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I used to have an '06 Mini Cooper S Checkmate back in '08 and I’ve missed that car since selling it around 10 years ago. I replaced it with a second generation JCW about 7 years ago but it wasn’t the same. We never did many miles with it and eventually, it faded away and was sold to someone in SK. The trouble is, these cars are / were so expensive when new and on paper they just don’t stack up against things like a golf GTI in terms of value. It’s another story when you drive one though - a well sorted one (which of course, all first gen minis were 10 years ago!) is a wonderful thing to experience. Silly amounts of manageable torque steer, a teeny tiny turning circle that makes it playful, and everything you touch and look at both inside and outside the car is fun, and feels expensive. I always said when these things can be had for 5 grand, I’ll buy one again...
I know - the wheels are awful... I’ve already sorted quite a few of the problems with this car and so over the next couple of weeks I’ll go back through my memory banks, receipts and photo gallery to build a small thread where I try to bring this car back to its former glory.
What makes this car special is that it’s a final year R53 (the first gen BMW Mini, designed by Rover) and it was a factory optioned John Cooper Works, meaning the entire tuning including aerodynamics package was fitted at the factory in Oxford (as opposed to being dealer ordered and fitted) BMW had purchased John Cooper Works in approx. 04 so only some 05 and 06 cars had a factory installed and complete kit (prior to this customers would order the kit piece by piece so there’s a real mish mosh of options out there when you’re looking for used ones. The other thing that makes it special is that I bought it for within my previously noted budget - and absolute steal considering this was once upon a time a $50k plus car. It’s had 3 former keepers and was originally purchased from Crowfoot Mini, and fortunately for me and the car, it’s never been involved in a bank robbery (ahem....) I mean an accident.
It’s far from perfect but she runs ok. Much of the car is completely original and long overdue replacement. I’ll update the thread as I go.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I know - the wheels are awful... I’ve already sorted quite a few of the problems with this car and so over the next couple of weeks I’ll go back through my memory banks, receipts and photo gallery to build a small thread where I try to bring this car back to its former glory.
What makes this car special is that it’s a final year R53 (the first gen BMW Mini, designed by Rover) and it was a factory optioned John Cooper Works, meaning the entire tuning including aerodynamics package was fitted at the factory in Oxford (as opposed to being dealer ordered and fitted) BMW had purchased John Cooper Works in approx. 04 so only some 05 and 06 cars had a factory installed and complete kit (prior to this customers would order the kit piece by piece so there’s a real mish mosh of options out there when you’re looking for used ones. The other thing that makes it special is that I bought it for within my previously noted budget - and absolute steal considering this was once upon a time a $50k plus car. It’s had 3 former keepers and was originally purchased from Crowfoot Mini, and fortunately for me and the car, it’s never been involved in a bank robbery (ahem....) I mean an accident.
It’s far from perfect but she runs ok. Much of the car is completely original and long overdue replacement. I’ll update the thread as I go.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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