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

I had attempted to wash my car on Thursday evening, but noticed my hoses were still frozen. On Saturday afternoon, I managed to get the Countryman and the R53 washed. Just as I was finishing up the R53, it suddenly got cold and snowed briefly, adding credence to the well known theorem that washing your car causes precipitation or bird poop. After the snow stopped, I rinsed the R53 off again and the skies have been clear since.

 

So Bitsy has been running strong with 0 issues for long enough! She decided to blow oil all over herself yesterday on the way in to work. I thought there was just some extra semi's on the road causing the smell. Got to town, at a red light and noticed smoke coming out the front. 0 dash lights. Drove to parking deck (kinda hoping she would catch fire, cuz you know, R56) and popped the hood to see what's pictured below. Sent her up to the boys at Bavarian and they replaced the oil filler cap and did an oil change only to have her blow out under boost again. They're gonna try and isolate the source a bit more tomorrow. They don't know really why/where this is happening/coming from yet. Fingers crossed it's nothing too crazy. She's running absolutely fine.

 

Hope it's nothing too serious. Maybe a cracked valve cover gasket.

... wait....you just said that.


I just had my valve cover gasket replaced a couple of years ago and every oil change since, somebody has told me it's leaking. There must be a trick to it or something.

 

The car isn't going thru any more oil than she has since I got her with 42k. She will use maybe a half qt. between oil changes. It shouldn't have any issues with premature wear on rings, BUT any issues with this car don't surprise me any more. I'm just like, OK. Followed by HOW MUCH?! *$&%&*$%

-Got her back yesterday and all is well. That damn valve cover was like $400! BM'r parts prices can be pretty damn insane.

 

Go ahead, Lee, blame it all on that poor cat! He's dead now, anyway...especially after first drinking that antifreeze and realizing that that was his tenth life and that the end was near, so he wanted to leave this world by giving you a good bye scritch to remember him by!

 

So yesterday I was organizing a MINI driver's fish n chip run for this coming Saturday. The run would start at a shopping Mall in Vancouver and stop by one of the MINI dealerships in Richmond on the way, and continue on to the seaside village of Steveston where we would visit a fish n chip place that is built on a floating barge. The MINI dealer in downtown Vancouver called me up and said he had around 10 other MINIs who wanted to join the run. I said that was great.

Then he said he had reservations. He didn't want us to stop at MINI Richmond as some of those cars were customers of his. I said that was fine. They can continue on to Steveston on their own and we can meet them there. Then he said we should start from downtown at his dealership. I said there's no parking there and it's too late to change it as there are others already committed to meet at the mall where there is enough parking area to stage the run.

The reason we were stopping at MINI Richmond was so I could pick some parts I ordered, and some of the people that work there are avid motorers and wanted to come along during their lunch breaks.

Later, the rep from the dealership downtown called me back and said it was too late for them to organize joining us. I said that was okay. Maybe next time.

Despite my buying all 3 of my MINIs from the dealership downtown, they stopped giving me discounts on parts and service when their ownership changed and they fired their service manager a year ago. They charge me full list price for anything. Though I still have a good relationship with their sales people, their service department has already scared my kid away from bringing her MINI to them for service.

I hope they turn around their customer relationship soon.

 

Heck do what is best for you & your friends. If the dealer wants to help great, but in this case they are being a pain. Organizing things can be a royal pain. Have a good run beken.

 

Little ??

 

Ferrari 330 GTC?

 

Red and Blue!

 

They do look like Ferraris, although more like a 250/275 than a 330 GTC. They are smaller than a 250/275 Ferrari, too.

Hint, like a Pantera, the body and chassis were built in Italy, and the engine and drivetrain was added in the USA.

CD

 

Bristol’s

 

I thought those might be ATS, but you said American engines so either Bizzarini or Iso

 

Here in Wisconsin we are still deep into Winter, so I've done nothing with either mini since they are both in deep storage.

 

You could ship them to me if they are in boxes.

 

Finally a break in our snow and cold in Colorado, usually we are in the 2nd or 3rd week of Spring by now. Anyway, I did wash the ParkLane today, but snow coming on Wed/Thursday, sigh!

CD, Is the Apollo right? I still think red and blue worked.

 

Did I win a cookie?