Did yours come over on the vessel that arrived in NJ today?

Nancy

How long do you have to wait for your new Mini?

So true! Great story, I even read it twice! There's a special place in my heart for MINI owners and MINI fans, and there's even more of a place with the original '02 crowd (being one myself). I am currently toying with the idea of ordering my 2nd MCS.

Good Luck! -Loren

I cringe to see the pics of your old MCS under water as here in Miami rain floods are too common in our streets due to very poor sewage drainage.

It is incredible to think how water is both a need and one of the most distructive things in nature after fire.

but a question- how did you do a stealth EZ pass mount?

Thanx for the explanations.

Funny thing your DARE plates look like early Cal plates.

…RB

RB: Yes, EZPass is a toll road device, called different things in different states. Usually you have to mount it on your windshield, but it's big and ugly and white – with all our advances in technology you would think they could design something a little smaller. Until they do, a bunch of early MINI owners discovered that you could stick it in your sunroof and the system still worked just fine. Stealthy!

I had the special organization license plate available in Pennsylvania whose purchase benefits the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program. It also happens to be black, and therefore, totally rad. I never did have the car dyno'ed, so the HP gain is just an estimate(!)… See the last photo in the article for a glimpse.

The ALTA was noiser, but what great noise is was: loud supercharger whine, the whooshing and whistling sounds of the throttle… boy do I miss it!

Sways and springs were next on the list.

mini2nv2004: Sorry for the mis-credit… kudos to you both for getting those shots of all of us that weekend. I had lumped the photos you guys took into one folder, so it's hard to tell which came from whom…

camelpilot: Buying the car back was a tempting thought… even the service manager at the dealership suggested that this would be the perfect opportunity/excuse to build a race car. Man, I would have liked nothing else – unfortunately, I have no room. I have to park on-street. And I do still need a reliable (and street-legal) car for getting to work, etc. It just wasn't the time.

Great story. The photo of you at Pocono is mine. Eric and I were both shooting you that day. Good luck with the new car when it comes in. See you at future phillyMINI events.

mini2nv2004 04 MCS EB/W

That was one heck of a story. Good Luck with Vader.

A few questions.

What the heck are these items:

A…stealth rear sunroof EZpass mount

B…black PA DARE license plate (good for 5hp!)

The EZ pass thing must be some sort of toll road device. Stealth rear sunroof???

As far as the Atla intake, was it much noisier than stock?

With all your mods how come no sway bars?

I had a similar electrical experience in my 2002 MCS in a down pour here in SoCal, yes it does rain here, that has never, luckily, repeated itself, also, it happened while I was driving. That was kinda freaky.

…RB

Outstanding story and amazing job of capturing the emotions and energy one feels when ordering a MINI, waiting on the MINI and then taking delivery. Certainly the feeling of losing ones MINI is something nobody should ever have to go through. Great write-up. Thanks! :o)

Eric Z – special thanks for all those Pocono photos… they are really excellent!

If anyone wants to take a peek of a couple more flood photos, they are here – I only took a few more than are shown in this article:

http://www.lawrenceotoole.com/mini/flood/

(BTW I am the one taking the photos, NOT the guy without a shirt…)

Good news on the S2000 as well – my girlifriend will actually be getting back MORE than what she paid for the car… seems we both lucked out – sorta.

I am truly looking forward to round 2… it should get built today!!!

Thanks again, Gabe, for the opportunity to tell my story on this great site.

Good luck with the next one! Perhaps airbags on the undercarriage should be an option on the next generations MINIs.

Use this link to see other pictures of MINIs at Pocono Raceway.
http://tinyurl.com/5w4tz

Are there more photos posted elsewhere online?

Admit it, though…you are just as excited about your new MINI. This time you didn't just tell your family, you told all of us!

The obsession never really wears off, tho, it just goes in deeper into your soul, where it's less obvious. Have a ball with the new 'S'!!

     BCNU,
  Rob in Dago