I noticed the nasty, burning smell at first too, but it has gone away now. I've got a little over 600 miles on "Fred" and feel like I'm finally getting used to having my choice of 6 gears and how he handles. And, by the way, with my first fill-up I was getting a little over 41 mpg - calculated by hand (well, err... calculator). The OBC had me getting a little more than that but it's still fantastic if you ask me!! All this fun and great gas milage too!

 

Kelly,

The delivery went great. On the way home I pulled into a rest stop, when I slowed down I noticed smoke coming out from behind the car (yes - I freaked). But I realized it was most likely the exhaust system cleaning itself. I put approximately 130 miles on it coming home and the smoke and smell has not returned.
Our MA (Drew) at Flow Mini did a great job of explaining the car and all of the settings. We got to see the car in the detailing bay before it was finished and it looked nice. Once the detailing was finished, Drew decided to do the delivery in the maintenance area because it was dark outside and raining (all of the shop personnel were gone for the day). He had positioned the car so it was in the middle of the bay facing the door we came through. With the lighting and all it of the maintenance stalls in the background it was an AWESOME site. I don't know about other Mini dealerships, but the shop area at Flow Mini is one of the best kept shops I have been in, everything was neat and clean which really added to the overall "SHOCK & WOW" factor.

I will post some pictures tomorrow if possible, I want to try and get the fall colors in the background.

 

Greg,

Great to hear that all went well with the delivery of Bella! I can't wait to see your pics of a great MINI build. I'm sure she is stunning! Your delivery sounded similar to mine since there was some surface scratches/swirls in the roof, we actually took delivery and my MA went over everything in the detailing area and Finnigan was sitting in this huge area all by himself looking proud and ready to motor out those big doors.

Between work and home commitments I am still only at 125 miles but the burning smell has subsided. I had that black smoke pouring out of the exhaust the first day too. You would think they could mention that to you upon delivery.

Finnigan got his first bath yesterday (due to all the rain we've had since I got him) with lots of Prima products I bought several weeks ago. I'm hoping to get a nice coat of Epic wax on him before it gets too cold. You were smart getting the factory aero kit because I didn't realize how much black trim I would be detailing with the standard MCS trim! I used lots of Black Wow on him and he looks great though.

Enjoy your day with Bella and the family! Hopefully you are having a beautiful day for pics with the beautiful fall colors.

BTW, any of us with a laser blue should post pics in the laser blue thread. There isn't much love happening on that thread for some reason compared to the other color threads. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t=98702&page=8

 

We took delivery! The dealership was great, and the MINI is even better. It's gotten so many comments, and we've only had it a day!

 

Kelly,

I posted some pictures in the Laser Blue thread like you suggested. Here is one of them.

 

Greg,

That's a fabulous pic! Bella and the scenery look great

I got my first wave today. After waving at several other MINI drivers (and having some give me a strange look back ) I finally had someone wave at me. It was so cool - sort of like acknowledging a shared interest/passion. That happens to me all the time when I'm out in my '29 Ford from drivers of other old cars and trucks. However, with the MINI it seems somehow different. Left me with a big grin on my face

 

Red Fred,

Thanks for the compliment. We don't see to many Mini's down here, I think I have spied 4 in the last 2 months.

I did notice a lot of people looking on the way home Saturday.

 

Wow Greg, those are some great pic's! I wouldn't ever leave home if I were you. What a beautiful view you have.

Bella looks great too. I'm sure you guys are enjoying her. That's amazing that you have only seen 4 Mini's in 4 months. That makes Bella all the more special. I typically see 2-4 a day. I guess having a dealership in the city and living in a more populated area will give more opportunities for Mini sitings.

I've held off posting to the laser blue thread because I'm waiting on my new wheels/tires... hopefully I'll get them this week.

PS- Cooperation surprised me with my new signature yesterday so I'm done with changing it at least for a little while!

 

Kelly,

Thanks. After being in the DC metro area for 13 years it is really nice to be down here where it is not so crowded. It is great living where people come to see the fall colors.

Your logo is fantastic Cooperation did my graphic as well, he did several. He seems to be a great person and really enjoys doing this stuff for people.

You may have mentioned it in another thread, but what wheels are you getting?

 

I'm very pleased with the logo Craig did for me. I have no idea how he did it. I'm not real talented with how these signatures are created. I'm struggling with just posting pics right now!

He did a great job on your signature as well. I agree, he's super talented and very patient with all the requests he gets!

It turns out I'm pleased with the 16" oem wheels and runflats. They aren't noisy or have a rough ride at all. I hope the new ones are as good or better.

The wheels that I have on order are ASA AR2 with Bridgestone Potenza all season tires (non runflats):

 

Kelly,

Finnigan will look great in his new boots. Of course you know you will have to show us when they get mounted.
I ordered 17" Crown Spoke with All Seasons so I am set for little while I hope.

 

Thanks Greg. I was torn between getting them now or waiting until Spring. I really don't have the space (nor the inclination) to swap/store wheels seasonally so I opted to get them now and try to sell the OEM wheels/tires as barely used.

