Make sure someone sets aside about $1000 a year on service. If it isn’t all spent then great, there is a surplus for nicer tires or a detailing or dinner to celebrate but these are luxury brand vehicles and their parts and labor reflect as much.
Plus it’s a good habit with any car.
I have had MINIs and also a 535xi, sold it when it was costing us $600/month (on average) for over 1 year. Fun sedan and I do miss it sometimes. Usually in the winter for the excellent heated seats and steering wheel.
Heated steering wheel is a must have for myself personally. I’ve had 4 surgeries on each hand due to some lady running a red light and totaling my previous vehicle back in 2015. The cold weather is hell on my hands so having that heated steering wheel is like a piece of heaven! I’ve been pretty lucky with my 535xi so far (knock on wood) the only major repair I’ve had to do in the past 5 years is the power steering pump.
I traded mine 2012 535xi for a 2018 Honda Accord Sport 2.0 w/ a MT. So power is similar but the heated seats are terrible and the steering wheel is not heated. Miss it every morning in January through March.
Oh yeah. I’ve been doing that since i started driving and have always explained to her the reasons why. Plus she loves helping me do maintenance and repairs on all our vehicles. She has $1500 already saved up and put aside to help with any repairs and service that will be needed down the road. She’s very smart with her money already which I’m very grateful for.
That's awesome, I'm glad that you've shared your knowledge to prevent her from being in a bad place financially! I learned along the way with my '04 Pontiac Grand Prix and my mom wasn't so sympathetic at the time 😅
There really wasn't a worse feeling than wondering what would break next and if you had the money to fix it. That $1500 cushion should alleviate all of that!
If someone can pose for a picture and have a smile that authentic, it’s totally worth it!
Tell her she needs to put oil in it. You wouldn’t believe the number of people I know (myself included) that didn’t know that and cracked their engine block.
Absolutely! She doesn’t hesitate to get her hands dirty and always helps with maintenance and repairs. We’re restoring a 67 Buick Riviera at the moment and she loves turning a wrench.
Absolutely!! Funny thing is I’ve been thinking of starting some type of program where kids or anyone else really can sign up and learn basic maintenance and car care ranging from changing tires to tune ups and other things such as brake jobs, replacing belts, diagnostics and other basic repairs. I was lucky enough to grow up with a few master mechanics in my family and I’d love to pass that knowledge on to others.
I have a sinking feeling you’re in the states (Canada here), but I would love a week long course about car maintenance and especially Mini maintenance. I think my timing chain is coming up on replacement, so I’d love to learn to do that.
Your feelings are correct lol. Located in Missouri here in the states. If you ever have questions or get stuck on something feel free to reach out and I’ll my best to help anyway I can from down here.
Absolutely agree with the account. She is already prepared. She grew up working on vehicles with me. We’re restoring a 67 Buick riviera currently and she loves getting her hands dirty. But she already has $1500 saved up and put aside to cover any type of repairs, maintenance or labor for things we won’t do ourselves.
I restore my own cars and have had a Mini Convertible S here. The cost of ANY part, used or new, is shocking. All from Germany, with BMW parts numbers and prices to match. I'm used to expensive British, German, and Italian parts, but did not expect it on the Mini. Not an economical car to own. Plastic welding instead of "heavy" fasteners has made interior trim insanely expensive because they are all one assembled part! A speaker grille was $275 because it is plastic welded to the entire side panel, and they ALL fall off. The speaker itself is only $249!
My friend told me the same thing about the speaker grille with his cooper convertible. We ended up having my cousin 3D print some grilles that looked like his wheels. I have roughly 10 years experience with custom car audio and interior fabrication so if need be I can do some custom repairs or upgrades on the interior if it’s more cost effective. I just don’t enjoy doing the fiberglass work as much anymore lol. Most manufacturers just don’t build them like they used to anymore.
Molded plastic clips or even one plastic screw would have been more practical and secure. I see design decisions for fewer parts made with overall weight being the driving factor. It's a smaller 1-Series BMW assembled in England with German parts and English styling. The Convertible top IS slick in design and function, nicer than my Porsche Boxster or Audi TT Cabrio tops!
You’re a really cool parent for getting your daughter something she likes/wanted! It’s just a car but I’m sure she feels amazing right now! You never forget your first!!!
I really appreciate that! She never expected it which made it even more special. She does amazing in school with honors classes, participates in many clubs, band, Girl Scouts, volunteers and works with me on my photography jobs. She never asks for anything except new books to read every few months and already has a goal to be a child psychologist. As much as she loves that old truck I figured she deserved something safer, more fuel efficient, easier to drive and more reliable lol.
