Buying a Cooper S. what u guys think?

[fluffy]

I started this thread as my first one turned more into a "what basic mods" thread...

I'm just a bit concerned with one or 2 MCS's we've seen and really considering.

THE FIRST: R110k '06 FAV Colour - pepper white with pepper white roof with 110 000kms, Harmon kardon, not chilli pack, no sunroof, no evidence of spray jobs, drives very solidly and new tyres all around, interior is beeeeutiful, car was traded in somewhere in bryanston.
Called BMW and has no comments. (got history till 49 000kms)

Concerns:
1) Only partial Service history, so not sure if all services have been done as per schedule.
2) has 1 dent below rear tail light and scuffed bumper from what seems to be a reversing accident, scuff on front plastic and 2 minor dents that can be pushed out without doing paint (like hail damage)
3) under the car it is very oily and dirty from oil "seeping/leaking" this will be my main concern.


THE SECOND: R120k '05 RED with white roof, Chilli pack, Sunroof, Harmon Kardon, 113 000km's, drives JUST as well, feels solid, Maybe a slight bit faster even... Body work - AMAZING (only a few stone chips on bumper), Run Flats. FULL SERVICE HISTORY.
AT FIRST GLANCE THIS ONE SEEMS TO BE SUCH A WINNER

Concerns:
1) rear runflat tires on 20% life.
2) handbrake boot a lil messed up (easily replaced)
3) called BMW for Comments - and apparently had category C3 damage in 2007? but i could find NO evidence of a colision?!? was repaired at Mhlanga Auto ARC - but if i follow up i cant get what was the damage!!! a pothole? rear ended? rolled down a cliff? just a bumper bashing? AND Mhlanga Auto dont want to give me THAT original owners contact details so i can just ask what happened back then... I know they can get in trouble tho ... and The current owner got the car recently so this wasnt while she owned it.


I WISH i knew what exactly happened to the car, because this red one seems to be in AMAZING cond and drives perfectly, i've now driven about 7 and seen 10.

oh, and last thing with the red one...
It's Lee (the mini production car racer's wife's car) i hope he's left some life in that clutch and gearbox for me if he's taken it out for a FLAT-OUT-ENTHUSIASTIC-GET-BREAD-AND-MILK-QUICK-HUN to the Garage shop. lol...

Opinions?

can anyone help with info on the "Category C3" which i cant even FIND!!!

Thanks
Andrew

 

[Crash_Nemesis]

1st Question...what the hell is a MCS. Mini Cooper S???

Cause that's all I think it can be...

 

[fluffy]

1st Question...what the hell is a MCS. Mini Cooper S???

Cause that's all I think it can be...

lol... yeah MCS = Mini Cooper S
(saw it on another forum and took me a while too. :roflol

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Oh, price wise... im not sure if these are well priced??? and i dont know how Neg either will be as a cash sale...

 

[Bizo]

so im guessing R53 ? ive got a R56 cooper s, and after having a polo gti, focus ST then my cooper S I have fallen in love with the brand, what a under rated car. beautiful handling, awesome build quality and potential to make quite nippy indeed. Just make sure your car is well sussed and I would want service history if i was you. Take a after market warranty perhaps for worst case scenarios, but all in all i say go for it and embrace many km of smiles

 

[Cooper]

I think don't buy either :fencelook:

 

[fluffy]

I think don't buy either :fencelook:

Damnit cooper... but i've seen loads, and these were the best two!!! I'm really full of sh1t when it comes to cars... what a normal person says is "great cond" i see a bumper bashing that was repaired and i say stuff like- naaaah... he drove it of a cliff... lolz... sigh , maybe we just wait for the right one?

how's this?
http://www.gumtree.co.za/cp-cars-in-east-rand/2006-mini-cooper-s-482378736

i dunno if the whole retro seats and chrome mirrors is worth the R30 000 over retail value? but the km's one cant ignore... lolz.....

 

[Willy]

Things to look out for and that should be good to know is. . .

Power steering pumps, they tend to go but is about a R3000 fix from a specialist.

Water pumps/ thermo stat might give problems but never did on mine.

Look what book value is and you might be able to neg a much better price.

Anything older than 2005 is a good bet.

 

[fluffy]

hey Willy , thanks-

ok so the power steering moan is around R3000, so mot as bad as R15k like i heard before.

Just got the Trade and Retail prices the other day:thumbs:

Why you say 2005 or older? as in Pre 2005? (saying you'd avoid 2006?)

 

[Willy]

No, you must get atleast a nov 2004 build or newer.

So you need to look at the facelift R53, so it should have 3 piece dash in stead of 5 pieces and fog light in the center rear bumper.

Powersteering always whines as it is a stressed electric system, it is just when it stops working or never turns off that it becomes a problem.

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Sorry I meant newer.

 

[Bugger]

So I've caught up on this thread and the thread with the mods. One thing I have noticed is that none of you guys have said anything about mileage. Reason I am asking,I am in the process of buying my wife a Cooper/Cooper S convertible, and was about to sign on the dotted line for an 06 Cooper Convertible with 88000km's on the clock when it came to light the car actually has R62000 worth of comments with BMW. Looks like a front left side swipe late last year (basically the whole front end replaced) which was R43000 worth of repairs, and then earlier last year a bumper bashing with some arb parts replaced and repaired, totaled R19k.
So now I am looking around,and I can get an 06 Cooper S (my wife had a MK1 Cooper S a few years ago which gave us endless crap) for between R120k and R130k,BUT,with between 100,000kms and 110,000km's on the clock. I drove the damaged Cooper and it went beautifully,but R62k worth of comments scares me a bit. I am guessing none of you would go that route?
So that brings about my question on the mileage. The one I like is a stunning black example with 106000kms on the clock, but two tone leather,new tyres,FSH,wind deflector, very nice car indeed. Is the mileage a big issue? Is it worth R130k if it doesn't have any comments?
Sorry if this is a thread hijack!

