the adventures of darth cooper and toaster!

MotD Prep begins!

2012-02-11T10:51:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again...where I start getting ready for MotD in Deal's Gap, North Carolina. This year marks the 10th anniversary of MINIs on the Dragon. I've been fortunate enough to attend the last 6 years and for me the draw has changed over time. The first year I wanted to do everything and drive the road as much as I could. The next year it stayed the same, but that year I was involved with the Atlanta MINI owner's club. As time went on and I stepped down from my position at Atlanta MINIs the event has become more about spending time with friends and relaxing and not as much about driving the road, showing off my car and spending money. Last year I took Toaster and had to leave Darth Cooper at home. That brings me to another point. Darth Cooper still isn't fully fixed (automatic transmission issues) and so in February in 2011 I bought another MINI.
Toaster (a nod to Battlestar Galactica) is a 2005 MC PS/BLK, chrome-line interior and exterior with very little engine modding (so far) and is my daily driver. The exception being when I broke my foot last fall and had to wear a walking cast boot thing for 8 weeks. Toaster has already had some issues and spent Christmas in the shop. I bought the car at CarMax and that was probably part of the problem. Someone who sells their MINI to a dealership like CarMax might not take the most care of their car and most likely are not invested in the car the way I am. The clutch was worn out from day of our ownership of the car and finally experienced catastrophic failure 3 days before Christmas when I ended up having to push the car off the road and wait for 2 hours for a tow truck.
I don't want to bash CarMax as they are fine for buying your average commuter car but their service department leaves something to be desired. We're probably going to take Toaster to Way before the Dragon to see if he can do something about the engagement point of the clutch and find out what the odd "shuddering" is all about when taking off at low speeds.
Back to my point; MotD. I'll once again be staying at the amazing Blue Waters Mountain Lodge where we are spoiled and treated like family (only better, haha!) by the owners Mike and Maury. We'll be there Friday through Sunday and as of right now have no plans on attending any of the "sanctioned" events. I will be purchasing my grill badge and MotD patch but that's about it so far.
I hope to see some of my friends there. If I don't already know you and you're reading this blog, please stop by and say hello!

Success and Dragon taming

2010-05-04T08:48:00.006-05:00

In my last post I was worried about getting my new graphics printed and installed. Well, at the last minute I was able to get my graphics printed by a local company, got them installed and off we went to the Dragon! We picked up the graphics at 9am, had them installed by 11:00am and was on the road by lunch time.
Had another fantastic time at the Dragon and got one good run in Thursday morning. Pictures coming soon.
And oh yeah, May The Fourth Be With You!

1 day away

2010-04-27T13:50:00.000-05:00

1 day away from The Dragon & I'm *almost* ready. The car is washed, the clothes are packed, but I'm still lacking new graphics. And I still have to clean the inside of the car. Ack.
I'm working on getting the graphics done today and hopefully will have a good update soon!
In the meantime, I know for sure we'll see everyone tomorrow evening at the Way Motor Works tent tomorrow at Fontana!

Ho Ho Ho!

2009-12-24T19:15:00.010-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my friends out there. Here's a look back at some of the holiday adventures of Darth Cooper. Over the last few years I've had the honour of participating in the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Christmas Parade. This year I wasn't able to join in due to work commitments. The parade is a wonderful event that helps raise money for Children's Hospital here in Atlanta. If you're interested in helping out this year, click the link.

Star Wars in Concert!

2009-11-03T11:19:00.003-05:00

Tonight I get to go to a show that combines two of my favourite things. Star Wars and music. Star Wars in Concert is a travelling road show that was 4 years in the making. Featuring newly edited footage from all six films, an 86 piece orchestra and the narration of Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), it makes for a great night for any fan! Custom screens will allow everyone in the arena to have a good view of the movie footage.
John Williams; who scored the films, is not conducting, but accomplished conductor, Dirk Brosse is taking the helm for the show.
In addition to the orchestra, choir and giant screens, there is also an exhibit that is available for the public to see. Props from the films as well as some pieces from the archives of Skywalker Ranch will be on display 2 hours prior to the show.
When I checked this morning there were still good seats available, so if you're a Star Wars fan, check it out!

