What do you do during the waiting period? In between Ordering, Production, and Delivery?

I'm not sure what to do during these times. My Clubman S will be in production in the 2nd week of April and was estimated to be delivered in late May, early June. But I can't help but think I should go back to the dealership to do another test drive of the car. Have any of you done that in occasion or would the MA think your a weirdo just wasting their time? Oh before I made the decision to go ahead and buy the Clubman, I was contemplating on buying the FJ Cruiser due to its contrasting color appeal. Hated the blind spots mind you. I've never bought a car before. Therefore I am not sure what the next steps would be. So what does anyone do during the waiting period? Email the MA until he gets carpal tunnels? Do more test drives? Shop for insurance? Any suggestions?

 

RELAX and start picking out the mods that you will be putting on your MINI.

The anticipation is normal. Learn how to follow the production of the vehicle. Learn from the website how to follow the ship bringing it over and cal !-866-ASK-MINI eavry day to make sure that you are doing evrything to get your MINI here as quickly as possible. If you can get a production number from your MA join the Owner's Lounge on MINIUSA.com

Congratulations and stop chewing your fingernails.

 

At least you had the chance to drive one. I've ordered mine and I still haven't even seen a Clubman in person yet. My Mini dealer is 400 miles away.

 

i just sold my cayenne s and now im drivin my neighbors 68 ford farm truck. i can usually ride one of my motorcyles but its to damn chilly and rainy and not great for hauling kids. this is why i usually have a third car(beater). old series land rovers are great for this. i wanted to buy an older mini to drive in the 6 week wait but i would be afraid i could not get rid of it. then the wife gets pissed because the garage and the driveway look like a used car lot. i too thought of the fj but i finally realized i have the old beaters for a 4wd. you will be much happier in the clubman (i think). but i would definately drive one to make damn sure this car is for you.

 

I waited the better part of 5 years for ours and from ordering to delivery it was 9 weeks (Order was placed mid-December and the car was delivered exactly 3 weeks ago). We ordered the car sight unseen. All I had seen of the car was photos, that was it. When the first batch of Clubmans arrived at my dealership, my MA sent me an email to see if I still wanted to test drive the car. Then the Feb 16 launch dat came and went. I resisted the temptation of going up there and see the car before mine arrived. I wanted it to be a surprise and the only car I wanted to touch and drive was my Clubman S, no one elses. So it was not until Feb 27th that I got to see and drive a Clubman in the flesh. There was our car sitting in the showroom floor waiting to be collected. I really loved the car and in all honesty, never had any second thoughts about it. We felt like children on Xmas morning. The patient wait was absolutely worth it. Maybe resisting visiting the dealer and taking test drives during the waiting period just makes the anticipation of your new arrival that much more exciting. At least it was to us. Best of luck and congratulations!

 

Helipad, you are doing what we may all have done. And that is to use this as well as other Mini forums as a support group. After you get your new baby, you won't even remember the wait. Also, the FJ is neato but the fuel mileage is way too bad for me. I think it would be way better if it got a small fuel efficient diesel or turbo diesel. One last thing, I bought my Clubman without ever seeing one and I can't be happier. Good luck.

 

Here's a few things I'd suggest:

1) Researching and procuring proper detailing/washing supplies for your new MINI. There's a good bit of info about this on NAM (forums and sponsors) and it's really is important to start out on the right foot from the moment your car arrives.

2) Research immediate add-ons you may want. Clear-bra? Tint? Glovebox organizer? There are options for these as well as installers (if needed), so it may be time well spent to work on that now.

3) Hook up w/ any local MINI clubs....get familiar w/ their activities and see what you think. Great chance to talk to current Clubman owners.

 

Suggestion #3 is a great one. I met my local MINI club before I'd even ordered my first MC...I met them at their rendez-vous for a fairly good sized run, got a ride in an S and met a bunch of great people of various ages.

 

Oh, yes, today I ordered a case of Redline SI-1 Fuel System Cleaner. I don't want to run out.

I have a similar story to Clubman S. I had my deposit on a Clubman for 782 days before Otto was finally delivered to me. I had wanted a MINI since BMW bought it, but the others were too small for my needs.
Believe me the wait is well worth it. I had to watch development for 2 years not even knowing the final design. But I saved during those 2 years and put a bunch of my collectibles on Ebay for my Otto account. I opened up a checking account just for him. I bought all my detailing stuff ahead, got other accessories and cleaned the garage up to accommodate him, and I wrote an article on my 2-year obsession that will appear soon in BMW's club magazine.
I started thinking about it 24 hours a day, even in my sleep from about August through delivery. It's pretty much what we all go through waiting, watching each step take its place in our car's history.

Now, I'm saving for a 2009 Cabrio. What else do you do with all the adrenaline rush left over from waiting for the first one?