[Sapra]

Hello folks!

This is my first time posting over here, used to only be an avid anon reader for a year, not sure if this is the right place to post this.

As the title says, my dad finally got his dream car: the Mini Cooper, not the countryman, but the smaller 2 door sibling. He has been eyeing this car ever since The Italian Job came out in 2003.

He's been looking at prices in the secondary market for a long while now, and recently we got a really good deal from a relative, he does car brokering on the side. The car originally belonged to a celeb, whose pretty big in the south (whose name I can't disclose for obvious reasons), and with 10k on the odo. He said that the owner looked after the car very well; it was so barely used that no one had sat in the backseat. Furthermore, he had hired a service team from BMW itself to look after the car, and it shows (pics attached below).

But when we got the car, we were informed of some 'minor' issues.

1. Torn sunroof screen
The Mini has a netted sunroof cover, and this net is kinda busted on the sides. Dad said he wants to replace this with an opaque one, as the sunlight seeps in through the net and makes it hot.

2. Entertainment dash
The entertainment unit on this one is pretty analog, which is nostalgic and everyone in my family adores, but the display has a lot of scratches and has a yellowish tint to it. Apart from this, its small, and the lack of GPS and Bluetooth playback seem like a dealbreaker to us. Is it possible to get the latest entertainment unit which is Android Auto/Apple Carplay enabled?

3. Worn out paint an some places
The paint on a few places are worn out; for example around the gearstick it shows its age. How much would it take to get it all repainted?

4. No spare key; the current key is broken
We didn't get a spare key with this; the other key apparently was broken. I was skeptical about this, but the dad trusts the broker so I couldn't really say much. What's worse is the key that we got is also broken and taped, but works perfectly fine. How much would it take to repair the key and get another one?

Apart from these, we haven't been informed of any other issues and we haven't found any either. What else should we check for, especially under the hood, as i couldn't ask here before the purchase; dad had kept it as a surprise for the family.

I would love everyone's opinion on this. Kindly add the approximate cost it would take for each of the repairs and modifications.

Lastly, she's a looker. The car is really good, the most powerful car I've ever driven. Sports mode is absolutely phenomenal. I've attached the pics to the above mentioned problems and of the car.

Thank you so much for your valuable time.

PS. How do we use the paddle shifters, and are they any good or just a gimmick?

[Jeroen]

These Mini Key FOBs are frightfully expensive to replace. When you get a new key you will need dealer equipment to program it for your specific car.

On some FOBs you can easily replace the battery. Check the owner manual!

If not, you can open them up and replace the battery yourself but it does take a bit of DIY.
When you open it up you can check the battery and also clean the micro switches with contact cleaner. That usually does the trick. If not, you will need to find somebody that knows how to repair the electronics or get a new one.

Have a look here:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...ml#post5666367 (My Car Hobby: Jaguar XJR, Mercedes W123, Alfa Romeo Spider, Jeep Cherokee & Mini One)


With respect to the analogue dash. I doubt it is doable to replace it with the more modern Mini version. Do what I did, add a hands free kit that also allows you to stream music via the speakers. Works very well for me!

Scroll down a bit in this post

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...ml#post5666367 (My Car Hobby: Jaguar XJR, Mercedes W123, Alfa Romeo Spider, Jeep Cherokee & Mini One)

Good luck

Jeroen

[CarCraze]

Oh I love this car. I am in the same boat as your father. I am a big fan of this 2 door mini specially. Sad that I am not in a position to own it anytime soon as it's not practical in any means in india. Have a good time with this beauty!

[lapis_lazuli]

Congratulations on the vehicle..an icon indeed.... However couldn't help but wonder, a car with only 10000 shouldn't have worn out gear knob or pedals for that matter. Those wear out only with actual prolonged physical contact and use. Not just time.

As long as the exterior paint is factory original, I think you are ok to get the internals from independent workshops. Your region would have lots of options. Save the money for a year ...surprises may come up as you start driving regularly. I will say take it slow. One fix a month sort of. Best of luck and happy mini.

[JayPrashanth]

So much wear on the gear shifter means that the car has done a lot of kms. Else, it could be someone (probably a kid) playing in the car. Remember, this is not even a manual. You can check service history to be sure.

Cheers,

Jay

[bumpyroad]

I've seen in few sources that both the keys are mandatory for insurance in case of theft.
Even if the other key is broken, having it in possession would still be helpful in this case, if applicable.

[Jgill]

Lots of headunit upgrade options for older Minis, but they will be expensive.

Example:

https://www.carnaviplayer.com/mini-c...upgrade-p-1148
Same might be cheaper on AliExpress etc.

You can also likely get an MMI upgrade box, depending on your specific mini interface/model. Example:
https://www.android-car-dvd.com/coll...ew-bmcp-nbt01a

[amol4184]

Our Mini Cooper has worn out gear shifter and steering wheel. Its not exactly paint per se but a rubbery (soft touch) finish on top of black paint underneath that wears out.

However it should not wear out at 10k unless the previous owner kept caressing the shifter with multiple rings on his fingers.

Mine was bought at close to 45,000 km mark and currently has 80,000 kms on it. The wear only started around at around 50k mark. Right now if I go and rub the soft touch finish I can easily peel it off. I am planning to completely peel off the top coat soon.

