We Bought Two Used Minis, But One Of Them’s a Total Nightmare! Mini Budget Fun EP.1

Check out our new weekly PODCAST - TFL Talkin' Cars! ( tflcar.com/podcast )
( www.TFLcar.com ) What we have here is a tale of two Minis: A 2010 Mini Cooper S that Tommy bought for $6,000, and a 2013 Mini John Cooper Works GP that Roman bought for just $13,000. While one of them turned out to be a pretty good find, the other ended up being a total basket case. Still, they're both Minis, so are both cars proof you can still have fun on a budget? That's what we're here to find out in this new series!
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#Mini #Budget #BadvsWorse

[@KeithZim]

Its always fun to watch the pain of owning a British car!

[@damilolaakanni]

Except it's built by BMW, which makes it even more painful to own.

[@nielsdebakker3283]

@@damilolaakanni Yup enghlish build quality with german prices. Oh joy.

[@jozefvelez8458]

@@damilolaakannithree emotions can be associated with BMWS :you would love to have one, you hate them, or pain because your broke cause everything broke

[@marlenaalvarado9280]

You mean German car?

[@philipjamesparsons]

As a Brit, these cars are very embarrassing. Combining the worst of German and British engineering and manufacturing. The Peugeot, Honda and Nissan cars built in the UK are actually pretty well reputed so we can do it well....just not with the Mini.

[@siegfriedfarnon9002]

“Always pay a mechanic like me to check it out.” Haha. You guys are putting out great content. Thank you!

[@stevewalker9888]

Ok. I found you by mistake,looking at how to’s for my 2002 R53. I bought my mini with the intent of removing the engine. However the 1st time I drove it it was fun and so responsive compared to my 1970 triumph herald, I fell in love with it. Basically I bought an r53 engine the rest of it albeit old but in excellent condition. I decided to keep the little stunner. I paid £1600. Put a few hundred into it. And a remap. It’s now 200HP. And puts a huge smile on my face. Like my original herald 13/60 does. Both are amazing little runners. I’m now binge watching you and your dad compete. Thanks for sharing

[@SDav21]

The dash of the GP is coming apart there probably because the airbags deployed and they tried to fix it. It's probably why the airbag light is on. If you look at the shot where they showed it, it looks like the airbag was stuffed back in and they tried to do a cheap repair on it.

[@ModMINI]

That's not where the airbag comes out. Airbag comes out of the rectangular area above the glovebox. There is no stitching damage there. This is either heat/dryness or damage during disassembly.

[@SDav21]

@@ModMINI I know. But it kind of looks like it could've been. Dashboards don't just come apart there even in heat. Other Minis don't.

[@AustinWilliamsonkittenizer]

Did you ever publish additional episodes? I can't find them on the channel :(

[@joetool4016]

Judging by those side sun visors, Thestraightpipes wouldn't know what to do!😂

[@HollywoodTRBroz]

Growing up the Italian Job was one of my favorite movies, really loved these cars because of it. Seeing you guys do this series is gonna be way exciting, brought back some old memories. Can’t wait to see them on the track!

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

The episode where TFL meets Hoovies Garage.

[@anthonyc1883]

Roman: "I got ripped off. That's the only way you can put it. This is the worst Mini GP in the country." Tommy: "But a typical GP in good condition is like 20 to 25 grand. There's a reason this one was 13.8"

[@ModMINI]

It's possible to find one with higher miles but in excellent condition for as little as 15-16k. These cars are typically well cared for, so there is not a lot of demand for one with this many problems. I would pay maybe 10k for it.

[@bradcomis1066]

Reset the airbag light, replace the tpms sensor and brake sensor. Nothing difficult about that. The real problem is the problematic body work. A few weekends with some tools would fix up the mechanical issues no problem.

[@ModMINI]

@@bradcomis1066 The airbag light is on for a reason. There's some messed up wiring, a deployed bag, or a missing module somewhere. Either that or whoever repaired this MINi is so unqualified that don't even know how to scan for airbag codes. Yeah, that's probably at least $5000 worth of body work.

