All,

Just wanted to introduce myself, and thank everyone for the many insights and hospitality I found at your last breakfast at Tate MINI. It's so heartening to see the cult of MINI is just as devoted as the cult of Mac :-)

Anyhoo, just got my production number yesterday from Mike Kost, and just might get delivery in time for MOTD! Mike sez mid-April, but work concerns and financial concerns mean crackerjack timing and a steady diet of Ramen are in order to make MOTD.

Yeah, so here's the spec:
MCS CR/B, Sunroof, Sports Pack, LSD, Rear Fogs, Chrono Pack, Space Cloth, Body Color Dash, stock head unit, and

(drum roll please!)

JCW Tuning Kit! All of which explains why I went option-light on my order. It's all about the driving, man..

Considering having some non Run-Flats drop-shipped to the dealer, they can slap 'em on before I get there. I'll be sealing ye old Run-Flats (17" performance), and youse guys get first dibs. I'll bring 'em to a meeting, and that'll be that. Otherwise, I'll move 'em to someone en route who likes them. Got a buddy at work that actually LIKES Run-Flats. It takes all kinds.

Again, thanks to all the Metro kids who helped me with advice, particularly kgdlu's advice on alarm systems (don't), and ProForm (call direct, then name-drop)!

Cheers,

Matthew Z.

P.S. Oh yeah, I'm a Squid, just like another of your cohort. I LIKE Coasties, though..no jivin'.

 

First off, welcome to the nut-house... umm, I mean club! LOL

I may be in the market for run-flats... what do you think you'll be asking?

Deb

 

Welcome from the 'other' squid! And the 'Coastie' in our group is ok, I guess...

Sounds like an awesome MINI that you've got coming to ya! Can't wait to see it! Are you planning on heading up to the Dragon?

If you don't mind me askin', what rate / rank? (You're not one of those Officer types, are you? )

-Paul!

 

Isn't there a head for you to field day?

 

Nope. RHIP, I've got PO3's for that..

For the other Squid here, I'm a blue-shirt. PO1 going on forever, retire in 2007.

So, aren't our other military here either at the USCG Station, or the Pentagon? I used to just think of the Pentagon as a bus stop when I lived in Arlington:-)

Seriously! I was just up the street in Shirlington, and always transferred for the Metro to InLingua in Rosslyn.

At work till O'dark-30, so replies might take a while.

 

Meant Paul, he's the token blue shirt in a sea of brown!

I used to be over in Alexandria, but now I'm my own unit! Assigned to go to school...

 

Congrats Matthew!! Cool ride you're going to have in April . Your going to love the JCW kit .

As for the run-flats, they're not too bad (sometimes ) but just this morning I replaced my stock Dunlops with Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3s from Tire Rack. Much smoother and quieter ride . Grip is good considering it's close to freezing outside. Can't wait until it warms up, then they will really start to claw the pavement . The Dunlops died at 35,000 miles.

 

Mike,

Thanks! Pure Silver, huh? Another color I almost went for. Gorgeous with either color of bonnet stripes..

See you at the next meeting, with luck.

cheers,

Matthew Z.

 

Came to my first DC MINI's gathering at Tate in Feb. Hoping I'll get the car in time for the March 19th breakfast, going to be very very close!

Red S cabrio will full aero kit. I'll be the one checking out wheels and asking everyone what they think of their non oem tires :smile: . Thinking I may want different wheels but looking at the aftermarket for lower price.

Couldn't get the red and black interior to go with my Chili Red car, not available in the convertible. So I'm currently torn between the Tartan seat covers, (the add on seat covers, not the factory tartan seats) and the Wet Okoles in Red and black with red piping. The Tartan doesn't look all the red to me in photos, looks more like a wine - burgandy.

If anyone has these I sure hope you are there for me to take a gander.

I settled for the grey and black cloth since I knew I'd either use covers or re uphoslter to get what I want.

 

Hello All,

Just spent a little quality time here at work, here's the latest on mine..

Booked for Madame Butterfly, received at Southhampton by Wallenius Wilhelmsen at 19:26 on the 25th. On schedule!

Madame Butterfly departs Southampton today, and is scheduled to make port in Charleston April 8th.

Now to wait for two days, and make sure the Madame Butterfly actually departs port on time, WITH my car onboard.

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

 

Cool!

My CR MCS JCW was loaded on Wallenius Wihelmsen "Madame Butterfly" today. Sweet that there are several of us with Mini's on board!

 

Hey,

Search by booking number to get your individual vehicle's status, or by VIN. Found mine in the list, it's "waitlisted".

Short version - hanging out on the docks.

Oh well, wait and see who else pulls up. If I understand this correctly, my car is STILL booked on Madam B there, but will need to wait for the return trip.

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

 

how did you all find out that level of info? i have been using the miniusa.com website to track my status. it gives info (a couple days late), but not to the level you all had. i have the VIN, but where did you find out ship, departure port, arrival port, etc.

my status: just arrived in the US!!

 

Well, here we go again. Having been waitlisted, my MINI is now booked on the RESOLVE, departing Southampton on the 1st (April Fools!).

Should arrive in Charleston April 13th. Nice to see that transition to new booking request only took about 48 hours, at best. Booking order swelled from 45 records to about 320.

"The waiting is the hardest part.
Every day, get one more yard.."

 

sounds like you were bumped. make sure you complain until you get a free first class upgrade.

 

MINI only uses only shipping company - the one mentioned in these posts - to get the cars over here. If you have a VIN number, you can log onto the shipping companies web site and they will tell you where your car is.

It was fun tracking my husbands S coming over. I was even able to get a photo of the ship off the web site. I wish I had know about it when I got my Cooper in 2003!

 

That was BEFORE the insanity had taken full hold of you.....I remember meeting you before then ---- we like this Jen MUCH better....MINI insanity is the best kind

Hugs,
PB

Off to think of more things to write on Paul's car. Hmmmm....

 

Greetings - another military type here, but I'm stationed at Bolling AFB. Yup, I'm AF, though I'm not doing anything particularly military-ish these days...I teach at the Joint Military Intelligence College.

 

HA!! My MINI is one year old today! And it got a nice, hot bath as a birthday present! So !!!

-Paul!

 

Ok, where's our Army and Marine peeps to represent all 5 branches of our military???

So far, we've got a Coastie, 2 Navy folks, and one AF --- ok, who am I missing?

Do we need to start the "I'm Military and I own a MINI" thread???

So, are we going to see you at Mexican on the 31st???

Hugs,
PB

 

Paul washed his car! Paul washed his car! Happy birthday to your MINI. Was this it's first bath?

 

I'd love to go, but that kind of thing takes spare time...something of which I'm a little short these days. Maybe next time......