 

[Willy]

Short answer. Uhm no. Cabs are worth more than coupes but book value is still under 100k. The guys are realy trying to sell at high prices which i think is very optimistic.

As for the kilos. Mine had a 145000 km on the clock and was still fine. I personally wouldn't by a crash repaired car.

Btw for R130k you can get very nice low milage cars.

 

[Bugger]

Yeah,I am of the same opinion about the repairs.It's in good nick but it WILL come back to bite me if I try and sell it. R10k, even R20k I could probably live with,but not R62k in the same year....
So mileage isn't too much of an issue then? My wife is set on getting a convertible,and usually what she wants,I deliver.....:roflol:

 

[fluffy]

hey Bugger.

Milage i'm not too worried about, yes it is a factor and the less, the better... like, i wont buy one with much over 100km's at all... but honestly, my experience is that if you look at a car, and get under it, and drive it, and sleep on it, and view it again, and look at how the tires are worn, etc... you can pick up things...

My point is... My audi i bought with 160 000km and now going on 200 000kms and its been great. cos it's not a thrash about car...
whereas a 350z or M3 i wouldnt touch with more than 50 000kms. sports cars get Raped, and 60000kms of drilling is 5x worse than 150 000km's of some lil rich girl who's daddy bought her the cooper S because it's got the cute hole in the bonnet, driving it to jhb and back all chilled like...

only thing with km's comes things like :
Is it almost time for Supercharger belt, or clutch? etc etc...

 

[julestar]

Wasup Guys, Im trying to sell my 08 Cooper S. My previous thread got deleted. (Not enough posts)..
Not sure if i should sell or just keep it. Saw this JCW and my eyes lit up with the possibility of doing some big work to it... :bangdesk:

 

[Bugger]

hey Bugger.

Milage i'm not too worried about, yes it is a factor and the less, the better... like, i wont buy one with much over 100km's at all... but honestly, my experience is that if you look at a car, and get under it, and drive it, and sleep on it, and view it again, and look at how the tires are worn, etc... you can pick up things...

My point is... My audi i bought with 160 000km and now going on 200 000kms and its been great. cos it's not a thrash about car...
whereas a 350z or M3 i wouldnt touch with more than 50 000kms. sports cars get Raped, and 60000kms of drilling is 5x worse than 150 000km's of some lil rich girl who's daddy bought her the cooper S because it's got the cute hole in the bonnet, driving it to jhb and back all chilled like...

only thing with km's comes things like :
Is it almost time for Supercharger belt, or clutch? etc etc...

I agree with you to an extent on the performance car after a certain period,I was lucky enough to get my M3 with 70,000kms on the clock in awesome mechanical and body condition. Some performance cars do get raped,some appreciate them for what they are and drive spiritedly on occasion. That being said, I know of performance cars that had next to no mileage (less than 40,000kms on the clock) that were absolutely buggered (pardon the pun :rollsmile
I can deal with getting a car that has mileage around the 100k mark, as long as it's got a FSH and is in good nick. Checking with BMW though for comments is the first place I would start,cos I nearly got caught out by this Cooper. I am going to look at a couple of Cooper S verts today and one Cooper vert (two of them have less than 100k on them) so could be interesting to see the difference between the one with 106k on it and the one with 98k on it.
The car will be used mainly as a run around.

 

[Cooper]

Suggestion: why not take the cars to Mini, well the one you very sure about and have them check it out . Just to have the extra peace of mind. Might be a small cost involved, but it will be worthwhile.

Fluffy you have PM.

 

[fluffy]

Suggestion: why not take the cars to Mini, well the one you very sure about and have them check it out . Just to have the extra peace of mind. Might be a small cost involved, but it will be worthwhile.

Fluffy you have PM.

R1500 for a quality check from Mini...

 

[Cooper]

Vs potentially losing out on R100-130k

And then further costs for repairs.

Like I said, just for added peace of mind if you very sure about the car and don't discover these things after purchase.

 

[fluffy]

:idea:

Vs potentially losing out on R100-130k

And then further costs for repairs.

Like I said, just for added peace of mind if you very sure about the car and don't discover these things after purchase.

:idea:

 

[Bizo]

Wasup Guys, Im trying to sell my 08 Cooper S. My previous thread got deleted. (Not enough posts)..
Not sure if i should sell or just keep it. Saw this JCW and my eyes lit up with the possibility of doing some big work to it... :bangdesk:

Software / downpipe your car and give jcws carrots.less hassle then buying/selling etc.Just my opinion , before i get bashed on how special jcw is:rollsmile:

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Suggestion: why not take the cars to Mini, well the one you very sure about and have them check it out . Just to have the extra peace of mind. Might be a small cost involved, but it will be worthwhile.

Fluffy you have PM.

R1500 for a quality check from Mini...

AA or Dekra tests are also very good, dont how much full test is but they are VERY thorough (i know since my last car had to go through one:blab