HI all,

Long time lurker here.

I'm very likely going to purchase my first Mini, and also my first convertible. It will be a second car.. the "fun car," if you will.

As both a first time Mini owner and a first time convertible owner, I'm wondering if anyone on the board has any advice, tips, "I wish I knew this when I got mine" wisdom to share.

 

Make sure it has a wind deflector or look about herein for one, Liquid Wrench or equivalent dry lube ONLY for the hinges.
You will soon learn that topless motoring IS motoring at its best, and welcome to it.
And pictures.

 

Thanks, and yes, pictures will come.

 

Spent 16 years with a 2002 Boxster.

I was unable to do this all the time I owned the car but if you can/when you can park the car in a garage when at home/not in use.

When not able to park in a garage avoid parking under trees -- to avoid any sap the tree might shed or leaves/pollen/even branches/limbs -- or under anything that is a popular bird perch. Bird mess on a soft top is not good. While my Boxster top had a canvas cover -- to protect the water proof (rubber) liner underneath -- the bird mess could bleed through and its acid would attack the rubber.

For cleaning the top I used just water. But the top never got that dirty that it required anything more than just water. At a DIY car wash do not get the wash wand tip too close to the top. The concern is the powerful spray could damage the top, the rubber underneath the canvas.

On a related note many owners made a big deal about the water no longer beading up on the canvas. This is normal this beading action subsides. But many sought to apply stuff to restore this beading action. The canvas is just a protective covering. It would get wet. The idea was yeah it gets wet but then it dries again and promptly. So the goal was to use nothing that could interfere with the water drying promptly. A problem that can develop is if the top remains wet mold/mildew can develop under the canvas and this over time will compromise the rubber. It is worth the effort to ensure the top is dry before lowering the top. And even with a dry top I would put the top up if I was not going to use the car.

A sign this might be happening is if the otherwise smooth top gets a bit bump-y looking. I don't know how to deal with a top that develops this condition I just took steps to avoid it happening. An ounce of prevention...

As an aside I left the top down some when the weather got nicer. At some point some spider migration (?) took place and somehow the car acquired a bit of a spider infestation. Little pale yellow spiders. Occasionally one would make an appearance. I developed the habit of having something handy I could use to get the thing before it disappeared back into the dash. It was months before the spiders stopped appearing.

My lesson was to when I parked the car to raise the top/close the top to keep spiders/et al out of the cabin. And this included the time the car was parked in the garage.

Every once in a while I applied a bit of Gummi-Pflege (BMW makes this) to the rubber weather stripping of the top and all the rest of the car to help keep the rubber weather stripping soft and pliable so the top when closed would seal. Same for the side windows and door, engine cover, and hatch seals.

When I washed the car I'd wipe down all the rubber with a damp cloth to remove any dirt/grime. I'd wipe down the rubber and the surfaces that came in contact with it. This includes the side glass.

 

This is pro-level stuff. Thanks so much, RockC!

 

I thought I might back out at the last minute, but I did it.

 

Congrats, and welcome to the MINI convertible fam! If you’re on social media, check out the MINI convertible group on Facebook (called Mini Convertible). It’s quite an active group, for all things MINI convertible!

 

I just came from that FB group after responding to the 3 questions. Thanks for mentioning it. Love the picture heading, got to run Sebring back in the late 60's, pre MINI, had a TR roadster back then.

 

I might have to join Facebook! I’ve resisted for so long.

 

The one feature that we thought we were getting on our used 2022 MINI convertible, but didn't was ACC Automatic Cruise Control. We have the regular cruise control that holds a desired speed, but not the added feature that automatically slows down with traffic. I haven't found that very useful on our other car, but my wife expects to miss it a lot on the MINI.

 

Nice looking car!

 

Embrace open-air joy, maintenance, protect, and enjoy the ride! Hello there! Are you currently looking for a personal loan in Illinois? Have a look at this https://triceloans.com/personal-loans-illinois/ site. Managing your finances is easier with personal loans in Illinois. Whether you opt for an unsecured loan or a secured one, understanding your credit score and comparing lenders is crucial. Secure the funds you need while making informed decisions for your financial future.

 

+1 Very nice