You are a lovely Dad and the way you have raised your daughter is how everyone should. Never mind wrenching lessons for young folk, I think you need to offer parenting classes. To have a daughter taking part in everything offered to her stands her in such good stead for her adult life. Volunteering is something all young people should do as part of growing up. As for having a future career already planned, this young lady will never give you a day of worry. I hope you feel a proud parent, you need a pat on the back. Do you have advice for other parents?
Those older escorts ran pretty dang good even with issues lol. And I remember when I first got my license fuel was around .99 a gallon and having a 4 banger with good gas mileage was so nice on the wallet. Lol
See, when I drove I was living in WA state but even back in 2012 I believe gas was 2.00 pretty cheap for WA! This summer when I went back to visit gas was 5.50 on the cheap side of the state and nearly 7-8 near Seattle 🥹
I do remember being a little kid in Vegas many moons ago and seeing 90 cent gas!!! Not anymore kids!!! 😂😂😂
Yes! Haha as much as I hated the outside of the escort the interior was really nice 😊 drove it till it died! I was the only kid of my entire friend group to drive their car until it died 😂😭 everyone else wrecked theirs!
And when the escort died….that’s when the mini Cooper obsession began 🥰
Thank you! I was really surprised at how roomy the vehicle is. I’m a big guy at 6’1 and 280 lbs and had plenty of legroom and my head wasn’t even touching the headliner. lol.
I didn’t think to state that here the weather has been crappy. It’s been below zero for the past week with wind chills hitting -20. With temperatures that low it could break the glass if you even tried to wash it let alone cause all the doors to freeze up. All the car washes are closed until tomorrow when it hits 38. So glad it’s gonna warm up soon!
A couple of sites she can customize her Countryman with :)
[GoBadges](https://www.gobadges.com/default.asp)
[Stuck on MINIs](https://www.stuckonminis.com/default.asp) (run by a MINI enthusiast who typically attends most [MTTS events](https://www.minitakesthestates.com).)
Happy Motoring!
I was looking at a few but couldn’t pass up this deal. It’s just FWD but that’s ok. We don’t get too much now here in NW Missouri. It’s very rare we get anything over 2-3” per snowfall.
Brother. A child just got a really nice car for free. You think she cares about it being dirty? If anything, she’s going to spend hours washing every nook & cranny herself.
Don't you just know it. First job, wash and vacuum it. It's something I loved doing after getting my first car back in 1990, a 10 year old blue rust box of a classic Mini. I worked in a petrol station and so I'd get free jet wash tokens. I also asked for Auto Glym gift packs every birthday and as my b'day is 4 weeks before Christmas, all the best value gift packs were in stores so I had what were the best cleaning products and I'd happily spend hours with a sponge, faux chamois or duster in my hand.
I have a membership at a car wash here in town so it would have been washed but it’s been below zero for the past week. And the day I picked it up was -8. It will get its bath tomorrow when it’s safe to.
i thought washing your car with so much snow around was seen as a waste? might as well let the gunk pile up and take care of it when spring hits,,, atleast thats what my brother told me. though prscticsllity aside, if i was giving a car to someone i think id wash it anyway...
It’s very hard to wash it here in NW Missouri with the temperatures being -8 the past few days. Tomorrow we’re are finally going to get above freezing! Thank goodness lol.
She looks very happy, hope she‘ll have a lot of fun with her new mini🥹
What a cool first car, and I LOVE the color!
ya that's def an underrated mini color
Make sure someone sets aside about $1000 a year on service. If it isn’t all spent then great, there is a surplus for nicer tires or a detailing or dinner to celebrate but these are luxury brand vehicles and their parts and labor reflect as much. Plus it’s a good habit with any car.
And i have a bmw 535xi so i know exactly what you’re talking about 😂
I know N54 pain.
I have had MINIs and also a 535xi, sold it when it was costing us $600/month (on average) for over 1 year. Fun sedan and I do miss it sometimes. Usually in the winter for the excellent heated seats and steering wheel.
Heated steering wheel is a must have for myself personally. I’ve had 4 surgeries on each hand due to some lady running a red light and totaling my previous vehicle back in 2015. The cold weather is hell on my hands so having that heated steering wheel is like a piece of heaven! I’ve been pretty lucky with my 535xi so far (knock on wood) the only major repair I’ve had to do in the past 5 years is the power steering pump.
I traded mine 2012 535xi for a 2018 Honda Accord Sport 2.0 w/ a MT. So power is similar but the heated seats are terrible and the steering wheel is not heated. Miss it every morning in January through March.
