Bathtime December 29, 2006

After a multiple Saturdays of Christmas shopping and similar Sundays of golfing, Kahu was pretty dirty filthy.

As 2006 comes to an end and we welcome in 2007 I figure I’d give Kahu a nice once-over in anticipation of the upcoming weekend parties. I haven’t purchased any auto cleaning tools for a while now and thought today would be a good a time as any. A short trip and a $135 later I believe I have a great starter set:

• Auto Armor Shine! Maintenance Kit w/Paint Protection Cleaner/Re-newer (courtesy of MINI of Hawaii)
• Meguiar’s Gold Class Liquid Wax
• Turtle Wax F21 Wheel Cleaner
• Turtle Wax Wet n’ Black
• No Touch Tire Care
• ICE Synthetic Liquid Polish
• ICE Synthetic Spray Detailer
• TECnique Correction Clay Kit
• Armorall Cleaner Wipes
• Chamois
• Tire scrub brush

View the supplies list here, in Excel format
As the weather made a turn for the worse, I was forced to ditch my waxing effort and concentrate on other aspects of Kahu’s bath: Interior detailing and tire cleaning.

The Round the Island adventure last weekend caused a lot of brake dust to coat my rims. A quick shot of Turtle Wax F21 Wheel cleaner quickly took care of that … although I believe the coat of wax applied by the dealership would have proven sufficient.

Kahu’s Christmas present from Terri & Duane, it’s called an Ionic Breeze Car Ionizer Air Purifier. It supposedly filters out the impurities from the air and allows for an odor-free environment. With the few remaining days as a smoker (New Years Resolution) I will be extensively testing the integrity of this device.

Round the Island December 24, 2006

With many “co-pilot” requested pit-stops along the way, we managed to cover some 300 miles of Oahu roads in 6-hours, Kahu’s first around the island drive.

Early in our cruise Kahu found his first “twisty” experience near Hanauma Bay, and I quickly realized the negative effect of the hard run-flat tires. My dealership upgraded the standard rim and tire package to 16″ R32s with the run-flat tires. Although useful if I had purchased the Cooper S, which doesn’t come equipped with a spare tire, my Cooper with the run-flat option AND additional spare set doesn’t make sense. The run-flat tires have a harder sidewall which prevents tire collapse should the inner air-tube become compromised, but it also prevents the sidewall from flexing during high cornering loads, meaning reduced traction. None-the-less, it was still fun pushing the corners at speeds in slight-excess of the posted limit

Once we got through the traffic-heavy Waimanalo, Kahu got his first taste of an open-road-experience … well more like an appetizer. Burdened by traffic once again, we made our way into Kaneohe to our first pit-stop, Valley of the Temples graveyard for our annual Christmas visit to my grandparents.

Continuing our Motoring experience we made our way to Chinaman’s Hat via the coastal drive of Kahalu’u. Since the first day of ownership I’ve always felt like a GIANT standing next to my MINI, so we decided to perpetuate this fantasy by taking some distance-enhanced pictures next to Chinaman’s Hat.

Continuing our coastal drive we Motor On into Kahuku for our next pit-stop, the infamous Giovanni Shrip Van. Located directly across of Kahuku High School, literally on the side of the road, this is a favorite with both locals as well as a must-have for tourists. At $12 a plate, this isn’t a place Rachael Ray would be featuring on her $40 a Day Show, but it worth the drive, crowd, wait and flies. My first visit to Giovanni’s a few years ago I made the rookie mistake of offering to pickup a plate for friends and family. Not only was the order request overwhelming but my wallet felt the pinch too. Since that learning-experience I have made a self-imposed rule … if you’re not making the drive with me, you ain’t getting a plate.

With a stomach full of garlic shrimp we made our way through weekend beach traffic at Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay … choppy and blown-out … into Hale’iwa Town. With luck on our side we were anticipating a nice cold shaved-ice from another local and tourist favorite, Matsumoto’s Shave-Ice … no such luck. Parking was non-existent and the line into the store was snaking it’s way around the adjacent parking lot. Decided to pass-up the shave-ice and decided on juicy pineapples at Dole Plantation instead.

