962 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

Very useful website with lots of repair instructions and schematics for the early MINI R50/53.
A few mods for the MINI R50/53, including how to get OBD2 info displayed on the navigation monitor,
also repair manuals for R50/53 and older classic Mini's, check out the "Mods, Schematics, Repair" menu:-
http://www.ronsworld...mods/schematics

Homepage:-
http://www.ronsworld.nl/nl-NL/

[spraybeater]

I just thought I would share my Bini story with those that have any interest and have time to read it ,

my daily car is a MINI Countryman a big MINI (prepared for all the wisecracks ) I like the car and it

drives great, have over the last 50+ years I have owned, used and worked on lots of Austin/Morris,

BMC, BLMC, JRT, MG and Rover cars, and a fair few others!!

I have owned the BINI Countryman for a couple of years, 2013 Cooper D with the N47 BMW diesel 

chose this over the previous model with the HDI engine, worked on a lot of these and their variants.

About 4 weeks ago while out getting tyres changed for the Mini 30, I was driving along at about 30

miles an hour when the engine came to an abrupt stop, got the car of the road to a save place! quick

check proved my thoughts timing chain problem. Now being in my 72nd year I wasn't going to tackle,

the job myself, so got the AA to recover it to Stratstone MINI in Leeds, whom confirmed my diagnosis 

at 53k the timing chain had failed, rough estimate for repairs £2-3 grand , asked them for a value as a 

Non runner trade in being a large Car group they have a central office for valuations, they came back 

with £100 for it??? So I agreed to pay £300 to get the head of to investigate the damage, a week later

I got a call from Stratstone, confirming that there were a couple of bent valves and half a dozen broken

cam followers, and a Broken chain.

At that time I had asked to see the damage when stripped, I drove in to Leeds in the Contessa, armed 

with my camera and notebook, after a bit of discussion it was agreed to proceed with the repairs.

A couple of days later I got a phone call to pick up the loan car they promised me, a brand new

MINI Clubman , so of I drives! quite happy except for the impending bill for repairs.

That afternoon I got a call from John at Stratstone, his words I got good news for you! MINI are going

to pay for the repairs.  now as the timing chain on this engine is on the gearbox end the gearbox

has to be removed to fit the new chain, the head was rebuilt and fitted then the gearbox removed to

fit the chain, that then revealed further damage! the broken chain had whipped and removed one of 

tensioner mounts from the block, so new parts had to be sorted from Germany,got the car back today

all finished as the complete job and the loan car for 4wks was all covered by MINI at no cost to me am

pleased but maybe a little apprehensive I have never been quite happy with other people working on

my vehicles.

[JXC Mini GT]

That's great that MINI have agreed to pay for the repairs.

 

I have owned about 16 Binis since 2002 when they were launched, and have always had good response and service from the dealers.

 

I changed my JCW Bini for an AudiQ2 about a year ago and was seriously underwhelmed with performance and economy, the fuel consumption (23MPG) was worse than the JCW.

 

I am now back in a Cooper S Bini and getting over 35MPG form a 2.0 litre petrol automatic.

[mab01uk]

MINI Cooper SE 2019 review: first drive of electric Mini

"A pure-electric Mini will finally go on sale later this year, a decade after the firm’s first public EV trials - and we've driven a prototype

Our drive of this prototype is a prelude to the launch of the finished article at the end of this year. That car is called the Mini Cooper SE, the S implying equivalence to the 189bhp petrol Cooper S and the E that it’s electric. Its motor puts out 181bhp and 199lb ft of torque, the latter slightly adrift of the S’s 221lb ft, but they’re comparable.

The battery occupies the tunnel running the length of the cockpit and the area previously taken up by the fuel tank to occupy a T-shaped space, requiring almost no changes to the Mini’s body-in-white."

https://www.autocar....e-electric-mini

Edited by mab01uk, 28 April 2019 - 09:49 AM.

[mab01uk]

New MINI Electric revealed....

"Mini's first mass-production electric car will start from under £25k and will arrive in UK dealers in early 2020

Including the government grant for electric vehicles, it will start from around £24,400 – said to be less than an ‘equivalent spec level’ petrol Cooper S.

Unlike the BMW i3, the motor powers the front wheels only. Resulting performance is strong for the class: 0-62mph takes 7.3sec, with the top speed limited to 93mph. Mini says it is also capable of charging from flat to 80% in 35 minutes via a 50kW charge point through a standard public charging cable. Via an 11kW wall box, 0-80% charge can be achieved in 150 minutes, or 210 minutes to full.

The Mini Electric will make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, with production commencing in November. The firm has managed to tool up its Oxford plant so both electric and combustion-engine models can be created down the same line. However, the first UK cars won’t be delivered until March 2020 because the firm will prioritise volume-selling EV markets such as China and the US."

More from Autocar magazine here:-

https://www.autocar....e-brit-built-ev

Edited by mab01uk, 10 July 2019 - 06:07 PM.

[mab01uk]

MINI Rocketman resurrected as compact electric car

Compact city car to be produced in China in a joint venture with Great Wall Motors

"Through its joint venture with Great Wall Motors, BMW has reignited plans for the entry-level Mini model, which is planned to be produced exclusively in a joint venture factory in China for global markets, including the UK.

But while the original Rocketman was planned around a range of three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, the Mini model being developed by Spotlight Automotive is set to use electric power exclusively, as part of the German car maker’s plans to launch 25 plug-in hybrid and pure electric models by the end of 2023.

News of Mini’s move to build a production version of the Rocketman in China comes close on the heels of Mercedes-Benz’s decision to sell 50 per cent of its Smart city car division to Chinese car maker Geely, which intends to develop a whole new generation of urban-based Smart models."

