[simonb]

Any other MINI drivers in Minnesota? I picked up my BRG Cooper yesterday. There a couple of others in the area who have their cars already. Prehaps we can arrange a get together at some point. How about the British car meetings at Sherlock's Home, (Eden Prarie area), on sunday afternoons. I believe they should be starting up again soon.

Cheers,
Simon

[MINIapolis]

thanks for starting us off, simon.

if i can get my boyfriend to drive my spitfire (i can barely get him out of my mini) we can bring both!

i'm keeping my eyes open for other minis on the roads between eden prairie and downtown minneapolis.

and i think there's something wrong with my car: it won't go under 70 MPH

sari

[Casey]

Cheers Mates, Minnesota here as well - but you two knew that already. Lets start recruiting and get a club going here.

Cheers

[Wentworth]

Nice to see others in Minnesota on MINI2. I haven’t gotten my car yet, but I should be ordering soon. I wanted to ask those of you who already have cars what your impressions are thus far. How did they work in the snow we had recently? Have you noticed any faults or oddities about the car? Also, what colors have you all gotten?

Thanks, and I hope to see you all on the road.

[simonb]

Wentworth,
glad to see another (prospective) MN MINI owner. I got a BRG Cooper with the premium package. My impressions so far:

The performance and handling are great.
The seats (leather) are absolutely awful. By far the most uncomfortable of any car I have owned, (1974 MGB included).
Get the sports seats if possible, they are supposedly better.
Otherwise only minor nits, tail gate did not shut too well, the dealer adjusted it and made it so loose it rattled. I fixed it myself. The passenger seat back locks in the folded position when you push it forward to get in the back seat. This is apparently a fairly common problem. The doors need a bit of adjustment to shut as well as they could. I tried the doors on the showroom cars and they close much more smoothly.

You will get lots of attention. It appears women like the look of the car as much (if not more) than men do. Which is something of a suprise to me.

Cheers,
Simon

[AmyB]

Hi there --

I too am a prospective Mini owner, probably 5000th on the list in Minnesota. I'm responding to Simon's comment that he's surprised that women like the Mini. I can't speak for all women, but I know that it appeals to me because of its compactness and mostly its unusualness (unusuality?). I'm little enough of a car connoisseur that 99% of the cars available today look identical--and I'd like something more distinctive. Voila! La Cooper.

Of course, when I plan to buy one, I'm thinking about _me_ in that distinctive car -- but any guy in such a car would be pretty distinctive, too.

By the way, the passenger seat in the Cooper in the showroom stuck open in the same way as Simon described. Could an optimist say that at least they're not hiding the mechanical flaws?

[BruceK]

Hi AmyB. Welcome to MINI2.

Actually there are a lot of women members of MINI2, but sometimes we guys forget that.

Please help keep us in line.

[simonb]

Welcome AmyB,
I hope you can get a car soon. I guess the 'genius' of the Mini design is that it can appeal to people who are not 'car nuts' as well as those who are. Like the original mini, it is useful as a compact transport and a boy racer, (or even a real racer), special I took my car for a drive down 35W to Owatanna last night. You feel all the joints in the concrete road, but it doesn't bounce all over the place. Great fun dodging potholes at 80mph

Cheers,
Simon

[Casey]

You drove down 35W to owatonna and didn't even head east 15 miles for me to check out your car...cheeky...

Cheers

[MINIapolis]

i've had great luck driving my MINI in the snow, though i hate hiding it under a blanket of anything! actually, it's sort of nice to get a break from all the attention. it gets incessant and that's a problem for me... i don't usually care for that much popularity with strangers.

that said, simon, maybe you've had more women approach you because the men are too tough i've had equal numbers of men and woman ask me about (or congratulate me on) the car. the interesting thing to me is the difference between people who have no idea what it is and those who appreciate its heritage. my favorite was seeing two people in a vintage green MINI both waving frantically at me...

and you're right about the seat. the cover is fine, the posture is horrible. i cannot find a position that makes both my arms and my legs comfortable. i end up feeling hunched over and i'm surprised that the lumbar support is optional. and i'm loathe to put a little old lady pillow in there and ruin my cool reputation

and there is some asymmetry to the doors. the passenger side SLAMS shut, with little provocation. and it's tricky figuring out when the back hatch is actually closed.

