles. Great car going up for sale in a few weeks in Derry,New Hampshire

@alexw.854

2 жыл бұрын

How much do you want for it?

@rickstanvme

2 жыл бұрын

@@alexw.854 $7100

@rickstanvme

2 жыл бұрын

@@alexw.854 I can send you pics and info.

@tygriff1217

2 жыл бұрын

Sold?

STRANDED! Literally in an out of town Starbucks parking lot! Made an OfferUp purchase & was gonna head home but my car became gutless:( Just bought a mini S! Just discovered you! Have a feeling you’re gonna be a godsend!

@taylorphillips174

3 жыл бұрын

What a pleasant surprise!!! I have been in KZread since my comment & I’d never heard of limp mode but that’s wat I’m in & yep it’s a 2002 R53. So I’m about 15 miles from home I am mechanically inclined 3rd generation mechanic But waaay outta practice & the loop Very capable & it’s a good thing cuz I’m on my own with this Can I drive it home?

@taylorphillips174

3 жыл бұрын

Check engine lights on Ohhhh and wats a normal temp reading? Omg that’s wat I was inquiring when I found you lol

@taylorphillips174

3 жыл бұрын

The MINIac Thank you for your knowledge & your time ~ lori ~

@danielk3893

4 ай бұрын

​@@taylorphillips174loool

I have a R53 JCW with recaro seat.... a great car to drive

I can't recall what was wrong, but a mechanic quoted me a price and the dealership was about 20% cheaper. When I told the mechanic his prices were out of line, he said "well, it's a mini cooper". Lol, yeah, AND?

@lucyfyrearchoftwilight9282

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac lol, an understatement. Never went back to them.

interesante información

@sorayaboscan6616

2 жыл бұрын

acabo de comprar un r53 2006 como transportation y la verdad no se nada de ellos pero me encanta

Legend

@TheMINIac

4 ай бұрын

Indeed

my friend had an '05 JCW and it spat a spark plug out of the cylinder head. I have videos of it with a muffler delete on my channel.

I'm looking at a 2004 Mini Cooper which has very low mileage and drives so well. But steering is very stiff when stationary or trying to park. When it's in the road- the steering is fine. Any ideas? Thanks

1:53 Just saying I’ve owned multiple R50/R53 Minis and never had or heard of any of these issues. If your watching this video to decide whether or not to by an R53, the best advice I can give is make sure you getting it from a reputable dealer (I.E from a garage, that might include a 12 month guarantee) and make sure you test drive it before you commit. They are lovely little cars with plenty of low down torque and plenty of aftermarket mods available to make it unique.

Looking to buy one and just wondering is it worth to hunt for JCW or is it better to actually buy a good condition S ? I am looking for a fun daily drive car, need petrol with some power behind it and mini seems to be the case, my sister owns a R53 1,6 diesel version of this car and it is quite fun to drive, I am looking either at JCW or S model. Since it is going to be daily I am wondering if its worth to go for JCW since those are harder to find and probably have higher maintenance costs? Another thing is it hard/expensive to raise the power of S? I got no experience with supercharged cars, R56 with turbo can be remaped and that is quite easy mod, what about supercharged R53? And in general, which one would you recommend R53 or R56? I do know that the main differences are interior detail quality and supercharger vs turbo, I do believe that a turbo one should be more fuel efficient, but I do wonder which one of these are more fun to drive, since the engines on these two work a little differently through the rev range.

Do you think that standard facelift cooper S will go up in value in some time?

Hi There, Whats the difference between a Base model and an S model of the same 1st generaton coopers. What are the parts that can be interchangeable...A Base 2003 R50 and an S 2006 R53....Hood, Bumpers Front and Rear, Rear Wing, Side Mirrors, Doors....What else in terms of suspension and Engine Components....Please let me know Thank you

What about the Screamin Demon aftermarket coil for the R53? I've heard positive reviews.

@iserved1642

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac Thanks..i need to replace mine and the screamin demon is actually much cheaper than OEM. So bad idea?

Hey I bought an R56 and I am thinking of starting a collection. I have my eye on R53 JCW GP 35k 40k miles.What do you think? To much $$$. Hold out?

Wow, you can read the brochure!

A stealth cold air mod costs less than $100 with an adapter and K&N RU-3190 cone filter.

i have a 99.900 just about to have a clutch plate

When did they make an automatic?

What exactly is the valve body issue with Aisin automatic and is the fix? Hdd a problem with mine several reliable BMW shops suggested trans needed to be replaced to the tune of $11K, but another shiop said it was just the valve body and the earlier ones were weak. He had a lot of them, and then there was the class action about the CVT transmission which fortunately not on the R-53

@melvincaesarbelli3079

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac What was happening was it would not shift automatically but when I used the manual mode it worked fine. So two places said I needed a new trans. The cost of the trans was $9K and about $1,500 to install. It was the cost of the trans that was ridiculous. Ben at Cooper and Bimmer Experts in Asuza, CA looked at it and said its the just valve body, and had seen a lot of them fail was a weak point on the cars. It cost $1,800 as opposed to $9K . Less than $1,000 to install. Car runs great now. Another point is that the CVT trans is junk multiple failures. There was a class action on this, don't know out come but.... Again Ben had seen a lot of them fail and it wasn't the same part over and over which is concerning so I would not buy one of those.

How do the Convertibles cope with performance suspension and aggressive driving? I see a LOT of them but don't know if it will twist the body out of shape. (also, thought of a K-series swap. A tremendous HP gain)

@TheMINIac

5 ай бұрын

I’ve not heard of anything bad regarding structural integrity and modification.

mine has 197k miles it has the checker flag odometer

Is it the end of the world if I have the K&N open box intake set up? Don't think I can send it back. It seems to work just fine?

