After what seemed like countless hours on the Mini website, I finally ordered my MCS this past Sat. The hardest part is going to be waiting the long 6-8 weeks until its delivery. I should be receiving my production number either today or tomorrow.

I ordered the Reef Blue Metallic (body/roof), 6 speed manual, Anthracite Headliner, Punch Carbon Black Leather seats, Piano Black Dash Surface, Cold Weather Pkg, Premium Pkg 1, Sport Pkg, Technology Pkg, Adaptive Light Control, Rear Fog Lamps, Rearview Mirror with Compass/Auto Dim/Univ Garage Door Opener, Dual Pane Sunroof.

 

D@mn after reading that ...did you miss any packages? I am assuming that Xenon lights are in one of the packages? Very nice ...! I actually like that blue a lot as it looks like Black at night and a very beautiful blue in full sun light.

Well, welcome aboard as there are a lot of Florida buyers in here too. In my personal opinion after the factory opens backup on the 21st of Jan I expect we will see everything getting completed very quickly as they set a new sales record last year and this year they will be 2 weeks behind.

The wait is stressful but it will simply help you to appreciate your mini all that much more once it arrives.

 

Thanks, It's all very exciting! I have a great MA and he seems very knowledgable about the whole process.
I didn't list all the options within the packages, but I don't think I missed anything :-)
The wait will give me some time to clean out the garage!

 

Cleaning the garage out is a new one for passing time, I only wish I had a garage. I can say this site helps, seeing all the cool photos and lately videos from everyone who has recently graduated from waiting to motoring helps a lot too. Plus shopping for your new Mini like cleaning supplies, badges, Vinyl stickers or race stripes, the list is endless. For me the first major item will be a stubby antenna I think as someone recently pointed out he 18" one makes the car look like an RC Remote control car...so now it must go. (I'd leave it if I could control it remotely...as it would be cool).

The entire NAM site is very helpful with tons of great information both fact and opinion but all relating 100% to Mini Coopers as a whole.

 

Agree 100%

Cleaned 3rd Garage for new car now I just sit and stare at it and wish my car was here.

The worst part about waiting is people always ask "when does your new car come in", I tell them its on vacation

 

just sold my 06 pepper white hard top s and 99 vw beetle. driveway clear - garage next. i have about 2.5 weeks left - no cars, getting in a lot of good bicycling!

 

The 2 month+ journey is about over. MA emailed me today that it is at the dealership getting striped and tinted and I have scheduled to pick it up on Friday I beleive I am the last one from the Zenith Leader that arrived at Port Hueneme to be delivered All I can remember is how much fun my test drive was 8+ weeks ago and can't wait to make that a weekly adventure!

 

Tell them your Mini is still waiting to enter the birth canal. (based on how Mini talks about the birth of a mini like a baby). After you say that simply smile and wait for it.... They will eventually ask you what the !!!! are you talking about if they don't simply stand there staring back at you thinking you've fallen off the deep end.

I love to mess with people and it will help time pass faster.

 

We waited months for our first Mini that we special ordered in 2002. Then in 2008 we again eagerly waited a few months for an early 2009 factory JCW. By now we should be used to waiting for a new Mini delivery, but waiting is waiting and the anticipation, while exciting, still requires a fair amount of patience!

My wife and I signed a purchase agreement for a GP last Fall and now the long road since last September is close enough to get excited, again. Didn't realize we would miss our Mini as much as we have when we sold it last October! Can't wait for our new Mini!

UPDATE: Well, the official March 5, 2013 delivery date came and went. Now, we wait for the revised "official" delivery date - April 5, 2013. Clearly, MiniUSA loves these Mini's so much, they can't stand to part with them!

 

Wow and I thought I was waiting a long time, I guess not! I hope you get yours soon!

I found a new way to pass the time, reading the specs and looking (OK, drooling) at the pix of the new C7 Stingray - can't wait to see one in person. I sold my C6 Vert a couple months ago and I really miss driving that thing!

