655 replies to this topic

[roberts]

Hi Andy 

I will be ordering with you very soon so you can count on an order from me, I will need a carpet set and full seat cover set, rear wheel arch coverings, I would order the door cards but I want the original style cards from the 70s

One thing I have noticed is the rear carpet generally is not cut out for the rear ashtray, is this something that can be sorted out as I would prefer that.

 

Regards

 

Daz

 

Hey Daz,

 

If you are installing our carpet kit into an early MK3 Mini fitted with the ash tray you will need to cut around it during the installation. It's the only cut-out we don't offer as most people these days tend to remove the ash tray if they are installing our carpet kits.

 

 

Kind regards,
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

[mattj99]

Popped in an order for some new door cards. Been needing them for a while but after reading this I thought I'd better get them ordered and try and help out a bit.

[roberts]

Throughout these changing times we’ve been very open with regards to our falling sales and the reality is, we need to adapt, to this new financial climate and also to a evolving Mini market, in order to survive.

 

As a result, over the next 6 months or so we will be adapting how we operate and making the necessary adjustments to our services, to secure the long term future of Optimise.

 

Although a majority of what we do wont change, it does regrettably mean that we will be dropping dashboards, centre consoles, footwell map shelves, heater cover consoles, armrests, cup holder consoles, dash rail speaker pods, door cappings and kickboards from our Classic Mini catalogue. Therefore, if you have any of these items on your shopping list please make sure you place an order ASAP, as they will be removed from our product range late October/early November.

 

Change might be frightening, but it can also be for the better and having made some difficult decisions over the past month or so, I’m excited to get stuck into this period of development and I’m looking forward at what the future holds.

 

I would like to thank the Mini community for your support throughout the past few months, it has been greatly appreciated.

 

Here is to the future and to a future full of more incredible interior transformations, long may our journey continue.

 

Kind regards,
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

[roberts]

Following last months announcement that we will be adapting how to operate to secure our long term future, I can now confirm that we have lots of change currently happening behind the scenes and we also have lots more to come in the New Year.

 

At this moment in time, here is what you need to know:

 

We are on the move…

We will be moving premises and from the 22nd December 2023 until when we are setup in our new home, production will be closed. We hope that production will reopen towards the end of January 2024.

 

If you require anything this side of February 2024, please make sure to place your order ASAP (ideally before Friday 8th December to guarantee dispatch before we close for the big move).

 

Discontinued items from our Classic Mini catalogue...

We are currently in the process of closing down our woodshop and we will not be setting a woodshop up in our new home, moving forward all of our woodwork will be outsourced.

 

This is why we have dropped (or will be dropping shortly) dashboards, centre consoles, footwell map shelves, heater cover consoles, armrests, cup holder consoles, dash rail speaker pods, door cappings and kickboards from our catalogue.

 

None of the above are popular items these days and to be perfectly honest, dropping it all from our catalogue won’t be loss to today’s Mini community. Times have changed and it’s one of the reasons why we are having to adapt what we offer.

 

We still have a few dashboards, heater cover consoles and dash rail speaker pods available in our stocks, so please get in touch ASAP if you fancy one. For reference, orders of dashboards, heater cover consoles or dash rail speaker pods will need to be confirmed by Friday 8th December.

 

We have an extremely busy run in up to the Christmas period, not only working on your orders (to ensure we get as much out as possible before our production shut down) but also with the close-down of Optimise HQ prior to the big move, to our new HQ in January.

 

I will likely be back in touch before Christmas with another update, but just in case our workload gets the better of me, may I also take this opportunity to wish you and your Mini a Merry Christmas!

 

Kind regards,
Andy @ Optimise Automotive

[roberts]

Happy new year to you all!

 

Let’s not pull any punches here, 2023 has been sh*t and thank god it’s over.

 

I’ve spent the last 15 years building my business, only to find myself being forced to downsize it, to ensure its immediate future.

 

People are asking why, so here is the reason….

