You need the R56 caliper brackets with the calipers and R56 flex brake line. For the rear you can stay with R53 hardware and calipers. No difference in size. If you change to R56 caliper on rear you’ll need R56 flex brake line.
I have a 2003 Mini Cooper and it hasn’t rusted or leaked in 20 years. It goes really well and the engine is strong. Surprisingly it’s done 124,000 miles and still hasn’t broken. Can’t sell it as it’s awesome.
I struggle to understand how people don't like the central speedo. For me it's the most characteristic part of the interior. And I think filling it's place with anything else looks odd. I'm not a Mini fanatic, but if I remember one thing from seeing them on the street as a kid when they were new it is that unique central speedo. What other car has that?! PS. and you can put speed on trip computer screen, then you have it right on bottom of the rev counter
Have been resurrecting an R53 for a few years now, paid $350 for it. Replaced cylinder head with head studs, new timing set, good used 2006 supercharger, new water pump, larger injectors, 15% pulley, intercooler, brake lines. 148000 miles. Needs some body work and paint yet a blast to drive. It is needing some more repair, not getting rid of it.
Just finished a nice long road trip in my R53.. It was a little rough sometimes, but a lot of fun. Made good time too ;) And these damn things turn heads everywhere you go. Mine is a nice dark metallic green, no strips, no white top or what ever color they sometimes do. Nice factory rims, looks and sounds great. less than 50k miles on it. I was at a gas station, came walking out and a Porsche GT3 RS was sitting there at the next pump, I start drooling and talking to the guy a bit, go to get in my car and he yells at me "I was checking out your car too!" haha People just like them, especially car people. They aren't crazy fast, that's for sure, and once you hit around 100mph, forget it, but they are damn fun to drive on back roads where you can let the super charger scream and rip around corners. Rally them! On the trip I saw another cooper s like mine, got up next to the guy, messed around a bit and the next thing you know we're off to the races! Then we stumbled upon a woman driving an R53 too! She joined in on the fun in a hurry, next thing you know it was the Italian job on that highway for about 150 miles haha
Great comment but I don’t understand why you said “when you get to 100 mph forget it” ??? I have a 2005 R52 Cooper ‘S’ (170bhp) and I can assure you that they will do more than 135mph! (Just don’t ask me how I know!) 👍🏻
I bought a jcw r55 mini clubman after selling my mk5 gti about 3 months ago and I absolutely love my mini. And I understand the Miata comment also I own a na Miata as well.
I have a r53 JCW 2006, (208-210hp stock), from the factory it comes with bigger injectors, smaller supercharger pulley, jcw brakes, ECU remapping, jcw exhaust system, LSD, jcw air filter, and other goodies. You feel the difference from the cooper S to the JCW, the JCW is more fun and those extra horses with the exhaust pops from factory are worth it. I really love my r53 JCW.
I have a heavily modified R50 (it has a carbon fiber R53 hood, though) and parts are sure getting expensive! I've owned the car since new in 2005. I rarely see other first-generation cars on they road, and when I do they're in bad shape. I feel like I'm driving something special, and I get thumbs-ups from guys in classic Porsches and other great cars. Thanks for the video. Oh, and (edit), it doesn't matter if you go with a car that doesn't have the chrono pack, because there's a digital speedometer in the tach (like a Porsche or Ferrari). I much prefer the look of the single tach over the wheel and the central speedo than the double chrono gauges over the wheel - it's more driver oriented.
@@orustusamunade8936 Not here in North America, they're not. Also depends what you're looking for, and if you want new or used parts, and if you want OEM or off-brand. I don't buy used parts unless a new part's not available, and I always try to get OEM parts.
@Honest Reviewer hmmmm I have a built 2006 R53 with all the bells and whistles and more added and most if ny items are new I have only put 3000.00 into already and it's a head turner 😉 so I'm not sure where you are sourcing your items from.
@@orustusamunade8936 Not sure where you're sourcing yours from. 😄 I get mine from the usual, Pelican Parts, Outmotoring, etc. I mean, a nice set of coilovers is almost $3K. My wheels and tires are more than $3K. A built engine costs anywhere from $6-15K. But good luck.
