AMVIV Photos!

Well it only took the greater portion of a week to trudge through all my photos from AMVIV and cull them down to my best, say.... 200?









Enjoy the full-length (200+ photo) gallery here !

:b:

AMVIV IV: A Brief Recap

For those playing along... We got back from "A MINI Vacation in Vegas" on Sunday afternoon, with minimal traffic. That's what you get when you're already on the road by 8am!

I took about 400 photos this time around as well as about 2 hours of video. I hope to have everything edited and posted in the next couple days but in the meantime, here's a brief recap of AMVIV from my perspective!

For the record, this year's event was totally awesome. Last I heard there were about 450 and about 600 people. There were twice as many vendors as last year and a little something for everyone- well except for ladies' t-shirts in small. The product I noticed "flying off the shelf" the most was the M7 Strut Brace. Even with 4-5 vendors all selling them, I think they each sold out of them! Heck even *I* bought one! I didn't get it installed though due to some minor suspension issues I wasn't aware of. :(

The North American MINI Cooper Challenge race was fun to watch despite a pretty significant fender-bender in the first race. Even more fun to watch were the Bikini All Stars from MAV TV! (raaar...)

I didn't do any of the runs this year. One reason involved the installation of an ALTA 15% Pulley! (Yeah baby!). Other reasons involved me not getting up at 8am every day while on "vacation". The Boot-n-Bonnet Show was spectacular this year as well. Many of my favorite MINIs were back, along with a lot of really really nice ones I'd never seen before. I didn't win anything but I wasn't trying. It was great meeting new people and people I "know" from NAM but never met in real life. Ironically, many of the folks I know "IRL" ("in real life" that is)- I didn't get to spend much time with.

The Strip Cruise had about 260 cars involved this year. An awesome sight to behold. So much so someone felt a couple rounds from a BB gun into some cars was warranted.

This year marked the first time DB, Todd, and Gabe from WhiteRoofRadio were all in the same room. Their MCing of the banquet was well done and I hope they recorded it and just post the whole thing as an episode.

Overall, not a bad extended weekend, and worth every penny. I'll have more detailed recounts of particular events as the days and editing of photos and video progresses!

Unauthorized use of a vehicle

Police log 03/16/07

Friday, March 16, 2007 6:07 AM MST

Unauthorized use of a vehicle

A 16-year-old boy was arrested after joyriding in a friend's car Wednesday morning.

According to Flagstaff police reports, an officer was called to the area of Butler and Foxhill at about 8:23 a.m. on a call of a speeding, reckless driver. A witness said he saw a gray Mini Cooper nearly flip as it made a turn onto Amberwood, then said he was passed again by the car near Butler and Foxhill. He said the car, which was traveling at about 100 mph and smelled of burning clutch, was full of juveniles and probably heading toward Sinagua High School. The officer found the car at the Sinagua parking lot, and contacted the daughter of the registered owner, who said she had given a friend her keys right before classes started so he could retrieve a calculator he'd left in the vehicle. She said she told the friend not to drive the car and he said he wouldn't, reports stated.

When the assistant principal went to pull the boy from class, he was not there, and the officer found that the car was no longer in the lot. The officer searched the area for it and spotted it driving east on Butler, about to turn into the school lot. The officer stopped the car, identified the driver, and arrested him.

The boy was referred to juvenile authorities for unauthorized use of a vehicle and released to his father.

Lookie What I Got! Honeycomb Supercharger Scoop Insert

I know when I've been one-upped. Sometimes I don't care- especially when *I* benefit from it too! Take for example, when ImagoX (NAM) one-upped my Intake Screen with his more aesthetic Honeycomb version (gotta love it any time you can deface Dodge RAM parts)!

Read all about it on Northamericanmotoring.com!

New MINI Clubman?! Caught on tape!

As mentioned previously on BUSHFINGERMINI, I'm not personally a big fan of the upcoming MINI Clubman. I'm sure it'll do well though. Regardless, today I found this footage of the new MINI model, "caught on tape" on the streets of Geneva (shortly after the official announcement at the Geneva Auto Convention.

Pretty rougish. "Guerrilla" if you will. Unpolished. In fact a bit too unpolished for such excellent shots from all camera angles. Hmmm... Viral-esque perhaps? Is that even a word? Anyway, it ist he first video of the Clubman I've seen so far. So here's the clip! :B:

FS: Brand New H-Sport "Sport" (27mm) Front Sway Bar (and OEM Rear Sway Bar, too!)

