How did you get your first Mini?

[Ferengo]

Thought I'd start a wee thread to get to know you all a little bit and what better way than to find out the story of how you came to have your first mini? Here's mine.

Was never a big fan of cars to begin with, my first car proves this. A 1987 VW Jetta, probably the most boring car you can buy. Anyway, I ran that into the ground and bought a Fiat Brava from Arnold Clark.

Had the Brava for nearly 3 years when the hand brake failed and it rolled down Lochee road into an Astra. If it hadn't of hit the Astra then it would have gone all the way down!!! So it was written off but I had extra GAP insurance so I got the full value back. Woo Hoo!!!

Bought a crappy Mondeo to tie me over until the Insurance money came through but the brakes failed on it so we got money from the bank and bought a Megane coupe.

Nice sporty car but guess what??? The brakes failed on this to.

By this time I was working over from John Clark. So I popped over one lunch time. Had a look and decided that rather than a used Mini, we'd go new as there didn't seem to be much of a diference price wise.

I called up Grassicks just to compare prices but they were the same. So monday morning I called John Clark and told them "I want to buy one today". There was no-one to serve me at the time so they said they would call me back. I had to wait a week, but when Ryan called I had to say sorry and that I had placed my order with Grassicks.

I would have to wait 6 weeks for it but since I was getting maried and my MOT on the megane was due in 2 weeks, Morag at Grassicks did some calling and got me one within the week.

Love it to bits, It's a Mini Cooper R56, in Lighning Blue, With a pepper pack and clear indicator lenses. Dispite the problems I wouldn't trade her in. We called her Alice, get it?

Had replaced the Dash trim, glove box, passenger seat runners twice, Drivers seat runners, Gear box part and cables. Still it rattles but it's worth it. Also I refused to pay BMW's price for the bonnet stripes so I did it my self the day I got her.

How did you come to have your first mini?

Ferengo.

[Gismo]

Well, my first Mini came about when i went into JC's in Dundee to buy a used 3 series, all teh BMW salesmen were busy and i got speaking to Scott, very helpful and he steered me towards a new MINI that just happened to be sitting in the showroom :thumbs up:

[Craig]

if we are talking about first new MINI, then when they first came out in 2001 I always wanted one. But due to working with the scouts I needed a bigger car for transporting them and pulling a trailer so it was out of the question. :eyes up:

I wanted Jude to get one, but it took me until 2003 to convince her. ;) At the time she had a Rover 25 Olympic ;) and we were out one day and said "shall we go and have a look at MINI's". So we went into Menzies and spoke to the Broonster and within about an hour we had bought a car (although we didn't go in to do that). the wait time was about 12 weeks then, so I had time to sell the Rover, which I did to some guy from Fort William.

Now on my Fifth MINI.... :thumbs up:

[stoney]

well i loved the mini from the day it came out but i had new points on my lisence so could no get insh for it so had to waight and got a 1.4 megane coop sport good car but ran it in to the ground and hit a baddger and messed it right up as it was lowerd 40mm so fixed the cosmetic stuff and went looking for a new car was looking at the seat ibiza but my big sister was working for BMW at the time and said what about a mini so went to where she worked drove a cooper and loved it that was about 4 years ago now :thumbs up::thumbs up: i rember finding this site from the old mini mag (can not minid its name now )

now have a JCW S WORKS and love it to bits :D

[illegalhunter]

I saw a 2nd hand one in Arnold Crap & asked how much to fianace. They were trying to rob me so i went to Fairbairns & got a new one.

[Forbes]

Tried my mates one and thought it was ace to drive. Travelled to Greenock and bought one the next week (had been looking for a new car not spur of the moment)

[AndyP & Lenore]

Like many folks, I would imagine, we fell in love with MINI's when we saw the Italian Job movie. Lenore wanted one as soon as she saw the movie.

So our first MINI was a Cooper CVT which we got at the end of December 2003. The salesman thought we were nuts getting the car on the 29th December, when we could have waited another 2 days and got it as a 2004 car instead of a 2003 car. Couldn't sleep the night before.

