The Resurrection and redemption of Mr Bean
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The Resurrection and redemption of Mr Bean
Hey everyone 
With apologies to Ezzellr, I thought I might repost this to my own thread rather than as a response to his. I posted it yesterday thinking I was posting my introduction to the site rather than a response to Ezzellr's own introduction.
"I am also here to learn and to share and I am new to this site and new to Mini ownership. How I got to be an owner is a bit of a long sad story. My wife and I have spent the last ten years in Dubai, we had always planned on moving back to Canada at some point but Covid accelerated our plans and we came back to the Great White North in 2022. When we got back we needed a vehicle so we signed on the dotted line for a new Chevrolet Silverado, - before we get blasted for our ecological choices we live in a rural area on an acreage, so we needed the work truck aspect. However, we have and did start looking for a mini this past fall. i was delighted when my wife mentioned she liked the idea of a mini as have always been a British sports car enthusiast and owned whatever British sports car I could get my hands over the years. I have had Triumphs mostly and my favourite British sports car without a doubt is the Triumph GT6 whichever year matters not to me. My last car was a Spitfire that I built out of a 72 body and a 67 frame and drive train but that was 25 years ago and since then British cars have become too rare and too expensive for back-yarders like me. Anyway though I have had a love affair with Triumph, I have also been a fan of the original Mini and though the BMW Mini's are called Minis and British in name only I have a soft spot for them and actually a long held hope and wish. That since BMW bought what was left of the British motor industry when they purchased the rights and tool and dies for Austin, Mini, Triumph, MGs and a few lesser known marques one day I might be able to buy a new Triumph. Yes I know its a long shot, but one's dreams ought to be big otherwise what is heaven for?
Anyway, getting back to our new mini, sadly, we got taken for a ride by the previous owner, who saw us coming from miles away and pretty much saddled me with a 2005 car with a blown head gasket, as a result I have had quite literally a crash course on the inner workings of an 05 Mini Cooper automatic R50 and also the amazing amount of information, parts and people online who have a ton of experience and information on what to do when you just purchased a 1500 pound paper weight. while it's been a month since we purchased the car, the sting of being conned so badly hasn't really dissipated yet and I can still put myself in a bad mood just by reflecting on the day I purchased the car and the image of my wife handing over the envelop with the purchase price in it. I won't say how much was in the envelope as I want to finish this post which would be difficult if I throw the computer through the window next to me. Suffice to say that the amount was enough that I couldn't just walk away and say to myself oh well lesson well spent. so after i spent a few days in anguish over my stupidity (I could insert a list of profanity laden descriptors of my questionable intelligence but there may be kids reading this, Hi Kids!) but after that week trying to decide what to do with myself and the Mini I decided that I cant afford to throw good money after bad and send my mistake to someone else and pay them to deliver me from myself so I will fix it myself. Way back in the day I used to fancy myself as a pretty decent back yard mechanic and i have a dry place to work on it and i have most tools not everything but a sizeable collection. of tools and I have the determination to save face. As it happens that for whatever reason China makes a ton of cheap replacement parts for far cheaper than parts for the American piles of crap from seventies that I used to drive and keep on the road. For example, on Amazon one can buy a set of rotors and pads for all four corners of the Mini for pretty much what it costs for one corner of my 78 chevy camper van. So as I work on my albatross and repair the Mini, I will, if anyone here is interested, try to explain what went through my soft melon head the day I purchased Mr. Bean. the red 2005 Mini Cooper with the blown head gasket."
Thanks Again
With apologies to Ezzellr, I thought I might repost this to my own thread rather than as a response to his. I posted it yesterday thinking I was posting my introduction to the site rather than a response to Ezzellr's own introduction.
"I am also here to learn and to share and I am new to this site and new to Mini ownership. How I got to be an owner is a bit of a long sad story. My wife and I have spent the last ten years in Dubai, we had always planned on moving back to Canada at some point but Covid accelerated our plans and we came back to the Great White North in 2022. When we got back we needed a vehicle so we signed on the dotted line for a new Chevrolet Silverado, - before we get blasted for our ecological choices we live in a rural area on an acreage, so we needed the work truck aspect. However, we have and did start looking for a mini this past fall. i was delighted when my wife mentioned she liked the idea of a mini as have always been a British sports car enthusiast and owned whatever British sports car I could get my hands over the years. I have had Triumphs mostly and my favourite British sports car without a doubt is the Triumph GT6 whichever year matters not to me. My last car was a Spitfire that I built out of a 72 body and a 67 frame and drive train but that was 25 years ago and since then British cars have become too rare and too expensive for back-yarders like me. Anyway though I have had a love affair with Triumph, I have also been a fan of the original Mini and though the BMW Mini's are called Minis and British in name only I have a soft spot for them and actually a long held hope and wish. That since BMW bought what was left of the British motor industry when they purchased the rights and tool and dies for Austin, Mini, Triumph, MGs and a few lesser known marques one day I might be able to buy a new Triumph. Yes I know its a long shot, but one's dreams ought to be big otherwise what is heaven for?
Anyway, getting back to our new mini, sadly, we got taken for a ride by the previous owner, who saw us coming from miles away and pretty much saddled me with a 2005 car with a blown head gasket, as a result I have had quite literally a crash course on the inner workings of an 05 Mini Cooper automatic R50 and also the amazing amount of information, parts and people online who have a ton of experience and information on what to do when you just purchased a 1500 pound paper weight. while it's been a month since we purchased the car, the sting of being conned so badly hasn't really dissipated yet and I can still put myself in a bad mood just by reflecting on the day I purchased the car and the image of my wife handing over the envelop with the purchase price in it. I won't say how much was in the envelope as I want to finish this post which would be difficult if I throw the computer through the window next to me. Suffice to say that the amount was enough that I couldn't just walk away and say to myself oh well lesson well spent. so after i spent a few days in anguish over my stupidity (I could insert a list of profanity laden descriptors of my questionable intelligence but there may be kids reading this, Hi Kids!) but after that week trying to decide what to do with myself and the Mini I decided that I cant afford to throw good money after bad and send my mistake to someone else and pay them to deliver me from myself so I will fix it myself. Way back in the day I used to fancy myself as a pretty decent back yard mechanic and i have a dry place to work on it and i have most tools not everything but a sizeable collection. of tools and I have the determination to save face. As it happens that for whatever reason China makes a ton of cheap replacement parts for far cheaper than parts for the American piles of crap from seventies that I used to drive and keep on the road. For example, on Amazon one can buy a set of rotors and pads for all four corners of the Mini for pretty much what it costs for one corner of my 78 chevy camper van. So as I work on my albatross and repair the Mini, I will, if anyone here is interested, try to explain what went through my soft melon head the day I purchased Mr. Bean. the red 2005 Mini Cooper with the blown head gasket."
Thanks Again
6th Gear
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,963
Likes: 393
From: In the here and now, for now.
My first car was a '62 Spitfire, baby blue. Hooked up with the south Florida EVSCC and learned to solo and a turn or two around Sebring. That experience sure makes driving my R52 more fun.
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