I bought a 2006 R53 S Convertible from a junkyard in Mississippi two years ago as a little project car. $1400 and it actually runs and drives great! Single owner, clean title, Low miles, all electronics work fine, I could tell by all the Taylor Swift stuff left in the car that it was just ditched by a younger female who probably got tired of the stiff suspension and road thuds haha. I've just been upgrading it since then with better performance parts, upgraded braking, a new ignition coil, better sparks and wires, the smaller SC pulley is on the way, upgrading airflow, exhaust, fuel injectors and ECU mapping are also in the plans. Super surprised how much fun this car is, and it has so many small details and surprises you didn't mention and probably wouldn't know about until you've driven one for quite a while. It's much more practical than I would have guessed too. I have folded down the back seats with the top down and have moved almost an entire apartment's worth of stuff across town with a couple trips. I have also brought home a 65" TV new in the box down the highway, just because I could get it to fit and to enjoy all the turning heads. I wish I could attach a picture of it here. Love this car, other people stop me to tell me how much they like it, and I whole heartedly agree it will be revered as a true classic one day. Great Video, keep it up!
I purchased a new Mini Cooper S back in 2002 when they were introduced in the US. In the end I was running a lot of parts from the John Cooper Works catalog, tuned with a 19% reduction pulley and a Miltek catback. It was a lot of fun but it was always at the dealer due to oil leaks from different areas on the engine. I bailed out of it as the power train warranty was due to expire. I still remember that car fondly. It’s been Subaru wrx life ever since.
My dad has owned 2 of them. Two of my brothers owned them. We can tear the front end off in our sleep now. Spent so much time working on these and it’s worth it. There’s nothing quite like these cars. It just sticks in the corners and it’s so much fun rolling into the throttle out of a corner.
I have an R53 w/LSD and an NC Miata. Both cars are really fun, and I autocrossed both of them. Dynamically, they are very similar. It's hard to have a bad day thrashing around in the southern Appalachians in either car. That being said, they can't be compared when it comes to reliability. I put 125k miles on both cars. Zero issues with the Mazda. Not one. The MINI had all kinds of problems. Window regulators, the engine spit a spark plug out of its cylinder, every seal around the brake lights leak when it rains, headliner fell, rear suspension is noisy as h3ll, coolant reservoir leaked at 75k, the hatch release stopped working, the front strut towers "mushroomed", overheating power steering, etc etc etc If you live with them both for long enough you realize, "I'm always driving my Miata to the MINI dealership for parts..."💡🙂 So you stop driving/sell the MINI and go have some Tougé fun instead.
great value for sure, but make sure you can work on cars. You'll have more fun than a lot of higher HP cars. Plus the instant power from the blower is a nice change for the previous turbo cars ive owned. My R53s in the shop rn getting a new headgasket and street cam, should be around 250bhp, and the getrag 6 spd and 06 gear ratios are perfect
Ive owned a 2005 sti, now have an 2006 r53 s 220k miles going strong, both cars fun for different reasons, the mini has a charm to it that until you drive it you cant really appreciate; cheers
@@zackobrien2223 AHAHAH im 48 years old dude, used to live in Paris and was driving a Vespa LX 50 for 30 years .. now I moved to country side .. had to get my license .. my parents are far away .. lololool
Ya shoulda bought mine. One very small dent and needs tires. 26016 original miles. Two tone heated leather seats. Immaculate interior. 26016 original miles. $7500.
My 2006 R52 has 267.000 km purrs like a kitten. You have to watch out for the waterpump not breaking down every 80.000 km, taking the supercharger down with it. That will be very expensive. I think the Chrysler engine is fairly bulletproof. The beauty is in its' simplicity..... the W11 is in my opinion the "Mezger engine" of the Minis.
The Tritec motor was a collaboration between Rover and Chrysler. It was built specifically to fit in the MINI. It uses a cast iron block to save one inch of precious space!
When I spotted some drops of oil on the floor I added some "Liqui Moly Oil Loss Stop" to the oil and no drop was to be found for the last 70.000 km. It is cheap and worth a try before doing anything mechanical and more expensive.
Other than the supercharger being wrecked by the waterpump the only annoying quest was to find the *fuel pump relay* when I thought the fuel pump had stopped working. On my R52 the fuel pump relay is hidden in the fuse box and a great pain to get at. In the end I bought a used fuse box from the yard and everything has been running ok since then.
I have an R52 Cooper S Sidewalk (520 left in the uk)! Loads of fun, still looks great even now but almost has a classic feel to it! It's the last of the 1st gen and last of the superchargers. I think the bonnet / hood release is on the right side as these cars are designed for right and drive and adapted for the left hand drive probably to pay homage to the UK roots of the mini. Either way these cars are great, fun factor 10/10.
I currently drive an '04 R53 S with 26K miles on it. I bought it 21 months ago with 15K months. I've put 11k flawless miles on it commuting between Chicago and Knoxville. I love the car despite, to the vlogger's chagrin, mine has a big speedo in the center dash. But if your going to look at this iteration of Mini in a historical context, the big speedometer in the middle is classical Mini. I am planning on trading my 2004 Electric Blue R53 for a 2013 R57 JCW Mini convertible unless a serious buyer emerges very quickly. The car is in excellent condition and drives like new. Yours for $7500. It could use new shoes. Thx.
