Ahhhhhh

Its soooo nice to sit in cool autumn evening, fold the top down and drive away in my first MCS Convertible!!

I just purchased 2005 MCS convertible with 35k miles.


This is not my first convertible - I've had :

'88 TOYOTA MR2 Supercharged T-TOP (Yeah I know it's a T-Top )
'96 MAZDA MIATA (Best Miata year - nice nice but not as nice as MINI )
'99 LOTUS ELAN II (Actually, this was my Dads - I could never afford one )

As you can see, these were no Camaros or Eclipses - They were all very nice, world class true sports cars. BUT!!!

MINI tops them all!

My mini has
#1 - Premium PKG
#2 - Sports PKG
#3 - Cold Weather PKG
Limited Slip
Chrono Package

plus the previous owner had :

Promini Cold Air Intake
Urltek15% pulley
Borla Catback Exhaust
ECU

done at the dealers from the day one....

My Mini sounds absolutely fabulous! Oh that Supercharger whine - Catback pops - world class vehicle dynamics (Better than MR2 or Miata) - all in one nice tight package!!

Few questions to start off with

1 - What care do I need to do for the canvas top?
2 - Anything I should know about Mini Convertibles specific issues?
3 - I need to replace my original 17" Runflats. I am not in a mood to get another set of runflats. What's a good alternative?





Two extreme ends of motoring - GMC Conversion van and Mini Cooper




Evening "magic" hour for photoshoots





bling bling




Wide & Aggressive bull-dog-like stance which can come ONLY from MINI COOPERs



Actually, my Mini now has black JCW AERO grill - took 2 hours to grind that lower bumper grill, but it was DEFINITLY worth it!!!

 

Congratulations.
It's big fun indeed.
I especially dig top down at night.
I dunno about #2 or 3, but I went deep into detailing with Griot's Garage this summer. They recommended their Fabric top cleaner and their waterproofer.
I haven't used the 'proofer yet (my car's not 6 months old yet), but the cleaner does a great job w/ no residue.

Have Fun!

 

congrats n welcome

 

Congrats, I have an 07 MCc, in answer to your questions,

1. I clean and apply a water proofer, I use the 303 cleaner and conditioner. When washing the car I just use water on the top, I usually don't use soap.
2. Keep an eye out for wear marks, they will start as white marks, Mine were on the drivers side behind the rear window. The problem seems to be fixed now, 2 tops later.
3. I changed my runflats to Bridgestone Potenza all season performance tires, I do have 16" wheels. The tire change was one of the best things that I did, much nicer ride and I hope that they last longer than the runflats. The runflats only lasted 20,000 miles.

 

Which 303 cleaner / conditioner do you use? I use 303 UV protectant, which is the best thing I've ever used - so I'm very confident with 303 product.

I have those white marks slowly showing up behind the rear side window. is there anything I can do to slow the wear?

 

I have those white marks slowly showing up behind the rear side window. is there anything I can do to slow the wear?

If the car is still under warranty have the dealer check on it, and adjust the top control pieces, this time when the top was done the dealer removed the entire top control pieces (metal arms) and reinstalled things, been a couple weeks and no wear on the top. My SA told me that the control arms needed to be shimmed and this has seemed to fix the problem, I do still have a year and a few months for the warranty.

 

Jason, that is one Great looking MINi (and I'm not even so big on red, usually)! Pictures are awesome and can hear your smile right through your words and pics.

Congratulations, and Happy Motoring!

 

Very nice looking Mini. Enjoy!

 

Welcome Sharp looking ride

 

No run flats, no spare, how did you handle that?

 

MANY MINI owners have ditched the runflats and have no spare. Most (including me) carry a small 12v compressor and a plug kit or slime (sealant) or both. The ContiComfort kit combines compressor and sealant in one unit.

 

In case the compressor and the plug kit doesn't cut it, such as a side wall failure or something serious, a good roadside assistance program such as AAA would also be a good idea

 

Compressor/Slime Combi kit - $20 at Target.
Plug kit - $10 any auto parts store.

Sidewall failure? Road service.

 

Exactly. I have the slime / compressor combo kit.

I use the dynaplug kit, because it's clean and easy. But i also carry a traditional "sticky" plug kit, just in case.

 

Tow trucks are cheaper than run-flats - just not as convenient.

303 rocks.