Since I’ve posted last I’ve add the R113 JCW 18″ rims only with some NittoNeoGen rubber.  The most dramatic move was moving my back C Pillar to Black.  At AMVIV Todd from ToddsModds added some carbon fiber vinyl to the front headlight rings.  Also at the event I added a NM-Eng short shifter w/cover and a Craven Speed shift well cover.  Photos courtesy of db from WRR

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AMVIV8 – The Ocho

It’s that time of year again. In a few short weeks the Mini community will be gathering for the infamous AMVIV event in Las Vegas.  Last year was the first opportunity I had to attend, and I can’t see ever missing it.  I leave Tuesday the 17th and return to the Mile High City on May 22nd.  I’ll bring a few MotoringShirts along with some of LostCoffee’s MotoringBlend coffee.

If you head over before May 10th use the coupon code AMVIV.  This will get you 20% off every bag of MotoringBlend you buy.  We’ll also bring it with us to AMVIV8.  This will save you the shipping costs too.  Get your orders in now.  Remember to choose whole bean or ground when you order.

Here is some more info about AMVIV and a link to register.

A MINI Vacation in Vegas (AMVIV for short) is an annual club-run event hosted by the Sin City MINI Club for MINI and Mini Cooper enthusiasts. It’s a chance for folks to take time out of their busy schedules to head out to the desert and schmooze with fellow Miniacs.

If your dream is to rally through the streets in and around Las Vegas with a bunch of MINIs and Minis, we do that. If your goal is to drool over the latest and greatest mods and accessories for your trusty “steed”, we can help you. If your wish is simply to share a meal or some drinks and compare rally stories until the wee hours of the night, we definitely have you covered.

We’re gathering back at Palace Station the weekend before Memorial Day in 2011, and we’re hoping you’ll make the trek out to join us. To refresh your memory, or stir your fantasies, we’ve put together a little mosaic below with some snippets from past AMVIVs. If you click the photo, you’ll be taken to our AMVIV photoset on Flickr which contains hundreds of fun photos. We can’t wait to add some more next year!

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The linear edge is the result of an enthusiast of motorsports with a background in design. What better way to show your love of racing than with a piece of art depicting your favorite track?

Our standard rooms are Characterized by the clear line of “Bauhaus” architecture in the old airport building. The larger rooms in the “old shipyard” are devoted to various topics related to the automobile. Motor-racing, V8 camp, drive-in cinema, tuning, or the like. With great charm, a breez 20s and an exclusive view of the classic car trade hall of the Meilenwerk experience in the unique themed rooms impressive days. Our 120m² Zeppelin suite is the highlightof our V8 HOTEL. In a beautiful location on three  floors. There lies the Meilenwerk world to your feet.

The swap meet was cool.  The wife summed that up perfect, “Nothing we can’t live without”.

Now it was off to the car show portion.  We tripped over bugs and busses, but had to hunt down the Ghias.  We saw 5-6, and only two verts.  I think we’ll be driving her’s up next year.

Click on the picture below to see the rest of the photos.

When do we leave?  I gotta bring my car though.

Gotthard Pass, Switzerland
Traveling north from Italy into Switzerland, you’ll come to Gotthard Pass, which you can cross on either the new, straightforward road, or the old roller coaster above. My money’s on the latter.

via [MatadorTrips]

more pictures & info via [beautiful life]

I also received a phone call today around 5:00pm from M7 Tuning.  I was driving back from camp with my son and was out of cell range so a voice mail message was left.  It was from one of the owners.  She wanted to personally apologize for the issue I had with my catch can.  She said that most of the time they get it right but sometimes they don’t and would like the opportunity to make it right in the future.

It was a very nice gesture.  Apology excepted.

Hello fellow Miniacs and MINIacs!

I wanted to thank you all for your participation with our survey. Planning for AMVIV8 has begun and we are working to incorporate some of your suggestions into next year’s event.

We are still  considering proposals for the venue for next year, so we’re not quite sure yet where we’ll end up. We have however decided on the dates and there is a change to what was released at AMVIV7.

The new dates for AMVIV8 are May 19 – May 22, 2011. We’re hoping to catch some better weather that weekend

Mark your calendars – We’ll see you there!!!

Jules – SCMC President

http://www.sincityminiclub.com

Happy Motoring!

Part 2

Today just confirmed my decision yesterday to never, ever, ever send money to M7 Tuning.  In fact it will be mission too not only not send money to them, but never ever buy anything they make from anyone.

I arrived home after a few errands to see my replacement catch can waiting for me on the porch.  A signature was required and since no one was going to be home I left my nice Fed-Ex guy a note.  Telling him I was driving a girly ass convertible around and the part to fix my sweet car was in his hands.  He left it, thanks dude.

My jubilation was followed by tear, tears of anger and rage.  I opened the box and just like I said yesterday.  They just drilled some crappy holes about 1/2″ below the holes that were done in error.  I thought whatever…I’ve had it with driving this R52 around.  So I head out to the garage and attach the mount.

