Looks very nice

Let the fun begin

 

That's Electric Blue, right? One of my favorite MINI colors!

 

45 minutes from the Dragon?!?!!?!!
That is indeed going to be one happy MINI.
enjoy - I know you will.

 

Thats one sweet MINI, be careful out there on the Dragon, and this is one great way to start of 2008! Let the fun and modding begin! Take Care!

 

Thanks for sharing the pics. She's a BEAUT !!

I see lots of mod potential on that MINI, too.

 

I have some more pictures, after a nice buff/polish/wax job, and getting the windows tinted 15% ... I absolutely love the car, and I look forward to spending a long time on this forum! Thanks again for all the compliments guys! And thank you for lending your knowledge also!

 

Sweet!

 

Lookin Good, Boostin !

15% tint ! I didn't think that was legal in ANY state.

 

Welcome Boostin and congrats on your Mini! I too have an '03 MCS, in Chili Red/White with 20k miles. Sounds like yours was very well cared, so you'll have tons of fun with it. Struts and mushrooming concerns may have already been mentioned, but I recommend your first mod be more of a "inexpensive insurance policy" by way of M7 strut reinforcement plates. You can get them as either the plates only or with the crossbar for a little extra stiffness and response. They sell for around $110/$199 respectively, but it's some of the cheapest preventative maintenance you can buy. Plus, looks really cool when you raise the hood!

Cheers!

 

Thanks CR&PW&JB, 15% isn't legal in tennessee either, but the police officers around here are usually pretty cool about it. its the same % that I have on my 300ZXTT and they have never bothered me in it...

bhardy, thanks for the info about the M7 gear, I have actually put that on the list for the first thing to purchase for the mini, other than the window tint, and fresh mobil1 oil change and new wipers ... I am definately getting the M7 strut bar soon!

Thanks again for all the compliments and all of your help guys! Hopefully if all goes well, I will be a part of this community for quite some time

 

I guess it's all a matter of what State you're in, boostin. I know we had a thread on NAM a few months back and some posters said in their State (IIRC, it was California), if an officer thinks your tint is too dark, he/she will peel it off your windows right on the spot. Yikes !

But hey, I think as long as you keep a low profile (hard to do in a MINI, especially one with a checkered roof ), the police will overlook the tint.

 

Well I have some bad news, its not horrible news, but crappy nonetheless... I got hit in my mini today... I was driving to work this morning and it had been raining, and I stopped at a traffic light, and a toyota landcruiser hit the back of a dodge neon, which pushed the neon into the back of me, and pushed me into the back of a dodge truck... The front of the mini isn't bad, but the back has seen better days... It sucks so bad, I absolutely love the car, and I was being so careful because I still have freaking driveout tags on it... Ohh well, it looks like the damage is mostly cosmetic, but I guess i will find out in the next few days... I just wanted to let you guys know... I'm sorry there is 1 less mini on the road for a little while... It was so freaking pristine too, and now its going to need work :( Ohh well, i'm done wining now... sorry...

 

^ That sux!

Well, as has been suggested in similar threads, one thing to consider if you want something good to come of this is replacing the standard bumper covers with aerokit covers. Of course, you should only get from the other driver the cost of replacing with standard covers, but you could chip in for the difference (which frankly is very little, since the primary expense is repainting and the covers are similarly priced).

Just a thought. Good luck either way, and sorry to hear of your temporary loss.

 

Ah man, that REALLY sux !!

It's bad when any beloved MINI gets involved in an accident but you just got this one and obviously really love it. Yuck !

e20 makes a good point though, the liable party's insurance will cover the cost of replacing or repairing the standard bumper. By just paying the difference in cost, you can upgrade to the aero bumper.

How's your neck and back feeling ? Wait until tomorrow, likely going to be a bit sore. Hope it's not too bad though !

Let me know if you need any help in the claim process (if you haven't gathered it by reading some other threads, I'm a Auto Claim Rep and prior to that I was an Auto Underwriting Manager).

 

Thanks for the suggestion guys... I will probably do the aero kit because i do love how it looks... It just really sucks, I know many people that want to get hit so they can get a new car, etc. But I had my dream car :( I have never been in a wreck until today... kinda hard to believe considering my first car was a 1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo since I was 16 ... but damnit, i loved the mini, and still do... I want to cry everytime I walk outside and look at it... I just want to hug it :(...

My back and neck are ok, my lower back hurts a little bit, the thing that really sucks is it about happened the light before, and noone still slowed down for the next one.

Thanks for your offer on helping me with the claim, I'm under my dad's insurance still so I am going to get him to call and find out what all we need to do... If I have any questions about anything I will definately let you know!

 

The only thing that really sucks too, is i'm worried about the body shop matching the paint perfectly, because its such a pretty color, I hate the fact that it wont be factory paint anymore :(... I just hope it matches... It's a really really good body shop here in town, but i'm still worried... dangit, i'm so pissed... lol... sorry guys... thanks again for all your help!

 

Paint shops are EXCELLENT at what they do ! Don't worry about the paint matching, even if it is slightly faded (probably NOT), they have a process called "blending" at it is literally a form of art. They'll have it so that nobody will ever know it was in an accident unless you tell them.

My own beloved CR Cooper, "Bergey" was struck in the rear in Oct, 2006, just 4 months old. The bumper cover was painted and you would never know it was struck.

Plus, in my line of work, I get to see a lot of body repairs and like I said... these guys are GOOD !

 

Talk to your MINI dealer about where to take the car for the repair. Usually whoever the dealer contracts out for their work is going to do an outstanding job for you too.

 

Thanks for all the help guys! i will keep you updated on the progress...

 

Hey Boostin,
Sorry to hear about your Mini, but it'll be back up and running the streets in no time. Important thing is that you're okay. And it's good to hear your Mini wasn't a total write-off. It's just a slight speed bump compared to all the fun you'll have. Best of luck!

 

BoostinZX,
Sorry to be late to the game but I am also in Tennessee and if you are worried about the paint quality check some of the shops in Gatlinberg. They do custom hot rods and very nice work.

I also had a Z32 before the MINI and went to TwinTurbo.net for a bunch of info.

I did not notice in your posts if you plan to mod your MINI but if you do let me know and we can meet up someplace.

If you are stage III on the Z32 you will want a 15% pulley and a tune soon.

Good luck with the repair.

 

Thanks thulchatt, I am not sure what i want to do with the mini yet, i am now torn on if i want to do the aero kit, and pay the extra and have the wheel arches painted too or not.. I really liked the look of stock, but i'm torn now... lol... I actually have a friend that owns a body shop here in pigeon forge, and although they are really good, i'm afraid that the paint will be hard to match... i guess i'll just leave it up to the pros though ... As for the Z32, its got quite a bit done to it, and although the mini doesn't have all of the HP of my Z, its such a blast in the corners, it makes up for it I can only imagine the mini with good tires ... We should definately meet up sometime, I am usually down in knoxville now, but still technically live in gatlinburg... Thanks for the information!

 

Don't know if anyone mentioned this but that's Electric Blue, not Laser Blue. LB did not exist until the 2007 model.

 

Thank you, I actually found that out right before I got it, I just never changed the first post... thank you though

 

On a lighter note, i have put almost 1500 miles on the car in a little over a week of owning it ... So you can tell I love driving the car, and it was a hit with my g/f when I picked her up from the airport Now just to get her back on the road! ... Thanks again for all your support and help guys!