Most liked posts in thread: What did you do with your MINI today?

Walked the dog twice today...parks were full, so we took a nice ride thru the countryside on our way back home.

 

Went to Walgreens down the hill today and scored TP, the first time at any of 3 stores in my burg of 22K. I took my 2016, which I filled up around 4 weeks ago. Sigh, it has not come off the full marker yet and I have even done a lap or two around town. Sigh! Need some time in Mountains on some curves.

All take care and make sure to keep a safe distance, this is not going away in May by magic.

Don

 

I’ve done a spring prep on Rufus, my 2005 JCW, over the past few months, it haven’t gotten out for a good test drive. I went for a 20 minute jaunt down the road just to make sure all is OK before I hand the car off tomorrow for 2 new tires to be mounted, a corner balance and alignment,

it was SPECTACULAR.to be out in the car (72 degrees, bight sun) with the windows down! Rufus ran like a top and seemed happy to be out as well.

 

Took my un-MINI out to run some errands & then did a nice back road drive. Hit the touchless warsh so it looks spiffy once again.

 

The MINI is off to the shop, so I pulled my monthly driver (what would be my 'daily driver' except for the fact that my wife and I are both under stay-home orders and work from home) into the garage. It is VERY strange to see the driveway empty!

Just before the stay-home order (5-6 weeks ago), I took all 3 cars out and filled them with gas. The MINI and my Volvo/daily are still reading as Full. My wife's Audi shows 7/8 full. At this rate, we might not need gas until September... longer if I siphon from one tank to the other. Actually... I might need to put some stabilizer in the tanks!

 

Well, I sold the 05 R53 to one of the guys over at Auto Assets. He’s already getting it torn down for a new clutch, which it needed. Other than my wife’s Countryman, I’m MINILESS ( for now). 1st Gen G.P. anyone?

 

My Milltek had a resonator on it until it was damaged so badly that I had it taken off. I was worried about the sound increase, but that really has not happened much, so I'm not planning to have another resonator installed.

 

I'm currently using a RMW shorty header with the JCW exhaust. The Milltek was cheap and I couldn't pass it up so I have to install it and see how I like it.

 

After 9+ years and 70k+ miles on my old Koni Yellows, time for a re-fresh!

 

Nail in the top of my left rear sidewall
just past the tread on the inside and only
10 psi. Flat tire light wasn’t on when I got
home yesterday but it sure was this am.
That put a 20’ delay on the start of my day.
Put a snow tire on and ordered a pair of
Michelin PSS4 since after two full summers
there’s a little too much wear to change
just one tire (will use its mate as a spare).
Getting a spare wheel as well. Always
regretted not getting one with my last MINI
when the SSR GT1 went out of production.

 

Warranty replacements. (Actually paid 50% for advance replacements and will send old ones in for evaluation after to get full refund. A few hoops to jump thru, but have my original receipt and still have the MINI.....etc., Thank you wife for being so organized!)
https://www.koni-na.com/CorporateSite/media/itt/NA/pdf/35331_KONI_Warranty_HowToObtainWarranty.pdf

 

The 3 series slots in as a compromise. On the one hand, I have a R53 MINI Cooper S which is a hoot to drive, goes and changes direction where it's pointed and is simply telepathic in nature. On the other hand, I had an e60 5-series that was over the top luxury with super smooth, effortless power build acceleration and great handling for such a big car. Then there is this 3 series that is not overly luxurious, and not super playful. A compromise of all things, and not great at either. It's still a pretty nice car. I like it better than, say a loaded up Honda Accord or Toyota Camry but the 3-series also compromises on the reliability that the two Japanese have as their reputation. I'm not sure I would buy one for myself.

 

Took Skooby & my lady love out on a back road drive. Great day for that here.

 

Nice! Here are the horns from my first R53, Jango. A 4-note air-horn (mounted under the rear bumper where one muffler would have been if I hadn't switched to a single-sided exhaust), powered by a paintball CO2 canister.



If you can't figure it out, the camera in this YouTube video is sitting on the ground, aimed at the back left bumper of the car. The horns and CO2 canister, in the black box behind the horns, are where the back left muffler would normally be. You can see the Bowden cable move when the air horn honks, that I used to trigger the valve.

I upgraded Rufus to Hella horns (one of the OEM horns was dead when I bought him), but still the snail-shell design... nothing nearly as crazy.

We need video of the Roadmaster horns!

 

Wednesday took the 16 Countryman up to FT Collins Trial Flower Gardens for a picnic, it needed some fast time on the highway and we needed a break from the isolation in Louisville, it ran well, even put in some gas 91 Valero. Overall a great day, pretty flowers just starting the season.

 

Took the MINI out for a little and came home and washed it.

 

TBH, I like the drive a bit more natural. I've got a neighbor who is out there a couple times a year with his pressure washer and his drive almost glows it's so clean. I'd rather have mine start to blend into the background (as long as it isn't oil spotted, and the MINI is parked in the garage, so no big worries there). That and I don't think the concrete was very well done... it's only 5-6 years old and is spalling a bit in spots (we bought the house 1-2 years old). If I go after it with the pressure washer, I might peel the top layer right off!

Next on the list is some attention for my wife's new A6. It's black (well... very, very dark grey) with a ton of metal flake. I can't wait to see the depth of shine on that car.

 

I bet you are inspired to go out & do a warsh plus a proper detail on your 3 MINIs.

Me I was inspired to perspire & did a top to bottom detail on my German breadvan. Shines like a new deutschmark. I didn't use the high end car drugs like Dave O uses, but the ones I did use got the GTIs buzz on.