[@fredbrackely]

My first car was a 'real' mini cooper s ,1968, 1000cc. I put a 1380cc big bore kit in it. 12:1 compression, 148BHP. Even with MiniFins brakes it was a very fun deathtrap. You could wheel spin it in all 4 gears on those 10" wheels lol. It was BRG in colour and we all named it the Goblin.

[@Lamster66]

Lol My 1st car was a 1972 mini 850. the chap I bought it from had messed about with it quite a bit ( which I didn't know as I never owned a car) Essentially I worked out it had a 1300 head on an 850 block ( A screamer) A 3 branch 1300GT manifold and a 28/32 webber wide arches rostyle wheels and a riley elf or wolsey hornet dash board. and no bloody carpet to go with the bent MOT My then Girlfriends Dad welded up the rusty shock towers and fitted new shocks The car was OK but I sold it before the MOT came up again as I was sure that wasn't the only reason the previous own put a bent ticket on it although the car was other than that pretty solid. It was also bloody quick you could put it off the clock round to the zero stop and it was as fast as my mates 1275GT

[@williamegler8771]

Your 80's Buick comment was kinda funny. But the Buick was probably much more reliable and lasted longer than any MINI ever built. $6200.00 over the course of 40k to keep it roadworthy is ridiculous!

[@davidbeattie4294]

I drive a Ford Flex. Sounds about right to me.

[@Romu1us]

Really looking forward to this series!!

[@dontpresssubscribe6777]

Really like the budget car videos! It’s interesting to see how good of a car you can get for a cheap price

[@miserchris11]

I’m excited for this series! Bring it!

[@jamesdeery5796]

Just copped a 2011 Countryman type s and I love it. Got for under 10,000 off to a good start.

[@bennettsamuel2166]

Thank you TFL Car! Great mini series!

[@Coloradoski24]

Fun series! So much you can do to both!

[@Auspice75]

I just traded my 2013 Cooper yesterday; this is going to be a fun watch.

[@928Porscheman]

Tommy don't be afraid of your n14s engine. I have a 2009 Clubman S with the same engine that had 74k in 2018 when I bought it. It was a one owner well maintained vehicle and I have continued on that path as the second owner. I have an excellent affordable MINI master technician that replaced my timing chain and guides before they failed, replaced the vacuum pump as it was leaking, the front main seal and oil pan gasket. Now my MINI is free of any oil seepage and has been trouble free for the past two years with just regular scheduled maintenance like a brake fluid flush, spark plugs and oil service. No problems at all with my coils as they are OEM MINI parts not the cheap Chinese ones that give the reputation of failure. Enjoy your awesome MINI! I can't wait to see your modifications to personalize it. Oh and ECS tuning has great deals on new OEM wheels. I bought a complete set for $500.

[@joshsmithy96]

I have a 2008 cooper s with the n14 engine. It is fine if maintained properly. Oil change every 5k miles. Use 5w40 for higher mileage engines. Change fuel filter and use best petrol you can get and the hpfp lasts a lot longer.

[@precool]

Great video. Love the father and son tag team! I'm loving my R56, joys and the pains.

[@minimanadam]

Got my 04 mcs for 2300 with some good mods on it. 2k$ later and it's a little monster that has surprised ALOT of people on the streets

[@DuaneCaldwell]

Great look at the risks of buying a used car online without a thorough exam by a good, honest mechanic. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series to see what you do to both cars, and how much it will cost in the end.

[@nosofive]

MINIs are fun to drive when they work but after 12 years and four MINIs I would never get another one!