 

Jake C6R
Thanks -- I am always reticent about selling a car, even if it's to make room for one that promises more SPG (Smiles per Gallon). I've had a few over the years that I wished I had held on to...(but we can't all have Jay Leno's Garage space and $$). Hope you get yours soon - sounds like you put together a great car.

 

I just received the production number for my very first MINI last week! I am so very excited to see my car and can't wait to drive it! All of my excitement has made me look up tons of information about MINIs online, and I think it's spreading to my husband now as he's made comments about what he'd like to have on his MINI. My MA estimated the car will be delivered in March, here's hoping it doesn't come while we're out of town at a Comic Con, that would be killer!

 

Hello all,
I placed an order for my first MINI on Christmas Eve. I thought placing the order would cure my obsessive building and rebuilding MINIs on the web site. But now I am struggling to wait patiently; obsessively passing time reading posts on this forum. At least I know I'm not alone.

Reef Blue 2013 Clubman S
Black Roof and Mirrors
6 speed Manual
Packages:

• Sports - 17"Conical Spoke (Xenon Headlights)
• Cold Weather
• Technology - Connected no Nav
• Premium 2 (Sunroof/Auto Climate)

 

Congrats and welcome to the group...

You still have to share what you ordered.

 

Congrats and welcome to the group...sounds really sweet.

 

Thanks!
I got a Pepper White MC with the Green Park package w/stripes, auto transmission, front fog lamps, rain sensor and auto headlamps, automatic climate control, and mini connected.

 

cospringjc, I will not feel I've "graduated" from this group until all Zenith Leader cars are delivered, and after all this time I cannot wait to see your photos!

So you went for the tinted windows. I'm still considering that, it's not too late I'm told.

Also I'm mulling over the following, does anyone have thoughts about these?

1. Clearguard sealant.

2. Clearguard 3M Film

 

As for the tinted windows, ask around your local area for Carbon XP if you like black tinted windows that still follow local and state law requirements. Costing me about $20 more than the dealer but it is considered one of the better tinting materials available today. Don't want that green or purple crap that looks charcoal in color most of the time.

As for the sealant I'm not sure about #1 but #2 seems popular as of lately and is available through a ton of companies including my dealer locally. The key here is it is like insurance and just how common nicks and dings are from road debris. I consider Florida to have a high level of that crap on the roads and even the sand and salt here seem to eventually create a strange effect on the paint on cars here in Florida. A lot of cars look like they have been sandblasted after many years especially if they live close to the beach. My only wonder is it more likely due to poor upkeep of their cars or is it unavoidable?
A good coat of wax should reduce this problem but not prevent it. I have been looking at my wife's CRV as it is almost 1 year old, looking for marks in the paint. I haven't found any and will be helping her wash it this weekend so I can double check as that will be the basis of my decision. I only wish they had something like this for windshields as I've had many cracked over the years on Florida highways from all the trucks throwing up rocks on the road. Florida has an insurance to repair or replace windshields as needed but I've never seen a windshield installed as flawlessly as they look fresh from the factory. My last 4 cars/trucks have had road debris hit the windshields while driving on I-95 and my current one has 2 chips in the windshield in less than 1 year.

I am looking to avoid damage to my new Mini but the 2 items I am considering the most are the mud flaps as tires can throw up a lot of grit from the road on to the edges of a car and the 3M Film for the hood and front bumper area.
My only concern with the 3M Film is can I still wash and wax my car as I want it to shine with a glossy coat all of the time. What is the use of having a new car if you can't show it off a little in the beginning.

Please let me know if you find out if you can still wash and wax your car normally with the 3M film.

EDITED: Just to help you on the Tint to make sure you are getting a good deal: I've called around and most places including my Dealer will tint the entire car including the black strip in the front window for $175 to $200 all are basic legal dark tint, I called 5 places plus asked my dealer for a quote. The place that will be installing the premium Cabon XP tint is charging me $194 total including the front strip.

 

Here is my $.02 on these.

1. Skip the sealant, no sealant is going to work as well as regular paint maintenance. Personally I have used Sal Zaino's stuff for years and won a few trophies in Corvette car shows using his products. It goes on and off fast, can be layered and works great with the clear seal on top. Just google Zaino store. You will find a lot of people that do car shows swear by this stuff.

