I remember being at the GP2 launch with MINI UK and having hot laps in one and thinking MINI can do no wrong. Oh God! how wrong was I when the official pictures came out for the 3rd BMW MINI. How could they get it so wrong?? It looked like they tried too hard as it was an amalgamation of some 1st Gen MINI styling features, BUT it had a Face only a mother could love. So I thought, fine, it is what is. I buy my cars in this order – Handling, Power & Looks, so all this fits in my confines. Like anything, the proof is in the pudding…

Roll on the launch of the 3rd Gen MINI F56 series, and I got to dealer launch with Stratstone, who I did the marketing at the time. I was impressed by the interior, but the looks didn’t look any better in the metal, with the Cooper being the looker for the range. Fast forward again, and I drive the Cooper S manual courtesy of MINI Shrewsbury, and it is a disappointment as it drove like an F20 1 Series BMW.

Then a few months later, I headed out to the US for MINI TAKES THE STATES and drove the F56 MINI Cooper S auto with the JCW Pro kit with the suspension and exhaust with the carbon fibre tips. Again I was left muted as there was no connection again as it all felt forced, like it was computerised to give some involvement. To get some of the R56/R50/R53 magic, you had to buy the exhaust and suspension, which pushes the car in the other territories of price options of the Civic Type R, BMW 135i, Golf R & Focus RS. At this point, the S or JCW is outgunned, and you can’t even say it’s a more involving drive which was the justification for R series MINIs.

Click the link to my UK & USA review of the F56 MINI Cooper S

This brings me on to why I’m not fond of an F series MINI at all, and I will break it down into categories so you can see why there is some love lost with the MINI…

Chassis

All cars are made on a platform to which they share inherently the same DNA with such the Volkswagen Golf platform is a share within the V Dub group, which allows VW to make 200 cars on one platform. Therefore the underlining traits will be the same; therefore, they handle the same and use the same parts, which is why VW can create so many cars and make higher profits. On the negative side is they are dialled in the same to have understeer so everyone can drive it and all and any problems affect all the models.

The heads of BMW/MINI made a big mistake to share the same platform for the 3rd Gen MINI with a BMW given it ruined the looks, and if anything, the go karting feeling went as it drove like a BMW. The main charm of the MINI that it was fun to drive and the feedback you got from the road. A lot of that was dialled away in the F series as it lacks the confident initial turn feel. The F-series feels like a BMW 1-series you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference if someone blindfolded you and put you identical spec engine variates. If I wanted a BMW, then I would have brought one…

The rawness from the R-Series MINI has been lost in this scramble towards refinement as the sense of speed and cabin is now whisper quiet. This is all cool for lower spec like the Cooper or Cooper D/SD, but the Cooper S & JCW franticness is gone, which made you think about your driving and enjoy the aural satisfaction from supercharged whine and turbo noises.

Steering, Pedals & Gearbox

Like the chassis points above, the dartiness has been removed, and BMW 1 series DNA has been added. There is some sort of feedback, but not like I know where the wheels are after 2 seconds after the initial input but where the time is of the turn or tyre feedback just simply not there.

i.e. MINI’s unique selling point of driving pleasure has been removed to be a crowd pleasure of the masses.

For anyone who has driven the F56 manual version is the pedals genuinely feel like an afterthought as they positioned in such a way it’s not comfortable and the gear change is something wishy-washy. By the looks of things, it was designed to be an automatic in the first instance than a manual again which is a dying breed. Manual should have been done right as Porsche GT3 still shows it’s still alive and kicking along with Toyota GR Yaris & Ford Fiesta ST across the automotive landscape it is still an item of desire. MINI has often prided itself on selling Manual especially in the USA and for a few model years, they completely took away the option to have a manual.

#SaveTheManual

Sound

With all the refinements that came, the noise with the cabin was muted. Still, sadly the same happened the exhaust with it not producing a natural sound but instead an artificial one either cabin side or the ECU programmed to create some overrun. The worst part is the stock JCW wasn’t much better; another muted affair is made worst because you had to pay to get noise at the tune of £1200 plus with the JCW pro exhaust. JCW pro exhaust is an amazing piece of kit. However, the JCW should have sounded amazing from the beginning.

Turbo Lag

Personally, I like a bit of lag from a turbo as it hards some charm because you have to work for it. There a lot of great older generational cars with turbo lag like the Ferrari F40, BMW Turbo 2002, Ford Escort RS Turbo, Toyota Supra, MR2 & 911 Turbo to name a few. Yes, it annoying when you’re trying to pull away from a junction and nothing happens, but that is always far and in between. F56 virtually gets rid of it completely in all models, but the Cooper & Cooper S power levels are hard to distinguish between, just down to the fact the Cooper is best of the bunch now with that peppy 3 cylinders at around-town speeds it’s on par with the S.

Looks

Yeah, everyone knows this, but they flopped hard, and there is no way around it or any bodykit that would save it…

The 3rd MINI just reminds me of the other automotive misfit, the Mark 3/4 VW Golf, which just a fatter with every generation after the Mark 1 and got worse in all-around fun and desirability.

Individuality

This is one major key where MINI dropped all the balls, and it rebounded and smacked them in the face.

At launch and through the F56 life cycle, there was always a lack of customisation from spec, paint and accessory parts.

It was either too much money or downright cheapening the look of the classic less MINI.

All they had to is get a photocopier and redo the R-series accessory book from the carbon trim, JCW performance part and marketing push.