@zackobrien2223 I ended up trading it for the 2013 JCW converible in BRG with saddle brown leather seats. Drove all the way out to Oregon to get it and lost a tire in a Wyoming pot hole on the way back. But "Nigel" survived it ok. Went from Oregon back home to Rocky Top and back to Illinois....about 3000 miles. Car was magnificent.
ive found one at 2500 euro at a very good shape no rust 250k km and it was fully repaired at 246k km looks really good and i hope by the time i get enough money that its still available
I had a Leyland mini as my 1st car. Speedo was in the centre of dash so that's where it should always be. Now I have a original r53 in electric blue and white
So what are the most common things to check whet this is lacking power? I drove a friends r53 today and by the feel of it it lacks some 30-40hp. Boost, missfires, maybe some vacuum hoses, ignition system? Anything in particular that these things are knows to loose power from?
I am changing my 5w30 synthetic oil every 2 yrs or 15.000 km whichever comes first and am flushing the engine with the Liqui Moly engine flush additive each time before an oil change. Last time I flushed and changed the oil the engine noise was so low, I thought the engine was not running. It was and still is. You will need to decide for yourself what, when and how you go about changing your oil. This has worked ok for me.
You make beautiful content. Good information, accessible. Nice to watch. Out of respect for your work I pressed 'subscribe' and liked your video 😀. I came across your channel by accident. I am an R53 owner myself. To be fair, it is a maintenance-sensitive car. But as you already describe in your video, it is a car with a high fun content. Naturally, cars from this segment and certainly also from higher segments are faster than the R53. But, on the small roads. Roundabouts, curves. There where you have to reduce speed with a 'normal' car. You always win with the Cooper. With the wheels in the corners of the car you have a sublime road holding. This in combination with the Eaton compressor gives you a small rocket! Have previously driven Peugeot 205 GTI and Fiesta RS1800. At the time, I sold these cars for a fraction of what they are currently worth. The same will happen with the Cooper S R53. The car will increase in value as time passes. The question is only if you when it is a daily driver. Whether you can and want to wait for that. 10 to 15 years is a long time in a cars life. Don’t forget these cars were built till 2006. So the first models are at least 20 years old. For now it is a fine driver's car. Just enjoy driving it so long it lasts 🔥
I am planning to cure its biggest construction design flaw by putting an electronic racing waterpump in it instead of the mechanical waterpump. The mechanical waterpump is attached to the supercharger thus taking the supercharger down when the waterpump might block after some 80.000 km or so.
Why does the water pump fail? Lack of maintenance. Change the coolant every 5 years. At 100k there’s a load of regular maintenance that should be done including the water pump, thermostat and housing, serpentine belt and tensioner, timing chain, suspension bushings etc. The supercharger is made by Eaton and uses Eaton lubricant which also needs to be done. Do not expect a 20 year old MINI that has had no maintenance to be cheap to own.
Im a bit late to the video, but i just wanted to ask, i own a R53, and it doesnt have an armrest but i find the one in the video particularly cool, where is it from or is it a stock thing on higher trim models? :)
The center speedometer is literally one of the best aspects of the car, it’s designed to look like a watch- it’s timeless. Also my mini r53 has the softest by far suspension out of any car I’ve ever owned- even with stiffer lowering springs. Tbh i wish it was more stiff and didn’t lean as much as it does.
There’s companies that can take out the delay in boost from the computer. It was feeling like a turbo car with that delay. Super charger boost comes on quick. Asked some shops and that’s what I was told. Will put lsd in trans first. Would hate to keep replacing r/f tire!
As mentioned in the video, people have been ditching them and many end up in junkyards where they don't belong... I bought a 2006 R53 S Convertible from a junkyard in Mississippi two years ago as a little project car. $1400 and it actually runs and drives great! Single owner, clean title, Low miles, all electronics work fine, I could tell by all the Taylor Swift stuff left in the car that it was just ditched by a younger female who probably got tired of the stiff suspension and road thuds haha. I've just been upgrading it since then with better performance parts, upgraded braking, a new ignition coil, better sparks and wires, the smaller SC pulley is on the way, upgrading airflow, exhaust, fuel injectors and ECU mapping are also in the plans. Super surprised how much fun this car is. If you're in the US, check junkyards for hidden gems with these!
