Automotive adventure anyone?

Thought I’d post this up for any adventurous person looking for a challenge or that has the time, location and budget…this could be that parent/wayward child project you’ve been looking for! How hard can it be once you are You Tube Qualified?
Delivery can be arranged (one time & one way) within a reasonable distance of the makerspace.

2009 Mini Cooper Clubman needs an engine.
140k miles.
Base model (na-means non turbo)
Automatic transmission (not cvt)
Woman owned(retired nurse-if you really are curious)
Open to offers.


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looks like with quite a bit of labor you can get an engine for about $2k. I’m looking at this when my engine grenades (180k miles somehow still working just fill a few liters of oil a month)

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Mitch,

If you opt to “do it yourself” - I’d suggest you only buy a used engine that you can actually see/hear run unless you are fully confident of the condition / maintenance history of the engine. These second gen Minis had a shitty timing chain tensioner design among other issues.

This is one of the parts that wiser folks would replace before putting a used motor in to a car they were going to repair. (if flipping the car - no conscious is involved so it doesn’t matter)

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Hmmm, an electric build if you don’t mind LiPos in your lap.

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Or a “Mr. Fusion”?

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Or LS swap.

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I’d pay money to see a ls mini with true to brand right hand drive

Just a hack away from…

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That is awesome! Makes me want to do the Mazda Miata engine/drive train swap in my '72 Opel GT asap. I have a lot to learn yet, but one day soon…

You have a Mini Vette? Can you post a photo or two?

You bet! I’ve done quite a bit of work to it already in Automotive. Still quite a ways to go yet till it’s like I want it to be. But I’m having a ball with it. Like having a toy model you can actually drive.


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It’s gorgeous!

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Thank you! I love it. Runs like a scalded little yellow ape. :wink:

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For those asking if the Mini Cooper Clubman has an engine or runs etc…

YES.

The car is complete and bone stock. It does “run” (boy that is a relative term) as long as the coolant tank is not filled with - water or coolant, otherwise it turns the engine into a temporary 1.6 litre water pump that pushes water out of places it shouldn’t normally exit - the valve cover in this case (not the coolant reservoir).

The car has been garage kept and usually well maintained until the water distribution pipe from the pump to the thermostat developed a leak and well…here she is.

Interior is very good to excellent.

If it doesn’t find a new home soon, pick n pull will be happy to have it.

Definitely not an “easy fix” but not impossible either.

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Doyle,

Was it the Manta that had the handle on the tunnel to open the headlights?
(like me, my memory is starting to age)
That car had great lines - much better than that of the V4 powered Sonnet that I used to take care of ages ago.

Don’t know much at all about the Mantas, but the GTs definitely have the mechanical lever on the tunnel that rolls the headlights open and closed. Big wow factor when people see it work for the first time. :wink: It’s one of the first things people ask about if they’ve ever seen an Opel GT before. In a lot of these 50 year old cars the lights don’t work. Luckily mine do. Not much rust on mine either, though I will be using my newly aquired MIG welding skills to replace the passenger side floor pan just in front of the seat. Already have the donor panel. Just need time to get up to the Space and do the work.

Everything on that car is almost purely mechanical. It does have a simple electronic ignition that replaces the stock points in the distributor, but other than that it’s like a big simple lawn mower. Easy to figure out and work on. Parts are readily available and not all that expensive, and there’s a big online community of helpful people with deep knowledge of the car and its history. I’ve also met up with several others in DFW that have GTs and we get together a couple of times a year. Fun people.

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Just as a point of reference for value, not apples-to-apples so take it or leave it: I sold a 2011 Mini Cooper S (turbo) 80k miles with a blown head gasket (gotta love the reliability…) for ~$2500 in 2019. They’re fun cars, don’t think I’d own another.

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That right there explains a lot in life. “It was a lot of fun, but I don’t think I’d do it again.”

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Full quote: “It was a lot of fun, but I don’t think I’d do it again. Hand me back my beer."

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I look at my Army days like that now - now that today’s military is being run by social justice twits. I’d never suggest law enforcement or the military until something changes for the better.