More from Autocar magazine here:-

https://www.autocar....ct-electric-car

Edited by mab01uk, 10 July 2019 - 06:14 PM.

[RichMPiBlue]

My new daily is a 2009 R56 Mini One. It's just had new piston rings, valve stem seals and thermostat fitted. I previously had a 2007 Mini Cooper which blew up after only owning it for a few weeks...... Love my Bini after having an engine rebuild. 

[mab01uk]

 

"This is an early May 2001 R50 MINI Cooper therefore a pre-production car as the official launch of the MINI wasn't until July 2001. This is a short video showing you some of the differences of the pre-production cars and some things to look out for if you are thinking of buying an R50 MINI."

Edited by mab01uk, 11 September 2019 - 06:58 PM.

[JXC Mini GT]

New MINI Electric revealed....

"Mini's first mass-production electric car will start from under £25k and will arrive in UK dealers in early 2020

Including the government grant for electric vehicles, it will start from around £24,400 – said to be less than an ‘equivalent spec level’ petrol Cooper S.

Unlike the BMW i3, the motor powers the front wheels only. Resulting performance is strong for the class: 0-62mph takes 7.3sec, with the top speed limited to 93mph. Mini says it is also capable of charging from flat to 80% in 35 minutes via a 50kW charge point through a standard public charging cable. Via an 11kW wall box, 0-80% charge can be achieved in 150 minutes, or 210 minutes to full.

The Mini Electric will make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, with production commencing in November. The firm has managed to tool up its Oxford plant so both electric and combustion-engine models can be created down the same line. However, the first UK cars won’t be delivered until March 2020 because the firm will prioritise volume-selling EV markets such as China and the US."

More from Autocar magazine here:-

https://www.autocar....e-brit-built-ev

Went to see the launch event for the new electric MINI last Saturday, they showed a short video singing the praises of the original Mini before the promotion of the electric MINI.

I parked my GT alongside the MINI Electric container/showroom, when I came out there was lots of interest in the GT with even the salesman saying he wondered who owned the coolest Mini there.

[mab01uk]

MINI Development Story updated on Austin Rover Online (AROnline)
Replacing the Mini was never going to be the work of a moment, and was generally regarded to be one of the toughest gigs in the industry.



"After years of deliberation, Rover started serious work in 1993, which was soon bolstered by the arrival of BMW the following year.
What we ended up with sparked controversy with enthusiasts, but the Rover engineered project ended up being a huge hit with buyers."

Link to the updated MINI Development story on AROnline. Interesting insider development tales at Gaydon:-
https://www.aronline...elopment-story/

 

[mab01uk]

"Fortune favours the brave and this brilliant little car could be the saving of Rover"

 

Edited by mab01uk, 24 December 2019 - 02:09 PM.

[mab01uk]

R50 MINI BUYER’S GUIDE

BMW’s initial attempt at replacing the Issigonis original, the R50/R52/R53 (2001-2006) Mk1 MINIs, will never be cheaper than they are now. Here’s Classics World handy guide to understanding the models and getting hold of a good one.

 

"The big questions asked during the classic Mini’s 41-year production life often revolved around a successor for Alex Issigonis’ iconic original design. Issigonis himself had experimented with the 9X project at the tail end of the 1960s, and BL had a go with the ADO74 and ADO88 that led to the birth of the Metro. But from there, it went quiet. The Mini went through the doldrums in the 1980s, but thanks to the Japanese and the reborn Mini Cooper, it was cool again by the following decade. And after buying Rover in 1994, BMW seemed to have identified the Mini as a priceless brand – and were determined to rejuvenate it.

BMW head Bernd Pischetsrieder immediately encouraged his British design staff to start looking at new schemes, so Rover started serious work on a new Mini. At the same time, BMW also began to beaver away in Munich under American-born Frank Stephenson.

Both teams faced other for a presentation in 1995. Rover’s initial approach, badged ‘Spiritual’, was a revolutionary design with the engine was under the rear seats, driving the rear wheels. Rover saw it as the first of a new range, and so also showed a larger derivative of this car, called ‘Spiritual Too’. BMW, meanwhile, presented ideas that were closer to the design eventually chosen, but that didn’t stop Rover wasting much of the winter making more refinements. In 1996, BMW made the decision to bin everything Rover had done, favouring Frank Stephenson’s design yet handing over the task of engineering it to Rover. What was to be the E50 had now became the R50 – the R standing for Rover."

Full Article Here:-
https://classicsworl...i-buyers-guide/

Edited by mab01uk, 01 February 2020 - 10:28 AM.

[mab01uk]

 

[JXC Mini GT]

That’s an impressive production line, and a good endorsement of the electric Mini especially as the 50/50 weight distribution has improved roadholding over the standard engined models and is cheaper.

[mab01uk]

STAFF CLASSICS – JEFF RUGGLES R50 MINI ONE

"Bought as an experiment to buy the cheapest R50 MINI One (£450) on the market in 2017, Jeff (former editor of Mini Magazine) attempts to bring about some former glory 18 months on since it last moved. 

Unless they’re really early ones, first generation R50 MINIs are probably at the bottom of their value curve at the moment. A lot of them seem to suffer from gearbox or clutch problems, making them seem uneconomical to repair and leading to many being broken for spares. Jeff's own example was OK in the transmission department to the best of his knowledge, but having sat for 18 months outside with a seized alternator, it teetered on the brink of its demise...."

More:-

https://classicsworl...s-r50-mini-one/

Edited by mab01uk, 08 July 2020 - 01:25 PM.