I'm Still Here

I haven't forgotten about this blog. I've just been VERY busy: new tires for the wife's car, new water heater for the house, holiday dinner parties, birthday for the wife, birthday for the father-in-law, Christmas, planning for the new baby, etc.

I did want to stop by briefly to report that I had a 6'4" friend in the front passenger seat and a 5'9" friend in the back left seat today. It was a bit cramped, but we made it work! :)

Also, I'm over 1600 miles now.

1K

I passed the 1K mileage mark yesterday. It's kind of bittersweet. It means my car is slowly wearing and aging, but it also means I'm enjoying the hell out if it! :)

Catch Up

Oops.  It's been a week since I wrote something here.  :)

Since I didn't drive the MINI early last week (rain), combined with extra work activity and also learning the gender of our pending baby, needless to say I've been a bit preoccupied.

In any event, I did go ahead and fill-up on the mid-grade (89), ethanol-free gas last week.  Did I mention that already?

Also, my friend (BMW enthusiast and driving instructor at VIR) told me "there's no substitute for octane".  He says I have nothing to worry about regarding the negative effects of ethanol on my engine/parts.  The impacts due to ethanol are negligible as compared to giving the engine the octane level it's tuned for (93).

It's too late now, so I'll just fill up on premium next time.  For now, there is no perceived performance delta in running the mid-grade, pure gas.  And with my mileage app, I can see if there is any MPG difference (although, I've tested out the acceleration from stop a bit extra this tankful :) ).

PS - I also got to wash it again this weekend.  Nearly good as new!  I even got most of the streaks off the windows.  I didn't get to vacuum the interior, so there are a few leaf/grass bits and some dirt particles, but nothing I need to be OCD about.  I'll get those next time.

The Search for No Ethanol

Sorry, but I have to post this here so I don't lose the info:

1. Triangle Mini Mart, 10420 Chapel Hill Rd, Morrisville, NC; ethanol-free MARATHON 90
   Pump #11, mid-grade only.
2. Dolphins, 5016 Commons Hill Drive, Cary, NC; ethanol-free BP 89
   Pumps #11 and #12, silver-handled pumps, mid-grade only.

Excuses, Excuses

I'm having MINI withdrawal!

With Hurricane Sandy just off the coast of the Carolinas, it's been overcast all weekend.  Even as early as Friday morning it was overcast and misty.  However, the past few hours it's been dry but overcast.

I keep looking for excuses to drive the MINI.  About an hour ago, the excuse was lunch.  I drove about 4-5 miles to Taco Bell for some grub.  The food was meh...but the driving was awesome!  :)

I'm also bummed because I haven't been able to wash it yet.  And the windows, fingerprints, and general dirt are all driving me nuts!  Soon.  Soon...

"Frankenstorm" is Coming!

Although it will only mean a weekend of rain for us.

Drat.

I've been good about not driving it in the rain.  Even today, which was supposed to be partly cloudy (which includes partly sunny) but wasn't, I didn't drive it.  It was misty this morning when I awoke, so I just took the Jeep into work.

My plan was to wash the MINI again this weekend, as parking it under trees and general driving have left dust and some tree "droppings" (sap-looking, but not nearly as thick and also not sticky) on it that are driving me crazy!  Plus, I haven't yet perfected the streak-free window cleaning yet.  :(

All of the cleaning clothes I used last week have been laundered.  Just straight soap, double rinse, no fabric softener, air dried.  So they're all ready to go!

Now I only need about an hour or so of rain-free weather to knock this out and back in the garage it goes!  :)

Devil in the Detail

I'm just dumping some detailing notes here for later.  :)

Poorboy's World

Mini Cooper

Minis are made by BMW, which means they are painted by BMW This means that the paint is quite hard, so dont worry too much about using SSR 2.5. I have detailed a Cooper & used SSR 2 & it took me 7-10 passes with a soft compounding pad to totally remove the swirls !. The car was also red, so i gave it a coat of Black hole with a soft finishing pad & 2 coats of Natty's red. The end result was really good.  (reference)

