How about this for such a thread? If the Title is too corny it can be changed or we can continue to use the Missouri Valley ride thread.

 

Sure! You'll soon discover that no pun is too awful for CORN. Unfortunately.

Nabeshin, when do you leave us for Japan?

I'm loading up the MINI (the loaner, alas) to head off for R4TO this morning. Joining friends from CO in OK tonight, then we motor to AR tomorrow. Rainman, I'll see you, and WildThang, and moltenhalo (?) in the Ozarks!

 

Is this where we can see what's poppin? Nice title Rainman...I think it's classic!

Buncha thread derailers anyway....

I write this the morning before a few of us hook up to head down to Arkansas to enjoy the roads, scenery, and meet a few other NAM members.

Hey, Corn Heads, get on FB, we have two discussions over there, need some input plesae, your two cents, etc.

 

What's Poppin? would have been better. My trail of thought was along the lines of Off topic. Oh well...

Sheesh. I've avoided MySpace and Facebook up until recently. I only created a FB account for CORN and now you actually want me to logon and check it?!? A demanding group CORN is...

 

I'd just like to say "aw shucks"

 

Had a great time in the Ozarks last weekend with the High Plains Motoring Society. WildThang, Rainman, and I enjoyed an exclusive 3-car CORN run on Saturday. About 278 miles, countless curves, absolutely incredible roads, really challenging. I posted photos of the entire event in Smugmug.

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for the return of Vera Deux. I drove the loaner, a.k.a. Vera Fake / Faux Vera, to Arkansas, with Markel's permission. This is getting old.

 

I am so bummed I couldn't go drive those AR roads! I've omitted the swear words... I had Friday scheduled off and was going to come down Thursday night until I was told by my VP on Monday morning that I had a meeting with the owner in San Francisco on Friday. The meeting lasted until 6pm Pacific Time, so I didn't get home until Saturday afternoon. Good meeting, but sucked to miss the great roads in Arkansas. I've driven those roads enough in my 38 years of living in the Missouri ozarks to know what I missed out on!

Tancred, you STILL don't have Vera back!? Is it Markel's fault? Is there an update in your thread?

 

I was sorry to hear that you couldn't make it, moltenhalo. I'm planning on going back down in October for Merry MINIs on The Mountain, when the foliage should be spectacular. Let's get a CORN presence there as well!

I'm hoping to get Vera back this week. MINIUSA has been a great help through this entire mess; who knows where we'd be without their intervention. Everything is being done under warranty, thanks to them.

 

Arkansas is without a doubt a very nice place to do some Motoring. The roads were in excellent condition compared to what we endure due to our climate changes annually. That means no pot holes...and zero that would eat your entire front end including tires and rims. It was great! The roads deal with water quite well too, we saw rain the entire trip, but the roads were not filled where the tires ride.

They didn't build many roads straight for more than 3/4s of a mile in Arkansas either I guess...it was so fun!

For us on the eastern side of the state of Nebraska, it's around a six hour drive down to the area, very small town feel and look, great scenery, you're in forest almost everywhere you drive and many trees of all kinds, pines, oaks, maples, sycamores, hickory, etc.

A few shots I took in Arkansas at the link below:
http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...o/R4TO%202010/

 

Well, there was that freakin' unmarked 4" deep x 3' wide trench that we all hit....

 

yeah yeah, as I recall, after a stop to check equipment, we Motored on in true MINI fashion...No Problemo!

 

Vera Deux is finally home, with a new clutch and new transmission (a story unto itself), all under warranty. Hit 2400 miles (you read that right, 2400) on the way home. She feels much better than she ever did before. Unfortunately, someone made off with her Craven stubby antenna while she was in the, ahem, secure back lot waiting to be fixed, but Markel is replacing that. It's great to have my baby back!!

 

 

That's great news. Can't wait to Motor with her!

 

Quick show of hands -- who saw the weekend weather report and immediately thought about washing the MINI?

Anyone got any MINI adventures this weekend, or are we all still recovering from our various travels?

 

Washing/waxing is waaaay overdue for the MINI. And an engine cleaning...

No MINI adventures planned for this weekend, unfortunately. Mainly domestic duties....

 

Our youngest son graduates this weekend so no big fun drives for us this weekend.

Ok....I'm going down to Zotwave in Omaha tomorrow for more cleaning supplies for the MINI after we stop by the Farmers Market downtown saturday morning. That'll be my MINI cruise for the week...LOL!

 

I'm planning on cleaning tonight (If the weather permits). And tomarrow morning, I was going to hit some of the Loes Hills Scenic Byway to kill the driving itch. I wish I could have gone to the drive down in Ark. It looked like alot of fun.

 

"What's Poppin" Thats a classic

 

It's great to have Vera back! But today while running errands, every time I walked across the parking lot towards her, I looked at her and thought, "Girl, I've gotta get you lowered." So now that's on the to-do list, along with everything else. When does the mod madness stop??

 

From an old beer commercial....

You only go around once, go with Gusto!

 

Last night one of my spark plugs was blown out of the cylinder head. They were installed about 20,000 miles ago, and retorqued shortly after installation.

I had not been to redline yet yesterday, and it popped out when I barely touched the gas to start from a light. I pulled into a parking lot immediately across the intersection.

To get my car home, I had to pilot it while being towed by a friend. Without the engine running there was no powersteering (not that bad) and no brake boost assist (very hard to stop).

I hear that a competent mechanic can use a Timesert or Helicoil to fix the threads from the top. I can't afford to have the head removed, but that would allow me to get the s/c fluid changed.

Looks like I'll be riding my bike to work for a while.

 

Wow, sorry to hear that.

 

Keep us posted, nabeshin. When do you leave for Japan?

 

My car will be towed in some time tomorrow. They think they can use a Timesert on it from above, but will have to take a look. Worst case scenario is removing the head, $900 before any Timesert or Helicoil work begins.

Japan? Some stuff happened. The way things are looking, I'll have to save up a lot more money and then fly over and live for a few months while I look for a teaching job.

I'll have to stay here for another year working to earn enough to be safe. I'm upset about not being able to go just yet. But staying another year does mean more time with my car and friends, also means I'll have to buy new tires.