As the title states, this is a brand spankin' new H-Sport "Sport" (27mm) Front Sway Bar for '02 and up MINI Cooper. Hardly even breathed on, this was taken out of box only to take these photos.

Two-position adjustable, w/ Bushings, Zerk Fittings, 1/2 tube of 'loob'
Retail price: $176.00
Shipped: $100 + plus shipping (O.B.O.)

"...Perfect for aggressive canyon carving and track day events while not being too aggressive for every day street driving..."

Here's the link to the Manufacturer's official description:
http://www.h-sport.com/cgi-bin/EDCstore.pl?user_action=detail&catalogno=22800F

Click here for larger photos



Also for sale,
OEM MCS Rear Sway Bar w/ bushings. (great as an MC upgrade or MCS replacement!) Less than ~5000 miles of use- practically new!

Retail: ???
Shipped: $50 plus shipping (O.B.O.) Click here for larger photos


I accept: Paypal, M.O., Checks*, well-hidden cash
*delivered upon clearance

MINI Mileage Update

Like we tend to do 'round here, it's the next edition of the MINI MILEAGE CHART!

As posted previously, I track my mileage and gas usage diligently (If only I applied this to the rest of my life!). Like most people, the polar opposites of when/why/where/how I drive has a major effect on MPG (a whole 5 minutes to work, and 200+ freeway miles on the weekends? yeah- erratic, I know).

The numbers speak for themselves. well, assuming I know how to use Excel correctly...


On paper, the the 2006 MINI Cooper S gets 25 (city) to 32 (hwy). But we all know that's not true! However, it was pretty neat getting almost 350 miles on one tank! (This particular pump-to-pump experience included a nice 100+ mile"spirited" run.)

Lookie What I Got! H-Sport Rear Sway Bar!

Well, I can't really show photos of my latest accoutrement, since it's under the car, in between the frame and subframe, in the rear, connected to end-links and control arms. And I was actually involved in the (free) install (thats right- i actually got my hands dirty!) So I wasn't able to take 100 photos of the process. :)

The H-SPort Sport (19mm) Rear Sway Bar
"Does it make a diffference?" you say? I left the driveway, turned left, and at 20mph I could already notice a difference in handling. I wouldn't necessarily say a "stiffer" ride, since it's not a more rough ride. I can say that I don't know why they call it a "sway-bar", when it's actually and anti-sway bar!

(from the website):
"Recommended for street and track use, the Sport Rear may be used in combination with the stock front bar. All three settings on the Sport Rear are very useful if you attend track days, yet the bar itself is perfectly suitable for daily street use without any harsh ride effects of a larger bar."


Good times!


H-Sport.com


Update: I just noticed that there is a great review of this exact item on MotoringFile.com! (silly me for not checking first!)

MINI Run = MINI Fun!

Went on a ~150 mile run with my MINI club this weekend. Too much fun! Kinda hard to be taking pictures at 100 MPH while driving! (need... co-pilot... hint, hint).






more photos...

Hammer & Coop Episode 2: Dawn of Silverfox

I'm totally loving this! Talk about kitsch at it's finest!

Starsky, Magnum, Hasselhof, "K.I.T.T.", (err... that one dude from Miami Vice), and a fun infomercial all rolled into one! Growing up on this stuff I can say BSSP (MINI's ad agency) have certainly done their homework on 80's action cop genre. Classic stuff! Pity it's not available in podcast format (hint hint, MINIUSA!)

Hammer & Coop Episode 2: Dawn of Silverfox

(read more about "H&C" on motoringfile.com)

Hammer & Coop: The Series?

Previously on BushfingerMINI I posted about the "trailer/viralvid/wtf?" of Hammer & Coop.

Turns out the "Coming Soon" part, was real!

Landing in my InBox this morning was a link to the first two episodes. By the time I got home they're available on YouTube. If you're a MINI fan, you've probably seen them already (twice). If you're not, well, that's what I'm here for. :b:

Episode 1: The Clean Getaway
(Read more aboutr "H&C" on motoringfile.com!)

Lookie What I Got! - Clear* Turn-Signal Bulbs

A couple days ago I took a look at my car and all of a sudden, the "fried-egg" front turn signals now bug the heck out of me!