I’ve bought an 2005 R53 recently, I’ve driven it for 2000km now, and I drive sporty. No problems whatsoever. No leaks nothing. Only thing I’ve noticed is that the clutch is a bit weak for the amount of power it has. Compared to other manuals I’ve driven it’s more sensitive to rpm’s. The sweet spot between stall and excessive slip is smaller. (Previous owner had the clutch replaced with oem, so an worn clutch is not the problem)
The central location of the Speedo is correct - the Chrono pack gauges are dummy gauges, there is no oil pressure sensor on the car 😂 Chrono pack is BS for this reason and people who disregard a good R53 due to no Chrono pack are morons. Apart from that, great vid 😐
Mine 2004 Mini Cooper S . Wife's 2012 mini cooper roadster I like the 2004 better supercharged is better to me. I am looking for 2004 or 2005 . Wife loves hers but mine is better
Or grab the more reliable f56 3rd gen. Oh and Bohemian Rhapsody sucks And I had the R53. The Brazilian/ Chrysler engine was horrible. Back then. Can’t imagine how awful they’d be now.
@@IAmProfitMusik My car at least makes me feel like I did, unfortunately i bought a car with good history but it still manged to bite me in the ass. At the end of the day, its still a british car made by BMW. It will make problems if not maintained properly.
Had one ! Wasn't impressive At all. Used to Amateur Race a 1275 'S' in early 70's. Beemer version has more power but the Austin was a helluvalot more fun to drive.
Man, I’m not spending 20€ to wash someone else’s car only to get 2€ out of a video. The video is a quality video anyway, focus on what is said about the car. Sod off.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you very much for watching the video and for subscribing to Abriatus :) I hope you liked this R53 Mini Cooper S review
I dare you not to smile when you put your foot down. Favourite car of all time. It just brings me joy.
The central speedometer is part of the charm.
Agreed, I won't be changing mine
Me northern. Like my drag car. It has tach right behind steering wheel. When I drive cooper I rarely look at speedo. Tach is right where I’d put it
Every passenger has loved the central speedometer in my mini
It really is one of the best cars of the early 2000s
Future classic for sure!
It's already a modern classic and in 5-10 years time, the 2001-2002 Mini Cooper R50's will appreciate in value considerably@@abriatus
a cheap brake upgrade is to buy brake calipers from a Junkyard R56, clean them up, buy new R56 rotors and brake pads. It will be a valuable upgrade.
Never realized the brake calipers and rotors switch right over, good to know.
Will it fit a r50?
You need the R56 caliper brackets with the calipers and R56 flex brake line. For the rear you can stay with R53 hardware and calipers. No difference in size. If you change to R56 caliper on rear you’ll need R56 flex brake line.
Do you need to change the master cylinder size after?
I have a 2003 Mini Cooper and it hasn’t rusted or leaked in 20 years. It goes really well and the engine is strong. Surprisingly it’s done 124,000 miles and still hasn’t broken. Can’t sell it as it’s awesome.
So you recommend this particular car? Cause I'm looking one now, it's 2003 cooper s,1.6 , 163 horse power I think 🤔
yes I'd would, I got 1 now
I struggle to understand how people don't like the central speedo. For me it's the most characteristic part of the interior. And I think filling it's place with anything else looks odd. I'm not a Mini fanatic, but if I remember one thing from seeing them on the street as a kid when they were new it is that unique central speedo. What other car has that?!
PS. and you can put speed on trip computer screen, then you have it right on bottom of the rev counter
Me too, it is iconic, I wouldn't want to own an R50 or 53 without the central speedo.
I’m actually one of those who can appreciate everything else but the interior on this car.
I feel deep inside. All car-manufacturer. I have C4 coupe traktool, fuc*ing central speedo ...😕
As a spirited driver, the tach in front of me is more important. Speedo is a second thought! LOL.
Me too!
I❤my Mini.
Have been resurrecting an R53 for a few years now, paid $350 for it. Replaced cylinder head with head studs, new timing set, good used 2006 supercharger, new water pump, larger injectors, 15% pulley, intercooler, brake lines. 148000 miles. Needs some body work and paint yet a blast to drive. It is needing some more repair, not getting rid of it.
Just finished a nice long road trip in my R53.. It was a little rough sometimes, but a lot of fun. Made good time too ;) And these damn things turn heads everywhere you go. Mine is a nice dark metallic green, no strips, no white top or what ever color they sometimes do. Nice factory rims, looks and sounds great. less than 50k miles on it. I was at a gas station, came walking out and a Porsche GT3 RS was sitting there at the next pump, I start drooling and talking to the guy a bit, go to get in my car and he yells at me "I was checking out your car too!" haha People just like them, especially car people. They aren't crazy fast, that's for sure, and once you hit around 100mph, forget it, but they are damn fun to drive on back roads where you can let the super charger scream and rip around corners. Rally them! On the trip I saw another cooper s like mine, got up next to the guy, messed around a bit and the next thing you know we're off to the races! Then we stumbled upon a woman driving an R53 too! She joined in on the fun in a hurry, next thing you know it was the Italian job on that highway for about 150 miles haha
True. They’re not fast but HOOK the corners. Catch me if you can.