[@davidlusk4350]

At first I thought who cares asbout mini. But 2 mins in to this series I'm hooked on final results. Roman is cracking me up, we've all bought a pooper deal once or 5 times in life. 6200.00 on a car seems like a chunk ! For comparison, my 2017 Xie Camry hit 103k on it, other then a weird rock taking out my a.c. condenser I've spent 0 on repairs. Still sounds and drives like new. Maybe shows difference in manufacturers quality? Great idea of series fellas, I'm eagerly waiting for 2nd show

[@jaytate491]

At 100k miles its probably on it s 3rd motor.

[@ScottyBennitone]

Best version is the 1st gen mini cooper s 2004-2007 supercharged . All you needed was a smaller pulley , tune , exhaust /intake , and some low pro wheels and tires . Maybe upgrade the brakes and you have a reliable track ready car .

[@hectorj6239]

Are those the generation with the Dodge Neon supercharged engine?

[@kamikazee3071]

Hector Medina I don’t think so because minis use bmw engines

[@ModMINI]

Maybe upgrade the brakes? Definitely upgrade the brakes. The R53 brakes are the worst thing about the platform. Poor man upgrade is to put a set of used R56 calipers and rotors on the front.

[@ModMINI]

@@kamikazee3071 It's a Tritec (Daimler/Chrysler) developed engine. MINI did not use BMW engines until 2014.

[@ryanmielnicki4985]

My first car (current) is a 2013 base Mini Cooper that we got for $6k with only 35k miles the only “major” problem is the ac compressor is shot. Other than that is it perfect except for a few unnoticeable small dents.

[@kingpin3919]

How does one abuse a vehicle SO badly!? But love all the content you guys continue to put out. Thanks!

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

It's a BMW that's how. BMWs attract that kind of buyer

[@SDav21]

It was probably in an accident.

[@brly4542]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv not to mention after about 60,000 miles they turn into money pots

[@ModMINI]

I think it hit the wall at the track. The left door was probably replaced. There was an online junkyard posting a set of GP2 doors for months. They replaced the door but did substandard bodywork for the other body panels. No respect at all for the pedigree of this extremely limited edition car.

[@stevejenks8892]

We got an 09 Clubman for $8,500 3 years ago with 90000 miles and except for a quart of oil every thousand miles it's been a good car. And it holds a lot of stuff.

[@rosst.2565]

This makes me feel better about my n18 mini s project. I have a similar problem as the gp, with the botched hood job. Go scorched earth like me only way. New hood rebuild everything, different seats.

[@buildmorefarms1007]

Best father son duo on You tube! Great video!

[@FurkanCemTurfanda]

Previous owner's maintenance is the most important thing.

[@johnjacob688]

I've given up on mine. Its a 2007 S and has all the mini problems and they all happened around the same time. I just keep driving the snot out of until it blows up. Its a shame because I really love the car.

[@jnmaher1967]

Really enjoyed Roman’s regret episode.

[@moonlightfilms5279]

Ehh I picked up a 2015 mini s for 15 that was certified with 16k miles over a year ago, that was a good deal! It even had a wang on it, not a manual but it alteast had the upgraded sport transmission and Harmon Kardon speakers👍

[@montefoley9070]

Love the sound of that door closing.

[@skywalker2852]

This is going to be a great series. Hopefully the updates to Tommy's car include removing the roof rack, lol - and gets a nicer tire/wheel package. Roman's car should just be carefully brought back to stock form. It will be fun to watch what they do either way.

[@Thoughmuchistaken]

Bought a used Cooper S a few years ago, spent the next 2 years spending a lot of money until I would spend no more. Great car to drive, just cost too much to keep it in working order, every piece of it was keen to break.

[@morganperkins8280]

Mine is a r53 done 120k and works perfect

[@Thoughmuchistaken]

@@morganperkins8280 That's fantastic, and I wish you many more trouble free miles.

[@evanbozogan232]

Same here, nothing but trouble, I’ve paid more money in repairs than I did purchasing the car.