General Cleaning Routine

• Claying - once or twice a year should be enough, but if you live in an area with lots of fall out or other contaminants, you may need to clay more often.
• Polishing -As needed, really. Much depends on the quality of your wash jobs and how much contact the car has when parked. (Scrapes from shopping carts/people opening doors into yours etc.) It also depends on how "demanding" you are about the over all appearance of the finish. Some people need to polish out everything, some don't mind leaving some marring, as it's a fact of life. If you don't use a strong/aggressive polish, you could polish before each wax. For example, if you were to use SSR1 you could polish monthly, or even more often, and not have much to worry about. SSR3, well, that's another story. I tend to use a light polish before each waxing, as I usually have some marring to clean up. I wax about monthly (except during the winter) and have no concerns polishing my 12 year old paint monthly.
• Waxing/sealing -You don't have to do both. You can choose one or the other. Sealants tend to last longer, though. If you are going to do both, apply the sealant first, then the wax. (Generally accepted rule for better bonding.) How often is again dependent upon the conditions affecting your car as well as the quality of the products. You may be able to wax/seal twice a year. You may need monthly applications. (Or even more, with some products! ) If you use a QD or booster wax, the intervals between waxings should be increased. I tend to QD after each wash, so as to get rid of water trails etc. (reference)

Misc.

• The Polish w/ Carnauba will give a deeper look.
• The Polish w/ Sealant will give a slicker and brighter look.

(reference)

• Detailing 101 tip: You can put carnauba wax on top of a sealant, but you should not put sealant on top of a carnauba wax. (Regarding Natty's Blue Paste Wax, you can apply that on top of a polish and just stop there or you can add it after your sealant. Just be sure to wait until your sealant is fully cured before putting wax on top of it. Klasse Sealant Glaze had a very long cure time when I used it. I wouldn't add a wax until about a week after applying Sealant Glaze)

(reference)

• I plan to buy a Porter Cable (PC) 7424.
• The Super Swirl Remover (SSR) series is just awesome. 2 might do the trick, but you'll probably want 2.5 in the long term anyway, so if you can invest the extra money I'd recommend it. Pro Polish (PP) is one of my favorite Poorboys products and is a great final polishing step. For a topcoat I'd probably try EX-P first. It's an awesome sealant, and will allow that metallic to really pop. EX (w/ carnuba) would be a great alternative, or you could also stick with EX-P and top it with Natty's wax for more wetness. Hard to go wrong either way
• I agree. EX-P and top it with the natty wax. But if you're short on time like me, I'm pretty happy with the ssr2 and the ex-p, and a little s&w and s&gloss every weekend.
• I would go with the 2.5 and then PP follow up with EX-P and some Nattys & SG for that X-Tra POP (spit shining). The 2.5 is my goto product as it cuts and polishes in 1 product. You can layer the EX-P and the Nattys. I usually wait at least 24hrs. 1st. coat (layering of wax and or sealant).

(reference)

• Order will be
1. Polish w/ Carnauba blue
2. EX ...two coats and then wait 24 hours before applying Natty's
3. Natty's Blue
• What do you suggest for maintenance? Spray & Gloss/Gloss Enhancer and Quick Detailer (S+G) for after wash maintenance, Natty's every month or so (depending on climate, always garaged, etc.) and re-do the full deal when you notice some marring or that the clarity seems to have lessened. But I hear tell that some people apply a new coat of Natty's after each wash so you may want to consider that option too.

(reference)

• Here are the products and their uses I would have ...
• EXTERIOR:
• Super Slick & Suds ..car shampoo ..very slick and gentle
• Polish w/ Sealant ...nice light cleaning and give the finish a super shine and gloss
• Natty's Blue ..will give a deeper , wetter look
• Spray & Wipe and Spray & Gloss.. for dust and light maintenance between washes
• Bold N Bright ..for tires
• Wheel Sealant ..for Wheels ...couple of coats will make them easy to maintain
• INTERIOR:
• Leather Stuff ...use it to maintain the new look and smell of the seats, it can also be used on the dash and vinyl arm rests
• Engine Compartment: use the Bold N Bright
• Shaker: Spray & Gloss

(reference)

Dirty Gas

Ethanol.  It's everywhere, apparently.