Great comment but I don’t understand why you said “when you get to 100 mph forget it” ???
I have a 2005 R52 Cooper ‘S’ (170bhp) and I can assure you that they will do more than 135mph! (Just don’t ask me how I know!) 👍🏻
I bought a jcw r55 mini clubman after selling my mk5 gti about 3 months ago and I absolutely love my mini. And I understand the Miata comment also I own a na Miata as well.
I have a r53 JCW 2006, (208-210hp stock), from the factory it comes with bigger injectors, smaller supercharger pulley, jcw brakes, ECU remapping, jcw exhaust system, LSD, jcw air filter, and other goodies. You feel the difference from the cooper S to the JCW, the JCW is more fun and those extra horses with the exhaust pops from factory are worth it.
I really love my r53 JCW.
I have a heavily modified R50 (it has a carbon fiber R53 hood, though) and parts are sure getting expensive! I've owned the car since new in 2005. I rarely see other first-generation cars on they road, and when I do they're in bad shape. I feel like I'm driving something special, and I get thumbs-ups from guys in classic Porsches and other great cars. Thanks for the video. Oh, and (edit), it doesn't matter if you go with a car that doesn't have the chrono pack, because there's a digital speedometer in the tach (like a Porsche or Ferrari). I much prefer the look of the single tach over the wheel and the central speedo than the double chrono gauges over the wheel - it's more driver oriented.
Nope where are you looking parts for my 2006 R53 are dirt cheap from whole engine to transmission to aftermarket parts...very cheap
@@orustusamunade8936 Not here in North America, they're not. Also depends what you're looking for, and if you want new or used parts, and if you want OEM or off-brand. I don't buy used parts unless a new part's not available, and I always try to get OEM parts.
@Honest Reviewer hmmmm I have a built 2006 R53 with all the bells and whistles and more added and most if ny items are new I have only put 3000.00 into already and it's a head turner 😉 so I'm not sure where you are sourcing your items from.
@@orustusamunade8936 Not sure where you're sourcing yours from. 😄 I get mine from the usual, Pelican Parts, Outmotoring, etc. I mean, a nice set of coilovers is almost $3K. My wheels and tires are more than $3K. A built engine costs anywhere from $6-15K. But good luck.
@@honestreviewer3283 wow noooo way lol
I have a standard 2005 r53 and its been brilliant .
Got a stock ‘04 R53 a few days before this vid was uploaded, with hindsight, I couldn’t have bought a better first car
I bought a 2006 R53 S Convertible from a junkyard in Mississippi two years ago as a little project car. $1400 and it actually runs and drives great! Single owner, clean title, Low miles, all electronics work fine, I could tell by all the Taylor Swift stuff left in the car that it was just ditched by a younger female who probably got tired of the stiff suspension and road thuds haha. I've just been upgrading it since then with better performance parts, upgraded braking, a new ignition coil, better sparks and wires, the smaller SC pulley is on the way, upgrading airflow, exhaust, fuel injectors and ECU mapping are also in the plans. Super surprised how much fun this car is, and it has so many small details and surprises you didn't mention and probably wouldn't know about until you've driven one for quite a while. It's much more practical than I would have guessed too. I have folded down the back seats with the top down and have moved almost an entire apartment's worth of stuff across town with a couple trips. I have also brought home a 65" TV new in the box down the highway, just because I could get it to fit and to enjoy all the turning heads. I wish I could attach a picture of it here. Love this car, other people stop me to tell me how much they like it, and I whole heartedly agree it will be revered as a true classic one day. Great Video, keep it up!
I'm 6'4 and can drive it fine. Was very surprised how well I could fit
Same thing that surprised me as well. I'm 6'0 and had to pull the seat all the way back in an ND Miata, no such issues with the Mini.
I have a r53 , 57000 miles. Turn the traction off and remove the cabin air filter and the noise from the super charger is much louder
Imma try this I’ll get back to you
Got picked up a r53 and have loved every minute of it
I have a Mini Cooper S (R52) 6-speed manual... fun as hell and the top comes down.
I purchased a new Mini Cooper S back in 2002 when they were introduced in the US. In the end I was running a lot of parts from the John Cooper Works catalog, tuned with a 19% reduction pulley and a Miltek catback. It was a lot of fun but it was always at the dealer due to oil leaks from different areas on the engine. I bailed out of it as the power train warranty was due to expire. I still remember that car fondly. It’s been Subaru wrx life ever since.