WAIT, WHAT?  WHAT THE F%&K DID THEY DO?  They just re-drilled two of the mounting points for the bracket.  You see, the can has four drilled holes, two sets of two, vertically.  The mount uses two of the vertical sets of holes to mount the bracket.  M7 decided to save some time and only re-drill two new sets of holes, not four.  So which set of two holes do you think the R55/56 uses?  YUP, THE TWO THEY DIDN’T DRILL OUT!  OMG

<insert long rants about doing things right the first time, don’t cut corners, always fed-ex next day when you f something up, blah, blah blah>

So I just got off the the phone with M7.  I told them I am sending everything back to them.  I should include a nice healthy deuce in the box too, but I’m more mature than that, today.

So now off to the dealer to pay $125 for a new recirculation tube, attached to a sensor and another hose I don’t need.

Oh yeah, I called Chad yesterday and ate some crow.  I’ll be ordering the BSH Catch Can online from him so he won’t feel the urge to rub it in a little more.  BTW Chad, my t-shirt size is XXL, just wrap it around one of those nice pint glasses, A?

next update

<link to Jim’s YouTube Channel>

Fast forward to last week, 3 months after I originally ordered.  They sent me an invoice and soon after a tracking number.

Fed-ex Ground does a f’in great job at delivering it.  They supposedly rang my door at 7:30am two days in a row.  The second day the main door was open, just the screen door was shut.  I was obviously home, but they left a tag asking for a signature. #asshat  That frustration was obviously not with M7, but continue reading

So I get my hands on this beautiful can.  I mean it’s almost a piece of art, car art.  I start installing things, cutting OEM hoses etc.  Everything looks fine, I’m ready to mount it.  I have the NM Engineering CAI.  So I was planning on using the M7 recommend install location.  On the rail between the headlamp and the coolant overflow bottle.  I start fitting it.  Everything looks fine until I reach under the can.  It’s pressing the bottom of the can’s edge down on to a coolant hose.  The well machined can has a fairly sharp edge.  I started thinking, with engine vibrations and as hard it was pressing into the coolant hose I was concerned about wearing a hole in that hose over an extended period of time.  I pulled it out.

I started looked at the mount and how it attached to the can.  Comparing it to the images in the instructions, I realized that the mounting hole were machined too high up.  Yes I used the correct holes, etc.

So since I have already cut my OEM oil recirculation home I started thinking about solutions.

• I looked for a new mounting location, NO,
• Maybe take the can apart and put the top on the bottom and bottom on the top, NO
• call M7

The last solution worked…, but continue reading

I call M7 and let them know what was going on.  At first they assumed I was a f’in idot.  They assumed I was trying to install the mount on the wrong holes, upside down, etc.  They then began to wonder if the 1″ lower mounting height would really hurt all that much.  That took some more discussion and even another photo sent to them.  I also asked them if they could rush me out a new can with the center section reversed.  Reversing the center section would not make the fit perfect, but it would raise it up enough to install it.  They responded with a nah…that would make our logo on the side of the can appear upside down.

Monday 11:30am: I send all the pictures and hanging up the phone.

Monday 3:30pm: email from M7

Hello John,
Apparently there was an error made from our manufacturer with the threaded holes on the catch cans. We will have a replacement can sent out to you tomorrow with the proper holes in place, as well as, a return label enclosed to receive the original can back. Thank you for the pics and we will take care of this for you.
Kind regards,

Tuesday 3:35pm: email from me to M7:

Cool, I then I can get car back running tomorrow.  I knew I should test fit it before cutting that hose.  Thanks for the great customer service.

Tuesday 1:58pm: email from me to M7:

Matthew, was the new can sent today or will it arrive today? Hoping the later because my car if out of commission.

Tuesday 2:28pm: email from M7

It will ship out today. We had to take it back to our machinist so he could add the proper threaded holes to the unit. You will see an email with tracking info by the end of the day today.

Best regards,

Wednesday 11:27am: email from me to M7

Thanks Matthew. I didn’t receive tracking info yesterday. Not sure if that would have come from you.

So it looks like I may get a new can today…or I may not. The lack of response so far today probably means it wasn’t shipped yesterday. F’n great! Since my bride has our second car at the airport I’ve had to borrow a car to get the kids around today, and probably tomorrow. Just my luck they’ll send it ground. #asshats

Then when it does get here, it’ll probably be riddled with the 4 wrong mounting holes and 4 newly drilled mounting hole. Great $149+shipping for catch can with 6 unused holes machined in it, wonderful.  That’ll look awesome! NO

Maybe I’ll just send everything back in their prepaid shipping label and just order this BSH Catch Can. Chad from Detroit Tuned told me at AMVIV to get this on in the first place.  However I’ve already cut my damn OEM recirculation home.  So I’d have to buy another one of those to make the BSH can work. #f mylife!

UPDATE:

Wednesday 3:35pm: email from M7

Hi John,

You should have gotten info from FedEx, but I went ahead and sent it from my end. You should have it in a few…

Kind regards,

The tracking shows it was sent last night. #thumbsup However it was sent 2day Saver, delivery by 4:40pm tomorrow! Since they knew my car was down, it was THIER issue, and the still sent it two day…No more of my money will be going to M7 Tuning. Done!

The real decision now is to even keep what they send me. I would bet money they just took another incorrect one off the shelf, drilled 4 new holes in it and are mailing me that crap. I’m really craving the BSH unit now. So called my local dealer to get a replacement recalculation hose. It must be lined with Liberace’s DNA because they want $125 for piece of hose. So if I go with the BSH it’s now gonna cost me $125 + $149. I should listened to Chad.

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