By not making the parts, they killed their dealer network as they had nothing to sell or anything some wanted to buy or know about, which ultimately killed the desire of the F-series MINI. For other owners and me, I know the fact going into a dealership and looking at the accessories on the walls and demo cars made you want to save up more or think about buying parts later down the line.

The dealers I know said there was no uptake minus the exhaust and no marketing push from MINI themselves. In the days of the 1st & 2nd Gen MINIs, they would be sending out body kits, carbon parts and interior trim on the regular in the UK and around the world but no more. Instead, MINI Headoffice aftersales teams are trying to sell little door lock caps…..

No happy dealers equal poor sales, interest and enquiries, i.e. dealer network needs to be busy and excited about the product in the 6-year life cycle of a car.

Doors & Quirkiness

Just why MINI why why why??? Why did you make a 5-door MINI & drop the suicide door on the Clubman?

The Countryman exists and lets it be that car or the loveable Clubman.

I don’t know what’s more depressing the fact the 5-door outsells the 3-door or the fact MINI sells 5-d00r hatchback exists.

The worst thing was sitting at the launch of the MINI Clubman was them banging about it’s the same size as a VW Golf. If I wanted a Golf I would buy one…

I brought my MINI because it was a small, fun car, and if I wanted a more practical version, I would get a Countryman or Clubman, but sadly they killed the Paceman : /

Sadly the accountants win the battle, and some cars are dropped at the end of the day; it’s a business and money talks.

The buttons and layout were changed, which annoyed me as it had me switching on the fogs lights instead of dropping windows, and the dumb switch for the lights on the dash trim instead of the stalks annoyed me as well. Yes, I am aware I am sounding like an old fart, but the toggle switches and layout was different, which was part of the experience in a MINI. R56 FOR LIFE!

TOO BIG! Please be small

With the SUV craze and cars are getting bigger, but that’s actually laziness of the manufacturers for safety etc.

It’s cheaper to make a car bigger than make it stronger, so they comply with new laws and regulations.

What they should have done with the MINI is to do a Porsche design language of it looks the same as the original and increased the size by 10 to 15%.

Finance

I am not a fan of car finance as it is the idea of renting something and not owning something.

However, personal contract purchase (PCP) is the method the masses use now, and that’s where MINI falls flat as they priced themselves out of the market.

An equivalent A-Class Mercedes, VW Golf or even Parent brand BMW 1-series worked out cheaper, so why would want to have something less ‘premium’ and less car???

There was a time where the BMW 135i was cheaper to fiance than the F56 JCW!?! You get two more cylinders, a bigger boot, more car, rear-wheel drive and the badge to match.

Madness in the grand scale of schemes and BMW sold the 135i by the boatload.

Marketing

Someone that’s worked in marketing for the last 10 years and worked for the worldwide marketing team for Jaguar & Land Rover. MINI push the brand beyond their actual target audience as they move more premium. The majority of people who buy MINI’s are the creative type and don’t like to fit the norm. F-series MINI advertising campaigns are full of LA Hipsters and giving that high-end premium looking which anything remotely the people who buy them who is students, marketing professionals and medical professional in the ages bracket of 22 to 60 years olds. MINI should be stuck to what they did best with the ads as MINI is emotional purchasing decisions, and it’s all about being a fun brand, not a wannabe hipster brand that’s trying to be cool. Everyone loves and remembers the MINI Adventure TV adverts, Funny billboards and print adverts.

MINI Community & Events

This is a weird one as MINI before was all about the MINI scene with it being integrated and doing stuff with them. MINI UNITED was the peak and they took that away and from there hasn’t been much with association only when it is needed for marketing needs. In contrast, if we go towards the dark side of Fiat with the Abarth they have fully embraced ‘the scene’ with the Scorpionship club for Abarth owners so they offer discount, parts, news and events. They literally have Abarth Day which is essentially a copy of MINI UNITED and they went for the 70th Anniversary where on the other hand MINI UK didn’t do anything. MINI USA on the other hand fully lean into the community with the marketing campaigns and doing MINI TAKES THE STATES which happens every two years which is 1 week of road tripping and fun. What better to keep owners staying, upgrading to newer models or performance variates and buying parts than having 300 to 500 MINIs in convoy travelling across the USA it’s essentially a driving billboard to gets press and word of mouth coverage. MINI is the only brand that positions itself as the car brand that comes with friends and they have gone against the grain with that. Get back to being with the MINI community and understand your target market MINI Head Office.

Focus Group.

I truly believe the 3rd Gen F-Series MINI was built for people who didn’t own a MINI before instead to attract more of the masses. I remember a friend of mine being asked to join the focus group for MINI and him recollecting what happened when he was sitting with other people. He was left shocked that they were clearly not MINI owners and instead were moaning about the things that make a MINI a MINI. The ride is too hard, lacks boot space and interior space, and ergonomics is not like other cars. Clearly, you’re in the wrong car if you want all that? It’s like being in an electric car and expecting it to make some noise or a supercar is too loud/raw…

The F-series MINI’s are a better car, but what they did with making it more ‘normal’ but BMW/MINI took away the essence of what a Modern MINI is from BMW’s vision from the 2001 rebirth. The sales figure speak volume as they down to the levels of 2006 with the F-series which is ridiculous when they only sold two models and US dealers there biggest market has been closing doors.

Deep down, I truly hope the 4th Gen MINI brings backs the mojo, rawness and quirkiness as we move to an electric future with MINI becoming an Electric only brand.