 

Quite frankly, we’ve been unable to increase our prices in relation to increased costs (wages, utilities and supplies), to a level that means you lovely lot (the Mini community) can afford to use our services. As a result, margins have been massively squeezed and at the same time, sales have massively fallen, combine the two aspects and it means that our current setup no longer works in today's UK.

 

To elaborate a little, utility costs made last winter tough, but we survived, this was then followed up with increased interest rates, which meant we didn’t get the usual spring high. Then as both combined (utility bills and mortgage payments) as we dropped into this autumn/winter it become abundantly clear that we wouldn’t make it past Christmas.You can literally pin point drops in sales to the day utility costs went up, the day interest rates went up and then the day the heating went on this autumn.

 

Early decisions had to be made and I made the difficult decision to downsize (the product range, the workforce and the premises) to move the business that I love forward into 2024.

 

I wouldn’t have got through half as well without my lovely wife, she’s been my absolute rock over these past few months. Thank you for listening and thank you for being by my side.

 

Anyway…

 

I’m over at our Winpenny Road writing this and as I’m stood in here you quickly realise that it’s the people at Optimise HQ that have made it a home and not these four walls. I’m already missing the team.It’s quiet here on my own, it’s bizarre and I don’t like it. It’s time to get this place ripped apart and myself moved across to our new artisan HQ in the Staffordshire countryside.

 

It’s all onwards and upwards from here.

 

2024, I’ve go this, it’s time to take them on, on my own.

 

 

Kind regards,

Andy @ Optimise Automotive

 

 

[roberts]

A very quick update for you all and as you already know, I am currently in the process of downsizing Optimise and relocating to a new workshop.

 

Everything is progressing very well, I am delightfully ahead of schedule with certain aspects and frustratingly behind schedule with other things.

 

It’s definitely the wrong time of year to be moving premises and the weather has inevitably delayed some of the work that is required at the new workshop (paving, decorating, general outside maintenance that cannot be done in sub-zero temperatures, gale force wind or monsoon style rain), this does mean that I am a week or so (to be be honest, likely 2 weeks) behind schedule with reopening production.

 

The aim is to now open production early February (rather than late January).

 

Not being able to work on the new workshop has allowed me time that I wasn’t expecting at the moment to concentrate on other aspects of the development and move.

 

This means that when production is reopened, I will likely be able to fully open production from day one, rather than phasing the opening over the course of a few weeks.

 

If you would like to follow the progress, please make sure to check out our social media, where I am regularly updating our stories with the latest goings on:

• FACEBOOK
• INSTAGRAM

 

 

 

Mini Fair, Bingley Hall

 

I’m usually gearing up for Bingley this week, but not this year. With everything that is currently going on with the move I’m afraid we will not be trading at Mini Fair this Sunday.

 

To soften the blow, here is 10% off website orders for you:

• Discount Code: Bingley24

To claim the discount please add the discount coupon code above into the ‘Coupon code box’, that can be found on the Optimise Automotive shopping basket. The discount is valid across our standard Classic Mini product range and is valid until midnight on Sunday 28th January 2024.

 

 

Kind regards,

Andy @ Optimise Automotive

[Davidmt]

Great timing - I quite fancy a new deluxe carpet set as I am about to rip mine out to have some welding done on the crossmember.  The central part of the current carpet was sat loose on some hessian underlay type material which was glued down (and a piece of wood under the driver's seat!?).  I assume I would need to scrape out and remove all the existing underlay to properly fasten/glue/shape your carpet set?  Thanks.

[roberts]

Great timing - I quite fancy a new deluxe carpet set as I am about to rip mine out to have some welding done on the crossmember.  The central part of the current carpet was sat loose on some hessian underlay type material which was glued down (and a piece of wood under the driver's seat!?).  I assume I would need to scrape out and remove all the existing underlay to properly fasten/glue/shape your carpet set?  Thanks.

 

 

Yeah you will need to remove the original under felt before installing one of our carpet kits, as our kits include a backing which acts as the underlay. Further info can be found on our website (linked below):

• Classic Mini Carpet Kits: LINK

 

Kind regards,

Andy @ Optimise Automotive

[roberts]

In a time of change, financially & socially, we’ve been forced to adapt how we operate, revise what we do & also where we do it.

