Kansas City MINI Enthusiasts

So I'm driving up to the legends this afternoon to meet Dimini and Hagar for lunch before we head to HPT......

Tooling along in the middle lane when BAM something hits the side of my car!

I had a fleeting image of feathers and knew it was a bird, but I'd never had one hit me before! it sounded like a 5lb rock had hit my car and I was amazed that it didn't break the window as it hit right where my head was.....

I couldn't stop since I was in the middle of the highway so I drove on up to the Legends, when I got out I found 3 large dents on the side of the roof where it's head and wing had impacted, and a big sort of smear where the body had hit my window.

I took it over to Eveland Bros this afternoon, initial estimate is $1800!!!!

I'll post up some pics tomorrow, but the rain washed most of the evidence away, except for the dents and scrapes of course.....

Ouch.

That sucks...good thing it wasn't a flying pig! I ran over a metal highway reflector this winter (to avoid P/up doing 360s) that tallied $3,300 worth of damages. Eveland did the repair.

did you scare the poop out of it? My buddy hit a bird right square in the on the front center of the hood just above the grille. it slid up the hood and pooped on the roof! it was hilarious!

Bummer, man!

No poop!

In fact, I don't think I killed it, or even injured it substantially, but I'd of thought I knocked it's block off as hard as it hit the car.

Here are a couple of pics, there are three dents in the roof from it's head, shoulder and wing, and scrapes on the roof rail and the rubrail around the top too.

Now, here's a thought....I ordered the car with the top painted to match, now I'm wondering - since they're going to repaint the top entirely - if I should have it painted Silver instead?

No because then you would look too much like mine! lol

True, except yours has a sunroof and no roof rails.

I think I've decided to keep it as it is......but I'm still considering.....

Minidave wrote: Now, here's a thought....I ordered the car with the top painted to match, now I'm wondering - since they're going to repaint the top entirely - if I should have it painted Silver instead?

I think it would look good, and what better time to make a change then when something goes wrong.

What about black or even white?

No black or white, if I did anything it would be silver or Lazer blue again....

Bummer Dave. It is amazing how the smallest things can do that kind of damage. Couple inches lower and you would have had an $1,800.00 medical bill for your head. I know you already said the bird didn't crap, what about you?

I yelled out pretty loud, that's for sure!

Get teh C-pillars painted laser blue.

ohhh I like that idea C-pillar= Lazer Blue mmmmm all Lazer Blue all the time mmmmm

Back in 2004 or so, I hit a bird once whilst motoring on my way to work in Lawrence on K-10 one morning. I saw it coming and fortunately it hit the front windshield instead of any metal. I was probably going a typical 75-80 mph and I have no idea how fast the bird was going...

It left a greasy spot on my windshield but didn't crack or chip it. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw a feathery clump land on the side of the road.. which is fine since I don't like birds AT ALL. (they're evil)

My mom had a deer hit her before - just after crossing the Clinton Lake dam on the north end - stupid thing ran out and walked right into the side of her minivan (she saw it and had slowed down to about 5 mph). Both the deer and the van survived. I hit a deer on the south end of the dam once when I had my 94 Mustang. The deer did not survive and I held it together long enough to get to my parents house before the adrenaline wore off and I had a nervous breakdown

Hitting a bird = no sweat.
Hitting a deer = scariest shit ever.

I've been lucky not to hit a deer, since I drive K-10 every day and have for the last 13 years, and there are tons of them in that area right at the times I'm going thru. I've seen the evidence, both on the road and on the cars on the side of the road after hitting one, and it's not pretty - for either!

I've hit a few birds over the years, but usually they're small and it's more a matter of cleaning up the bird poop or a few feathers, but this is the first one that ever hit me, and especially hit me this hard! I swear it sounded like a 5lb rock hit the car!

I'm going by Eveland Bros tonight to see how they're coming......I don't expect to get it back till next weekend.

Are you changing the roof or pillars? Or are you keeping the same?

I'm going back exactly the way it is, it would cost quite a bit more to change the color and I decided I like having the only LB/LB Clubby in KC!

Why don't you paint the rear pillars and have it all LB?

I think it would be too much blue, that's why I did the A-panels in silver, to try and break up the blue a little bit.

Eveland says they started on it Wed and I should have it back by next weekend, earlier if they don't have to take it to Baron to reprogram the computer for the airbags being disconnected.

I have to say, the rental Toyota Corolla I've been driving - while it has many good points and is a good value for the money - just does not suit me. The seat hurts my back, all the armrests are in the wrong places, it doesn't have cruise control (it's an option - strange that this car doesn't have it given that it has the optional larger engine) and it seems wind sensitive. OTOH it's averaging about 35 mpg, has plenty of power (It must have the larger engine - the smaller one has a top speed of only 81 mph!) and is quiet and smooth riding. It also handles better than I thought it would, based on my little daily on-ramp test.

Now I understand more why Lotus chose this engine for the Elise........

Minidave wrote: I have to say, the rental Toyota Corolla I've been driving - while it has many good points and is a good value for the money - just does not suit me. The seat hurts my back, all the armrests are in the wrong places, it doesn't have cruise control (it's an option - strange that this car doesn't have it given that it has the optional larger engine) and it seems wind sensitive. OTOH it's averaging about 35 mpg, has plenty of power (It must have the larger engine - the smaller one has a top speed of only 81 mph!) and is quiet and smooth riding. It also handles better than I thought it would, based on my little daily on-ramp test.

We had a rental Corolla while we were in Florida last week and it also did not have cruise control, which seems just stupid. Of all the things to make optional, why choose cruise yet leave power windows? The interior also felt sort of space-ship like to me, it seemed too bubble shaped to me.

I don't know about Corollas but I've driven Camry's as rental/loaners and they were a little odd too. But I like my xB - its suits me just fine and the 2.6L engine feels almost as sporty as my former Cooper-S engine. But after almost two years I am STILL not over losing my GETRAG 6-speed tranny, my magnaflow exhaust or my supercharger whine. Plus the MINI just felt like a natural extension of my person - I know it sounds weird - but I've never driven a vehicle where it and I were just in sync with what to do. BUT my xB holds a LOT more crap and doesn't cost me $1000 every time it goes near the shop!

Some day I will get a new precious - right now I'm kind of in love with the Countryman (I like funny looking cars I guess) but may just go ahead and get another Cooper-S. Whichever I get will be 4-5 years from now anyway once I'm done with degree #2 and have a nice full time job so I can afford such wonderful toys

My fiance has a 2008 xB and it's pretty nice to drive but I still like my MINI better. Gets worse gas mileage than my Cooper S....

I stopped by Eveland Bros tonight to check on the Clubby and it's pretty much done, the roof is all fixed and painted, the roof rack has been replaced on the left side and the rub moulding around the top was replaced too. All that's left now is a final polish and a thorough clean up.

With any luck I'll pick it up tomorrow after work - of course, it's supposed to rain tomorrow..............