thanks eenie, it says November 1st arrival at the dealer so next friday is a possibility

 

My OL status has changed to at the VDC.

My estimate delivery date says October 30th as delivery date, but my MA told me last night it was coming in today. I guess we'll see.

 

Max is here!!! We may be able to pick him up later today! Basically as I was leaving a message for the dealer, the truck drove up. The Owner's Lounge status had just moved to At Vehicle Distribution Center this morning.

 

wait... your Mini's name is Max? That's my "real" name!

I actually rented a Mini in New York city a few times that was called Mini Max... great name! Copngrats and happy motoring! We require pics!

 

We're taking the camera to the dealer and will photograph the whole thing in copious detail.

 

Minidreams-Any news on Grover? Through the VDC?

I have not found out anything that is correct as of recent days. My MA seems to be wrong, so just checking to see what you know.

OL is so far behind, it almost seems useless to have this feature, except for checking to make sure your MINI has the correct options.

 

I agree about the OL. In fact, the last time I called 866-ASK-MINI they told me the car was still in Southampton awaiting a boat - and at that point the car was already at the VDC!

 

They told me the same thing once. Seems the only reliable info I get is from my MA.

 

Just got off the phone with sales manager at dealership (bypassed MA) I told him my story and he stopped me and said he was fully aware of the situation and my Mini was on a truck today and will be at their lot Sat. 10/28 and Monday they will tint the windows and prep and we can pick up our car after
5pm Monday 10/30, we will probably wait and pick Goliath up Tuesday AM,

Hopefully our wait is coming to an end.

It has been a confusing 8 weeks and I hope it is coming to a close.

Happy motoring to all of you.

 

yes... when I saw my MA on Monday, he didn't have a specific date... just that it might be the end of this week. today I emailed him to ask him to prepare a dealer's order so that I can give it to my financing people and asked if he had a delivery date. He said his report date says Saturday the 28th. He then added:
So, I'm trying to prepare myself for a no-Mini weekend, and hoping I will be pleasantly surprised.

My OL, of course, hasn't moved beyond "En Route."

Revmini... I would think that your dealer would be privy to the same information mine has in terms of delivery. These guys must have some sense of when cars will be delivered. But, of course, they can't control the drivers, like mine alluded to. What I do know is that they want to make sales before the end of Oct., so I'm sure they are as anxious to get these cars in and delivered as we are.

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namvet... perhaps your car is on the same truck as mine... hopefully it is on an earlier one! 8 weeks is too long to wait... I know you are anxious.

 

this waiting for a car is a strange phenomenon, no?

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when I was at my dealer Monday, I saw their little menu of "add-ons" that they sell at closing. just curious if anyone else is going to do these (or if you're a PW 38er who's already picked up and have experience here, please chime in!).

This is not the complete menu but the few I wrote down:

- Secure etch (where they etch info on all the windows)... my MA didn't have a price handy, but said some insurance companies give a discount for having this... will check with mine before I buy this as I don't really think it is necessary.

- Tire insurance/warranty/whatever = 3 years at $549... might be worth it for run-flats? anyone?

- Extended maintenance = $650 for 4 years/50,000 miles. I've read in here that this can be added later on as long as you are still under warranty.

- Gap insurance = I've heard this is smart to have... Mini sells it, but so does my finance company... their price is $250 for the length of the loan.

thoughts, opinions, advice? thanks all!

 

hey everybody!! Just got to work after picking up the mini (boo!) It is sooo awesome! Looks even better than I expected!!!! I took lots of pics, so I will post them as soon as i get home You guys have so much to look forward to!!

<3 Rach

 

Rachael, congrats! I am so happy for you! I can't wait to see the pics!

 

Congrats! You better wave back if I see you and wave!

 

yes! we need some pics in this place to boost morale!

 

drumroll pleeeeze.......













It's the raddest mini i've ever seen! So much to learn about it... having fun fidgeting with all the buttons and settings!! I can't wait till you guys get yours :D

Rach

 

congrats. looks like this weekend for me.

 

btw... i saw a car today in front of me right after i picked up the mini that had a sticker on the back that said 'psb'... it's a sign!!