I smoked a guy in his WRX the other day with my R53.. I mean I made him look stupid. He didn't expect it haha
@JEFFQUICKLE9 lol
My dad has owned 2 of them. Two of my brothers owned them. We can tear the front end off in our sleep now. Spent so much time working on these and it’s worth it. There’s nothing quite like these cars. It just sticks in the corners and it’s so much fun rolling into the throttle out of a corner.
Thanx for this review. Such a beautiful car!
I have a 2002 R50 and a 2003 R53, both great cars, troublesome but great all the same.
I have an R53 w/LSD and an NC Miata. Both cars are really fun, and I autocrossed both of them. Dynamically, they are very similar. It's hard to have a bad day thrashing around in the southern Appalachians in either car. That being said, they can't be compared when it comes to reliability. I put 125k miles on both cars. Zero issues with the Mazda. Not one. The MINI had all kinds of problems. Window regulators, the engine spit a spark plug out of its cylinder, every seal around the brake lights leak when it rains, headliner fell, rear suspension is noisy as h3ll, coolant reservoir leaked at 75k, the hatch release stopped working, the front strut towers "mushroomed", overheating power steering, etc etc etc If you live with them both for long enough you realize, "I'm always driving my Miata to the MINI dealership for parts..."💡🙂 So you stop driving/sell the MINI and go have some Tougé fun instead.
Plus RWD!
Agree. If you are in a budget there’s nothing like a Mazda!
great value for sure, but make sure you can work on cars. You'll have more fun than a lot of higher HP cars. Plus the instant power from the blower is a nice change for the previous turbo cars ive owned. My R53s in the shop rn getting a new headgasket and street cam, should be around 250bhp, and the getrag 6 spd and 06 gear ratios are perfect
Ive owned a 2005 sti, now have an 2006 r53 s 220k miles going strong, both cars fun for different reasons, the mini has a charm to it that until you drive it you cant really appreciate; cheers
Buying mine next month .. a 2005 edition in Grey and black .. this will be my first car and im already n love with it !! can't wait to drive it. !!
You better thank your parents endlessly, what a lucky lad you are!
@@zackobrien2223 AHAHAH im 48 years old dude, used to live in Paris and was driving a Vespa LX 50 for 30 years .. now I moved to country side .. had to get my license .. my parents are far away .. lololool
@@FranckRogerDJ GD man, you’ve been missing out. Driving is bliss my friend.
just detailed one like this--it had the engine and supercharger rebuilt--a very badass little car--now gorgeous!
Awesome video brother, I just purchased a 04 mini Cooper s r53. Can't wait to restore it to its factory look.
Ya shoulda bought mine. One very small dent and needs tires. 26016 original miles. Two tone heated leather seats. Immaculate interior. 26016 original miles. $7500.
My 2006 R52 has 267.000 km purrs like a kitten. You have to watch out for the waterpump not breaking down every 80.000 km, taking the supercharger down with it. That will be very expensive.
I think the Chrysler engine is fairly bulletproof.
The beauty is in its' simplicity..... the W11 is in my opinion the "Mezger engine" of the Minis.
The Tritec motor was a collaboration between Rover and Chrysler. It was built specifically to fit in the MINI. It uses a cast iron block to save one inch of precious space!
When I spotted some drops of oil on the floor I added some "Liqui Moly Oil Loss Stop" to the oil and no drop was to be found for the last 70.000 km. It is cheap and worth a try before doing anything mechanical and more expensive.
Other than the supercharger being wrecked by the waterpump the only annoying quest was to find the *fuel pump relay* when I thought the fuel pump had stopped working.
On my R52 the fuel pump relay is hidden in the fuse box and a great pain to get at. In the end I bought a used fuse box from the yard and everything has been running ok since then.
guy looks like 25 and says " i remember when these cars came out" 🤣
great review btw
I have an R52 Cooper S Sidewalk (520 left in the uk)! Loads of fun, still looks great even now but almost has a classic feel to it! It's the last of the 1st gen and last of the superchargers. I think the bonnet / hood release is on the right side as these cars are designed for right and drive and adapted for the left hand drive probably to pay homage to the UK roots of the mini. Either way these cars are great, fun factor 10/10.
I currently drive an '04 R53 S with 26K miles on it. I bought it 21 months ago with 15K months. I've put 11k flawless miles on it commuting between Chicago and Knoxville.
I love the car despite, to the vlogger's chagrin, mine has a big speedo in the center dash. But if your going to look at this iteration of Mini in a historical context, the big speedometer in the middle is classical Mini.
I am planning on trading my 2004 Electric Blue R53 for a 2013 R57 JCW Mini convertible unless a serious buyer emerges very quickly.
The car is in excellent condition and drives like new. Yours for $7500. It could use new shoes. Thx.
