I absolutely LOVE twisty roads.

Been riding my M/C (motorcycle ) in the Santa Cruz mountains and Sierra Foothills for many years and did a brief stint of amateur racing on the track. I never thought I could have even close to the fun of a motorcycle in a car. However, after riding as a copilot with a friend in her MCS convertible during a weekend trip (when my bike was out of commission) I am totally in love with MINIs

After doing some research and going through the online configurator over and over, I decided to go for a MC. He's scheduled to be 'born' on the 26th of June and I'm obsessed about tracking his progress and reading up on MINIs and the MINI community. Waiting until August for delivery is going to kill me. Never thought I could be so excited about a 4 wheeled vehicle.

Soon I'll have two twisties-loving vehicles in my stable, my M/C and my MC

 

I wish you could transport some of those twisties out here to Iowa! Welcome to the Mini Obsession

 

Welcome to NAM and to the world of MINIs. Tracking your MINI will definitely become a compulsion.

 

Welcome to the obession....be warned, the wait is soooooo long, but well worth it!!!!!

 

Welcome, glad you are here!

Can't wait to see pictures of your ride, have you thought of a name?

 

Welcome to NAM, unixgal! Love your specs...you've designed an awesome little Cooper! Be sure to keep us posted on delivery details and prepare to take pix! We LOVE pix!

 

Welcome, you will enjoy NAM. Enjoy the tracking, lots of friendly banter with the other new owners.

Post some pictures of your MC and the M/C together when you have the chance in August. It seems that the MINI and M/Cs go well together.

 

Congratulations on your new obsession. I used to ride a bike, that is until I hit a wall. I am far to clutsy for 2 wheels, 4 is much nicer. You should go on 'youtube' and search for MINIs racing bikes, I think you will be even more impressed. You can search under 'min vs' or even 'minis on the dragon', I think there are a couple there with bikes being passed on curves!

 

Welcome to NAM and to MINIs!!! Very nice combo w/ the HB roof and body!! I love the new Cooper engine, too...a nice improvement, I think!

 

Thanks for the warm welcome. I think I'm going to like it here

I do have a few pre-natal 'sonograms' of my new baby. The name Gromit has been coming to mind (I love dogs and animation + he's British), but now after looking around I see its been used by someone on the board and I don't want to be seen as a copy-cat.

 

There are a couple of Gromits on NAM. Back to the drawing board, eh?

 

You're now going to view Hwy-1 with a whole new eye! Hwy-49 will never be the same! Even better, New Priest Grade on Hwy-120 heading to Yosemite!

You've got to try autocrossing!

You have been assimilated.

 

Too funny! Thanks Locutus

I'm looking forward to taking roads old & new with the Cooper, even started thinking about some week-long motoring trips to go places I've never been.

btw... what is autocrossing

 

Oh, you are in for a treat and a good motoring education!

From wikipedia:

Autocross is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe, low-cost competition and active participation. An autocross is a timed competition where drivers navigate one at a time through a temporary course marked by traffic cones, rather than racing on a track with multiple other cars, as in road racing or oval racing. Autocross tends to place more emphasis on car handling and driver skill than on sheer horsepower, and events typically have many classes which allow almost any vehicle, from economy sedans to purpose-built vehicles, to compete.

 

Unixgal, you are in motoring heaven. My first experience with the wonderful coast of California came back in 1976. I was in the Army, heading towards DLI in Monterey to study Russian. I had a 1974 Pontiac Grand Prix...the same color as my new baby who is waiting for me in Dallas. A sky blue with white top wide tracking Pontiac. I ADORED that car.

Back on track.........I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest on that trip out to DLI. I waited 18 years to return, but I did so in 1994. And, I can thank the rugged twisty driving roads of 101, and that salt air for it all.

Happy Motoring to you.

 

OOOooooooo... autocross sounds like a blast . When & where?

