I've already clogged up a few other threads with this question and figured maybe a thread of its own might get a better response.

I've noticed several folks have found out their build week shortly after getting their production number and am curious as to how they got that information so quickly?

I ordered my car on 1-2-07 and got my production number on 1-4-07 and am yet to find out when the car will be built. My spec does not contain any delayed items and my dealer and ASK MINI are just as puzzled as I am as to what the hold up is.

So, I guess my question is: is there anyone else I can ask? How did you guys find out when your cars would be built?

Thanks in advance for your assistance and I apologize for taking so much space with this querry.

dean.

 

From what I have seen/experienced... no. There's no way to figure out your production week until it oficially goes into production and you get the info from the Owner's Lounge or 1-866-ASK-MINI.

Even then, sometimes info doesn't jive. According to the Owners Lounge I'm "Scheduled For Production". According to 866-ASK-MINI my car is done and sitting outside the factory waiting to hop a train to Southampton where it will start the long voyage west.

There currently is some minor delays right now as MINI seems to be pushing some cars foreward through the line in order to make up for those pruduced during the Multifunction Steering Wheel mishap.

 

Thanks.

That's kinda' what I figured ...it'll just happen when it happens.

I do think it has something to do with dealer allocations and my dealer may know more than he is letting on.

What I need to do is stop visiting here so often ...but this place is so danged addicting.

dean.

 

Actually once you have a production number your MA should be able to tell you your production week.


Dean, you have PM (or will in a moment)

 

This is however only an estimate.

Things at the factory can effect this date... like re-tooling hoods... fixing leaky fuel pumps... making sure the tranny guys are using lock-tite and torquing everything down properly... bumping a big group of cars to the front of the line since they were ordered with the wrong steering wheel...

 

I had my production number and within a week i got a VIN number and it reconized my order for about 5ish days, it got produced for <2ish weeks and now its awating transport. I also think it has to do with what dealer you got it from and what number you are in there system when they send you in, like are there more minis that were recently purchesed before yours and ect.

 

The way it worked for me is that when i ordered my car, my MA was changing an alloted car that they were having built for them. They just modified the order to what I wanted. As such, they knew up front what the estimated production week would be (week 6). On Sunday of the 6th week, sure enough a log in to owners online showed that it moved from a order number to being produced. That is how I knew up front.

 

this "big group" you speak of is about 40 out of thousands - hardly a bump on the production line.

the production weeks are usually pretty right on. Shipping out dates from England - that's where the uncertainity jumps in.

 

Wow. That was fast! Good for you!

My order was recognized by ASK MINI almost immeadiately. I ordered on 1-2 and it showed up on ASK MINI with a PN on 1-4 ...but nothing has changed since, except that I have been told that my order was upgraded from "ordered" to "order accepted". I still do not have a VIN or a build week.

I don't want to make too much of this (too late for that ) because I am actually hoping the car will arrive in April and it seems there is plenty of time for that ...but I am beginning to wonder if it will be even later than that.

Thanks for all of your input guys.

dean.

 

I ordered in Nov 2005 and didnt go into production until March 9, 2006...delivery was in April 2006

 

Yes, just to be sure I (and others understand): The way I have been told the order system works is that each dealership has an allotment scheduled for a given week. Some weeks they might have a large allotment, other weeks a smaller one. If the dealer does not specify a build, a "standard" car is shipped instead of the custom order. Dealers request allotments based on sales/demand. So, someone at one dealership may go in and order a car, and the dealer can get it in for the next available allotment, maybe a build happening in 2 weeks. Someone that same day could go into a different dealership and find their build date to be weeks later because all that dealership's allotments are used up that much further out.

That's my understanding anyway. Sound right?

 

Well, I just heard from my MA. I am officially a March build and will receive my MINI in April ...exactly when I wanted it.



dean.

 

How long does it take to get a production number? I placed my order mid January and still do not have one.

 

I ordered on Jan. 13 and received a number two days ago. My MA said that they didn't officially order the car until then.

 

congrats Dean! did he contact you or did you need to give him instructions?

 

I initiated the contact and pushed a little harder than usual.

Thanks for the help ...I really appreciate it.

dean.

 

Yep, you are right.

Assuming MINI's overall vehicle production in consistant with the amount of engines produced:

In 2006 217,000 engines were produced by MINI.

Logically, that would break down to be 4173 vehicles per week.

596 per day!

WOW !

 

I never broke it down to figure out how many per day but yea,

WOW !

edit:

I just broke it down further. The factory works 24 hour days so that comes out to almost 25 MINIS an hour - or ~ 1 MINI every 2 minutes!

Gonna have to put that in my sig I think.

 

While we're talking production dates.

I just got off the phone with MiniUSA. The lady I spoke with (very nice, as always) confirmed my order AND said it looked like it should be produced the 3rd week of February.

I was expecting 1st week of March, so this is 1-2 weeks early. Is that unusual? My MA told me week 10, and since I'm getting the SatNav and Auto Transmission, I thought that was the week they start production.

I know this switchover is a new process, so it's not a "common knowledge' question, but I was just curious if anyone knew something more.

Thanks

 

I'm confused, when I ordered my MCS with NAV, both MINIUSA and the dealer informed me that the NAV option would be available in March, hence any order made prior would not go into production until it's 'release date'. I was given a tentative week 10 production date. How is it possible for you to have the NAV option with a week 6 (early Feb. 07) production date?

 

I wonder if I am in the same boat then since my Mini was order around same time (Week 10) as yours and also with Sat Nav and auto.
-Update: Nope, no such luck... still schedule for production in Week 10

 

Put my order in for an MCS w/NAV two weeks ago, just called MINIUSA for further info and was told they cant give a production date yet (alluding to re-orders/other circumstances) causing a possible delay. Said to check back soon (oh boy! I get to wait more to wait again). On on optimistic note, he did say it should be soon (production). Anyone else get a similarly ambiguous response from MINIUSA??

 

BP 2007:
The reason is that i ordered a convert which is essentially the same as the 2006, old style. The Nav is the same in 2006 and 2007 for the 1st gen mini. Sorry if I confused you being under this thread.

 

Thanks for the clarification. Wish I knew about that option. For a moment there, I was beginning to think that everything that I learned up until this point on the subject was completely bunk.