Here are my recommendations for MINI UK & Overseas specialist to visit:

Lohen – lohen.co.uk

1320 Mini – 1320.co.uk

Sussex Road & Race – sussexroadandrace.co.uk

Millys Auto – millsysautos.co.uk

TWG Automotive – twgautomotive.co.uk

MiniWorks – mini-works.co.uk

RSI C6 – rsic6.com

Outmotoring – outmotoring.com

ESC Tuning – ecstuning.com

Detroit Tuned – detroittuned.com

My list is made by my own opinions and me speaking to respective companies & other owners worldwide, and this is not sponsored post for full transparency.

If you got the modding bug, don’t forget to check out JCW Adventures Store or Official eBay Store for some stickers for all generations of MINIs or R56 JCW carbon fibre exhaust tips seen on my MINI R56 JCW to support the blog & YouTube channel.

All your support over the years, and please offer that same support by following my Youtube Channel as well : )

As Always, it’s a MINI Adventure. Try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

The post Love Hate Relationship: Everything Wrong with the F Series MINI appeared first on JCW Adventures.

It’s strange that we owe it to Germans to revive a British brand given the history between the nations. BMW getting the rights to MINI & Rolls Royce is the best thing they ever did like how they gave the world angel lights and carbon fibre roofs. BMW carried on to build the classic Mini for a while when they took ownership of the brand from Rover, so there were manufacturing the car from 1994 to 2000. A year later we were given the BMW MINI or modern MINI we have been living with since to which is much loved by Mini/MINI owners across the world, so there is vast fan base too after and sell more cars to.

The answer simple and the MINI brand should have brought out the MINI Sport Group instantly giving them access to Classic & New MINI customer base and thriving business. This would allow them to understand the customer base of the classic Mini owners allowing them to gain access to the Mini show events. In turn, this would allow great market research and talk to real owners who own both a classic and new MINI giving a business case for more profits and allow cross-selling of the New MINI.

MINI over the years has lost its way but not understanding it’s customer base and the F-Series is the product of the disconnect and they need to back to the drawing board and understand owners and their desire. They should have not listened to a customer focus group who they want to sell to who are not die-hard MINI owners as the best way is shown in the F-Series with the window switches moving to the conventional place on doors.

This lead to the question of why you can’t buy certain parts for New MINI anymore as models have finished production??

I personally received a lot of messages on IG, Facebook and requests at shows – Can you get or know someone that can get this part as I can’t seem to find it anywhere?

I have seen countless people asking for specific parts for the MINI but finding out they are no longer available to buy ranging from classic Mini to the 2nd Gen MINIs. There isn’t a lack of cars being sold as 10 million Mini/MINIs have been sold since 1959 which is significant amount even if you take 40% out for being wrecked that still leaves 6 million cars on the road worldwide.

Obviously, over time, these cars will be kept and cherished with some MINI parts added to add that extra touch or retrofit items later. Others will be sold on to new owners so they will have the modding bug to make their new MINI personal to them. All the above follows the reason why you buy a MINI in the first instance to customise it to your taste and liking.

A lot of the MINI parts that people are looking for are the carbon fibre variety. Weirdly, MINI doesn’t just reproduce them given BMW now has it’s own carbon fibre manufacturing facilities. It would be just the case reusing mods, and they have all the rights and blueprints of all the parts so matter for pressing a few points.

I understand there has to be a business case, so another thing has missed MINI’s mind is they have a database of MINI owners, so a simple newsletter to get the info following to them that Classic MINI Parts are coming. Along with the fact, the world has changed, and social media would allow fast uptake an interest to see what fan would like to be reproduced with requests or putting up a survey to forecast sales. This, in turn, would help the dealer network, service departments and bring in extra revenue for long term as the dreaded 2030 cut off point for no more petrol/diesel engine being sold within the UK.

You might be thinking I am mad, but I am not as Porsche as do they classic parts for the legacy models so they can be updated to have Apple Carplay or navigation for example which makes life easy instead of ripping out the stock stereo for something non-OEM looking.

The OEM look comes at a price which is near on make no difference of 3 times the price of normal double din unit but making something like it should be is something else.

I have personally toyed with the idea of adding a double din unit to my R56. The fact I have to look down to see the nav is off-putting, but the want for Apple Carplay is massive given the mileage I do, and I am apple fanboy here as well.

Well, that’s one price point, and we can move to JDM life as Nissan has started reproducing R32 & R34 parts. The Skyline GTR was never a volume car, but it adored across the world with its cult following from the Playstation generation. This genuinely made me happy as dream car alongside my Zonda Cinque is the R34 Skyline with the Z Tune bodykit and Nismo parts. Something about the R34 that is magical and sits within my heart as they got everything right with styling and performance and it wasn’t trying to Euro copy but flew the Japan flag with pride.

If inline 6 Godzilla isn’t your poison, then Mazda is making the triangle goodness parts again with the RX-7 with its rotary engine. No JDM part is complete without VTEC gang coming through as Honda is making legacy parts for the Civic as well.

We know the money and desire is there from multiple parts of the market, so MINI has fighting chance to make it commercially viable.

What parts would you want MINI to produce??

Here is a list of what I would love to see come back:

1. All JCW Carbon fibre parts
2. JCW Recaro Buckets
3. JCW Shift Lights
4. MINI Mission Control
5. Wireless Apple Carplay
6. Digital Gauges

I choose those parts as they often on the most wanted list from owners and it would nice to MINI to update the R56 for the future digital world as over 10 years have passed since the first one rolled out from Plant Oxford.

