"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
05/15/2019 at 16:20 • Filed to: Found on Craigslist, found on facebook
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"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
05/15/2019 at 16:20 • Filed to: Found on Craigslist, found on facebook | 0
| 24 |
It’s been a while since I last bought a bike. I generally feel this is a good thing. I have a collection of toys I really love from my Goldwing to the CBR F3 I will ride through June and I don’t want to sell any of them. With that said, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been looking for any cool finds...
If I were to sell a bike, I’d sell the CF Moto. I’ve narrowed down that I want my next bike to be a BMW or Triumph. However, since I only work at the bottom of the market, any BMW or Triumph that shows up is either catastrophically broken or gets sold only a couple hours after it gets posted.
There were a couple of finds that made me think about parting ways with money, like this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . But ultimately, I love my current crop of runners (EVERYTHING RUNS!) to take on something that doesn’t run...even if I absolutely adore the Interceptor paint schemes.
During today’s search I stumbled on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and for a brief moment I considered sending a message.
It looks in decent shape and even has a 5 speed! Apparently it has a misfire. My experience with smarts says a misfire could be a coil, plug, or low compression. All but that last one have easy fixes.
On the other hand, I hear Minis are nightmares and I don’t know anything about them, so this sounds like a money pit.
Would you buy a $900 “Mechanic’s Special” Mini with a misfire? I mean, it’s basically an old BMW, right? lol
mazda616
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 16:24 |
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$900 is a good deal, I think. But I have heard those Minis can either be super reliable or maintenance nightmares. There doesn’t seem t o be an in-between.
GoodIdeaAtTheTime
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 16:30 |
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The Mini will be a nightmare. The manual transmission is hilariously fragile. Almost as bad as the automatic. Interiors feel cheap and not built to last. Misfire could be plugs, wires, coil, but I am willing to bet those have already been serviced. Aside from being unreliable, they are a blast. As an owner or all 3 gens, the first gen S was my favorite. Handled better than the later cars combined and that supercharger noise. That said I would buy it and look into something like a honda b or h series or even gm ecotec swap.
HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 16:31 |
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“this bad idea” rip aperson x1000
Nick Has an Exocet
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 16:31 |
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It’s a nightmare. My gut says it’s hiding skeletons.
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 16:40 |
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R50 is garbage. No R53? No want. However, I’d flip the crap outta that thing!
If I were a betting man, 90% of my money would be on a #3 misfire. For some reason, that pole on the coil always rusts. Just that one. Throw a coil, wires, and plugs at her and she’ll probably run fine.
9% of my money would be on the head gasket leaking coolant into a cylinder.
And the last 1% on a valve issue.
I would go look at the car, pop the #3 wire off of the coil. Buy car if the pole is rusted and fault code matches cylinder. Pass if it’s not. And immediately sell upon fixing. No extra miles. No use of anything. No further inspection. Wash my hands.
MiniGTI - now with XJ6
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 16:47 |
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I need that for rallyX! My wife would totally let me buy that!
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Mercedes Streeter
> AMGtech - now with more recalls!
05/15/2019 at 16:52 |
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My minimal Internet forum research seems to suggest you’re probably right on the causes.
It could be a flip, but it may not be that huge of a flip as old Minis aren’t worth a whole lot around these parts. I actually considered making one a Gambler 500 rig. Knowing me, I’d get it for a flip, fall in love with it...then you’ll start seeing me write about how my $900 Mini is putting me in the poor house. lol
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Mercedes Streeter
> GoodIdeaAtTheTime
05/15/2019 at 16:53 |
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Wait, the S cars are supercharged? *Adds to bucket list*
Cash Rewards
> mazda616
05/15/2019 at 16:54 |
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I feel it's how hard they were driven, and the harder the better. I used to autocross a Cooper s of this vintage, no one who rode em hard had any issues
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Cash Rewards
> AMGtech - now with more recalls!
05/15/2019 at 16:54 |
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No r53 no want x2
Steve in Manhattan
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 16:56 |
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I recall hearing that the clutches on these, especially the early ones, were inadequate to the task even though the horsepower wasn’t that much. But I only heard that ...
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Mercedes Streeter
> MiniGTI - now with XJ6
05/15/2019 at 17:04 |
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I mean, I could deliver it to you...provided it’s not hiding too many skeletons. :D
MonkeePuzzle
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 17:05 |
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there, now you can buy it
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Mercedes Streeter
> MonkeePuzzle
05/15/2019 at 17:09 |
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Basically a Mini Coupe that doesn’t look like it’s wearing a baseball cap? I’M IN!
TheTurbochargedSquirrel
> Cash Rewards
05/15/2019 at 17:27 |
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You are confusing enthusiastic driving with enthusiastic ownership. Minis don’t care if you drive them hard as long as you keep up with the maintenance. Don’t do the maintenance and they will be a reliability nightmare.
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Cash Rewards
> TheTurbochargedSquirrel
05/15/2019 at 17:45 |
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You’re right about enthusiastic ownership, but I do mean enthusiastic driving. I remember reading m5s of that era having a battery charging issue because BMW undersized the alternator in anticipation of the car being driven harder. It always seemed something similar with these minis, where driving them as Munich intended was better for their longevity.
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Cash Rewards
> TheTurbochargedSquirrel
05/15/2019 at 17:59 |
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Quote from road and track regarding 2008 m5. Not the issue or generation foe the battery issue, but a similar thing: BMW performance cars have a level of use anticipated from the factory that relates to reliability.
“Insiders at BMW in Germany say the oil consumption happens to customers who don’t ever flog their powerful, turbocharged V8s hard enough to fully break them in. Ironic.”
My X-type is too a real Jaguar
> Nick Has an Exocet
05/15/2019 at 18:04 |
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It’s a pretty small car can only hold 2-3 bodies.
PS9
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 18:08 |
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Its a Mini. S erial killers drive camaros, not hothatches.
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AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 18:14 |
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This lines up because they're a ton of fun to drive. If it were me, and all it needed was a coil to run right, I'd try to sell it for like 2500. No idea what they're worth at this point, but that still seems cheap to me.
ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 18:21 |
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They sound amazing :)
Also, dont buy the one you posted, the transmission is probably shattered by now, the 5 speed is made outta glass.
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TheTurbochargedSquirrel
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 18:44 |
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That Mini does not look like a good example to me. Mini’s have to be cared for or they turn into an absolute nightmare. This one looks like it has been neglected for a long time at this point. Body damage, scrapes, missing trim bits, staining all over the carpets, exhaust hanging low, missing tail light covers, those black rings around the lights are probably covering up disintegrating light buckets, and more.
My 161k mile Mini proves that when you keep up with maintenance they can be plenty reliable. This one is not going to be reliable.
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Mercedes Streeter
> TheTurbochargedSquirrel
05/15/2019 at 20:02 |
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Hell yeah! I was waiting for a Mini expert to show up. That intricate knowledge is awesome!
Well, guess I'll go back to dreaming about cheap Miatas that aren't mostly rust.
I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
> Mercedes Streeter
05/15/2019 at 20:24 |
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Just Buy the Damn Mini
van