R50/R53 :: Hatch Talk (2002-2006) Cooper (R50) and Cooper S (R53) hatchback discussion.

R50/53 Well this is just plain nutty!

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Old Jun 26, 2005 | 10:33 PM
  #1  
neilgj's Avatar
neilgj
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Well this is just plain nutty!

I noticed that the sticker attached to the little flap over the plastic housing that covers my convertible roof control buttons that says something like "STOP! Think for a moment - is it really necessary to close the roof?" was coming off a bit on one corner.

So I carefully removed the whole flap, reglued the sticker corner and then applied shellac to the whole thing. Then I delicately replaced it in the housing.

I must say - that is just nutty!

Anyone else care to share any dumb, obsessive MINI-related task you squandered 10 minutes of your life away doing?:smile: (Just so I don't feel so lonely, I mean)
 
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Old Jun 26, 2005 | 10:43 PM
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does polishing my rubber floormats to perfection count?
 
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Old Jun 26, 2005 | 11:30 PM
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From: Weeblegabber West (aka WLA)
Originally Posted by minihoopercooper
does polishing my rubber floormats to perfection count?
YES!

Well, I may only clean the chrome bonnet stripes on Wanda with baby diaper cloths!!! And yet, I still have them on her bonnet!


Clover
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 01:04 AM
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No nuttier than having winter and summer wheel sets
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 07:31 AM
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Waxing summer wheels in the living room before installing them
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 07:55 AM
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When I first got my MINI, I taped off a portion of the rear license plate lighting to allow a perfect pool of light to wash over my U.S. (rather than Euro) formatted plate. Looks slightly better, imo, especially w/ a dusty boot (light just rakes over that dust and makes it more visible).

I will also admit that clean wheel wells have become something of an obsession.....but I swear I can stop anytime!!!
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 08:04 AM
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Originally Posted by jds
I will also admit that clean wheel wells have become something of an obsession.....but I swear I can stop anytime!!!
Yeah right
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 08:33 AM
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I agree the wheels have to be clean and gleaming...



Art
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 09:06 AM
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From: Dracut, MA, USA
How 'bout detailing the engine bay: Engine Detail

(...and I wash and polish my rubber mats too!)
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 09:59 AM
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From: Citrus Heights, Ca.
Guilty of above charges... plus, while motoring, at EVERY stop I clean off the bugs and bird poop.

Do you all carry car cleaning products in the boot like I do?
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 11:02 AM
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Originally Posted by Califzeph
Do you all carry car cleaning products in the boot like I do?
Yes, doesn't everyone
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 11:12 AM
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My god, I CAN'T WAIT to go this psycho!
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 11:23 AM
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How about removing the wheels to wash and wax them. And using a toothbrush to do so. Mind you it was about 32 degrees out at the time. The neighbor asked my dad if I was nuts.
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 11:36 AM
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Originally Posted by maganoo
Mind you it was about 32 degrees out at the time.
That is so funny!!!!! Yeah, I've been at the car wash when the temps were hovering. This year I took on the challenge of mastering a technique for nocturnal car washing using selected neighborhood coin-op facilities.

My friends are aghast at the fact that I even own a duster.....much less that I own two.....and I use it in public....seven or eight times a day...or more if needed....without shame!!!

I've yet to tell them how often I clean my wheels, though.
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 02:49 PM
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Car washing is an art at -40F.
The coin-op I use has hot air blowers for drying locks, latches, outside mirror housings, wipers.
You have to towel the car dry or you don't just get water spots, you get icecubes stuck to the car

You get 10 minutes of drying time, I've been known to put another dollar or 2 in the slot to shut up the kid watching the place, so I can get some QD on the car.

Thank goodness the winter steelies don't need much work
 
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Old Jun 27, 2005 | 09:07 PM
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I never take the car out when the forcast calls for rain (yes I know that is bad). Every morning I go out to the garage with my cup o' joe and spend some time admiring a spotless MINI (o.k., I admit that is really bad!!). And the worst of all is I will wash it (including engine bay) every time I take it out for a spin.

Please go easy on me......
 
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Old Jun 28, 2005 | 03:52 PM
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guess you don't get much motoring done in april huh?[QUOTE=Goatherder]I never take the car out when the forcast calls for rain (yes I know that is bad).
 
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Old Jun 28, 2005 | 04:04 PM
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I have washed my car outside in below freezing weather with hot water, wipe down the car with a damp rag in the garage after it has gotten wet in the rain, brush down the car with a california duster before driving, wax the door sills and boot interiors and edges, wash the car weekly (sometimes twice a week), keep a cloth diaper in the glove box so I can wipe off dust in the interior, wipe down and clean the engine compartment regularly. Nutty? Nah!!! Not Me!

I have had the 2004 MCS for 15 months and only have 8400 miles on it
 
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Old Jun 28, 2005 | 04:27 PM
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Q-tip to both MINI logos, and the COOPER S emblem..

When I wax, I put painters tape on the plastic so I don't get wax on them.

I also sat down and started to pick out little rocks from the grooves of my tires..
 
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Old Jun 28, 2005 | 04:39 PM
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In almost two years of MINI ownership, I've done absolutely everything mentioned above...

And none of it sounds crazy to me at all!
 
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Old Jun 28, 2005 | 04:44 PM
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Originally Posted by maganoo
How about removing the wheels to wash and wax them. And using a toothbrush to do so. Mind you it was about 32 degrees out at the time. The neighbor asked my dad if I was nuts.
I Zaino'ed my Panasports with Z2 before I mounted them for the first time- even the inboard side behind the spokes. Z6 between each coat, and after the last. The cast rear face of the spokes and the machined surfaces inboard of them sucked up a lot of Z2 on the first coat, but for the subsequent coats, much less was needed.

I would have applied 5 coats, but didn't want to exceed the coats per day limit suggested by Zaino's recommendations. I was too impatient to wait a second day to get a few more on, so 3 will have to do for now.

This was done in hope of not needing the toothbrush so often-- and to use up the Z2, so I'd have an excuse to try the new Z2 Pro. So far, it's worked, but now I'm afraid to use normal wheel cleaners, lest I strip off the Zaino before I'm ready to re-apply it. If all goes well, the P21S won't be opened until the tires get rotated, balanced, and re-detailed in another 3k miles or so.

OCD? Not here. Not a bit.
 
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Old Jun 28, 2005 | 04:45 PM
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Does taking a week off work to spend 80+ hours wet sanding, designing, drawing and taping off a giant Union Jack all over my car, then having me pops spray a double-coat red and tri-coat white for the colours, then peeling it all off and spending another good 40+ hours buffing and polishing count?

No, it is NOT a decal! (I hate it when people ask that) All paint, baby! I even overlapped the paints (on accident, really) about a millimeter or two all around which gave it a "seamed" effect like a real flag.
 
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Old Jun 28, 2005 | 04:49 PM
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Not only do I not feel alone, I feel like an underachiever!
 
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Old Jun 28, 2005 | 06:28 PM
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Originally Posted by hyobum
Q-tip to both MINI logos, and the COOPER S emblem..

When I wax, I put painters tape on the plastic so I don't get wax on them.

I also sat down and started to pick out little rocks from the grooves of my tires..
Like this

 
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Old Jun 28, 2005 | 07:37 PM
  #25  
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I am crazy about keeping the car clean,I wash it at least once a week(oftentimes more). Also, in between storms today I rinsed the dirty rain water off and rubbed the car down. I hate dirty water spots. Oh and the condensation in the morning after I just washed the car makes me want to wipe it down all over again. I am definately insane
 
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