 

It’s incredible to think that we turned 15 last year and at no point since I founded Optimise back in 2008 had I ever considered downsizing. In fact, regular readers of our Blog will know that it’s quite the opposite and I was continually working on developing & expanding what we do.

 

Sadly, like many businesses in the UK, we’ve been unable to cope within this governments post Brexit/Covid financial climate and we’ve found ourselves squeezing margins, which in relation to rising material costs, utility costs and labour costs, has meant that the Optimise of old, no longer works in today’s UK. Quite simply, to continue operating as we used to, we are unable to put our prices up enough, whilst also remaining competitive in our markets.

 

Moving forward, I’ve developed the services that we offer and moved to a new workshop, completely overhauling our business model and our daily operations, to secure the short-term & long-term future of Optimise Automotive.

 

When you run a business born from passion and a love of the Mini, it becomes your life and following a difficult period, during which I have been forced to make decisions that I never thought I would, it’s time to again concentrate on the future.

 

So with that thought in mind, lets do that and lets raise a glass (or a few bottles of beer in my case) to a glorious future full of quality stitched leather and tweed - production is open!

 

Kind regards,

Andy @ Optimise Automotive

 

 

[Davidmt]

I will raise a glass to a delivery tomorrow!?

[roberts]

Yeah, the photo below is without doubt the most boring photo I’ve ever shared, yet despite that, it’s also one of the most exciting. Why? Because a load of packed boxes signals that orders are now heading out the door on a regular basis!

 

 

 

It’s been six weeks since I reopened production (following downsizing and relocating) and it’s fair to say I’m completely in my happy place.

6 months ago I’d made the decision to closedown the business I love and it was those closest to me that put the idea of downsizing in my head. I cannot thank them enough for that, trust those that love you, they know you, more than you know yourself.

It’s certainly been a rollercoaster since October and I’ve often not known if I am coming or going, but finally, everything is now starting to settle down and it feels great to be back on the tools, doing what I love.

It’s mad how things turn out, my love of the Mini and my passion for making stuff got me into this. Then as Optimise grew it became my sole job to run the show, leaving the production to the team.

You don’t realise how much you miss something, until you start doing it again and I couldn’t be happier, than to be the one back on the tools producing everything we do.

It’s fair to say that my business has gone around in a full circle and I’m absolutely loving it, I didn’t plan this, but now wish I’d done it years ago!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you to the Mini community, thank you for sticking with me throughout and thank you for your support. I regrettably haven’t had the time to thank everyone individually for your kind words, but you can be rest assured that it’s meant the World to me, to know that what I do means so much to the Mini community. Especially as it’s a community that I love and have been around since 2001, when I got my first Mini.

Since reopening production 6 weeks ago and as I settle into a new working pattern, there have been plenty of updates regarding the daily operations here at Optimise, here is what you need to know:
 

• As it’s now only me, email response will be slower than it used to be and I now aim to respond to emails within 2 to 3 working days, but please allow up to one week.
   
• Lead times across our standard product range are currently around 8 to 12 weeks and although I hope to get this down to 6 to 8 weeks, it is realistic to expect 8 to 12 weeks until we drop into the autumn.
   
• Our bespoke schedule is booked up until late September and with several quotes awaiting confirmation, we are getting very close to being booked up for the rest of 2024.
   
• As a result, if you are after a bespoke interior this calendar year (that is not something you can buy as part of our product range), please make sure to get in touch ASAP.
   
• For reference, once the 2024 bespoke schedule is full, the book will be closed and then reopened towards the end of year (essentially I need to finalise pricing for 2025, before I book more work in moving forward).

Fingers crossed, this will be the last “update” with regards to everything the has been going on, it’s now time to leave the Optimise of old in the past and concentrate on it’s glorious future!


Have a great day.

 

Kind regards,

Andy @ Optimise Automotive