I thought I saw you post somewhere that your MA helped you get a config on your wheels that wasn't available normally. Was it the All Seasons? I know some of the 17" wheel options didn't have the abililty to pair with A.S., only performance, which didn't make sense. Anyway, how's the ride with 17" wheels? Is the whole family enjoying Bella?

 

Kelly,

Yep, when I did the configuration it would not let me choose any of the 17" wheels and All Seasons. I asked him about it and he could force it with two of the 17's and they were put on at the factory. It rides like a little stiff, but it is not bad. I really like they way I can feel the road.

My wife is having fun driving Bella and for now at least our daughter still does not know we got it. She still lives in Southern MD so we are waiting until she comes over for a visit. She didn't think we would like it.

 

I was really surprised at how relatively smooth the ride has been. We rented one for the weekend to help us decide if it would work for us and it was much rougher than Finnigan. I think when you get a bigger wheel/tire, it gets a little rougher... we'll see.

Just curious, how old is your daughter? All 4 of my kids (all teenagers!) are angling to drive him some day (and are not happy about my decision to get a manual transmission). Their friends are all diggin' him too. I've given several of them rides home or over to our house and they are suggesting I get "spinners"... I'm thinking no way!!!

 

I just thought I would share that my Clubman has finally arrived.

I have to say, it's SO RAD!!!

The car handles great and rides really well!

I put 20 miles on it "driving around the block."

I can't wait for it to be broken in so that I can really put it to the test.

 

Kelly,
Our daughter is 28 years as of yesterday. She has been out on her own since she graduated from college and worked a summer in Alaska.

Hey, a brand new car is the best one to learn to drive a stick on as it is still covered by the warranty. (Please be aware that clutch wear is not covered)

Spinners on a Mini, I would not do it either.

 

Congrats Slate on your clubbie. They are so much fun, aren't they?!

Greg- That's so funny that your daughter is 28. When you first mentioned her and the fact that she didn't know you where getting the car, I was picturing her to be really little/young! Not so much, huh? They grow up so fast.

It pains me to think about letting one of the kids learn to drive on Finnigan but, the one who is showing the most interest is my daughter who is 15 so, who knows, maybe I'll feel a little less protective in a year!! (protective of the car of course... I'll always be the overprotective parent).

 

slate_206,

It sounds like you are having fun with your new Clubman.

Post a picture in your gallery and let us see.

 

Don't forget, clutch wear is not covered by the warranty (like brakes pads and rotors aren't covered), so learning on your MINI may not be any advantage.

 

corcoranwtnet,

You have a point. I guess companies have wised up a little over the years. I am sure Kelly tool my comment as more of a joke than a serious one. I will edit my post to make the joke part more clear, so no one gets in a jam with warranty issues. Me, I learned on a 36HP 1963 VW Bug in the early 70's.

 

corcoranwtnet- thanks for pointing that out. I knew where Greg was coming from but I was unaware that the clutch wear wasn't covered. Actually when they delivered my car, I was in the finance office a total of 5 minutes because the guy was in a hurry to get to a basketball game. They really didn't go over much-just wanted their money. As far as the add-on warranties, he handed us his card and told us to call him if we were interested in finding out more about the options. I should probably call them and get the details of what is covered under maintenance and the warranty.

That's funny Greg, I learned to drive on a 1971 VW Bug. I loved that car!

Off subject, but what is your opinion of the invisashield? Is it very noticeable?

I'm trying to get in this Friday to have mine installed but I saw a few Mini's at the dealership (in for service) that were a few years old and the lines of the invisashield were fairly obvious, especially on the side mirrors. The cars also didn't look like they had been very well cared for either.

 

Kelly,

Until I got Bella, my bugs were my favorite cars - not the fastest, but certainly more fun and easier to work on.

The invisasheild is noticeable in several places, but you have to be looking very closely. It does not change the appearance of the car (time will tell) unless the observer is pretty close. One thing I did notice is that once the detailing was complete there were a few places along the edges where there was a white powder much like wax leaves in tight spots. The powder came off with a very llight wipe with a microfiber cloth. So while it will protect the paint, is does have some minor drawbacks. I think it was worth it though, because here rocks are everywhere as WV uses small gravel with salt mixture on the roads and the gravel remains year round.

 

Hey Greg,

What dealer do you use from your end of WV? My nearest dealer ended up being Columbus but at around 3 hours I wouldn't exactly call it near.

DaveJ

 

DaveJ,

I use Flow Mini in Winston-Salem, NC. It is about a 2 hour drive from the house. Hendrick Mini in Charlotte is the next closest one at a little over 3 hours.

 

I guess I better stick with Columbus. My GPS software puts Winston-Salem at around 5 hours.

I just returned a few minutes ago from having my sun roof tinted. The guy did a really nice job and it is rated to block 99.9% of the UV rays.

I have had a little trouble from living in the sun and while I don't plan to hide from sunshine, I have started to pick and choose when I get my UV's.

Thanks
DaveJ