Hi everybody, new guy from Seattle here...

I've always been a car guy and I've always preferred being quick in the twisty bits to straightaway speed. I'm thinking of giving up my restored 1963 VW Ragtop (which is not a daily-driver) for a Mini which would become my daily commuter and retire my '94 Nissan pickup to weekend home projects.

Here's the problem...

It's a 12-month wait to order an MCS out here! I was told yesterday that if I ordered now I'd be right on the line between 2006 and 2007 model years. I don't want an '07. Is the wait for an MCS shorter elsewhere?

Starting to consider an optioned-up MC. I'm sure it will feel like a rocket compared to my VW and my 4-cylinder pickup. I haven't test-driven anything yet, but I will. With the traffic out here, I may not get to enjoy the "S" much anyway.

There are two MCS options that I'm fond of though... the hyper blue dash and the s-lites.

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

You can pick up the S-lites from members here real easy and fairly cheap. A lot of the track guys and real performance nuts dont like them because they weigh alot. So just get the wheels

You might be able to find the dash on ebay or a member on here as well

Alot of people will tell you to go for the power of the MCS. I went for one myself.....If I were doing it over again today I would save the money and go with the straight up MC because the fun is the handeling not the power. The MC is not a slug and has comprable acceleration to any other 4cyl on the market.

 

few things:

I sold my not so daily driver turbo miata for the mini. the miata was faster, but the mini is more fun, and i can drive it in the rain! It was hard to do, but i don't regret it.

S-lites are heavy, so they are fairly easy to buy after the fact. We bought ASA rims that have a similar look, are 16" and are MUCH lighter for my wife's MCS.

you can always have the dash painted whatever color you want. This and the wheels are much easier fixes than say, a sun roof or getting the power out of an MC that an MCS has. I would figure out exactly what i wanted on the bigger issues first, then narrow down. You could always order from a dealer with much less wait time & have it shipped or fly out & drive her home...

good luck!

-jac

 

If you are willing to take a road trip, you could do what we did and buy one off the lot in Long Beach, CA. They had about 18 new Minis on the lot last weekend including convertibles, Ss, hardtops, sunroofs, etc. You might have to settle for different options or color, but you'd have your ride.

 

You can order what you want from Mini Of Murry, in Salt Lake City Utah, they have about 4-5 month wait I think on about any model, no mark up-- there number is 801-262-2479

 

BucketHead J.:

I was in the same position as you: Seattleite wanting a MINI but couldn't stand the idea of ordering from NW MINI and waiting...and waiting...and waiting....So I ended up buying a SWEET used 2005 MCSC (DS/B) with 7000k miles on it for a song in So. California from a private party. It was in near perfect condition and still had the yummy smell, etc. Given the prices in the NW for USED MINI's, I could easily turn around and sell this for a profit, even after shipping back up to Seattle. Take advantage of good ol' supply (SoCal) and demand (NW)!

Once I got over the idea that I was "adopting" my MINI, it has been an awesome experience and one that I won't lose much money on (relatively) after 3 years or so. My .02 cents worth. Oh by the way, make sure to sign up for the MINI group at www.psmini.org. Great bunch of folks and even better for newbies like us!

Daniel S.

 

Definitely don't wait for a new one there. Like daniel2218 I ended up buying used (from VA) and enjoyed the road trip and savings vs. local prices.

If you have to have new, you can either road trip or have it shipped for <$1000. Murray in SLC, Classic in Ohio, MINI of the Hamptons and Pittsburgh MINI are just a few of the ones that will order and have one for you in eight weeks or less.

S-lites, easy to get takeoffs
Dash - while the dash is easy enough to paint, it also comes with the door panels painted, and those aren't nearly as easy, if those are attractive to you as well, FWIW.

Get the heated seats - that's another option that is cheap, but costs a fortune to retrofit.

The tough decision - S vs. Cooper. They're both great. Cooper has fine acceleration, but make sure you get the sport seats. If money isn't a big issue, for $3k on the S you get: supercharger, sports seats, sports suspension, stronger bottom end, six speed tranny, uprated wheels, different spoiler and lots of cool S badges. It's a good deal for the $.

 

Buckethead,

I PMed you. I just happen to be selling a modded Cooper in Seattle (exhaust/intake/sport package/etc) if you want to come check it out, even if you just want to see if the Cooper is enough for you or if you need the S. PM me if interested.

 

we put our deposit down in late april 05, officially ordered a PW/B MCS last June, and took delivery on 2 Nov 05. The 12 month wait is an over estimate, in our opinion. A lot of people who put down the $500 deposit dont actually follow through, so you move up the list quite quickly.

The MCS is a fantastic car, we put every bell/whistle we could, short of the LSD, the GPS NAV and the back-up sonar parking. Not a single regret.

If you go for the brand new, as for Tomio @ NW Mini. Otherwise, there are dealerships out there that can get you a brand new one in a few months and then you can drive it home!

Good luck, have fun, motor on!!

PS The heated seats ROCK. A must-have........

 

Six weeks from order to delivery from Downtown Mini, In Orlando, Fla. Classic, Pittsburg and others are about the same. I like the idea of buying one already in stock, just don't let them get away with marking up a premium over MSRP. Price it on the Build your MINI on MiniUSA site, then get on the telephone and maybe you'll find what you want already sitting in inventory, or already in inventory slated to arrive where some one has cancelled the order. ROAD TRIP, ROAD TRIP....

P.S. I really LIKE my S, I am from the old school and can't see having a MINI, if it wasn't an S. Too much of the 60's still in me I guess.

 

An 850 mile road trip in June from SLC, or a little longer from SoCal, would be a good time. Especially, in a new Mini! Thanks for the feedback.

Thanks for the invite to PSMINI, Daniel. Hopefully, I'll be joining you guys in a few months!

 

If you don't want to go as far as California, you might also give Rasmussen in Portland a call - their wait estimates tend to be shorter than Northwest MINI. I don't know if they tend to overestimate the wait NW does.
We ended up ordering from Northwest MINI, and also found the wait to be MUCH shorter than the initial estimate. And I agree, Tomio's GREAT to work with.
I have to say, though definitely go for the S. Even with Seattle traffic, you'll appreciate the music of the supercharger!

 

Try Motorwerks MINI in Minneapolis, MN. Sarah was my MA.

 

It seems if u can find a dealer away from the west coast the wait for a new Mini is more like 6 weeks... I ordered mine from a dealer here in NJ the last week of october and took delivery Dec 5

 

If it helps any (though I think you've made your decision already) I ordered my MINI from NW MINI around June and took delivery Oct 13th.

Hope to see you soon on PSMINI.

 

Drive and get one.