I can't let this weekend go by without acknowledging the end of an era. On Friday I sold my first MINI, my beloved 2003 Indi Blue Cooper, MINIfir. I haven't been able to drive her for a long time. She was laid low with a bad transmission just before her 7th birthday with just under 80,000 miles on her odometer in July of 2010. I got a new MINI at the end of that August, Rory, and I could have just let the dealer take her as a trade, not worth much in her condition, where they'd send her to auction, probably for parts. I couldn't do it though. I held out hope that I could fix her someday. I bargained with MINIUSA to get them to help me out on the parts if I had the CVT replaced. They gave me a small break, nowhere near enough. I would still have to come up with $5000, at least. I decided to put her in storage, first at a storage facility, and then my friends Annette and Jeff were kind enough to let me store her in their backyard down in Boulder City. There she sat for nearly two years. Annette tried to start her up every so often so she'd keep running. She even gave her a wash, and kept her under a car cover. She sent me pictures and updates. She was well taken care of. I visited her a couple of times when I went to see Annette. But as time went by, the chances of me being able to fix her were more and more remote.
The guys at White Roof Radio suggested I weld her shut, fill her with water and make her an aquarium. In the last few months I thought perhaps the best thing to do would be to donate her to Public Radio. They'd tow her away, sell her, probably for parts, and use the money to fund KNPR. I'd get a tax deduction. And whenever I listened to KNPR, I'd be reminded of her, that she had helped support my listening. I was pretty much decided. I was getting ready to make the phone call to have her picked up. But I was dragging my feet. I felt bad that she was taking up space in Annette's yard, when there no longer seemed to be any logical reason to hold onto her.
Then by chance, at AMVIV last weekend, which I originally wasn't going to be able to attend, Bill from Kensington, the shop that had done most of MINIfir's repairs over the years, asked me about her. I told him I still had her. I'm getting ready to donate her. Why? Do you want to buy her? I asked, only half-serious. Yeah, he said. I can give you a couple o' grand for her, make her a project car. He mused about possibly doing a conversion to electric. Sure, I said. That'd be great. She'd get another chance, one I haven't been able to give her. Not just that, but I'd know where she was, and could even check on her progress as she is restored. I'll be stopping in there to get Rory his oil changes and whatnot anyway.
So Friday I went down to Annette's; we dusted MINIfir off, and watched as she was loaded onto a tow truck once again. She was delivered to Kensington. I followed a bit later. When I got there, she was installed in the shop, hooked up to a battery charger. I went into the office where Bill was ready to write me a check. I signed the title over to him, and it was done. I lingered for a bit, talked to Bill and asked about his plans for her. I felt good about it. I went back to say good-bye to her one last time. Hopefully I'll see her again, good as new. But for now, I'll have the memories of all our good times together. So long little Min, until we meet again.
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