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 Posted: Jun 25, 2017 11:37AM
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 I rebuilt title means SALVAGE..  I never ever buy or sell them..  they are BRANDED titles for a reason.. might check with carfax.com and see what the damage was and how much..  btw. you can NOT borrow on a SALVAGE title and in MY book.  Salvage branded titles means it is ONLY worth 50 cents on the $.. and some states now.. like Florida , Texas and Md.. will NOT accept salvage titles.. as they issue Certs of destruction on damage OVER 25 % and cars there  with CODs.. can ONLY be sold as parts and NOT put back on the road EVER.. later bc

 Posted: Jun 25, 2017 10:33AM
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I saw a 2013 Mini Clubman S online near me, 19k mileage for $9,500.  The thing is, it has a rebuilt title. Front passenger fender and door were damaged and the seller says "I don't know why they totaled it".  I have to call the dealership but I THINK they don't honor the 50k manufacturer's warranty with rebuilt titled cars.

Does anyone have any advice on this?  I know I've been told to look for maintenance records over low mileage.  I've also heard on the forums that the timing chain and tensioner should be looked at, but I know the  2013 model doesn't have any recall notices.

Thanks for all the great advice you've given me!

 Posted: Jun 24, 2017 11:41AM
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Dan Moffett.  the truth  has COME OUT the closet  about BIMI owners..  later bc

 Posted: Jun 22, 2017 02:58PM
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Run flats are a waste of money, even without a spare, just get road aid, and change the regular tires when their due, last blowout I had was 1978, everything else has been slow leakers.

 Posted: Jun 22, 2017 11:47AM
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CA
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rosebud
What an effed-up thread. 

Spoken like a classic Mini guy!

It IS a thread about BINIs though, so maybe some leeway should be considered.

There IS some sound advice getting through

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Jun 22, 2017 10:46AM
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I was under the impression the base Mini has turbos and the "faster" ones have super chargers.  Are there BINIs without turbos? I really  appreciate the advice, Some of the big ticket items in my Passat were the fuel pump, alternator, both I think around $800 if I remember right, and recently a lot of suspension-related items like tie rod ends that cost a lot of money.

I think I had some engine gaskets that were leaking but I was able to wait until the timing belt was being done so I saved a lot of money there.

Someone told me run-flat tires are $500 each, is that true?? Run-flat tires doesn't sound like it would ride well, but it's just the name that's giving me the perception of a hard tire for some reason.

 Posted: Jun 22, 2017 09:03AM
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US
What an effed-up thread. 

 

Michael, Santa Barbara, CA

. . . the sled, not the flower

      Poser MotorSports

 Posted: Jun 22, 2017 07:34AM
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I have noticed that a lady, a chick, a woman driving by in a VW that they are almost always good looking women.

 Posted: Jun 22, 2017 05:23AM
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CA
facepalm/roll eyes .. 

Anyway, speaking as an actual 8 year owner of an R53 Mini: they are very fun cars but can get pricey with some repairs (same goes for R56 generation). In terms of upkeep, I set aside 2k per year. Some years I only do fluids, other years I spend the full 2k on fluids, brakes or other big ticket item. I'd say its on par with my VW experience prior provided you stay away from the dealer. Car drives really nicely, well planted, great steering and feel. Good power delivery and the s/c whine brings a smile on every onramp. My lifetime fuel consumption is about 26mpg. Being the 1% that specialist seems to not see on the roads, my then GF, now wife, have taken many trips together, including camping. I fit a rear facing car seat for my son in the back - he loves to hear daddy's car go vroom vroom with the Miltek exhaust. In terms of buying one: look for one that has been maintained vs one with low mileage. There were some important upgrades made in '05. 

If you have any specific questions, just let me know. 

___________________________________________________________

Building a Mini... the full time job

 Posted: Jun 22, 2017 05:16AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EvilKoala
Oh, I should add, I wanted to spend $5-8k for one, 10k at most which I know will be near impossible to find in a second generation BINI.  I saw the older models are easily found at $5k, do you think if I just stay away from the CVT trans I would be OK getting one of those?  My commute is a few miles, mostly stop and go traffic and sometimes highway for a half hour, so I don't think I'll be racking up the mileage too quickly.

The second gen R55 Clubman was offered from 2008 to 2014.  None of these models used the 'fragile' CVT or the Midlands 5-speed so you should be okay.

If you are okay with the power of the non-S, you won't have to deal with any turbo issues.  The Getrag 6-speed and the Aisin Automatic are relatively trouble free.

My standard recommendations apply:  Get the most recent model you can afford with full maintenance history.  Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a shop that is familiar with MINIs.  This will 'minimize' any surprises.

Good luck!

 Posted: Jun 22, 2017 05:10AM
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Try at least $ 1800 for a new clutch when the time comes which is at 100,000 miles or so.

 Posted: Jun 22, 2017 05:07AM
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jimohio.. you know you might have something.. sure NOT seen a scarlet johnhason driving a BIMI.. and most have WORSE hair cuts than donald dump.and.they seem to all  have them rainbow sticker on the back also..

 Posted: Jun 22, 2017 02:58AM
 Edited:  Jun 22, 2017 03:00AM
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not being mean.. just making a observation.. when I see first started seeing a lady, a chick, a woman driving a Bini I was surprised how many of them were large (big).. I thought it was maybe just an exception but many of the other Binis I saw were driven by mostly large women or older woman..  do not think I have seen any real good young ladies driving a Bini, thought at a car cruise lately there were a bunch of these Binis and one of the ladies was pretty.

 Posted: Jun 21, 2017 04:18PM
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evilKoala.  you need to look at north american motoring site. this is mostly  REAL minis..   ( classic minis made from 1959-2000... sure you find something with proper CUP holder and AC.. later b c

 Posted: Jun 21, 2017 11:53AM
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Oh, I should add, I wanted to spend $5-8k for one, 10k at most which I know will be near impossible to find in a second generation BINI.  I saw the older models are easily found at $5k, do you think if I just stay away from the CVT trans I would be OK getting one of those?  My commute is a few miles, mostly stop and go traffic and sometimes highway for a half hour, so I don't think I'll be racking up the mileage too quickly.

 Posted: Jun 21, 2017 11:46AM
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 I've owned 2 very reliable VW Passats (2000 & 2004) V6 (no turbo or 4Motion). My current Passat has 358k... but I'm tired of having a car with a timing belt and I'm not going to spend the $1200 to replace the T-Belt when it's up.  I feel bad, but it doesn't seem worth it when someone expensive is bound to need replacing next. I'm also tired of jellybean-shaped cars.

I'm tired of jellybean cars and was looking at MINIs but I've read bad things about their reliability and I'm wondering if it's going to cost a ton more to fix compared to the Audi parts in my Passat.

I think the consensus is get a second generation MINI, I really like the odd look of the Clubman, so I think the new models started in 2015 (?)

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone wanted to weigh in on what I could possibly expect if I bought what I think you refer to as a BIMI.

Thanks in advance!

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