Hi all!
First time MINI owner here, and I'm so thrilled! I got my production number a few days ago, and I'm in Week 36 right now. Eek!! How will I make it that long, plus the long trip to the Midwest?? What should I do to pass the time until my baby arrives? Plot mods? Return to my Free Cell addiction?

Can't wait for Tancred: '09 MC Clubman, CR/B, bonnet stripes, white turn signals, cold weather pkg, MFSW, anthracite headliner, rooster red/piano black

 

Most people waiting for their new MINIs just spend their time here and on the OL going through threads and tracking their orders. Be sure to join or start a week 36 support group over in the First Gear section. Welcome to NAM!

 

drink heavily

 

I'm so far out so I have lots of NAM time to burn but I'm also going to learn how to detail a car -- by practicing on my old Honda and my husband's Jeep. I figure better them than the MINI . I put my order in for Prima supplies and upon arrival I'll start with the Honda which hasn't seen a bath for nearly a year. I'm hoping I'm more motivated to keep the Clubbie exterior clean. So, you can take the time to learn a new hobby as another way to obsess over your new car .

 

Yes, I need to learn the fine art of detailing myself! I'm already checking out those threads. At least I won't need to use a step ladder to take care of the Clubman.

And so the obsession begins....

 

Yeah is there a AA group for those of us that are finally getting our clubies?
I basically visit NAM daily and the OL site as well as the "how to track your mini" thread. I've found that the how to track your mini thread is the best way to be informed about the status and arrival of your mini.

Now dealing with your wait and addiction, well the only really cure is having possesion of your mini (and for me that is 2-3 days from now )

 

My guide to surviving Order-to-Delivery (in no particular order):

1. Follow the never-ending saga called "As the Roof Rack Turns". Grow to appreciate the wit and expertise of several fellow NAM-ers in the process (me).

2. Take a geography lesson called "where are all the most twisted, bent, and/or curvy roads near me? What about not-so-near me?"

3. Related to the item above: Through internet research, answer the question "What exactly is Minis on the Dragon?" Research other activities in that area that wife might like to do so that you can go next year (me).

4. Ditto for "Minis on Top".

5. Find interesting badges on the internet. Buy a few. Explain to wife that they really are important (me).

6. After reading good things about Chevron premium gasoline, visit their website in search of the dealers near you. Fail to find one (me).

7. Take an unexpected interest in the merchant marine. Visit websites every day that track the loading and voyage of an ocean-going ship that you will forever be linked with because Mini put your car on it.

8. Join a support group for your production week. Participate.

9. Drive past/stop into your local Mini dealer (if you have one) every chance you get. Invent reasons to do it even more than that (me).

10. Continue to share your enthusiasm with us. This is a great place to hang out and share the experience. I enjoyed order-to-delivery very much (even though it is hard to be patient), thanks mostly to everyone here on NAM.

Congratulations, and welcome to the phenomenon!

 

Awesome!

 

Having just experienced that long wait, I have some advice for you.

1. Download and print out 2 copies of the owners manual. I kinda read it once, my dh read passages from it DAILY. He carried it with him everywhere with the biggest binder clip I have ever seen holding it together. He can probably recite sections of it from memory. Our MA was very surprised that he had already read it. My husband was equally surprised that not EVERY prospective MINI owner did this.

2. Buy fun stuff and lots of it! For the last 8wks we've averaged about 2 packages a week. I bought a Euro plate, enough badges to cover a door on my side by side fridge, badge holders for grill and boot, window decals, a myriad of detailing goops and gels, wash mits, microfiber towels in all the colors of the rainbow, racing tow hook, valve stem covers, and sun shields for your sunroof and windshield. It will take you days to research and comparison shop.

3. Learn how to track your MINI in the 1st Gear thread, under How To Track Your MINI. Great info and it will keep you busy. Learn how to track your MINI during its production and shipping, bookmark all these sites or better yet, make buttons on the top of your browser page!

4. Put the Owners Lounge number in your cell and call it often, even if you already know more info than they do just cuz its fun to call and talk about your MINI!

5. Go to youtube.com and type in all kinds of Mini Cooper prompts! Be sure to hook up your HDMI cable to the big screen tv so everyone can watch with you. Type in: MINI Cooper reviews, MINI Cooper ads, MINI Cooper test drives, MINIs on the Dragon, MINI rallies, MINI races...you get the idea and there will be tons of mini (pun intended) vids to entertain those of all ages. I really liked the MINI ads, some are hilarious.

6. While you have your HDMI cable handy, hold daily tutorials on that same big screen tv, pull up 2 kitchen chairs right close to the tv, open the PDF owners manual and display the pics of the cockpit and learn your buttons! If you have a Wii Wheel available this would really enhance the simulation!!!

7. Plot your Motor music files. This may take days and weeks. Start by listing all the really cool "ride" songs you love to hear. Organize by decade, then "Mini" organize by whatever subcategories you like. Ask friends, relatives and work associates for help because you won't remember them all. Google "driving songlists." Get all your songs listed, then start hunting for them in your music collection, your neighbors collections, your relatives collections. If you are still missing songs, go iTunes or steal them from your kids MP3s.