[@evanbozogan232]

13K to purchase and atm 14K to keep it on the road, only owned it for 3 years and put 50,000 miles on it

[@virgoanb.6950]

2007 S with the n14 engine. 3 months after buying it, the clutch went. Fixed that and 2 weeks later the break sensor went. Fixed that and two months later the thermostat started leaking. Broke the cross over pipe replacing the thermostat. Fixed those two problems and now its back firing. Shocks are going, tires which were new are now chopped... I've had it 14 months, just hit 100k and I'm being told the turbos go around 100k... OMG what a POS!! If you're looking to buy a mini... get the justa. (Just A Mini) The N14 IS THE WORST! I still owe 5,840 on the turd and its spent more time sitting than any car I've EVER OWNED! My suggestion, STAY AWAY FROM MINIS

[@brennan8170]

So basically a mini can be a really cool car, if it has been taken care of 🤔 I'm hoping to get a 2011 Mini Cooper S (Manual ofc ^-^)

[@AdrianMcDaid]

I loved my mini cooper S with twin sunroof.

[@redride9404]

Location, location, location GP's are over $200,000 in my area and even a basic used mini starts at $30k

[@Randy_Gentry]

I'm excited to see what comes out of this.

[@ZappBranning]

You bought a car that has been hammered by some street racer 🙏

[@colingoldthorpe5918]

Funny I have three Minis a Cooper S, Paceman All4 S, and a Regular Cooper convertible. Other than tires and oil changes they’ve been super reliable. The paceman is a beast in the snow with winter tires I love them. Had trucks Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 for the last 8 years and don’t really miss them, especially when fuel prices go up....

[@Ray-uc8ij]

Your one of the lucky few than.

[@BillyfromConsett]

Enjoyed the video, but is episode 2 going to happen soon?

[@stevencruz4937]

i think it hit barrier spun and hit the back quarter. then up for sale.

[@OceanJangda]

Stoked to see what becomes of the mini Tommy 👀

[@SDav21]

Tommy you should do a paint correction on your Mini. A polish or something. Also, the engine in yours was a joint development between BMW and Peugeot. The same issues on there is the same in the Peugeots. We had a Peugeot 3008 which had an engine replaced because of the timing chain issue. Peugeot still uses it now actually but updated now and they have a version of it with 270hp in the 308 R.

[@alangabrielaldanaorantes5118]

With Mini Cooper you always find a surprise but of like it doesn't care, congrats and have a greats 2 proyects to do, rockauto sell almost everything you need it and is cheap.

[@JHuffPhoto]

Its funny that Roman acts like they look soooooo much different.Reality is that other than minor cosmetic differences they look the same. Actually Tommy got the much better deal. If you told me you were gonna give me one of those two cars for free and I got to pick which one, I would pick Tommy's car all day every day.

[@whoseyourchef2160]

If the car is mechanically sound - minus some warning lights, if they're not too expensive too fix, means that you can continue to drive it like you stole it, park is in a parking lot and not worry about another chip, dent or scratch. This all means you get to enjoy it and not worry about the odd bump or scrape.

[@VS666]

LMAO i was literally just considering one of these again...my luck would have it getting the nightmare one. i love mini it was my first car but damn theyre such a headache

[@ModMINI]

Get a 2011 or later. They are much better than the 2007-2010. 2013 is the best year.

[@ARTOFWAR2008]

Great video

[@emperor-of-pvp474]

02-06 r53 Mini Cooper s are the best minis they made

[@mariowhyte2816]

Yikes!!! Great content guys!!! Not so great deal Roman. Looking forward to where this series goes🚗💨💨💨💨

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

Might be? If a good condition GP goes for $25K and he spent $14K, what can he do for say $10,000? I feel like this GP might not be the loser it appears to be. Especially, if he's got high quality auto shops willing to take on the project! We already know from a previous video that the TPS monitor light was related to one wheel and can be fixed for $60. $9,940 to go!

[@roctive]

The Mini Cooper S is actually a fun car. Mini and Miata cars give a great driving experience. With the Mini, preventive maintenance is key. When you have a problem with a system it's best to rehab the whole system. Cost a bit but it pays off. Don't buy it brand new because you will loose big money. I'm going to experience the Fiat Abarth next. This should be a good series guys.

