This thread is for those of us with really old MINI's, you know... the '02s and the '03s. We can hardly remember the long wait to get our cars and the excitement of that first day with our MINI's is quickly fading. Or, maybe you got one of the early ones used.

So let's share our concerns and experiences.

Mmmmmmmmm... can't think of any just right now.

Godspeed.

 

I got excited. If a 2003 is old, what is a 1968 mini? I now what you mean, though. My 2004 is feeling old now that the 2005s are here with new gadgets and goodies.

 

1 "old" 03 MINI- 1 "new" 05 MINI

Love 'em both I was just as excited to get the 2nd one The memory has been refreshed:smile:

Lois

 

Jan 18th will be Ollie's second birthday

I still think of him as a "new car", but coming up on 40K, I suppose perhaps he isn't anymore. I need to start thinking of him as a seasoned traveler!



Please: When the time comes, someone remind me that Jan 18th is also the 5th anniversary of the boyfriend and I. Last year he called, very cutely, and said something along the lines of; "Today is the 18th..." and I got all hyper and thanked him for remembering Ollie's birthday. Ooops.

 

My Cooper has survived one beating from a hail storm (...roof dings), one nasty door ding (...aren't they all), one random "Spring-break-drunk-idiot-throwing-something-at-my-bonnet", and one front-passenger side crash (...complete with air bag deployment!). All have been repaired....and my Cooper's still absolutely fabulous. Seriously, I just had it in a local shop to have a clear bra installed on it's freshly repainted front end and the shop owner said it looked like it just came off the showroom.

I've been feeling nostalgic lately and have opted to keep my '03 with is old-time 4-slat grill and ye olde bumper strips...not to mention it's retro IB paint. Remember that???? Why back when I got my MINI you couldn't even get a chrome grill on an MCS! No body colored dashes either!!!

Now that the newfangled '05s are out, at local club meetings there is a noticable absence of chrome bumper strips. Lots of MCSs, lots of new Coopers with their more aggressive front end.....but maybe......MAYBE.....2 old style Coopers. I feel so special!!!

One sign of a true old-school MINIac, one I am proud to possess...is the humble pre-rear fog light brake light mod. You see one of those on another MINI...it's like a secret handshake !

Another fun thing.....didn't we have a blast ramping up to (...and during) the Italian Job premiers. Those times were golden, imo. Lots of pointing and gawking going on back them.

Let's Motor!

 

I am just as thrilled with Wanda as the day I set eyes on her at the dealership! I still glance back at her over my shoulder whenever I park her! She has surpassed my expectations of car-owning happiness, despite a few little rattles, which I've had remedied.

Now, here's the new worry: I saw a piccie of a black MCS cabrio last night and NOW I MAY CHEAT ON WANDA!!! Well, my ideal situation would be to get a cabrio and keep Wanda! We'll see....LOL....what a car-ho I am!


Clover

 

I still love my 03 MCS. It's actually a 10/02 build so I have the "classic" steering wheel without the thumb rests. The bonnet has been painted twice, first from rock chips and second from a minor deer incident. Still looks brand new! 31,000 miles and still going strong!

 

 

Well, I am a car-ho! I took delivery of "MINIclo," a gorgeous all-Pure Silver Cooper on August 28, 2002. I adored her! She was gorgeous and classy!

But then someone posted a piccie of the first all-Jet Black MCS...which was a color not offered for '02s. I had gone back and forth between the Cooper and the S, and had ordered the '02 Cooper. But once I saw that '03 Black S, I simply HAD TO HAVE ONE!!! So, I traded MINIclo in on Wanda. Therefore, I am a car-ho!

I have 35.5K miles on Wanda since April 4, 2003. Every mile has been awesome, too!


Clover

 

Yep, gotta love the early one's. We've got an EB/W '02. One of the 1st in our area. ~30k miles and going strong. Just think, we can all say that we had the "real" cold start problem; where it took 3 times to start, 2 on a great day . Oh, and can't forget the stiff springs

I can say that when we ordered our MINI, the factory options were a B&W scanned page that had a short list with no pictures. Aero kit, huh , what's that and why is it so expensive.

Oh and the Italian Job. I remember trying to figure out which lights were on on the speedo when they were testing the MINI's out. I turn to my friend and say "you hear that whine, yea, it sounds better in person .

We're probably going to keep this one and get an '06 sometime later this year or next.

 

I did not order my 03 MC.When I went to the dealer,after many months of knowing that the first time I walked in,I would be making a down payment.
Poco was sitting there,just arrived,13km on the clock and just what I wanted.Next day I drove off with MY MINII have never looked back,and every time I get in and motor,YEAH,I got me a MINI

 

Cheat on Wanda!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

You mean find a playmate for Wanda.
Like when "Harry met Sally"

Hey that Black MCSC looked sharp. Very tempting.

OK back to this thread-
My 03 MCS is doing quite well and getting old with 16,000 miles now. Haven't really had much going on besides some wear on the driver's seat side bolster.