Then they announced you could get an Auto box for the Cooper S so we fired our order in for that. Picked that up on 1st March 2005.

Then we traded that for our R56 in June 2007. Regretted trading the R53 in for the R56, so went out and bought ourselves a cracking Chilli Red R53 again.

So, including the two we have just now, we're on our 4th MINI.

A.

[stella]

Thought I'd start a wee thread to get to know you all a little bit and what better way than to find out the story of how you came to have your first mini? Here's mine.

Was never a big fan of cars to begin with, my first car proves this. A 1987 VW Jetta, probably the most boring car you can buy. Anyway, I ran that into the ground and bought a Fiat Brava from Arnold Clark.

Had the Brava for nearly 3 years when the hand brake failed and it rolled down Lochee road into an Astra. If it hadn't of hit the Astra then it would have gone all the way down!!! So it was written off but I had extra GAP insurance so I got the full value back. Woo Hoo!!!

Bought a crappy Mondeo to tie me over until the Insurance money came through but the brakes failed on it so we got money from the bank and bought a Megane coupe.

Nice sporty car but guess what??? The brakes failed on this to.

By this time I was working over from John Clark. So I popped over one lunch time. Had a look and decided that rather than a used Mini, we'd go new as there didn't seem to be much of a diference price wise.

I called up Grassicks just to compare prices but they were the same. So monday morning I called John Clark and told them "I want to buy one today". There was no-one to serve me at the time so they said they would call me back. I had to wait a week, but when Ryan called I had to say sorry and that I had placed my order with Grassicks.

I would have to wait 6 weeks for it but since I was getting maried and my MOT on the megane was due in 2 weeks, Morag at Grassicks did some calling and got me one within the week.

Love it to bits, It's a Mini Cooper R56, in Lighning Blue, With a pepper pack and clear indicator lenses. Dispite the problems I wouldn't trade her in. We called her Alice, get it?

Had replaced the Dash trim, glove box, passenger seat runners twice, Drivers seat runners, Gear box part and cables. Still it rattles but it's worth it. Also I refused to pay BMW's price for the bonnet stripes so I did it my self the day I got her.

How did you come to have your first mini?

Ferengo.

what he [husband] fails to mention is that the mini has always been my favourite car.
my mum had a classic mini when i was a kid & so began my love affair.
was not too keen on the new mini's at first but now i love them too.
i was not keen on getting a new car & said the only car i would buy brand new was a mini.
he suprised me with the mini before the wedding because i thought we weren't able to get one til after, so she came to the wedding & is even in our wedding photo's!
p.s i realise we are not very original with our name for her;)

[Scottie]

I knew from the mini 40th event that I attended @ Silverstone in my original Mini, that I would be getting the new style mini when it came out.

I had my deposit down when it was ok to do so and collected my BRG Cooper shortly after September 2001.:thumbs up: I'm sure the reg was SY51FAK.

[ianking]

My neighbours picked up a mini one about 2 months after they came out. I had a wee shot and thought yes I have to get one of these.

Had only been at uni for just over a year so had to save a bit and work some more hours at my part time job at the garage to get the deposit together but at the end of 2002 I got my first mini. It was a nice wee red mini one. Brand new as well. Traded in a 2000 W Corsa which was a rubbish car.

Now on MINI number 8.

[rpn]

Being an ex-classic Mini owner all those years ago so when the new Mini came out I always wanted one. Bought a 3 years old Cooper about 18 months ago privately. Love it to bits :p

[eddie 44]

I always was a fast ford man... RS 1600i , XR4i, focus ST .. had a few problems with the ST . . and the only car that took my fancy was the new mini...:cool: after a test drive was hooked... :thumbs up:

[MiniSnaps]

I first drove one at the pr event in George Square back in 2001, but I wasn't all that smitten with the car I drove (a One). A couple of times I have come close to buying one - the first time I don't think the salesman at Fairbairns reckoned I had the money :lol: and after the test drive he just wandered away, so my money and me did likewise. The second time, I spotted a very cheap 1 year old Cooper advertised at Arnie's in Merrylee, but when I got there the salesman informed me that he had decided to buy the car, so it was no longer for sale!

