looking at 2005 mini cooper S convertible

[nugent1021]

Hey - I'm looking at buying a 2005 mini cooper s convertible with about 81,000 miles on it. It's a bit out of town, but the pictures they've sent me look perfect (and they're bigger than craigslist pictures). It's at a Mercedes dealer. I believe it pretty much loaded with 17inch wheels, not sure about the LSD.

Any thoughts or concerns? I'm trying to figure out what to expect when I go to drive it. Opinions appreciated!

[ka3oxi]

I own an 04 S, but I think they have the same running gear. Issues I have had:
Front shock towers mushroom
Crank pulley, harmonic balancer came apart
Power steering pump, fan and hoses
cooling system reservoir cracked
Mine is a 6 speed standard with no problems but I have heard all the automatics come apart.

Personally, I would shy away from one with that kind of mileage.

[dmini]

I also have an 05 S with a 6MT and 53K on the clock. Problems I have had, water pump replacement and clutch. Had the clutch replaced under warranty, it was rattling a bit and you got 1 free so I took advantage of it, otherwise no issues. It's been modded up with an M7 CAI, M7 16% pulley reduction, M7 strut brace, H&R rear sway bar, Invidia exhaust, UUC slotted front rotors, Akepono Euro pads. You will enjoy the go-kart tendencies of this awesome ride.

[nugent1021]

yeah, I heard the power steering fan issue is fixed with a shroud for 2005. I can see the expansion tank cracking - they're pretty thin if they're anything like the e36. It's interesting that the water pump would go out so soon, but not a tough job thankfully.

Any decent way to definitively tell if the clutch is hurting? Scratchy going into gear and listen for this rattling noise you speak of?

I also found a low mileage 2004 MR2. Not a racer car by any means, but dang dependable. I imagine its not nearly as much "car" as the Mini, but it's much simpler. Wife still wants to seal the deal this evening on the 2005 Mini.

[dmini]

You'll notice the rattling when the clutch is not engaged, it will disappear when engaged. The water pump needs to have the bumper removed to get at it then it's right in front of you.

[nugent1021]

good call, good to know about the clutch. I'll kill the radio and the AC and listen out for that.

[dmini]

Good luck, hope it works out for you and the missus. If not there are plenty of them out there.

[beken]

05 was a good year. My car has been pretty reliable. I made sure I had a good check over before the warranty expired and the car has not had to go back for anything other than routine maintenance since.

If you maintain your car well, you should get many years of good motoring with it.

But at 81K miles, there might be some wear and tear items that might warrant looking into. Clutch is one of them. Spark plugs, Fuel Filter, belts etc. Just do a thorough check of anything that may wear or leak at that range of mileage. Upper engine mount may need replacing also if it hasn't been replaced before.

Also, since it is a convertible, make sure the roof works, all the hinges are well lubricated and there are no leaks or holes in the roof fabric.