• RME Gear & Apparel

Thinking about buying a MINI

JL Rockies

JL Rockies

Binders Fulla Expo
Location
Draper
Our KIA store took a 2004 MINI "S" in trade for $9300 and I was looking it over. It was owned by a nice lesbian couple and outside outside of some scratches on the pass-side corners the only attention needed seems to be removal of the rainbow stickers. It only has 64K miles on it and seems to run with go-kart-like handling.

I can buy it for what we paid + doc fees which will bring me right about $10K with tax, tag & title. I figure it would be a cool commuter car since the Jeep is a mechanical ticking time bomb right now. I could even get an extra couple of thou from the bank and have to dealership kick back the extra so I can fix the Jeep to 100% too.

Does anyone have experience with these cars? I figure that owning this car will continue the feminine vehicle theme I got going.
 
Tacoma

Tacoma

Et incurventur ante non
Location
far enough away
JL Rockies said:
.

Does anyone have experience with these cars? I figure that owning this car will continue the feminine vehicle theme I got going.
Click to expand...

Took the words right out of my mouth, Pinko. Leave the stickers. :p

cruiseroutfit said:
I just don't see you in a Mini but why not?

Whats up with your time bomb?
Click to expand...

Have you met Joseph? Cuz I can totally see him in a Mini. GOAT's got the ironic contrast going for him, but Joe's total Mini material.

Time bomb has diesel+timing BELT= Tha Weakness.
 
JL Rockies

JL Rockies

Binders Fulla Expo
Location
Draper
My Jeep is overdue for a timing belt.... yes it has a belt... Europeans love belts. I have parts on order but a water pump is on super-secret double probation back-order. Every day I drive to work I wonder if this will be the day the belt breaks and the engine explodes all over I-15. Parts and labor will cost me a cool $1K and that's with the parts wholesale and paying a tech on the slide.
There's an axle seal leak
Every ball joint in the rig has over 100K on it
heck... verything is original!
I also really need some new tires. The free ones I found next to the tire changer are all bald and junk.

My other option is to take out a personal loan against the Jeep (I have the title) for the cost of getting everything tip top but I wouldn't have a super-neato car to throw into the curves.
 
GOAT

GOAT

Back from the beyond
Location
Roanoke, VA
JL Rockies said:
Our KIA store took a 2004 MINI "S" in trade for $9300 and I was looking it over. It was owned by a nice lesbian couple and outside outside of some scratches on the pass-side corners the only attention needed seems to be removal of the rainbow stickers. It only has 64K miles on it and seems to run with go-kart-like handling.

I can buy it for what we paid + doc fees which will bring me right about $10K with tax, tag & title. I figure it would be a cool commuter car since the Jeep is a mechanical ticking time bomb right now. I could even get an extra couple of thou from the bank and have to dealership kick back the extra so I can fix the Jeep to 100% too.

Does anyone have experience with these cars? I figure that owning this car will continue the feminine vehicle theme I got going.
Click to expand...

I would call the mini dealer and have them run a vehicle history check on it. I was relieved when i got mine. most of the major stuff had already been addressed during the warranty period.
 
GOAT

GOAT

Back from the beyond
Location
Roanoke, VA
JL Rockies said:
My Jeep is overdue for a timing belt.... yes it has a belt... Europeans love belts. I have parts on order but a water pump is on super-secret double probation back-order. Every day I drive to work I wonder if this will be the day the belt breaks and the engine explodes all over I-15. Parts and labor will cost me a cool $1K and that's with the parts wholesale and paying a tech on the slide.
There's an axle seal leak
Every ball joint in the rig has over 100K on it
heck... verything is original!
I also really need some new tires. The free ones I found next to the tire changer are all bald and junk.
Click to expand...

from what you've posted above, it may not be a wise choice to take on ownership of a mini. OEM parts are BMW and cost accordingly.


IMHO, I would ditch the libby and get into a wholesale cherokee until you are in a place to get into something that you want.
 
JL Rockies

JL Rockies

Binders Fulla Expo
Location
Draper
There's too much heart and soul into the KJ to get rid of it. It's one of a kind for many reasons all of which cost me a lot of dough (custom bumper, rack sliders, leather interior, av system ARB bumper etc) It's been trouble free up until now. If I am going to borrow for another vehicle it would be a car.

We have a cool 04 Tacoma we took in Sat but we gave him $12k trade which is book retail. Actually, we give retail for peeps trade quite often it seems.
 
Last edited:
JL Rockies

JL Rockies

Binders Fulla Expo
Location
Draper
Kiel said:
Trade a tacoma for a kia:ugh:
Click to expand...

Not sure what he bought, it was on our Chevy lot but we sell used cars too so it could've been anything.


I think that I pretty much talked myself out of the purchase. It's a cool car though, had fun tooling around in it.
 
SAMI

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
I vote trade in your Libertay for the 04 DC Taco.

Do it... Do it....

196217268_1703431390_AMC-MP-Starsky-Hutch-BenOwen.jpg
 
JL Rockies

JL Rockies

Binders Fulla Expo
Location
Draper
I'd have to pay more than retail for it since cost is retail and I don't have the scrilla I used to to get it all customized. And I don't care what the book says, I'm not going to pay $13K for anything that's about to turn 100K miles. I would've paid $4k-$5K for it though but the KJ is worth more in my driveway than being traded in being it's paid for and all.
 
GOAT

GOAT

Back from the beyond
Location
Roanoke, VA
The only other car we were looking at when we chose the mini was an Acura RSX-S. They are fun cars to drive and they are rock solid reliable and handle great. They also make great girls cars as well;)

I'm a sucker for a 3dr hatch.
 
JL Rockies

JL Rockies

Binders Fulla Expo
Location
Draper
I worked for Toyota for many years and it's part of my DNA that Honda is a 4 letter word. My last 3 door hatches were a 2000 Celica GTS and a 2005 Scion TC... both all modded out with $ I just don't have these days. My car previous to the Celica (Nissan 200SX SE-R) was in the movie "2 Fast 2 Furious" filmed in S Florida.... I was kind of a big deal once.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top