Awesome!!! Looking forward to the pictures!

 

Here are some more pictures taken in my driveway this morning

 

Love the blue interior!

I'll try to remember to take more pictures of mine, but I'm at work or school during the daylight hours of the week, so I can't really find a time unless it's in the morning before I leave for work. Maybe I'll try to do that.

Thanks for the pics!

 

Beautiful, beautiful. Whatcha got in the garage?

 

Here is a shot of the garage with the cars in it (except the 4-Runner, it has to live outside.

I currently have;
1966 Old English White MGB
1966 Old English White MGB-GT
1973 Green Mallard MGB (supercharged)
1976 Inca Yellow Triumph TR-6
1997 White Toyota 4-Runner
2009 Laser Blue MINI Cooper S

 

WOW!!! The MGBs must be a blast to drive. The only thing I really heard about Triumphs was one of my former bosses cursing them for the electrical wiring.

 

Very, very nice. I love the blue interior as well! Great choice!!

 

much too exhausted to type mussin and fussin and detailin Syd for nearly 5 hours, cleanin off all the dirt road trip residue, getting off all the rogue Cosmoline missed by VDC and dealer, puttin on the Klasse AIO but just had to take a moment to say that's one beauty MCS you have there Bob I couldve very easily built a blue MCS with a black top and that interior, with the english oak appts of course
so... you have the car. do U still have the gf?

(oh and i promise to make my 2,000 post on this thread.)

 

re the middle pic: that's a real rush, isnt it? makes the wait seem worthy. all that drama. I love it.

 

I almost went with the English Oak but I choose the brushed alloy to keep it light. With my love of classic British cars, this one is very traditional with the white roof & mirrors and the closest I could get to minilites for the wheels. But I do have to say that I think Sir Alec is spinning in his grave as this car is way more than I think he could have ever envisioned for the Mini. I started laughing when Vince - my MA - was going over all of the features. Except for the 4-Runner which is now over 11 years old, I am used to 40 year old British cars that really have nothing. And I have no clue what that thing is under the Bonnet (Hood). It does not look like anything I have ever attempted to work on.

As for the GF, well lets just say we are on a break right now but some of that is probably due to our age difference and my travel schedule as I am in my 50's and she is half my age and way more gorgeous, desirable and 'in demand' than I.

bob g

 

well B just dont name yr awesome new MINI after her, m'kay? believe me y'll catch many eyes driving that around

I'm giving Syd the full Klasse treatment this weekend while its warm and will post pictures soon. Something about red and black cars and Klasse It is the best cleaner and protective treatment for stripes, hands down, esp black ones.

 

Woo Hoo 2,000 posts! I need a life!

Sooooo... how's the motoring going? Anyone approaching break-in completion? (syd is only 375 miles short of this milestone.)

Observations:

-man that bonnet gets HOT!
-So much torque!! the torque steer forces one to think about shift points, acceleration, and steering
-Did 5-100-5 in under 20 seconds the other day
-otherwise all's well so far, no major rattle, buzzes, etc except when on rough pavement
-Conti run-flats are much superior to the Dunlops
-everyone who rode/knew about my R53 thinks the R56 is a much better car, despite the cheaper materials and obvious cost-cutting measures
-Bi-xenons make driving lites uneccessary

 

Took the MINI over Squaw Pass on Saturday. What a blast.
Here are a few observations;

The car is bigger than what I am used to - I know this seems strange but remember I am an MG collector.

There is so much torque and power, it seems endless. You can pick a gear and just leave it there. I made it from Denver to Idaho Springs, up & down Floyd hill in 6th gear, no need to downshift.

Handles like it is on rails, when I did hit some Ice & snow on some of the corners, if I started to slide the DSC kicked in and whipped me back in line

Ipod controls are a pain to scroll through to find an album ( I have 18 days worth of tunes on my Ipod)

Most MINI owners are like MG owners - almost all waved & many stopped & talked when I was parked. I answered a lot of questions about the magnetic stone guards.

This is a completely different driving experience from what I am used to with my classic cars, very modern and effortless.

I posted some pictures in my Gallery, including a shot of my garage.

bob g
1966 OEW MGB
1966 OEW MGB-GT
1973 Green Mallard MGB
1976 Inca Telow TR-6
2009 Laser Blue MINI Cooper S

 

Great to hear from you guys - I have to admit I've 'drifted' a bit from my NAM obsession now that I actually have Dory...

I am approaching 2000 miles - I opted to drive rather than fly to a conference in Indy last week, and that helped... I love everything about this car! I really haven't noticed any torque steer issues, tho' maybe I just don't recognize them, as I have driven several FWD cars previously. (OK, maybe also because I drive too much like a 'mom' now, too... ) I'm averaging about 33 mpg, and that's not too bad for an S - and much better than any other car we own!

Things I've noticed:
* other MINI drivers around here don't wave...wonder if they just don't recognize my Clubman as part of the family?!

* the thing that gets the most comments from friends and strangers alike is the fact that the rear club doors are 'power' - once you click the latch, they open on their own. That just seems to dazzle everyone from bell attendants to grocery carriers to my brother-in-law! (My daughter is enthralled with the mood lighting, tho...)

* the regular headlights have a very tiny range - kind of scary! the brights work great, but of course you can't use them all the time... maybe I should have gone with the xenons.........

* fun, Fun, FUN to drive! (Tho I've realized that we really don't have too many twisty roads around Kalamazoo, and most that are potentially fun have speed limits of about 25 mph... )

* I don't miss the armrest at all - even on a long trip

* sport seats are so comfy - no issues at all on a road trip, and I tend not to stop much once I'm rolling

* I got a lot of grief on a recent shopping trip when I bought a present for Dory and NOTHING for my kids.........go figure?!

