Is there any way to upgrade from the 16' bridgespoke wheels to the 17" crownspoke wheels after my MCS has been built (the car is now at the distribution center) without having to pay an arm and a leg.

 

buy them off the trading post here or your local mini club...crown spokes are easy to find (comparatively so).

 

unlikely from the dealer. could be cheaper to go aftermarket

 

I'm sure the dealer would sell you the wheels and tires. Just not swap for free.

 

The arm and a leg is the catch. It wouldn't be cheap. MUCH more than the it would have cost to get it from the factory.

 

You can get the S-lites which is relatively cheap and looks very similiar to the Crown Spoke. However, I read a bulletin from the dealers that stated R53s wheels aren't recommended on the new MINI- not sure why.

 

Ken, I've been looking at after-market wheels and might sell my 17" crown spokes, or I might use them as my snow tire wheels. I haven't decided yet.

I'll keep you in mind.

dean.

 

Ken,
Have you checked TireRack they have some pretty tempting wheels.
I might be doing the same as reelsmith and will keep you in mind also.
I have my eyes on ARA A2s and haven't even taken delivery yet.
I guess that might be a premature modification.

 

Thank you everybody for the excellent suggestions. I very much appreciate your comments. My recent research regarding satisfying my own inner quirks shows that I should have ordered the 17" Crowns with Goodyear Eagle all weather tires.

On Monday my $23,450 Sparkling Silver with black top, no sunroof, 16" Bridge spokes, Dynamic Stability Control, sports steering wheel, and rear fog lights will be showing at my dealership. I've been told that my ordered wood steering wheel won't happen (a wood look is important to me). With my feeling of need for the 17" wheels and tires and my wanting to replace my wood steering wheel with English Oak wood trim, l'm strongly tempted to reject this car and re-order (I hate waiting another 2 months, but ...). When I suggested that possibility, my MA told me that the sales manager who holds my $2K deposit may, or may not approve the change (worry about the car I'm rejecting maybe not selling very easily). My replacement car will add the wood trim and Sport package (includes the above wheels, tires, and DSC), and cold weather package ($24,950). I would hope that the dealer would see the extra 2 months interest on my $2K and my buying a more expensive car as compensation for my PITA change of mind.

Any further comments or suggestions you folks might have would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hey, the incoming car isn't the config you ordered. It's sans wood wheel.

If you want to reorder they should be happy you don't reject the car and demand a deposit refund.

Your MINI wouldn't be that hard to sell to someone else. It's not configured expensively and the color combo looks great.

 

Thanks for your inputs so far. They're very much appreciated.

Talked to my MA. The dealership is willing to replace my 16" Bridgespokes and tires with 17" Crown Spokes (Oops, they're S-Lites) having Goodyear Eagle RS-A EMTs mounted on an '06 in their showroom. This for a premium of $200 over the normal $600 option price. Does this sound reasonable?

Did someone say there's a bulletin out stating there's a different interface between the 2007 wheel and hub and the 2006 wheel and hub? If they're different then it would probably not be a good idea to take them up on their offer to swap. I am leaning that way though so if someone can provide more detail on that bulletin I'd certainly appreciate it.

Also, does anyone know anything about the Continental ContiProContact SSR touring runflats? There were a couple of cars at my dealership that had these. I suspect that they're a tire for the non-S MINI Coopers.

My dealership isn't keen at all on my rejecting this car to order a new one (they were a little more blunt than that). I really don't want to make an issue of it in that their lot is quite full of R53s .. Another R56 would just slow further their attempts to get rid of the 2006s.

 

Hey Ken
Your build sounds perfectly sellable.
Don't buy the MA's excuse. Give the manager the opportunity to tell you that -- he will not say you can not reject a car that is easily sellable -- it's not like it's loaded or stripped. It's a nice car.
I am guessing your MA is concerned that someone else there will make the commision on your car if they sell it instead of him and he'll have to put more time into getting the commision on the car you eventually take. I'm sorry but that is just too bad for him, not you.
Call and talk to his Sales Manager. Sales people sometimes act like managers are the great and powerful OZ. Pull the curtain back. Your MA's power to make him the bad guy vanishes in the light of day and you will not have to deal with such games. If he needs to check with someone -- anyone on something you want to make you happy and close the deal, tell him either you will call them or tell him to ask the person to call you directly.
I'm not trying to instigate here but your MA sounds like he/she might be playing games and I don't have any tollerance for that anymore.

 

Thanks designerMINI, you're advice is right on.

After sleeping on this though I've decided that the dealer was more than generous to offer the $800 swap to the 17" Crownspokes (Oops, they're S-Lites)/Goodyear Eagles. This is a small dealership and I don't want to push the issue of reject and reorder. If I were in their shoes something like that would make me very nervous, especially with a PITA flip-flopper such as I've been. Had I felt they were truly unreasonable I'd be all for taking your advice, bypassing the MA. As for the wood, hopefully I'll at least have the wood vernier shift **** and parking brake; heck, that in itself will make my car truly one of a kind. I need to discipline myself to not turn this very positive experience into something negative.

 

$200 premium isn't bad.

It sounds like they'll be giving you S-lites though and they'll probably have gen1 runflats.

 

Ken,

You've got a great attitude. Keep it positive - it is !

 

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Webb Motorsports Wheel and Tire R56