2003 Mini Cooper R50

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Blackie

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Quick post, after selling the Accord I went and looked at and bought a 2003 Mini Cooper.

I’ve only the one pic of it so far because as soon as I got home I was hit with a bit of bad news that I’m not willing to go into just yet.

So here is a pic and I deal with what’s most likely going to be akin to nuclear fallout from peoples whys and how comes when I feel able to

A074CEAD-2DA4-4A1A-BFE0-228920A80FF9.jpeg
 

Coog

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TCZ reg on it by any chance?

Back in 03 I bought a brand new one of these. Copper, Chilli pack, sports suspension plus and privacy rear glass. Paid 13,300 for it, drove it 18 months / 20k miles and sold it for 13,250… such was the demand back then.

Other folk in ‘new’ minis would wave at you and there were meets everywhere for them. We even had an event to go see the new Italian job. All hilarious thinking back about it but at the time there was nothing like it on the roads really.

Once the runflats were ditched one fitted with the SS+ (not sure but think they were eibachs) could hit nearly any corner flat out. Complete revelation. You’d see your passengers crawling up the seat belt as you tip into a corner at silly mph. Great craic. Done a right few gearboxes and pas pumps in them mind you. Think my first gearbox lasted 6k miles 😂

Have had a good few of them since. A ‘one’ with a bluefin remap which made it a lot faster than standard, couple of Coopers and an S with the pulley and miltek. I’ve always said that if that first Cooper ever came up for sale I’d buy it again.
 

Blackie

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@G N K in short I’ve re-evaluated my needs and the wife’s car will deal with camping.

@gav525 the accord was 136bhp and the Cooper is 115bhp (book figures for both). Realistically the Accord was all noise and no go though. Not to mention I never really fell in love with the car. It was good craic on Vtec but again mainly noise.

Even though I only drove the car home from Larne and picked my kids up from school in it, it’s already a far more engaging drive and feels quick for what it is.

@Coog no mate, it’s IIG**** reg and has 123k miles on it. Few wee silly bits needing tidied, missing trim around the hazard light switch, crap aftermarket radio in it, but nothing too much.

But yea definitely good craic to drive! I love the drivers seat, so supportive!

Plans are to start with tidying and then after May I’ll start with proper mods on it.
 

Dave..

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Blackie said:
@G N K in short I’ve re-evaluated my needs and the wife’s car will deal with camping.

@gav525 the accord was 136bhp and the Cooper is 115bhp (book figures for both). Realistically the Accord was all noise and no go though. Not to mention I never really fell in love with the car. It was good craic on Vtec but again mainly noise.

Even though I only drove the car home from Larne and picked my kids up from school in it, it’s already a far more engaging drive and feels quick for what it is.

@Coog no mate, it’s IIG**** reg and has 123k miles on it. Few wee silly bits needing tidied, missing trim around the hazard light switch, crap aftermarket radio in it, but nothing too much.

But yea definitely good craic to drive! I love the drivers seat, so supportive!

Plans are to start with tidying and then after May I’ll start with proper mods on it.
Click to expand...
Great car Brian. HTD.
 

ALN

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It’s really great you’ve been able to use RMS as a platform to come out of the closet….

Jokes aside r50/r53 minis are great! They’ve aged so well
 
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