R50/53 Lessons in Patience (Very Long)
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3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 157
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Pa"tience, n. [F. patience, fr. L. patientia. See Patient.] 1. The state or quality of being patient; the power of suffering with fortitude; uncomplaining endurance of evils or wrongs, as toil, pain, poverty, insult, oppression, calamity, etc.
I ordered my 2004 MINI Cooper yesterday.
I wasn't really looking for a new car, but my 1998 Pontiac Sunfire with broken air conditioning wasn't really cutting it. I logged on to Yahoo! autos just to see what kind of cars were available. On the front page was a MINI Cooper. I clicked on it, and the rest, as they say, is history.
I immediately fell in love with the way it looked. The classic face. The bulldog stance. It was awesome. Yahoo! autos led me to Miniusa.com, which led me to MINI2, which led me here, which led me to all the review sites, which led me to back to MINI2, which led me back to Miniusa, which led me back here....it was obsessive. That all only started 2 weeks ago.
Yesterday, around 2:30, I cruised into my local mini dealer (Otto's MINI in West Chester) to check out the car in person and take a test drive. I checked out the car, asked a few questions and was ready for a test drive, but my Motoring Advisor had to let her boss know she was going on a test drive, and he wasn't around. Since I was on company time, I told her I'd be back after work.
I arrived back at 5:00 and my MA was with several people, who I assumed were going to buy a car. She said she'd finish with them and we could go on the test drive. I waited. A half hour....an hour.....an hour and fifteen. I saw them leaving and my MA thanked me for waiting around, and asked if I was ready for the drive. Of course I was.
As an unfortunate aside, the woman my MA was trying to sell the car to DIDN'T EVEN BUY A CAR. She was trying to haggle, couldn't understand why she had to wait three months for a car, and really had no idea what she was getting herself into when she walked into the MINI dealership. (I give my MA much credit for keeping her cool thru the whole ordeal, because I wouldn't have).
Before I took a test drive, I was 95% sure a MINI would be my next car. Driving it sealed the deal. I'm sure most of you understand. I drove it back to the dealership, and went back inside to do the paperwork. I am now awaiting the birth of my 2004 MINI Cooper... My specs....
IB/W
CVT (I've always drove an automatic and the CVT will be a real blast)
Pkg 1
Pkg 3
Sports Seats
Harmon Kardon Upgrade
My MA "suggested" I get the floor mats and wheel locks. Fair enough.
I'm paying MSRP, plus tax and tags. Otto's MINI promises me no "mandatory dealer options" including dealer prep. Way to go Otto's MINI!
I never really knew about Motoring until I found the MINI Cooper. But I guess I did. It was every time my Dad waved at another motorcyclist, as he took me for a ride on his bike when I was a kid. It really does make the world a better place to live.
So here I am. Waiting for my new MINI Cooper. To pass the time I guess I'll frequent these boards, read my new book "MINI" by Patrick C. Paternie, and just pretend I'm in a MINI, as I drive around the Delaware Valley, in my company truck.
If you read this far, you've shown the patience that every new MINI owner must face as we wait for our new cars.
Thanks for reading. It's a great little culture you all have going on here, and I look forward to being a part of it.
Raj
I ordered my 2004 MINI Cooper yesterday.
I wasn't really looking for a new car, but my 1998 Pontiac Sunfire with broken air conditioning wasn't really cutting it. I logged on to Yahoo! autos just to see what kind of cars were available. On the front page was a MINI Cooper. I clicked on it, and the rest, as they say, is history.
I immediately fell in love with the way it looked. The classic face. The bulldog stance. It was awesome. Yahoo! autos led me to Miniusa.com, which led me to MINI2, which led me here, which led me to all the review sites, which led me to back to MINI2, which led me back to Miniusa, which led me back here....it was obsessive. That all only started 2 weeks ago.
Yesterday, around 2:30, I cruised into my local mini dealer (Otto's MINI in West Chester) to check out the car in person and take a test drive. I checked out the car, asked a few questions and was ready for a test drive, but my Motoring Advisor had to let her boss know she was going on a test drive, and he wasn't around. Since I was on company time, I told her I'd be back after work.
I arrived back at 5:00 and my MA was with several people, who I assumed were going to buy a car. She said she'd finish with them and we could go on the test drive. I waited. A half hour....an hour.....an hour and fifteen. I saw them leaving and my MA thanked me for waiting around, and asked if I was ready for the drive. Of course I was.
As an unfortunate aside, the woman my MA was trying to sell the car to DIDN'T EVEN BUY A CAR. She was trying to haggle, couldn't understand why she had to wait three months for a car, and really had no idea what she was getting herself into when she walked into the MINI dealership. (I give my MA much credit for keeping her cool thru the whole ordeal, because I wouldn't have).
Before I took a test drive, I was 95% sure a MINI would be my next car. Driving it sealed the deal. I'm sure most of you understand. I drove it back to the dealership, and went back inside to do the paperwork. I am now awaiting the birth of my 2004 MINI Cooper... My specs....
IB/W
CVT (I've always drove an automatic and the CVT will be a real blast)
Pkg 1
Pkg 3
Sports Seats
Harmon Kardon Upgrade
My MA "suggested" I get the floor mats and wheel locks. Fair enough.
