If my car is "awaiting transport", and it's sitting at the port waiting for a boat, I wouldn't be affected by the plant shut down would I?

 

UPDATE!
ORDERED 7/16/12.
PRODUCTION NUMBER 7/16/12. (took a dealer spot)
PRODUCTION STARTED 7/19/12 according to Mini 800 number although originally
VIN 7/19/2012
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE 7/25/12
PAINT SHOP 7/24/12
FINAL ASSEMBLY 7/25/12
BORN: 7/25/12
AWAITING TRANSPORT: 7/26/12
AT PORT: 7/30/12
SET SAIL: Hopefully make the NYK-line boat leaving 8/3/12
AT ARRIVAL PORT
AT VDC
ON TRUCK
AT DEALER
PICKED UP
Dealer estimated Early to Mid September.

I was checking the schedule and the Asteria Leader is set to leave today, and another WWL ship should be leaving the next day. Hopefully I can get on one of those ships.

Also for all of you "awaiting transport" you should not be affected by the 2 week plant shut down my MA told me about.

I have already decided I will get the ALTA BOV spring (cheap mod and seems like many people like it), as well as the hot side turbo to intercooler line from ALTA as well. Its about $150 and nets you about 10hp. Should be an easy bolt on so if something happens and I need to go to the dealer i can swap it out so they don't blame that. Last but not least stiffen up the lower engine mount too. Cheap mod with great benefits. I am already thinking about updating the sound system too. Possible get a 5 channel amp or one 4 one mono. Better 4" speakers and a 6.5" sub to fit in the under seat spot. I did not get the harmon kardon because I figured I could probably put together a better system for just a bit more, if i find the stock system to be inadequate. Our current R50 stock system is plenty good so we shall see.

 

If you look on your Vehicle Inquiry Report that your MA gave you it says Port Loc. with a code. Here are the locations I found on another thread:

-Halifax, Nova Scotia (Port Loc = ?) : WW, ~6 days for transport
-New York City, NY (Port Loc = NYCPOA) : WW, ~8 days for transport (truly based in Jersey City, NJ)
-Charleston, SC (Port Loc = CHSPOA) : WW and K-Line, ~15 days on WW, ~13 days on K-Line
-Brunswick, GA (Port Loc = SSIPOA) : WW, ~17 days for transport (thanks to Bandit for the Loc Code!)
-Manzanillo, a.k.a. Panama Canal (Point of reference only) : WW, ~13 days
-Port Hueneme, CA (Port Loc = PHMPOA): WW, ~21 days for transport (thanks krim)
-Baltimore, MD (Port Loc = ?) : ~12 days on WW

Mine is going to take forever because it's coming in to Port Hueneme in California.

Here's the thread link where I got that information. It's a very helpful thread. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d-updated.html

 

Dr. Nick-

Looking forward to hearing what you think after these mods. I don't have my ride yet either, but those were on the short list of mods I was considering. Are you doing them yourself or taking it to a shop?

 

Owners lounge now states that my CMS is "En Route". The VIN isn't pulling up on the WW tracking site, so it may be on a different carrier. I wish I could figure out what boat it was going to be on!

 

BigPanda, I will be doing them myself. The BOV spring and the hot turbo tube should be fairly easy. If I end up doing the stereo upgrade that will be more involved by selecting speakers that fit (depth wise) and building a box for the small woofer under the seats. It would be a weekend job. The stereo if needed can wait a bit but the other few will be done almost as soon as we get it.

 

Ok so I have to know...does this motor actually have an atmospheric blow off valve (traditionally referred to as BOV as above) or is it actually a diverter valve/boost recirculation valve?

 

Xenor, it does not have a atmospheric BOV. It has a recirculate tube to send the air back to the intake.

 

Ok, that's what I thought. Same setup as my GTI I sold to buy the countryman, for the most part. I just heard BOV being thrown around so much I was starting to wonder.

 

My CM is on the California Highway headed to the US!!! It left on 8/1/2012.

 

Well, according to our MA, wife's MINI will be in CA the middle of the month and in Portland,OR by the end of August. Still don't find it on a WW ship. Hope he is right, long drive to Portland and not find it.

 

Checked the owners lounge this morning. It claims its at my dealer. My MA never called me today. However its Monday and don't want them to rush the prep. Prob be getting a call tomorrow.

 

Just found out that my '12 MC is at the port! How do I find out which Vessel it will be on?

 

Xenor, curious why you're moving from GTI to Countryman, I'm still second guessing my choice, they are both such similar cars in the 4Door set-up.

 

My GTI was a 2 door. I have a 2 year old and another boy on the way. I wanted a 4 door car, something still fun to drive. I didn't want a new GTI and the TDI golfs aren't sporty enough.

