Wow M1! That CR MINI looks great. Congratulations! The wait was worth it, wasn't it? Chili Pup is a sharp car. Also, 7 miles? That's the lowest my MA said he ever saw. I asked him what was typical and he said from 7 to 22 is common, but sometimes it can be much higher if something happens at the factory or VDC and they have to drive it around to fix something.

Looks like you got the alarm system installed, nice. I like the chrome grille... UPS delivered my chrome grille the day I got home with the MINI. I'll install it today, at least the upper part.

Tub - great idea there. I'll have to dig up a pic of me and the girls, or get a new one with the MINI in it.

Andy - That's a great looking sig.

I'm looking forward to puttering around with my MINI today. The grille, the AUX input, the euro tray, some 303 on the black parts. Fun!

I already removed the cup holder, has anyone else? Makes the cabin look cleaner and I don't usually have large drinks in the car anyway. It just takes a couple of minutes with a Torx T-25. My largest Torx was T-20 before so I had an excuse to buy a new set.

 

Tub, I just did the math... I love the idea of metric but just haven't internalized it as well as I should... you're 6' 8" and fit in the MINI? That's awesome. I love how much room is in there.

Cute kid too!

 

I removed mine at the dealership before I did anything else. It didn't take any tools or anything and was off in a few seconds . . .

 

Royally elegant!

 

Andy, Minitee, sfodoug, tubwreck, and everybody else thanks for the props! Yeah it's worth the wait!!!!!

I'm glad I don't live in SF anymore. The drive from the dealership to my mother-in-law's was a bit bumpy. The S's suspension transmits the potholes and road bumps really really really well!

Is the cup holder standard equipment? I didn't know and I had already bought one from Classic Mini when they had that 25% sale.

You guys think I have too much chrome? I have the chrome hood scoop waiting to be installed.

I need to take a picture of my kids hugging Chili Pup. Everytime they go to the garage they hug him!

Happy motoring to all!!!!!!

 

Wow... lots o' talk today. I've been busy, so this post may be a bit long.

Let's see... this morning, I cleaned the outside of all the windows (including sky lights). An ounce or two of dawn mixed with 2 gallons of warm water. Use a sea sponge and wash/scrub the windows. Then, take a squeegee and dry the windows. A microfiber around the edges to get the stuff the squeegee missed and move on to the next window. Refill the wash solution as needed. The results are pretty stunning. I never knew our windows could be so clear!

Once that was done, I got to work on the MINI. Yay! My son helped me wash her with Dawn. My new Sonus mitts and towels did awesome, although I figured something out. When drying the car, a regular old bath towel can be laid across the soft top. No worries about swirl marks up there and it saves the microfiber for the rest of the car. I relegated my old wash mitt to wheel duty, and those web spokes are pretty easy to clean thanks to the large openings in them. Got the wheels nice and clean with the Dawn solution as well. Total time on that part of the exercise: about 45 minutes. The wheels probably took close to half of that.

After lunch, I clayed the car. I cut one of the Z-18 clay bars into six chunks and used the chunks one at a time. I ended up using 3 chunks (half a bar), but probably could have only used 2 chunks if I hadn't dropped a couple of 'em. I've never clayed a car before, but I can say that it works pretty darn well. There were a couple of bug splatters on the windshield that pressure hosing and washing hadn't handled. The clay bar took 'em right off. Took me about 30 minutes to clay the car.

Once I was done claying, I took her out and washed her in Z-7 auto shampoo. Only took about 15 minutes to wash and dry her, but another 15 or 20 minutes to go over her with a very critical eye and find all the little water marks and what have you and "buff" them out with my slightly damp microfiber. Don't want any of that stuff sealed under my coats of Zaino polish! Anyway, that's where I am in the whole process. I have no idea how Andy was able to wash, clay, and put two coats of Zaino on ihs car in 2 hours. I haven't even started the polish part and I'm already 2 hours into it.

Sorry for the long winded post. I'm feeling talkative today.

Andy, I like the new sig.

Minitee, removing the cup holder is pretty high on my list of things to do. I agree that the interior will look cleaner without it.

Oh, finally, my MINI had 6 miles on the odometer when I picked it up! Yay, what do I win for having the lowest readout? (It was 7 miles by the time I drove off the lot )

 

I see I've left you all speechless.

Anyway, just wanted to report in that I've completed my Zaino process. Yes, it was a long (but not so difficult) road. I got each circuit around the MINI down to about 10-15 minutes, but there were a lot of circuits to do, interlaced with drying/curing time leads to me just coming in around 9pm, still with a few detailing (but non-Zaino related) chores to do.

As for my opinions, I have to say that the car is much, much, much shinier than before. The places where I notice it absolutely the most is in the chrome bits and in the glossy black A pillars and just above the windshield where it's also glossy black. The sheen on my paint definitely seems to be much more reflective. I will have to wait for better light for my final decision as to the result, but it appears promising. I'm just glad that this amount of effort is only required a few times per year, but perhaps I'll get faster, too.

And, yes, Andy, the Zaino products definitely have a pleasant smell to them.

