It begins...

[Spart]

Went hunting around online for a new rear wiper blade and found outmotoring.com, seems like a great site. Ordered the blade (cheap!) and ended up ordering a JCW license plate frame, black sidemarker housing and lens, and beltline blackout kit (not cheap!)

I'm going to get some PlastiDip and start coating some things as well...much of the chrome has to go (much to Dave's dismay. ) Good thing about PlastiDip, it peels off like vinyl.

I'm also getting some Iowa vanity plates... I think I've settled on these with "BLUMENI" as the text. Not a fan of the Fighting Bees or anything, the JCW frame will cover that bit up and some strategically placed white vinyl (courtesy of a local guy that did the graphics for our dirt track car) will hide the "ST. AMBROSE" and the Bee mascot. White lettering on a blue plate - like the old school Iowa plates!

Dave, you mentioned the dealer still had the EB hood scoop? Any chance at picking that up for me if you can get it for free? (you're likely to pull more favors there than me.)

I'll have to take some final pics of the blue meanie "as he was" before I get started with my black on blue obsession. Gotta wait until there's some real sunlight, though.

[Minidave]

Just call Samer and ask him if he'd like to trade even up for the chrome one - last I saw it (the EB one) was still in the display case, and since it won't match anything made after 2005 I'd think he might entertain the idea of a trade....

[Spart]

I will have to do that, maybe next time I come down for drill I can arrange something. What's his first name?

Ordered a GPS for it today, factory refurb Garmin nuvi 765t for $170 (bargain!) One of the few Garmins that has a built-in MP3 player and a 3.5mm stereo output. In my Celica, I just have a 4GB card filled with music in my nuvi 660 (you asked me about that Dave - I had to look it up!) which is wired to the back of the head unit. Good enough sound quality that I can't tell the difference in the same MP3 played in the head unit. Bonus - both of these units have Bluetooth and you can make phone calls using the GPS, and listen through the car speakers! Works best on the 660 if they're not turned up too high though, we'll see if they've improved this in the 765t.

Lucky the MINI has an aux input!

Next up, radar detector... I had two Escort Passport 8500 X50's and one of them broke. I'm thinking about a Beltronics GX 65. Same guts as a Passport 9500ix, minus the auto-learning of false alerts (though you can program them in on your own.) Also, a red display instead of a blue one, which matches the illumination inside the MINI better. And a lower price to match.

Best feature for MINIs: you can program it to display your current speed as it has a GPS receiver. These can be more accurate than the speedometer in the car, just slower to react to quick speed changes. I find I never know how fast I'm going thanks to the MINI's odd speedometer location, so I plan to use this as a sort of poor-man's HUD.

[toeknee]

Best feature for MINIs: you can program it to display your current speed as it has a GPS receiver. These can be more accurate than the speedometer in the car, just slower to react to quick speed changes. I find I never know how fast I'm going thanks to the MINI's odd speedometer location, so I plan to use this as a sort of poor-man's HUD.

The MINI's speedometer is also fairly inaccurate. For instance, our may say we are going 70 but we are actually going something like 67 (per the GPS). I think previous discussions have determined this is fairly standard across all of our cars and MINI says it is within their acceptable range.

[Spart]

Not to mention the huge parallax error! Gauges are supposed to be in front of you for a reason. British (or in this case, "British") cars can be odd.

I knew this going in, though. The only way to get a gauge in the proper position is to have a built-in GPS....and I don't particularly like any of the built-in GPS I've come across.

[kenshin138]

I have the on-board computer display set to MPH all the time for this very reason. I never look at the center gauge really.

[Hagar46]

Part of the fascination with MINI's is oddness!

[Spart]

I have the on-board computer display set to MPH all the time for this very reason. I never look at the center gauge really.

I don't know if that's available on 03's, if so it may affect my choice of detector!

[Spart]

Part of the fascination with MINI's is oddness!

I do fancy odd cars!

[Minidave]

You do not get a speed readout in the tach display on the '03, that's why I always had the Garmin in it too.

BTW, with those particular oversized tires, the speedo in that car was pretty much spot on, the only one I've ever driven that was, including my '09!

But then, I never speed.......

Oh, I only know him as Samer.....

[minicoopers43]

GPS Speedo is also a good way to determine your 94 S-10 goes 110mph when your speedo only goes up to 85

I have also been contemplating a garmin, i have a tom tom but it doesn't have have mp3 or bluetooth capability. I should be able to get a refurb nuvi 760 for about $50 at my work so its just a matter of time.
Anybody know a good mount? I think i remember seeing some that attach behind the tach but i don't feel like searching NAM at the moment.

[Spart]

The Garmin window mount is actually pretty awesome. So long as both the mount and the windshield are clean, that sucker isn't coming off. I see now that Escort has come out with a similar one for radar detectors, I think I'll buy it as the standard ones are crap!

