I'm in the market for a Mini Cooper S. (Probably the supercharged version as opposed to the turbocharged).

Anyway...something that I keep seeing,...is the "mushrooming" of the strut towers.

Can someone provide pics of a "normal" strut tower versus a "mushroomed" strut tower?

It seems that this is quite common...and for a number of individuals, it will happen no matter what. Just a matter of taking a hammer, a 2x4, and a towel to pound the strut tower back into shape.

And a preventative measure...seems to be to purchase camber plates and strut tower plates.

Anyways,...so yeah...can someone provide visual pics of the mushroomed effect is? That way...I know what to look for when I'm looking at a car.

 

I don't have pics of strut tower damage (mushroom), but you can probably visualize from pic below.

If you are the unlucky Cooper driver to hit a pothole/bump (as far as I'm aware, the only way you will get mushroom damage) the top portion where the plate is located will have a hump/mushroom. That's when the hammer and towel come to good use. And I believe, MINI is starting to provide a hammer with their auto repair tool kit.

In addition, even with the plates, there is still no gaurantee you will not get mushroom damage. The plate will only lessen/slightly prevent from serious damage.