Hey WebWerker I'm in the same boat as you (literally and figuratively). :smile: Happy motoring!

 

KG -
I can see why our boat is slower, I took a look at some of the pictures of the Andes and she's carrying about 4-5 extra tons of weight in rust. Her looks alone would scare away any self-respecting pirates so as long as she stays afloat I think she'll make it to Charleston
Keep me updated if you hear anything...

 

Where are you guys finding this information and pictures of your ships? I was able to find out what ship my car was on but not much else about it.

 

Yeah, the list... soo... errr.... ummm....

<opens self to public stoning>

I HAVE been quite busy motoring. In fact, I have good news...

I PASSED MY BREAK-IN MILES YESTERDAY!!!!! And, I did it with only a couple (3-4) very brief excursions into upper rpm ranges. It was PAINFUL. For the first time I drove all the way to work in SD (even in heavy rush hour). I was zipping in and out of traffic full-bore like it was my job. What a PERFECT car for city driving (you can squeeze it in ANYWHERE)!

I figured to satiate some appetites I'd post a 1250m almost 1 month motoring report for you to hopefully atone for dropping the proverbial list ball:

Wow, what a month it's been! Every single day I'm reminded of why I love my MINI... the feeling of walking out to it smiling at me in the morning and the willing "zip" out of the parking lot never gets old.

Good things:

* Handling... we all know this already, but after really getting a chance to toss it through some corners (much more so than in test drives) it STILL astounds. Scaring your passengers half to death burning a cloverleaf onramp at higher-than-sane/legal speeds is a BLAST every time!

* Sunroof... biggest, nicest, best sunroof ever. My only complaint is noted below...

* Instant celebrity... I get stopped and asked about the car ALL THE TIME. Which is strange because here in Atlanta (especially in my neighborhood) you see them quite a lot. Most common question (by far): "is it fast?"; immediately followed by: "how much did it set you back?".

* The boot... I've never owned a hatchback before; wow, I had NO idea what I was missing. Incredibly useful for loading/unloading, and not a single rattle so far.

* CVT... I was worried that I would get bored of having an automatic trans having driven nothing but a 5-speed pretty much since I've been driving a car. I've been pleasantly surprised at the versatility/fun that can be found in this amazing piece of technology. I learned very quickly it was no slushbox (as others have noted), but now that I've had the (post break-in) chance to really beat on it I'm AMAZED by how much you can get out of it with proper technique.

Now some bad things (nothing terrible):

* My lights don't always flash when I hit unlock on my remote. The doors unlock every single time, but sometimes the lights don't flash. Is this normal? I figure it's nothing major so I'd just wait for my first service to bring it up...

* The remote-open sunroof/windows (press unlock 3 times and hold) almost never works. When it does work it is quite sporadic, and will often stop halfway through opening despite my finger remaining firmly depressed on the button.

* It's a b**ch to keep the vinyl trim clean/free of wax. Looks cool though, being textured and all... very unique.

* The paint is ASTOUNDINGLY soft. You could scratch this stuff just looking at it funny.

* The brake dust is really quite over the top. My brakes have a nice grey coating within 20 miles after a fresh wash.

* The regular seats kind of suck. I had originally ordered the sport leatherette, but as many of you know I had a wreck and had to get a car that was "close" to my original order. The regular seats lack any side bolsters on the actual seat bottom and make it kinda uncomfortable in the twisties.

* OEM stereo is only passable at best. While not bad (and actually quite good for an OEM), it can't TOUCH the H/K which, as above, I originally ordered in my car. This one is ok however, as I'll be adding some upgrades soon to replace most of the gear with much better stuff (though at much greater cost than the $550 of the H/K).

Those are all very small issues, and overall I'm VERY impressed with the car. I think you'd be hard pressed to get more/better from any other make or model in this price range. One more negative: I already have a list about a full typed page long of things that need to be added (ice-link, bonnet stripes, etc., etc., etc.)... Christmas is only 9 months away right!?!?!

About the seats... how hard is swapping them out? Where might I find some leatherette (or even cloth for that matter) sport seats that perhaps someone replaced with aftermarket leather? Is the swap something I could do myself?

Thanks guys... and good luck April Clubbers... your MINIs will be here safely very soon now.

 

I picked up my CR/W MC last night, 4 1/2 months after ordering. Having lots of fun so far....

 

Welcome to the April Club OregonCooper!

Tell us all about your new MINI....

 

>>Welcome to the April Club OregonCooper!
>>
>>Tell us all about your new MINI....

Thanks for the welcome. My MC has CR/W exterior, tartan red/anthracite interior, and options including the three-spoke MFSW, DSC, sports seats, front/rear fogs, & the cold weather package. Should be ready for the cold & wet here in Oregon. I'll post some pix eventually (no digital camera here). :smile:

 

How's the 3-spoke wheel working out for you? That was one thing I flip-flopped on forever before deciding I liked the feel of the 2 spoke better (but the 3 looks better, IMO).

 

I like both the look & feel of the three-spoke wheel better. No radio mode button on it, but that's no biggie.

