>>right... soo the interior i have is the black leatherette, which is nice to pretend I have the (way too expensive) real stuff and no one can really tell. BUT somehow lil crumb-lookin things always manage to wedge themselves in the crack of the seat and they're hard to get out. it's not food crumbs as I don't eat in there, but it's something.. stupid crumb thingys. I woulda gotten space cloth as I think it would look swert with my PS, but alas, yet another MCS option not available on the MC. I suppose my seats will get REAL hot over the summer, and my back will probably be sticking on the rides home from daily beach visits. oh well, i'll manage.

Ryan,

You can always throw a terry towel on the seat on those hot days returning from the beach. And as far as the crumbs, fess up! They are coming from somewhere. Breakfast or lunch, perhaps.Maybe you have to dust yourself off before entering the vehicle!

Regards,
Red

 

finally, some news to report...

my JB/JB has been freed from the VDC, and is currently waiting for me in St. Louis. all that's left now is to finalize my financing, take a few days off from work, and bring her back to Denver...

the real anticipation begins.

 

CONGRATS Rachel Yaaayyy! Your MCS is way "stealth" looking [swooshes hand silently thru the air] I already added the link to your gallery on the Graduates page

---> wags, fear not, I know what you're talking about with the dust crumb-thingies! Your best bet is to keep your HVAC on recirc and never open your windows - but that definitely SUCKS, so you'll have to just keep a vaccum and some of them microfiber towels handy to clean up the mysterious stuff

Cheers,
Ryan

 

Rachel, You'r going to love those stripes. Post pics!

Ryan, Thanks for the extension. As a good faith gesture I will give you a partial OWLA.

1. Radio. I am pleased with the stock sound system. Stereo imaging is nice as someone posted earlier. The rear speakers at higher volume tend to distort a bit. Does the HK dsp allow you to adjust crossover? I have found that if I shade the fade a few clicks to the front it sounds better. (shade the fade)?

I have my daughter convinced that the tuner is voice activated. I have the MFSW, (a great upgrade) and you can discreetly change channels without being detected. After programming my favorite stations, I show her that by speaking the station name, the channel changes automatically. She thinks it is the coolest radio on the planet. I will have to confess, but for now it's a great gag.

2. Gas cap. I love the gas cap holder.

3. Looks and styling. Still getting lots of looks and inquiries. I am getting used to the cute car comment. Visibility is great except for a blind spot on the drivers side when switching lanes.

4. Keeping it clean. Brake dust is a negative. I will get the green pads soon.
Since it has been raining so much, there is lots of dirt thrown up on the sides and the hatch. I am thinking about getting the mudflaps. On the plus side, it's easy clean because it's small.

I am going to visit my sister and her new element on Sunday. That will give me some more freeway miles. I will finish my OWLA on Monday with pictures of Pyro and the element. I'm sure my sis will fall for the voice activated radio.

Later,

Andy

_________________


It's time to motor. MC CR/B

 

>>finally, some news to report...
>>
>>my JB/JB has been freed from the VDC, and is currently waiting for me in St. Louis. all that's left now is to finalize my financing, take a few days off from work, and bring her back to Denver...
>>
>>the real anticipation begins.

Damn you sockdaddy....

Mine isn't expected at the dealer until at least MONDAY :???: :???: :???:

Congratulations, I guess you win...

Happy Motoring...

pamato

 

Ok everyone here are some pics of CeCe!
I got the car back today...they had messed up installing the sun roof in the UK. No more leaks! Enjoy!

Bryan

 

>>>>my JB/JB has been freed from the VDC, and is currently waiting for me in St. Louis. all that's left now is to finalize my financing, take a few days off from work, and bring her back to Denver...
>>>>
>>>>the real anticipation begins.
>>
>>Damn you sockdaddy....
>>
>>Mine isn't expected at the dealer until at least MONDAY :???: :???: :???:
>>

OK, sockdaddy and pamato...just to give me an idea on VPC sentencing guidelines, which boat were you on and when did you arrive at the docks???