I chose this one gas station moderately close to my house specifically because it sold Ethanol-free gas.  The first time I filled up there, I swear I did not see any signs mentioning Ethanol.   Of course, the very next time I go to fill up, there's a sign at the pump: "May contain up to 10% Ethanol".

Well s#!t.  Back to square one.  So here I am, doing internet searches for Ethanol-free stations.

I found two iOS apps, but they both reference the same two stations nearby (probably the same database) and the closest is, of course, the one I've been to.

I wonder if some pumps at that station are ethanol-free while others aren't?  Or perhaps that station is no longer ethanol-free?  I may have to make a few phone calls in the morning.

Bras and Tints

Clear bra?
I'm inclined to have one installed just to prolong the life of the front end (from chips, scratches, etc. resulting from rocks and other road debris); however, I'm concerned about how to care for it.  I want the car finish to look as uniform as possible now and also 5/8/10/12 years from now.

Window tint?
I'm leaning toward a ceramic tint.  But when I had the windows tinted in my old pickup, it was very hard to see out of the back window at night.  I'm concerns that with the MINI's already limited back-window visibility, adding a dark tint will only make nighttime visibility next to impossible.  Of course, only tinting the side windows is another option.  I should decide quick, though, because there is a Groupon available now for the installer I'd consider going to.  :)

Streaking

I washed the MINI on Saturday (yesterday), and overall it went pretty well.  I was in no rush and took my time.  I washed the wheels, washed the car, dried the car--all according to that article I referenced in an earlier post.  The biggest issue?  WINDOWS!

Just like all of the other products I bought, I purchased the Sonax glass cleaner to do the job, and noticed a waxy film on the windows I had cleaned.  Granted, I used new, unwashed microfiber (MF) cloths to do the job, so there may have been some remnant chemicals on the cloth from the manufacturing process.  But I assumed this was not the case and had also bought this Invisible Glass cleaner from Lowe's Home Improvement.

Invisible Glass seemed to do much better; although even it wasn't completely streak-free.  I got as much of the streaks as possible addressed before I declared my efforts complete.

Shortly afterwards, I got back on the computer and found this article on How Do I Get Streak-free Windows? and this very detailed article on Car Window Cleaning.  Basically what I was doing wrong was attempting to wash all of my windows, inside and out, with a single MF cloth.  No wonder!

Next time I'll attempt it with something like 4 cloths.  :)

One little touch I added:  I used my wet/dry vac to both vacuum out the interior carpets and seats as well as to suck out all the water from the honeycomb grills in the front and rear of the car:

PS - I also finally got a peek at my engine for the first time.  (I was opening everything up to wipe out all the water from the crevices.)  Sexy, huh?

Inconsideration and the Weather

I was driving down the road the other day (as I'm apt to do), and the SUV in front of me proceeds to mist/clean his windshield.  We were both driving about 45 mph and although I was about 4 or 5 car lengths back, the mist from his spray got all over my windshield!

How annoying!

I sometimes wonder how much people are aware of the impacts they have on others.  I bet very little, if any.  I like to think I'm aware (and considerate) of others while on the road, but it's always possible that I don't know what I don't know.  :)

In any event, it did rain the next day (which was another annoyance) and thus my windshield was rinsed of the dried overspray.  (The day called for 10% chance of precipitation all day until about 5pm, then it rose to 30%.  At about 3:30, it proceeded to pour while I sat in a dentist chair.  By the time I was done, the rain had also stopped, but I had to drive home among all the water from the road being kicked up by the tires of the other cars on the road.  A third annoyance!)

Deep breaths.

I planned to wash the car this weekend anyway.  Even a garaged car collects dust, dirt, fingerprints, road grunge...  :)

Got a Package

The "stuff" I ordered to wash the MINI came in today.

I suppose I should start with my sources.  Here is my limited "car care" list of links thus far:

1. Poorboy's World
2. autopia
3. Detailed Image

Sites 1 & 2 were referred to by a friend who meticulously cares for his Honda S2000 and Acura Integra.  While I've only scratched the surface of those two, a web search of "professional car detailing product reviews" landed me on site 3--specifically this page on how to properly wash and dry a car.  In fact, I bought everything on the "You'll need" list, which is the package I just got today.