what about the mileage? i'm getting about 24 mpg and i've got about 1500 miles on it (i bought it with 500). i don't think that's too impressive for a car that size and when you fill it with premium, it's hard to brag to your eco-conscious friends... is anyone else disappointed?

nevertheless, it's the best car i've ever had. it makes me smile. it makes everyone around it smile. it handles like it's absolutely glued to the road, it's peppy at all speeds (unless the AC is on) and it's an absolute joy to drive.

i've only had one other sighting of a yellow one around town.

anyone else?

sari

[simonb]

Sari,
you should be glad you DON'T have the lumbar support. I have the leather seats and they feel like I have an iron bar pressing across the small of my back. The mechanic at Motorwerks tried to make it a bit better by tying back the lumbar mechanism with some wire. It did help a bit. But I think the basic problem is that the foam they used is much to rigid and not shaped too well either. I just got back from the dealer after they told me the seat lock-up problem was 'normal', or if it wasn't they couldn't fix it anyway. On the way home I noticed the seat is making creaking noises. I wonder who will get sick of these seats first, me or the dealer It really adds insult to the injury that I paid an extra $1250 for them

[MINIapolis]

simon, have you checked into after-market seats? if the problem becomes well-known, i'm sure someone will manufacture a fix... you'll just have to pay even more...

i can also report that i have been slowly adjusting to the problem, so maybe you will, too. we drove to cedar falls raceway in wisconsin (sorry, can't remember the town name) and the trip back was smooth enough for me to fall asleep in the reclined passenger seat.)

and casey, you have to provide some incentive (food, ale--hint, hint, hint) for us to drive in your direction!

sari

[Casey]

hmmmm...incentive...food...beer...name your price...heheheheh

Cheers

[Wentworth]

So a lot of people seem to mention the seats as the main disappointment of the car. I plan on getting the sport seats with the 15” tires (maybe a softer ride without run-flats). Hopefully that will help the situation. What types of setup do you all have?

Has anyone noticed any of the faults frequently spoke of in the forum other then the seat problems? What is the deal with the seat locking that people talk about? No left pull or strange noises to note?

So Simon has a BRG and Sari has at least seen a yellow one. How about other owners or prospective owners?

My current car is a big boat Taurus, but my car before that was a Festiva. With the Mini I want to be able to feel the road more than I do in the Taurus (I also hate how big the car is). I also hope to have a safer, nicer ride then the Festiva offered.

[simonb]

There is an intermarque car show & banquet at Sherlock's Home in Eden Prarie on 5/19. I plan on bringing the Mini as well as my MGB. It would be nice to see some other Mini owners there as well. The car show is from 1:30 - 4pm and the banquet follows. If you want to eat you should make reservations with Sherlock's asap, the number is (952) 931-0203.

Cheers,
Simon

[MINIapolis]

hey, how was the first gathering of the year? were there any mini's besides yours, simon?

i've seen another silver one like mine and a red/white one now... anyone heard of any MN owners get-togethers or discussions?

sari

[simonb]

Sari,
there was one other MINI at the show, a red & white one with bonnet stripes. It belonged to a couple who showed up for lunch, not knowing there was a car show on. They were 'pressed' into attending the show. I actually won a prize for best in the 1987-current class :-) Unfortunately the MG had a bad battery so we couldn't take it as well. Although it would definitely not have won a prize ;-)

Cheers,
Simon

[sdmidget]

simonb

The problem with having 2 or more "British" cars - you can't drive more than one at a time.

New MINI?? old MG?? decisions, decisions!!!

(P.S. 1974 Midget - dead battery - I can definitely relate!!)

[Sealevel]

simonb--We'll be driving up to Eau Claire next week and will be there for quite a while. Certainly not much of a chance to visit with MINI owners there! Please post other planned MINI gatherings around MSP, we'd enjoy driving over. ANY excuse to drive the MINI is a good excuse

[MINIapolis]

yes, let me know when the next meet is, will you? maybe i can sell my spitfire there... i really love it, but every time i choose which one to drive for the day, i always pick the MINI. i didn't realize how much pushing and pulling was required to drive a '79!

sari