R50/53 10 Ball’s Maiden Voyage [long read]
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2nd Gear
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From: Albuquerque, NM
10 Ball’s Maiden Voyage [long read]
My apologies for the long posting that almost a mini novel - I hope you other new owners can appreciate the enthusiasm that the Mini produces.
10 Ball’s Maiden Voyage.......
10 Ball’s Maiden Voyage.......
Last edited by Ryephile; Nov 6, 2004 at 02:04 PM. Reason: "easier on the eyes"/double post
Thread Starter
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2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 144
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From: Albuquerque, NM
Ooop... Sorry for all the text formatting that came thru - next time I'll 'Preview Post.' Here's a version pasted from Notepad that's easier on the eyes... -B
[My apologies for the long posting that almost a mini novel - I hope you other new owners can appreciate the enthusiasm that the Mini produces. -B]
10 Ball’s Maiden Voyage
Too bad Jackie Cooper Mini** [Oklahoma City, OK] doesn’t allow the customer to drive literally drive off the showroom floor. My sales advisor, Laura Rush**, got the honors of avoiding a collision with the double-wide glass doors and guiding 10 Ball* thru a very sharp left turn outdoors. I guess the journey home would have to start with 13 miles on the odometer and from the dealer parking lot. The 550 mile drive to Albuquerque would allow ample time to savor the new car experience.
The first 30-minutes off the dealer lot really challenged my deodorant. The weather was a balmy 83-deg, according to the OBC, but a 20-30 mph wind was blowing debris all over the road. Dodging flying bags, trash, and carpet remnants just added to the stress of keeping tires off of wood and metal pieces on the road. There’s always that nano-second where you haven’t decided to straddle or go around. Since the Mini doesn’t have much ground clearance, it’s nice to opt for the latter. However, a few times traffic forced the straddle and subsequently spiked my blood pressure. But what I want to know, where do all the orphaned shoes come from? Seems like it’s always singular and not the pair. Do they just levitate and fly out the window onto the road? Are they compelled to seek out the missing socks of the world? Having successfully run the gauntlet out of town, I opted to get off the interstate and onto a road more appropriate for break-in.
Driving west on OK-152 was a scenic, fall-foliage, contrast to I-40. The rolling hills gave opportunity to run back and forth thru 4th, 5th, and 6th. A few times I forgot about 6th gear. And then a few upshifts from 5th turned into downshifts to 4th. A pull straight back, not towards the body at all, cured my 6th miss-shifts. Having opted for the Chrono Pack, it was nice to have both oil temp and pressure gauges. Although it’s hard to determine an actual numerical value from the gauges, the relative numbers and changes are useful. Anytime I climbed a grade the oil temp would rise about 5-10 degrees and the oil pressure would drop a needle’s width or two. The gauges were also sensitive enough to reflect when I cycled the AC on and off. Staying to my self-appointed 4K max RPM, I really enjoyed the hint of things to come as the engine pulled past 3500 RPM. Speaking of gauges…
It’s cool that the original Mini had the center-mounted speedo to cover up the painting pole hole, I visualize a mini shish-kabob, but I really doubt the new Mini is painted/assembled this way. My head/neck/eyes wanted a center mounted speedo-tach. Too bad the tops of both gauges are partially blocked by the steering wheel – even with the wheel raised all the way up.
A few hours into my drive I start to notice things that either surprise or irritate. Not to put all the other Mini owners out there on the defense, there are quite a few things that could have been done differently or better. However, as with any new automobile/product, time heals and most idiosyncrasies are either accepted or ignored.
My list of Idios…
Sun screen – a design problem right off the bat. It should be a sun shade, instead of a screen, at least for those of us that live where there are 300-something days of sunshine a year. I see a potential product demand here – replacement sun screens that better blocks the sun or offers some type of stained-glass translucent graphic. This reminds me of the back windows of some cars that don’t fully function and only roll down half-way. If I want sun/sky, I either open the sun screen or sun roof. Instead of three degrees of sun and sky, I’d rather have two and be able to totally block the sun.
Gauges – other than my speedo-tach eclipse issue, the LED odometer/OBC information is too dim in direct light or when the sun is hitting the gauges directly.