Almost time for DragonCon!

2009-08-29T17:13:00.001-05:00

DragonCon is less than a week away now. I won't be driving in the parade this year, but I feel okay about that. Every year that I am in the parade, I miss out on panels in the morning. Besides, this is probably my last year to go since they've made Labor Day a lottery at work starting next year. :-(
I'll be updating after the Con & will have some pictures to post too.
That's all for now...

90k

2009-08-20T12:52:00.001-05:00

Hit 90,000 miles today. Wow. I drive too much.

Porsche??

2009-08-17T11:45:00.001-05:00

Just went and looked at an 87 Porsche 944. I say looked because I couldn't drive it. No battery. :-(
Mario, the sales guy, is going to get a battery & check the Porsche database for the records. Fingers crossed!

So many miles

2009-07-09T18:43:00.001-05:00

Today DC hit 87,800 miles. It's hard to believe that I've been driving the car for that long. There were a lot of bumps along the road (so to speak), but it's been loads of fun overall. Here's to many more miles to come!

Graphics

2009-05-31T16:31:00.001-05:00

I need to get new window graphics put on the car since the current ones are fading bad. Since my old graphics guy isn't available, does anyone have suggestions?

MoTD - Less than a week away!

2009-04-25T11:23:00.003-05:00

Vacation officially starts at the end of the day, but there is a catch. I have to do a shift trade Monday. But once 6pm hits, woo-hoo! Still a lot to do yet. I took the car to Global and got the airbag issue taken care of. Turns out the passenger sensor went bad, yet again. I blame D for this. :-)
Talked to Way earlier and I am going to get the ECU flash done either tomorrow or at the Dragon. It's supposed to help the car run better and improve the gas mileage too.
So on the list of things to do still...wash/Zaino the car, install the custom plaque for the engine bay, repaint calipers and clean the inside. And oh yeah, get myself ready too, but mainly the car. :-)
Agenda for MoTD? Drive, eat, sleep, repeat.

MoTD 2009 - 2 weeks away!

2009-04-16T18:32:00.003-05:00

It's getting close to MoTD 2009. This year will be a lot different than year's past. Tapoco is closed for the season (and up for sale!) and it looks like most of BSM will be heading up on Saturday and not Thursday as we had in the past. I'm just glad to be getting out of town for a bit. It's been months since I've done any really fun driving, unless you count speeding on 75.
Nothing new going on with the car to speak of. It's been a slow year for me as far as modding. I do need to get some new graphics made for the side windows as the ones that are on there are getting pretty faded. Thinking I will probably keep the same design, just get cleaner copies made and applied.
With it only being a couple of weeks away, I've still got a lot of little things to do before the trip, repaint the calipers, detail the inside of the car, buy beer (dry county) and dramamine, you know..the usual.
We're staying at Blue Waters this year. Great place, very nice, but a little further from the Dragon than we'd like. Like I said, just glad to be getting away for a bit. No phone, no TV, no internet. Ahhh.
Hope to post again before we leave. If not...well, sorry?

I'll try to update

Monster Garage

2009-03-12T22:33:00.002-05:00

HD Theatre aired an episode of Monster Garage where they attempted to put a Hyabusa turbo motor into a Peel Micro Car. If you never seen a MicroCar, you should check out the MicroCar Museum in Georgia. It is by far the most comprehensive of micro, small and exotic imports in Georgia. We had the chance to go there a year or so ago and had a great time!

Getting back to the Monster Garage episode, sadly they couldn't complete the build so they had to destroy the car. :-(

Poor little Peel.

Speeding

2009-03-07T14:54:00.002-05:00

I don't condone speeding at all...it just seems to happen to me...a lot.
Driving into work this morning I found myself hitting 80+ without really noticing until I saw the Cobb County PD sitting on the side of the road. I was going with the flow of traffic, but thought for sure I was busted. Luckily he didn't pull me over. Whew!
I got pulled over September of 2007 for going 85 in a 55. First time I had been pulled over in 15 years!! I did the no contest plea in order to not get points on my record.
I know, I know, I should be careful when I drive, and I am. But sometimes, you just have to go fast.

