You know you can always call your MA.....they have access the the system and can tell you accurately what is what......

 

Well the automated computer told me completion date is now Nov 2. Thats a first. A day early...yet its in the paint shop.

Painting is not the final stage...am I right? and it is Nov 2? :impatient

 

I called on 10/31 told me in paint...to be completed 11/1. Called 11/1 still in paint but to be completed 11/1.
Called 11/2 said complete and waiting for transport to the port....so I think paint is the last step

 

This I understand, and yet this is what I'm trying to resist. If there's one person I don't want to pester, it's my MA. I've got a list of items I want to speak with him about that includes fourteen bullet points (not including production/order status!). I'm trying to figure out a way to approach this without coming across as too needy/too insecure/too clueless/too obsessive/etc. The last thing I want to do is to include him in a "I WANT A STATUS REPORT" more than a month before I expect to receive delivery (when we're looking at the final 7 days, however, all bets are off!).

~Neal

 

according to ol my car is still in production, ask mini says its been done since 10-31, ma says its been done since 10-31, but apparently no one can tell you anything else until you find it on a ship. no one can tell me if it has left the factory to port. its in a black hole! i think i am starting to go insane

 

Maybe there waiting on mine to catch up with yours.

 

no doubt they are

 

Now that I think about it there was a post made with the production codes and the order of production. I think painting is not the last thing. Looking at the mini video, assembly is done after the car is painted.

 

how do you check this
do you click on lick then select AUTO CARGO
and then enter your vin# as cargo id?

 

Week 43 guys are posting their car is on that ship...do you really believe that they are also loading week 45 cars now?????

 

Called again today

The lady said my car is finishing the
1st assembly stage and I had two more stages to go...2nd assembly stage and "Final".

So body and painting is definitely done before assembly.

 

Geez sancochojoe kinda of a downer aren't ya.
The Fidelio does not set sail until 11/5..that is 3 days...my car could get to the port and be loaded in 3 days...mine is supposed to be priority since it was a second order and my 1st order still per tracking has not left the port.......
Listen if it doesn't make the Fidelio on 11/5 it will surely make the Aida the following Monday.

I have been tracking, checking, calling since the end of September...I am a MINI tracking junkie ..........I can only speak from my own experience.

 

Well by all means get that puppy on the ship. They might have a nice sticker on it stating this is a second order because of a messed up first order - get it on the next available ship...lets hope!!!

 

Yeah...my 1st order is already booked on the Fidelio...but since this exact thing has happened 4 times before don't really think it will actually sail on this ship- maybe they could bump my 1st one and slide in the second one...ya never know

I'm over getting wound up just to get let down..this experience has been less that normal for me...I would be happy if it made the Fidelio or the Aida.

Heres to wishing that everyone makes it onto the Aida for sure

 

good luck minmor i am pulling for ya

 

Heh. What a joke that was. I sent him my laundry list of questions via email, and he got back to me within 2 hours, patiently explaining many issues that weren't relevant to current MCS's (such as the TSB for sunroof noise) and also going through some of the same issues he'll cover when I go in to pick up my car. So "the one negative" is a complete crock. I'm couldn't be more tickled about the way I've been treated by Ralph Schomp and especially by my MA.

~Neal

 

Neal- glad to hear your MA is responding to your questions-would you be willing to tell us what you asked and what you got as a response~just curious.

Thanks vtnomad I think I need all the luck I can get!!!

 

honestly minmor i dont know how your coping with this at all after two attempts. i have only placed my order on the 20th of oct. and i was a sane person at that point. now i am completely insane over a freakin car

 

So what is the deal with your first order...is that just going to be on your dealers inventory??

 

Well, I would assume if it is repairable that it would eventually end up at the dealer. My understanding is that if the damage is less than 3% of the cars worth they do not have to disclose to any potential buyers.

That being said I haven't a clue when it will be released from the port shop to a boat...I have been checking on it on the cargo shipping site just out of curosity..mostly to see which one will arrive first 1st or 2nd.

Here is the VIN: WMWMF73537TV30579 feel free to look for yourself- at the port since 9/28/07!!!

The waiting has been difficult but no amount of aggrivation is going to change how long it takes...so I sit her waiting and hoping it will be sooner than later

 

Absolutely, it's the least I can do.

