Week 39 (9/21/08-9/27/08) Support Gripe er Group
#626
Soooo picked up my mini on 10/29, and on 10/31, at my best friend's wedding rehearsal dinner, someone backed up into and put a giant hole in my bumper and a dent in the quarter panel. . . and drove away. Thank God the bride's brother got a partial license plate but I still have to pay my $500 deductible to have my 2 day old car repaired ='(
Before and after shots attached.
Before and after shots attached.
Last edited by aeiron; 11-04-2008 at 09:25 PM.
#627
Soooo picked up my mini on 10/29, and on 10/31, at my best friend's wedding rehearsal dinner, someone backed up into and put a giant hole in my bumper and a dent in the quarter panel. . . and drove away. Thank God the bride's brother got a partial license plate but I still have to pay my $500 deductible to have my 2 day old car repaired ='(
Before and after shots attached.
Before and after shots attached.
#629
#630
Sequence, you MUST post pics as soon as you get home!!!
Pretty please.
#631
Soooo picked up my mini on 10/29, and on 10/31, at my best friend's wedding rehearsal dinner, someone backed up into and put a giant hole in my bumper and a dent in the quarter panel. . . and drove away. Thank God the bride's brother got a partial license plate but I still have to pay my $500 deductible to have my 2 day old car repaired ='(
Before and after shots attached.
Before and after shots attached.
#632
I'm assuming you are now driving in your new MINI?!?! Post some pics and tell us how it went.
#633
#634
my 2009 mini cooper clubman s (cr/b)
#635
my 2009 mini cooper clubman s (cr/b)
#637
yah, ok, i think i change my mind on this point. radio sounded pretty good on the way home for the few minutes i had it on yesterday, but i musta been delusional from all that new car smell. tried my ipod this morning and it sounds like crap. i know it's not the track quality because they sounded just fine in the mx-6. i'll hafta try a cd tomorrow and the radio again...maybe it's just the aux input that's crummy?
#641
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Your Worst Nightmare :)
Posts: 3,880
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first impressions
My first impressions in the initial 50 miles (remember I used to own a R53 for 4 years): exterior fit and finish is near perfect, sooooo much better than the R53. body panels line up perfectly, rear seats align perfect when up, so much better QC in general. Bonnet latch is quirky and a biatch to use, but I'll get used to it. Rear fogs are SUPER bright, while the Bi-xenons make driving lites unneccesary. Man are they BRIGHT!!
Interior: much cheaper plastic and other parts than the R53, but still very comfy, and no stupid huge dash downtubes. English Oak shift **** an unexpected bonus. Leather/cloth seats while stylish are now more cloth than leather (the red sections are leather). Car is a rolling computer; will have to spend a day just learning those functions. Ambient lighting is very nice. Yet U can see where they've cut costs here, nothing major, but I notice it comparing new to old.
Performance: hard to say right now because Im being careful during the break-in, but initial impressions are much better hp/torque curve and smoother power delivery. paddle shifters are a hoot. No supercharger whine but that's OK. This is a sick-fast car now even BEFORE the JCW tune kit will be installed (backordered due to exhaust mount redesign). Sticky sticky sticky esp in Sport mode. Conti RSC's are much better than the Dunlops I had on my R53. TPMS is still a ?? Consider a JCW strut brace, I think it lessens torque steer (not bad with the Auto) and looks huge sexy.
Dealer delivery: smooth as silk, no mess ups or ball drops this time around. Car was clean and ready, lots of drama with the unvieling. In and out of the 'ship in 2.5 hours. Ralph Schomp rocks!!
Interior: much cheaper plastic and other parts than the R53, but still very comfy, and no stupid huge dash downtubes. English Oak shift **** an unexpected bonus. Leather/cloth seats while stylish are now more cloth than leather (the red sections are leather). Car is a rolling computer; will have to spend a day just learning those functions. Ambient lighting is very nice. Yet U can see where they've cut costs here, nothing major, but I notice it comparing new to old.
Performance: hard to say right now because Im being careful during the break-in, but initial impressions are much better hp/torque curve and smoother power delivery. paddle shifters are a hoot. No supercharger whine but that's OK. This is a sick-fast car now even BEFORE the JCW tune kit will be installed (backordered due to exhaust mount redesign). Sticky sticky sticky esp in Sport mode. Conti RSC's are much better than the Dunlops I had on my R53. TPMS is still a ?? Consider a JCW strut brace, I think it lessens torque steer (not bad with the Auto) and looks huge sexy.
