Well, I decided that I didn't want to wait 7-10 months or drive 450 miles round trip to find the MCS I wanted.
My taste in vehicles being rather eclectic, I went an entirely different direction, and bought a 2003 Ford SVT Lightning (Dark Graphite Gray Clearcoat) off the dealer's lot, just 15 minutes away. I imagine that such a vehicle is anathema to a lot of MINI people, but it's something I've drooled over for a couple years. Plus, living in the country as I do, a 1/2-ton (load capacity) pickup comes in handy quite often, and my Sport Trac's 4' bed is a wee bit too short for carrying fence rails and the like.
And on the way home with my new Lightning, what did I pass going the other direction but a blue Cooper (not a common sight in this area)!
It has been fun hanging out here the past couple months. I wish you all well!
Jim MINI dealers too far away with too few cars. Bought a 2003 SVT Lightning instead. Also driving a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 4x4.
What a coincidence! My two favorite vehicles (at reasonable prices) are the Mini and the Ford Lightning truck! Enjoy! A lot of the common mods are the same. Get yourself a nice cold air intake and a Bassani exhaust. Maybe a smaller pulley. People that own Lightning trucks love them just a much as Mini owners love their Minis - you'll have a blast once she is broken in....
Good luck with your new vehicle! Yes, the "wait" for a MINI can be a trial. I've been waiting since July of '02; and just had my order placed last Wednesday! Normally I don't have that much patience either; but I've always liked small, maneuverable, powerful cars.
Look at it this way: NOW you have something to carry your MINI around in; when you finally DO get one!
Good luck with your truck, hope you enjoy it (and if you see a small, red MINI Cooper S... in about two months... WAVE!).
Don't know why your wait is so long in Jersey...Princeton mini quoted me 4 months as did mini of morristown, don rosen in philly was a bit longer at 6-8 months. Good luck with the lightning though, its a bad ass truck, last time I was at the track one was there running very low 12's
Mike
NoisyCow wrote: What a coincidence! My two favorite vehicles (at reasonable prices) are the Mini and the Ford Lightning truck!
! Those were mine as well.
David-MCS wrote:Look at it this way: NOW you have something to carry your MINI around in; when you finally DO get one!
That's exactly the thought that hit me after I brought the Lightning home.
RUKnight wrote: don rosen in philly was a bit longer at 6-8 months.
Only 6-8? They're the ones who quoted me 7-10. Maybe the waiting list is getting longer.
Thanks, everyone, for your good wishes. I'm enjoying the Lightning a lot already. It's really hard to stay anywhere near the speed limit. Thank goodness for cruise control!
Jim MINI dealers too far away with too few cars. Bought a 2003 SVT Lightning instead. Also driving a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 4x4.
I may have missed out on one good thing, but I definitely got another. Being from the U.K., you may not know what an SVT Lightning is. It's a Ford F-150 pickup built by Ford's Special Vehicle Team. It has a 5.4-L, SOHC supercharged V-8 (450 ft/lb of torque, as I recall), 4-speed automatic transmission, lowered sport suspension, super-wide high-performance tires, and a lot of cosmetic changes from the standard truck. Not only will it haul a half ton of stuff in the back, it also does 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, the quarter-mile in the low 12-second range, and, if I remember correctly, has a top speed of around 140 MPH. I still can't get the grin off my face! But, yes, if MINIs were more available, I'd have bought one.
Jim MINI dealers too far away with too few cars. Bought a 2003 SVT Lightning instead. Also driving a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac 4x4.
Nice Truck! Best of luck with it...I've always got some kind of 'utility vehicle' in the drive along with my MINI. My newest is a Chevy Astro van, holds five people comfortably with room for luggage and two LARGE dog crates in the rear. Just sold a Suburban with 200,000 miles on it.
I've got a feeling you'll be back for a MINI someday, it's a great compliment to a bigger vehicle.
Chili Red / Black Roof Cooper "S", delivered Aug 5, 2002.
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Enjoy every sandwich. - Warren Zevon
My buddy has a Lightning and that was the first supercharged ride I had ever been in. I thought it would be much faster... I hate trucks but those are pretty damn smooth I have to admit. Good luck and sorry that you could not ever get to experience that is owning a mini. Hell I talked to a dealer on a thursday and went and picked it up on that friday... Guess I just got lucky.
Mr Whoa
Everytime you mod a Mini a VW cries.
*WARNING! Looking at my gallery has been known to cause brain damage*
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'Bye everyone -- Bought something else. 
! Those were mine as well.
