Hi Everyone I've just got hold of a 2004 Copen .. Body Wise.. It needs a bit of work especially around rear of the front wheel arches!! Mechanically.. All seems fine so far! Fingers Crossed! I used to driving my Classic MPI Mini Cooper S .. These two cars have a lot in common .. They are both brilliant fun to drive! As I get deeper into this wonderful car .. I'll no doubt be looking for some help & advice. But for now.. I'm just driving around with a smile on my face! Cheers Robert (Edinburgh, Scotland, UK)
Hello Recordist, and welcome to the most helpful bunch of Copen owners anywhere!!! Lots of fabby Copen fixing info on this magic site but you do have to search around and be clever with your search criteria. Lots of stuff on rust curing and prevention. Have a look at the bottom of my post “Headlamp Moisture” for info and photos on wing removal that should get you at your rusty probs. When you get confident do please post your own helpful Copen bits and pieces to jolly along the rest of us.
Hi Robert and welcome! You will have lots of fun, especially after you have the rust sorted. The car is easy to take apart, so there should be no worries If you know your way around a classic mini, the Copen will be easy as FYI: Oil changes (5w30, 5w40, 0w40) are due every 3000 miles or 5000km (6 months). Its important, that's why I mention it in every newcomers thread.
Hey! Thanks for that .. I'd forgotten all about the Oil Change frequency .. That's much more regular than most cars.. but then this little thing has some remarkable performance considering it's size! Engine wise it seems a little more complex than the mini... This Copen seems to have a few performance extras .. HKS air filters, HKS Sport Exhaust and a quite comical HKS Blow-Off Valve.. However I've no idea what the actual effect of these are! As I say big thanks for your advice .. Im only at the exploration stage.. but my questions are building up! You'll no doubt see them listed soon.. Cheers Robert
The Copen has quite a restrictive airbox as standard, so that's usually the first step, the standard exhaust rusts into pieces within a couple of years so a good stainless steel one is a bargain. Blow-off....well, they sound nice anyway.
Hi Thomas Looks like your going to need new panels there.. Here's some contact info for the ex daihatsu dealer I got my new panels from. Triangle of Chesterfield Ltd Derbyshire, S41 9AD T: 01246 454545 Otherwise go to the daihatsu dealer finder and see if there’s one closer to you. This dealership is now a KIA dealer but they used to be DAIHATSU. The parts are not cheap but at least you know your going to get original panels and there should be no fitment issues. All the best DR
