You can get a spare in a Cooper or Cooper S Countryman with the newer generation, unless you get the bench seat instead! Also, I really am a fan of the F60. Have you seen the new pricing structures? Helps streamline the pricing and makes everything a bit more cost effective.
Thats good to know.. Also now that the host move is complete, I have a test sight back up. Working on some organizational changes... one of those is going to be have a dedicated area for the Countryman.
Today being the first day of the month, the dealer called and said the deal, for the F60 Countryman I was considering, is off. There were some really good financing terms on a 2018 demo Countryman. It was a July only offer. I was taking my time because I wanted to check with my financial planner if I had enough to swing for a Countryman Cooper S. That's too bad for them. I don't need to be rushed into a deal. If those cars we were considering are still there at the end of August, I'm sure the deal would be better for me. It's not much more of a stretch for me to factory order a 2019 model. But I'm not financing or leasing my cars. I don't like being in debt and making payments, especially on a depreciating asset. Alternatively, I can go talk to the other MINI dealer in my area. But there are reasons why I find it difficult buying a car from them too. Stay tuned....this might be a long drawn out saga.
Changed the oem hood scoop grill to the MINI FINI one for a little more flow through the scoop. Got a WMW turbo wrap but haven't put it in yet. Got a transmission Dimple magnetic plug but haven't put it in yet (put their oil plug in a few weeks ago with the last oil/filter change).
I don't buy new cars anymore. I buy pre-owned, and let someone else take the new-car depreciation hit. I haven't had a car payment in a long time, either. Good luck, and be patient. There will be another car you want at some point. There will be another good deal. After I sold my last car, I drove a rental car for about a month while I took my time shopping for a new one. I wouldn't have done that 20 years ago. With age comes wisdom... which kind of makes up for the aches and pains, belly fat, and grey hair. CD
Took the R53 out with the wife to look at trucks. Now that I put a new compressor on it, it decided to turn on the trifecta of brake lights!! The scanner says it’s the control unit. Ugg! If I can fix it, it will be up for sale.
That's awesome. I just hit 225,000 miles. Wife is not that impressed though. Says I am nickeling and diming now with parts going. Fix one thing and another thing goes out. Nothing runs forever I guess Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Going to wash it in the morning and go check out the cars and coffee meet in the morning here. Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Put on a WMW turbo wrap. Took longer than I thought it would. Getting the 2 lower front bolts on and off of the upper heat shield required multiple 10 mm tools, and after scratching up my big hands up a little, I found that the front lower driver side heat shield bolt was a little easier to get at blind reaching up from below. Getting the shield back on and getting the front bolts started in their awkward position wasn't as hard as I feared. Also had to open up the bottom driver side leg of the wrap and let a little insulation out and re-stitch it so that it wouldn't touch the linkage right under the turbo. Was just too thick otherwise. Finally, the bolt that holds the O2 sensor connector snapped off just as I finished tightening it, so I had to secure the bracket a few inches forward against the radiator and a duct. Can't find my zip-ties (bought a whole bag of them a couple months ago and the went SOMEwhere) so I wired it temporarily. Will either find my zip ties or get some more soon. Someday, when I replace the belt tensioner, I can put it back on, since that's where the bolt goes in. Not as much smoke on burning it in as I expected, but I did have to close the front windows of the house when I ran it the first time after installation. Hopefully this will lower under-hood temps a bit and improve the efficiency of the turbo (hot side hotter, cold side cooler).
Took the wife's '06 MCSa to a British car Show today and picked up a first place photo of me, the dog and her car! She will be thrilled when she returns from her yearly visit overseas to see her relatives.
I asked my wife to start those little bolts on the heat shield for me, when I installed my turbo wrap.
Bought a right angle drill adapter to drill in to the bolt piece to use a bolt extractor but still couldn't get a good angle on it. So, I used a dremel with a cut off disc to grind a slot into the fragment (and part of the tensioner), and was able to back it out with a socket wrench/small screwdriver bit. Somehow, getting the new bolt started took way too long, but finally got it in. Yeah!! Looks better than having the bracket tied up where it doesn't belong.
We all accept different ways to clean our cars. That being said that is a good way to add loads of swirls & scratches. I'm old & lazy, but no way I'd ever do that. Don't worry Dave O can fix it.