The carbon steering bits, handbrake and gear knob have all been discounted but often go for silly money now online. Wow doesn’t like a bit of Carbon???

The number of looks my JCW does get when they have seen the Recaros is countless and forever on everyone’s wishlist. They are still the best seats for any car as they fit your snuggle, hours of driving and you won’t be fatigued plus they have the heating elements in them all ready for the winter months.

Another on the most wanted list is the JCW shift lights for the race vibes.

MINI Mission Control was an underrated feature which highlighted MINI’s fun, humour and lightheartedness inside your car. For those who don’t know your MINI turned into KITT from Nightrider so it would talk to you depending on what mode you were in e.g. so if you switched from sport mode to normal it would say ‘Oh that’s no fun back to granny mode’. Yes, it had humour but it had useful information telling you the car reached optimum temperature but announcing it. Other features were inbuilt such as if you took your MINI back to the factory you would get points and tick of list of achievements as top speed, 0 to 60 times and fuel economy.

Apple Carplay would bring the car up to date so you can get to where ever your going and have support from Siri wherever you go. Apple has always done things great and innovated with its ecosystem hence why MINI has always supported the brand. You do it your R56 now with installing an aftermarket Apple Carplay module.

I said digital gauges as analogue dials are a dying breed as most new cars have digital dashes now to relay all kinds of information from water temperature, tyre pressure, sat-nav directions and etc. Lotus did something similar to all their existing and previous models buy making digital dash retrofit kit which costs – £1470 and comes with a 2-year warranty.

It’s all good and well-saying let’s get this stuff made by MINI but what would it cost at the dealers?

JCW Carbon Parts Price Examples – £799 – R56 Carbon Wing, £65 – Carbon Gear Knob and Carbon Door Pulls – £80

JCW Recaros Alcantara/Leather – £1500 each or £3500 for a pair fitted & coded

JCW Shift Lights – £250

MINI Mission Control – £200 – Module & Software

Wireless Apple Carplay – £300

Digital Gauges – £350

All the above are possible to do with no so much work and the coding being the only major issues as it would have work with all the current system software correctly to which MINI own all themselves. Carbon manufacturing is now easy for them as BMW has all it’s own carbon manufacture facilities and will own all the moulds and copyright. Re-establishing the brand partnership with Recaro is a simple step as they have collaborated in years gone with both MINI & BMW.

If you want to modify it? – Here is my Ultimate R56 MINI Modding Bible – Click here for my guide

Hopefully, this guide will give you a stepping stone to find the perfect MINI and look forward to the MINI Adventures.

Here are my recommendations for MINI UK & Overseas specialist to visit for repairs, upgrades or parts:

Lohen – lohen.co.uk

1320 Mini – 1320.co.uk

Sussex Road & Race – sussexroadandrace.co.uk

Millys Auto – millsysautos.co.uk

TWG Automotive – twgautomotive.co.uk

MiniWorks – mini-works.co.uk

RSI C6 – rsic6.com

Outmotoring – outmotoring.com

ESC Tuning – ecstuning.com

Detroit Tuned – detroittuned.com

My list is made by own opinions and me speaking to respective companies & other owners across the world, and this is not sponsored post for full transparency.

If you got the modding bug don’t forget to check out JCW Adventures Store or Official eBay Store for some stickers for all generations of MINIs or R56 JCW carbon fibre exhaust tips as seen on my MINI R56 JCW to support the blog & YouTube channel.

All your support over the years and please offer that same support by following my Youtube Channel as well : )

As Always it’s a MINI Adventure try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

The post Am I Missing Something? – Why MINI should remake Classic & New MINI Parts appeared first on JCW Adventures.

Having been an R56 MINI owner for nearing on 10 years I do look back at the best and worst of times as decade comes to a close. My R56 JCW has love and death of me at times when it repairs bills and maintenance but that has stopped me for loving her the way I do with the smiles, memories and friendship along the way. The R56 has taught me a lot about cars, engines, car upkeep and mechanical sympathy the older she has got with age as the mileage has gone over 125,000 miles which is 5 times around the world.

Let’s get down the business and discuss the common faults with the R56 as it has become a modern classic:

N14 Engine – It has its issues, but it always boils down to how the previous owners to look after with preventative and routine maintenance. Check the oil and filter was changed a minimum of every 8-10,000 miles or every year. If you have tuned/mapped it you will need to more regular oil and filter changes at 5-6,000 miles if you like your pistons ring not to wear out or scoring the bore in the engine’s cylinders. I made a video on how to look after it, which is available on my Youtube Channel

Timing chain – It’s meant to last 100,000 miles but will be needed to be done at around 50 to 80,000 depending again it’s usage and owner maintenance. Signs of it will need to be done is high tapping noise, and rattling sounds like a diesel engine on cold start-up, and lack of go from the offset with the noise disappearing as the engine warms up. It will cost around £700 to £1000 to get this sorted from an independent or dealership

Carbon Build Up – A common issue on direct injection due to the way the fuel doesn’t go over the values to clean them compared to the old port injection. The plus was better fuel economy and power but carbon build up the valves was an annoying by-product. It will need decoking every two to three years to keep running right which set you back around £200 to 250. You might think oil catch can save you from this problem after all the youtube videos but it doesn’t sadly as the PCV system was poorly designed anyway so all it is doing is slowing down the process…