[@kdengo]

Mine was a hot mess also, but I am hanging in there so far ...

[@Mpdoyle007]

Good luck with that!

[@dynamoeffekt]

Where is the EP2 after 4 months?

[@philarob80]

Crossed 200000 yesterday. Needs second clutch tho and that stupid air back sensor other than that I love my just a cooper

[@nydrell1969]

Great vdo guys

[@mattdavies3023]

Im wondering if that car has storm damage. Would explain all the body work damage and the damage inside could have been a result of water damage.

[@jamesreckling6697]

Was that Trophy Motors in New Braunfels TX that sold it to you?

[@denault3985]

Looks like the "the days of Mini" are gone...our local dealership (newest in the auto-mall) went out of business a month ago.

[@LewReviews]

you got the wrong mini :D R53 best one yeah you need to replace long life shit like exhust and bushings maybe service the charger at some point few other bits but at least the engines work and are strong and they drive amazing and half the price

[@cameronstroud2606]

So it was meant to be a series and there’s only this episode??!!

[@randywilliams4325]

I have a 2009 Clubman s with coil overs and Willwood brakes I will sell at a reasonable price . Has new clutch .

[@alem.9505]

Mini content is awesome

[@michaelstewart1330]

R53 was the best generation by far. Reliable and light

[@OhItsReallyNoah]

Roman: “I bought the cheapest, worst Mini GP in the USA.” *hoovies garage has entered the chat*

[@doylee469]

Tommy can make any car sound exciting!

[@raftaf1405]

For 10k in the U.K. I got a 2016 Mini. That’s 12,000 USD. Which by the way had 33,000 miles, and is a really good spec. That Mini GP was such a rip off!!

[@1hasbeen531]

Gloom, Despair, and Agony On Me...Ohhhh!... Deep Dark Depression, Excessive Misery...

[@keithnewton8981]

Why did you not by mk1 mini.?

[@jaywilliams3625]

I would fix that GP up for the price you got that for then embrace what you will have at the end. Love the content you guys. Thank you!

[@TFLcar]

You are most welcome

[@mattlimberg5763]

I think the question is, buy the Mini or a GTI or Focus ST? Yes they are bigger, but do cost about the same, probably more livable. But are not as quirky.

[@WhiteKitta]

great video....and those cars are nightmares!.... aka total unreliable money pits....unless you are getting one from the 60' models I would never even consider buying this half price brand new...

[@gencgashi1370]

Are your sunglasses "entourage of beacon 1020" or just similar to these?

[@amgadbarakat7767]

Guys I just have one question I have mini clubman s R55 how I know if my Engine is n14 or n18 thanks

[@bioscan01]

the clubman 2008 to mid 2012 are N14 , one easy way to identify are the motor coils, on N14 are visible, the N-18 have a cover on top

[@OgnielG]

Where are the continuing episodes?

[@hereigoagain5050]

Fun to watch father and son role reversal. Usually it is the son that buys the exotic but wasted care.

[@rogervallve7375]

I have a 2009 and have not had any major issues.

[@lastnamefirstname520]

I am willing to pay 250 dollars for the GP when the series ends!

[@lastnamefirstname520]

But if it gets punished on the track, I’ll be going down significantly

[@shekharmoona544]

To get that GP right is way too much work. Body panel replacement, paint, electronics, probably suspension etc. I think Tommy is right, it's a lost cause.

[@toddrobertson1398]

Shekhar Moona when you love cars you don’t count worth in dollars and cents. I would put the money into it whether it makes financial sense. It’s not a Camry..it’s a rare mini.

[@temur72]

Strip it down and turn it into a track car.

[@ModMINI]

You can pick up a slightly high mileage one with good cosmetics and mechanicals for about 17k right now. This one is not worth the investment.

