A quick good afternoon...

[CGF 3]

Hello....just a quick post to introduce myself and say thank you for the useful pointers and information gleaned from my lurking in the background as a visitor up to now.

Based up north (it's not that grim, honestly...)  I have a small unit which I moved into last year with a repair workshop and around 5-6 sales cars in stock at any one time. 

Being a great believer in trying to do the job right, I'm already VAT registered and everything, even though technically I'm probably still under the threshold but I'd far rather start as I mean to go on. I'm not exactly new to the game having had a prominent roadside pitch with 35-40 units in a big city for most of the 90s and early noughties but that was always sub £1000 (actually mainly sub £500 most of the time) so was a different kettle of fish to what I'm trying to build now.

As I'm tucked away in a little village these days, all my sales come from online so I'm currently looking to expand into a new site if I can find something locally that'll take maybe 20-30 vehicles and also to start offering finance and also aftermarket warranties etc.

With that in mind, I'd be extremely grateful for any advice offered! In the meantime, thanks once again for the goldmine of info already posted on here from those of you with far more experience in the trade :-)

Neil

 

[justina3 518]

sounds to me as if you have a good game plan, i myself though would not give the vat man a penny until obliged to keep the money in your pocket and not the mp's 

 

welcome aboard 

 

 

[CGF 3]

Thanks!

Re the VAT, it seemed impossible to get access to Auctions4cars and eBay motors pro without it so it seemed the sensible way forwards. The way things are going, I've turned over around 50k in the last nine months anyway so it's pretty inevitable that I need to go down that road regardless?

[Mat C 77]

Hi,

I have done a similar thing, small unit 3 months ago, 12-15 cars ( Mainly Mini's ) Sunk my life savings/begged/borrowed/looked under the mattress etc....

I went Ltd and Vat straight away as from home I was turning over 15/20k per month and now that's risen to 60/70k

Few things i've found..

I started using IWOCA who were very helpful and allow me to draw down on a pot of £££ as and when I need it for short term funding. I borrowed £10k from them last week and paid it back within a week and it cost me around £50 in interest. Most stock funders wont look at me until i have 2 years trading.

Just signed up with MotoNovo finance, who have been great, and I can definitely see my profits increasing by being able to offer funding.

I self warrant with Lawgistics warranties, I find this has saved me over £500 already in 3 month warranties. I sell £4-8k cars that I source myself, so i'm rather picky in what I sell and like to think that I do the job properly so haven't had much trouble ( touch wood!! )

Got an accountant, £50 a month and she does my payroll ( sends me a payslip each month! ) Vat return and Accounts. Saves me a headache as I hate admin. I just keep all my receipts and send them to her each month. my first VAT bill was for £1500 for the 1/4 so i didn't think that was too bad.

I use this forum for advice, which is great, there's a lifetimes worth of experience on here and I have alsways been a big believer in sharing knowledge ( and also taking other peoples!! )

Good luck for the future.

Mat

[CGF 3]

Cheers Mat. Only sold one Mini and was paranoid about any undue noise from the gearbox having heard all the horror stories but I must admit it generated plenty of interest and didn't hang about so perhaps I need to 'grow a pair' so to speak and buy some more!

I'm going to take a closer look at Lawgistics: So far, I've just self-warranted anyway with no issues but a few customers have asked for warranty information etc during handover so having everything down in black and white would be useful.

Regarding finance, I've been deliberating between Close brothers and First response both of whom seem to be regarded favourably on here? Having said that, I'll take a look at MotoNovo too now.

When it comes to business funding, I had the rep around recently from BCA and I can see the advantage should new premises arise in order to fully stock immediately but up to now, I've just reinvested and self funded. Only having space for 8 vehicles tends to keep it simple!

Good luck to you too though it sounds like things are going pretty well anyway!

All the best,

Neil

 

Edited July 27, 2016 by CGF

[Mat C 77]

Neil,

Cheers, things are ticking along, which is great.

I used Close to start with, rep came in ( a lad i used to work with way back when ) and he sorted my FCA in a flash, all going great but then 6 weeks on I still haven't been set up, called, emailed and keep getting the same answer, 'we are working on it' Its starting to cost me money now, so I made a call to MotoNovo - 3 days later i'm set up, have a quoting system and i can now offer funding - a week in and I have price boards, pull up banners, stickers, mugs and even pens! Brilliant.

