[Mullet]

The update so far is......

NRMA So far have been very good - we have someone coming out on monday to assess it all and approve bits and peices. We were lucky and found receipts for pretty much everything (except a saxophone.... thats ok - as a sax player i made a great guitarist)

NRMA will only pay up to $500 for keys and locks - I will get the key replaced but a new lock set is worth a few thousand.... as much as i would love to keep them out of the car, i would be paying well over six times my excess..... logocally i would be better off taking the risk that they get into and vandalise the car and then get it fixed through insurance - even if i did change the locks there is still the chance of the clowns vandalising the outside after i locked them out..... What a lovely world we live in huh ??

I took the Mini into the dealership on Thursday for a service and to have the key banned... so i thought i would tell you all how this went !

Being in Canberra i only really have one choice of dealer - Rolfe. Now, when i bought the car i had a few really bad experiences with them - and they got the feedback about it too - but ever since then they have been brilliant !

The key was fixed up and deprogrammed without any fuss or hassle at all.... but the best thing was, since it was in all day they gave us a run around to get to work and back.. Naturally a brand new Cooper S (Ok, it was a demo.... but it only had 70km on the clock!)

So here is my pathetically brief thoughts on the new Minis

The negative
It was an auto - i have to say, i was highly underwhelmed bu the auto shift... even when using the paddles it didnt feel as pokey as mine... in saying this, i have always preferred manual and my car may have felt a little more rapid because it has broken in!

Where did the clock go ??? My mini has a clock up above the rear view mirror but this has a few lamps. Granted the lamps were very funky but it was painful without the clock !

Can anyone explain the new steering wheel to me ?? it was like a computer game console control... im sure id grow to like it... but on first touch and drive it didnt feel as substantial as the old two spoke wheel

The positive
Gotta love the new car smell !!!!

I dont know why but the suspension felt more substantial - it had 17"s of it so that will have something to do with it (im on 16"s) but it felt very smooth, not anywhere near as harsh as mine or as i would have expected the 17"s to make it

The new 3 peice dash looks bigger and i would expct will make less noise over time - i was migty impressed that such a small change could make a big difference !

The key with a boot release is a stroke of genius - in saying that..... why didnt the older minis have it too ??? havent the commodores and falcons had a boot release since the 1920's.... well, early 90's... either way - about time !

The little sun shade thing that flips down over the drivers side window is brilliant !!! can you fit these aftermarket ??

Also really liked the black interior and little change compartments that are now there....

Hmmm..... Mini as a second car ??? could be !

[malliemcg]

Sorry to hear about your break in. At least the mini is now protected (mostly) from theivery now. What happens if the farquers push it onto a truck or something? And what area be you in?

[PPE]

I have an update for my slashed up MCSC as well. The top of the roof has a slash from the passenger side to half way across the roof, and they tried to slash the rear window out, cutting almost the entire distance around and through the electric wire that goes to the heating elements.
The NRMA have kindly given me an appointment today at 12.30 at their assessment centre in Penrith. I have advised Col Crawfords, and they are finding out now when they can have a new roof ready. Hopefully by the 23rd as this is when my car goes in for service, new windscreen and other warranty body repairs.

I wish I understood what goes through the heads of these animals when they take to brand new cars. Surely they must realize that they couldn't rebirth it, nor could they use the stereo systems in any other car, nor could they easily hot wire them. So why don't they pick on someone with an 81 gemini instead.

My baby is staying in the locked garage from now on, and I will never leave him for too long outside in the open.

Rich

[CooperH]

Sorry to hear what a nighmare you are having
The only one here that was nicked was a mcs, they broke in to get the keys they didn't take anything else. They pushed the car out of the estate so no one would hear it. The woman was so worried they would come back, she ended up with a different car in the end. These people make you sick

[Foxy Mini]

Such a sad world we live in, when people can't have anything nice to themselves without some git wanting to ruin it