Vents – why is the on/off **** rotation ***-backwards? It should be CW to close and CCW to open. Perhaps the right-hand drivers are the opposite…
Sun visors – Unlike some, I like the driver’s side visor. However, it could be a few inches longer and better tucked into the headliner when not used. After hours of driving with the sun in my eyes at 10-1 o’clock, I tired of the challenge to move my head and keep the main/side visors between the sun and my eyes. The main visors leave quite large gaps in coverage on the sides and at the rear-view mirror.
Enough whining for now. On balance - the car is otherwise brilliant. After a few hundred miles down the road, the engine feels like it is starting to loosen up. Same with the gearbox. And that obnoxious [exhaust/drivetrain?] resonance, at about 2200 RPM, has gotten less obvious. Less obvious or acceptance? I pull into Amarillo to visit a friend and mountain bike Palo Duro Canyon. FYI - Check out Palo Duro for hiking, biking, gawking, if you are in the area – it is a lot more impressive that I had imagined. The next morning I check the fluids, tire pressure, and hit the car wash. Seems that a gazillion grass hoppers also like Mini’s. At least they don’t leave much of a splat. Perhaps a segment of that TV show, Mini Fear Factor, would require a meal of everything that sticks to the grill/radiator…
I finished off the drive home by trying to drive as much of old Route-66 as time would allow. I also took a mini 2-lane diversion from Tucumcari to Conchas Lake. I’ve driven that road segment many times and usually try to share the road with any tarantulas that try to stay warm during the fall afternoons. Since I was driving a Mini, instead of my behemoth windsurfing van, the curves were easily taken at 20 mph over the van’s cornering speed. Seems my vision was taxed more than usual. My apologies to any tarantula next-of-kin.
Uneventfully pulled into Albuquerque with something like 100 miles over what MapQuest had suggested the trip to be. I speculate that trips in a Mini often wind up being longer than originally planned. I pull into the driveway and it’s time for: out-with-the-old and in-with-the-new – Honda CR-V gets kicked out of the garage and 10 Ball gets the primo parking spot.
10 Ball*:
2005 MCS – HyperBlue [in and out], white roof/mirrors, Gray/Black cloth [anthracite headliner N/A at order time]
Cold weather pack [seat heaters are awesome]
Cruise and MF steering wheel
Sunroof
Xenons & front fogs
Chrono pack & OBC [FYI, OBC comes with Chrono Pack]
Stock 16” wheels [my strongly opinionated choice]
With hindsight:
I might have opted for the LSD [not an option for my build date], instead of the Xenons. W/o having sampled stock headlights, I don’t know if the X’s are $500 better than stock lighting. I’m a pretty hard corps ‘form-follows-function’ kinda guy, but I saw the chrome interior on a cabrio at the dealership and it looked awesome.
**Dealership/Salesperson: My experience with Jackie Cooper Mini was great. OK, OK, I know you all want some balance here… The only thing dirty I can say, at the most AR nit-pick level, the salesperson, Laura Rush, failed to load my presets into the radio. All’s forgiven [wink], Laura. And by chance if any of you decide to buy thru Laura and JCM, I’ll split the finders-fee with you. BTW, I paid retail. BTW-II, my order was placed the first week of Sept and car arrived at the dealership the third week of October - quite the contrast to the 4-10 month delivery that other dealers quoted me.
*10 Ball – the blue and white color scheme reminded me of a number-ten striped pool ball. BTW, I’m neither a pool shark nor volleyball fanatic.
Barry Ritchey
barryxwind@msn.com
[My apologies for the long posting that almost a mini novel - I hope you other new owners can appreciate the enthusiasm that the Mini produces. -B]
10 Ball’s Maiden Voyage
Too bad Jackie Cooper Mini** [Oklahoma City, OK] doesn’t allow the customer to drive literally drive off the showroom floor. My sales advisor, Laura Rush**, got the honors of avoiding a collision with the double-wide glass doors and guiding 10 Ball* thru a very sharp left turn outdoors. I guess the journey home would have to start with 13 miles on the odometer and from the dealer parking lot. The 550 mile drive to Albuquerque would allow ample time to savor the new car experience.
