Last Major Mileage Milestone with the Mini

Kinja'd!!! "TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
04/10/2019 at 12:45 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!1 Kinja'd!!! 8
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Perfectly straight road, not another car in sight, never took my eyes off the road for longer than it takes to read the speedo.

Crossed 160k on my way home from work. It’s highly unlikely I will see 170k with this car with the issues it is developing so that will get to be the next owners first major milestone. If it wasn’t for the blown synchro, dying input shaft bearing, (small) rust spots on almost every body panel, and the countless rubber bits going bad because they are 15+ years old I would probably drive it past 200k.

I also think this officially makes the Mini the highest mileage daily driver my family has owned in my lifetime. My Corolla had ~156k on it when my dad disposed of it at the dealer when buying his first BRZ and I think the next highest would have been my dad’s 03 Impreza which had 12xk on it when he sold it. Next highest in the current fleet is my sister’s Impreza at a whopping 37k.


DISCUSSION (8)


Kinja'd!!! Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
04/10/2019 at 12:50

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It’s crazy to me that 160k is your highest mileage in the fleet. I think a lot of our vehicles have had more than that when we ’ve bought them.....

Here’s hoping it proves you wrong and makes 200k ;)


Kinja'd!!! TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
04/10/2019 at 13:03

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We’ve been the 2nd owner of most of our cars which helps keep the mileage low. That combined with my dad having bought 1 car for every year he has been married to my mom. Daily drivers tend to stick around for 4-5 years with toys seeing a higher turnover rate .

I don’t doubt for a second that the engine and body will make 200k, the transmission needs to be replaced though. That’s simply more money and work than I am willing to put into it. 


Kinja'd!!! SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
04/10/2019 at 13:20

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I’ve heard the transmissions on these were weak, but only had like one other data point (a friend’s TO bearing went at like 120k). That is insane to me. I’m very nearly at 200k on the VW and still on the original clutch. I really really need to do a gear oil change, because I’m about 100k miles overdue. Shhh, don’t tell anyone. haha


Kinja'd!!! ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor
04/10/2019 at 13:26

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Only the gearboxes on the normal Coopers. The 6 speed in my S is going strong at 205k


Kinja'd!!! TheTurbochargedSquirrel > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor
04/10/2019 at 13:30

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The 5 speed in the 2002-2004 R50 Coopers have a fas cinating history (originally a PSA design used in a ton of stuff in the 90s, design bought and used by Rover for a bunch of stuff, and then cost optimized by BMW a nd stuck in the Mini). I got lucky with a blown synchro but there are a number of ways in which they can fail that takes out the entire transmission. The big one is the rivets holding the ring gear on to the differential failing and throwing metal through the entire transmission.

The later getrag 5 speed and the 6 speed are basically bulletproof though.


Kinja'd!!! SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
04/10/2019 at 13:41

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Yeah, I think his was the normal Coop. That is good to hear!


Kinja'd!!! SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
04/10/2019 at 13:42

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Designed by PSA and then cost optimized by BMW *shudders*


Kinja'd!!! ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor
04/10/2019 at 17:14

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They are pretty tough afaik. Some  people put 250whp (around 260lbft) through them and they still seem to work fine.