My MINI in front of Graylyn...

A closing shot for the day. My car with Grayln in the distance. Off to the right you can see a few of the Ferraris present. There were some Bentleys in the white tent and some really nice British cars off to the left. I was surprised just how many Alfa Romeos were there. Many nice cars....This was a fun day. Quite hot for late September. Thankfully Amy Helton and company from Hanover Park Winery was there and let us cool off at their tent with a nice glass of North Carolina Chardonnay. Ah life is good.
http://www.hanoverparkwines.com/

Lambo Pipes!!

There are exhaust systems and then there are LARGE exhaust systems. The back of this Lamborghni has a serious set of pipes. Of course I have another picture of the price list for this car...can you say $282,000 including a $3000.00 gas guzzler tax? But it gets 17 MPG on the highway! There were many cars on the lawn at this event but this tent was particularly cool. There were several yellow Lamborghinis, all new, and man they were nice. I heard Steve's Sport Auto is moving from Summerfield, NC to Greensboro. I actually like the rural location he is in right now but I hear the new Lamborghini dealership is going to be a two story building on Wendover Avenue. Cool.
http://www.sportauto.cc/

Our line-up on the lawn.....

There were a few cars over my shoulder as I took this shot but I liked this one the best of all the ones I took. We had quite a line of cars and I believe we had the highest turn-out of any of the marques on the lawn last Sunday. You can almost see Twister way down at the end of this line...oh yeah... if you click on the picture you can zoom in on my new club badge on my grill...

MINIs on the way to the Concours....

A long line of MINIs on the way to the Concours de Graylyn.
http://www.concoursdegraylyn.com/
I took this shot out of my sunroof while motoring doen the road. At this point we had two lanes full of MINIs going through town. We started in Winston-Salem and went out west to Yadkinville. We twisted our way back through the scenic views of East Bend and even a Vineyard. Soon we were back in Winston-Salem at Graylyn.

My Brake Light will now Pulse!

The view just before the replacement of my third brake light led array. The board is installed....man those wires are tiny!! Thanks to Go MINI Go...awesome customer service and super fast shipping. High marks from me. http://www.gominigo.com/

Ah the Music....

Just a quick shot of my Milltek exhaust tips before I fire up for another MINI adventure....
http://www.millteksport.com/

My Milltek Serial Number....

A UK exhaust for my UK made car. I should mention that I really like this exhaust. It is very close to stock for the MINI S but it talks when you put your foot down. I can feel the power difference as the dyno says a nine HP gain comes after you add this piece. I believe it.
Thanks to my neighbor Jim Smith at The Exhaust Center in Eden for the install. His work is top shelf.

Milltek Installation!

Busy Weekend. Here is my new Milltek exhaust at 8 AM last Saturday on the rack about an hour after pulling into the shop.
I want to mention that I bought the exhaust at Outmotoring from Aaron Cornaby. http://www.outmotoring.com/pages.php?pageid=4
I met him in person at MOTD this year. His price was the best on the web for this exhaust. His customer service was exactly what I expect. Prompt e-mail, prompt shipping, an e-mailed tracking number, and an arrival spot on. Thanks Aaron!! 10 out of 10 from me.

MINI Karaoke....

A recent picture of the MINI line outside Van and Jennifer's house. Inside the house was rocking with karaoke from all the drivers and riders...just another example of how MINI owners and the members of the Tar Heel MINI Club know how to have fun.
http://www.tarheelminis.org/

Marketing using a MINI.....

A friend sent this picture to me. The marketing guys at FHM magazine had fun with this paint scheme. I can't imagine driving this girl around in traffic....

New Mod Report!

OK so I have a new mod under the hood!! And it does rock! If you click on the image and drill down to the real deal you will see my JCW cold air intake (CAI) which I purchased from a really cool place http://www.minspeed.net/

You should call Pete for your MINI part needs. He is down in Florida, a really nice guy who wants to live in North Carolina, and best of all he has great prices, fast shipping, and he packs his orders like a pro. Anyone who knows me will say I am picky as #### about my toys...Pete will not disappoint. Give him a try.

As far as the modification! I travelled to Flow MINI to get this item installed. Why? To get the factory warranty! And they do great work. The guy who did it was Ryan Draughn and he does fine work.

Now my car is pretty much stealth sounding until 4,000 RPMs, then the flap opens and the supercharger screams. Love the power baybee. 'Nuff said.

One of My Favorite Houses...

On the way back down to Carolina from DC I stopped by a favorite place. http://www.monticello.org/

Thomas Jefferson's house. My saying is "That man was an alien..." He was so cool and so far ahead of his time. I love his house and the story of his lifestyle..I never tire of hanging out at this place. I am ready for the dome tour next time. Maybe one day I can be a volunteer tour guide...

It won't be long until I have another report on this stop for you. Several of us MINI owners are plotting a nice future trip in the area....

I have tons of pictures of the gardens and the area. The wine with his name is great and I now have several bottles in my cellar....yes, life is good....

Hey I Spotted Your 2007 MINI in DC....

As I am spending my last day in DC I see this new MINI parked on the mall. OK so I can't help myself...I took the picture.

And no the catering company truck parked in the background cannot have free ads on my blog...Heheh.....

My Travels to DC

Just got back from a several day trip to Washington, DC. Great town! After several times of being there I actually had time to explore on this trip!

9999 and Counting....

Hmm...time for the 10 K service and a tire rotation. This car is getting better by the day....9999 trouble-free miles and free dealer service is due. Ahhh...Steve over at Flow just took care of the oil change, cabin filter change, and windshield wiper blade changes. My second oil change at this point, my MINI is purring again and still smells like new.

MINIs Motoring Against Cancer!!!

OK here is a group of people from all over the Carolinas region coming together to have fun and start raising money for a great cause. This was an idea started from Mr Magoo in the picture here (in the hat third from the right of the red car) . All of the People in this picture helped raise over $600 on this day alone. We even got donations from visitors on Mt. Mitchell....The banner you see in the picture was created in Hickory, North Carolina. The banner will now find its way across the USA and the world to raise money for Cancer research and prevention. From MINI club to MINI club. Coast to coast....Very cool indeed. It is a good day when you can have this much fun and throw some dollars at a good cause. Great job all.....I am proud to have friends like these people.

MINIs at the Summit!!

How about this shot? Taken from atop an old container most of the MINIs on the trip are here...You can see the clouds in the distance as the Spruce trees touch them. This is one nice location. My car is way in the back but that is no big deal. It is very cool just to be a part of this journey.

A Nice Picture...

I like Natural Landmarks.....

Acid Rain..Power Plants, Soapbox Moment...

This is a sad picture. 6600 feet...At the higher elevations the trees are dead. The earthworms are gone. I am hopeful that we are starting to make a move towards solar energy and alternative fuels. We are too smart to let this happen. Maybe in 1-200 hundred years people will see a clear sky and no more pollution from fossil fuels and coal-burning power plants. We have a long way to go but little time to make a difference. I hope for the best. Time will tell....let's make a change!!! Acid rain and global warning is a real phenomenon. BMW is working in the right direction and I will keep supporting them!

The Entrance...Mt. Mitchell....

Here we are at the entrance as we climb the mountain to the peak. I can feel my ears going crazy. 6600 feet? Wow we are at the highest point east of the Mississippi. http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/momi/home.html
http://www.northcarolinaoutdoors.com/places/mountains/blacks.html