Entries Tagged 'MINI' ↓

Front Passenger Tire- Tread Wear 2; Originally uploaded by c2jupin

Man, I know my alignment has been off for some time but c’mon! I’ve rotated these tires every 10,000 miles and have had two alignments done (and I only have 28,000 miles).I think I’m going to ditch the runflat tires and getting something a little nicer from the boys at Kauffman Tire (and get an alignment while I’m at it). Whereas before I was thinking about getting some performance tires I’m realizing that, due to buying a house, the budget for expensive tires is rather slim.  That being said- I’ve got two questions:

1- What would be a good replacement tire for my car? I want something that will last at least 30,000 miles, is not a run-flat, and has to be17″ (and obviously fit the MINI).

2- Should I purchase either a can of fix-it-flat for $6 or purchase the OEM spare wheel/tire combo for $229 (plus shipping)? I’ve heard and read varying reports on whether tire shops can remove that foamy crap after it’s been applied. I’ve enjoyed the (relative) security of the runflats but I can’t justify the price to replace them. Also, I’ve got roadside assistance from AAA so I can get towed anywhere - however, that doesn’t mean that’ s my preferred method if I blow a tire..I do live/work in a metro area and that could take a while come 5PM rush hour.

So, I need advice. New tires being purchased this weekend no matter what. DB/Josh- I’m sure you’ll weigh in.

Update: I’m the brand new owner of 4 Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season Tires! I was hoping to Kumho Ecsta’s but thoese were a little steep…and, I didn’t have the time to order them from tire rack and wait to get them installed (I mean, did you see the picture above?).  And, I even had an alignment thrown in for free for the purchase (not bad!). So, how does my car drive? One word: “butter.” The steering wheel is SO MUCH LOOSER than before (a welcome trait) and the ride is easily 40% softer. I’m a little worried about not having the extra safety of the run flats but I’ll just pick up a can of fix it flat and call it a day.

I’m so glad the run flats are gone…let’s hope these tires last longer than 28,000 miles- here here!
 

In case you haven’t heard there’s a drought here in Georgia- and especially here in metro Atlanta.  Lake Lanier, Atlanta’s premiere water source, sits 16 feet below where it should be this time of year. By year’s end it’s expected to be 36 feet below normal, making it unusable.So, what does this mean? Well, it means some people are out of luck…The governor has instituted restrictions on all things from landscape watering to car washes (more on that in a second). While I do empathize about the situation- how in the world did it get this bad?From what I’ve read it’s between the lack of rain nationwide (global warming?) and, the ultimate reason, a lack of water management. The Army Corp of Engineers monitors the water level at Lake Lanier and how much water it feeds into the natural streams of Alabama and Florida. According to a recent MSNBC article:

More than a billion gallons of water is released from Lanier every day. The Corps of Engineers bases its water releases on two requirements: The minimum flow needed for a coal-fired power plant in Florida and mandates to protect two mussel species in a Florida river.

I can understand the coal-fired power plant (I suppose)- but a billion gallons for two species of mussels! Gimme a break.So, why am I complaining about this? Well, I am 100% unable to wash my car. As someone who rents (not for long), I don’t have the luxury of attaching a hose and going to town. Not only did my apartment complex shut off the water supply to the car-wash section of our complex- but two local car washes also have closed up shop until the drought is lifted.So, unless I want to go to Target, purchase about ten 5-gallon plastic buckets, fill them with water, and then schlep down to my car- it ain’t getting clean anytime soon.With that I leave you with a couple pictures I snapped outside the Best Buy yesterday. The nastiness just stopped me in my tracks. The car used to be white. So, until I can steal some an uninterrupted water supply anytime soon- this will be what I’m driving around town in until the drought in georgia is lifted.

After reading over on motoringfile about people trying to connect their iPhone to their MINI I decided to try it out myself. The specs:

• 2005 MCS (Pepper White) with the OEM BMW iPod Adapter
  
• 4gb iPhone

After turning on the car and fishing for the iPod adapter in the glovebox I’m greeted with a lovely warning from Apple stating that I’m not using a “made for iPhone” accessory and whether I would like to turn on “airplane mode” (which turns off phone functionality)- to which I chose “no” :

After that I didn’t touch the phone for a minute and I see the “battery charging” screen with the last track I had playing on the iPhone (bonus points for anyone who guesses the band name):

I turn on the adapter by changing the mode to “cd changer”:

After that it’s smooth sailing. The iPhone is now playing and currently showing the “accessory attached” screen:

Another plus is that while the music is playing you can push the “home” button and be able to navigate throughout the iPhone. This leaves the driver able to control the music via the steering wheel controls or by controlling the receiver. This is handy if your co-pilot might need to pull up the Google Maps application or phone a friend.

All in all, I’m happy that the OEM iPod adapter works as well as it does. I was prepared to only be able to use this as a charger for the iPhone but being able to listen to the music as well makes the money spent on the adapter even more worth it.

Later this month I envision Barry (my MINI) turning over 25,000 miles. While that’s not even a 6th of some others  it’s still quite a feat for me. I took possession of the car on September 23rd, 2005 - which averages to about 1200 miles a month (which is a little high for anyone in my family).

 So, I was thinking… Continue reading →

Ok, I lied…it’s been 1 year and 1 one week. Since what you ask? Oh, since I picked up Barry- my pepper white MINI Cooper S (with stripes). This year felt like it flew by compared to the 4 months I had to wait for the MINI to make the trip over the pond. As such I have decided to post a few rather random comments about my MINI.
Ready for the year in review? Well, here goes:

• One word: Fun. Yes, I realize this souns a little dumb and even a little cliche’ but the car is truly fun to drive. Still to this day I look forward to car trips in the MINI- especially the ones with the twisty roads.
• Reliable: other than having to get the headlights replaced to get the auto-wash feature to work a little more, well, expectedly the car has been beyond reliable. And knowing that maintenance is covered for another 20,000 miles is a good fealing as well.
• Gas mileage would be superb if I didn’t always want to race the tuner-kids at red lights.
• The MINI is a lot more roomy than it looks. I was a little nervous at first that travelling would be difficult but the MINI has proven me wrong everytime.Why, even this past weekend, we had Taylor, birthday gifts, two suitcases, laptop bag, two bags of dirty clothes, and a dog bed…AND, we still had room to spare!
• The MINI in Atlanta: perfect. The car manuevers this city like a champ. Whether you’re manueving Peachtree Road or battling tight parking at Lenox the MINI runs with the big dogs. In a city filled with overly-large and uncessary vehicles, high gas prices, and some of the nation’s worst traffic, it’s nice to be in place where the MINI fits right in.
• Deserves (no, begs) to be driven. Yes, it’s cute. Yes, it’s small. And yes, the battery is located in the boot (trunk). But, this car can hall ass. Regular, everyday driving becomes a thrill. Dodging potholes in the MINI (which, I highly recommend you do as the runflat tires are not very forgiving) becomes instant slalom track-day fun. Launching onto an on-ramp brings a smile when the supercharger begins to whine. And even when it’s time to park it’s nice to know that if you pull in crooked you’ve got a decent chance of still being within the lines.

So, the final verdict? I couldn’t be happier. Anyone considering the MINI need not question any longer- just get it.