Apologies if this has been posted before, but I was unable to find it.

New member here- been lurking for a bit.
I've never owned a car before (I do drive, rented cars, etc.)
I'm planning to buy either a 2010 off the lot or to order a 2011 Mini Cooper S. It's going to be mostly weekend driving either in or out-of-city.

Having read the opinions here about the benefits of a non-RFT tire, I would like to have non-runflats from the very beginning, rather than wait to buy a new set. Will get AAA and a slime kit.

Is it possible to get this (Edit: I meant non-RFT tires as a dealer-purchased option, NOT the slime kit) from the dealer while buying the car?
If not, what is the preferred way to do this? Sell the near-new OEM tires (has anyone done this- ebay/craigslist/NAM mktplace? How much did you get for them?)
Sell tires only? Sell tires+wheels and buy aftermarket?
Any ideas on what would be the best way to do it?

Lots of questions- thanks in advance for all your help!

 

I sold my used 14,000 mile Dunlops on Craigs list for $175.00 with a plug in one of them.

I got my Slime and pump-kit along with two cans of aerasol slime from Amazon.com

I don't think you can get the items from your dealer.

I carry my slime and pump in the cubby hole under the carpet in the trunk. I do have "AAA" The top one that will tow me two hundred miles if needed.

 

Thanks, Ronnie!

Pity the dealer won't put on non-RFTs (that I'd buy separately) for me.

Definitely leaning towards taking them off immediately and selling them near-new (maybe at 75% price?). The cash will help offset the cost of the non-RFTs.

 

We knew long before taking delivery of our new MINI we were replacing the tires and wheels. We bought the replacement wheels ahead of delivery and when we received the car, it went straight to our tire shop.

We used craigslist and sold the whole stock set in less than a week. more than covered the cost of the new tires.

We also went with a small portable compressor (fits in the back side compartment) and a plug kit. Did not want to deal with the slime stuff.

All of this was a bit of a hassle, but well worth it. The MINI looks and handles better than before. Good luck.

 

I went with the mini spare used in the standard cooper. Got a spare tire bag and it fits in the rear with the seats up. Never have used it but it's nice to have.

Kevin

 

Sauron, If you are going to keep your car stock & not lower it and it has 17 inch wheels from Mini you may want to use 215/45/17 tires. There are plenty of Mini owners that already opted for this size because they will fit with stock wheels without rubbing or any problems at all. I can't tell you about non-Mini wheels because of the different offsets ETC. that aftermarket wheels have.

I personaly like Michelin tires so that is what I bought. I'm keeping my JCW stock so the 215/45/17's are perfect for me.

I bought a couple cans of Aerasol Slime because I do want to get to a safe place fast if I have a flat. Do """NOT"" use Fix-A-Flat because it will destroy your sensors "Slime" will not. I already had to buy one because of Fix-A-Flat.

You also can use 215/40/17's but they will make your car ride just as hard as the runflats. They are nice and wide but not tall enough to absorb a lot of road shock. The 215's are almost an inch taller then 205's and nice & wide. The car will ride a lot better. You need to get the tire brand of your choice.I have Michelin Exalta PE2 tires on my car and like them a lot. My tires are summer only tires so if you live anyplace with snow or ice you would want an all season tire. "not a summer only tire" I live in Florida so my tires are fine for me.

 

Thanks for the advice, guys

Ronnie948, I'm keeping the car stock- not sure of 16 vs 17"- probably 16". I haven't researched tire brands properly yet. I see people seem to mostly be running Michelins, Bridgestone Potenzas, Hankooks, Pirellis or Kumhos.
I will need all-seasons as DC gets a bit cold and apartment living means no space to store a winter wheel set securely.

Will stick to Slime for sure, then!

Thanks- good to know about the success- what aftermarket wheels did you get?

 

The MINI was ordered with the 16"'s and replaced with 17" MINI R99's. It was cheaper to buy separately. You can see them in my gallery. Tires are Falken FK-452's in 215/45 17. I had this brand on my 5-Series and loved them. They are great on the MINI.

 

I love my 16" R90s ... but you will definitly have more tire options to choose from if you go with 17" rims. Talk to your local tire shop and see if they will take yours as trade ins since they will be brand new.

Bob

 

http://www.amazon.com/Slime-Smart-15...544097&sr=1-12

I have not used it but from what I have read on this and my Corvette Forum it is pretty good.

 

I had dealer remove the RFT from my MINI before I took delivery. I purchased Michelin Pilot Sport A/S plus tires from Tire Rack and delivered them to the dealer. The dealer offered me $500 for the set of RFT.

These RF Dunlops sell for over $250 each but I found very few people willing to pay more than about $125 a RF tire (brand new!) here in the Atlanta area. There is a whole market of people that don't mind the RFT and buy replacements for $125.

I wound up selling my RFTs to a friend that had a MINI and did not mind the RFT.

Still, I don't regret the move as I have enjoyed the better ride, lower noise and handling of the non RFT.

Regarding 2010 vs 2011 - there are a lot of upgrades for 2011. If I were buying today I'd go with the 2011. Check out the improvements for 2011 at http://www.motoringfile.com/section/2011-lci/

Good luck.

 

Both the 90s and 99s look really good, Speedwing and Tym2relax!

Tym2relax, did you get them from the dealer? Or ebay? or elsewhere?

I've looked online, and my google-fu is clearly weak, I was unable to find them new elsewhere, except on a UK site and ebay ($275 each for R99s from a mini dealer including shipping- seems to correspond closely to dealer price)

Thanks!!

 

I'll check out that route and see how it works out, thanks!

Yes, I am a bit stuck on the fence on this one. I think 2010 S will only work if I can get a good deal (means buying dealer stock, I know). It'd be nice to have the car in summer, but a "good deal" is a must. If I can't get more or less what I want at a substantially reduced price, it'll be a made-to-order '11.

 

The best price was from Morristown MINI, check out their website....

 

My dealer would not put in non RFT for cars with RFT originally. Says it is a legal issue and they are afraid of getting sued.

 

Ronnie, you can do all 4 tires with that much slime!

AAA plus worked for me as well but there can be lots of waiting. When I was in a hurry one time and I told them I was in the side of a fast road and a near blind corner. They came out right away, and found the car at the hotel parking lot and I was in the hotel having a cold soft drink. Slipped twenty bucks to the tow truck driver and he did not say anything.

 

so to clarify - I am ready to dump my run flats on my 2004 MCS and my question is - can I use my original wheels and just change tires?

thanks in advance!!

 

Yes you can

 

You just be sure you get the correct size tires for the width of your stock wheels. Look on the sidewall of your tires and it will tell you the size that is on your car now. Then do some research on what brand non-runflat you would like. Then see if it is available in the size on your car now.

Carry a can of Slime aerasol or slime & a 12volt air pump with you.

Go to the "Tire Rack" for all of the tire information you will need.

 

thanks very much. yes I'm a big tirerack fan. great prices, selection and service. I'm running Sumitomos on my Porsche and Khumo, Advan and others also have good reputations these days. I'll start doing my research. thanks