Hello all. Great site you have going here!

I have been contemplating a Mini since early this year and have been researching since then. Gas prices made my choice easier! Being in sales, I drive quite a bit around GA , and have been averaging $550- $600 a month in gas.

A couple of weeks back stopped in the local Mini dealer and made the mistake of test driving a few '05s. (A bit different than the ones I used to make headers for back in the early '80's!)
Last Wed I passed the $100 mark for the week in my P/U and called the dealer at lunch and said wash that Elec Blue S and I will be by to get it tonight!

I am sooo hooked! So far this has been a really great decision for me. Forgot how much fun driving can be! Does the extreme heart rate count as a cardio workout?

Looking at adding stripes over the top and down the back. 1st cheap mod and not 2 weeks old! LOL

I am sure I will be picking everyones brain here as I go along.

Anyone else here from metro Atlanta area? I see VERY few Minis around the southside.

Did I mention I shaved 10min off my 30 min commute to the office? LOL

Tim

 

Hey Tim. I know what you mean about making the commute shorter. Took me 7 weeks and I realized I had to buy a radar detector....I was creeping up to 75 in a 55 zone all the time!

 

I have noticed that by the time I think I may be going a bit over the limit, I am way over the limit. Still in the learning curve.

Stayed late last night and added the stripes. Any input?

Tim

 

Stripes look VERY good.....but what did you do, just drive on into Home Depot to do the work?

 

LOL! I am in sales for a large sign company just outside of Atlanta. Pulled it in the shop and parked next to the graphics dept and went to work on it.

Thinking about a stipe at the bottom of the doors with the Cooper S script cut out to show the blue through it. May extend the front stripres over the bumper too.

Having way too much fun with this car!

Tim

 

Had to come into the office on Sun to catch up on paperwork. Was not in the best of moods anyway then came up on traffic going 35 in a 55 zone. (Still only have 700mi so trying to stay below 4500rpms.) Dropped to 3rd, touched 5500rpms through 4th and WOW, what a rush! Boy am I hooked!
I keep hearing about the factor. Thinking pulleys, exhaust and intakes now! LOL

Tim

 

Come on we're in the south....get you a gun rack in the back window first.

 

Nah, it fits in the door pocket just fine! LOL

I am really hurting for a hitch though! The ATV is getting way too much dust on it.

Where is Collinwood?

Tim

 

Nice! Now you need aftermarket rally lights to sit in front of the bonnet stripes!


Clover

 

Been thinking of lights myself....

Wifely type is looking at me askance everytime I mention a modd or add on. HeHe She took MiniMine for a buzz to the end on the street for her 1st drive Sat morning. (2mi tops) Came back 30 min later with a huge grin and wanted to know if she could sell her Durango! She wants a convertable S with the auto trans.. What have I started?

Tim

 

That's awesome! We have quite a few two-MINI families/couples here on NAM! Good for the wifely one!


Clover

 

I'm not a family or a couple (yet... ) but I'd love to have a pepper white convertible S to match my regular one. So I would have a matching set.

And I think you need to get some KC HiLiTES, with yellow covers, and some naked lady chrome and black mudflaps on that thing ASAP

Collinwood is along the Tennessee/Alabama border. We love the gun racks and KC's here.

 

I seem to remember from my International Scout days that KCs have to be mounted on top so the poor guy in front of you feels like he is being run over by a Huey!?

I can't rag too much, I still have a '97 Dakota(15mpg) for sale, a 76 F150 w/460cid (10mpg) for a tow vehicle, a 67 Kieser Duece and a Half (8mpg turbo multi fuel- just for the testosterone effect) 99 Durango (hers) and 3 ATVs, two trailers, and a 31' Airstream and a 12' pop up. Me thinks the toys are taking over.....

I found Colinwood on the map and maybe sometime we can meet up half way when some of the Bama gang are motoring near Huntsville. Would love to see the visual effect on earth people when a line of Minis blast by...

MINIclo, she is thinking red with a Union Jack top if not the convertable.....Please tell me that no one is printing rag tops yet?

Tim

 

Yes we do. Although, I didn't see the gun rack option when I ordered my MINI from Nashville. I did get the stripes though. I had the KC's on my Jeep!

 

Well I'm still trying to find a way to add some redneck charm to my MINI without putting on a **** on Gordon decal. But you know....it's hard to redneck a MINI. Go figure...

I look forward to meeting yall in Huntsville sometime!

 

Huntsville has a MINI club. I attended the last MINI meeting at a local eatery even though I don't have my MINI yet. You can check out the details at www.rocketcitymini.com. Come join us. Last week they met up to go to the drive-in theater in Athens, AL. I didn't go since I would have had to take my SUV and stay in the back. Next meeting is September 12th.

 

Sounds cool! I would have to time it just right. I wonder if there are any clubs in GA yet.

Oh, Adamini, simply a "3" decal with wings in the window will be enough!

Tim

 

TLMCS05, there is a MINI club in Atlanta called AtlantaMINIS (http://www.atlantaminis.net/). That's the only one I know of. You could find other owners in and around your area and start a club.

 

Thanks for the link!! I have been involved with starting a couple of other clubs in the past and have sworn that off forever! Not into S&M.

With the gas situation, could not have picked a better time to get MiniMine!

Tim

 

Yeah Tim I heard they're gettin it up to 5 or 6 bucks a gallon over in Jawga. You better keep parking inside Home Depot cause people are gonna want to steal that pretty little car with good mileage!

 

I seem to get happier with MiniMine every mile!

Finished the stripes project (shots in the gallery)and put on a coat of wax. Also waxed the wheels from advice here and serious improvement on the brake dust issue.

Checked out the Atlanta club link and got back in touch with a friend from a decade ago! what a Mini world it is! LOL

Now that I am past break-in, the response really does surprise me! Well, off to motor home with the sunroof open , windows down and ZZ Top blastin!

Tim

 

Sounds like a good time. Hopefully, I will be doing the same soon. Mine is still on the ocean somewhere between here and there. The ship has not been doing any weather responses so they are not reporting there location.

 

I bet a gun rack would fit in the back window of a MINI !

 

Probably would fit nice. However, I can't seem to find a lift kit to fit the MINI so going offroad to find them varments would be quite a hassle.

 

Glad you found us at AtlantaMINIS. I think I've noticed your new posts. You will find we now number over 400 members and always have something going on.

Your wife needs to get the Cabrio. That way you can drive it on sunny days and the hardtop on rainy days. Naw. Drive them both everyday. I have both so the biggest question I have to ask myself every day is which one. Man life is hard

A gun rack in the MINI just would not work. You couldn't get to it for all the track equipment in the back. Keep'er by your side. That's why you have that large hole in the roof...just ****'n load...stand up and unload.