The first 30-minutes off the dealer lot really challenged my deodorant. The weather was a balmy 83-deg, according to the OBC, but a 20-30 mph wind was blowing debris all over the road. Dodging flying bags, trash, and carpet remnants just added to the stress of keeping tires off of wood and metal pieces on the road. There’s always that nano-second where you haven’t decided to straddle or go around. Since the Mini doesn’t have much ground clearance, it’s nice to opt for the latter. However, a few times traffic forced the straddle and subsequently spiked my blood pressure. But what I want to know, where do all the orphaned shoes come from? Seems like it’s always singular and not the pair. Do they just levitate and fly out the window onto the road? Are they compelled to seek out the missing socks of the world? Having successfully run the gauntlet out of town, I opted to get off the interstate and onto a road more appropriate for break-in.
Driving west on OK-152 was a scenic, fall-foliage, contrast to I-40. The rolling hills gave opportunity to run back and forth thru 4th, 5th, and 6th. A few times I forgot about 6th gear. And then a few upshifts from 5th turned into downshifts to 4th. A pull straight back, not towards the body at all, cured my 6th miss-shifts. Having opted for the Chrono Pack, it was nice to have both oil temp and pressure gauges. Although it’s hard to determine an actual numerical value from the gauges, the relative numbers and changes are useful. Anytime I climbed a grade the oil temp would rise about 5-10 degrees and the oil pressure would drop a needle’s width or two. The gauges were also sensitive enough to reflect when I cycled the AC on and off. Staying to my self-appointed 4K max RPM, I really enjoyed the hint of things to come as the engine pulled past 3500 RPM. Speaking of gauges…
It’s cool that the original Mini had the center-mounted speedo to cover up the painting pole hole, I visualize a mini shish-kabob, but I really doubt the new Mini is painted/assembled this way. My head/neck/eyes wanted a center mounted speedo-tach. Too bad the tops of both gauges are partially blocked by the steering wheel – even with the wheel raised all the way up.
A few hours into my drive I start to notice things that either surprise or irritate. Not to put all the other Mini owners out there on the defense, there are quite a few things that could have been done differently or better. However, as with any new automobile/product, time heals and most idiosyncrasies are either accepted or ignored.
My list of Idios…
Sun screen – a design problem right off the bat. It should be a sun shade, instead of a screen, at least for those of us that live where there are 300-something days of sunshine a year. I see a potential product demand here – replacement sun screens that better blocks the sun or offers some type of stained-glass translucent graphic. This reminds me of the back windows of some cars that don’t fully function and only roll down half-way. If I want sun/sky, I either open the sun screen or sun roof. Instead of three degrees of sun and sky, I’d rather have two and be able to totally block the sun.
Gauges – other than my speedo-tach eclipse issue, the LED odometer/OBC information is too dim in direct light or when the sun is hitting the gauges directly.
Vents – why is the on/off **** rotation ***-backwards? It should be CW to close and CCW to open. Perhaps the right-hand drivers are the opposite…
Sun visors – Unlike some, I like the driver’s side visor. However, it could be a few inches longer and better tucked into the headliner when not used. After hours of driving with the sun in my eyes at 10-1 o’clock, I tired of the challenge to move my head and keep the main/side visors between the sun and my eyes. The main visors leave quite large gaps in coverage on the sides and at the rear-view mirror.
Enough whining for now. On balance - the car is otherwise brilliant. After a few hundred miles down the road, the engine feels like it is starting to loosen up. Same with the gearbox. And that obnoxious [exhaust/drivetrain?] resonance, at about 2200 RPM, has gotten less obvious. Less obvious or acceptance? I pull into Amarillo to visit a friend and mountain bike Palo Duro Canyon. FYI - Check out Palo Duro for hiking, biking, gawking, if you are in the area – it is a lot more impressive that I had imagined. The next morning I check the fluids, tire pressure, and hit the car wash. Seems that a gazillion grass hoppers also like Mini’s. At least they don’t leave much of a splat. Perhaps a segment of that TV show, Mini Fear Factor, would require a meal of everything that sticks to the grill/radiator…
I finished off the drive home by trying to drive as much of old Route-66 as time would allow. I also took a mini 2-lane diversion from Tucumcari to Conchas Lake. I’ve driven that road segment many times and usually try to share the road with any tarantulas that try to stay warm during the fall afternoons. Since I was driving a Mini, instead of my behemoth windsurfing van, the curves were easily taken at 20 mph over the van’s cornering speed. Seems my vision was taxed more than usual. My apologies to any tarantula next-of-kin.