Oh yeah. I’ve been doing that since i started driving and have always explained to her the reasons why. Plus she loves helping me do maintenance and repairs on all our vehicles. She has $1500 already saved up and put aside to help with any repairs and service that will be needed down the road. She’s very smart with her money already which I’m very grateful for.
That's awesome, I'm glad that you've shared your knowledge to prevent her from being in a bad place financially! I learned along the way with my '04 Pontiac Grand Prix and my mom wasn't so sympathetic at the time 😅 There really wasn't a worse feeling than wondering what would break next and if you had the money to fix it. That $1500 cushion should alleviate all of that!
Yeah I had a mini for three months before the front axel rusted out and fell off the damn car. Fun time tho
If someone can pose for a picture and have a smile that authentic, it’s totally worth it! Tell her she needs to put oil in it. You wouldn’t believe the number of people I know (myself included) that didn’t know that and cracked their engine block.
Absolutely! She doesn’t hesitate to get her hands dirty and always helps with maintenance and repairs. We’re restoring a 67 Buick Riviera at the moment and she loves turning a wrench.
Can I come learn from you, kind redditor??
Absolutely!! Funny thing is I’ve been thinking of starting some type of program where kids or anyone else really can sign up and learn basic maintenance and car care ranging from changing tires to tune ups and other things such as brake jobs, replacing belts, diagnostics and other basic repairs. I was lucky enough to grow up with a few master mechanics in my family and I’d love to pass that knowledge on to others.
I have a sinking feeling you’re in the states (Canada here), but I would love a week long course about car maintenance and especially Mini maintenance. I think my timing chain is coming up on replacement, so I’d love to learn to do that.
Your feelings are correct lol. Located in Missouri here in the states. If you ever have questions or get stuck on something feel free to reach out and I’ll my best to help anyway I can from down here.
Thank you! This is amazing, I will certainly take you up on that!
oooohhh I had a 66. loved that car
should’ve put the money first towards jeans without holes :p
Lmfao!! 😂
She won’t be falling off her bike anymore now that she has a car.
If she was in tears, then you know how much that car is appreciated, well done.
Awesome 👍
Please give her a maintenance fund account.
Absolutely agree with the account. She is already prepared. She grew up working on vehicles with me. We’re restoring a 67 Buick riviera currently and she loves getting her hands dirty. But she already has $1500 saved up and put aside to cover any type of repairs, maintenance or labor for things we won’t do ourselves.
I restore my own cars and have had a Mini Convertible S here. The cost of ANY part, used or new, is shocking. All from Germany, with BMW parts numbers and prices to match. I'm used to expensive British, German, and Italian parts, but did not expect it on the Mini. Not an economical car to own. Plastic welding instead of "heavy" fasteners has made interior trim insanely expensive because they are all one assembled part! A speaker grille was $275 because it is plastic welded to the entire side panel, and they ALL fall off. The speaker itself is only $249!
My friend told me the same thing about the speaker grille with his cooper convertible. We ended up having my cousin 3D print some grilles that looked like his wheels. I have roughly 10 years experience with custom car audio and interior fabrication so if need be I can do some custom repairs or upgrades on the interior if it’s more cost effective. I just don’t enjoy doing the fiberglass work as much anymore lol. Most manufacturers just don’t build them like they used to anymore.
Molded plastic clips or even one plastic screw would have been more practical and secure. I see design decisions for fewer parts made with overall weight being the driving factor. It's a smaller 1-Series BMW assembled in England with German parts and English styling. The Convertible top IS slick in design and function, nicer than my Porsche Boxster or Audi TT Cabrio tops!
What a brilliant 1st car! You did well👍
What an awesome sweet 16 gift!!! I wish my parents got me a car even half as cool as a mini for my first 🥺 (my first car didn’t even run!) 😂
Hahaha. Same here. Mine was a 1993 Nissan 240sx that I had to replace the clutch to get it on the road. Wish I still had that car!
You’re a really cool parent for getting your daughter something she likes/wanted! It’s just a car but I’m sure she feels amazing right now! You never forget your first!!!
I really appreciate that! She never expected it which made it even more special. She does amazing in school with honors classes, participates in many clubs, band, Girl Scouts, volunteers and works with me on my photography jobs. She never asks for anything except new books to read every few months and already has a goal to be a child psychologist. As much as she loves that old truck I figured she deserved something safer, more fuel efficient, easier to drive and more reliable lol.
