Rants

Crap, Now What?

My quest for new car ownership took a major blow today. The Mini Undewhelmed us. Not bad, but it was no Miata.

After 3 years of no car payments, when we do undertake them I would like them as small as possible. Ideally $300, with 325 really being the max I feel comfortable with. With a Mini that was a distinct possibility, with a new Miata it is a lot further out of reach. Then you have to take into consideration that insurance will now go up for your more expensive car, next year’s (and hereafter’s) tax bill goes up too.

There is zero percent financing on 2003 Miatas until next Monday, so for 60 months, $300 would be financing a total of $18,000. Even if the dealer was generous and gave me what KBB claims is a private party price of $4k, that only brings me to the 22 thousand mark. That is base Miata territory and if I’m buying I would want the upscale L package for the cruise and limited slip.

The other option open is there is a rebate on Miatas of $2750 until next Monday, 12/1. This is more appealing as in the price range we are in here and available interest rates now it is cheaper to take the money off up front.

The real problem with all of this is the same one that sent me Mini shopping to begin with, there is no real color Miata out there that really appeals to me. Most the ’03s left over out there are that hideous Splash Green and the equally as repulsive Special Edition color of Strato Blue (which is more violet than blue.) It is almost enough to drive a man to buy a red car. Actually there a few Garnet Red (which is actually more maroonish) cars out there and Donna kinda likes it, but I can’t abide by the tan color interior I’ve seen them with and I’m not too sure they would look good with my interior color of choice, black.

There just may not be a new car in my future. Small sporty convertibles are few and far between. The Toyota MR2 is too quirky looking and has less storage space than the average women’s purse. Boxsters and SLKs are out of my league. I guess I could start looking at 2 year old Honda S2000s, they came in sort of an attractive blue with a blue interior.

This Means War

Brother agin brother! Father agin son! Families torn asunder in South Carolina! No, I’m not talking about the Civil War, but something almost as important to folks around here, USC plays Clemson in football tomorrow for statewide bragging rights for the next year.

The first winter after we moved to South Carolina I bought a new sweatshirt. I picked it up because it was a nice shade of maroon and had the words SOUTH CAROLINA in white block letters embroidered in an arc across the front. I didn’t realize until a couple years later that it symbolized the University of South Carolina because of its colors, etc.

Friday’s since September have been wear your school colors day at work. My college is Delgado Community College in New Orleans and they don’t sell school stuff online, so I was left out of the festivities. The only time I remotely played along is when I wore my red, white and blue rugby shirt and proudly proclaimed the USA was the school I supported. But today I broke out the maroon sweatshirt to wear to work just to see what would happen. Some good natured ribbing, but not much as I think most people already knew I really didn’t care one way or another. Secretly, deep down inside I am rooting for USC. For one how can anyone root for a school who’s prominent color is orange? And secondly, you gotta love a school that actually encourages people (even the girls) to shout, “Go Cocks!”

50 Year Old Cabinets

We are in the middle of a kitchen spruce-up. Fresh paint on the cabinet doors and new shiny silver hinges and knobs to match. We have a yellow tile counter top which was standard in that era and the cabinets were painted a pale yellow to get everything to blend in. This time we have decided to embrace the fifties in some spirit by painting the bottom cabinet doors in what could only be called glossy avocado. The top ones will be painted in another 50’s inspired color, glossy mustard. Tonight we got the bottom portion finished, somewhat. Although the hinges were the same style as what was removed, when reusing the pre-existing holes a few of the doors don’t close nicely anymore. And with the extra coats of paint a few of the drawers don’t slide as well as they used to…

Cross Another One Off The List

After a week and a half ago’s lunch fiasco we will no longer be visiting the only Popeye’s in town, nor will we ever set foot inside the northside Burger King again. There are just too many choices of places to eat that we need to subject ourselves to sub-standard service or food. Tonight we have to cross another place of the Bogardus Dining Out List. What is usually a nice place to get chicken fingers, disappointed us big time. First clue was when we were standing in line to order the counter person started mutter about having the answer the phone and taking those orders. The wait for our meal was way out of proportion to the busyness of the joint. The fingers were barely warm enough to eat, the cornbread was stale and the mashed potatoes were pretty cold. I guess they must have put the plate in the freezer while waiting on the green beans. The beans were piping hot. We didn’t eat the cornbread and I did take the mashed potatoes back up and asked if it wasn’t too much trouble, could I get some hot mashed potatoes. The poured a little more gravy on them and nuked ’em. Unfortunately now they were as hot as the beans thereby making the warm chicken seem less so. So long Wife Saver, Zaxby’s here we come.

The Italian Job

Watched the 1969 version with Michael Caine tonight. For those of you who have seen a lot of 60’s movies, this thing would strike you as extremely odd. For those of us who have seen a bunch of movies (or possibly lived in) that time frame, this movie is still quite odd. I think it must be the strong British influence.

There can only be one reason for the remaking this flick – BMW. I know nothing has been said and maybe I am a bit of a conspiracy theorist, but they had to be behind it. The 2003 version is nothing more than a 111-minute commercial for the new MINI Cooper. Hey it worked I’ll be in Charleston this weekend driving one.

Parts Is Parts

Blew out a turn signal bulb yesterday. We were on our way to a Miata event at our sponsoring dealer, so when the first parts store I stopped in didn’t have what I needed I figured I could get it at their parts counter. The bulb is a pretty standard automotive bulb, an 1157NA. 1157 is the type, 12 volts, two filaments, one brighter than the other and the NA means it is amber. The parts store had plain 1157s, but because the Miatas turn signals are mounted in a clear lens I needed the yellow bulb.

When I asked the parts counter guy for two 1157NAs he didn’t move, he just looked at me like he was waiting for more information. None was needed, but he asked anyway, “What kind of car is it for?” I sighed internally and said out loud, a Mazda Miata. Off he went to the bulb draw. He rummaged around for a few minutes and came back with two bulbs. When he put them on the counter they were clear. I said, “I wanted NAs, I need them to be amber.” Back to the drawer he went. More rummaging, lots more. Finally after what seemed like 5 minutes he returns with two yellow bulbs. I checked the part number just to be sure. As I’m walking away I heard him say to himself, “I always wondered what NA meant.”

I guess basic automotive knowledge isn’t a prerequisite of working at a part department in a car dealership. To be somewhat fair, this dealership sells both Mercedes-Benz’s and Mazda’s so maybe he needed to know how much to charge me. I paid $2.87 for the pair, I wonder if a Benz owner would have had to fork over $8.59 for his?

Mini Mania II

Earlier in the week I signed up on the website for them to send me a Mini brochure. It arrived in the mail today. I am beginning to think these guys are too cute. The brochure was about the Mini, but it was also a mini brochure. It measured 3-1/2″ by 3-1/2″. When unfolded, its 10 panels measured over 3′ long.

I also have been checking out the Miata.net equivalent for the car, Mini2.com. They even have an active forum for sharing the love with other Mini nuts.

After a bit of reading in the forum it seems that the path to Mini ownership is fraught with obstacles. A lot of the same things transpired when the Miata came out in 1989. Things settled down for the Miata in a year or so, but the Mini has been for sale since February 2001 and the car is still not that readily available.