Given the choice at the time I probably wouldn't have bought the one I have now, but it's amazing how a colour grows on you when the car is several thousand pounds behind the Glass's Guide valuation ;)

[sedgie]

My first car was a 1275gt and when the new mini came oot thought...ewww piss...but then changed my mind!:rolleyes:...being a woman i can!:moonie:
So one afternoon i foned Grassicks n asked do you have a cooper s in...n can i test drive!. Told hubby the next day i am test driving a new mini...he was i hope no the fast wan...beep beep beep!
So we went tae Grassicks...yes i just :D when i saw it n he said ...beep beep beep! Then we drove it..i was like:D:D:D:D:D..he said to bill the sales bloke...she is gonnae buy it now i beepin know it, yes and i did...loved it from i first saw it and knew i would buy it:thumbs up:

Best bit was hubby went n bought a bmw 320 the same day...they were rubbing their hands that day eh!:eek:

[Andrew]

After 60,000 miles in three years in my Corolla, I decided a change was due. I had wanted a mini when I bought the Corolla but just couldn't afford it.
So this time it was head (a diesel of some sort) or heart (the mini). Obvious to say the heart won.

Then I saw, to me anyway, an absolutely stunning car in Henry Brothers Glasgow: a hyper blue cooper with bullet wheels. Went inside, fell in love with it and then discovered at the last minute it had no air con (a must for me). They couldn't get one for me as the R56 was due soon and after two or three visits gave up on them as I felt they were just messing me about.

Spoke to HF Irvine, they could get me a park Lane but the p/x offered was almost laughable.

Went to Douglas Park at Hamilton and this is the best yet. I spoke to a salesman who told me the car I wanted (hyper blue cooper, hyper blue roof with white checks, bullet alloys) didn't exist! When I told him I'd seen one he said that I was mistaken. I pointed out that Henry Bros had one in their window and he told me that it must have been a special order! :confused: Left there and have never been back.

I'd sort of given up at that point until my other half (Fiona) spoke to Clare @ Menzies by telephone. When Fiona told her what we wanted Clare told her that it would be no problem and to call in and see her. Within four weeks I had the car that I wanted, in the exact spec and with the dash painted in the cars colour.

I know that there has been a bit of controversy with Menzies in the recent past but I would have to say if it wasn't for Clare I wouldn't have the car that I now own and love :D nor would I have heard about NMS. I am not a prolific poster by any means but I am an avid reader of the forums.

[Knox18]

mine isnt as interesting as you lot :)

i bought mine as i couldnt use any other car in the scottish mini cooper cup :D

[Crombers]

Back in the 80/90's I had 2 classics, the first was a brand new 1985 Mini City E in Moonraker Blue (C755 CGA). The 12' wheels/front discs had just been brought out & I thought it looked fab. I added a Mountney sports steering wheel & a Sharp radio cassette & at the tender age of 21 I was 'king of the road' :D.

Next was a brown (yuk) 1983 City E (OGB 260Y) that I bought just after I bought my first flat in 1991. I had moved on to Polo's & Golf's but the Golf had to go in order to use as my mortgage deposit.