MINI Culture

2009-02-23T23:36:00.002-05:00

Driving to an appointment Saturday morning I saw a beautiful blue Mini with white bonnet stripes and driving lights. I waved at the driver and saw that he had a coffee mug in his hand, being raised to take a drink. Even though, he still made the effort to wave at me in return.
Now, I don't know if there is some handbook that comes with Classics, but it should be included with all new gen MINIs. I cannot tell you how many times I have waved at someone and they look at me as if I have 2 heads.
When I bought my MINI 4 years ago I didn't know anything about the friendly MINI owner attitude. Luckily when I bought my car, I had some good people around me at the dealership (Global Imports MINI) and they told me some of the MINI manners.
Like waving at people and also to make sure when you park your MINI, you don't pull all the way into the spot, making people think there is a parking spot, when in fact, it is your little car there.
The point of this post is, please wave if you see other MINI/Mini owners out there. If you can't wave, point, honk, flash, stick up a finger (but not that one) just do something to acknowledge the MINI love!

Is it hereditary?

2009-02-09T17:40:00.004-05:00

Many people look at their car as a way to get from point A to point B. I am not one of those people, nor have I ever been. As a child in the 70's my favourite thing to do was play with Hot Wheels. Amongst my favourites were my "Smokey and the Bandit" edition of a TransAm and a classic Mercedes Gullwing. I actually still have both of those in a box. The Mercedes is missing a door, but it's still a fave. When I was a teenager I had pictures of a Porsche 944 on my shelf. A guy that I dated won one of those balloon popping games and when he collected the prize for me, I asked for the mirror with the red Lambo on it, not the one with the unicorn or latest teen hearthrob.
My sister was the same way when she was a teenager. She could name cars from the sound and a vague outline. I think we got the motoring bug from our Mother. The car I remember travelling in the most was a red 1975 Camaro with the white landau top. My mother had a few other Camaro's throughout the years, including a blue Berlinetta and finally a "fawn" 1984 Coupe. This was my first car, the car that started it all.
My sister now drives an SUV that hauls her family and groceries out to the ranch in West Texas. My mother has a sensible Nissan Altima that got high ratings in the NHTSA crash tests.
While I cannot see myself driving the big muscle cars that I rode in as a kid, I think the "seed of speed" was planted early and still lives on today.

Commute

2009-02-03T13:15:00.001-05:00

I commute about 60 miles a day round trip. I've been commuting for almost 8 years. How is that I've maintained my sanity this whole time?my car. I like driving my car it's fun & it's fast. Well, my car & my iPod. Yes, that is the key to a tolerable commute. Good car & good music.

Clean!

2009-02-01T22:24:00.002-05:00

We got out and gave the car a quick wash, just to knock the layer of filth that was slowing the car down. Quick shot of the car from the iPhone, so excuse the quality.

Wash me please!

2009-01-30T15:30:00.002-05:00

My car is filthy...but only the back of it. The "boot" as it is called in MINI circles. Or overseas. Ask any other MINI/Mini owner and they will tell you the same. The part of the car that gets dirty the fastest is the boot. My problem is compounded by the fact that I did the rear wiper mod. Meaning I have removed the rear wiper of the car and plugged the hole with an black annodized metal plug. While this looks really cool, after a couple of weeks of rain and my 60 mile round-trip commute into downtown it starts to take a toll on rear window visibility. I really want to wash the car this weekend, but it is supposed to only be in the 50's. I could bundle up and trudge out in the cold to wash the car...or I could leave it dirty until it gets warmer.
Am I the only one who is embarassed by a filthy boot?

Bad blogger..bad bad blogger

2009-01-27T22:07:00.006-05:00

I have been berated by a friend...he says that I need to update my blog. So, I will endeavour to update this blog more often. Keep in mind, boys and girls that these updates may be something so trivial as to what sort of soup I had that day, but I will try to update.

Okay, here we go...