8. Shop for your new USB key cuz this feature in your MINI should you choose it is one of the most fun. Get plenty of gigs, cuz there are hundreds of cool riding songs to hear in your MINI. 1 gig equals about 275 songs.

9. Now that you have the new USB key and all those music files on your computer, start transferring those files over to the key so its ready to go as soon as your MA calls and says "its time!"

10. Make flash cards with "Brit speak" words listed. Have the family learn 3 new British words every day. Be sure they all know how to use them in sentences.

11. Watch the Italian Job and The Bourne films, then have your computer savvy son (or daughter or nephew or coworker) edit all the MINI parts into a dvd just for you.

12. Make an advent calendar with your MINI moving across the dates (you can draw/color your own version of your MINI or print out from the net) Put little folded notes on each day that contain a fun fact about MINI and its history.

13. Start watching Top Gear even tho its extremely rare for MINI to be mentioned and even when it is mentioned, it probably wont be complimentary if its talk about the Clubbie. They are just fun guys to watch anyway.

14. If you have family members out and about for work/school daily, have a contest at dinner to see who spotted the most MINIs for the day.

15. Find all kinds of gorgeous MINI pics and save hundreds to your puter, change your desktop image hourly.

 

Just wanted to say LOL to NJ Clubman and his great ideas!

 

Like many of yours. Love #10.

 

If anthropologists did a study of typical IMO (Impending Mini Owner) behavior, they would likely find this basic pattern:

1. Check Owner's Lounge status and/or VesselTracker/sailwx ship position
2. Call 866 ASK MINI to see if their status is different than above.
3. Call MA at dealership, presumably to ask about something else ("How much are driving lamps again?"), but really to check on status.
4. Check NAM/Mini2/Google/Flickr for pictures of cars the same color as yours.
5. Recheck the Mini configurator to see if you missed any options. Call MA again.

Repeat this sequence every 4-12 hours.

 

I hate to say this to you, but the worst part of waiting is when the ship is almost to port in the states. Then you know its only days away from your carport. That is when you really start getting antsy...

 

Wow. Really?

It's hard to imagine that I can get any worse than I am now.

Sheesh!

 

Thanks so much! Wow, I must have MINI-fever bad, huh? To paraphrase, "I've got a fever, and and only prescription is Clubman!!"

 

Calicoskies, your list of to-dos is phenomenal! Some of them I've already caught myself doing in minor fashion (ASK-MINI in the speed dial, making a list of gear to buy, downloading pix of MINIs). I love the Brit-speak flash cards and the advent calendar!! Cars and crafts! If anything, it's great to know that I'm not weird by doing all these things... or at least not all alone in displaying such behavior!

 

You are too much! Absolutely excellent suggestions - all of 'em!! I want you, NJ Clubman and Calicoskies - both of you to get started in film making next!

 

yes really. To put it like this, I was on order for the new smart car and I knew it was almost a years wait, so it was no big deal. Once they started to trickle in, I heard all these bad posts about the slow and numb auto, gas mileage that was barley into the 40's (are you kidding me!!) and I just decided that it wouldnt be a good idea to get the smart. So I decided the mini was the best option. The first few weeks were OK, not a big deal, but as the ship got closer to shore it became hard not to watch and look for updates every few hours. Then the days leading up to getting my car were tough!

 

Hmmm, sounds like the best thing to do is schedule a vacation a week before your car arrives, then you'll have something fun to do besides obssessing.

 

Calicoskies,

Did you buy another MNI? You sound like your waiting again.

 

Let me see... I asked my doctor if it was possible to put me in a drug induced coma for two months. He said no. So I joined NAM and become a member of a support group. They are in the 1st Gear section. They help. And you will make some great friends over there while you wait. You can also learn how to track your MINI. It will become your passion until you pick up your vehicle. The wait isn't a lot of fun, but I learned that this to shall pass (once you're motoring around in your new Clubman).

Oh yeah, you can go over to the "what if" thread and ask Mr. COOPeration to create a signature that will match your Clubman. You can figure out a name for your Clubman. You can plan our your future mods.

Those are just a few ideas...

 

Great tips! I am clearly obsessed and on the verge of having to admit that I have a problem. I am in "place holder" mode and don't even have a build date yet and I am spending hours here and on various other MINI relaed sites...off to download the owner's manual!

 

Welcome and contratulations on your MINI!

I ordered mine 7/5, was completed on 7/25 and is currently waiting at the dock trying to hitch-hike home to me!

I was convinced I wouldn't wind up with OCD like "some of these folks" on here but um, is checking the OL and Ask-MINI 4-5 times a day OCD?

 

Hmmm... got me thinking. Has anyone ever had a MINI (baby) shower before the arrival of your car? My peers at work already think I've lost my mind - Gots to get planning!!!!

 

Where can you find the owner's manual?? I've searched the MINI site and wasn't able to locate a link...do you need to be an owner first? It would be incredibly useful to me (as a prospective owner) to be able to read the manual before deciding on the car and choosing all the options. -Thanks