They also include a flat plastic disc with adhesive on one side that you can stick to your dash, and then stick the Garmin mount to it. I may use that in the MINI as the windshield is a bit of a stretch.

[Minidave]

You know, if you're planning to change the arches back to black, you can buy new ones for only about $15-20 each, and they're only held on with clips, that way you could sell the EB ones on Fee-Pay or hold them in reserve in case the next owner wants them. Just FYI.....

Also, Garmin has a new Bluetooth dongle out that "talks" to certain models of their new Gen devices - it plugs into the OBDII port and you can set it up to desplay all sorts of info in an analog gauge display onscreen - including things like water temp, oil press, RPM, speed, man press, and/or boost etc....I've been waiting for these to come out for 6mos or so, I think they're supposed to be available this month for about $150 - cheaper than a scangauge.....but you also need the "right" Garmin...

[Counterfit_Mini]

Oh, I only know him as Samer.....

His first name is Samer....his last name is Saba http://www.baronmini.com/MeetOurDepartments

[minicoopers43]

You know, if you're planning to change the arches back to black, you can buy new ones for only about $15-20 each, and they're only held on with clips, that way you could sell the EB ones on Fee-Pay or hold them in reserve in case the next owner wants them. Just FYI.....

Also, Garmin has a new Bluetooth dongle out that "talks" to certain models of their new Gen devices - it plugs into the OBDII port and you can set it up to desplay all sorts of info in an analog gauge display onscreen - including things like water temp, oil press, RPM, speed, man press, and/or boost etc....I've been waiting for these to come out for 6mos or so, I think they're supposed to be available this month for about $150 - cheaper than a scangauge.....but you also need the "right" Garmin...

Amazon

That looks awesome. I may have to wait for a compatible nuvi rather than buying a 760. Here is a little more info on Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/Garmin-ecoRoute-V ... B00313JWSO

[Spart]

That looks way cool, but it's not compatible with the 765t.

All of the models that it's compatible with don't have an MP3 player and that's more important to me...

Maybe they'll increase the compatibility with firmware updates. nuvi's are Linux based, theres not a whole lot they can't do within hardware limits. Heck, they might be able to make my aging 660 work with it.

counterfit, thanks for the link, I sent Mr. Saba an email just now.

[Spart]

Ordered the GX 65 today from these guys. They price match, so I was able to get the detector, a hardwire SmartPlug kit, and an add-a-fuse kit for less than the listed price there, shipped for free! Great folks.

Also sent out my application today for "BLUMENI" on these plates, checked the Iowa code and you're good to go so long as the plate number shows, so the St. Ambrose and mascot stuff are getting covered up to make a faux Iowa throwback plate.

Dave, I got your old plate off the bracket. It even bent back into shape fine. Was missing a few screws, but the local hardware guy sorted me out in no time. If you need it back just let me know.

[davester]

Take a look at a KUDA mount. There are several club members of the club that have one.--
http://www.kudausa.com

[Spart]

I actually prefer having the GPS in my peripheral vision up on top of the dash, close to the windshield. Makes it easier and safer to glance at it. The suction cup mount works fine for me.

Thanks for the link though!

[kenshin138]

Let me know how the beltline blackout kit works. I would love to de-chrome my MINI at some point.

Of course that means I'd need the aero upper/lower grille, joey-modded headlights, color-matched rings, color-matched door-handles, then black out the rest. Bleh, pretty sure whoever originally ordered my MINI (I am the second owner) asked for the "as much chrome as possible package". I've already ditched the chrome grille and scoop but didn't get farther than that. P:

[Spart]

Blue Meanie also has the "as much chrome as possible" package. He's even got chrome scratch guards behind the door handles, and chrome caps for the sprayer nozzles on the hood.

[Counterfit_Mini]

You know, if you're planning to change the arches back to black, you can buy new ones for only about $15-20 each, and they're only held on with clips, that way you could sell the EB ones on Fee-Pay or hold them in reserve in case the next owner wants them. Just FYI.....

Also, Garmin has a new Bluetooth dongle out that "talks" to certain models of their new Gen devices - it plugs into the OBDII port and you can set it up to desplay all sorts of info in an analog gauge display onscreen - including things like water temp, oil press, RPM, speed, man press, and/or boost etc....I've been waiting for these to come out for 6mos or so, I think they're supposed to be available this month for about $150 - cheaper than a scangauge.....but you also need the "right" Garmin...

Amazon

That looks awesome. I may have to wait for a compatible nuvi rather than buying a 760. Here is a little more info on Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/Garmin-ecoRoute-V ... B00313JWSO

Wanntttt!!!!

[minicoopers43]

Gotta love working at CargoLargo. Came in this morning and there was a nuvi 1490t just waiting for me. now i just gotta wait for the Garmin Ecoroute HD to come out March 26

[Counterfit_Mini]

you got a Garmin for free??

[Spart]

Yeah what gives?

PS, here's what y'all have to look forward to tonight:



Excuse me while I disappear off to "THE BAR"