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.

Remote control & lights November 27, 2006

The foot-long protruding antenna made it look like a remote-control toy car. Being smaller than most on the road, I didn’t need to perpetuate the MINI any further.

Replaced it with a 2.5″ stubby antenna I purchased off Ebay. Although shorter I do not notice a negative effect on radio reception.

While replacing the antenna I decided to change out the stock lights with a set of aftermarket Hyper-White high- and low-beams. Although it’s hardly noticable in the picture above, the aftermarket light is much whiter than the stock bulbs.

In keeping with the legal-theme, I decided to purchase a pair manufactured by Euro Dezigns which claims to be Department of Transportation (DOT) approved in all 50 States.

Sunglasses November 8, 2006

 

My previous car always had dark tint (5% film on 10% film at one point) so I’m accustomed to driving in the confines of darkness.

Ever been so drunk that any light hurts your eyes. Well that’s how I feel while driving a car without tint. Unconfortable and hot to say the least. So my first modification is … get this thing dark.

Birth November 3, 2006

The physical purchase came on rather quickly, however the thought has been in my head for the past 18 months.

I came in expecting to drive off the lot with the supercharged MINI Cooper S, however a quick 10 minutes later I realized that I would be better suited for a Cooper instead. Not only was the price tag a few thousand higher for the S, but I wouldn’t have gotten the packages or color that I would be proud to drive around town in.