High-Pressure Fuel Pump – Common issue on MINI which is annoying as they seem to last between 50 to 60,000 miles before they fail so its £600 for an OEM one. The same issue plagues BMW’s of this era as the 135i has this issue with HPFP failing on them too

Valve Steam Seals – Common german car issue as the rubber seals perish over time allowing excess oil to enter the combustion chamber. Check for blue or white at idle or full throttle which will show either the turbo is on it’s way out or valve stem seals need to be done both are expensive jobs at £1,000 or £600

Engine Cover Weep – Typical German car problem which happens overage as the rubber gasket perished so its £150 for this job or if it’s the whole cover then another £300. On N18 engine cover melting is a common issue at the corner near the turbo

Turbo Oil Feedline – This issue because the MINI engine runs so hot as it leads to oil feedline to leak or coke up so make sure it has the recall oil feedline heatshield or buy the aftermarket braided oil feedline at £80 and £180 fitting

Water Pump & Thermostat – On an engine that runs quite hot any way you would think they would give it a good cool system but that’s not the case as they regularly fail as they crack or the rubber gasket fails – the joys of the plastic parts on modern cars compared to metal items of yesteryears. The water pump is £35, and the thermostat is £75 which is a bit awkward to replace so another £200 there easy

Bushes – You buy a MINI for it’s handling so expect the bushes will need replacing unless the previous owner has replaced them to poly bushes ones. Bushes are cheap at £40, but it costs four times as much to replace on given the hours of work going into replacing them at £300

Clutch – As MINI are brought to driven so the typical check of seeing how high the biting point or any whine from the front from the dual mass flywheel

Water Ingress – This issues only happens mainly in the boot as the rubber seals lose their seal over time, so do check under the false floor of signs of water in there. Boot seal is around £60, which can do it yourself

Panoramic Roof – They weren’t the best, to begin with, no they fail or leak – FUN Times – Replace £3k or motor £250. Use vaseline to stop water ingress as a temporary measure or WD40 silicone spray to keep the system working for the long run

Windows – They tend to have a mind of their own most of them with squeaky noises which fixed by WD40 silicone spray. The other issues is them not closing and going down before reaching the top of the window due to regulator issues or the more common issue they need resetting. A simple reset is done by holding down both window switches down for 10 seconds for full system reset

Tyres – If it’s still on run-flats do yourself a favour and buy normal tyres and get some tyre sealer – You can thank me later

Gearbox & Fuel Filter – Replace the gearbox oil and fuel filter every 50,000 miles or every 3 years – Often overlooked as we are told they are lifetime (ignore it and just do it) a fluid change is cheaper than a gearbox or new fuel pump

Diesel Engines – They are relatively cheap to run, but DPF Filters and EGR Valves will become an issue like any diesel car as the clog up with dutty diesel gunk

Manual or Auto – Get the manual – It’s a driver’s car, as the auto-box is mehhh and unresponsive a ridiculous amount to replace or fix given everything has to come out

Clubman Barn Doors – Check for signs of rust between the doors as drain points in the doors can get clogged, so water sits causing rust between the seals and door edges

Convertible Roadster & Coupe – They suffer the same issues as everything is shared on the hatchback platform. The coupe boot struts can fail quickly, given how heavy the boot lid is – you will know when you open it for the first time

Countryman & Paceman – They suffer the same issues as everything is shared on this platform minus the chassis

With everything said and done I love my JCW and the older it has got stuff will just break which you have to accept like any car but a lot of the work can be done as preventive measures. A lot of the work you can learn yourself if you want to DIY or find a good specialist or MINI dealer to help you along with your MINI Adventure. I took out the MINI Extended warranty which has saved my ass a lot of times with my turbo replacement, timing chain issues and roadside recovery to a MINI dealer for repairs with a MINI courtesy car given within a few hours – £75 a month looks cheap – link to the MINI Extended Warranty site

If you want to modify it – R56 MINI Modding Bible – Click here for my guide

Hopefully, this guide will give you a stepping stone to find the perfect MINI and look forward to the MINI Adventures.

Here are my recommendations for MINI UK & Overseas specialist to visit for repairs, upgrades or parts:

Lohen – lohen.co.uk

1320 Mini – 1320.co.uk

Sussex Road & Race – sussexroadandrace.co.uk

Millys Auto – millsysautos.co.uk

TWG Automotive – twgautomotive.co.uk

MiniWorks – mini-works.co.uk

RSI C6 – rsic6.com

Outmotoring – outmotoring.com

ESC Tuning – ecstuning.com

Detroit Tuned – detroittuned.com

My list is made by own opinions and me speaking to respective companies & other owners across the world, and this is not sponsored post for full transparency.

If you got the modding bug don’t forget to check out JCW Adventures Store or Official eBay Store for some stickers for all generations of MINIs or R56 JCW carbon fibre exhaust tips as seen on my MINI R56 JCW to support the blog & YouTube channel.

All your support over the years and please offer that same support by following my Youtube Channel as well : )

As Always it’s a MINI Adventure try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

The post Sorry I Am Not Perfect: Common 2nd Gen R56 MINI Problems appeared first on JCW Adventures.

I am going to start with the basics of any used car buying first then move on to specific things you look out for an R56 generation MINI.

Rules of Buying a Car:

• Never buy a car in the dark or when it’s raining.

This is a rule of thumb as the darkness or rain hides away imperfections that might not be easily seen in normal light such as paintwork, scuffs or poor repair work.