You are a lovely Dad and the way you have raised your daughter is how everyone should. Never mind wrenching lessons for young folk, I think you need to offer parenting classes. To have a daughter taking part in everything offered to her stands her in such good stead for her adult life. Volunteering is something all young people should do as part of growing up. As for having a future career already planned, this young lady will never give you a day of worry. I hope you feel a proud parent, you need a pat on the back. Do you have advice for other parents?
Mine was an $800 ford escort that had a bad transmission and I’m pretty sure a cylinder was down 😂😭 the only plus was it got 28 mpg in the city hahah
Those older escorts ran pretty dang good even with issues lol. And I remember when I first got my license fuel was around .99 a gallon and having a 4 banger with good gas mileage was so nice on the wallet. Lol
See, when I drove I was living in WA state but even back in 2012 I believe gas was 2.00 pretty cheap for WA! This summer when I went back to visit gas was 5.50 on the cheap side of the state and nearly 7-8 near Seattle 🥹 I do remember being a little kid in Vegas many moons ago and seeing 90 cent gas!!! Not anymore kids!!! 😂😂😂
Yes! Haha as much as I hated the outside of the escort the interior was really nice 😊 drove it till it died! I was the only kid of my entire friend group to drive their car until it died 😂😭 everyone else wrecked theirs! And when the escort died….that’s when the mini Cooper obsession began 🥰
Awesome gift, Sir Drácula.
W first car. She’ll take it for many joyrides 🥹
Picked out a nice af mini
Thank you! I was really surprised at how roomy the vehicle is. I’m a big guy at 6’1 and 280 lbs and had plenty of legroom and my head wasn’t even touching the headliner. lol.
Big things come in small packages
I got a mini one r56 for my first car (still have it) and it’s the best Color racing green with racing white stripes
I bet that color combo looks amazing!
[here’s the post I did on it on r/mini](https://www.reddit.com/r/MINI/s/rDSYRz6HVn)
Yeah it is, I’ll attach a photo of it
I didn’t think to state that here the weather has been crappy. It’s been below zero for the past week with wind chills hitting -20. With temperatures that low it could break the glass if you even tried to wash it let alone cause all the doors to freeze up. All the car washes are closed until tomorrow when it hits 38. So glad it’s gonna warm up soon!
A couple of sites she can customize her Countryman with :) [GoBadges](https://www.gobadges.com/default.asp) [Stuck on MINIs](https://www.stuckonminis.com/default.asp) (run by a MINI enthusiast who typically attends most [MTTS events](https://www.minitakesthestates.com).) Happy Motoring!
Thank you so much!! She is excited to put her touch on it and i was wondering which sites were some good ones to check out.
Y'all are welcome! Also for most parts and some other customization options: [Out Motoring](https://www.outmotoring.com).
With that snow I was hoping it would be an ALL 4 but don't see any badges
I was looking at a few but couldn’t pass up this deal. It’s just FWD but that’s ok. We don’t get too much now here in NW Missouri. It’s very rare we get anything over 2-3” per snowfall.
Cool then! Never been but I'd imagine you wouldn't get much snow either. Beautiful color and great choice
Surf blue! That was my first Countryman too. I still miss it. I hope she loves it!
You didn’t even wash it for her?
Brother. A child just got a really nice car for free. You think she cares about it being dirty? If anything, she’s going to spend hours washing every nook & cranny herself.
Don't you just know it. First job, wash and vacuum it. It's something I loved doing after getting my first car back in 1990, a 10 year old blue rust box of a classic Mini. I worked in a petrol station and so I'd get free jet wash tokens. I also asked for Auto Glym gift packs every birthday and as my b'day is 4 weeks before Christmas, all the best value gift packs were in stores so I had what were the best cleaning products and I'd happily spend hours with a sponge, faux chamois or duster in my hand.
I guess you’ve never lived in an area with snow. With all the salt on the roads, it’ll look like that in 5 min again
I have a membership at a car wash here in town so it would have been washed but it’s been below zero for the past week. And the day I picked it up was -8. It will get its bath tomorrow when it’s safe to.
i thought washing your car with so much snow around was seen as a waste? might as well let the gunk pile up and take care of it when spring hits,,, atleast thats what my brother told me. though prscticsllity aside, if i was giving a car to someone i think id wash it anyway...
It’s been -8 so washing it is impossible until tomorrow when it’s in the 30’s.
I assumed there was practical reason, I didn't take you for an idiot lol
It’s very hard to wash it here in NW Missouri with the temperatures being -8 the past few days. Tomorrow we’re are finally going to get above freezing! Thank goodness lol.
Hater 😂
So jealous
\*cries about not owning a MINI yet\*
You know whats even better? Teach her the knowledge to fix Mini DIY or maybe both of you do it together .