Dealer delivery: smooth as silk, no mess ups or ball drops this time around. Car was clean and ready, lots of drama with the unvieling. In and out of the 'ship in 2.5 hours. Ralph Schomp rocks!!
Last edited by sequence; 11-06-2008 at 06:11 AM.
#642
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Your Worst Nightmare :)
Posts: 3,880
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(Oh and the OL still has Syd somewhere between CA and CO....)
Last edited by sequence; 11-06-2008 at 07:06 AM.
#643
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Your Worst Nightmare :)
Posts: 3,880
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
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yah, ok, i think i change my mind on this point. radio sounded pretty good on the way home for the few minutes i had it on yesterday, but i musta been delusional from all that new car smell. tried my ipod this morning and it sounds like crap. i know it's not the track quality because they sounded just fine in the mx-6. i'll hafta try a cd tomorrow and the radio again...maybe it's just the aux input that's crummy?
doubt it's Aux input tho, that just sends the iPod signal thru to the head unit.
#645
Wow - Looks great! I fly home tomorrow and will drive over to Schomp to see what is happening. I spoke to Vince this week and he has not set a date for me yet but he knows I will be home next week.
I have the same seats as you only mine are blue to go with the Laser Blue exterior.
Now my GF is getting upset with me as she does not think the 'WE' can afford the car right now and after all 'I' have 5 cars already even though we do not share a household and I have been making the payments on HER lexus since February
It may be time to dump the GF and pick up the car!
bob g
I have the same seats as you only mine are blue to go with the Laser Blue exterior.
Now my GF is getting upset with me as she does not think the 'WE' can afford the car right now and after all 'I' have 5 cars already even though we do not share a household and I have been making the payments on HER lexus since February
It may be time to dump the GF and pick up the car!
bob g
#646
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Your Worst Nightmare :)
Posts: 3,880
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
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my new car is cleaner and more refined than my ex
the automatic in sport mode with da paddles is huge fun. nice to take long weaving banking on/off ramps, steer and shift gears, and keep both hands on the wheel and the strut brace may be huge sexy bling but it keeps the towers steady while doing this.
I cannot help to drool over the soon (I hope) JCW tuning kit and minor susp upgrades...
speaking of ramps hey wandrur if U find yrself on C470 heading toward Boulder sometime try the Quincy Ave. off ramp (you can swing a U-ey at the end and get back on the highway there.)
Sure to thrill!
the automatic in sport mode with da paddles is huge fun. nice to take long weaving banking on/off ramps, steer and shift gears, and keep both hands on the wheel and the strut brace may be huge sexy bling but it keeps the towers steady while doing this.
I cannot help to drool over the soon (I hope) JCW tuning kit and minor susp upgrades...
speaking of ramps hey wandrur if U find yrself on C470 heading toward Boulder sometime try the Quincy Ave. off ramp (you can swing a U-ey at the end and get back on the highway there.)
Sure to thrill!
#647
i think maybe so...listened to a cd on the way to work this morning and it sounded great. turned the radio on for a bit too, and it also sounded great. my mp3s are pretty low quality (128kbps) because i wanted to cram as much on the ipod as possible (96.61 gb total, 24815 unique tracks, 74.3 days worth) so i guess i'll hafta try experimenting w/ some higher quality tracks to see if it makes a difference. i was soooo looking forward to having a vehicle w/ integrated ipod capabilities, i'm pretty bummed it sounds like crap right now.
but it bugs me those same mp3s sounded just fine on the mx-6...maybe the mini hi-fi is more sensitive than i'm used to. the cd i played today sounded much different too on the mini than on the mx-6...completely different quality of sound...can't say it was better or worse, but very different. like i added extra channels or something.
ah well, another good reason for having all the original cds for my mp3s...i can take another year off to re-rip them to higher quality.
but it bugs me those same mp3s sounded just fine on the mx-6...maybe the mini hi-fi is more sensitive than i'm used to. the cd i played today sounded much different too on the mini than on the mx-6...completely different quality of sound...can't say it was better or worse, but very different. like i added extra channels or something.
ah well, another good reason for having all the original cds for my mp3s...i can take another year off to re-rip them to higher quality.
#648
#649
#650
The HiFi system is a little bassy (bass heavy), and low quality MP3s suffer most in the high end of the audio spectrum (treble). I have had good success with 128kbps AAC files on the iPod. This is probably equivalent in sound quality to 192kbps MP3 files.
Rip some of your favorite songs at 128, 160, 192, and maybe even 256 kbps in either AAC or MP3 format and test them in your MINI. Contrary to what the audiophile snobs might say, you might be surprised that 128/160 AAC or 160/192 MP3 sounds as good as the CD.