NRS> Is there a way to keep the car in "Sport"
NRS> mode after it's been power cycled?
MA> no, on sport mode defaults to off everytime
MA> you start the car

NRS> Has there been a Technical Service
NRS> Bulletin for sunroof wind noise?
MA> no TSB on sunroof noise for your car,
MA> was only on earlier production car than
MA> yours

NRS> Has there been a TSB for the sunshade
NRS> not staying open/closed during driving?
MA> no TSB on sunshade and talked to service,
MA> currently no fix

NRS> How does the tow hook work?
MA> tow hook just threads into frt or rear bumper
MA> like a BMW, this one of the many things I
MA> show you when you take delivery of your
MA> MINI, which takes about an hour to show
MA> you everything bumper to bumper in and out

Of particular interest to MINI owners here along the Front Range:
NRS> What octane petrol is recommended?
MA> 91 octane on all MINI's, again something
MA> I go thru with you at delivery

NRS> Is it okay to use the cruise control during
NRS> the break-in period?
MA> yes, briefly to check it out then turn off
MA> during the Break-in period which I go over
MA> at delivery

This one is no surprise, but I'm trying to plant seeds that I'm not done spending money (and if you click on the link in my .sig, you'll see that I spent plenty on the auto) -- me fishing for freebies?
NRS> Is it recommended to have the 18" Bonnet
NRS> clear mask installed?
MA> I would recommend doing the Full Clear mask
MA> (bonnett and bumper) for maximun rock chip
MA> protection just like we put on every DEMO

NRS> Is it recommended to get the windows
NRS> tinted at the dealership? If so, what
NRS> options exist?
MA> 3m premium Dealer Tint is what we install
MA> and has a 5 yr warr from bubbling or
MA> changing color ie wont turn purple very
MA> popular esp here in Colorado with 300 days
MA> of sun a year

NRS> What options exist for a black hood
NRS> scoop upgrade?
MA> There is a dark Carbon Fibre JCW hood
MA> scoop available other than that it would
MA> have to be painted aftermarket

NRS> What options exist for installation of
NRS> aftermarket driving lights (specifically
NRS> a row of four Hella Black Magic Driving
NRS> Lights) above/below the front license
NRS> plate?
MA> No options available thru sales other than
MA> the factory driving lites, but you may be
MA> able to talk to service about that

NRS> Does the option exist to rent a "loaner"
NRS> until my car arrives?
MA> We have no rental/loaners available prior
MA> to the sale, however after your purchase
MA> if service needs to they have loaners for
MA> our customers

NRS> What tools come with the car? a) Jack,
NRS> b) Screwdriver, c) Tow Hook, d) Breaker
NRS> Bar, e) Wheel Lock Key, f) Allen Wrench
NRS> (sun roof).
MA> the cars come with everything you
MA> mentioned except wheel lock which is a
MA> dealer accessoriy you must purchase one
MA> note from service is, they said MINI may
MA> start phasing out the Jack in the "S" models

NRS> Will the car have door seals under the
NRS> driver and passenger door?
MA> we HOPE the car has lower door seals when
MA> it arrives from the factory however some have
MA> not just recently...I would expect that
MA> assembly line glitch will have been corrected
MA> by the tme we see your car

NRS> Is it standard operating procedure for
NRS> the dealership to send out a 6-month
NRS> followup discount card for further modifications?
MA> Talked to service about 6 month follow up
MA> discount on future mods and they said they
MA> were not aware of any program like that, sorry.

Not a horrible list. I knew the answers to a few of those questions, but wanted to put the idea of me thinking about that stuff into his head.

~Neal

 

Thanks that was interesting...and a few things I wanted to know too, esp the door seal thing...does seem like it has happened frequently to a few new owners.

I think I will get the clear bra installed directly after delivery here in the Springs. Had it done on my current mini I think it cost $350.00. Windo tint could be done outside too with probably the same warranty.

The sunroof shade thing happened on my current mini just came off the track pretty easy to fix.

I didn't know about the cruise control...thanks-course hope my MA would go over that too.

I use 91 octane in my current mini, my husband keeps telling me I don't have too, but I do anyway

 

I *know* that I saw that thread around here recently, but my search turned up a link to a post on the mini2 forum.

So paint definitely appears to be ahead of assembly.

~Neal

 

Thats it!!! I knew it was somewhere

...also it looks like we have to wait until Monday to get a live voice for status. I tried the automated line but that tried to transfer me to a real person which was a recording stating they are only open Monday through Friday.

I could imagine they get tired of us...I wonder if they keep a log of how often individual cars get called upon over and over again.

 

Just watch the how its built video and you can see paint is first. It has to be first. Every car in the world is painted before any assembly takes place.