I did have to go buy the 5-gallon buckets from Lowes Home Improvement, though.  I also bought a couple of storage bins with tops to store 1) the cleaning fluids, 2) the clean cloths, 3) the dirty cloths (until I launder them).

Ta daa...

I hope to give it its first wash this weekend--time (and weather) permitting.

Wish me luck!

PS - I think the Esoteric Wheel Care Kit referenced at the end of this article may be my next purchase.  :)

It Rained Again Today

Today was the second rain event we've had since I bought the MINI. And, for the second time since I bought it, I didn't drive it today.

The first time it rained, I just opted to leave it in the driveway. I drove my Jeep Wrangler to work instead. The MINI remained in the driveway, exposed to the rain, but not exposed to the dirtiest part of rainy weather.  Typically, rain in and of itself is pretty clean (acid rain and salty rain near the coast nonwithstanding). It's the road grime and dirty spray cast off from the tires of other cars that I'm trying to avoid.

Don't get me wrong. The MINI is already a bit dirty from dust, a small drop of bird poop, random tiny insects, fingerprints and some granules of dirt brought in by shoes. Most of these can be addressed by some targeted cleaning. If I were to drive it in the rain, however, I'd have to give it a full wash--and that's what I'm trying to avoid.  I'm not adverse to washing it. Quite the contrary, I WANT to wash it, but I want to do it right!

You see, the paint is the closest to perfect as it will ever be. I only have one chance to treat it right, from square one, and I want to make the most of this chance. First, I need to limit the contact I (or anything/anyone) makes with the paint. Second, I ordered some cleaning supplies that will hopefully help me wash it most optimally. (I'll leave what I bought and why for another post.)

In the interim, I managed to move around/clean out just enough of the garage to park the MINI in it. It's not ideal and a bit cramped, it works.

And that's where it sits for this most recent rain event. So technically, it's only been exposed to the rain once. Hopefully that will be the only time. :)

Here are some pics of the garaged MINI:

Future Blog Post Ideas

Remind me to share some thoughts on:

1. Car cleaning products/sites
2. Joining the local car club
3. Decision on an extended warranty (if any)
4. Satellite radio
5. Parking the car in the garage :)

First Fueling

I just filled it up just moments ago at an Ethanol-free station I found just a few miles from my home.

13.042 gallons at $4.179/gal for a total of $54.50.  It must've been really low, as MINI Connected now shows about 13.2 gallons in the tank!

Come to think of it, Mission Control (an app within MINI Connected) did warn me twice about low fuel levels on the way to the gas station.  (To be more accurate, the first warning was in my driveway just after I started it up.)

I also broke down and bought a $3 smartphone app to keep track of maintenance details on the road.  At home, I use a different app (but that's for another post).

It looks like my average fuel consumption over the coarse of the first tank is 21.47 MPG.  I'm not sure if that's typical or not.  It is what it is.  :)

Hunger Pangs

It's almost time for a re-fueling:

Of course, something else I learned on the day I picked up my MINI was that it requires premium gasoline.  High grade is recommended, mid-grade is acceptable, but low grade is not recommended.

This is my first car requiring premium fuel, so I hope I don't forget!  I'm kind of expecting that the pump nozzles will be different enough that I cannot accidentally mix grades...but that may be wishful thinking.  :)

To add to this, I've peripherally noticed that some stations are advertising "10% Ethanol".  I'd like to avoid Ethanol, if at all possible, but I haven't been paying enough attention to know which ones do and which don't.  I hope I don't run out of gas jumping from station to station looking for the optimal mix.

Accessorized!

While at the dealership today getting my stripes installed, I had a chance to talk to the Parts Guy about the Smartphone Adapter for the center armrest. While the USB/audio cable combination that came with the car works just fine, I hated having to sacrifice a cup holder to hold my phone while it was connected.  Even further, the way the phone sat in the cup holder housing was just awkward.

