I sold my daily driver, a manual AWD 2004 V70R Volvo with one feeler ad within hours in 2014 fully intending to replace it with Sidewalk Edition JCW Clubman I had located a couple of states away. My hopes were to combine practicality with some of the fun of the last TVR I had sold a couple of years earlier. After a long drive down I found the MINI to not be as represented and passed.

The hunt was at times not at all fun while I drove my 30 year old pick up as a daily driver. After about a year I located and somehow compromised to an ultra low mileage 4.2 S-Type Jaguar (with fold down back seats) to use as my daily and a modified Crossfire SRT6 Roadster for recreational use. Nice cars both but serious in what they did. Fun they were not especially on the nearby Tail of the Dragon where my TVR's were such a delight. After three years, I sold the SRT6. The Jaguar I hope to keep forever.

Another of my intense car hunts took me to many states electronically and to more than a half dozen physically. Along the way I visited at least four MINIs I ultimately passed on and did not visit one "Last of the Supercharged" roadsters I probably should have bought but missed as I considered numerous brands and finds including a 1 of 5 in the world custom Subaru WRX STi convertible. Nothing along the way was as much fun as I recalled the MINI's being.

Completely unexpected was a response to an old post I had made on this site. What most instilled trust was that the owner of the MINI was a car person. He knew the right answers and cared about the same stuff. I took another chance. His car, a few states away, was as represented.It is now mine and for the first time in years I find I am seeking out excuses to drive with the destination being secondary.

2005 MINI Cooper S Convertible with a page full of of options including certified JCW kit and a loving 25K.

 

Welcome to the forum and great story. Sometimes the trip is worth it.

 

Welcome I'm on my second Clubman and love it. Took my 3yrs to find the one I have now so I feel what you went through trying to find the right car.

 

Hi and welcome to NAM!
It took me eight months to find my 06 MCS JCW, after getting my first Mini. An 05 MCS with chrono package. I found they were hard to find and most all of the ones I found were beat to death. Mine had higher miles then I was looking for, but I had decided on a first gen and an 2006 in particular and this one had good bones and everything I wanted, including factory JCW addition. It was a first for Mini and supercharged is what I wanted. It only left me the one choice, the 2006.
I hope you have as much fun, as I am having with mine! I love these little gen 1s!

 

Thank you for the welcome. I feel very much at home with my MINI something few cars offer.