Don't panic. You love your MINI and it will love you back

 

oh my god.. I think I hate the pinstripe on the stripes. I will have to peel off the clear bra off the bonnet to change them. Then replace the clear bra. It's official. I am insane. Dan said to wait until we install the driving lights. I think the white pin stripe takes away from the car. Ok, guys, give me your honest opinion... Should I change to the shelby/viper stripe? :impatient :impatient

 

I picked up my MINI at Long Beach this morning. Had rad day. When I have proper pics I will post them, BUT I needed to post some of my thoughts...

#1 - I love Astro Black.

#2 - I drove from my dealership to my insurance company. After signing some papers I went back to my car and a man looking over my car who commented on how cool/beautiful my car was.

#3 - My first wave. I drove from the insurance company and to my credit union. Leaving the credit union I spotted an old man driving a MCS HB/B motoring in the opposite direction who gave me a casual wave.

I'll never forget you, old man.

 

Chill Climbergirl. The penstripes look very classy. I am very impressed with your MINI, as a matter of fact I like your MINI alot. I mean when I see your car I think to myself, why did I getHB/W with no stripes. I hate Hyper Blue and whats a MINI without racing stripes! Exterior chrome package? What was I thinking :impatient . I'm sure the Chrono Pack messes up the MINI look! What have I done?! I've created a monster ! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

 

I saw that and closed my eyes! One shipmate was notified by his MA that the boat will be in port on 10/11 so perhaps we can look for another update soon. As it stands I am totally blacking out that 10/14 date.. never saw it nope nope nope..

 

Climber Girl.. I LOVE how your mini looks. Drive it for a while and be sure of yourself before making changes. To me it looks very classic!

 

Climber Girl,

Step away from the pinstripes, I repeat, step away from the pinstripes.

I picked up my Mini last night and guess what, NO BONNET STRIPES!!!!

The factory forgot to put them on. The dealer is going to install them for me next Friday and give me another full tank of gas for my troubles.

I wasn't very happy indeed. Those Bonnet stripes are very nice, (Yes CG, even with the white outlines so don't you dare remove them or our cars will no longer be twins).

Does anyone know if there is a difference between the factory ones and the dealer installed ones?

Thanks, and yes I'm thrilled to finally get it !!!

(Pics to follow)

 

I am such a freak. I going to add a checkered flag to the top. I don't know. It's just missing something.... I will figure it out. We finish everything up today.

JJ, I like hyper blue!!!!! And atleast you have all the aux gauges that one needs to properly drive a car.

 

My MA emailed me on Friday, wanting to know if I could drop in and sign a document. I had to remind me that he's in southern Germany, and this weekend I am 9 time zones away.

Sometimes, he's not all there.....

 

how are you guys finding the port hueneme schedule?

 

Googled it and got to: http://www.sdmis.org/schedule/

Are you sure you really want to see!

 

CG and JJ, do you know what your angst and worry about your MINI package choices remind me of? Pre-wedding jitters... OMG, have I made the right choice? Will I still love him/her later, will he/she treat me right after the vows? :impatient :impatient :impatient I've been going through it myself; everytime I see MINIs with those so sporty and rad stripes passing by, I think, why didn't I get stripes? Those are so MINI-like, I can identify the car a mile away! Then I see one without that is all polished and chromed up like some limousine jewel and I think, yeah, that is more like me in my more mature years; then it is, no, I refuse to grow up, I really am sporty and drive like a mad-woman... but I don't have to have stripes to do that... I'll just fool my passengers about what's under the bonnet after they relax and just before the first big twisty! So, NO MORE SECOND GUESSING! This isn't a partner for life and each and every MINI is awesome no matter what the package. Live with them for awhile. Make changes much later if you are still so inclined (at least with the MINI it IS possible to make changes, while with a mate... well, we won't go into that...)

 

Picked up Nigel today, he is gorgeous. Or was gorgeous, until I ran into the curb on the opposite end of the parking lot at the parts department while picking up touch-up paint (how ironic). Actually ended up just a couple of scratches on the bottom of the black plastic on the bumper. My wife (once she stopped laughing) told me that a rocker like Nigel needed some scruffy chin hair to complete the look, so... He's got it now. Then we had another incident attempting to pull into our driveway, which has this weird hump that is apparently also incompatible with the front bumper. I was expecting it so crept up on it but scratched the bumper again just a bit. Will have to back into the driveway. So as if we haven't spent enough already, now we need a new $3000 driveway. Anyway he made it into the garage without any further damage. And that is where he will stay until next year when I have the courage to take him out again.
Happy Motoring!
Cameron

P.S. Climbergirl your stripes look great. Makes me wish we had gotten them too...

