Let's hope so! Don't want to miss it. Do you know the ship name and departing date from Southhampton?

 

No not yet.

 

Reading these last few posts, must make me a week 47! According to ASK MINI my car is scheduled for completion Nov 22d. Sgt Pepper is a PW/G MCSc, premium, sport, cold weather, and will get custom dark green leather when he arrives in Indy. Can't wait!!!

 

Called ASKMINI today to get an update and my scheduled completion date is now Nov 18th....a day later than when I called Thursday. I'm going to try and get more info tomorrow.

oldtrojan, what is your VIN? You have to have one of the last R53's being made.

 

I believe that would be so, if not for the fact that he's a cabrio. They're not scheduled to change for a couple years. I don't have a VIN, yet. I'm not sure when, in the production process that happens. I've watched the video of assembly about four times, and I find it facinating. I'll post the VIN as soon as I have it. My MA called Friday, that production had begun at 0756. I understood they worked 24/7 but the web-site still indicates "on order". Oh well, when he's done, he's done! Hard to wait, though!!!

 

Thanks for the info oldtrojan! I didn't realize that the cabrio was going to continued being produced alongside the R56. I also found the assembly video to be very interesting. I think the best, most up to date info on your VIN and assembly status comes from talking to a human at ASKMINI....at least that's my understanding. I'm kinda like you in that when my car is done it's done, but it's pretty neat watching the process.

 

congrats to everyone... our babies are almost done! I have one day left!

 

Well it finished early! It's awaiting transport! Now for the L-O-N-G journey Too bad you can't track West Coast deliveries like the East Coast Oh well... now i need to find out the ship it'll be on! Can my MA find out which ship it will be on?

 

Actually you can track some West coast ships. Mine is on one that is being tracked right now.

 

Royal

the first thing that you need to do is to be persistent about checking the WW site to see if your VIN registers as being accepted. Also on the WW site you can see what the scheduled sailings are by using the ports of South Hampton and Port huemene. Once the VIN registers, it will give you a Bill of Lading # and that usually means that your car has a ticket to ride.

Congrats, your car sounds great!

 

Thanks for the info... I'll constantly check my VIN there. So I just called ASK MINI and Royal is at the Port ready to be loaded! I just check the schedules at the WW site and the next ship departs November 16th... The vessel is called TOMBARRA. it arrives December 7th into PORT HUENEME, CA. It takes approximately 23 days So hopefully I make the TOMBARRA. otherwise it'll be 4 more days and leave on the 20th on the vessel TERRIER. It's getting closer and closer!!!:impatient

 

royal

I would say that the chances are good that you get on that boat. Ours will dock in New York tomorrow, so it has another 14 days at sea after that.

 

Please inform... what is the WW site and when is the VIN issued in production? I'm not due till the 22d.. Thanks!

 

To get your VIN you can log into the Owners Lounge on www.miniusa.com and click on "order status", then "review order detail".

All the sites you need to track the boat with are in a sticky in this "1st Gear" section. Click on "How to track your MINI", and you'll find everything you need in there.

 

Arghh. Mine still says it's in the paint shop. Wish they would update. I'm sure it's done and ready to go though.

 

Checked mine and went into the Body Shop today. Not sure what happens there, but it's off to the paint shop after the body shop. Scheduled for completion on the 17th or 18th. Wish I lived in England....I would be driving to the factory every day to see where my car is at.....

 

Start buggin 866 askmini. I did and they are really nice to deal with and they answer most of your questions.

 

I once found a link that walked me through the production process. It was really pretty cool. The first step is the body shop. I think that they said they did approx 3,500 spot welds in that area on one car. It then moves to the paint shop. When all is said and done, if your car is being worked on non-stop till completion, it takes about 28 hours (Ithink) to complete the process. Try the bmw site and see if it gives you some links to the oxford plant. The factoids were really cool and very informative. Way better than the video that Mini has. In the body shop, they fit the doors, bonnet, and boot but they later take them all off to do the interior. they end up going down a parellel conveyer in the mfg line.

try to find that link it really is totally coooooool!

 

If it only takes 28 hours to complete the process I can't help wondering why it takes over two weeks to get through from "in production" to "completion". Just a curious thing.

 

In perusing some sites I found through Google, I discovered that our MINI's actually start production at one plant and then get sent to the second plant for paint and final assembly, hence the longer production time. Mine was at the first plant today.....

 

Mine is scheduled to finish production on Nov. 16th, ONE DAY after my birthday!!!!
I can't wait. I've been going mad since i placed order but now it's getting to the point where every sentence i say MUST include either MINI, Cooper, or S in it, sometimes all together:impatient :impatient :impatient

 

Whoo Hoo! Mine is now completed and awaiting a vessel for transport across the ocean to the west coast!

 

When I talked to the person at 886 ASKMINI he said the twenty-eight hours is probably the total production time for each vehicle. Not necessarily 28 hours straight from start to finish, there is down time and waiting for the line to move and what ever problems might come up. That cleared that part of it up for me.

 

Sorry, I meant 866.

 

For those leaving on the Tombarra... here is a photo of her:

Her call sign is LAIU6, IMO: 9319753, Build: 2006, Flag: Norway International Ship Register (NIS). She is the newest of the WW fleet! She is set to depart November 16th!