Very great deal! Wish I could cough up the cash. Also, Chi to Knoxville, very nice! I went to school at UT. Now back in Nashville.
@zackobrien2223 I ended up trading it for the 2013 JCW converible in BRG with saddle brown leather seats. Drove all the way out to Oregon to get it and lost a tire in a Wyoming pot hole on the way back. But "Nigel" survived it ok.
Went from Oregon back home to Rocky Top and back to Illinois....about 3000 miles. Car was magnificent.
The wheels. What brand are they? What size?
ive found one at 2500 euro at a very good shape no rust 250k km and it was fully repaired at 246k km looks really good and i hope by the time i get enough money that its still available
I had a Leyland mini as my 1st car. Speedo was in the centre of dash so that's where it should always be. Now I have a original r53 in electric blue and white
Where can you find a front like that, so that the grille design makes it look so large?
Does anyone have the name of those rims fell in love immediately and need to make some some budget changes to get those babies on soon
So what are the most common things to check whet this is lacking power? I drove a friends r53 today and by the feel of it it lacks some 30-40hp. Boost, missfires, maybe some vacuum hoses, ignition system? Anything in particular that these things are knows to loose power from?
What wheels are those ?
Hermoso auto, tuve el R50 con pack chilli, muy divertido
I am changing my 5w30 synthetic oil every 2 yrs or 15.000 km whichever comes first and am flushing the engine with the Liqui Moly engine flush additive each time before an oil change. Last time I flushed and changed the oil the engine noise was so low, I thought the engine was not running. It was and still is. You will need to decide for yourself what, when and how you go about changing your oil. This has worked ok for me.
You make beautiful content. Good information, accessible. Nice to watch. Out of respect for your work I pressed 'subscribe' and liked your video 😀. I came across your channel by accident. I am an R53 owner myself. To be fair, it is a maintenance-sensitive car. But as you already describe in your video, it is a car with a high fun content. Naturally, cars from this segment and certainly also from higher segments are faster than the R53. But, on the small roads. Roundabouts, curves. There where you have to reduce speed with a 'normal' car. You always win with the Cooper. With the wheels in the corners of the car you have a sublime road holding. This in combination with the Eaton compressor gives you a small rocket! Have previously driven Peugeot 205 GTI and Fiesta RS1800. At the time, I sold these cars for a fraction of what they are currently worth. The same will happen with the Cooper S R53. The car will increase in value as time passes. The question is only if you when it is a daily driver. Whether you can and want to wait for that. 10 to 15 years is a long time in a cars life. Don’t forget these cars were built till 2006. So the first models are at least 20 years old. For now it is a fine driver's car. Just enjoy driving it so long it lasts 🔥
205 GTI 1.9 is very close to the legendary Delta Integrale.
I am planning to cure its biggest construction design flaw by putting an electronic racing waterpump in it instead of the mechanical waterpump. The mechanical waterpump is attached to the supercharger thus taking the supercharger down when the waterpump might block after some 80.000 km or so.
Why does the water pump fail? Lack of maintenance. Change the coolant every 5 years. At 100k there’s a load of regular maintenance that should be done including the water pump, thermostat and housing, serpentine belt and tensioner, timing chain, suspension bushings etc. The supercharger is made by Eaton and uses Eaton lubricant which also needs to be done.
Do not expect a 20 year old MINI that has had no maintenance to be cheap to own.
Im a bit late to the video, but i just wanted to ask, i own a R53, and it doesnt have an armrest but i find the one in the video particularly cool, where is it from or is it a stock thing on higher trim models? :)
The center speedometer is literally one of the best aspects of the car, it’s designed to look like a watch- it’s timeless. Also my mini r53 has the softest by far suspension out of any car I’ve ever owned- even with stiffer lowering springs. Tbh i wish it was more stiff and didn’t lean as much as it does.
My facelift 04 plate has the speedo in the dash like normal cars
I have a 2006 in the united states. All the options but the seats and the armrest. Only 12,000 miles on it
There’s companies that can take out the delay in boost from the computer. It was feeling like a turbo car with that delay. Super charger boost comes on quick. Asked some shops and that’s what I was told. Will put lsd in trans first. Would hate to keep replacing r/f tire!
I LOVE MINIS ❤🙏🤝🙋♂️🤗🤠🤷♂️👍
R53 ❤️😈😈😈 mine has 314k miles all original restoring it but man it’s fun fast
jajajaja buscando informacion sobre este coche y encuentro justo un video de uno rodando por sitios que conozco ;)
gran canal
When people hear my supercharger screaming down the road, I’m guaranteed more than a couple turned heads! These things are an absolute blast to drive!
