Month: September 2009

So I’m finding myself thinking more and more about selling the MINI and getting something else. Right now there’s nothing wrong with the car but there’s no doubt there are a couple of big bills in my not-so-far future.

1. The super charger will need replacing of course. I’m at 91k right now so could still be 18 months away
2. The top has the “regular” wear and tear for the early cabrios but the plastic trim that goes around it has started breaking off in small pieces here and there, like it has gone brittle. Makes me think a new top will be in order, or I just don’t bother with the top any more
3. I’m tired of everything costing so much for even the littlest thing. $150 for an oil change, no thank you.
4. I’m also tired of people telling me how easy it is to do myself. I know they mean well but I have neither interest or aptitude, and the impression I am left with is that I am somehow unworthy to own a MINI because of this. It’s like me telling you to design your own web applications, no those are easy.

I have no idea what I would get instead, could probably not afford to put more than $5k above the trade-in value. Whatever I got would be a poor ride in comparison, no doubt about that but with all the driving I do something more roomy, more modern might be good?

Just thoughts over dinner tonight.

Got back from a week and a half in Hawaii today, a week on the Big Island, and a few days on Maui. More of that later over at the main blog at guapacha.com or you’ll be able to view the photos on my Flickr at some point soon.

Anyway, whilst in Hawaii we had 4 rental cars….

• 2 Ford Focuses (Focuii?): not bad little cars, nice interior, a bit of acceleration to them, small, go anywhere vehicle.
• 1 Sebring Convertible: not enough bad things can be said about this car, sluggish, crappy interior and ours smelled bad at low revs, I think something was burning. Oh, and it was too humid to put the top down much anyway
• 1 PT Cruiser: I really wanted to hate this car but it was surprisingly well equipped inside, very roomy and chugged away happily at my request. All was pretty good until I got out and had to look at it.

This morning I drove my MINI for the first time in nearly 2 weeks – heaven on wheels!

You may remember that back in December I took my MINI for an inspection II and brake replacement. Since then I’ve had several phone messages from the owner asking to please call him. He’s called three times this week alone, twice on my cell and once on my work phone.

If your number isn’t one of the, maybe, 5 people who I want to call me I rarely pick up. And if I’m not interested in your message I won’t return your call, so why does he keep calling. I presume it’s because he’s looking for business but bad news for him is that I already got the front brakes done elsewhere (at about half the cost) and there’s nothing else required right now. So should I continue to ignore him, or break a rule and see what he has to say?