 

>>I like both the look & feel of the three-spoke wheel better. No radio mode button on it, but that's no biggie.

No radio controls at all, or you just can't switch from radio to CD or tape?

Regards,
Red

 

>>>>I like both the look & feel of the three-spoke wheel better. No radio mode button on it, but that's no biggie.
>>
>>No radio controls at all, or you just can't switch from radio to CD or tape?
>>
>>Regards,
>>Red

You have to press the mode button on the actual radio to switch from radio to CD/tape. You can still change stations/CD tracks & raise/lower the volume with the steering wheel controls.

 

What does pushing the center of the volume buttons do on the 04. On the 03 it switches modes from radio to cd.

Andy

 

>> Hopefully, we'll pass thru VDC and on the car carrier ASAP.

If it makes you feel any better, I was through the VDC in two days.
I was expecting the worst, since my ship took a full week longer than it was originally scheduled

-SF

 

>>What does pushing the center of the volume buttons do on the 04. On the 03 it switches modes from radio to cd.
>>
>>Andy


Same thing, switches modes.

 

>>>> Hopefully, we'll pass thru VDC and on the car carrier ASAP.
>>
>>If it makes you feel any better, I was through the VDC in two days.
>> I was expecting the worst, since my ship took a full week longer than it was originally scheduled
>>
>>-SF

Cool! I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

>>>>What does pushing the center of the volume buttons do on the 04. On the 03 it switches modes from radio to cd.
>>>>
>>>>Andy
>>
>>
>>Same thing, switches modes.
>>

Is this for the two-spoke wheel? I haven't tried this on the three-spoke, but I will.

 

Oregon, I have a 2 spoke wheel.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.

With spring arriving and birds singing comes birds pooping.

BIRD POOP IS BAD BAD BAD.

This is a public service reminder. Bird poop is bad for MINI paint. If left unattended it will blemish your paint.

Remedy.

Clean it off as soon as you can. I carry a small spray bottle with water in it. Spray the stuff to loosen up and dilute it. Then carefully blot it with a microfiber or terry cloth. Then do it again until it's gone. Do not rub it in.
Next, re-wax the spot. If you are to late and there is a dull spot, you need to use polish to fix it.

I drove through Bodega last weekend (where the Birds was filmed) and I was reminded that I should warn all of you newbies.

Good luck,

Andy

 

>>BIRD POOP IS BAD BAD BAD.

You can say that again!

My neighbor feels SO bad for the poor widdle tweeties that he feeds them all winter long (we live next to a cesspool diner *and* a KFC - are these birds really going to starve?!). They sit in the bushes nearby and crap and crap and *crap*. We tried to get the weedshrubs taken down (well.. the other neighbor did) and said bird-feeding neighbor threw a FIT over it. Shrub is still there. Birds are still there. Maybe they'll be distracted by the YELLOW H2 other neighbor now has.

okay, my rant is done.

I've found that a quick-detailer product like Poorboy's World's (http://www.poorboysworld.com) Spray and Wipe or his Bird ***** Remover work wonderfully well. I keep a bottle nearby and a microfiber towel in the car for those emergency daubs. I've known people to keep pre-moistened towels around too, but that's just a little too much for me.... and sometimes you need to spray and let the stuff soak in.

Rachel, stilll trying to remove the berry-poos from the Audi.

_________________
Just another sabre-toothed squirrel with its tail on fire... ~Proud member of the CWFAC '03~

 

Andy said poop!


Regards,
Red

 

Woohoo! I'm at the Distribution center! I'm sure this has been asked a million times, but how long does a car usually spend at the VDC? I'll do a search in the meantime trying to find the answer.

 

Hmmm, well it looks like it won't be too long now, two weeks tops from what I've been reading. Sweet.

 

Hey! I just woke up and realized my inspection is up (picked up my MCS 4/14/03).

Does New York require emissions or just safety on a one year old?

Regards,
Red

_________________
<IMG SRC="https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/albums/album04/fyy.thumb.jpg
">Life is better MINImized CWFAC 03

 

Awesome! I just called Sterling MINI and spoke with a nice guy named Keith. He seems nicer than John was so hopefully everything will work out great. He said the MINI is in fact at the VDC and that they expect it at the end of this week or the beginning of next week! They have to install the accessory port I ordered, but I forgot to ask how long it would take them to do that, I wouldn't imagine more than two days. So it looks like I'll be driving my MINI next week! Woohooo!

 

Arrghh...!! Week+ delay on shipping my new S from Classic in OH here to CA. Seems like there was a communication disconnect between Classic and the shipper. Everything was going really well until now.

Just sold my Cooper, so it looks like I'll be cruising in a rented Alero for a week or so. woo hoo.

 

&gt;&gt;Arrghh...!! Week+ delay on shipping my new S from Classic in OH here to CA. Seems like there was a communication disconnect between Classic and the shipper. Everything was going really well until now.
&gt;&gt;
&gt;&gt;Just sold my Cooper, so it looks like I'll be cruising in a rented Alero for a week or so. woo hoo.

Ack! I'm sorry to hear that, I hope it comes soon!