New mini owner saying hi!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Joined: Aug 2011
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From: Vancouver B.C. Canada
New mini owner saying hi!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello everyone!
I’ve just joined and wanted to introduce myself. I’ve got somewhat of an interesting history with Minis that actually started 22 years ago when I bought my very first car, a bone stock mint 1978 Mini 1000. I acquired it in the strangest of ways. My father first suggested it as a starter car since his first car also was a mini and after a ride in a friends I was hooked on the go kart feel! So I came across a guy selling an absolute mint yellow with brown interior, apparently he was doing masonry work on a property and the owner who also collected British cars had a huge fight with his son who was about to receive this car as a present. The property owner offered up the mini for $100 to the Mason to punish his son for not graduating. So he took it because he recognized the deal, but wasn’t interested in owning it. So he sold it to me and it was delivered on a flatbed behind a full size dump truck ….. it was quite an arrival for my first car.
Sadly I didn’t get to enjoy that car for very long as I had a head on collision with a Mustang coming home one evening. It wasn’t pretty as the Mustang was doing 80km/hr when he hit me. We actually got pushed back wards 100ft and sustained some pretty gnarly injuries. My GF at the time broke her leg, my friend had some good sized cuts across his head as he hit me from the behind from the back seat and I took the entire steering column through the windshield with my death grip. And all of us ended up in the hospital…… on Mother’s day. I still think about that crash every time I go by the scene. That was the only accident I have had in the 22 years of driving since then. Someone was looking out for me that day.
But in the end we all healed and it didn’t deter me from wanting another mini as I do believe we survived due to the box construction and sub frames giving the way they did. No air bags back then
My next car was a 1979 red mini 1000, followed shortly by an awesome 1968 wagon with cooper “S” running gear and a fiberglass front end. I don’t have to tell you how much fun that car was. After that I had one more lime green Mr. Bean look-a-like with the running gear I took out of the wagon once it started rusting out. I loved every one of them.
But that was all 20 years ago. Along came a wife, house, two kids and a bunch of other cars. I got the Bimmer bug later on and started appreciating the M cars for my driving pleasures. And so came ownership of a couple BMW e30 m3’s and a E36 M3 that I regularly took to the track as I got addicted to that as well. And that brings us up to today, Last week I was about to purchase another E46 M3 when I came across this little British racing green 2004 JCW Cooper S sitting at the dealership………
As soon as I looked at it I thought, “wow, now that’s a serious looking mini”. So I took it out for a test drive to see if these JCW’s were any better than the regular Cooper S had had driven years ago. I was blown away. I found myself making a cash deal right there on the spot and came home with the mini without even telling my wife! She just laughed and said ,”going back to your roots are you?”
So now I am exactly one week into my ownership of this little mean green machine. In that time I have learned that the original owner was also an enthusiast and ordered this car with every option available including the JCW dealer retro fit. It has the JCW suspension as well as short shift kit and custom interior trim to complement the two tone leather. It has had every scheduled maintenance done and the chief mechanic at our local Mini dealer knows the car intimately as he has put in all the upgrades…… perfect!
So I ordered some 16.5lb Motegi wheels for it and put on some new rubber.
And this past weekend I took it up over a mountain pass at 6am here in the coastal mountains in B.C. for a proper spirited drive.
I can’t get the smile off my face. I love the super charger, I love the suspension, I love having a mini again. Now I’m looking at a big brake kit for it and then it will be perfect! Next week we go to the track for the first time.
So that’s it. I’m glad to be here and looking forward to discussing all things mini with you all!
I’ve just joined and wanted to introduce myself. I’ve got somewhat of an interesting history with Minis that actually started 22 years ago when I bought my very first car, a bone stock mint 1978 Mini 1000. I acquired it in the strangest of ways. My father first suggested it as a starter car since his first car also was a mini and after a ride in a friends I was hooked on the go kart feel! So I came across a guy selling an absolute mint yellow with brown interior, apparently he was doing masonry work on a property and the owner who also collected British cars had a huge fight with his son who was about to receive this car as a present. The property owner offered up the mini for $100 to the Mason to punish his son for not graduating. So he took it because he recognized the deal, but wasn’t interested in owning it. So he sold it to me and it was delivered on a flatbed behind a full size dump truck ….. it was quite an arrival for my first car.
Sadly I didn’t get to enjoy that car for very long as I had a head on collision with a Mustang coming home one evening. It wasn’t pretty as the Mustang was doing 80km/hr when he hit me. We actually got pushed back wards 100ft and sustained some pretty gnarly injuries. My GF at the time broke her leg, my friend had some good sized cuts across his head as he hit me from the behind from the back seat and I took the entire steering column through the windshield with my death grip. And all of us ended up in the hospital…… on Mother’s day. I still think about that crash every time I go by the scene. That was the only accident I have had in the 22 years of driving since then. Someone was looking out for me that day.
But in the end we all healed and it didn’t deter me from wanting another mini as I do believe we survived due to the box construction and sub frames giving the way they did. No air bags back then
My next car was a 1979 red mini 1000, followed shortly by an awesome 1968 wagon with cooper “S” running gear and a fiberglass front end. I don’t have to tell you how much fun that car was. After that I had one more lime green Mr. Bean look-a-like with the running gear I took out of the wagon once it started rusting out. I loved every one of them.
But that was all 20 years ago. Along came a wife, house, two kids and a bunch of other cars. I got the Bimmer bug later on and started appreciating the M cars for my driving pleasures. And so came ownership of a couple BMW e30 m3’s and a E36 M3 that I regularly took to the track as I got addicted to that as well. And that brings us up to today, Last week I was about to purchase another E46 M3 when I came across this little British racing green 2004 JCW Cooper S sitting at the dealership………
As soon as I looked at it I thought, “wow, now that’s a serious looking mini”. So I took it out for a test drive to see if these JCW’s were any better than the regular Cooper S had had driven years ago. I was blown away. I found myself making a cash deal right there on the spot and came home with the mini without even telling my wife! She just laughed and said ,”going back to your roots are you?”
So now I am exactly one week into my ownership of this little mean green machine. In that time I have learned that the original owner was also an enthusiast and ordered this car with every option available including the JCW dealer retro fit. It has the JCW suspension as well as short shift kit and custom interior trim to complement the two tone leather. It has had every scheduled maintenance done and the chief mechanic at our local Mini dealer knows the car intimately as he has put in all the upgrades…… perfect!
So I ordered some 16.5lb Motegi wheels for it and put on some new rubber.
And this past weekend I took it up over a mountain pass at 6am here in the coastal mountains in B.C. for a proper spirited drive.
I can’t get the smile off my face. I love the super charger, I love the suspension, I love having a mini again. Now I’m looking at a big brake kit for it and then it will be perfect! Next week we go to the track for the first time.
So that’s it. I’m glad to be here and looking forward to discussing all things mini with you all!
6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,800
Likes: 2
Although I love the look of a lot of classic cars, including the original MINI... the total lack of modern safety features and stories like this keep me from ever thinking of owning one. 
How do you like those Motegi wheels? I am thinking of ordering them for winter wheels on my future JCW but in the dark silver.
How do you like those Motegi wheels? I am thinking of ordering them for winter wheels on my future JCW but in the dark silver.
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4
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From: Vancouver B.C. Canada
What I really like about them is the small bit of silver behind the black spokes. It helps define the wheel better than if it were completely black. Looks great at angles.
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