Moving forward some 12 years or so to 2003/04, I found myself going through a very upsetting separation from my then wife. At the time we had a rather smart metallic blue Golf GTi 1.8T with full black Recaro leather. She was adament that she was keeping the car & to be honest I did'nt really stand in her way as I did'nt want to continue driving something that had belonged to the two of us.
I had attended the launch of the new MINI in 2001 at Henry Bros & when I started looking around for a new car the MINI did'nt register at first as I was leaning towards an MX5. In the early months of 2004, by pure chance, I found myself passing Henry Bros showroom window and sitting there was a liquid yellow Cooper with 17' 'S' spokes & I just thought WOW!! Those wheels had just elevated the MINI into top spot (a kind of, I want that car now). That day I booked a test drive in a Cooper & an 'S' & after spending an eternity in the showroom, poking my nose into every nook & cranny of this fab little car I decided I was gonna buy one. My mates were all pushing me to buy the 'S' & I admit at the time I was thinking, "a what the hell, just go for it". After the test drives however, I had changed my mind as, yes the 'S' in a straight line was damned quick but the Cooper was'nt that slow either. I was more smitten with the handling of the cars & the guy who came out with me on the test drive did allow me to 'explore' it's potential shall we say :thumbs up:. I came to the conclusion that the extra £3K plus that it would have cost me to buy the 'S' (not including the extra it would cost in insurance & fuel) would be better spent on my new flat.
My order was then placed for delivery 07/06/04 & for the first few weeks I was going for a black one. By this time I was spotting every MINI on the road & for some reason 'black' lost it's appeal. I quickly popped round to HB & asked for a colour swap & the rest as they say is history.
Four years on I can honestly say it's the best car I've ever owned (& SH04 KBZ has changed a bit in it's time, as well). So much so I've since bought a new Fiesta diesel as my 'daily hack' & the 04 MINI will be 'cherished ;)' for years to come as since meeting my beautiful Karen I/we have a garage that will be used as it's wee hoose :D

[Fairy]

Well half way through Uni I bought myself an ex demo black C2 GT. It was quite nippy like but had an annoying (& very dangerous) habit of litteraly dying on me! It just completely died at junctions and had a few scares when driving thru Aberdeen and the engine would suddenly cut out at roundabouts or lights! :argh:
Knew I had to get rid and had seen a few Minis scooting aboot Aberdeen and had always liked them, also after watching the new Italian Job wanted a test drive :p
Toddled off down to Dundee and met the fabulous salesman Scott - he is the best salesman ever and he knew Minis inside-out - ask him a question and he could tell you the answer instantly. He never talked cr*p, not like the usual kn*bheads you are met with that think just coz ur female they insist in talking b*llocks just for a sale - but lets face it, it must be a pretty easy job selling Minis - after all they sell themselves!!
Test drove 2 Coopers but Im a bit of a speed freak and when Scott mentioned the supercharged Cooper S, i HAD to drive one! But unfortunately there were none in stock :frown: Ah but that didn't stop me - on the way back to my car I spotted a very dirty looking black Cooper S hiding amongst other Minis behind gates - was told it had just been traded in and they hadn't had time to vallet it yet etc - Like I care about a bit of dirt?!??..Gimmie the keys, gimmie the keys NOW Scott!!!! :thumbs up:
Off I went for a drive / thrash and u guessed it - Fell in love :rolleyes:
Arranged an ok deal and picked him up with added chrome grill & stripes on bonnet a week later!! :thumbs up:

As mentioned in the gallary forum - sold him 3 years later BIG MISTAKE! :argh: and after a disappointing 4 months driving a dull Astra I bought me a new Mini!!!! :D

[cooper-chick]

Well only being 21 i started off with a 1 litre old Micra :D then i got myself a 1.4 MG ZR. Having the MG only 3 months and already bored with it i went on a search for a new motor :smilewinkgrin: not having a clue what i wanted. I was opting for a Civic Type s but when i test drove it just didnt feel right :frown: so off to John Clarke i went and got my first MINI a black Mini Cooper. It was all black with 2 bonnet strips and 16" wheels. It was a pretty basic mini but loved it all the same. The only thing i did to it was put a K & N Induction kit on it.

I loved this mini but i soo soo wanted a MINI Coooper S but couldnt get insurance until i was 20. So off i went on the search again a couple of weeks before i was 20. I spotted a lovely hyper blue Cooper S in the Arnold Clark garage and took my brother to see it and traded my black one in and picked it up on my Birthday.

Sadly i couldnt drive it cause i had just got out the hospital the day before cause i had a hip operation hahaha so my brother had some fun in it for a couple of weeks until i was able to drive it LOL.