[JayD]

Congrats on the new car! The R58 Cooper S is definitely a future classic and one that you can keep forever. The problems you have listed are pretty common on this generation of coopers and are mostly age related rather than the number of kms.

1) The sunroof screen can be replaced with a more opaque cloth, but go too thick and it will have issues rolling in. Also to replace the same, you might have to take down the entire roof liner(Which will also fall on ots own eventually!!) For escaping sunlight, the better option would be to apply a darker/heat resistant film on the sunroof. You can get a lot of funky stickers (union jack etc) as a ready kit for the R56.

2)The screen can be replaced with one which adds Carplay/ Android Auto while still retaining the oe functions as is. Any good installer can do it for you. Plug and play job.

3) BMW interior quality at play here, Its a rubberised material which wears off in our climate. Leave it alone and clean it up to look uniform

4) Any good key shop will be able to program the remote for a new flip key. If you want to retain the shape then get a key abroad and have it programmed locally.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Sapra

Hello folks!

As the title says, my dad finally got his dream car: the Mini Cooper, not the countryman, but the smaller 2 door sibling. He has been eyeing this car ever since The Italian Job came out in 2003.

PS. How do we use the paddle shifters, and are they any good or just a gimmick?

Ah! Superb.

So you have the twin brother to mine.

Of course the Paddle Shifters work beautifully. I drive mine often and am constantly fiddling with the shifters. Its a brilliant package and best bought second hand. You could check (if you want) one of my threads - The Valparai Job, where some of a us Mini Cooper blokes took our Minis up the hills a year ago.

Incidentally this is not the same as the ones used in the Italian Job 2003. Those belong to the R53 Generation of BMW Mini Cooper which began in 2000 with the R50. R53’s are Supercharged. 168-170bhp (A nice engine whine) 1.6 litre engines.

Please put more pictures of your R56.

And if you want any help on info and parts and maintenance and quirks etc; well, I have done a lot of practical research while looking after this car in the last 5 years that Ive owned it. Mine is a 12 year old now, but runs sweetly. I bought it when it had done 33700 kms and it is now sitting at 68500 odd kms. It is a really lovely car.

Originally Posted by Jgill

Lots of headunit upgrade options for older Minis, but they will be expensive.

Example:

https://www.carnaviplayer.com/mini-c...upgrade-p-1148
Same might be cheaper on AliExpress etc.

Hi. I would be grateful for some tips on this. Bluetooth audio works nicely for the phone and the car has a single CD player but I would love to see if I can do Apple CarPlay.

Originally Posted by JayD

Congrats on the new car! The R58 Cooper S is definitely a future classic and one that you can keep forever. The problems you have listed are pretty common on this generation of coopers and are mostly age related rather than the number of kms.
.

Correction Sir!

This is an R56 Cooper S, not R58. (Attaching a pic of the model designations.)

Yes indeed it is a modern classic.

(Your compatriot Monsieur DQ has one in British Racing Green.)

The R56 has a Turbo Charged N18 engine made by BMW and Peugeot. It was called the Prince engine. It is a 1.6 litre which brings in 184 bhp and 192 on ‘over boost’ when the accelerator is mashed.

And I truly Love mine.

(Which is why I couldn’t help adding a few pictures.)

[Jgill]

Exact model and year?

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Jgill

Exact model and year?

Mine as described below is a May/June 2012 manufactured. August 2012 BMW imported and registered Cooper S (R56) 1.6 litres Turbo Hardtop.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

So you have the twin brother to mine.

Where did you get the model on the dashboard?

I have the convertible with the 2.0 engine (F57).

Few issues I noticed:

- Knobs on the AC vents start cracking.
- The ring around the iDrive controller has become soft and sticky.

[Jgill]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Mine as described below is a May/June 2012 manufactured. August 2012 BMW imported and registered Cooper S (R56) 1.6 litres Turbo Hardtop.

https://roadtop.com/en-in/products/f...ni-touchscreen

9in one is what you need. The brand has good reviews on bimmerpost, decent support. Lots of install videos on YouTube etc as well. Shipping to friends in US and having it carried over is best.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

Where did you get the model on the dashboard?

I have the convertible with the 2.0 engine (F57).
Few issues I noticed:
- Knobs on the AC vents start cracking.
- The ring around the iDrive controller has become soft and sticky.

I collect scale models. This one was an old Matchbox 1:64 Mini Cooper which I sometimes carry in my pocket when I drive my Mini. But I do have a tiny 1:87 model stuck in the car - its actually a tiny cartoony fridge magnet.

You live in a coastal humid climate. BMW plastics do get sticky over time. Things don't last in a coastal humid climate as much as they do in a temperate climate.

Originally Posted by Jgill

https://roadtop.com/en-in/products/f...ni-touchscreen

9in one is what you need. The brand has good reviews on bimmerpost, decent support. Lots of install videos on YouTube etc as well. Shipping to friends in US and having it carried over is best.

Thank you. I will study this piece. All that Im looking for really is Apple Car Play. My screen wint support navigation etc as it is an old semi analog semi digital screen.