A byproduct of having owned and driven my MINI for some time now is I am beginning to "fully" appreciate just how great the MINI handling really is. So over time I could see my MINI getting better and better in my eyes.
How nice.

 

I forgot to mention that I went through the online spec'ing out and VERY LONG wait....TWICE!!! It was amazing how insane I went the first time! The second time, I was a seasoned veteran ...YET... I still went nuts all over again! What a rush the whole process of MINIdom has been! YAY!

Clover

 

It is nice isn't it:smile:
Poco will roll over 50,000 km next week,after 15 months.20k being hard winter driving,lots of gravel back roads,and 100 mile daily commute.
Never once has the car left me stranded,don't get stuck in snow.Well once but I just did what I used to do in my classic,pop the clutch in first,get out and push,get back in and goGetting snow tyres in a few weeks,looking forward to snow
A MINI may not be the car for everyone,but this is the best ride I have ever had

 

I am still enchanted when I look at my MCS's! Put down a deposit in November '01 and could've had one of the first that came to my dealership. But I waited....by the time I ordered and took delivery it was June 21, 2003. Funny thing was, I never looked up my production number or anything like that. Wasn't even aware of all the MINI Cooper boards. But, I made up for it and went totally crazy buying a well-modded, pre-owned MCS with 7075 miles, a 10/02 build, a little over a month later!

I still think of them as new cars, though I have about 30,000 miles on each of them!! Yes, I'm the only one that drives them.

I've been having a blast, met lots of great people. Motor on!

 

I recieved my MCS on Sunday, August 26, 2002

The funny thing is that my mom had never seen the interior of the Mini before so we decided to go on that Sunday, when we got the Sales lady told me she had a suprise, and then she lifted up the car cover and there was my car. All of a sudden I couldn't feel my legs, but I was so excited and really suprised.
It was also the 152nd Mini sold from the dealership. Anyways I now have 39,000 miles and it's still running strong. And everyday I walk out to my car, I always have a big smile and i say to myself I have nice car.

Kalvin :smile:

 

Kalvin, I received my MINIclo on August 28, 2002! And my Wicked Wanda on April 4, 2003.

Clover

 

CooperBeagle thanks for starting this thread.
Even though there are some problems with these cars,some of us still think they are the best thing since indoor plumbing

 

my 1 year old Yuna should be really 2 years old now, but she's not been moved for about a year... she was a early 03 10/02 build

yes, stumble was bad, yes the car bounces like hell, yes it had absolutely horrendous ac lag, but the fun just cancels it all out, when you are driving a MINI you just forget all the world's problems....

its too bad nowadays minis are becoming more common, we are seeing less pointers and admirers...

 

:smile: What I like is when folks who have travelled to Europe come up to me and thank me for having a small car and NOT an SUV behemoth. Today a gal, along with her young son and daughter, engaged me in chat as I was loading my groceries into the boot, parked in the lot of a Trader Joe's. She said they'd just returned from Europe and were thrilled by all the small commuter cars they saw in all the cities. The son was especially curious about the MCS. I happily answered all their questions. I feel like a goodwill ambassador for MINI!


Clover

 

Not where I motor,I see maybe one other MINI a week,and I'm pointed at and given thumbs up all the time.Kids push there noses up against the windows of the mini vans they are forced to ride in to have a look

 

I still get a lot of lookers, pointers and compliments from people in gas stations!

 

MINIclo,

That's awesome!

kalvin:smile:

 

Still lovin' my 10/02 build '03 MCS, with the now 'classic' 2-spoke wheel, sharkfin Nav antenna, rear fogs which were a hard-won battle (that seems to need rekindling with the '05s) and huge ignition key. The car still gets stares in areas 'familiar' with MINIs and even more when I travel off the beaten path through some very rural areas.

Life is goooood!

 

Well, I can say that the choices I made back in '02 were pretty darn good, and Brooksie has seen me thru 50,000 miles and several long distance drives, more twisties than I could have anticipated beforehand, and incidentely helped me meet some pretty special friends in the MINI world. ;-) She was never rode hard & put away wet, always serviced regular, and now washed and waxed much more thouroughly than my previous vehicles, mostly 'cause I like this car more than almost any other, including my original Minis.

Brooksie must've been a Wednesday car, and judging by some postings on the boards, fairly trouble free. Sure, she's had niggles, but no serious defects, and she survived a nasty prang this year with aplomb. New, more sticky shoes, new intake, and and a new exhaust have added a more sporting feel, but they weren't really required, as she was pretty zippy B4 all that. Haven't reached her limits yet, but then I bought her for driving on the street in a sporting manner, and don't intend to run her on the track, anyway. Looking forward to plenty more miles, with maybe a few more tweeks, and a lotta grins. Maybe the newer MINIs have something different, not particularly better, so I'm stickin' with runnin' what I brung, so to speak. Brooksie's part of the family now, and will be around for a good long while.

BCNU,
Rob in Dago