Uneventfully pulled into Albuquerque with something like 100 miles over what MapQuest had suggested the trip to be. I speculate that trips in a Mini often wind up being longer than originally planned. I pull into the driveway and it’s time for: out-with-the-old and in-with-the-new – Honda CR-V gets kicked out of the garage and 10 Ball gets the primo parking spot.
10 Ball*:
2005 MCS – HyperBlue [in and out], white roof/mirrors, Gray/Black cloth [anthracite headliner N/A at order time]
Cold weather pack [seat heaters are awesome]
Cruise and MF steering wheel
Sunroof
Xenons & front fogs
Chrono pack & OBC [FYI, OBC comes with Chrono Pack]
Stock 16” wheels [my strongly opinionated choice]
With hindsight:
I might have opted for the LSD [not an option for my build date], instead of the Xenons. W/o having sampled stock headlights, I don’t know if the X’s are $500 better than stock lighting. I’m a pretty hard corps ‘form-follows-function’ kinda guy, but I saw the chrome interior on a cabrio at the dealership and it looked awesome.
**Dealership/Salesperson: My experience with Jackie Cooper Mini was great. OK, OK, I know you all want some balance here… The only thing dirty I can say, at the most AR nit-pick level, the salesperson, Laura Rush, failed to load my presets into the radio. All’s forgiven [wink], Laura. And by chance if any of you decide to buy thru Laura and JCM, I’ll split the finders-fee with you. BTW, I paid retail. BTW-II, my order was placed the first week of Sept and car arrived at the dealership the third week of October - quite the contrast to the 4-10 month delivery that other dealers quoted me.
*10 Ball – the blue and white color scheme reminded me of a number-ten striped pool ball. BTW, I’m neither a pool shark nor volleyball fanatic.
Barry Ritchey
barryxwind@msn.com
Moderator
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 941
Likes: 4
Nice report. I think the problem with the grasshoppers and stuff is they're used to /ducking\ under cars and trucks coming at them, and the MINI is so damn low, when they duck, you still hit 'em! 
Glad you like the Chrono Pack. I ordered that on mine (she's somewhere in the Atlantic right now), and I've been second guessing myself ever since. My first few cars were all British sports cars, and I like knowing what's happening with my engine before that red light comes on and says "Too late!"
I used to play a little pool. Love the name of your car. (Figured it out before I got to your explanation.)
Pics would be nice! It's going to be several more weeks before Tillie gets here, so I appreciate the chance to drive vicariously. (Used to drive Route 66 a lot too - brought back some great memories!)
Glad you like the Chrono Pack. I ordered that on mine (she's somewhere in the Atlantic right now), and I've been second guessing myself ever since. My first few cars were all British sports cars, and I like knowing what's happening with my engine before that red light comes on and says "Too late!"
I used to play a little pool. Love the name of your car. (Figured it out before I got to your explanation.)
Pics would be nice! It's going to be several more weeks before Tillie gets here, so I appreciate the chance to drive vicariously. (Used to drive Route 66 a lot too - brought back some great memories!)
Thread Starter
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2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque, NM
I can appreciate staying true to the original Mini and having the speedo in the middle, but it's also nice to get the oil temp and oil pressure gauge with the CP at a very good price. Having the steering wheel eclipse the top of the speedo-tach might not be a problem if you don't need to raise the seat very much. Ironically, I'm pretty tall [6'1"] and like a high seat to even out the pressure on my thighs. I've compromised by lowering the seat a bit to better view the gauges. Only other strange thing about the CP is the fact that the tach seems to be aimed a wee bit over my left shoulder. Don't know if this is an issue with just my vehicle or inherent in all. Now, if only there was a factory boost gauge.
-Barry
PS-If you're tracking the freight container ship on the web, it seems to update [in my case] about a day or two late once the ship hits the East Coast and then it suddenly gets back on track when docking in SC.
-Barry
PS-If you're tracking the freight container ship on the web, it seems to update [in my case] about a day or two late once the ship hits the East Coast and then it suddenly gets back on track when docking in SC.