Tonight I watched an episode of Top Gear where it was the Germans vs. the Britons. Much to my delight, they featured a race between two R56 MINIs. One of them looking suspiciously like the JCW version of the R56, which sports 208HP and a top speed of 147 mph. This compared to the standard MINI Cooper S, which has 172HP and a top speed of 139 mph, it hardly seemed like a fair race. That coupled with the fact that person driving the JCW is an instructor at Nürburgring or "The Ring", made it more interesting. It was a good race and both MINIs performed quite well, but sadly Jeremy Clarkson lost the race. It was pretty entertaining to see them doing an obstacle course which consisted of pillars with vases atop them and someone shooting at them with a paint gun. I did cringe a little when I saw the JCW get a big dent in the rear quarter panel. I'm sure that both MINIs were well cared for afterwards and it did make me smile to see my favourite car featured on one of my favourite car shows.

P.S. This one's for you md!

So yeah..umm..

2008-12-05T12:44:00.002-05:00

It's been pointed out to me that I need to update. So here's the quick and dirty update....
No Christmas parade this year, totally bummed me out, but I understand. It's loads of work and we didn't have the time to get it all done in time. I've been working alot of of later nights lately and haven't had much time to even wash the car, much less make decorations for it.
I'm actually contemplating getting different graphics on the windows next spring, not sure what I would get though.
Speaking of Christmas, David told me the other day that Way had something he thought I would like for Christmas, so I am hoping that DC will be getting something new for the holidays!
Mods since last update...new tires, got the General Exclaim UHP. Apparently UHP stands for Ultra High Performance. Clever name, huh? Also got the wheels powder coated black. Only, the centers though, the lip is still brushed aluminum. They look sooooo cool. Hopefully I will get some pics posted this weekend.
I guess that is it for mods. I still want to do something with the stereo system. Area 41 has some cool stuff designed for me, it's just a matter of money now.
So there you go..and update! go me!

DragonCon 2008!

2008-08-28T10:07:00.002-05:00

Yes boys and girls, it is once again time for Dragon*Con! I will be driving the car Saturday in the parade, so come by and check it out. Monday morning after a dragging myself out of bed and guzzling some coffee, I will post another update.

2 days til the Dragon!

2008-04-28T10:50:00.002-05:00

Leaving for the Dragon on Wednesday and there is still so much to do! I still have to finalize the playlist for the CDs and burn them. Went to the store yesterday and got some water, cheese and crackers and oh, how exciting...vanilla mint mouthwash!
Got the pool cue ready to go and my sheep shoes too.
Now to wash and wax the car, get the new license plate put on and pack everything Wednesday morning. Whew! Too much left to do...

DC gets smoked

2008-04-21T15:23:00.004-05:00

Saturday DC got smoked headlights, tailights and wheel arch reflectors. Here are a couple of pics with the before and after.

This is what he looked like stock, applying the first of the mods..the Darth Vader helmet sticker on the windscreen.

And this is what he looks like with the new smoked headlights, turn signals, fog lights and driving lights. Also the grill is different than the first picture. Notice my mising Euro plate? :(

Bad and badder ;-)

2008-04-18T14:59:00.005-05:00

Sooo..I foolishly took the car to the carwash today during my lunch break. I normally don't do this since I am a good MINI owner. Anyway, took the car in so it would be clean for when Eric puts some new mods on the car tomorrow morning. I get back to work and do a walk-around, get to the front of the car and what do I see...or should I say what do I *not* see? My Euro plate. Grr. I am such an idiot. I walked up and down in front of work and couldn't find it.

So onto the "badder" news...the Dragon is on fire.

Photos from my friend Daryl. Visit his website http://www.killboy.com/ for more.

Will the real Darth Cooper please stand up

2008-03-04T14:45:00.003-05:00

So in doing a little google search of the car I ran across a few postings that are linked to Darth Cooper. Just for clarification let me say the following:

I am not from Belgium.
Although I am member of Motoring Underground, my car is *not* the Darth Cooper listed on there.
I do not have videos of my car in YouTube.
I do not write fanfiction.
I am a member of MINI2, I am not from nor have I ever been to Australia.
I have lived in Texas, but not in Austin.
I suxor at hacking.
Not a big fan of Alice Cooper and my name isn't Wanda.
I don't know Visual Basic.