I'm paying MSRP, plus tax and tags. Otto's MINI promises me no "mandatory dealer options" including dealer prep. Way to go Otto's MINI!
I never really knew about Motoring until I found the MINI Cooper. But I guess I did. It was every time my Dad waved at another motorcyclist, as he took me for a ride on his bike when I was a kid. It really does make the world a better place to live.
So here I am. Waiting for my new MINI Cooper. To pass the time I guess I'll frequent these boards, read my new book "MINI" by Patrick C. Paternie, and just pretend I'm in a MINI, as I drive around the Delaware Valley, in my company truck.
If you read this far, you've shown the patience that every new MINI owner must face as we wait for our new cars.
Thanks for reading. It's a great little culture you all have going on here, and I look forward to being a part of it.
Raj
pug poo picker-upper
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,803
Likes: 30
From: California
It's a great little culture you all have going on here, and I look forward to being a part of it.
Welcome to posting on MCO. :smile: I hope we can help to ease your wait.
Dave
3rd Gear
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 263
Likes: 0
From: Phila, PA
Raj
Welcome to MCO. There's a great bunch of people here.
I'm also buying (hopefully) from Otto's. We have the same Motoring Advisor. She's great isn't she. She tried to sell me the wheel locks too!
Another great Mini book to read while your waiting for your car is "New Mini" by Graham Robson. It's a great book that every Mini owner should read. You can buy it from Amazon.com
Good Luck with the new Mini.
Steven
Welcome to MCO. There's a great bunch of people here.
I'm also buying (hopefully) from Otto's. We have the same Motoring Advisor. She's great isn't she. She tried to sell me the wheel locks too!
Another great Mini book to read while your waiting for your car is "New Mini" by Graham Robson. It's a great book that every Mini owner should read. You can buy it from Amazon.com
Good Luck with the new Mini.
Steven
5th Gear
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,015
Likes: 0
From: Long Island NY
Congrats on ordering the MINI. First time I ever saw the car, I fell in love and a little less then a year later I had the same one (color and all). Happy waiting, from what I hear it can be torturous ( I only had to wait a week to get mine, cause the dealer had it coming in for stock).
1st Gear
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
>>If you read this far, you've shown the patience that every new MINI owner must face as we wait for our new cars.
>>
>>Thanks for reading. It's a great little culture you all have going on here, and I look forward to being a part of it.
>>
>>Raj
>>
>> :smile: :evil: :evil:
and remember: lincoln is the capital of nebraska! (i'm feeling a bit non-sequitur-ish)
maloha
-john t.
>>
>>Thanks for reading. It's a great little culture you all have going on here, and I look forward to being a part of it.
>>
>>Raj
>>
>> :smile: :evil: :evil:
and remember: lincoln is the capital of nebraska! (i'm feeling a bit non-sequitur-ish)
maloha
-john t.
4th Gear
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 444
Likes: 0
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Sand Dollar Collector
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 7,249
Likes: 2
From: Moved from Leesburg, VA to Oceanside, CA Nov. 2003
:smile: :smile: Congrats on your decision - the wait will go by quick - especially if you spend a lot of your spare time in here - LOL!! 
donna@dcmetrominis.org
donna@dcmetrominis.org
2nd Gear
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
From: Leesburg, VA
Welcome!
Don't let them fool you, Raj. Unless you have the patience and perseverence of a Zen Buddhist, you're going to endure much pain in your wait
Try not to annoy the MA's too much. Instead, call MINIUSA
-Troy
Don't let them fool you, Raj. Unless you have the patience and perseverence of a Zen Buddhist, you're going to endure much pain in your wait
Try not to annoy the MA's too much. Instead, call MINIUSA
-Troy
6th Gear
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 7,062
Likes: 1
From: Boston, MA
>>It will be here in October.
Raj, I got my MINI last October (the 8th, to be exact ), and I can't think of a more beautiful time of year to get a new car, especially if you live anywhere where the leaves change. October has always been my favorite month for hiking, bicycling, camping, and now motoring! Good luck enduring the wait. You're going to LOVE that CVT after driving a GM slushbox! 
Chris
_________________
2003 red/white Cooper, Borla exhaust, Moss air intake, Magnecor plug wires, parcel shelf
Raj, I got my MINI last October (the 8th, to be exact
), and I can't think of a more beautiful time of year to get a new car, especially if you live anywhere where the leaves change. October has always been my favorite month for hiking, bicycling, camping, and now motoring! Good luck enduring the wait. You're going to LOVE that CVT after driving a GM slushbox! Chris
_________________
2003 red/white Cooper, Borla exhaust, Moss air intake, Magnecor plug wires, parcel shelf
6th Gear
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 38,578
Likes: 2
Raj, I, too have an IB/W and it's an awesome color combo. There's some IB/W diecast out there (...but the mirrors usually need to be painted white) so you could start a little shrine for yourself. Also, collect some cleaning supplies...IB likes the duster so it can be super-clean. Also, you're right, MCO is a real good place to hang out. The time will pass quickly....and you will go mad. (good-mad, I mean.)
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