3 Years Ago.... ( Bit Long)

[Tracie]

..This month I ordered Manny... 6 long weeks later on 1st March 04 I picked him up..Manny The BRG Cooper with a spec of

Pepper Pk
Sports Seats
Air Con
Alarm
ASCT
Vis Pack
Bonnet Stripes

He then had,

17" S Spokes
Driving lights
Clear Rear Lights
PiperX Panel Filter
Check Mirror Covers
Custom Roof & petrol Graphic
Custom Ariel...this is doing well..been on since June 05 and not been nicked yet..neither have the MINI logo dust covers!
Aero Side Skirts and Spolier
Embrodered Carpet Mats with Cooper Logo On
Aero Sill Strips
Sony CD Player




We had a fantastic 16 months of hassle free MINI Adventures with only a leaky windscreen aand steering rack being fixed. We try and get to the local Meets & Runs, family commitments and work allowing and have met loads of fantastic ppls over the years

Then in Aug 05 we were hit head on near enough and shoved into a ditch...poor Manny, in and out of repairs where the Approved repairs centre C**^$ed up big time..some of you on here know the heartache I had at the time with all the hassle
For example, I was driving around for a week with no gearbox oil after the driveshaft was replaced..this resulted in a new gearbox 8 months later!..Trim hanging off windscreen, air in the coolant..I could go on, but I won't.


Since then he's been back and forth to the dealers for more Repairs & Niggles than I've had hot dinners..major repairs being a new Gearbox @ 8,300 miles, Driveshaft..
and then last week he had new Pullys, rear caliper sorted as it was sticking, new seatbelt and new headlights, creaking dashboard....he's only done 11,045 miles!!
He know seems OK ...touch a huge piece of Wood

I've come very close to getting rid in the past 6 months and he's in the last chance saloon.
He may evan be gone by the Summer as I'm not 100% happy, probably 97%.
Trouble is, these little cars get under your skin..everytime I think of trading him in, I think "Oh NO!..can I really do it?"...after all this little car saved my life and its not its fault he's not been right.

I'm not keen on the R56 so a trade in for another MINI is not on the cards.

The repair centre have offered to pay for an extended BMW Warranty when mine runs out end of Feb, which I will have off them..its the least they can do.

Thanks for reading!

Lets see what another year brings

[supa-dupa-cooper]

aww, lets hope Manny behaves himself!

What about getting a newer 'first gen' MINI if he doesnt?

[*Vikki*]

yea what supa has said hope he behaves i have seen him at the MINI cooper day and his gorgeous! but if he does misbehave why not try a 06 plate MINI?

[Harpo]

Hi Tracie, oh dear what a frustrating time.

Hear this though: My colleague who has a 53 plate Cooper, phoned me up one morning before Christmas and told me she was driving an R56 - and she hated it!

Christmas came and went, and I asked her why she hated the R56.

To my amazement, she reported that after driving it for three hours, her initial felling had been completely reversed and she is now likely to order herself an R56.

Looks like you'll have to take an extended test drive methinks! In the end yopu'll probably not be disappointed.

Well, I hope so anyway.

[Tracie]

I'm not convinced with the R56, to many things I didn't like ( but thats for another thread )
For the older Models I would consider a Park Lane, my local stealer had one before Xmas but it had a sunroof and I really don't want a sunroof.
I'll see how things go for a while.

[*Vikki*]

there are lots of lovely used cherised near on new MINIs waiting to be snapped up to a loving home, just check out MINI cherished now and then some crackers on there

[Tracie]

Just thought I'd update you all for those that don't know.

I sold Manny in early March 2007, was a tough decision, a new breather valve later and the common clutch bearing problem which the Dealers wouldn't fix until they heard it was the last straw for me.

I then ordered at Golf GT Sport, which I then had to cancel some 3 weeks later due to redundancy

Then back in November I ordered a Clio 197, which I successfully rejected when the Dealer scratched it before I picked it up( long Story)

So something is telling me either not to have another car just yet, or that it should be another MINI

I had another look at the R56 a couple of weeks ago, and when you haven't got a MINI I found that your outlook changes and you look at cars differently.. I wasn't as picky this time round and wasn't *comparing* with my MINI.
I liked it more this time round and I really liked the Clubman too

So I've ploughed my money which I was going to spend on a car into Premium Bonds for a while and see if I get lucky, I should there's enough going in

I'll take the R56 out for a test drive in the Summer and who knows I may have enough for a Works S

So in the meantime I'm still driving the Subaru around and gaining lots of Shell points

And yes If I get another MINI it will have my old roof graphic made up again and the petrol cap one... but this time I'd have it in PW

[supa-dupa-cooper]

Thats a run of bad luck with cars isnt it

I wasnt sure about the R56 when it first came out, even I was a bit picky with it!
But! Oh how things change!!
Im waiting to pick up my new Cooper D on March 1st

Hope you do go for another MINI Good luck on the Premium Bonds!! (ive only won £50 )

ps. didnt someone else in you family have a MINI?

[Tracie]

Yes my Mum and her partner had one, a Black MSC, they sold that before I sold mine.

[Harpo]

Hi Tracie - hope all is well with you - lovely to hear from you again.

R56 in PW? That just has to be a Cooper D.

Seriously.