Into Wahiawa we go and another open-road experience for Kahu to stretch his legs a little.

Back in 1877 Jim Dole came to Hawaii with $1,500 in his pocket and purchased 61-acres of land in Wahiawa to begin what is now known as Dole Plantation. After a big meal, a few slices of pineapples will help your body’s digestive process. I learned this while on the Pineapple Express, a educational train ride that runs though the Plantation property.

One last stop … Kahu meet Kahu.

11;30pm – 15 hours since my Saturday began – the day is finally over.

Reverse Fog Light December 19, 2006

Rear foglights???

I’ve never heard of this feature offers on automobiles … well with the exception of off-roading vehicles … but not on street driven cars.

From what I understand, MINI being an European automobile, rear foglights are a safety necessity in Europe where the fog can be thick and visibility compromised. Therefore MINIs shipped over-seas are factory equipped with the rear foglight feature. However, in the United States there are many states which deem the implementation of rear foglight illegal, specifically California.

To make a long story short, MINI was forced to offer rear foglights as an option rather than a standard feature on U.S.-bound MINIs.

Ok so what??

Well if you are like me and didn’t see the need for the rear foglight option, you were provided a black plastic cover used to fill-in the void. Not only is this useless but also cosmetically unappealing.

Broken … December 16, 2006

… in.

After many unnecessary drives around town and “taking the long way home”, I have finally surpassed the recommended break-in period. No longer will MPG-priority driving be a requirement. No longer will 4,000 be that magic RPM number which I was previously prohibited from exceeding. After a month-and-a-half of closet-time, I will once again be wearing my steel-clad-driving-shoe.

Coincidentally I rolled over the 1,200 mile marker as I drove off the MINI of Hawaii lot with my new permanent plates.

Christmas Shopping for Kahu December 12, 2006

 

 

The worst feeling is spending an entire morning washing and waxing your car only to have an inconsiderate pidgeon do work on your shinny toy.

You could get a wet paper towel and wipe it off … but it’ll smear, and the gloss and shine of a new wax-job is ruined.

You could re-wash the infected area, but that would require a hose, soap, towels, etc. Most car owners have this stashed in their trunk for situations such as this, however MINI owners know the value of cargo-space therefore leave the car washing equipment in the garage.

You could ignore the pidgeon artwork in hopes that it will dissapear and leave your paint to the mercy of the turd.

1,000 Mile Marker December 9, 2006

Took the MINI for it’s first golf outing this weekend and in doing so finally surpassed the 1,000 mile mark. Following the instructions in the owner’s manual, I have 250 conserative miles to travel to finalize the recommended break-in period. It’s been a while since I’ve had a new car and forgot how difficult it can be to drive 1,000 miles in Hawaii.Got my 3rd brakelight replaced, under warranty, this weekend at MINI of Hawaii, and while waiting managd to start my Christmas shopping.

Kaleikini’s New Project Car December 8, 2006

 

 

They have a problem … and they need help.

It started with the red hatchback which turned into an Acura Integra I tried but can’t remember ALL of the cars/trucks/bus/vans/tractors they have gone through.

Clear Vision December 8, 2006

Found a pair of “Silver Amber Bulbs” to replace the stock orange turn signals.

When not illuminated, the silver-coated bulb appears clear through the lens. However, once activated the standard orange/amber color is emitted rather than the typical clear/blue light I was once accustomed. Although this type of bulb is probably common-place to many, it’s a new discovery to me.

Cracked Third Brakelight December 3, 2006

Earlier this week I was showing off my new stubby antenna when I noticed my Third Brakelight is cracked from end to end.

I don’t recall this crack appearing last weekend while washing Kahu. Looks like I’ll be making my first visit to MINI of Hawaii parts department. Hope this is covered under warranty or something.