I spoke to my MA today and he says I'm still scheduled for 4/23 delivery (suspiciously that's the same date as the OL) I don't know if he has insider info or if he's just pulling it off the website like me...I will call again Tues of Thurs to see what's new...

So many beautiful cars.

Rachel, I will be starting the framing project tonight or tomorrow (Shirley's car arrived today--thanx). I'll try to post a photo when its done!

Those greenstuff pads are sounding better and better...

chef

 

Great photos of CeCe. Especially enjoyed seeing the roof rack. Thanks for posting them. She's lookin' good!

 

I was on the Tosca... same as sockdaddy... I think...

Maybe mine was still nursing a hangover from the voyage...

Particulars:

LOADED ON VESSEL SOUTHAMPTON 26/03/2003 13:10
RECEIVED AT TERMINAL SOUTHAMPTON 19/03/2003 07:37
BOOKED SOUTHAMPTON 14/02/2003 14:30
ARRIVED CHARLESTON,SC U.S.A. 07/04/2003

Spoke to my MA yesterday... said that it's still in the VPC
should take 1.5 days to get you Houston once release from detox.
My OL still says it'll get to my dealer on 4/20/2003 (Sunday)

 

yeah, I was on the Tosca.
MINI was discharged at NY on 4/4.
arrieved St. Louis on 4/17 - one day shy of two weeks, and included two weekends.

what sucks is that my MA didn't reach me until late Thursday the 17th, which didn't give me time to get clearance to leave work and pick it up this weekend. oh well, i'll just have to miss more work and going in the middle of next week from Denver to pick her up!

pamato - believe me, i feel your pain. your MINI should be in your hands in no time... if you don't have to travel to pick it up, you'll probably have yours before i have mine! :evil:

 

Great photos Bryan! The Lapis looks very nice, and the roof rack is fun!
I see you also have a rack on your A4, racks run in the family, eh?

Whew, I need some beauty rest before my big Spring Installation tomorrow!
Night-night,
your VMA

 

Bryan, Are you going to put a surfboard on CeCe and post a pic?

Ryan, looking forward to hearing about your spring installation.

My wife and daughter took Pyro out tonight. I hope I get my key back.

Goodnight all,

Andy

 

>>I was on the Tosca... same as sockdaddy... I think...
>>
>>Maybe mine was still nursing a hangover from the voyage...
>>
Ok, that gives me a pretty good idea. I was waitlisted for Tosca, but a late night at the pubs cost me my spot, left a few days later on the Jingu Maru...I guess if things go smoothly I could get released and on the way early next week. MA has promised a one day dealer prep turnaround AND said I could pick up early Saturday if they get the car by Thursday (crosses fingers, toes, etc.) I wonder if he realizes that I was a baker for a while and early Saturday means 2:30 AM...

Still more beautiful pictures...do they ALL look this d@mn good????

Hanging in there, still...and I only worked my MINI into coversations 63,246 times today...improving!

chef

 

man, i'm real lucky and i never realized it... on my street, there's an s-curve. it's only sweet late at night when i know no one's gonna be around so i can haul *** on it. i should take pic of the S.. it's like a race everytime i leave or come home. my old car would feel like it was going to fall apart going 15 or faster.. once when i was like 16 this one dude was real cool cuz he did it goin 22.. well the MINI takes it with ease going 35.. it's real coo..of course this is nothing new, as we all take on-ramps and exits faster than ever, but still.. just thought i'd share my story!

tonight, i lived dangerously.. my miles left on my gallon read 26, and i knew i was going at least 10 miles out to the place, plus dropping somone off on the way home, and i didn't want to have to fill up.. well i made it back with 2 miles left on that read-out.. a close one.. i think tomorrow i might drive around and see how accurate or inaccuate that thing is.

well im off to bed, night

ryan

 

>>Bryan, Are you going to put a surfboard on CeCe and post a pic?
>>
>>Ryan, looking forward to hearing about your spring installation.
>>
>>My wife and daughter took Pyro out tonight. I hope I get my key back.
>>
>>Goodnight all,
>>
>>Andy

I'll take a picture with my 9'2" surfboard tomorrow. Should only be a few feet shorter than the car!
Oh yeah, and i also go the glove box organizer. Fits perfectly and looks so clean! a must have!

