[quote=Turcicus]

Red Scooter, I've been in production since the 23rd and neither ASK-MINI nor my MA have been able to tell me if I'm in the paint shop, assembly, or whatever. So I'm not sure if that part of their system is even used anymore.

[quote]

I think Doogs called this one a while ago. If you want any information that is remotely accurate, call ASK MINI. And then, you never know.

Case in point MORTRBL's post:

BTW, even though ASK-MINI and the OL site said my MCS was on the Assembly Line, I checked the W.W. website earlier for the hell of it and it's actually leaving on the Freedom today, due to arrive at the US on 7/9!!!

 

Red Scooter -- Nice! I ordered mine June 4th (I HAD to make sure to order before the 6th... ) and it started on June 28th with an expected finish date of July 7th! Now I just need to settle on an appropriate name. I'm leaning towards either "Mobius" or "Sir Charles(Charlie)"

 

A Jeep is such a stark comparasion to a MINI! Just in the size and fuel economy sense I mean. It is so interesting that you both have totally different preferences for cars, but in a good way. Will you let her drive the MINI when it comes?

Turcicus -- Thanks for the welcome!

 

Excellent. So what other options did you order? Bonnet stripes? Std or auto? You know...do tell!

 

Yes, spill the beans!

 

Hey, look at that, OL finally caught up and shows me as scheduled for production...

 

Wow! Write that time and date down. Doesn't seem it will happen often.

Hey Doogs...does the OL show your order detail? Mine doesn't and hasn't since I changed my order about 2 weeks ago.

VIN INFO for all: If you want your VIN from the OL website, once you go into production it's under Update Profile and then click on Edit under the Member Vehicles section. Just stumbled on that one today.

 

The specs:

Chili Red/Black top, 6 speed manual
Panther black leather
chrome exterior pkg
Premium, Cold Weather, Convenience, and Sport Packages (no bonnet stripes)
Limited Slip Differential
DSC
Cockpit Chrono pkg
S-lite 17" wheels
AccuGuard clear bra
Rear bumper guard (clear)
Door handle cup guards (I highly recommend!!)

Basically... the "kitchen sink" my MA said when reading off all the things I ordered. I figured its my first *real* car, I'm paying for it, might as well get it the way I want it, right?

Are any of you planning on doing any mods (later on that is)?

 

The ASK-MINI robo-guy says my mini is complete and is in transit to the port!
Woo-hoo!


As for mods, my list so far is fairly short:

1. Am still debating whether to stick with the dealer-installed OEM iPod link, or get a DICElink
2. Whalen Shift Machine... already have my design drawn up!
3. M7 Carbon Fiber Ram scoop - I think it'll improve the black&blue color scheme of my mini
4. I want one of those nice folding red tow links... so when people ask what it is, I can tell them that it's the **** you use to wind it up!

 

 

I'm thinking of a few tweaks. There is GREAT stuff at OutMotoring.com

One of my faves is the Door Handle Scratch Guards (chrome, of course). Good call Sheenabee! Didn't know they were a dealer option. What's the cost at dealer? Do you know?

Others I'm thinking about:

- Euro Parcel Tray (replaces the knee-level panel with a tray thing)
- Chrome Hood Scoop - looks sweet!
- Diamond Plate Floor mats - maybe be a bit out there, will wait and see how flashy Jake is when he is delivered.
- Chrome Instrument Cluster (set of five rings)

If anyone would like the links just let me know or visit www.OutMotoring.com.

No further updates on my status or delivery. CONGRATS tethernaut! You are RIPPING through production!

 

I wouldn't call them "mods" per se, but I'm certainly planning on purchasing several accessories for the Mini.

• Cargo/Dog Liner - I've got four dogs, and on the weekends I'm usually taking one of them running or hiking somewhere, so this is a must.
• Sunroof Shades - Living in Texas and having ordered a black leather interior, I consider this a must, as well
• Magnetic Badge Holder - Not a must, but fun. Already got a few badges I want from MotoringFile's collection. Need to figure out how to get myself one with the TX flag on it, and maybe a longhorn to support the alma mater.
• Multivex Mirrors - Not sure if I'll need them or not. My Mazda's got tiny mirrors, and back in my days of Defender ownership I learned to get along without side mirrors (they vibrated so badly that they were useless)

Long term, I'd like to do a 15% pulley and a rear sway bar. But performance mods may be tricky to get past my lovely Finance Minister.

 

Doogs you are too funny...your lovely Finance MINIster. Made a joke and didn't even know it.

Hey, how about that for you MINI name? The MINIster?

My "mods" are more accessories too. I guess you have to get into the DIY and grease before they're REAL mods.

 

They way I see it, mods impact the vehicle's performance. Speed, power, handling, even safety, come to think of it.

I've succumbed to mod-fever before, back in my offroading days. Nothing like pulling apart axles and running air lines to install pneumatic lockers. I guess that, having spent enough time under my Defender installing or uninstalling or rejiggering this or that, I got it out of my system. But, I did my fair share...