* we had our first real snow yesterday/today and so far no problems with slick roads; still debating on the need for snow tires... I didn't notice previous to ordering that the front of the car is so LOW... Not sure I'm going to be able to handle more than a couple of inches of snow, at least not before the plows get out...so snow tires may not be a big deal after all

So, how are the rest of you enjoying your new rides??

 

All I can say is WOW! How do you decide which car to drive each morning??

Very pretty MINI, Berto...love the wheels. Looks like you have much better scenery around there than we do, at least at this bleak time of year.

 

Hey, folks. I've still hardly put many miles on mine due to other obligations and the fact that I just don't go outside Boulder much. That being said, I've noticed the torque steer, for sure, so I have to be careful making it around some of those corners... The armrest installed by my dealership is just better all around than the factory armrest. It's in the perfect position for me, is functional for all it's purposes, and just makes me happy. As for waving, I've waved at four but have only gotten one returned. That's better than none! I've ordered OEM rubber mats from elsewhere (cheaper even after shipping than going to the nearby dealer) and am looking forward to receiving those in a few days. Oh, and it took me a while to get used to how loud the engine is if you're just idling with the windows down. Weird. I read through my manuals a day or two ago, so that was exciting.

At this point, I'm just looking forward to a nice ~400 mile trip to visit family for Thanksgiving. That's why I'll really get to enjoy it--out on the open road, HiFi drowning out the sounds of the world, and breathing deeply the comfort of movement.

 

because of the TS Ive learned to keep both hands on the wheel when accelerating, unlike the R53 that virtually no TS unless U stepped on it between 3k-5K, and even then it was minimal.

I was attempting to pass 3 cars on Weld County 49 between Hudson and Greality and as I moved into the passing lane I downshifted steered and accellerated at the same time (paddles will let U do that) and I thought the TS was going to put me into the ditch! Huge lesson learned!

 

[quote=wurking_girl;2555834]All I can say is WOW! How do you decide which car to drive each morning??

Now I am going to Freak you out. With my Job I have to travel 80 to 90 percent of the time and am only home on weekends. When I am not traveling I work from home. When I travel I usually use a Limo Service to & from the Airport. So for the most part, my driving is pure choice or pleasure driving. I also live walking distance to the grocery store so if I was not so lazy, I could walk there.

When the weather is nice and there is no snow or Ice on the roads I rotate through the classic cars to keep them active. I try to drive each one at least once a month. I also rotate them through the various car shows in the summer so each car gets shown at least once each year (cant let them get jealous of each other).

The 1973 Green MGB has been my favorite Driver for a while and I have driven it From Denver to Gatlinburg Tenn, Valley Forge Pennsylvania and Sonoma California for National MG events. The White hardtop has been driven to Olympia Washington and the Yellow TR-6 to Red Wing Minn for events. The white convertable is a 98 point car and I have not driven it too far from my house and use it for local shows trying to keep it in fairly pristine condition.

The 4-Runner is my Colorado Winter car but the MINI will probably become my day to day (when I am home) driver.

bob g

 

1580+ miles so far but I have a roadtrip planned this weekend to VA so that should add another 500+ miles.

This car is a BLAST. I keep getting these idiots riding up my tail until I hit the twisties. They just cannot keep up. hehehehe

WG~ I have gotten exactly one wave in 1580+ miles. I got a VERY nasty look from a guy. I go to a Spanish restaurant on a regular basis for lunch and there is a guy with a red Mini who shows up once a week or so. I always complimented him on his car. The day I showed up with my Mini and he was there, I got the NASTIEST look.

Berto~ If you run into trouble cycling through those GORGEOUS cars, give one of us a call. I'm sure we would all be glad to help you keep them running in top form. Anything for a fellow NAMer.

 

Y'all are gonna point and laugh at me...but I haven't even broken 200 miles yet.

 

well, with 999 posts... , less posting and more motoring, hehe.

Your Thanksgiving trip sounds like a good bonding period though!

I picked mine up on Friday and already have over 500 miles. I'm currently suffering separation anxiety after all those days of motoring and now being stuck behind a desk...whaaa.

 

Congrats Coopdy! That first 500 miles went really fast for me, too - and the fact that it was 'almost' coincident with my first fill up on gas was pretty great...

Sequence, do you think the TS issue is less for me bc I have a manual? I honestly haven't experienced anything like what you describe...yet...

 

I know, I know! But I can post while I'm at work. And at home doing homework. And in the middle of the night. And from bed. And I only live 3 miles away from where I work and go to school.

And blame the 'random thought' thread for many of those posts...

 

Wandrur, don't feel bad. I'm at 650 miles, but I'm breaking her in very gently. Haven't driven her over 60 MPH, and haven't pushed the RPMs past 4k. I try to keep the RPMs at 3k for the shift points for the most part. 100% pure city driving. When I get to 1,200 (or 1,250, whatever) miles I'll definitely hit the sport button and let 'er rip!

My kids love the mood lighting as well. Girl wants pink, boy wants blue, and we end up settling on purple?

Brake dust and the boot getting dirty quickly are an issue, and it's hard to get out there and wash her in the cold. Any opinions on drive-through car washes (touchless vs. cloth)?

I like the HiFi system. iPod navigation through hundreds of albums can be a pain. Wish there was a quicker way to get to albums that begin with the letter 'W' for example.

Bluetooth hands-free system is nice and fun to show off.

Anybody found a good use for that net thingy on the passenger side floor next to the center console?

Xenon headlights (headlamps, whatever) are great. Turn those babies on with the front fogs and I'm projecting the Sun!

When I went in for my first fill up another MINI pulled up next to me. We chit-chatted about our MINIs, and she gave me some pointers. If I see you on the road, I'll wave!!

 

Oh yeah. And those seat warmers are dang hot!!!