[@crazyraysgarage4962]

Yeah I know what you mean about the mini Cooper its a awesome driving car I have 2006 mini Cooper 5 speed and my clutch just went out and so 2020 has been a terrible year for me so far first my uncle died and then I thought I was going to lose my aunt as well but thankfully she did get well after a couple months in the hospital and then now one my mini has fallen sick 😷 and with no money to repair the costly expensive clutch repair cost due to this covid19 financially killing my small business I guess I just going to have have to let it be a casualty of covid 19 as well and I watch y'all guys videos all the time specially when you guys do the mountains with trucks sometime I do get your names mixed but have fun with your minis while you can but sadly my fun has ended but I guess that's life

[@matthewgrear3260]

Any update on this....

[@insxmnia_exe]

good trick with the magnet

[@racetherapy]

When is the series?

[@davestambaugh7282]

My mini was junk at a hundred and twelve thousand miles. The A arm bushings did not even last twenty thousand miles. Replacing a clutch takes three full days of labor. The parts are so expensive that they were obviously designed as throw away cars. Just like a disposable cigarette lighter.

[@clubsportf56s48]

What kind of mechanic does 3 days on a clutch job 😂 complaining on a good car when he used second hand parts and no experience

[@bjaydubya]

where is EP 2? or 3?

[@ericsalidbar1693]

I got my 07 mini cooper s R56 single owner which was an older lady for 3.6k. The car was pretty immaculate in its condition. I have had a few scares low oil pressure and boost leak which both were my fault also using premium fuel from a crappy np brand name gas station. So the low oil pressure was my fault because although i checked the oil many times when i first bought it i believe the original owner about when the last oil change was done. HUGE MISTAKE and i knew it, no matter what anyone tells you when you buy a car the first thing you do is change the oil first always always!!! The boost pressure issue was also my fault cause i forced a hose under boost off and when i put it back i didn’t put it on with tools i just did it by hand. The gas you use on minis is very very important do not cheap out on gas, it also made my mini go into limp mode intermittently and the light would come on and off very often although i didn’t ever lose power or do true half power On limp mode cause it would always go on and off until i went back to using exxon premium fuel. I go on long drives and thought i could just fill up after i left and Before coming home. Never again! Exxon is the gas MY mini preferred since i live in a crappy city most gas stations in my area have crap gas even the better known gas stations. So if you own a mini and the gas station you go to works for you use it. For me i know the quality of gas at most stations is very very low quality even at big name brand stations. Since i like to fill up the tank all the way after getting down to a quarter i had to deal with it for a while. I know it was the gas cause once it was done and i went back go exxon the code didn’t come back and many others on other mini forums have said they’ve had the same issue using cheaper or inexpensive gas.

[@passleft]

What happened to this car and the update?

[@danareed1656]

this is cool and funny

[@saddist1Gtown]

If I were Roman I would fix that Mini and just mothball it for a few years. It would double the outlay in that time. I had a Mini Cooper from 1989 bought as the second owner and sold it for a profit 2 years later the guy who bought it put it away for 5 years and double what he paid me. Can't go wrong- it should become the studio mascot.... (as a Brit ex-pat) I am biased of course. :)

[@CrazyIvan21]

That GP seems like it would be a perfect track car if you didn't restore it. Mini's are really fun to drive. Its too bad the old ones are a bit unreliable while the new ones are significantly more reliable but way to expensive because BMW makes them.

[@skyjack8884]

Where is the rest of this series?

[@jasonlarsen3515]

Nothing says fun like front wheel drive! Oh boy

[@sirgalahad1470]

Step one is to get rid of those ridiculous 16" wheels on that Cooper S. Go get the OEM 17" JCW Wheels, or get something from BBS, Enkei, or VMR. And then put a set of Pilot Sports on them. That right there will change the look dramatically.

[@TFLcar]

Please stay tuned

[@philipjamesparsons]

Terrible cars.....I can’t wait to see the next episode! Keep up the good work.