• Check the MOT History

This was harder before as you had to look at what the owner provided, but now it’s a simple matter of going on your phone or laptop to this link. It will bring up the car’s MOT history, and it’s a telltale sign of how it’s been looked after, i.e. was the owner a cheapskate or genuinely loved their pride and joy. – https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

• Walk away if the bonnet is warm or they have taken it around the block

Ideally, you want to see what the car sounds like from a cold start as any rattling, smoke or warning light will pop up then. A warm car will hide these faults as the engine etc. has reached their operating temperatures.

• HPI or Credit Check on the car

A basic point so don’t be caught out by accident car or if there is finance left on the car

• Check the fluids & Tyres

A simple sign of how the car has been looked after is all the fluids at the right level. Mismatch tyres are a bad sign of the ownership the car has been under as they couldn’t be bothered to get new tyres and care very little about safety.

• Check all the buttons work & features.

Checking everything is crucial as it will be a bill later down the line for you as you realise heated seats don’t work, or air con is broken. This will allow you some wiggle room when you negotiate a final price.

• Be reasonable when negotiating

Low balling someone will get you nowhere but never settle for the asking price at the same time be wary if the price is too good to be true. At the same time know when to walk away from a deal if you’re being pressured or anything.

• Check the panel gap

Look all around the car to see if the panels line up correctly if they don’t; it’s a sign of the car being in the accident. Same goes when you open the bonnet and check the boot to see if it had a front or rear impact.

• Warning Lights

Look for any warning light and bring an OBD Code reader to look for any store fault codes with the ECU.

• Leave the radio off

Sounds simple but level it off and listen to any weird noises with suspension, interior, engine etc

• Always test drive more than one

Yes, it easy to get your head wrapped up on one car but always drive more than one. Even though they came off the same production line but there is variation like one engine performing better than another one.

• Paint

Look at it see any issues with chip stones, lacquer peel or any repair jobs, which is a good sign to see how the car is looked after throughout it’s life.

• Money

Make sure you have the money or the finance arrange before looking to buy to save yourself the time and heartbreak. Never be forced to make a deal on that day or putting down a deposit. It’s always cheaper to borrow money off the back to finance a car than going with a dealer finance route unless it’s 0% finance. As a gold rule keep aside £1000 for any mishap or issues for the first 3 months of ownership just in case money.

• Servicing

Set some money aside for a full service, fluid change and filter changes as you will want to do this give it some TLC and give yourself a piece of mind

• Warranty

Always worth shout buying an old car to get some cover or check-up. I would go for MINI’s warranty as you can cover everything and you get a courtesy car, EU cover and support 24 hours 7 days a week.

• Arrive Earlier

A little cheeky trick I do to see what the car is like truly like so they cant prep it. So book the appointment at 11 am but arrive at 10:30 am which will help you dodge a bullet on a rubbish car.

With the basics out of the way, let’s get on what to look for on a 2nd Gen MINI with all its quirks and charm:

N14 Engine – It has its issues, but it always boils down to how the previous owners to look after with preventative and routine maintenance. Check the oil and filter was changed a minimum of every 10,000 miles or every year. I made a video on how to look after it, which is available on my Youtube Channel.

Timing chain – It’s meant to last 100,000 miles but will be needed to be done at around 50 to 80,000 depending again it’s usage and owner maintenance. Signs of it will need to be done is high tapping noise, and rattling sounds like a diesel engine on cold start-up, and lack of go from the offset with the noise disappearing as the engine warms up. It will cost around £700 to £1000 to get this sorted from an independent or dealership.

Carbon Build Up – A common issue on direct injection due to the way the fuel doesn’t go over the values to clean them. It will need decoking every two to three years to keep running right which set you back around £200 to 250

Idle or Full Throttle – Check for blue or white at idle or full throttle which will show either the turbo is on it’s way out or valve stem seals need to be done both are expensive jobs at £1,000 or £600

High-Pressure Fuel Pump – Common issue on MINI which is annoying as they seem to last between 50 to 60,000 miles before they fail so its £600 for an OEM one

Engine Cover Weep – Typical German car problem which happens overage as the rubber gasket perished so its £150 for this job or if it’s the whole cover then another £300. On N18 engine cover melting is a common issue at the corner near the turbo

Turbo Oil Feedline – This issue because the MINI engine runs so hot as it leads to oil feedline to leak or coke up so make sure it has the recall oil feedline heatshield or buy the aftermarket braided oil feedline at £80 and £180 fitting

Water Pump & Thermostat – On an engine that runs quite hot any way you would think they would give it a good cool system but that’s not the case as they regularly fail. The water pump is £35, and the thermostat is £75 which is a bit awkward to replace so another £200 there easy

Bushes – You buy a MINI for it’s handling so expect the bushes will need replacing unless the previous has replaced them to poly bushes ones. Bushes are cheap at £40, but it costs four times as much to replace on given the hours of work going into replacing them at £300

Clutch – As MINI are brought to driven so the typical check of seeing how high the biting point or any whine from the front from the dual mass flywheel

Water Ingress – This issues only happens mainly in the boot as the rubber seals lose their seal over time, so do check under the false floor of signs of water in there. Boot seal is around £60, which can do it yourself

Panoramic Roof – They weren’t the best, to begin with, no they fail or leak – FUN Times – Replace £3k or motor £250

Tyres – If it’s still on run-flats do yourself a favour and buy normal tyres and get some tyre sealer – You can thank me later