 

thanks for the port info! isn't that just stating which day it will be in at San Deigo? I'm on the equuelus leader

 

Right. That's the ETA to Port Hueneme. I was told by East Bay MINI that I should add 10 to 11 days to that date to estimate when it will be ready for me at their dealership.

 

Kissmys
You are so right about brides, I have photographed more than a few weddings in my time. I'm all settled down now but dang I wish my wife would have gone for the LSD. It's going to cost a grand to put it in after the fact. I just know that after the first big snow here in Colorado my point will have been made.
As for the rest, I think my MA is going to change out the S-Lites for 16" rims?. Again that was my wife’s choice (the S-Lites). You know what? Love makes a man do strange things. You would think after 19 years of marriage I would have a little more persuasion. Well the HC/W color scheme was hers and I think I like it better than the CR/W I was going for. Merlin will be good (the name is my choice over her choice of JJ Blue). By the way our names are John & June thus the JJ Blue. Merlin is a 50/50 deal between us. The only reason she doesn't post here is she don't know how and she is younger than I am.
Snapping photos and waiting in Colorado .

 

LOL. The small twin turbos on the 335 make the car hard to resist, but I ordered something else. The MCS was going to be my second car, but after a lot of thinking I decided to just sell my first car (a 2004 330 Ci) entirely and cancel the MCS order and put all the money toward a little car I've been reading a lot about and have always wanted: The Lotus Elise.

Practical it ain't (and that's why my wife drives a Yukon), but fun it is.

I have resigned myself to the status of a "lurk" on NAM, but I will continue to visit W36 (my MINI family) and keep up with you guys. I'm keeping my eyes out on what the new generation MINI will pan out to be like, because I may still want one in two or three years. Eventually, the Elise will need a buddy.

This phase in your MINI orders must be very exciting for you guys! Perhaps I may join you on a ride in the future, if you allow the Elise to ride in your shadows.

Cheers!

 

Who was the Week 36'ers I saw parked in San DIego this today, waiting for the football game? Had to be a week 36'ers -- still have no license plates, but had the dealer ads instead. Looked like it was right off the boat, too -- stunningly good looking. Who, who, who was it?

 

Exciting! That's a niiice car. Saw one up close at the last SDBMWCCA autocross.

 

Since you are in the area of Port Hueneme.... If you should hapen to see the Pegasus Leader lurking around the port area.... Weve seen and heard several rumors about her, and would love to know if she is really in town. We've heard rumors of 10/8, 10/10, 10/11 and 10/14 docking.....

Thanks!

 

Powerband, I love the elise. When the LA auto show debut it a few yrs back, I made sure I climbed inside. Definitely a nice ride.

Boneman, I spoke to your MA today. He is pleasant. I told him that I knew you from NAM.

So, my paperwork is completed. I should have my car this coming week. Yeah. I am sad about my 330. I avoided the 335 like the plague, although Dan test drove it. He liked it. I still think I am going to get rid of the black stripes and replace it with frost colored viper stripe, frost colored checkered flag patterned front panel and dark gray checkered flag roof decal. Thats what I think I am going to do.

 

That's the Chrome Orange in the picture, the exact color I ordered for my Elise.


Cheers!

 

I can't wait to see a picture of what your MINI will look like when these things are on!

PICS PICS PICS and lots of PICS!

 

You are not alone. My best friend had a special order Nissan 360zgrandtouring package delivered last May. It was the first car he's ever special ordered so he was quite excited about getting "exactly" what he wanted... he always razzed me about my "parking error" when I bumped the front spoiler of my Z3 the first week I had it... well guess what he went and did... leaving the dealer he and his wife decide to get something to eat.. carefullly parks so as not to bump the front end (we had been a Jeep family no worries about curbs).... go eat, come out... put in reverse.. I mean first.. nope reverse..oops first.. sure this time reverse..nope first... that poor front end was squished before he got out of the parking space.. Turn around a week later they are at a bbq and someone backs into the side leaving a ding on teh wheel well...

 

Aaahh! Aaahh! From my (Irvine) MA this evening:

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2]Just an update for you. Your car will be at the port in Oxnard on the 12th. Give it 4-5 days from then to be at our dealership. The day we get we will need a few hours of prep and it will be good to go.



I'm not sure if I'm on Pegasus, but if so, that's a fairly definite date. Aaaahhhh.... I want I want I want.
[/SIZE][/FONT]