• 3" RoverTym springs w/ Rancho RS9000 shocks
• 33x12.5/15 Super Swamper SSR tires
• Extended rear shock mounts and spring cones (so much flex in the rear that the spring would literally unseat...scary)
• Hinged radius arm for increased front articulation
• Rockware low-profile 1/4" steel bumper (better approach angle, life-saving properties against deer and other objects)
• Rock sliders (1/4" steel bars running along door sills...I was broadsided by and Oldsmobile once and drove away without damage...)
• Installed/uninstalled racing seats
• Front and rear McNamara pneumatic lockers
• Hard compressor install, replaced later by portable compressor and quick-air rig
• Custom rear-tire carrier complete with jerry can holders

It was a fun time, but more expensive that crack and, looking back, more trouble than it was worth. I still have friends who are building custom cage buggies with 1-ton axles and 38" or bigger tires. I don't know why. For me, I went and made the Defender so capable that what used to be challenging and fun became easy, and what would have been challenging was the kind of obstacle that, had I done something wrong, would have killed me.

I guess that, looking back on that experience, I'm afraid of overbuilding the Mini and either a) taking the fun out of it or b) getting arrested.

 

I actually found them through minimania.com. They are actually guards that you put in the handle opening spaces (you know that space where you put your hand and it always seems to get really scratched up? that one). But I don't think MINI personally has them. I am just going to order them and install those myself. But, since my handles are chrome as well... I will prob. get the handle guards too.

I'll have to post future mods after I get out of work!

 

Doogs, I think you are right on. Mods = performance enhancements. Sounds like you have done some pretty serious ones! More than I would EVER attempt!

Sheenabea, we're talking the same item. The "scratch guards" are $50 at OutMotoring.

 

Hey Sheenabea - how much are they?

I can't find them at minimania. They seem a lot more expensive than OutMotoring overall though.

 

So sorry Red Scooter -- They are actually on myminiparts.com. They are $16 for a set of two: http://myminiparts.com/proddetail.php?prod=ADC&cat=9

I am planning on getting the clear bumper guard for the boot from there as well. Much better than the black plastic one MINI offers.

 

Ahhh...so yours are clear? The ones I'm getting are chrome. Check 'em out...
http://outmotoring.com/door_handle_scratch_guards.html

 

Hi All,

I think I'm scheduled for production week 27, but I may be in week 28. I ordered my mini a little over a week ago (6/22/06) and just got my production number (no VIN yet) from the dealer yesterday. I had him fax me the order confirmation so that I could double check it. Under the "production dates" section, I see the following:

Status: 112 - Scheduled for daily production pack
Production dates (Yr/Mo/Wk)
Req. Prod: 2006/07/27
Sub. Prod: 2006/07/27
Cont. Prod: 2006/07/28
Quota: 2006/07

Obivously Req = Requested and Sub = Submitted, but I'm not sure what Cont would stand for. Continued? Does that make any sense? In any case, having lurked around these forums a bit the last couple days I realize that I'm very lucky to get into production so quickly.

As for my specs:

MC
BRG w/ Black top
Black bonnet stripes w/ white rule
Chrome mirror caps
Premium & cold weather packages
Center arm rest
Sunroof wind deflector
iPod adapter

I'm definitely going to be naming my mini and I've been referring to it as the Green Racer (hence the s/n) but I know that I won't be able to truly name it until I actually take delivery. I need to get a feel for it's personality before I can pick the perfect name, ya know?

 

Ahhh... Okay, now I got it. Yeah, I have seen those before! They are pretty nice! Are they coated with something so the chrome part won't get scratched up? I'm sure that is probably the case.

There are so many little options and accessories for the MINI! It makes it so much fun to own in the "personalization" sense, if you know what I mean. I just can't wait for it to get here!! Luckily, I'm on the east coast, so I'll probably get it a few days after it arrives in the USA.

As for future mods on my MINI:
1. Alta adjustable short shifter-- the stock one just doesn't seem to feel "smooth" to me... could have been the demo MINI I drove though.
2. Air intake... not sure which one. I have to do more researching, but definitely want to change it out for a better one.
3. 15% or 17% pulley... I hear the 17% is better... though still not such which maker to go with yet.
4. Alta, UCC, or QuickSilver exhaust... I like the Alta's "subtle" rumble, but the other two sound pretty nice.
5. In a year, new wheels for the summer. I have currently been looking at some different makes.

I'm sure I'll have more mods in time, or different ones entirely, but I'm going to wait a bit. I want to get to know my MINI first ;P

 

So the wife is out of town this weekend (family reunion...I got to stay behind because I couldn't get off work on Friday), and I'm toying with driving 100+ miles to the dealership tomorrow, which won't even be open, just to have myself surrounded by Minis for a brief time.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

 

Face it, you are a miniaholic. Acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step to managing your addiction. Mashing your foot down as you hit 1250 miles on your mini is the last step, or so I hear.

I've heard of heroin addiction treatment centers where they basically put the addict into a coma for several days, so they miss out on the worst part of the withdrawl/detox. I'm thinking of going down to one and asking if they'll knock me out until about Aug. 1....

 

Wow Doogs...you are quite smitten. Perhaps you could pay extra to someone to sneak into Oxford and move you MINI up in the production process.

Or better yet, while your wife is out of town, buy a ticket to Oxford and break in yourself and finish it first hand!

You told us about some mods you've done in the past. By now you could probably assemble a MINI - bonnet to boot- with your eyes shut!

Hang in there!

 

Probably not the best idea. That Defender once burst into flames on the highway when I was driving home from work one afternoon. Then again, that was a freak accident (oil line slipped loose and dumped flammable liquid onto rather hot exhaust headers), and in no way my fault, so maybe you're on to something....