What does it do? Why would I want one?

Oh, and not than anybody cares, but my love for the Fatherland grows stronger every damn day.

"German car enthusiasts breathed a sigh of relief over the weekend as German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed measures to retain open speed limits on the country's autobahns. She is holding fast against criticism from the European Union suggesting Germany is lagging behind in efforts to reduce ozone-depleting emissions.

In a swipe at Germany's long-held policy of allowing some sections of its autobahn to go unrestricted, the European Union's environmental commissioner, Stavros Dimas, called on Germany over the weekend to take a leading role in the fight against global warming, saying the country isn't doing enough to reduce emissions in light of UN findings on climate change published last week.

Merkel riposted: "Germany already complies with up to 75 percent of the emission standards set by the European Union to come into effect between 2008 and 2012." In the question over whether Germany should fall into line with its neighbors and place a blanket speed limit on its autobahns, she added, "The measures we have in place on the autobahns already contribute to lowering emission levels."

Her comments appear to line up with German carmakers' claims that the open speed limit is crucial to helping them retain a high engineering standard. "If we no longer had to engineer our cars to satisfy their potential top speed, there would suddenly be a fundamental change in the way we go about our business," a high-ranking BMW insider told Inside Line.

What this means to you: If you have a need for speed, hurry to Germany before the EU forces the fatherland to call it quits on the autobahn fun. "

 

abuvzi

I quote from the MINI Madness website


When I can I intend on installing one. I really like the build and quality of the one offered by MINI Madness.

Autobahn on.

 

<crickets>

wow. Pretty quiet around here...

I'm loving my Dinan intake and Alta hose. Shoved a little open cell foam block into the cowl inlet - muffles the throttle whistle just enough that it's not bothersome - but still lets plenty of air in and whine out.

I installed my Hawk ceramic pads a couple of weeks ago. Loving them. Much cleaner than the stock pads, and seem to stop a little better.

I'm planning to do 15% pulley, adjustable rear sway, M7 under strut system, oil catch can, one-ball exhaust mod and MTH ECU tune soon. Net of all this should be about +35HP at the wheels. Then I think I'll be done... (yeah, right).

Who's coming to MOTD? I'll be there with my family. Hope to see some of you there.

 

Oh. no! Paul blogs? There goes the neighborhood!

ANyone want / need an OEM iPod adapter? I've got one here, just collecting dust. PM me and make me an offer I can't refuse.

 

I'm still waiting for a response from my request to get my money refunded for my lame OEM iPod adaptor. I'm bringing Minx in for her first service and asking them to remove and refund the sucker. Doesn't work and when it did, I didn't like it. I got a full refund on the sloppy clear bra. Being the squeaky wheel sometimes pays off!

Blimey! You are one awesome modder! I'm just starting to get inspired to consider the Konis, pulley and CAI. Does anyone know if there are any pulley parties planned? The subject was hot and heavy for awhile here in the bay area and then seemed to peter out...

I miss all you 3606ers. Where ya be? What you doin'? I, as of Valentine's Day, just finished moving my mom into a small condo from a huge custom home. It took nearly two weeks... sorting, purging, packing, blah, blah, blah. Set my bad shoulder back quite a bit (pretty hard not to "lift" in the middle of moving frenzy.) I used Minx for many loads to the GoodWill drop off and even picked up a new, fully packaged, 36 bottle wine cooler. I love how versatile the boot can be!

 

DaFlake might be coming across Germany to help another NAM'er with a pulley install -- I'm scrambling to look at oil catchers and pulleys, to have ready if this materializes.

He's also got the cabling necessary to tap into the ROM for the NAV, and he's done a lot of tinkering with the radio. It could shape up to a fantastic opportunity -- we get to tap into the Army garage, which has everything from lift to pneumatics.

As for me, I'm still running. Looks like I might add a half marathon to the calendar -- it's in Prague. Who wouldn't want to go for a weekend there, even if it means running 13+ miles? And the May marathon in Luxembourg looks to be a go.

As for Mini activities, there's a Mini run through the forrest -- next month, I think. And there's the Minipalooza / Mini United in The Netherlands in June. Still trying to nail down the OK for LeMans in June. Got some other events I'm trying to line up -- the WRC race here in Germany, plus some Formula 1 and my favorite, the drag races in AUG.

I guess, being a Mini guy now, I need to become a bit more like Julie McCoy and organize some Mini events for these things....

 

Went up the Lariat side of Lookout Mountain west of Denver last Monday, that was fun. Went down to Sedalia and hit some back road twisties today. Been doing a lot of hairpin turns this past week. You gotta watch out for them potholes out here on the Front Range of Colorado though. All the ice rut have melted for the most part and my undercarriage seems to be fine. The sun was shinning and the sunroof open . T'is a privildge to live in Colorado.
Trying to get the wife to buy me a topsider oil changer for my Bday next month but she may be to much of a romantic for that. Merlin has brought out a little motoring demon in her I have never seen before. I swear that she was racing an Audi today and lost him on the corners. She was grinning from ear to ear, it was way spooky to see that expression on a 55 year old womans face . If I had driven Merlin like that with her in the car she would have been all over me.

 

Well, there goes the neighborhood.

Paul, for the record, I am blaming you. "I'm gonna keep it stock" I told myself, "at least while I'm in Germany. Maybe Koni's and new springs when I get back....." If she calls, you have to say that you're making me do this. And that this won't lead to more mods.

looks like there is indeed a pulley party in the works. I ordered an Alta 15% today, and an M7 OCC.

