Hi all!

My name is Wayne, and I'm an R50 addict.
(crowd replies ,"hi Wayne".)

Editorial note: This is a nearly identical post intro as one I did on the MA site... But since its an intro, and since we all have the same problem, it seems appropriate.

I have wanted one since i was a kid, but never in my life did I think I'd ever be able to do it. I'm now 51. I guess that makes it possible to throw caution to the wind! I bought mine on Ebay after several long discussions with the seller about her. Sometimes things that sound too good to be true usually are. But, well, I did all the due-diligence I could. Then I finally swallowed hard, took the plunge, flew to Newark and picked her up. It was love at first sight!

The drive home (Iowa) was one long, high-speed roller-coaster ride, interrupted only by toll booths along I-80. My cheeks hurt by the time I got home due to all of the grinning. For a car with 130k miles on the clock, she looks nearly new, and rides and drives the same. I have owned manuals before, but this 5-speed is really FUN.

That was three weeks ago. What was the first thing I did? Went online and started trying to figure out how to buy and make modifications to her! hahahahahaha... I guess that is a common symptom of this addiction we all carry around.

...(crowd murmurs in agreement)...

It spent a couple of days in the closest dealership to me (Des Moines) getting the AUX JACK installed, my spare key 'mated to the car' and boot struts replaced. I could have done the boot struts and probably the AUX jack too, but its winter here and I didnt want to wait til Spring. Jeremiah at Willis Auto Campus and his cronies really treated me well. They will get all of my major service for this newest member of our family.

Got the car back and it is just amazing. I love this thing! I have also ordered an ALTA PERFORMANCE set of driving lights I'll install myself when the weather gets good, and I have new, aftermarket tail lights that I'll put on this weekend. I have the same dreams as you all, too.... stripes, more badges maybe (so many things to say) and now to try and balance my 'fun time' between this new love of mine, and my Harley Davidson. My wife and I love them both, so at least I have that in my favor. I have named my car "Alice", in a twisted famous-name sorta way... I was raised in the classic era of Rock Music (long live the 70s!), and although that name is mostly associates with a very famous MALE Rock Singer, it just seemed to fit her anyway.

I have some vanity license plates on-order. We'll see what the DOT lets me have. I also am a ham-radio-geekoid, so I have a radio to install at some point too... But, not too much, the lines on the car are amazing, I dont wanna garf them up much.

Here are a couple of pics... As time goes on, more will show up, i'm sure. Anyway, hopefully I wont throw financial caution totally to the wind. Please help me. But, I'm glad to be here.

Wayne

P.S. ~ I have a couple of questions:

[] is a "Justa" a plain-jane R50 (i.e. non-S)? Never heard that term before.
[] is there a cure for this disease we have, or is 'therapy' (and lots of money) the only answer?

p.p.s ~ my hamgeekoid callsign is "ke0ms" and i hang out on 147.540 simplex.

 

no cure its terminal, people always ask is it a s' no justa cooper.......

 

Wayne, great introductory post. It's easy to detect your enthusiasm and it's always comforting to know that those of us who are similarly afflicted aren't alone in the woods.

As ricbow says, the moniker "Justa" is short for JustaCooper which is a common contraction of "Just a Cooper." It's proudly worn by the fraternity who love their normally aspirated engines and clean lines of their bonnet, and feel they don't have to supplement their man-/woman-hood with a supercharger or turbo. I was in that club for some time, until I fell victim to turbo-seduction.

There's no cure, and you've clearly already started down the path that will dominate your destiny. Once you start the mods, the only thing you can do is continue to feed the beast...and you'll enjoy every minute and $$ invested.

BTW, Jeremiah over at MoDM is a long-time member of EIM and a regular participant until he moved to Des Moines to take the SA job there. He's good people and will take good care of you, as you've already detected.

 

Welcome Wayne! Nice post. I just got my first MINI a couple of weeks ago and I am right with you on age too. Nice to hear your enthusiasm as I wondered if I should be feeling that way at my "advanced" age. Enjoy your new toy! Mike (another Midwesterner just south of you in Missouri)

 

welcome to the club! no cure, you've been bitten...congrats on the purchase, you WILL enjoy it...

I like the way you introduced yourself!! Something very familiar in my life......

 

Welcome, Wayne! We have several other EIMers in Cedar Rapids, so I hope we'll see each other often. I think we all understand your excitement. You won't be "cured," and I don't think you would want a cure I've had my justa for 9 years, and I don't think I'll ever exhange him. He has plenty of zip. Hope to see you at one of our events.

 

hey Gil-Galad, isn't that term called the "MOD BUG"..... or in your case MOCD (MINI obsessive-compulsive disorder)? I know that deanman can share plenty of videos. Congrats Wayne! and Welcome!

 

Hello and welcome from a fellow hamgeekoid: N0VXY
73 to you and Alice

 

Hi Wayne.
Another proud R50 owner here, too. Didn't think I'd ever have one sitting in my garage and after 2 years I still have to pinch myself.
I so love the simple straight forward look of the R50, which reminds me of my straight forward classy little British mum, regardless of who, what or where it's been manufactured or driven by.
I've read in a couple of car magazines, that it is considered by some aficionados, to be a classic before it's time.
Have fun

 

Enough said!

 

Right on

 

Welcome Wayne
As a relative "newbe" myself, I can tell you the joy of owning a Mini doesn't diminish as time passes! We bought ours last fall and are thrilled every time we back it out of the garage.
You've found a great group of Mini owners here at EIM's and will enjoy the fellowship you'll find here. Be sure to attend as many EIM events and get togethers as you can and you won't be sorry. The Des moines Mini dealer is first class and will take great care of you and Jeremiah is the best.

 

Welcome and congratulations! I've got a chili red R50 as well, it's a great car. See my signature for all the mods I've done, I recommend all of them!

I have a bit of a motorcycle background too (sport bikes.) and I've noticed that is pretty common here. MINI is the closest experience to a bike on four wheels, I think.