Sorry about the Maine/New Hampshire taxes comments. It's just a really big topic up here in the frozen north.
From what I hear, the cars are inspected at the port and some things perhaps "fixed" or added although what that entails I do not know.
I have seen cars unloaded from a "roll on, roll off" ship and it's not pretty. They are given "X" minutes to unload all the cars so the cars come shooting up out of the hold at amazing speeds, kind of a choreographed chaos deal and the potential for damage appeared to be high.
This will be over in a few weeks and as everyone said, we'll all be motoring about with big grins on our faces.
Olivia is being evaluated. It seems a lot of people here have taken a great interest in this. Thank you very much.

 

MunjoyMini, did you check the OL? Our cars are listed as being at the VDC now, with an estimated delivery date of 3/20. I'm going to the BMV to get transit plates either tomorrow or next week, depending on when the car is ready.

 

Hi Tim, Ahhhhhh, I did look at the neat little video of what goes on at the VDC but I did not see any mention of an estimated delivery date. Where did you see that? I don't want to bring the car home in poor weather and from the forecast we may not see a nice day for..... quite a while. I live right next to the Maine Mall and there is a BMV office there so I'll get the plate as soon as I hear something definite from my MA

 

Click on "review order detail". That's where it is. Let me know when you hear something from Hrach.

I work next to the Maine Mall... I must be a stone throw away from you.

 

Tim, Drat, just typed a reply and lost it as I updated my signature. My order detail says estimated delivery date of 3/21 but I have no idea of what that means. Delivery to Peabody or to me? I suspect it means to Peabody. I think if it was going to be ready for me on Friday I would have heard from Hrach by now, but one never knows....
I live on Running Hill Road right across from BC/BS.
What do the different gears mean below our name on this site, i.e., first gear, third gear, etc.?

 

The more you post, the higher your gear.

Haha... I think I can see your house from my office!

 

Munjoy, HerLBC has info (post #155): https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...=129441&page=7

 

Thanks Tim, that is good information. I now recall Harch telling me that they did not get the title for two days after they got the car. It makes no sense to me but that is the way they run the Mini business. I suspect you work in a big silver building. LOL

 

Yes, it is a big silver building. The one next to the runway.

 

Actually, more gray than silver I think. I'm inside right now, so I can't remember.

 

Tim, it is gray and it is an insurance company? My son-in-law works there but he's not allowed to drive my daughter's new Mini R56. LOL

 

Not Unum... my sister works over there. It's a Semiconductor company.

 

OK Tim, I know the place. A friend of mine retired from there about four years ago.
Note to ftttubrgcm: Thanks for the explanation of your name choice. I had forgotten about Alan-A-Dale in Robin Hood mythology. I'm afraid my last encounter with RH was Mel Brooks dreadful movie, "Robin Hood, Men in Tights". It was the only movie playing on the airplane!
Love your selection of BRG/Silver.
I spent about ten months in Texas at a little place called Ft. Hood in the 1960's. Very friendly people in Texas, I was really impressed. Enjoy Alan-a-Dale!
Now I'm worried that "Olivia" isn't English enough. Or is it? Thanks for the suggestion Cloud 10. My daughter had a greyhound for many years. Very gentle dog.

 

866-ASK-MINI says my vehicle is in transit. So it should be at the dealer later today. My wife and I are going to Mass. for Easter. We'll stop by to say hi to our new car since we won't get to pick it up until they get all that silly paper work. We'll take a look at yours too, Munjoy and HerLBC.

 

Tim, please say "Hi" to Ophelia for me. It would be great if you could take a picture or two. She's supposed to be delivered there tomorrow so I'm guessing next Wednesday or Thursday for delivery to me. Hope to hear from my MA tomorrow or Monday. Our wait is almost over.

 

Ok, will do!

 

I just got off the phone with our MA... he told me to come down on Tuesday!

 

Tim, So..... the car will be ready for you? They have it now? I haven't even gone "upstairs" yet to go over all the financial details and settle on a final price. Have you?
In any case, congratulations! Will you be driving it? I'll have to drive down to your place of work parking lot and check it out on Wednesday!

 

The Eagle Has Landed!!!!!!!!!!! On our way back from getting the windows tinted on my wife's 2008 CR/B MCS, we stopped at the dealer and they told us that our HC Clubman S had JUST been delivered. Saw it, sat in it and now after prepping, wheels, stripes, etc, will now have to pay for it. YIPPEE.

Sometimes anticipation is greater than reality. After waitng since 10/07 this could be a problem. However after just putting the first 200 miles on my wife's car today--the reality is MORE SMLES TO THE MILES. This is going to be fun. Once we get the clear bra and window tint on the Clubman we will submit a slew of pictures.

 

That's great Jeff. HerLBC took a picture of mine today:

Munjoy, he said (in the week 9 support group) that yours wasn't there, but it was probably at the BMW place since they were lacking on space. I haven't discussed the financing or the final price with the MINI folks yet, but I have a pretty good idea of how much it will be. I'll be making a few calls in the AM to see what we can do to make this go as quick as possible.

 

Tim, nice looking cah!!! And in only a few days she will be your's!I have yet to hear from my MA so I guess I'm going to have to call. My daughter went through the buying experience there and you need to go "upstairs" literally to talk to the lady who tries to sell you extended warranties, etc. And there is the issue of dealer installed accessories that you may have purchased. Their cost and any installation cost has to be agreed on and added in. Only after going through all that is a final price arrived at. It gets a bit complicated and it took my daughter two trips to accomplish it.
Do you get the Portland Press Herald? They printed an extremely postive review of the Clubman yesterday. It a review that has been circulating on NAM this week.

 

I just got off the phone with the "lady upstairs". We're going to see if we can do MINI financing instead of our credit union to simplify things, but doubt they'll be able to match the rate. I'm going to try to get this done without multiple trips to Peabody. I'm not having them tack on any accessories at the time of the sale, so that should make things a bit simpler.

I didn't see the review in the press herald, but if it's the one where they say it's like a barrel full of strippers, then I've seen it on NAM.

 

I drove my HC Clubman S today---10 feet up and back to see the back and open the rear doors, in that it is in the dealer's inventory area because it was delivered yesterday Based on my calculations I will have it home in about 2 1/2 weeks after the dealer and outside providers do their thing including clear bra and window tinting.. Thanks Otello for a smooth ride

 

Jeff S., lucky ducky! My cah came over on Otello and has not arrived at the dealership yet. Worse, my MA has Monday off so the earliest I will know if it has arrived is probably Tuesday. My only dealer installed equipment is racing stripes, checkered mirrors and roof, and mud flaps. No way should it take more than a day to do that. I can't imagine waiting two and a half weeks. I take it you have talked to others to get that time estimate? I'm hoping for a Thursday delivery. Otello did her job, now if everyone else would just do theirs......

 

Hi, Jeff. I'm writing from my son's home in Bethlehem, Pa., not that far from you. We saw one Clubman on the road on our drive down from N.H., on I-278 as we were going through Morristown, N.J. I think it was a customer's test drive from Mini of Morristown since it got on the road there and off at the next exit.

Last week I cancelled the clear bra and stripes that the dealer was going to install. I thought it would hold up delivery and they were asking nearly $1,100 for the parts and labor. I ordered the Invisishield and stripe kits online for around $300 and will install them myself. $800 for less than a day's work will be my best payday in a while.