2. I am a big believer in the clear bra. I had a G35 that looked like it took a shotgun blast to the front after a couple short years. When I got my Vette I put the clear bra on the bumper, 1/3 hood, fenders and back of the mirrors. Most people did not even notice it was there unless I pointed it out to them. You can wash it and use Zaino on it just like the rest of the car. Plexus also works well to clean and shine up the clear bra. To get any polish out that collects around the edges you just use a little quick detailer and it comes right off. Mine took a beating for over 6 years and I had a lot of stuff hit the front of that car, there is always crap on the freeways here and stuff is often kicked up by cars in front of you. By the end the clear bra had some scuffs and scratches on it but the paint under it was pristine. They will last 5-6 years - I never had any yellowing problem but my car was garaged every night. I plan on doing the same on my Mini when it get's here - partial hood, fenders, bumper and mirror backs - and the place I go to will do it for $600. A little pricey I know but cheaper than repainting.

Well hope that helps, another opinion for you to consider!

 

Do you know what thickness you get 8 mil or 12 mil? I know it is obvious that 12 would do a better job but I really don't want it to be noticeable either. $600 is a lot knowing how inexpensive the material from 3M really is but here in Jacksonville, FL a lot of companies offer it so I should be able to find it inexpensively and without sacrificing quality of the installation.

Thank You. (not trying to start a new thread but figured I'd ask while we were talking about it).

 

To help get back on subject.

I am watching the days like I am watching a clock, waiting for Jan 21st to come and go is KILLING ME! I just know that once Monday JAN 21st hits things will be moving again on the production line and I figure by the end of next week most of us will see our production #'s becoming VIN#.

I know BMW/Mini first needs to fix basic things like their AS400 needs to stay in sync with their website to let us know the status (supposedly it is off by about 48 hours) but I also thought it would be REALLY cool if they either installed some webcams in their factory or better yet as your car came through each major point of assembly a cam would snap a photo an either email it to you or post it to your production # for you to view online.

I am going to send a recommendation to BMW/Mini about this. Can you imagine the publicity they would get nationwide which would more than justify the costs. I would love to see a photo of my future car taken at each stage of its development, that would be awesome! A web cam following it from start to finish would be even better but I know that would be asking too much. Gotta take baby steps before you can run. Hell if Disney can take photos of every single person on splash mountain BMW can take a few simple photos through an automated system that ties the photos to the production# and uploads them to their online server.

Sorry stressing out over the wait.

 

Thanks ernsign!
As for Tinted windows the sun is out 80% of the time here so it's a must and they sand the roads in the winter alot also so I am having the 3M done locally because I know a good installer that is about $250 less than the dealer!
And by the way your car looks awesome

 

Received word from my MA that the MCS has made it to the VDC in Brunswick, GA. If all processing goes well, then hopefully I can pick it up Saturday or at the latest early next week. The journey is almost completed.


Ordered: Dec. 8, Prod. Start: Dec. 11, Born: Dec. 19, In Transit: Dec. 30, VDC: Jan. 13, Est. Delivery: Jan. 18?, Pickup: ?
2013 Cooper S Hardtop - Eclipse Grey w/ Black Stripes

 

I had the Clearguard on my first MINI which was Astro Black in color. While it did an excellent job of protecting the paint, I could always see it. I observed a gold MINI the other day in the rain and could really see the difference between the area that had the clear bra and the rest of the car. It was the way the rain sat on each of the surfaces.

I decided on the car I'm about to get, not to get a clear bra. I'm just going to enjoy the driving experience, not worry about trade-in values or unsightly clear bra lines.



Ordered: Dec. 8, Prod. Start: Dec. 11, Born: Dec. 19, In Transit: Dec. 30, VDC: Jan. 13, Est. Delivery: 18?, Pickup: ?
2013 Cooper S Hardtop - Eclipse Grey w/ Black Stripes

 

weaf27, Jake C6R, cospringjc, GlazerFL, thanks for the info, you all know much more about these than I do. I appreciate it.