For those who are curious, this was my regimen today:

1. Wash car with Dawn. This included using an old wash mitt to get in and around wheels.
2. Clay bar (Z-18) car using diluted Z-7 solution as lubricant.
3. Wash car with Z-7 auto shampoo
4. Apply coat of Z-5 to car and wheels. Let dry
5. Buff Z-5 off car and wheels.
6. Apply Z-6 quick detailing spray to car and wheels.
7. Apply coat of Z-2 to car and let dry. I forgot the wheels.
8. Buff Z-2 off
9. Apply Z-6
10. Apply coat of Z-2 to car and wheels. Let dry
11. Buff Z-2 off (car and wheels)
12. Apply Z-6
13. Apply Z-8
14. Admire car in what little light is left at 8:45pm

Sorry for the long winded post... but, like I said before, I'm talkative today. Maybe it comes from spending all day washing things (windows and cars).

 

I had 5 miles on mine (but that's only because my MA had yet to take my car for gas)!!

 

OK, you win! What do you win? How about two long, boring posts about my day yesterday! Wahoo!

OK, so I saw my results this morning and apparently I should have used a few more coats of Z-5 on my A pillars and the area just above the windshield. There are some minor scratches in the clearcoat there. Ah well, I'll just be sure to Z-5 those more in the future.

After church this morning, came out to find my car coated (and I mean coated) in tree spit. After all the effort I put into this car yesterday, I was less than pleased. When I got home, I used Z-6 and a detailing towel. About 30 minutes later all that stuff was gone. I think next time something like this happens, I might start with a diluted Z-7 spritzing; that will be much cheaper since I can then use a very light amount of Z-6 to follow the Z-7.

 

I spent a few hours on His Royal Highness today, washed, did a coat of z-5 followed by z-6 and then had to go in to clean the house. Blah. Might do a layer of z-2 later after the sun goes down a bit. He looks so good, I want to go for a drive. But all I really want to do is take my Sunday nap!

 

I did some motoring today. Passed 1000 miles and closing in on the end of the break-in period. Great weather around here for open window driving.

 

I am only at 401 miles. I am thinking about motoring up to Hurricane ridge next weekend. That should be fun!

 

I completed the 1200 mile break in period this weekend! A round trip drive from Boston to New York City and a round trip from Boston to Montpelier Vermont (to visit my parents), taking the LONG way back (route 100 down the center of the state, to route 2 in MA) took care of the vast majority of it. Not like my driving technique will change now that it's over, but it's nice to be through that milestone none the less.

 

How did you guys figure out your cars were on the Hojin? My Penelope is in transit but the MA says they don't have the name of the ship - only confirmation that she has been shipped. I am finding it difficult to obsessively track the progress of the ship when I don't know its name!

 

For me, I deduced it since my MA didn't know, but I did know what date my status changed from waiting at the port to being en route. Others on the west coast said they were on the Centaurus Leader and since there were no other ships leaving Southhampton for the West Coast around that time, it was a pretty safe assumption my MINI was on that ship also. Its not as easy when you can't use the WW tracking site, I admit.

I'm sure some of the more expert week-18ers can jump in here also and give you helpful information.

 

My MA emailed me and told me the date it shipped and what ship it was on. I can't be much more help than that.

 

Thanks guys. Minitee, you bought yours at MINI of Murray, correct? I ordered from there as well - I wonder why they don't have access to shipping info. Strange. How was your "picking up your baby" experience?

 

Hi miniprof, yes I did buy from MINI of Murray. My MA was only able to say "I hear some people can find out what ship they are on from the Internet, why don't you try that". So, top flight working with them during ordering and picking up, but my MA at least wasn't into the whole obsess about where your MINI is during the transit phase. Not that I was obsessing... no, wait, I was, and the proof is in this thread. Oh well.

The pickup experience was great. My MA picked me up at the airport in his own MCS/JCW and drove me right to my car on their lot. I hopped out and drooled while he got the keys... some paperwork later and I was on the road. From flight landing to motoring was about 3 hours and most of that was spent getting to the dealer from the airport and going over the car's features. No hard sells (of any sort) on extra stuff I didn't want or need.

Where are you coming into SLC from, or are you in UT already?

 

Hi Minitee. I am already in SLC, so I won't have the opportunity to take a nice long drive home like you did. My MA has been great but, like with you, doesn't seem willing to fully participate in my obsession. Sigh. Oh well, I guess she'll get here one way or the other.

 

In the spirit of showing off, here are pics of my new baby...
Picked her up May 23, then off to Cape Cod for Memorial Day weekend.
Since then, playdates with MINI cousins, roaming around country airports...
Whoo hoo!!
While I DO miss my '03 CR/W MCS coupe, I am loving top-downn cruising!!!!

Congratulations to all of you who have received your cars, after the excruciating wait.
Mine just came off break-in, and I have a few fun pics that I wanted to post here.
CR ragtop wtih black top, white wheels, mirrors and bonnet stripes, sport, old weather, mfsw, chrono pack, CR dash, convenience pack (love that garage door opener!)...umm - what else is there? I know there's some more options, at least my wallet does, but anyway...
Top is down at every oppty - day. night, cold, warm, though have not been able to test the driving in the rain aspect.
More in my gallery, too!

 

Hot lookin cabrio zzMini!!

 

Love the color combination zz!

 

Wow, and a tomato and herb garden in the back seat. That's a mod I hadn't seen yet!

 

zzMini, can't go wrong with CR! Love the matching interior!

 

It's one of the dealer-installed options here on the right coast!
And actually, that's a chili pepper cage - not a tomoto cage!

I love the looks from folks as I drive back from the nursery with rhododendrons and lilac standards sticking out from the back seat!
Have to go slow, tho...itherwise would have no leaves left - EVEN with the deflector up!

M1N1N1M - it was a tough choice btwn anthracite and CR for the interior - but decided to go all out and be as wild as my midlife crisis would allow!!