My cousin just got herself a Clubman and it got me thinking about what to get a new Mini owner to welcome them into the family. (She's more of a "Mini's are cute" owner than a "Mini's are fun to drive" owner, so she doesn't know much about modding.) I decided to send her a Craven Speed stubby antenna, which she appreciated and says that she now looks down on Minis with stock antennae. I figure she's off to a good start! So what would you give a new Mini owner?
One of my first really memorable mods was beautiful round carbon fiber shift knob, it felt so nice that first time, but perhaps you need to be a MINIac first to appreciate it. I did not know about the Whalen knobs then, so sometime day in a moment of opulence I will splurge for one of these.
For the MINIs are cute crowd, maybe a set of those stickers that go on the glove box button. For the MINIs are fun to drive crowd, depends on your wallet size:lol: Mark
Geez, when my wife had her JCW delivered back in March of '06 she already had new tires, springs, control arms, front splitter (since long gone), shift knob with matching shift boot and hand brake and hand brake boot in tan leather, window auto up thingamagigy and a JCW strut bar. After that she has received racing tires, racing rims, coil overs, a tune, antennas, tow hooks, license plate brackets, grill badges, racing harnesses and helmets and too many track days to mention. I think she has a problem.
+1 no joke, a keeper. Let her talk to my wife for a bit and maybe some of her 'problem' will rub-off on my wife.
For the MINI's are cute crowd? How about some 'flower power' decals or some sort of 'sunshine daydream' motif? Jerry G would look down/up appreciably :cornut:
Someone bought me a 'mini' motoring ballcap and a mini titanium keychain...just an idea... I like the 'objects in mirror are losing' stickers personally...
I made a number of window vinyls for my MINI as well as a custom engraved stubby antenna. I got a lot of comments on both, but while the antenna was a merchandise item in my shop (my comic publishing name is on it) I did give vinyls as gifts. The '1:1 scale' and 'pull to inflate' are winners but I'd give personalized versions of some of the vinyl I made for me, to make it more uniquely them...
I'd probably suggest a badge holder and a badge or three... for someone who's into the 'cute factor', I would think the ability to have something fun and changable would be a good route. Plus, it's not a horribly expensive direction to go.
Here's a link to pictures of some MINI stuff I've accumulated over the years that are not necessarily direct put onto your car. [ame="http://www.flickr.com/photos/beken/sets/72157622374537082/"]Mini paraphenalia - a set on Flickr[/ame]
The first gifts I gave my brother-in-law when he got his Justa were a badge holder w/badges and two sets of valve caps (union jack and checkers).