I don't think parts will ever be a problem to get with MINIs. I have a '98 Volvo for which I can get any parts I want in a day or less, MINI is certainly more of an enthusiasts car than Volvo.
I wish...I hope.. I do miss my MINI... I still toy with getting a basket case MINI cheap for fun....but.... Steering u-joint for gen1 us cars are NLA... Ones for British cars can be used with a few changes... Some parts cannot be reworked, and must be new...others are only good for a couple rebuilds... The value of a SC has gone up... Sure you can get parts... It's great to have another "inside" person... Ahh...back in the day... 2004-2005...when MINI sold cars with 6 month waiting lists, and used cars were the only cars sitting in the showroom....full retail or more was the norm and sales Staff KNEW the cars, cause THEY WERE MINI FOLKS... Very different MINI now...lease deals, and sales folks who barely know the cars, just doing a job...
Welcome Joey: Your perspective on the arc of MINI from the 'inside' is illuminating. Being a vendor, I'm interested in your reaction to NAM: is it the banner ads that turn you off or is it that the likes of ECS are vomiting all over every thread?
Eric, do things such as this cause you consternation? My new maxi mini!!!!!! - North American Motoring Only replies to OP on getting a new Countryman are from vendors.
I know that revenue must be generated on any site, in order for it to stay afloat, but man is it extremely annoying when you try to go into a thread to help and its nothing but ads. As far as the changes in the MINI brand, vision and loyalty, it definitely has taken its toll on the sales staff. Out of the 4 sales advisors we had, we only have one left. The other three, all insanely good sales advisors, have moved onto other brands and/or completely different careers. They all knew the cars in/out and actually enjoyed the connection to the owners. Now it's different. The new guys are okay, but they could just as easily be selling vacuum cleaners. Now as far as me, I'm not sure what the future holds. I've thought about opening my own shop but that's a scary thought. I know I can do it - I've a customer first mentality and I'm an honest technician, but with a family to think of, its something I would really have to think through. Sorry about the late response, my phone has been acting up on me. I'll post pics of my Honda project and other hobbies.
Maybe a little. I'm more bothered by vendors who treat a forum like their personal SEO optimization tool, splattering every thread with a formulaic image and link to their site. Obviously, I'm talking primarily about ECS, a company that was recently purchased by a private equity firm, and has over 100 employees. They have dedicated staff whose job it is to post basically the same thing in every thread. This model works, but it's detrimental to the MINI community: they are dominating the eCommerce space over companies that bring unique value to the forums.
^^^This is one of the reasons why you do not see ECS or other mass marketing places welcome here on M/A.