 

You rock, I love your car, it is so clean yet eye catching! Did the pick up go okay? I am excited for you and know that you must be beaming

I will take your sign and keep on hoping..... I can't wait to see my MCS in person....

Hope you are out enjoying the new wheels right now!

Corey

 

Rachael - congratulations!! great pics! lovin those web spokes! I'm glad you are Mini-ized and Motoring. I can't remember, does he/she have a name yet?

 

Your left hood latch is unbuttoned.

Nice though

 

Rachel! Looks fantastic. Congratulations!

 

As a general rule, dealers wouldn't offer "add-ons" if they weren't profitable for the dealer. All of the ones you mentioned are very common, and I'll talk about a few others that they may suggest.

Etching the VIN number on the glass is a good idea, and makes your car less attractive to thieves. It's also true that some insurance companies may offer a discount on your comprehensive premium if you have it done. The only problem is that dealers overcharge out the wazoo for the service. You can order VIN etching kits online for a fraction of what dealers usually charge.

Tire insurance - $550 is about the cost of two run-flats, but I doubt a typical driver will have to replace two tires in three years. Despite what you might hear, it *is* possible to use plugs in runflats, so picking up a nail or screw doesn't mean you have to replace the tire. Also, find out if the warranty is pro-rated. In other words, if you put 30,000 miles on your tires and then need to have one of them replaced, do you get a brand-new tire for free, or do you have to pay for part of the new tire since you got 30k out of the old tire?

Extended full service. You have to consider that the car already has full scheduled maintenance for three years / 36k miles, so ask yourself what you're likely to get for that extra $650. In all likelihood, you'll get one extra oil change and maybe a set of brake pads.

Gap insurance is only useful if you're "upside down" on your car loan (owe more than the car is worth). MINIs maintain their value better than just about any other car out there, so depending on how big of a down-payment you put down and the length of your loan, there might not be much of a "gap" to insure in the first place. Even if you do begin off upside-down, making a year or two of payments might erase the gap and make the gap insurance unnecessary.

The dealer might also offer interior fabric protectant or paint sealant. Neither one is a bad idea, but like the VIN etching, the dealer is overcharging for something you can do yourself for much cheaper. Scotchgard for carpet and fabric and Lexol (if you have leather seats) will protect the interior just fine, and there are any number of synthetic paint treatments out there that are as good or better than the stuff the dealer uses.

I don't think anyone offers rustproofing anymore, since the manufacturers offer their own rust-through warranty, and generally frown upon aftermarket rust treatments like Ziebart and similar brands.

I'm a big fan of clear bras, but once again, dealers tend to overcharge for them (are you seeing a trend here?) Local dealers are charging $800-$1300 for them, depending on the car. I went to the installer that my local dealer uses and he did the bonnet, bumper and headlights for $450. he would have done the bonnet scoop, mirror backs, and grille for the same price, but since those parts are chrome on my wife's car, we skipped the film on those.

It's easy to get caught up in the magic of taking delivery, and of course we all want the best for our MINIs, but it's probably best to politely but firmly decline all of the add-ons the dealer offers. If you change your mind later, any of these can be performed in the aftermarket for less than the dealer wants, anyway.

Scott

 

yay!! What a fun day Getting the hang of driving stick again..

Does anyone know how you can see the time when you play a cd on the hk system?! Like the time that shows how much of the song has played.... can't figure it out!!

Rach

 

Scott... thanks so much for your reply. Everything you said makes a lot of sense and is helping me to make the decisions. I talked to my insurance company and the etching saves a couple of bucks, but not much, so I don't think I'm getting that. Not completely decided on the tires... will have to ask more about it. And will probably wait on the extended service. Am thinking I will do the clear bra, but will probably need to drive up to St. Louis to get it. Good for me... potentially bad for Grover's bonnet. You also make a good point of the Mini's value and gap insurance. I'm not going to be putting down as much as I thought I would be so it might be good, but perhaps not. hmmm... willl have to sleep on that one.

thanks again!
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p.s. - my OL dot moved to "at VDC" with delivery date of 10/28/06, same as what my MA said earlier in the day. Hopefully it will be a day early!