@veganmarine

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac thanks for the rapid response! Love the videos and my new r53. First time owning a mini. Love it.

@veganmarine

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac by any random chance do you have a video showing the replacement of the struts? Or recommend one?

Like if you're in the R53 owners club

@TheBenjamincooper2

4 жыл бұрын

The Gaming Advocate this didn’t age well

Anyone know what the R53 oil pressure is supposed to run at at warm idle?

@terrygalloway7874

5 жыл бұрын

The MINIac Awesome, please do! I’d love to know.

@terrygalloway7874

5 жыл бұрын

The MINIac Thank you! I’ve been seeing as low as 4-5psi on a digital gauge and 9-10psi on a true mechanical and have been mighty curious if what I was looking at was normal lol. Thanks Again!

Is the r56 n18 Cooper s much more reliable than an r53? Really want to run an r53 but hear horror stories about them. Currently run an r55 Cooper here in the UK..

@equaliser2265

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac R53 with service history I have a 2003 53000 miles . With a Reduced 15% pulley. It's totally reliable.

But are these reliable as compared to newer turbo models. I think that's what a lot of us would like to know.

@Brad5161

Жыл бұрын

My 175k 2002 has been reliable, parts and mods are inexpensive. I'd buy another one.

my 2005 cooper s has a gear ratio issue

You forgot supercharger bearing issues at 65000 miles

My 2004 is only over 250bhp now after tuning..lol yeaaaa I got a few mods..these won't be collectors .

@MrManBuzz

3 жыл бұрын

Low mileage unmodified JCWs (especially with the certificate) will absolutely be collector cars in the future.

@minimanadam

3 жыл бұрын

@@MrManBuzz yes , while jcw was a not BMW owned I bet THOSE jcw's will be AND the GP 's but not a base , s or BMW made jcw minis

My 40k mile 2008 R53 has the door light constantly on for some reason

@andygreen3575

2 жыл бұрын

2008 is an R56 model.

@freddieparrydrums

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac Sorry, meant R52 as they stopped at 08. Accidentally pressed 3

Wow! It's Jack Black's brother!!!!

My 2005 R52's convertible top just croked 😭 Mini wants $3k to fix.

@Apoplectic_Spock

5 жыл бұрын

The motor seems to work fine. It successfully unlatches the passenger side but fails to unhitch the driver side. The sunroof function still works perfectly. The dealership told me I can either replace the entire mechanism or just the sunroof slider mechanism. Both are right at $3k and they refuse to investigate and fix the actual problem. It's like looking at an engine with a locked up starter and recommending a full engine replacement. Doesn't seem to make much sense, but... I'm not a Mini mechanic.

@homiepug189

5 жыл бұрын

@@Apoplectic_Spock shop on line in uk ...even with import duty itll be at least half that

@ChuckyDoll79

5 жыл бұрын

I am in the same boat. 3K CAD. But, the original top lasted for 15years. The new one will last also 15years. So, it's 3K over 15years.

I'm not hating on people with mini's that have low millage but why horde the car around instead of driving it since that's what they're meant for. I daily drive my 05 JCW and i get looks from people that know what it is instead of keeping it locked away in the garage where nobody sees it so it doesn't stack up miles

Please chill your eye 👁

2004 R53 41000 miles

3 words: Oil catch can?

Ber - Tone not Ber -Tony

I've never seen a cooper get to 150,000 miles. They are usually long dead before then.

@MillieonaVespa

5 жыл бұрын

Sleeper Cell .....we regularly get them for sale with that type of mileage on DoneDeal a trading website here in Ireland 🇮🇪

@sleepercell9926

5 жыл бұрын

@@MillieonaVespa That's really rare. You may see a cooper with a little over 100k here and there but 150? I think i saw one once, however I do remember the owner saying it had had a new head gasket and cylinder head. The highest mileage one I can find on ebay has 110k, I can see ones being broken for parts that have 80 and 90k.

@sleepercell9926

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac Yeah but yu live in the States. Alot of those cars live in very dry warm areas and spend alot of time doing long single journeys. In the past 8k miles mine has needed a new power steering motor and an new radiator fan assembly. Thats close to 1000 usd all in all. If a wasn't such a fan of R53 mini cooper's i'd have scrapped it.

@Wheelsanstuff

4 жыл бұрын

I had over 150,000 before I totaled mine and it was in great shape. Cost a lot of $$$ to keep it that way thou

@anthonydammeyer526

3 жыл бұрын

My 2005 cooper s model has 173k miles and it drives amazing noajor issues just comment tail light rust

Not a car , Noted.

Poly bushes are useless and will cause suspension binding if not greased every 6 months to a year. Unless this is a race car new oem rubber bushing make the most sense and will last for years

@02semiata

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac how often do you check ? You need would need to remove your wheel disconnect the sway bar and make sure the arm move up and down freely. Even better test is having your car corner balanced and seeing if you get repeatable numbers on each corner of the car when the car is “bounced” up and down on the scale. Most likely you won’t due to sticking. Easy enough to Google it. Poly bushings need greasing if you don’t they stick. Not rocket science

@02semiata

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac it’s not car specific. Again just Google poly bushings and grease. Unless you run grease fittings and grease them they will stick after awhile. Not worth the hassle over oem IMO. Shopping for a r53 myself and plan to replace all bushings with oem. Thanks for posting your video was helpful overall

@02semiata

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheMINIac they will last forever just need grease lol. So it’s extra time and honestly most people have no clue and never grease them. Grease or zek fittings don’t come with the bushings and most don’t buy them and install. Something people should be aware of is all

"same deal as" is NOT helpful! You need prior knowledge which we don't all have!