N18 or N14 Engine – N14 if you want to modify or N18 for a daily driver

Service – Replace the gearbox oil and fuel filter – Often overlooked as we are told they are lifetime (ignore it and just do it)

Cooper, Cooper S or JCW – Cooper for fun & economy, Cooper S – a bit meh & JCW is the one you want

Diesel Engines – They are relatively cheap to run, but DPF Filters and EGR Valves will become an issue like any diesel car

Manual or Auto – Get the manual – It’s a driver’s car, as the auto-box is mehhh and unresponsive

Clubman Barn Doors – Check for signs of rust between the doors as drain points in the doors can get clogged, so water sits causing rust between the seals and door edges

Convertible Roadster & Coupe – They suffer the same issues as everything is shared on the hatchback platform. The coupe boot struts can fail quickly, given how heavy the boot lid is – you will know when you open it for the first time

Countryman & Paceman – They suffer the same issues as everything is shared on this platform minus the chassis

Must-Have Options – HK Audio System, Xenons and Heated Seats

If you want to modify it – R56 MINI Modding Bible – Click here for my guide

Hopefully, this guide will give you a stepping stone to find the perfect MINI and look forward to the MINI Adventures.

Here are my recommendations for MINI UK & Overseas specialist to visit for repairs, upgrades or parts:

Lohen – lohen.co.uk

1320 Mini – 1320.co.uk

Sussex Road & Race – sussexroadandrace.co.uk

Millys Auto – millsysautos.co.uk

TWG Automotive – twgautomotive.co.uk

MiniWorks – mini-works.co.uk

RSI C6 – rsic6.com

Outmotoring – outmotoring.com

ESC Tuning – ecstuning.com

Detroit Tuned – detroittuned.com

My list is made by own opinions and me speaking to respective companies & other owners across the world, and this is not sponsored post for full transparency.

If you got the modding bug don’t forget to check out JCW Adventures Store or Official eBay Store for some stickers for all generations of MINIs or R56 JCW carbon fibre exhaust tips as seen on my MINI R56 JCW to support the blog & YouTube channel.

All your support over the years and please offer that same support by following my Youtube Channel as well : )

As Always it’s a MINI Adventure try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

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The post Modern Classic: The Ulitmate 2nd Gen R56 MINI Buyer’s Guide appeared first on JCW Adventures.

Here are my tips on how to look after your MINI during non-use:

Battery

As with all modern cars now the power and state of the battery are key for the starting and all electronic in the car with that being said, there are so many ways to look after it.

Invest in a trickle charger to keep the battery topped up that way it doesn’t die and doesn’t cause any faults warning lights and keeps the alarm active

There are two types of chargers:

Dumb – Old school charge which will top up the battery at a cheaper cost as they are similar like any charger but doesn’t know when the battery is fully charged, so it’s up to you to stop it from overcharging

Smart – Moden advance charging unit which adjusts for different types of the battery from acid to lithium so can be used on any car brand regardless of the type of battery. The smart unit is a ‘plugin and forget’ as it will top of the battery then stop charging and will monitor the charge level and turn back on when needed when the battery drops down to a certain level.

Obviously, with both systems there is a price difference ranging from £30 for dumb and £80 above for smart chargers – It will depend on how often you will keep the car on the charge to know which one to buy and maintenance and time should play in the critical factor. Personally, I use a CTEK trickle charger which is the best one you get, and it has never failed me after five years of owning one.

I understand that some people will say let the car idle for 15 minutes which will charge the battery is true. But this will use fuel and depending on your country you can not leave a car unattended when it’s idling, and it’s not a good idea to idle a vehicle in a closed garage due to carbon monoxide risks. I would rather be warm inside and getting on with life as the smart charger did it’s a thing over the winter or eating ice cream in the summer so take your pick.

Tyres

Often overlooked by people as you just expected not to do anything to them, which is a fault of many motorists as they forget it’s the only thing keeping you on the road!

If your car is going to sitting for a long while then pump up your tyres to 15 psi above what they should be, e.g. standard psi 34 – storing psi 49 – this stops flat spots on your tyre as deforming under the constant load of the car on them when stationary. Where possible to move the vehicle forward or back to stop flat stops even more periodically. Leave a note on your steering wheel or dash to remind you to deflate to correct pressure when your car out from storage to drive. If you have more money, you can buy tyre protectors, but you have to jack up the car and place them underneath or invest in a scissor lift.

The age and condition of the tyre play a major factor as well as having cracks, or an old tyre is dangerous as like any rubber over time it degrades, making it unsafe. Use your free time to check for any nicks, cracks, bulges on the inside or outside facing of the tyre. To check the age of the tyre is very simple as it’s a legal requirement of all tyre manufactures. If you look at the tyre sidewall, there will be the manufacture date code such 1519 – where 15 denotes the week of manufacture and 19 represents the year, meaning the tyre was manufactured on the 15th week of 2019. Always a good thing to look when buying new tyres just in general so you can maximise your time with the tyre.

Fluids – Oil, Coolant, Brakes & Fuel

Checking all the fluids are another major point as they key the car running how it should when it fires up from storage, so its best to check their levels, condition and age.

The oil will be a simple one as a dipstick, or the colour of the oil will tell you, but if it hasn’t been changed in 6 months to 1 year, this would be time to change it or learn how to do it as it’s off the road. Once again like tyres or any perishable items oil does go off as it degrades over time so it doesn’t matter if you have done 5 miles or 8,000 miles in a year it will still need to be changed. Remember, £50 of oil is cheaper than a new engine…

Coolant is slightly different to oil as you can visually check it, but it’s harder to tell as you have to think when it was changed/flushed or do a test using coolant test strips which tell you the health of your coolant. If the coolant hasn’t been changed in 2-3 years, look to change it or learn how to do it as it’s off the road as this can be done with ease on a driveway or garage using simple tools.