My webpage is the first one that comes up on a google search and if you have made it to this webpage, chances are you know me or at least know my car.

All that being said...I am the Darth Cooper that appears in the CHOA Christmas Parade and annual Dragon*Con Parade and have been shown in MC2 Magazine and an Italian MINI Owners website .
Sooo, the bottom line is that there are imposters out there. ;-)

Hello again

2008-01-23T18:52:00.000-05:00

Hi guys-yes, I know..terrible at updating and all that. Anyway, the latest on the project is to get DC ready for MoTD 2008. I am no longer a member of AtlantaMINIs, but will be there to represent ATL!

I have mostly aesthetic mods planned as most of the performance mods are done at this time. Not going to share too much at this time since I want to surprise everyone at the Dragon.

Just recently had to get new bolts and seal installed on the cat-back as it was about to fall off!

DC had his first real winter drive this weekend when we got a whopping 3 inches of snow here.

It may not seem like alot, but to people in the south, it is.

I won't make any promises of photos, but I will *try* to get some posted. Until next time...

happy motoring!

Dragon*Con withdrawal

2007-09-05T14:04:00.001-05:00

Dragon*Con ended Monday afternoon and I am already sad about it being over.
I had a pretty good time and got to meet Nichelle Nichols, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, John DeLancie, Jamie Bamber in addition to seeing Aaron Douglas and Richard Hatch again.
I spent way too much time standing in lines (3 hours for the BSG panel, but I was head of the line!) and trying to get back and forth from one hotel to the other.
Some things I learned at this year's Dragon*Con:
1) Spartans come in all shapes and sizes and their shields are really heavy.
2) People will throw up over a balcony at the Hyatt and it will land on someone's head.
3) If you leave your mate sitting long enough, a naked girl will come sit down with them.
4) Dog the Bounty Hunter is not just an urban legend.
5) In order to get your picture taken, all you have to do is tape a sign to your breasts.
6) It is possible to eat Long John Silver's 3 days out of 4 and live to tell about it.
7) When you lie down for a nap, set an alarm to make sure you make it to the next party.
8) Stormtroopers will dance for money
9) Corsets are very, very sturdy.
10) Take more than one extra day off for recovery.

Pics will follow soon.

Day before the Con!

2007-08-30T11:53:00.000-05:00

I got the car back yesterday, but with a couple of minor changes. One of those being the fact that they lost my front license plate because they put my car through the car wash. grrr.
My friend Cherie who owns Red Dwarf is going to make a new one for me, hopefully before the parade Saturday. In the meantime I have too much stuff to do and not enough time to do it before tomorrow afternoon.
Oh, check this out, my friend Susan owns Yoda Dog and he is featured on the cover of an upcoming book!

Bad news before the Con

2007-08-27T16:26:00.000-05:00

So here we are 4 days away from Dragon*Con and the car is in the shop. He is getting a new thermostat housing, new steering pump fan (3rd one!) and also in the process of changing the thermostat housing, a hose was pulled apart, so they have to order that and replace it tomorrow. In the meantime, I am driving a Hyundai Elantra. Blarg.

Is this thing on?

2007-08-07T16:29:00.000-05:00

I am afraid that my blog is not behaving correctly. apologies all around.

Dragon*Con 2007!

2007-08-07T16:09:00.000-05:00

Gearing up for Dragon*Con 2007, which is Labor Day Weekend here in Atlanta, GA.
We will once again be particpating in the Parade Saturday, September 1st @ 10:00am. Hopefully we can get some face time on CNN this year. I have some new mods that I will be debuting for this years parade.
In the meantime, we have been enjoying ourselves testing out the new 15% pulley that Way from waymotorworks put on the car. Also in the testing stages is the new setting on the rear swaybar. I have yet to get in a good twisty run, but I think a trip to the Dragon might be in order.
Until next time...keep motoring!