Also signed up with Evolution, who were equally as impressive in their speedy set up and looks like I might have had my first acceptance with them this morning!

Mini's are great, old people, young people, girls, boys everyone loves a mini - there's loads out there so you can be choosy and they aren't that expensive to fix - I tend to stick with the R56 and onwards though, the early ones fall to bits to easily!

Anything you need, give me a shout.

Mat

 

[sparky 274]

Sorry to go off thread, but Mrs Sparky is adamant she wants a Mini, nothing fancy (apart from it being cream), for about 4-5k. Problem is, I hate the bloody things from past experience and see and hear so many horror stories about them that from a retail point of view in the under 6k bracket, I've given up on them. I've tried to talk her round into having a super sexy scenic diesel but she ain't playing. So as it will cost me too much to divorce her I'm going to have to bite the bullet. Apart from body control boards, power steering units, transmission and timing chains, anything else I should know about?

Thanks in advance.

[Steve92 80]

Get an r56 cooper then you only have thermostats to worry about. I love my cooper s it's great fun, the only issue I have is the sat nav seems to think it's in a different part of the country every so often and sometimes I get adaptive light failure but in 3 years it's cost me 3 oil changes, discs and pads front and rear and that's it. I ditched the run flats within 3 months stuck a sports cat on jcw steering wheel and gear knob. I open all the windows and sunroof and stick it in sports mode and then annoy the neighbors. 

[Mat C 77]

1 hour ago, sparky said:

Sorry to go off thread, but Mrs Sparky is adamant she wants a Mini, nothing fancy (apart from it being cream), for about 4-5k. Problem is, I hate the bloody things from past experience and see and hear so many horror stories about them that from a retail point of view in the under 6k bracket, I've given up on them. I've tried to talk her round into having a super sexy scenic diesel but she ain't playing. So as it will cost me too much to divorce her I'm going to have to bite the bullet. Apart from body control boards, power steering units, transmission and timing chains, anything else I should know about?

Thanks in advance.

HI, 

I have found a few of them tricky, but easily sortable. Avoid pre 2007 basically.

Common problems I have found

- Thermostat usually needs replacing ( fan stays on for ages after car only been running a few mins ) however most minis I have run hot and the fans kick in really early especially indoors as its really muggy

- Clutch & Gearbox usually OK on R56 onwards ( 2007 facelift  on Hatch 2009 on cabrio ) Check for the usual grinding box / high clutch

- Vanos timing unit - I've replaced one at a cost of c £500 on a 2007 1.6 Cooper

- Timing chain replacement is relatively easy - You'll hear the 'death' rattle when started from cold, I have only had this on cooper S. I've changed 2 in 9 months

- O2 sensors - Changed 3

- Rear suspension, Knocking from top mounts £400 job but i've not paid for one yet as I claim all mine back through BCA on the assured programme

- Tailgate handle button stops working - £70 new handle

- Armrests top snap off - EVERY ONE

- Sun visor covers snap - 5/10 cars

- Bonnets chippy and screens nearly always chipped

- Key replacement £150

I research each one I buy, MOT history etc and I only really ever buy an assured BCA car, or one i've driven. But I still make mistakes every now and then.

Spec, Mainly go for a cooper /  cooper d with Chili Pack / MF steering wheel and the bigger the wheels the better. You'll always shift it at a later date

Check my website for my stock, www.superminiuk.com

Ta

Mat

[M.J 35]

I've currently got a Mini Cooper S 2008 R56 which was idling very rough and misfiring, its in at the mechanic at the moment and they reckon the pistons are buggered, have you come across any similar symptoms on a Cooper S?

My one has done 79k with full history.

Edited July 28, 2016 by M.J

[Mat C 77]

4 minutes ago, M.J said:

I've currently got a Mini Cooper S 2008 R56 which was idling very rough and misfiring, its in at the mechanic at the moment and they reckon the pistons are buggered, have you come across any similar symptoms on a Cooper S?

My one has done 79k with full history.

Just has a 2008/58 Cooper S Clubman done 46k with rattle at 2000rpm - was a big end bearing £450 fix - but i did £1000 on a timing chain and a cam shaft pulley first!

 

[M.J 35]

Ouch! I hope my mechanics diagnose the fault correctly the first time round.