Still have it and absolutely love it. Done a fair few things to it and lots more mods to come. Love Mini's and would never get another car unless it was an evo or something :D

So there's my story hehehehehehe

[G19RNT]

i started off with a brand new 53 plate corsa sxi which i liked to begin with but i always had my heart set on a mini but being 17 the insurance was goin to b 2 expensive had the corsa nearly 3 years and i rolled it in a field so that was the perfect excuse to get my mini its nearly 2 years old and still think its gr8

[jaffamaster]

Always liked the look of them since they were released, but with 2 kids and a dog it was never going to be practicable, we've been running L/R Discoverys for the last 6 years.

A cunning plan was hatched to get the wife away from the Disco!! Which turned out to be a 53reg Cooper "S" with only 17,000mls on the clock, I travelled 350mls to collect, having never driven one or even sat in, I bought it without a test drive, known it would be good, but never realising it would be as good as it's turned out to be:thumbs up: fantastic little car, loads of power, handles like a dream ( can't compare to the disco, it's like a barge) and can even fit 4 adults in relative comfort!!
Only downside, is everyone seams to drive up your backside! or is this just me:shut up:

[L66RRA]

Got a mk5 Astra for my 17th birthday in 2005, but didn't bother taking lessons. Decided I fancied a wee MINI about April 2007, so my dad said I could get one on the condition I passed my test! Started taking lessons, passed my test on the 10th August 07, and bought my MINI 2 days later! Looked at a gorgeous Cooper S, but insurance wasn't going to happen with zero no claims, so got my wee One instead! Will probably keep it for another 9 months til I get a years no claims and I'm 20, then its Cooper S time! :D

[princesscriminal]

When I turned 17 (not yesterday) I returned from a holiday in Tenerife to find a classic mini in the driveway. My dad had lovingly restored an old mini classic that he bought (he's a mechanic) and really went to town.

It was at that point I feel completely head over heels in love. My original mini was red with a white roof and it was my pride and joy! I learnt to drive in the car and I just adored him. When I came to sell the car, I had a queue at my house wanting to buy him - how I regret that day!! Now looking back I should have kept him and cared for him into his old age.

I had loads of 'normal' cars in between but when the new mini was released, I knew it was the car for me. But it was just 3 years ago when I bought the Mini Cooper, the day it was delivered to me I was like a kid at Xmas. I kept the same colours - red n white!!

I have loved every minute of my car and now in the process of pulling together the spec for my new mini - sorry guys but there is no turning back for me!!

J x

[Duncan Stewart]

I've always been into / driven minis since learning to drive in them. Always liked the new Mini since the first publicity shots and was able to buy my first in March 03. Had 3 coopers now and they are fantastic cars :D :cool:

[weefossy]

First Mini XSG 330 was a 1959 "Autin Seven" which I bought in 1970 for £50. A lot of money in them days. It was a rust bucket and you could see the road through the holes in the floor. My mother used to call it the "Flintstone" car. But it was maroon with an orange roof and it had a huge exhaust so it sounded great. When it finally died I got a fiver for the exhaust and nothing for the car.:yes nod:
When the new Mini came out we made highest bid in a RNLI charity auction to have a test One for the weekend. Took it down B709 towards St Mary's Loch and we were hooked. Rest as they say is history.
In total 6 classic icluding Sioban's Cooper S works and 6 new Minis.

We love em!!

[Sheilz]

I stole it...........

then many years later decided to buy my first brand new car. Truthfully struggled with the new mini and when trying to decide which make of car to buy had a short list drawn up. The mini was included because of its safety rating though it was pricier than the other candidates. Not sure when I went from pondering to drooling, but I did and so Hamish was born. I still feel guilty about only keeping him for such a short time - a terrible act of betrayal :frown:
Wanted more toys in my car, another new one cheaper than upgrading bits and pieces and so popped along to the local carternity hospital for the arrival of specy. I can't believe I dithered in the beginning and cant imagine life without wee specy:thumbs up: