How could you even consider shipping? I'd drive that puppy home with two broken legs if I had to. Enjoy the trip and take lots of pictures along the way.

X2

 

Should we call the mercy rule on this poll? :smile: Drive the car! Take the first 1200 miles to get used to it, and then gradually open up the car. Shift a little later, take the turns a little faster... what a blast!

One word of advice, don't set the cruise for long periods of time. I believe that you should vary engine speeds when braking in the car...

 

Drive!

I'm flying out and driving back too.

If I could have taken more time off, I would have ordered mine from the furthest US dealer from me. How often do you get the chance to do a one-way drive across this beautiful country and end up at home!

Just stay off the Interstates :smile:

 

Cheers!
Clover

 

you guys make this enjoyable to talk about.. sorry that i didnt reply earlier i had to work for the a's game. damn they lost but anyways.

yeah i was considerin about the driving.. good thing i got navigation!!! buahahah so i wont be lost. but uhm i was thinking if they balanced out or not. you know the plane ticket and stuff and then gas and etc. and plus i wont have any insurance while i drive back home. thats the scary part. but ill try to insure asap. and plus ill be driving alone which i dont want either. i mean ill fall asleep a lot faster than if i went with someone else. and yes i know about cross country. i did it before with my family. it took 14 days to go around the usa including visiting families and friends. bad thing that our house got broken into when we got home.

from new york to cali is like 3k miles plus. man thats crazy. i dont mind the milage but i only got a weekend to get it back home hahha i do gotta work on monday you know. hMmm maybe i can hit up randy on the way. man now thats a trip!! but i dont know.. will the cost of delivery vs. the cost of driving myself be fair? and plus if its delivered they delivery services insure your car wont they? i mean if its damaged then they have to pay for it not me right?

 

:smile: :smile:

Chow!

Donna
donna@dcmetrominis.org

 

Woah... Red flag! Sorry to ask but, Why will you not have insurance before the car is home? Unsure how it works with the two states involved in this transaction, but you should be able to register your car with the Certificate of origin, the title and the odometer reading. It is very risky to drive 1600 miles with out insurance.

 

Drive it! I will road tripping from Jacksonville FL to S. CA when my MCS arrives. About 2400 miles. Can't wait! I think I will install a clear X-pel or other brand on the hood to protect against paint chips.

 

oh im just saying like what if my insurance company doesnt want to put coverage yet on a car that isnt here in the states. i dont know.. just putting worse case scenario. man you're gonna drive 2400 miles?? man you got heart to do that. this is a very difficult decision to make. i think ill most likely make the drive. good thing im buying a digital camera before i go to nyc. i gotta take pictures of all the states i go through!

 

You'd have to insure the car to have it shipped anyway. Transporters don't cover all the possible damage. Additionally, the minute the car rolls off the truck in CA you'd better have insurance. All you need is the VIN to insure it. You don't need anything else. You do need smog certificate, bill of sale, etc. to register it, but not to insure it. Most companies just want the purchase price and the VIN. I assume you already have insurance on some kind of car, don't you?
As for driving, I went through exactly the same debate about bringing a car back from a Texas dealer, Moritz. I decided to do the drive. However, before ordering I ended up joining some other West Coasters and buying from Classic Mini in OH and sharing the cost of a closed transport. I would not advise using an open carrier by the way. They chain the axle to the trailer and that can potentially cause problems on the MINI. Not trying to scare you, only alert you. When I found that out, it confirmed my decision to drive. Oh, and like everyone says, avoid cruise control, don't drive at the same RPM or gear, and find Interstate alternatives. After 500 miles of "Stuckey" stands, you'll do anything to find the local spots.

 

thanks so much for all the advice, i was already leaning toward the drive and just wanted to get some feedback.

I like the idea of a bra and checked out the ones from Moss Motors (they are right down the street from my office) and think that's a good investment ($100). They are regular removable black bra's and I think if I only use it on road trips it is probably a safe bet.

My wife dosen't want to go, she's pregnant and already hates to fly so I may go solo.

MINI owners are adventurous and I like that.

 

Drive!!!! I am glad the overwhelming response from this board has been to drive it home. I live in LA, and flew to New York to pick mine up last October. It never missed a beat on the way home. I spent four days driving 8-10 hours a day, and then three more shorter ones with stops in Sedona AZ, and Phoenix. 3105 miles and the best decision ever. My car now has 13000 miles on it and hasn't had any real trouble whatsoever.....just got the JCW kit at 12000 miles, which is also very cool.....Bruce

 

Thanks to all of you who encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and just do it.

I leave tomorrow and I'm looking forward to getting aquainted with my new MINI on the open road!

 

>>Thanks to all of you who encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and just do it.
>>
>>I leave tomorrow and I'm looking forward to getting aquainted with my new MINI on the open road!
>>
>>


Congrats! Have a safe adventure. Do something along the way that you would never normally even consider. Take pictures of your trip and tell your children and grandchildren about it at some future date. Motor On!

 

I'm back! I had a great time and my MINI is awesome! I love the cordoba beige interior it gives it a little something extra, very nice.

I left Dallas at 8pm on friday night and drove 330 miles to Amarillo by 2am, then left at 9am and drove 800 miles to Prescott AZ by 11pm, then made it to Santa Barbara by 2pm on Sunday for a total of 1616 miles. See my post in Southwest Forum about I89 in Arizona, that road was awesome, ideal for this car.

 

Drive.....I mean MOTOR!

 

Glad to see that you decided to drive. Now the car is broken in and ready to FLY! If you have any pics to share, I am sure that there are many people who would be interested in seeing them. How was the car received as you passed thru some of the smaller towns? Did you keep a journal? You could share some of the experiences and probably have a great audience!! Welcome home, and enjoy your MINI. I have had "COOOOP" for 1 year as of next week and I still enjoy sliding into his driver's seat as much today as I did in 2002!!! MOTOR ON...