Bryan

 

>>Great photos Bryan! The Lapis looks very nice, and the roof rack is fun!
>>I see you also have a rack on your A4, racks run in the family, eh?
>>
>>Whew, I need some beauty rest before my big Spring Installation tomorrow!
>>Night-night,
>>your VMA

Yes Yes, the A4 does have racks on it too. Its my roomates car. Also a fellow surfer. I'll post some pics tomorrow with the board for fun!

Bryan

 

congrats Bryan on post #100

I'm outta here, to the garage I go [puts on workgloves]
Cheers,
Ryan

 

Haven't said hi to my April buddies for a while. It looks like many of you have received your babies & they are all soooo cool. Congtrats to all. Louie is 7 weeks old now & growing up very quickly. Have done a few mods(pedals,chrome gas cover)
The MINI has been absolutely superb. Going to Hawaii next week & get to meet some of our Hawaii MCOers on Saturday. Louie has to stay home though.The poor old March club has disintegrated!!!! Oh well.
Happy Motoring to all
Lois

 

OWLA
1. DVD based Nav is GREAT! Lots of fun and a handy tool. I know this is sacrilege but I really like having the speedo next to the tach in front of the driver. View of both is unobstructed. Wish you could view the outside air temperature when in the Nav mode; have to be on the OBC screen.
2. Harmon Kardon system sounds awesome but the radio will have to be replaced due to a temperature sensitive third digit on the display that does not want to work properly when cold. AM and FM reception is much better then anticipated as we live in a rural area and with the Nav system the radio antenna is buried in the right rear window glass. MCS has much better reception then my wife's X5 which also has the antenna buried in the glass and even much better reception in the Cooper S then my Chevy truck with a regular antenna on the fender.
3. MFSW is a very worth while option, especially with the radio controls being so small.
4. Sensing wipers work very nicely. Have had rain/snow 4 out of the past 7 days so they have been used a lot.
5. Speaking of rain and snow, the MCS is a very comfortable car in incumbent weather. Heater, defroster, heated seats and mirrors, Xenon headlights and wipers all do their jobs well. Snow traction is marginal with the 17” S-Lites and Pirelli Performance tires. That being said, the car still does better then expected due to front wheel drive.
6. Keeping the white wheels clean is a full time job. Getting a good coat of wax on them does help with clean-up. I washed and waxed with Zymöl products yesterday. The results were spectacular. Chili Red shines up nicely. Zymöl wax is a bit of a process to apply but well worth the added effort.
7. Overall quality of workmanship and fit and finish is much better then expected. Whereas I view the British as our best Ally and friend I have never had a high regard for British built cars or their culinary skills. You can really see the BMW influence. Handling, engine performance and braking is top notch. Speaking of BMW, I got my insurance card yesterday from Allstate and they list the make as BMW MINI. Are Jaguars called Ford Jaguars? Should be just MINI Cooper!
8. Installed the “cubby console organizer” and “glove box organizer”, the best $68.45 you will spend on the interior.
9. Gas mileage is about 26 mpg so far, mostly two lane mountain roads. OBC shows about 10% better then actual. Have put on almost 600 miles in the first week.
10. Problems and disappointments: (a) the above mentioned faulty radio display, (b) rattle coming from the upright rear seat backs easily fixed with a strip of vinyl electrical tape, (c) lumbar support on leather seats is marginal, I have to question why they even bothered adding it, (d) above mentioned inability to view outside air temp when in Nav mode, (e) no coolant temperature gauge with Nav, only an idiot light. Not a fault or criticism, but is there a dirt magnet on the back end of these things?
In a nutshell, I could not be more pleased. The fun factor is huge! The MINI Cooper is a lot of bang for the buck and deserves to be the North American Car of 2003!
_________________
2003 MINI Cooper S, Chili Red/white top & wheels, black leather, anthracite dash, Cold Weather Pack, Sport Pack, DVD based Navigation system w/OBC, PDC, HK, MFSW, sensing wipers & auto dim mirror.