If the car is stored over the winter inside or outside having a good level of anti-freeze mixture will stop any coolant from expanding and cracking the coolant tank or lines. Same can be said to the washer fluid as it can expanding and cracking the washer fluid bottle due to no anti-freeze additive.

Brake fluid is similar to coolant as well to check it for issues and condition along with assessing whether to change or not.

If you can leave the car in gear only and put stop behind the rear wheels as brakes and especially the handbrake can cease if they are left on over prolonged time which is an issue you don’t want.

Check your brake discs if your car is kept outside as them being steel will cause them to rust.

Often debated topic of how much fuel should you put into your tank when it’s being stored? The simple answer is either full or near on close to top to avoid any issues with the fuel tank or lines. Having fuel in the system stops the riot in the lines or tank and avoids are moisture or oxidation in the fuel or system.

Exterior

Wash your car to remove any dirt or grime etc. to avoid any rust or unwanted mould growth and dry it correctly at points to avoid any issues with changes with the weather.

If you have a car cover, put it on after full cleaning and drying the car all over to avoid any scratches or moisture retention from the cover.

Convertibles or roadster make sure you top is up to stop creases in the fabric.

Interior 

Clean the interior and if possible, make sure there is no damp or spillage on any surfaces as the car. Once it’s locked, it will be breeding ground for any bacteria over time. So clean appropriately either by hand or wet vac and disinfectant kill any unwanted smells or bacteria.

Do open the car periodically to check on any smells or any issues within the cabin.

Also, another perfect time to change a thing that people always forget about it! The cabin air filter which is easily removed by pulling two tabs and inserting a new filter which is a 5-minute job and cheap part buy at £15. Not replacing it every year damages your air-con or heating system just any dirty air filter as your restricting it’s operating efficiency.

If you have a leather dash or surfaces I would advise on covering it as the heat from the sun will cause it to be damaged, crack or peel away if it’s left outside in the summer under prolonged heat.

Getting back on the road

Once you want to take your car back on the road, make sure to follow these procedures to give it the best chance to get it going.

Make sure to unplug your battery chargers and reset the tyres to the correct pressures and reset the tyre monitor sensor, so you don’t get the dash warning later.

Check your oil and coolant to make sure they haven’t dropped before think about starting as the last you want to start a car with no major fluids.

I advise this as there might have been an unnoticed leak or the under trays are hiding a major leak that your unaware or not noticed.

Turn the key one click or press the start button once to allow the fuel pump to prime, which will make an audible noise and let it do it for about 10 seconds then start the car.

A gentle drive around without going for high revs till after about 5 minutes and in the time do test your brakes as the pressure will be low the first time you press them.

Having OBD reader will look at any error codes that pop up and allow you to work out everything from a bulb out or emissions issue.

Hopefully, these tips will keep your MINI in tip-top condition now given it’s not being used or limited usage.

I have started making videos on YouTube to help the MINI community that cherish and love deeply.

So from one MINI owner to another, please subscribe to the channel, so I grow it and help MINI owners all across the world.

The below video is the first of many videos to help MINI owners – I outline on how to maintain an N14/N18 engined MINI.

I am aiming to do a new Youtube Video every month about all things MINI from maintenance to showcasing the best MINIs out there in the MINI community.

If you got the modding bug don’t forget to check out JCW Adventures Store or Official eBay Store for some stickers for all generations of MINIs or R56 JCW carbon fibre exhaust tips as seen on my MINI R56 JCW.

All your support over the years has kept the blog going and made it what it is.

So thank you deeply straight from my heart for being a supporter of JCW Adventures.

As Always it’s a MINI Adventure try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or Buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

The post MINI Car Tips: How Look After Your Car In Storage, Lockdown or Winter appeared first on JCW Adventures.

The idea of the challenge is to get MINI owners across the world to showcase their MINIs for the world to see. During these times, this will allow the MINI community to grow a strong bond, new friends made, and MINI owners aided.

Naturally, the photo challenge starts in May and will end at the end of the month and please make sure to use the hashtag #MINIMAY in all your photos. I will be looking through the hashtags and share the best picture I see that given day on my own Instagram – D4rkhorse

Hopefully, this will help fight the boredom with the lockdown and with that, I have started making videos on YouTube to help the MINI community that cherish and love deeply.

So from one MINI owner to another, please subscribe to the channel, so I grow it and help MINI owners all across the world.

The below video is the first of many videos to help MINI owners – I outline on how to maintain an N14/N18 engined MINI.

If you got the modding bug don’t forget to check out JCW Adventures Store or Official eBay Store for some stickers for generations of MINIs or R56 JCW carbon fibre exhaust tips as seen on my MINI R56 JCW.

All your support over the years has kept the blog going and made it what it is.

So thank you deeply straight from my heart for being a supporter of JCW Adventures.

As Always it’s a MINI Adventure try to keep up & Stay Safe!

Ali

Support the blog by Sharing, Subscribing or buying from the stores

JCW Adventures Store

Official eBay Store

JCW Adventures Youtube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

The post Do It For The Gram: #MINIMAY Photo Challenge appeared first on JCW Adventures.