Originally Posted by LombardStreet
...snip...
Glad you like the Chrono Pack. I ordered that on mine (she's somewhere in the Atlantic right now), and I've been second guessing myself ever since. ...snip...
Glad you like the Chrono Pack. I ordered that on mine (she's somewhere in the Atlantic right now), and I've been second guessing myself ever since. ...snip...
3rd Gear
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis, IN US
Barry,
Sounds like a great trip home with your new baby. I was toying with the idea of drilling out a 10 ball and using it for a shift ****. It would go so well with the HB/W theme. But maybe you will be the one to do it.
Enjoy your ride!
Sounds like a great trip home with your new baby. I was toying with the idea of drilling out a 10 ball and using it for a shift ****. It would go so well with the HB/W theme. But maybe you will be the one to do it.
Enjoy your ride!
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7th Gear Gal
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 36,087
Likes: 3
From: Weeblegabber West (aka WLA)
Hiya, Barry! Welcome to NAM and what a report! Thanks! In Laura's defense, remember that she couldn't really program your radio stations into 10-ball, since she's 500 miles away from your radio stations....isn't that right? 
Clover
Thread Starter
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2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque, NM
My apologies for the [total] lack of photos. I sometimes tend towards burnout with photography, since a lot of what I do at work involves light and electron micrsoccopy, video clips of experiments, Photoshop tweaks of stills, etc. Ironically I had a Nikon D70 with me the entire time, but I only took pictures at Palo Duro, mountain biking and not with the Mini, and at a Fab Four concert [long story]. I'll work at increasing the photography stoke. But at least 10 Ball inspired me to bang at the keyboard for too long...
-B
Just kidding Cmon, hook us up with some pictures
-B
Originally Posted by sambusik
Just kidding
Cmon, hook us up with some pictures
Thread Starter
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2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 144
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From: Albuquerque, NM
Since this is OT, I'll just point and click...
OK, I threw you a [photo] bone in the OT forum. Note the mesquite thorns... And I thought goatheads here in NM were bad. Guess I've suppressed the memory of stepping on mesquite thorns as a kid growing up in SA...
-B
PS - guess I can try to pull this slightly back onto a Mini topic about roof racks, I need one and I'm leaning Thule, but I'll post under a new thread.
OK, I threw you a [photo] bone in the OT forum. Note the mesquite thorns... And I thought goatheads here in NM were bad. Guess I've suppressed the memory of stepping on mesquite thorns as a kid growing up in SA...
-B
PS - guess I can try to pull this slightly back onto a Mini topic about roof racks, I need one and I'm leaning Thule, but I'll post under a new thread.
Originally Posted by sambusik
Check out the OT forums, quite a bunch of us are avid mountain bikers!!! We'd really like to check out those photos!
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,489
Likes: 0
From: Chicago, IL
It really depends on what you want to use the rack for, e.g. canoe, bikes, etc..
1. Factory Roof Rack
- Drills into roof ... People get nervous about this, but it actually end up being able to support much more weight than a Yakima or Thule rack setup that latches on to your weather stripping.
- I don't think you have much selection with bike mounts, since a Yakima Viper for example doesn't fit on the factory bars.
- Price is good, but installation often very $$ coz dealers charge labor to drill the holes.
2. Yakima or Thule
- Easier setup, no drilling involved
- Latches on to weather stripping, might end up leaving indentations in it
- More selection of bike mounts
I have the Yakima setup, but if I were to do it over again, I'd get the factory roof rack. It's an overall cleaner look.
1. Factory Roof Rack
- Drills into roof ... People get nervous about this, but it actually end up being able to support much more weight than a Yakima or Thule rack setup that latches on to your weather stripping.
- I don't think you have much selection with bike mounts, since a Yakima Viper for example doesn't fit on the factory bars.
- Price is good, but installation often very $$ coz dealers charge labor to drill the holes.
2. Yakima or Thule
- Easier setup, no drilling involved
- Latches on to weather stripping, might end up leaving indentations in it
- More selection of bike mounts
I have the Yakima setup, but if I were to do it over again, I'd get the factory roof rack. It's an overall cleaner look.
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