What’s the avg used price on this ?
At least in Spain you can get them from 7.000€ onwards for decent examples
As mentioned in the video, people have been ditching them and many end up in junkyards where they don't belong... I bought a 2006 R53 S Convertible from a junkyard in Mississippi two years ago as a little project car. $1400 and it actually runs and drives great! Single owner, clean title, Low miles, all electronics work fine, I could tell by all the Taylor Swift stuff left in the car that it was just ditched by a younger female who probably got tired of the stiff suspension and road thuds haha. I've just been upgrading it since then with better performance parts, upgraded braking, a new ignition coil, better sparks and wires, the smaller SC pulley is on the way, upgrading airflow, exhaust, fuel injectors and ECU mapping are also in the plans. Super surprised how much fun this car is. If you're in the US, check junkyards for hidden gems with these!
Thanks! Liked, commented and subscribed my friend!
Thank you and welcome to the channel!
I miss having this car 😢😢😢
Those of us in right hand drive markets would say that your steering wheel is on the wrong side, not the bonnet release!!!
could you wash the car before shooting
Not worth my time nor the money (€€€) 😂 and it doesn’t change what I say in the video ☺️
i need that bumper and those skirts for my R53 where can i find them? lol
Unfortunately, I’m 99% sure the AC Schnitzer kit for the R53 has been discontinued for around 10 years
What front grille is that?
A/C Sneichzer Body kit
I’ve bought an 2005 R53 recently, I’ve driven it for 2000km now, and I drive sporty. No problems whatsoever. No leaks nothing. Only thing I’ve noticed is that the clutch is a bit weak for the amount of power it has. Compared to other manuals I’ve driven it’s more sensitive to rpm’s. The sweet spot between stall and excessive slip is smaller. (Previous owner had the clutch replaced with oem, so an worn clutch is not the problem)
German export plates from the city „Essen“. Nice 😂
"The suspension of the MINI Cooper S is very stiff".
Also this MINI got 215/35R18 low profile tires. That's not help for the ride confort.
Not sure about the lsd
You could option a LSD. The JCW models came with them.
I own a car better than the r53……I’ve a R52 in cool metallic blue 😍
I've got a r53 for sale, runs, 2K OBO. Please come take it.
I pass, I like the central speedo, it's a manual speed MINI, so use the RPM gauge at eye level! Real MINI drivers gauge their speed by RPMs. Good Day
I've never seen an R53 with that type of grille... odd.
Yeah a JCW R52 or R53 are the ones worth more money. I still think the mini beats the Miata.
The central location of the Speedo is correct - the Chrono pack gauges are dummy gauges, there is no oil pressure sensor on the car 😂
Chrono pack is BS for this reason and people who disregard a good R53 due to no Chrono pack are morons. Apart from that, great vid 😐
Wrong. The chrono pack isnt even close to accurate and the tach on the column can give you speed..in digital readout. Which all my cars do today.
I have a r50, but the engine is a bmw engine in there i think
No. It's a Chrysler engine
Mini coopers are fun but very expensive
Mine 2004 Mini Cooper S . Wife's 2012 mini cooper roadster I like the 2004 better supercharged is better to me. I am looking for 2004 or 2005 . Wife loves hers but mine is better
The MINI is a much safer car than the Mazda. The Mazda is far too light imo.
I had an NC Miata and Loved driving it, but I never felt safe in it. I sold it and I'm getting a MINI.
tritec is 3 nations designed.
Or grab the more reliable f56 3rd gen. Oh and Bohemian Rhapsody sucks
And I had the R53. The Brazilian/ Chrysler engine was horrible. Back then. Can’t imagine how awful they’d be now.
😮
damn u can gear the engines .. no need of music here !! and the drive looks like a karting !!
Buying an R53 was my biggest financial mistake i've ever done
@@IAmProfitMusik My car at least makes me feel like I did, unfortunately i bought a car with good history but it still manged to bite me in the ass. At the end of the day, its still a british car made by BMW. It will make problems if not maintained properly.
Had one ! Wasn't impressive At all. Used to Amateur Race a 1275 'S' in early 70's.
Beemer version has more power but the Austin was a helluvalot more fun to drive.
Cool story, Boomer.
That grill is hideous 😢
English 😂😂😂 Everything on the wrong side😂😂😂
The least you could have done is wash the car. Lazy!
Man, I’m not spending 20€ to wash someone else’s car only to get 2€ out of a video. The video is a quality video anyway, focus on what is said about the car. Sod off.
You are full of it. I hate that song and never liked it. It sucks.
Junk
Yeah.....your comment pretty much is just that! Respect the R50-53 Gen1 Mini.
Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole and I work at BMW Cowley 💩💯👇