New Year..sorta

2007-02-05T07:22:00.000-05:00

So it is a month into 2007 and we are still enjoying being minor celebrities. Last year we were mentioned in MC2 and also featured on Leg 8 of MTTS on MINIUSA. It was a great year of motoring and I look forward to more fun in the new year. In the meantime, here are couple of pics from MoTD 2006.

Almost a Year Abroad: 3 Shows down in London...

2006-10-11T15:58:00.000-05:00

Almost a Year Abroad: 3 Shows down in London...

MTTS

2006-08-26T12:17:00.000-05:00

Hey kiddies! We are getting ready to embark on MTTS (MINI Takes The States)on Monday. We will be participating in Leg 8 of the Coast-to-Coast Fandango! I am very excited about this and glad to see MINI participating in something like this. When you buy a car you don't expect to become part of a community, but when you buy a MINI it is a completely different experience. And oh yeah, speaking of community, I was asked to become part of the Steering Committee for AtlantaMINIS
I promise to update with pictures after Tuesday when we get back from Nashville.

MINIS On The Dragon

2006-05-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

We went to the 4th Annual MINIs On The Dragon in NC this past weekend. It was a nationwide event with over 400 MINI/Mini owners. I can't wait to go back to run the Dragon again. For pictures of the event, check here.

by barkley31
We even made it onto killboy's website!

Welcome to 2006!

2006-01-05T10:22:00.000-05:00

The holidays are over now. We were lucky enough to participate in the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Christmas Parade. Click here for the pics. Thanks to Global Imports for supporting our club and taking care of the entry fees for us. It was a cold, rainy day, but the kids loved the cars as we rolled through. I can't wait for the 2006 parade!
We also participated in Toys For Tots by collecting new, unwrapped toys for kids in need. We filled up the back of a van with all the toys! Yeah for AtlantaMINIS!
As we move into 2006, check back for updates on new graphics and new additions to Darth Cooper.

The Boy Who Heard Music

2005-10-19T10:58:00.000-05:00

Who knew that Pete Townshend had a blog? But look...here he is

Atlanta MINIS Fall Foliage Run

2005-10-14T20:34:00.000-05:00

Anyone interested in seeing the sights of Racoon Mountain and zipping along with some pretty cool MINIs, needs to check out the Alanta MINIS Fall Foliage Run. We will begin at 8:00am at the Cracker Barrel off Delk Rd. For more info or directions, post a message here or check out the Atlanta MINIs link to the right.

Motley Crue concert

2005-09-16T23:38:00.000-05:00

Tonight Shelley and I went to see Motley Crue in concert. The show was slated to start at 8:00pm, finally got under way at
8:30ish. Around 9:15 I saw Vince Neil limping on the far left hand side of the stage, then he just fell to the ground. A few minutes later the rest of the band finished the song and went off stage.
A video started on the big screen saying that the intermission would end in 10 minutes. 40 minutes later Nikki, Tommy and Mick came out to state that Vince had torn a muscle in his leg and the show would have to end there. Nikki told everyone that the cops were outside and very worried about us getting mad and making trouble. Nikki then suggested that we all leave in a "humanly fashion." I found that to be very funny. I guess college hasn't really paid off for Tommy.
They made an announcement that tickets would be refunded and the show would be rescheduled. Shelley and I are planning on going to see them again the next time they come around.
The 30 minutes or so we did see were really good. My throat is sore from screaming and my neck hurts a little from the head-banging. ha!

Dragon*Con 2005

2005-09-03T22:53:00.000-05:00

Once a year in Atlanta there is a ritual that takes place...all the nerds, geeks, dorks, goths and cosplay people get together for 4 days of games, autographs, costuming, not enough sleep and too much caffeine event known as Dragon*Con. David and I have been there the last 2 days and have an awesome time! Clicky for the piccie..