This morning I decided today was the day I was going to do something about it. I checked NAM for insight. Lots of info, but not quite enough. I found a link to the perfect bulbs but didn't want to have to order anything. I didn't know if the "mod" was simple. The corresponding NAM thread provided some decent instructions- enough to motivate to go ahead do it. I went the to AutoZone website to see they had something in stock- but, no photo? (C'mon retailers- we want photos!)

I don't really like my local AutoZone so I went to Kragen instead. For once, Kragen didn't have what I was looking for, and AutoZone did (usually it's the other way around). So instead of ordering the $25 silver covered bulbs from bimmian.com, I got some "close-enoughs" for... $12! No shipping or waiting!
Popping them in was pretty simple. When the lights are on you can't tell the difference. When they're off- well, not exactly "clear", but much better than distracting orange "accents" . If I had known this was so simple I'd have done it months ago!

I wished there were better instructions on NAM so I wrote up my own:

The $12 bulbs I got from AutoZone: Sylvania "Silverstar" Part No. 1156A ST (edit: The actual part number is 7507AST, but those weren't in stock so I improvised)


Here's what it looks like in the box (there's only one bulb in this photo because I fitted the first one in the AutoZone parking lot).




Here's the back of the box.


Pop the hood bonnet and find the housing holder. This shot is the left signal, while leaning over the bumper looking into the hole. To remove- 1) turn it, 2) pull it! So simple for skinny-handed folks lke myself!

Here's the bulb in it's holder. Remove the OEM bulb. Also simple!

Replace it with the new bulb. Note: the pins on the side of the OEM are offset at 150-degrees. The pegs on the Sylvania are at 180. In other words, they don't match up precisely to the bulb holder- a little "dedication" and it fits right in. This shouldn't be an issue if you can secure the proper part.


Replace the bulb housing the same way you took it out- turn it til it locks into place.

Here's a before and after with the lights off:



Here's a before and after with the lights on:


*Not exactly "clear", there is almost no noticeable difference with the lights on. $12 and 10 minutes later, I'm a happy camper!

northamericanmotoring.com
bimmian.com
autozone.com
Sylvania "Silverstar" Part No. 1156A ST, 7507AST

Blog Plug "twofer": yellowminipages.com and twistybitz.com

twistybitz.com Blog and Store



No- not an avant garde public storage service with a propensity for broadband, twistybitz.com is a blog *and* a store for the MINI fan. A quirky personal blog about all things MINI, and neat little shop to pick up some cool t-shirts, clock and more! twistybitz.com


yellowminipages.com



What a great concept! I've been checking out "yellowminipages.com" (a.k.a the "MotoringUnderground.com Directory"*) for a couple days now and feel like I've barely made a dent in it's extensive listing, yet at the same time, see all these sites I've been to in one place to and think, "wow- I guess I *am* a "MINIac"!" "yellowminipages.com"

*(as you say "'Scuse me- What is "MotoringUnderground.com"?)

Do you have an independent, MINI-related blog or website
you'd like to link up with BushfingerMINI? Click Here!

Lookie What I Got! MyMINI Knee Pad

"Acquired through a game of chance..." No- I'm kidding.

Not exactly a fan of leather, I recently got this MyMINI Knee Pad at a ridiculous deal from a private party who had purchased it and never used it (boy NAM is great for that!). It was such a no-brainer "install", it was in place about 2 minutes after I fetched it from the P.O. Box.

And it's such a natural addition, I totally forgot about until now! I could not do a better review than Gabe from Motoringfile.com so I'll just link to his review. (Although the updated version looks different than the one in this photo, I like this one better!)

www.myminiparts.com

(photo courtesy of motoringfile.com)

Hammer & Coop?

Um...

(Someone please tell me this is a quirky viral video and not a real movie! Please?)
hammerandcoop.com

MINI Clubman Revealed? Eh...

With the typical misleading headline, the upcoming extended-wheelbase MINI "Clubman" is no surprise to the MINI enthusiast community. I mean, motoringfile has been discussing this in ungodly detail for over two years.

Add to that, "concept" models appearing at just about every auto show, and body-clad photos of test mules floating around for months, what's the news?

Aside from more recent, less-clad, and better quality photos now available at autoexpress.co.uk, once again I have to say, "eh?" Frankly I'm not diggin' it. Sure the third-door al a Saturn and split rear barn doors are kinda neat and allow for a lot of neat jokes. But aside from that, I'm personally not impressed. Could it be the "Volvo wagon with a Cooper front" profile, or is it simply that an extended-wheelbase MINI isn't, well, "mini"?