So I splurged and got the armrest adapter, and I love it!  It's a very clean look, gives the phone a proper resting location and frees up my cup holder for more important things!  (Not that I plan to consume food in the MINI any time soon. :) )

If I remember in the morning, I'll get a picture of it.

De-Keyed

I no longer have a key chain.  With my old pickup requiring an actual key to both unlock the door and to start the ignition, I just carried around a keychain.  I also leveraged that ring to carry around keychain-sized loyalty cards.  In fact, here's what that keychain looks like:

And now my "keychain" looks like this:

The problem is that it is so light, slim and un-bulky that I sometimes forget that it's in my pocket when I tossed my jeans into the laundry pile.  Luckily, I've figured that out the next morning long before any laundry was done.  I'm sure it's inevitable, however, that one day my MINI key will be cleaner than the day I received it.

All Dressed Up...

I'm about to head out to the dealership to get the stripes installed.  Black with white pin-line detailing?  Black without the pin-lines?  Glossy black?  Flat black?

Decisions, decisions.  :)

---

I'm back.  And I had two additional decisions to make:

1. Bonnet stripes (kind of a 'V' shape) or racing stripes (parallel and closer together at the center of the car).
2. They also offered a silver pin-lining option.

And here's my decision:

I decided on flat black with silver pin-lining (didn't know that was an option) to tie in the black/silver wheels.  Here's how they look from farther away:

And here's how they look with the wheels:

The silver pin-lining is a little subtle, but it works.  And I was torn between getting the pin-lining on both sides of each stripe, but the Stripes Guy (who's seen several) thought this was the way to go.  He also said that both the glossy and matte hold up well over time, but there's a bit of an edge toward the matte, as glossy tends to show scuffs and marks easier.  (He's also been installing matte about 80% of the time.)



Close-up of the wheels:

It's Not Over Yet!

The sales manager attempted to sell me an extended maintenance plan, an extended warranty, plus other upgrade options like "clear bra", "dent protection", "tire and wheel protection" and a couple of others.  I declined initially, under the notion that I'd like to research the options first.

So I researched.  And I learned that MINIs repairs are expensive!  And, of course, just about every search regarding extended warranties for MINI Coopers come with loads of horror stories, etc about how people had wished they'd gotten the extended warranty.  In some cases, people bought it and didn't get their money's worth from it.

I'm inclined to get the extended warranty, if only as insurance against a $6,000 transmission replacement, for example.  In fact, CarChex quoted me an extended warranty at about 2/3 the price of the one offered by the dealership.  I'm still waiting to sync up with Warranty Direct.

As for the extended maintenance plan, I'm concerned that the dealer will use these visits as an opportunity to up-sell any borderline (or even unnecessary) maintenance work.

New Car = New Habits

The vehicle my new 2013 MINI replaces was a 2001 Ford Ranger Edge pickup truck.  (I gave it to my Dad after spending a boatload on repairs, but that's a different blog.)  Everything on that pickup was manual (except the transmission): the door locks were manual, the windows were manual, there was no alarm, no power seat adjustments... not even powered side mirrors!

I was taking a picture of a bunny, but you can see it in the background here:

But I digress.

So my MINI is loaded.  In fact, the only option I didn't get was the Cold Weather package (who needs heated side mirrors?!).  Of course, this means there was much reading to do.  Most of the widgets are pretty straightforward and self-explanatory; however, there are a few items that still have me stumped:

1. When I leave the car, the only way to lock it is either by using the buttons on the key fob, or by pressing the lock/unlock on the outside door handle.  You cannot press the lock button on the inside of the car while the key fob is inside the car, so as to prevent you from locking your "key" inside the car (which is much appreciated!).  However, it'd be nice if the car could detect that the car is off, the doors are shut and you've walked away with the key fob and automatically lock the doors!  There apparently is a setting in the BCU to configure this, but I cannot seem to locate that option at all (car running, not running, key in tray, key not in tray, etc.)
2. Mission Control through MINI Connected did nothing.  I had the MINI Connected app running (other components were working), Mission Control was enabled, and none of the options were muted.  Somehow, I stumbled on the fact that the radio volume knob could be used to raise the volume of that app to an audible level.  Who knew?  The other sounds from the car (radio, navigation, bluetooth music, beeps, etc) were all already audible so why wouldn't this be that way, too, by default?  In any event, it looks like this may be fixed; although, the personalities aren't as chatty as some of the reviews made them out to be.  I guess I'll need to drive a bit crazier.  :)
3. With MINIMALISM Analyzer, you would think the point of the "game" was to keep the fish from splashing out of the fish bowl.  Nope.  The better you drive, the more stars you get.  The more stars you get, apparently the higher the fish jumps out of the bowl in celebration!  Kinda dumb.
4. Not having a set maintenance schedule seems a bit odd.  But apparently I just need to listen to the car, as it's loaded with sensors and there are elaborate algorithms that factor in time, my driving habits and the state of the car components/additives to determine when/what the next services should be.  This is only going to make me dumber and lazier.  :)
5. I have to pull the door handle twice to exit the car: first to unlock, second to open.  Seems like a setting could easily fix this.
6. Driving lights.  This is an option I can enable, but I haven't seen them in action or even know where they are in the light assembly.  I tried a myriad of light settings (auto, on, parking, etc) but still cannot tell.  I'm thinking that the overcast sky conditions may have impacted this (perhaps turning all lights on while in auto mode rather than just the driving lights).  I'm sure I'll try again once some of the novelty of the other widgets wears off.  :)

That's all for now.  I'm sure I'll have more shortly.

The First Abnormality

OK so I just picked up the car from the dealership after signing the paperwork, getting the extended maintenance/warranty sales pitch and sitting through an orientation session.  I now have 30 minutes to drive about 15 highway-miles to work to get to a meeting by 11:30am.  The speed limit on the highway is 65 mph, so I set my cruise to 70.

The top is down.  The weather is perfect.  Traffic is fairly light.  Life is good.

I finally get to my exit, and at the end of the exit ramp is a traffic light that is red.  I come to a stop to wait for the light to turn green.  Upon stopping, I notice a cloud of blue smoke billow out from the back of the car.  Yikes!

I pull over at a nearby bank and call the MINI dealership.  I tell my sales person (Jess) this recent experience and ask if this is normal break-in behavior or something I should be concerned about.  She puts me on hold to check with someone else.  When she returns, she tells me that this is not unusual for a break-in of the turbocharger in a new car.  She further said that if the smoke came from the engine compartment, then we should be concerned.  Whew!

Luckily, I haven't seen the smoke since.  :)

Taking the Plunge

I don't know why, but I decided around May of this year (2012) that it was time to upgrade from my 2001 Ford Ranger to a new car.

I'll spare you all the details, but I finally narrowed it down to a MINI Convertible S in July and placed my order with the dealer.  Here's the rendered image of what I ordered:

It looked as if the turnaround time was going to be nearly 3 months!  Well, it was...

I finally received my shiny new MINI on October 5 at 11am.  (I've recently learned that "MINI" in all capital letters refers to the new, revived MINI line.  Without caps, it refers to the classic Mini cars.)  In any event, the car only had 5 miles on it and it smelled wonderfully of that "new car" smell.  To top it off, the temperature was in the high 70s that day so I immediately put the top down.  :)

Here's a picture I took shortly after I got it home:

It looks kinda orangy compared to the rendered image, but trust me, it's not.  (The time of day and our yellow house I'm sure had a lot to do with the difference.)  However, notice the stripes are missing on the hood.  I had them on my original order, and I'm pretty sure I had them on the order I placed with the dealer, but when I review it before it was placed, there was another glaring omission that I had them fix.  Of course, the only way to fix it was to re-enter the order again from scratch.  I believe it was this second dealer order that inadvertently dropped the bonnet stripes.  Luckily the stripes are a free option on the Sport package, which I did purchase.  I go to the dealer this Wednesday to have them put on (apparently they are a dealer-installed item anyway).

In any event, I LOVE IT!  I'm constantly making excuses to run errands in it.  I even joke about purposefully forgetting an item or two from the store just to "have" to run back out to get it.  :)