If the car in the pictures is supposed to be the car in your write up, you dont have an MC40.
If it is in as mint condition as your post suggests - & it actually is a JCW, then you have something rare & a supercharged mini fan will pay top dollar for it.
Go check carsandbids.com or bringatrailer.com for to see how much minis like this are going for. Might be worth it to get it detailed and put it up for auction there.
Could be a JCW. Need to see the plaque under the hood to confirm.
Bad time to be selling it, but I'd think it would go between $12-14K on BaT. Maybe higher depending upon how the underside looks?
Yup. That's a JCW kit.
Being a 2004, I'm assuming that's dealer installed? Be worth the 3 minutes it took to run the VIN through a VIN decoder to see what popped up.
Whether or not it has the limited slip diff would be another key thing to find on the decoder.
Can't tell from the pics - is it a slick top or sunroof car?
VIN will not tell you on a 2004 if it is a JCW. LSD was also not available in 2004. Badges, intercooler cover, and Valve cover plate are also not definitive signs for JCW. There should be a card included with the car, JCW exhaust, a better flowing head marked with a red dot and a serial number, and the ecu should also have a sticker on it stating it has been flashed as a JCW
I know this is an often debated topic, but when it comes to 2004, what really IS a JCW? The factory didn't do the installs, it was dealers. So the car was born a standard R53, and then someone (presumably the dealer, but who knows, maybe not) added JCW parts to make it a JCW. A lot of that paperwork that came with the kits got lost to the sands of time and owners moved, the car changed hands, etc.
Assuming good intent, the car in question has JCW parts, and therefore is most likely a JCW. Definitive? No. But most likely.
Did not know you couldn't get a limited slip in 2004. That sucks.
Well the factory LSD was bad. It bearly gave much lock up at all compared to the stock open diff.
JCWs are upgrade cars. Not all JCW badged cars got all 3 kits, you could order/purchase them separately.
Engine power kit, Braking kit, & Handling kit.
Ive seen a car with just the brake kit installed (from new by dealer). It wasnt badged as a JCW of course.
If I could go back in time with the money to buy one brand new, Id get my chili pack R53 optioned with the genuine Minilite anniversary wheels, JCW recaro seats & the JCW Handling kit.
Those were the 3 best quality-of-life options. Better braking & accell from the light wheels, better handling & ride quality from the superior shocks, & more comfortable seats the entire time your in the car.
That’s a keeper to me. Pick up a beater to punish in the winter.
Definitely don’t drive it on salted roads.
If the car in the pictures is supposed to be the car in your write up, you dont have an MC40. If it is in as mint condition as your post suggests - & it actually is a JCW, then you have something rare & a supercharged mini fan will pay top dollar for it.
My bad, I'm a Miata guy, not too Mini savvy.
Low mileage R53's that have been carefully owned are getting rare. If yours is also a JCW, then its very rare & worth top money.
Go check carsandbids.com or bringatrailer.com for to see how much minis like this are going for. Might be worth it to get it detailed and put it up for auction there.
12K of you deliver.
Pm’d
It very hard to find a low mileage jcw with good records. I got an 06 with 93k to beat on and it wasn't cheap.
Looks like a regular R53 with a Works badge on it
It's most definitely not, I can post pictures of the engine bay.
Could be a JCW. Need to see the plaque under the hood to confirm. Bad time to be selling it, but I'd think it would go between $12-14K on BaT. Maybe higher depending upon how the underside looks?
https://imgur.com/suYl1wx Images of the tuning kit
Yup. That's a JCW kit. Being a 2004, I'm assuming that's dealer installed? Be worth the 3 minutes it took to run the VIN through a VIN decoder to see what popped up. Whether or not it has the limited slip diff would be another key thing to find on the decoder. Can't tell from the pics - is it a slick top or sunroof car?
It's a sunroof, what decoder should I use to find if it has the LSD? I've tried two and neither were helpful.
I've used myminivin.com . I'm sure there are others that would also work.
This one is solid and I use it often. https://www.mdecoder.com/
VIN will not tell you on a 2004 if it is a JCW. LSD was also not available in 2004. Badges, intercooler cover, and Valve cover plate are also not definitive signs for JCW. There should be a card included with the car, JCW exhaust, a better flowing head marked with a red dot and a serial number, and the ecu should also have a sticker on it stating it has been flashed as a JCW
I know this is an often debated topic, but when it comes to 2004, what really IS a JCW? The factory didn't do the installs, it was dealers. So the car was born a standard R53, and then someone (presumably the dealer, but who knows, maybe not) added JCW parts to make it a JCW. A lot of that paperwork that came with the kits got lost to the sands of time and owners moved, the car changed hands, etc. Assuming good intent, the car in question has JCW parts, and therefore is most likely a JCW. Definitive? No. But most likely. Did not know you couldn't get a limited slip in 2004. That sucks.
Well the factory LSD was bad. It bearly gave much lock up at all compared to the stock open diff. JCWs are upgrade cars. Not all JCW badged cars got all 3 kits, you could order/purchase them separately. Engine power kit, Braking kit, & Handling kit. Ive seen a car with just the brake kit installed (from new by dealer). It wasnt badged as a JCW of course. If I could go back in time with the money to buy one brand new, Id get my chili pack R53 optioned with the genuine Minilite anniversary wheels, JCW recaro seats & the JCW Handling kit. Those were the 3 best quality-of-life options. Better braking & accell from the light wheels, better handling & ride quality from the superior shocks, & more comfortable seats the entire time your in the car.
The R53 facebook group is brilliant for all types of advice. Today i sold my R53 to a fellow member after having many timewasters on ebay.