 

Click on then link to the Forums, then scroll down the page to find the clubs near you to see if there are any autocross days planned. It's a good idea to attend a driving school, and often they are held in conjunction with the autocross events.

 

I have an Old Priest Grade motorcycle story! My Suzuki T-500 in the back of my 1965 VW van . . . with all my other possesions. Downgrade. Cool the brakes twice but still, in first gear, I couldn't stop at the T intersection at the bottom. You have to admire German Engineering as with both feet pushing, one on top of the other, on the brake pedal and both arms pulling on the steering wheel to help the feet, it didn't snap. I'm sure, as in Big Foot sightings and the Roswell Incident, memory is like a twisty chick; I think I was going 35 or 40 mph in first gear at the bottom. Somehow I made the turn without rolling . . . and no cars were passing the T intersection at the time. Later, I purchased metalic brake linings.

Last year I was cruising back from California in my wife's Saab Aero . . . my 15 year old son and his friend with me:We slipped up the New Priest Grade just as you intended, then dropped down the old grade. Easy pickings in the Saab. At the bottom I noticed the turn to the left isn't a 90 degree turn, but more like 70 degrees. This explains why I am alive. The best part about showing them this flash from my past was I got to do the New Priest Grade again. And speaking of Sasquash and Chaves County: Two myths have been disproven by this story. You're way safer on the bike than carrying it down the road in a VW and; You're way safer in a car that handles and brakes well than one which doesn't. Well, maybe the VW van isn't a typical representative of the state of the automotive art (then again, I recently drove a Tahoe . . . .)

Welcome to NAM

 

Hi BLue Skies 05, I do feel blessed (and cursed) to live in some of the best riding/motoring areas around. Blessed because of the beauty and bounty of curvy & hilly coastal and mountain roads. Cursed since its so $$$ to live here. Being a native, I really didn't fully appreciate the environment or climate until I spent 4 years of my life in Dallas - Ugh

btw... re: old Pontiacs - my first car was a '68 GTO (a year older than me - ooh, did I just age myself ). Cool car, but since I'm more into skill than hp, I think the MINI will suit me much better (also why I didn't get the MCS).

Driving your baby back from Dallas? Hope you're going to take a better route than HWY20 -> HWY10 -> HWY5 YUCK

 

Unixgal, to he double hockey sticks with the Interstates up the Western shoreline. I am almost 98% certain I will do the 101 all the way out of San Diego. My original plan was to do my "usual" route through Utah-Idaho-Oregon, but as I unwind I think a "memory lane" route to commemerate my falling in love with the West Coast is in order.

I knew back in the late 70s that your magical place of the world was not affordable. So, I schemed and saved and ended up in Wa. Which of course, is being priced out of the market real estate wise.

gokartide suggested I created A Wayward OCD MINI Detailing Committee...or something of the sort. In other words, help a wayward MINI motorist who suffers from detailing OCD (me) by offering a hose and products.

If I come your way, you are welcome to test my new beauty on my ancestral roads.

 

I could probably offer you a place to perform your OCD MINI washing compulsion and take a breather. I'm right off of 101 between SJ and SF if you end up going that way.

 

Well, here is my google map to be posted on my blog. As you can see, you are on my OCD route.

I would suspect good eats are in order up our way I do think CA solidified my interest in fine eating.......Monterey had some killer restaurants a la Alice Waters.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=e...8,54.84375&z=4

 

Supposedly today (26th) will be Tux's birthday.

I guess for MINI's the process is in reverse, they are born and then the mother/father has survive waiting for the delivery

 

welcome i'm new here and to minis also. just ordered my mini june 22nd. i ordered the same color and the same wheels as yours.

 

Welcome to NAM, unixgal and soul embrace!! What ever you do don't get caught up in the MC vs MCS foolishness that goes on here once in a while.
I've had both models and loved each of them. Beware the "MOD BUG", if infected, there is no known cure. Happy motoring to each of you!!