I just bought my first new mini yesterday!: 2005 Cooper, LY/B, sports, premium pkgs.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area but I found mine at the dealership in Salt Lake City. So I bought her on Friday evening over the phone, and flew out there on Saturday morning to pick it up with a buddy of mine. We spent all day yesterday driving the 800 miles home (she's got 800.0 exactly as I type this on her right now). I'm sure there are plenty out there who drove their mini at least that many miles on the day of purchase. Anyone break 1000?

Cool story: we got stuck in a tiny little town called Carlin, Nevada because just minutes before we arrived the cops blocked of I-80 to all traffic due to an enormous wild fire that was blazing on either side of the highway. After about an hour of asking the locals if they new a way around it and getting nowhere we decided to buy a local map and check it out for ourselves. We found a 15 mile detour, about 9 miles of which was a dirt road that was very narrow, very curvy, very hilly and ridden with potholes. Long story short, my new baby handled it beautifully and we made it around the fire and the rest of the 500 miles home with no problem. It was eerie because we saw no other car on our side of the highway (the other side was backed up with stuck cars for miles with very frustrated people who couldn't go east and couldn't turn about either) for almost 100 miles (Winnemucca, for those who have a map).

To look at her, you'd think she had years of experience on those run-flats since she is so muddy and bug-ridden. But my baby (still to be named) is less than 24 hours in my care! It was 800 miles, off-roading adventuring 13 hour trip, but still, she's only a day old, and she's all grown up! I took some pictures, but I haven't figured out how to attach them to a post yet.

Anyone else have a cool first day story to share?

 

Nothing near as cool as that, but I was in Chicago for business when she arrived at my dealer in Ft. Lauderdale. I had tickets to fly into Orlando, but switched them and probably paid less than getting a new ticket


Stayed the night in a hotel in Lauderdale and the next morning my MA picked my dad and I up and took me to Miss Moneypenny. The fun part of the story is we had tons of luggage that filled the boot and backseat and we proceeded to the turnpike to return to Ocala (@ 5 hrs).

On the way, S of Orlando, a MINI came zooming up behind us, got in the lane next to us, tooted, gave a and zoomed past. It was great! My first MINI to MINI experience.

-Sarah

 

Congrats on the new MINI. I don't have any stories yet but I will be picking my MINI up in Cleveland and driving back to the SF Bay area. 2500 or so miles. Should be fun!

 

Hey, I almost bought mine at Classic Mini of Ohio. Is that the Cleveland dealership where you are getting yours? I was gearing up for that drive too but then I found the Salt Lake dealer had what I was looking for. Good luck with your adventure!

steve

 

Yeah, its funny. I had travelled about 700 miles of the 800 mile trip and had just made a comment that I had seen no other minis on the road when boom there was on just ahead of me. It was wierd, I seriously had just mentioned it like 30 seconds before. I pulled up next to the other mini and waved to the driver but he wasn't very friendly. It was nearly midnight and we were going 75 on the freeway, but still a wave would have been nice. I'm glad your first time was more memorable.

steve

 

Yes I am getting mine from Classic. I have family in Chicago so I am going to stay there for a while then drive back to SF.

 

i think there will need to be a photo session with some of the locals when you pick it up!

 

Welcome to NAM, Steve! What a great story! I am really pleased to see you exercised your brand-new baby and went off-road in her! Now THAT is what I call motoring! Very cool!!!

Back in the early days of MINIdom, in 2002, many of our friends had to order out of state, due to long waitlists at local dealerships. I know of several SoCal MINI folk who ordered theirs from Westchester MINI in New York, flew back, and drove theirs out! I'm hoping they'll see this thread and post!

The purchase of my second MINI, "Wicked Wanda," is a little different: I took delivery of her from a local dealership, Long Beach MINI, on April 4, 2003, and on April 11, left on a 10,000+ mile solo cross-country roadtrip for six weeks, traveled through 21 states visiting many of my online MINI pals, and attended the first MINI Meet at Tail of the Dragon in the Smoky Mountains (in North Carolina/Tennessee). I had a fantastic time and she's made the big cross-country trip every spring and will continue to do so!


Clover

 

Nice little story there! I won't have anything quite as grand on Wednesday when I pick up my mini, but it'll still be exciting non-the-less!

 

We flew from California to Moritz MINI in Arlington to pick ours up. Then did a bit of Texas sightseeing before heading back to California. Hit 1250 miles somewhere on a two-laner in New Mexico and got up to 113mph (hypothetically speaking of course ). I think when I get my 2035 MINI I will pick it up out of state as well!!!


Mike

 

Sounds good! I give more details when the time comes.

 

and remember, if anyone needs pics of thier cars at classic before they take the long trip home on a truck (or you fly out to see it) gimme a build number (last 7 digits if vin, ie: TC59533) and i can have pics anytime!!!

 

The day I picked up my Cooper (in January of '03) I had some errands to run in the evening. I had to drop off my son and friends at a Coldplay concert...used the back seat right off! Then I took my daughter to a basketball game in a part of Dallas that most likely (even to this day) sees few MINIs. In early '03 I may have been the first. Anyway I dropped her off and had a few hours to kill...so I just went cruisin'. You simply would never believe the looks I got. I will never forget that glorious evening!!!

 

Did you get yours at MINI of Murray, or was it a pre-enjoyed car from another dealership in the city?

 

Ummm, driving home that first day I mistook the digital speedo for the outside temp and didn't know it till I came to a stop sign at the end of a twisty 12 mile mountain stretch and the "thermometer" which had been registering 85 dropped to zero!

Pete

 

Wow! You must've thought MINI REALLY cared about the temperature!

 

Mini of Murray. Brand-spanking new.