Good Eats and MINI treats

2005-08-28T09:21:00.000-05:00

My best friend Genevieve is in town this weekend for the Grant Park Festival, where she is selling her hand crafted jewelry. Friday, before set-up we went to Buckhead Diner where her brother-in-law; Stephen McGuffin is the sous chef. Talk about great food! He sent us 3 apps, which were Sweet and Spicy Thai Chili Calamari (mmm), Crisped Smoked Salmon Flatbread with Roasted Shallot Cream Cheese (double mmm) and the Chervil Scented Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Valencia Orange Butter Sauce. I didn't really care for the last one; it had a kind of "chemical" taste. It may have just been me though. Anyway, for my entree I had the Grilled Atlantic Salmon and Geevs had the Blueplate Special (which was steak, mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus). As if this wasn't enough, Stephen then sent out 3 different desserts for us to sample. The Jame Beard Award Winning White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie (I don't care for bananas), the Chocolate Cake Sundae with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Raspberry Sauce (this one is really good, but I suggest you share this with a friend; ultra rich!. The last was my favorite, the Chocolate Chunk Creme Brulee with Extra Thin Sugar Crust. The crust was just right and crispy, great paired with a hot cup of coffee.
After a long lunch and an longer day of set-up and errands, I returned to my car and saw people standing nearby looking at my car as if it were on the menu. They wish...

Classic MINI Love

2005-07-17T12:18:00.000-05:00

Friday night David and I went to Northern Star coffeehouse to see a band play. After the show we were outside showing our friends DC. Well, one of the band members was carrying out his gear and he came over to admire DC. He told us he used to have a 63 MINI (see photo right for example) with the original Lucas ignition, left-hand drive, etc. and it could make 140hp (I am sure he did some mods)! He was pointing out to his wife how the wheels are set on the far outside of the car, exclaiming "This things drives like it is on rails! You will never drive anything like this, ever!" He was so excited about the car, it was pretty cool. He asked how much I paid for DC and when I told him, his eyes lit up like he was going to go home that night and order one. Ahh..it made me happy to see a classic MINI owner get excited about the new generation of MINIs.

Finally!

2005-07-04T13:57:00.000-05:00

Well, DC has been fixed. I picked him up last Thursday and have been happily motoring all weekend. Also, I got the tags (not my personalised ones), so the whole insurance/tag thing is fixed as well.
Friday night David and I took DC up to Kennesaw Mountain. I will post pics soon.
That's all for now.

Insurance? Who needs it. bah

2005-06-28T10:21:00.000-05:00

According to the state of Georgia...I have no insurance, yet I have in my little hand an insurance card. Since according the state I have no insurance, my request for car tags was rejected. It goes like this...you can't get insurance without tags and you can't get tags without insurance. And so the circle goes...

Grrr..yes...grrr....

2005-06-26T19:55:00.000-05:00

Car is still not fixed. After 20 miles and 2 hours of idling, they were able to reproduce the problem. But, they don't have the part on hand. It should be there Monday or Tuesday. I am taking DC back yet again this week.
The trip to Nashville, delayed again.
On a good note, we went to dinner with Amanda, Calvin and Minimom and her husband (forgot his name) Friday evening at Chipotle. The food was pretty good and it was cool to see all our MINIs in the car park.

Taking DC to Global tonight

2005-06-23T09:41:00.000-05:00

I am taking DC in to get the problems fixed tonight after work. Hopefully I will have good news tomorrow.

DC has problems

2005-06-21T13:24:00.000-05:00

So I took DC over to Global last Friday since he was having issues with a belt squeal. They weren't able to fix the problem since they didn't test the car the way I told them to. I picked up the car Friday night and within a few minutes I was able to reproduce the problem. My MA (Stephen Johnstone) and the finance guy (Jeff) agreed the problem is with the tensioner pulley. I am taking him back on Thursday and they are supposed to get him fixed this time.
We delayed our trip to Nashville until this coming weekend just to be safe.
I am kind of disappointed that the car is only 3 weeks old and already having problems. I hope that this is just some fluke and after this weekend, he will be good to go!

New Blog

2005-06-19T10:43:00.000-05:00

So I have decided that I will start blogging again. I have basically abandoned my account on LJ and my old blog on blogspot. These are the new adventures. I recently bought a new car and am hoping to document some of the encounters that I have with the new car.