Tag: Mini Cooper
So
on my way out to MINI Takes The States 2014 I had to stop off for one thing… The Lego Mini Cooper. The kit was released July 18th to LEGO VIPs and that happened to be the day I was heading out. I waited for our local Lego Store to open and was the first person to purchase one. I built it on the road (not while I was driving). I even had a friend (motorinbadges.com) who does vinyl graphics create something for the trip I thought since it was MINI Takes the States “Minifigs Take the States” would be amusing so I filled the Mini with as many Minifigs as I could (31 without much effort) and went back on the road… I discovered that while LEGO stays together there are some ways you can pick something up and it will break. Over the trip I learned how to expertly pick up the Mini Cooper without much damage. Fortunately one of the first stops on MTTS 2014 provided us with a box lunch, a box that fit the Mini almost perfectly, so it wasn’t rolling around on the back ledge. Here is the complete album on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/penfold/sets/72157646133272314/ While I didn’t “go all the way” or “Coast to Coast” or “Chowder to Chowdah” I did end up getting some nice shots of the Classic Mini while on the road.
As we get closer to the end of 2013 I hate to leave everyone on a cliffhanger, but… It may end up that way. We’ll see how the weekend treats me. I just want to say I really appreciate the folks who continue to stick by me as life get’s in the way of this creative endeavor. I am going to really push myself in 2014 and maybe get 12 comics out! Actually, I do have some interesting (and terrifying) plans for 2014 to stretch me way outside of my comfort zone, I hope you keep following Cecil and my misadventures- that is if we can survive this!
Cecil is right, I don’t drive Tink (my classic Mini) nearly enough… I blame the hassle of getting her out of the garage, not apprehension of something going wrong. I also don’t like driving her in the rain, and this is Indiana so if you don’t like the weather just wait a few minutes. Yesterday there was snow (in October) and next week it’s supposed to be in the 60’s, who knows what would happen if I took her out for a drive- plague of locusts?
This starts the arc I was fiddling with during 24 Hour Comic Day- This was one of two strips I inked that night… so as I review the comics during the inking the process some things might change since hopefully I will be awake during the process.
One of the nice things about having to report out is that I get to relive some of the moments from this summer. Things like all the great people I met, including the fumbling with Rauno Aaltonen & Paddy Hopkirk. I finally get up the nerve… kind of by just asking if I can get Cecil’s photo with them. My concern always is not wanting to look like some crazed fanboy… but I also understand that I am intruding. Some expect it, but others don’t.
Here’s a Video of Paddy & Rauno talking about & reliving Monte Carlo.
For those who have been following my Flickr gallery you’ve seen some of the shots I have taken along this journey. Cecil, it seems is not too pleased with just being plopped on things for a photo, but such is the price for fame for a stuffed monkey. It has been amazing all the things we have seen (and have yet to see. As I type this we are preparing for our last day in Sibford Gower and our move for a couple of days to London before heading home. The amusing part is this adventure has just begun!
I do apologize to whomever’s pen I borrowed to get the autographs… Yes, I did get both autographs, but the owner of the pen I borrowed left beforehand. I do always feel a bit silly asking people for their signature (except for parents on their child’s poor work)… it just feels like I’m intruding and being a bother. I usually wait until there is a specific time or someone else a little more bold than I am goes up to ask. This leads to the issue where the people asking for an autograph now have the attention of their hero and want to talk, and talk, and talk.
After a fantastic 3 hour tour of the MINI Factory… a 3 hour tour… We saw so many really cool things (I’m not at a liberty to discuss) From assembly to paint, to how they test MINIs over bumps, and in rain, and sleet and snow and dark of night. We did get these black jackets that say MINI UNITED on the right side and have a MINI logo on the left. I think partially this was a good PR piece, but also it helped identify us, and any thing that we were wearing covered in case it was loose and could get stuck in machinery. They are definitely something you wear only at the factory or at a MINI event- I don’t see myself wearing it out in public on a daily basis. For those who were wondering about a gift shop- I had people ask. There was no gift shop, no grill badges for sale… I even asked someone in the “T-Building” who dutifully got on a cell phone and called people. Nothing. If they had anything to sell at the factory it had all been moved to MINI United. This was something I noticed my last trip to London (when Harry Potter was at its zenith in popularity) in the US we sell anything and everything. You visit a street corner and someone is selling a t-shirt that says “I stood at the corner of 12th & Main” Here, where they have opportunity to sell you things, they don’t- I was thinking about King’s Cross Station. If Harry Potter had been set in the US, the station that everyone left for Hogwarts would have a Kodak Photo Spot, gift shop, and a small cafe selling overpriced soft drinks. King’s Cross was just that, a train station- not even one note that it had been featured in an extremely popular book series. The same for the MINI factory. It’s a factory, why have a gift shop? So I think the jackets were a way to make those who wanted something that you can only get at the factory happy- they can head home and show off to their MINI friends… I know that’s what I’m going to do 😀
The factory tour of MINI Oxford was really fascinating. We visited a number of locations, but I think the tour could have been divided into four segments- Body assembly (robots and sparks), paint, and then putting it all together (interior, wheels, windscreens, engines, etc.). We also visited the place where they test everything to make sure that it meets the specs outlined. The difficult thing to understand is that this is one assembly line building three different MINIs (Cooper, Clubman, & Cabrio) all at the same time. As one of the guides said “It’s very complicated.” So as we walked along the line we saw each kind of MINI being built. I’m trying to remember all the facts and figures that they threw at us. 3/4 are left hand drive,I didn’t see that many Cooper S being built most were Coopers and only one JCW going through the final line). I was able to spot bonnet differences between the gasoline and diesel engines. All I can say is I have a new found appreciation for how my MINI was put together and the engineering behind it. The sad part was I wasn’t allowed to take any photos so besides the parking lot that’s it. I do suggest that if you have the opportunity and you are a MINI Geek- this is a place you need to visit at least once. Because of MINI United they did give us a jacket, which was nice.
So, this thread quickly comes to a conclusion because this week I leave for the real portion of this adventure. Thanks for sticking with this warm-up as I learn the ropes of putting together a comic strip. This has been a learning experience, I can’t say I have drawn so much on a regular basis in years. It is nice to work some of the old muscles and try to get my ideas out on paper. I know by the time I finish the summer, I’ll want to go back and redo every one of these strips.
As far as Tink (the classic Mini) is concerned, she’s running fine and actually went out for some track time sponsored by our local MINI Dealership which was a lot of fun. Who knows what adventures are in her future- I do know that I’d be a crazy optimist not to think that I haven’t heard the last from Lucas.
The next time you read this, I’ll be on my way to the homeland of the Mini… Guess I should think about packing.
For anyone who owns a British car the name Lucas usually means trouble. It seems that Lucas electrical components are… unique in the way they function. In our case with Tink (our classic Mini), it seems that the switch for the brake lights had broken, causing them to remain on at all times. This resulted in being pulled over by a friendly police officer. Don’t even ask about distributor and rain. Jokes about Lucas parts are all over the place. The Lucas motto: “Get home before dark.” “Why do the British drink warm beer? Lucas made their refrigerators too” Lucas is affectionately called “The Prince of Darkness.”