so I called LB Mini today to ask when the cars should be coming in. I was in production week 50. My car was built in early December. I called them a couple times in early January since I'd been informed it's usually 4 to 6 weeks from the build completion to taking delivery. I had also been informed that it's usually about 3 weeks from the time a car gets on the boat until it's received here. So I figured out what boat it was on (Jennifer wouldn't tell me, citing 9/11 security concerns) and tracked it through San Diego and Los Angeles. I don't know why they would want to offload my car in Oxnard, but that's where I was told it would be received. The official word from the dealer was that the boat would be in harbor and unloaded back around the 16th or 17th, and that my car would be ready by that weekend. So I called again as the weekend approached and was told that there was a delay with the boat getting to harbor and that they were starting to offload the cars on the 19th, and that it would be 3 to 8 days following. That would have put delivery between this past Tuesday and the next. So here we are on Wednesday and gave them a call and was told they won't be offloading the cars until the 28th! And then it'll be 3 to 10 days do get it to the dealership!

wtf?! I'm beginning to think they sold it to someone else or something. This is ridiculous. I don't care how long it takes to get here. I just want to know what's going on. If they don't know how long it'll be delayed, THAT'S what they should tell me. I haven't gotten the same story twice in the half a dozen or so times I've talked with them. On anything!

So now I've gone from being told I would have my car in mid-to-late January to wondering if I really even have one. I am so sick of the runaround.

 

I ordered mine in late December and just got scheduled this week. I jsut hope my dealer is telling the truth. I am supposed to have it mid to late march. We might get them at the same time. I am in LA also, but I ordered mine from Patrickmini in Ill.

 

I think your problem has to do with where you live. Sounds like it would take alot longer to get there than most other places!

 

Having worked in shipping for many years it sounds like your ship was ether diverted due to weather, or port clearance. I guarantee your ship is not just sitting around at some dock, demurrage charges can reach $25000 a day.

 

I know you're having a hard time with this, but I think you just need to realize that there are quite a few things that can happen to cause a delay. You're MA should have the most current info but even that is subject to change.

As hard as it is, you just need to relax and remind yourself that your special day will come, it won't be that much longer. It'll be worth it in the end. Until then, there's no sense in getting worked up over something you have no control over.

 

yeah, seriously. The Los Angeles area is so completely bereft of civilization that it sometimes takes a fortnight for my carrier pigeons to bring back news from the next oupost. :p

You're right. I was nearly losing it earlier. I've been stressing hard lately. I've been going through a transition in my employment status which I was expecting to come with a sizable raise, only to finally receive an offer that's 12 grand below my boss's implied target and about 10 grand below the median wage listed for my trade in the local area according to salary.com (and acutally below the lower quartile for the national numbers on salary.com). On top of that, it's a constant struggle with my lady and now that I know I won't get my car by this weekend, I've had to cancel a trip a reunion a bunch of my college buddies were planning in Santa Barbara. I don't usually get so overwound but it's been it's been coming at me from every direction lately. So if I seemed pissy, I'd like to offer an apology.

 

ok You can be pissy...... I quit working for anyone many years ago. The concept of loosing my job is nonexhistant.... I don't have a job. Unless I make work I don't make money.

 

Cantcha take the Nova? That's a sweet car, I don't care what Clover says!

Don't worry, they didn't sell your MINI to someone else, it's coming!

 

Just be glad your MINI wasn't on this ship (I hope)!
Annette
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/met...pnearmiss.html

Cargo ship almost hits St. Simons Island Pier

Associated Press
Published on: 01/24/06
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — An automobile cargo ship veered into shallow waters, nearly running aground and prompting the brief evacuation of the St. Simons Island Pier.

The outward-bound vessel, Toba, quickly dropped its anchors around 2 p.m. Monday in an apparent emergency maneuver that jerked the ship to a halt about 40 feet from the beach near the pier, according to witnesses.

As the bow anchor dug into the sandy ocean bottom, the massive ship's stern swung toward the pier as a crowd of onlookers watched at a nearby park.

No injuries were reported. The pier was not damaged, police said.

No damage was visible to the ship, which went back to sea after a stopover at the Port of Brunswick. The ship was helped back out to the shipping channel around 2:10 p.m. by crews from a marine towing company.

The vessel is operated by the Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines and has a registered home port of Singapore.

The Coast Guard is investigating the incident.

 

The nova needs a few repairs. The brake lines swelled on me and I need to fab a new fan shroud and/or do something about the poor aftermarket electric fan I have on it. But I've been wanting to save as much as possible for my down payment and I haven't really felt the motivation to go crawling around on the pavement lately. It will be back on the road soon, though. probably this summer, if not sooner (I mothballed it when I moved to santa barbara for school but now I'm back in OC and itching to get that v8 throbbing down the road again)

Anyway... I got my car

I got a call fromn the dealer the day after someone told me that it would be offloaded on the 28th and I was told it was on the lot. So I picked it up last night. My mini is mine. And the bank's. The Green Minilishi is creeping around, making me do things I don’t want to do.

Pictures soon. So far the only ones I have are on my phone. I got some shots of the dash with the odometer at an even hundred when I visited a buddy earlier to brag.

I LOVE it.

 

My friends "first MINI" went down with the ship before it got here.

Earl