Ordered the parts from Custom Mini Shop, of lovely Fresno, California.

Why them?

1. They're active on NAM.

2. They are willing to go to the actual post office and put parts in the actual mail, to go to my APO address. It's called supporting the troops.

(3. They even gave me a little discount -- yahoo!)

So, here we go.

 

It's all my fault.

Read my blog post from last night if you haven't already. I laughed out loud when I read your post just now.

"I'm going to keep it stock" is a recurring theme... aka the MINI Big Lie.

 

Oh, I did. It's how I knew to blame you, and how I knew that you'd be OK with that.

"I'm going to keep it stock" is up there with "I'll still respect you in the morning...."

(Nice blog, BTW)

 

Blog's not what I'd call "nice" yet - just functional - but thanks for the compliment. It will get a whole lot better over time.

Luckily once the pulley and OCC are done, there's nothing else you'll need. Ever.

 

"Ever" is a big word especially when it is put in the MINI context. "Never Ever, cross my heart" is a bit more convincing. My wife has me down to "Cross my heart hope to die", but I always cross my fingers behind my back when it comes to Merlin. Do I belong to the MINI Mod Squad? Not today anyway.
Konis? Now tell me again what the practicle benifits are?
"Honey, guess what? We can have a way smother ride if we just...............". Jeeze and to think I lost the 15% pulley at 100 MPH going down to the Grand Canyon. I may still have a CAI in my future for the extra gas economy. Maybe, probably not.
I am beginning to think "classic" twenty years down the road, when I'm dead and gone, and one of my grandchildren finds Merlin out back behind the shed.

 

Yeah - I was definitely thinking "keep it stock - it'll be a classic" when I bought it. And I still think the 2006 MCS Cabrio WILL be a classic. So I'm keeping ALL the stock parts in my attic just in case. :-)

But I started thinking life's too short to not enjoy the HELL out of this car while I'm able to. Cause nobody knows what next year will hold...

But they are GREAT cars right out of the box - no one should feel bad about driving a stock MINI!

 

mine is stock and i'm plenty happy.

but i may get the auto up.

and then i started thinking i might get the Koni FSDs for a smoother ride.

i guess that's how it starts.

 

Yep. I started with Auto-up and a stubby antenna and a brake light pulsar and a euro parcel shelf. But that's all I need.

That's how it starts.

Seek help now.

 

oh, well, if you count the stubby antenna then I had a mod from day 1! also count the aux input!

so Blimey... do you have Ian's Auto Up or the MCAW? how is it?

 

I have the MCAW (basic) and love it. Just like it should have been from the factory. Easy install, easy programming, just works.

 

Don't hate me for saying this, but really, at 130 mph, I wish the ride were a bit smoother. The autobahns are generally in very good repair, but still -- it's 130 mph!

Oh, how I suffer....

 

abuvazi

Oh the pain of it all. You are a tortured man having to drive the autobahns at 130 MPH. How can you stand it? You need to come back Stateside so you can cruize at a safe 75 MPH. You poor thing .

 

Abuzavi Dude,

SHUT UP

I'm gonna stop being nice to you soon.

I almost hit an extension ladder on the interstate tonight in the dark going 70mph - it was laying across the left two lanes of a four lane (each side) segment - and I was in the left hand lane - luckily was able to zag into the center breakdown lane and miss it - I'm SURE someone behind me (pretty heavy traffic) had to NAIL it... I bet you don't have stupid, er, undocumented workers dropping ladders off their trucks on the autobahn either, eh? Hope not - cause if my closing speed on this ladder had been nearly twice what it was, I would have eaten it and would be posting no more.

By the way, you should be a recruiter.... How could any red blooded 18 year old American male pass up the lure of living in Germany and getting to drive 130mph legally??? Dangle that carrot and you'd fill your quota, easy.

"What do you mean, there's a war on? Does that mean I don't get the German driving orders my recruiter promised me?"

 

See? Do you see this?

This is why I'm almost heistant to make any comment here....

And Paul, with that whole EU thing, "illegal" or "undocumented" doesn't really mean much -- no real border controls. Wants to go from one EU country to the next? Go right ahead. Have not has my passport stamped since I was on vacation last year -- out of the EU.

And as for recruiting, I should be a poster child of some sort. Been here (minus a 10 month and a 5 month school) since 1996, with no end in sight. Granted, I did a tour in Bosnia, one in Kosovo, and two in Kuwait / Iraq, but still -- that's a lot of bier and schnitzel. It sometimes frightens me to think of how we were when we first came to Germany, with our 4 banger 2 door Toyota pickup that would shake violently when you passed 73 mph. And the old school Mini I use to drive for a while, which was a death trap (but still hella cool).

And if you think driving here is an adventure, you should see Baghdad. Think NY or LA, only with very large machine guns and no aversion to driving on the wrong side of the road. Or the sidewalk. Or through yards. And that's just the Iraqis driving -- we try to be more civil, but we're larger and more heavily armed, so people tend to move out of the way. We just don't get to drive at 130 mph.

 

For some reason I'm getting a vision of sand-colored Cooper with a full sunroof with the panels taken out, with an M2 on top. MMMMM. Just what you need for East LA...

 

To quote Dances with Wolves, sounds like you've turned injun.

 

Oh yeah, and I paid homage to Tess Turbo in this post this morning...

It's not me... Blimey gets jealous and makes me call you names sometimes...

 

Well, I certainly understand.

Like Paris and Britney -- we're good. And like Paris and Britney, I'm pretty sure neither of us is wearing panties, either.