I've not been so lucky with the R56's, bought 6 over the last couple of months, 2 needed a clutch. One needed o2 sensors changed, i got them changed and the management light was still on, never did get it off. Got one in the mechanic with suspected piston problems. Oh and had a call yesterday from one i sold a few weeks back, warning light has come on the dash. 

In fact i've never had one particular make/model give me so many issues. I can safely say i'm having a break from Mini's for a while 

[Mat C 77]

MJ

Ouch

Guess i've been lucky - so far!

[Steve92 80]

Hpfp can be an issue on the cooper s and they also coke up on the n14 engine, both can lead to poor running. There are plenty of places that will decoke them.

i think my sports cat might have killed my o2 sensor ......

[Phil H 124]

4 hours ago, sparky said:

Sorry to go off thread, but Mrs Sparky is adamant she wants a Mini, nothing fancy (apart from it being cream), for about 4-5k. Problem is, I hate the bloody things from past experience and see and hear so many horror stories about them that from a retail point of view in the under 6k bracket, I've given up on them. I've tried to talk her round into having a super sexy scenic diesel but she ain't playing. So as it will cost me too much to divorce her I'm going to have to bite the bullet. Apart from body control boards, power steering units, transmission and timing chains, anything else I should know about?

Thanks in advance.

SPARKY NO DON'T DO IT,

many years ago er indoors had a lovely 4 year old 23k mondeo auto mint with absolutely nothing wrong with it(auto only licence), told her not to bother and within 6 months she'd be bored of it, I gave in and got her one, cooper auto, silver all the stripes, chilli pack, 5 months later the novelty wore off, she realized how impracticable they are and how astronomical  the repair costs are.

The one car that I lost a fortune on. 

PS. On another note got a job lot of balloons on the way from China if you're interested

 

 

[M.J 35]

Can't believe it, six out of the six now!!

Just had a call this morning for yet another Mini problem, sold this one around 10 days ago, 2002 full history, 1 previous Dr owner, very clean little car, drove spot on.

The customer calls this morning, having trouble engaging gears, clutch pedal goes limp, etc.

All 6 Mini's i've bought have had issues, ranging from a 2002 Mini one to a 2008 Mini Cooper S. 

Me and Mini's don't mix!

[SC Derby 259]

We've had clutches collapse

gearboxs need refurb

o2 sensors, rough running cause by leaking oil from sump

timing chains

knocking from the back

and finally a water pump

[sparky 274]

24 minutes ago, SC Derby said:

We've had clutches collapse

gearboxs need refurb

o2 sensors, rough running cause by leaking oil from sump

timing chains

knocking from the back

and finally a water pump

yeah, but apart from that....

Just to add, a garage repair friend of mine has these in quite often for VVT pulleys and rather than order them from Mini, he saves his customers quite a few bob (£200 rings a bell) by ordering exactly the same parts from Peugeot.

[JKG 16]

I've only ever sold 2, both taken in p/x

The 1st was a 2002 cooper in silver with 112k, engine/box/clutch/steering all spot on, abs & tyre pressure lights on, both sensors, sold with a 6 month warranty, didn't see it again.

The 2nd was a 2002 cooper in blue with 121k, again engine/box/clutch/steering all spot on, drivers window not working (reg), airbag light & horn not working (airbag squib £20 off fleabay & 20 mins to fit), passenger seat back jammed (jumping on it sorted that out), couple of brake pipes for Mot, sold with a 6 month warranty, came back in 5th month, passenger door seal leaking, easy fix.

I think I was lucky, but as I said these were part exchanges, I've never purchased one specifically for retail & never bought 1 from the block

[RH Trading 80]

I tend to stay away from them as well, We've got one in our service centre right now, lady who dropped it off said gears seem to be sticking, 09 Cooper, book full of main dealer stamps this is first time its not gone into a mini dealer. I'm just about to ring her - clutch is on its last legs and we're going to have to replace the gearbox, she's not going to be happy.......and its pink!

[Rory RSC 596]

I have had major headache with all of the ones I have had. 

Will not buy them in at all. 

[Tom 164]

Interesting, I've only had a handful of minis (2009 on coopers) with no issues. They sell well with full chili packs and big wheels. I'm not surprised others have had issues seeing as they are BMW product and I get nothing but hassle with German cars. Good build quality, chocolate engines. 

[Mat C 77]

Ill stick to em if you all aren't bothered! :-)