 

My OWLA:
I love it, love it, love it!

Everyone else has touched on the major points, so I will be brief...

1) I love the Chili Red. Very vibrant and a great contrast with the white roof/wheels.
2) I don't know where to put my wallet/phone when I get in. So I have ordered the hot pocket, glove box organizer AND the Euro parcel shelf. One day I may even get an armrest with storage. Then i'll have too much space!! Does any one have a good phone holder for the mini?
3) I love the boot. I keep it clean and free of junk b/c it's so accessible. I use it every day for my gym bag or any old thing. Right now all it holds is my California Duster and the company digital camera (I'm taking pics tomorrow after her first bath)!
4) I have had four people in the car twice so far and they have said it is spacious and they'd definitely take a road trip sitting in the back!
5) I think the aftermarket stripes from a local sign shop ($100 installed) are great! It's a great deal and I got exactly what I wanted for half the price of the dealer.
6) The white wheels are high maintenance but I wouldn't change them. I love the look too much.
7) Sunroof and MFSW make motoring extra-fun!

Overall, an A+ purchase so far! I bought lots of car washing products today so i'll let you know how that goes and will FINALLY take some pics!

Kristine

 

Hey Ryan!!! Got any plans to drive to chicago yet?????I'll buy at Hamburg Hamlet or the Twisted Spoke in exchange for a ride

 

Great OLWA's Kelisa and Jerrygee.

Kelisa, have you tried the door pockets for your phone? thats where I put my phone, wallet, etc.

Check our Arkon.com for some phone/pda holders.

I use a Palm Tungsten and Mapopolis for my nav system. I just ordered a cupholder pda mount. I will post a review and pics when it gets here.

My OWLA is late, but it will come Monday after some more motoring and a comparison to my sisters ugly new Honda Element.

Andy

_________________


It's time to motor. MC CR/B

 

ooh, Thanks for the OWLA's Kelisa and Jerrygee! :smile:

I got my H-Sport springs installed today, and only needed one phone call to Randy at MINI Motorsport too. Turns out there's a "trick" to removing the front left strut that I hadn't heard about prior to the project. You have to compress the spring in the car before removing the strut for me!

---> Lastwave, I LOVE Hamburger Hamlet! When do you want me to drive out?

Cheers,
Ryan

 

Hello all,

It's the long lost chef here...yes, students and I did another Saturday event today, guess I'll have to give these up once I'm motoring!

If all goes well, I'll be picking up shadowfax in *ONE WEEK* Keep those fingers crossed (and don't forget to do your chants...3X per day, you know the drill



Cheers to all and Long Live the CWFAC!

chef

_________________



CR/B MCS - HK, premium & sport...Gandalf on dash...

born 3/20...Jingu Maru has landed! @ VDC 4/14, EDD 4/23...come on home, baby!

 

>>
>>
>>Cheers to all and Long Live the CWFAC!
>>

mmmmm, beeeeer. just got back from seeing gangs in new york (movie, not real life!) at a movie theatre-slash-restaurant, so i just hadda few with you, sir chef! don't forget Bass on your list of english greats..

about DSC.. apparently it's pretty useless on a MC with CVT. mine's only come on once, and i take many a turns crazily, thinking it would come on for them, but never has. i definitely don't get any of the problems others are having as indicated in the thread about DSC somewhere around here. but at least i have a useable toggle!

took a break from my studying/writing today to wash winnie.. frickin 3 or so hours later i returned to my desk's tight cluthes only to fall asleep. i didn't even get to wax her today, took my so long to clean her. i almost hate washing because then i can see all the little imperfections and nicks and stuff.. but i guess they're just sexy scars, right?.... RIGHT??

night, and happy easter for those that are into that,

ryan