I'm sure MINI will sell thousands to soccer moms and Double-bass players though. What's next? an all-wheel-drive MINI? (blek!)

images borrowed from autoexpress.co.uk

Detailing Day!

After I got my Detailing Kit, everyone said I needed to pickup Richard Lin's* DVD, "How-to use the PC (Porter Cable) for Showcar Results". (I was going to anyway, but thanks everyone!)


I watched the DVD three times in the first week. Only, the sound was down because I'm a chronic multi-tasker and was doing other things at the same time. I could see what the guy was doing and even with the sound down I was learning the "routine". Yesterday I threw it back in the player and played it with the audio up about 5 times in a row. But because I'm a chronic multi-tasker, I wasn't watching it! I could hear it fine though, and again, I was learning!

Last night I finally dedicated my attention to watching *and* hearing it at the same time. Twice even! After the second viewing it was about midnight so I went to bed, totally pumped and ready to polish and wax my MINI in the morning!

Well, lets just say I made a lot of "friends" today as several of my neighbors came to see what I was doing (I guess blue painter's tape all over a MINI and a whirring sound tends to attract attention). I had complete confidence in using the PC (the exact model in the video!), as well as my Meguiar's products. (again, the same products! who knew!) After repeated viewings of the lesson, I was confident that I knew the right technique to begin this project without even a test spot! What I didn't know was that it was going to take all day! However, thanks to the video, I got PERFECT RESULTS on my first try!

Not only that, I also got three inquiries on "how much I charge". I didn't mention this was my first time ever turning on a PC *or* waxing a car! (Not sure if I'll make a side gig out of it though- my back is killing me!)

*Showcargarage.com AutoDetailingSolutions.com

Countdown to AMVIV...

Greetings Folks:

I'm now fully registered for "A MINI Vacation In Vegas" 2007, a.k.a. "AMVIV"!!



I registered for the "event" the other day but finally booked the hotel room this morning. I wasn't going to get a "Tower Room" but when the the rep said they've got plenty tower rooms still available, I said what the heck (only $20/night more), and grabbed one at the last minute.

I recall there was a lot of "activity" in the Tower Room hallway last year; I was in the Garden Rooms which were were extremely quiet (a short review for those who care).

This year AMVIV is March 22 through the 25th, and features a "Boot and Bonnet Show", up close and personal face time with your favorite MINI vendors, "reserved parking" for MINIs, the Phil Wicks Challenge and Driving School, group runs, and more! Any MINI enthusiast should strongly consider attending AMVIV, if not just for the sake of seeing there are 300 folks as excited about MINIs as you! But don't take my word for it...


Only 58 or so days to go! Yippie!! Stay tuned as I get totally hyped up about it!


:bmp:

Lookie What I Got! Meguiars' Auto Detailing Kit

I rarely "impulse buy"- in fact my motto is "When you're constantly window shopping, nothing is an impulse buy!" (mental note- copyright that!). Sure I may have been drinking a couple hours when I saw this killer deal from autodetailingsolutions.com, but decided I had to jump on it! Check it out!

Package #2 DA Polisher NXT Speed Kit:

1 Meguiar's G100 Electric Dual Action Polisher (Lifetime Warranty)*
1 Backing Plate.
2 W8006 Foam Polishing Pad
1 W9006 Foam Finishing Pad
2 Super Plush Microfiber DA Bonnets
1 Meguiar's Clay Bar (Small)
1 M8032 Speed Glaze 32 oz.
1 G12718 NXT Tech Wax 18 oz. (Comes with 1 Applicator Pad)
1 G13224 NXT Speed Detailer 24 oz.
3 16 x 16 Microfiber Towels
1 Duffel Bag

*"Dual-action for professional results in minutes. Combine the right tool with the right technique and you'll achieve a finish of unmatched quality using Meguiar's machine-applied products. The tool you can pick up right here. Made especially for by Porter Cable, this variable-speed, dual-action polisher operates with alternating back-and forth motions that mimic the sensation of hand polishing. This popular user friendly machine is excellent for safely removing stubborn fine scratches and achieving swirl free results!"

Neat huh!! Only, now... I gotta pick up OctaneGuy's DVD on how to use it! I can't wait for winter to be over!

PS: Please don't tell my girlfriend. Oh yeah- I don't have one! :)