 

Don't get me wrong, the GTI was a great car...once you lower it, put new sway bars, stage 2 tune, exhaust, intake, recode the car to euro spec, reset the DSG transmission monthly to avoid rough shifts, change the oil twice as often as the manual says, remove the high pressure fuel pump every 10k miles to be sure it hasn't grenaded..........

 

No real way to find out until it gets going. I have been in the port since the 30th and still ASK-MINI says awaiting shipping information. You can track boats from Bremerhaven to LA by following a link I posted a while back in this thread. I can see a WWL carrier leaving the 10th. If you go to 2wglobal.com you can check you VIN in there cargo tracker. If you get on NYK line there is no way of knowing. Once you are on a boat you can track it by the boat's name.

Big thing is getting on one. I have waited a week, getting a bit impatient. I just want my new car. Oh well everyone else had to wait. It will be worth it.

 

Got the call I was waiting for. My MA called and said to pick it up this Thursday, the 9th. Not bad since I only ordered it June 27th.

 

Thanks!

 

Hey. So looking for a little advice please-

My CMS All4 arrived at the dealer the other day . I went to review the paperwork and for them to evaluate my trade (an excellent condition, loaded Lexus that KBB, NADA, and Edmunds value between $30-31K for trade-in). After waiting, looking at my car, sitting in my car, the MA came back with a $26K offer. I was shocked to say the least. What should I do?

I was expecting to pay almost nothing out of pocket, and will walk away if I have to. They mentioned since I got a $2K off MSRP that they couldn't budge on the trade allowance so they could make up some money. That sounds off-topic and not my problem (although it would seem they are trying to make it my problem). Any one else have to deal with a custom order, deposit, and then get "screwed" on the trade 8 weeks later?

 

the opposite, dealer wouldn't budge on price or options, but gave me one heck of a trade-in. Have you tried taking it to Carmax and seeing what they will give you for it?

 

Walk away and sell your car by owner. My mini dealership offered me *under* POOR KBB value. Appalling! Luckily I had the car appraised weeks ago when I ordered. I immediately put the car up on every site and newspaper I could find, priced low to sell, but well above the dreadful trade in price. Just tell the dealer you will have to walk away and sell the car by owner. They will call you in a couple days, offering you a better deal, and/or you will successfully sell your car yourself and they get no profit from flipping your trade in car.

Sounds good in theory...good luck to you. Don't let the stealership get away with ripping you off on your trade.

 

Pretty much the same thing happened to me. My MINI dealer offered me 11K for a 2010 Mazda 3 (purchased in June 2009) with only 30K miles, excellent, like new condition, I owed 14K on it. They gave me all the babble about it being wholesale, this is what the market is demanding, etc... blah blah..... Looking online with cars with almost exact configuration and miles they were selling them on the dealer lots for 15500-16999. So I actually ended up selling mine back to a local Mazda dealer and they bought it for what I owed. I know I probably could have gotten more for a private sale, but this made it easy and I was free of the car. I know my dealer was hoping for money on that trade...suckers!!

Good luck to you!

 

I'd either wait and try to sell it yourself, or suck it up and do the trade. Like it or not, that's about all you can expect from a dealer trade. I assume since your CM just arrived at the dealership, that you ordered it?

When I ordered mine, I had done the research as well for my 2007 Fully loaded A3, in perfect condition, with low miles. KBB for trade was $16k, private sale was $19.5. Dealer evaluated my car then, just so I wouldn't have any surprises when mine came in. They offered $13.5. I put it up for sale, and ended up getting $17 for it, and the new owner picked it up one week before my CM came in, so timing worked out great.

 

I can chime in as well. I had an '07 Audi A3, FWD, 6 speed manual. LOVED that car. Never had a single issue with it, only ever in for wear and tear items. Not even so much as a MAF, O2 sensor or even a single CEL. Car always got looks, as they aren't very common. Very practical car, looked great, was pretty fast, and could still carry stuff.

I actually had no intentions of getting rid of it. It's actually the longest I've owned a daily driver (5 years, longest until then was 4.). When the CM first came out, I thought they were cool. The more I saw of them, the more intrigued I was. Seemed like a perfect solution to the fact that you can't get an A3 in AWD with a manual.

I too, was worried that once mine came in, and the novelty wore off, I'd start missing the A3. Granted, it's only been 3 weeks, but so far, I'm not regretting my decision. I LOVE the look of my Mini. I think it's much more of a head turner than the A3 was. Handling is great. It's definitely not as fast, and has a lot more turbo lag than the Audi (which really had zero lag). But the longer I drive it, the more I'll adjust to compensate. I'll also start looking at ECU reflashes to help with the power. The plus side, AWD.

This is every bit as fun for me to drive as the A3 was.