Month: October 2003

A Clean Top Is A Happy Top

Made a bagel run this morning, because of the rain we did it with the top up. I spent the rest of the morning futzing around with the car in the garage. I cleaned the convertible top with vinyl cleaner and then sprayed it with some 303 protectant. I dismantled the center console to fix the AWD A/C Panel that had taken to sliding down on one end. Two small screws that will be out of sight once the console is reassembled should take care of that. After having driven the new car for a half a week, I decided to unclutter my car by removing some of the stickers I had plastered all over it. I puled a couple of the vent window, relocated one to the windshield. I even took the Warning! sticker off the dash. I think I might go for some coco mats as my next mod. Hard to go wrong at that price.

Purchased Today: $0
Money spent since 03/03/03: $2451.97
Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 250

Receipt Inside

My least favorite thing in the world happened to me this afternoon, after finishing pumping some gas using the debit card, no paper receipt came out. “Receipt Inside,” said the LEDs. Fuck. What made it really bad was I had bought just $2 worth of gas (enough to make it back to Rader with the loaner car.) I trudge into the store and get in line at number 3.

#1 finished quickly, but #2 was not so lucky. The woman in front of me can’t get her pump to work right using her credit card. The LEDs keep saying, “See Cashier” when she scans it. The kid behind the counter has trouble grasping this. Finally she says just run my card for me in here. The kid says, “I can’t prepay with a credit card. Use the pump.” She tells him the pump says see him. He says again I can’t prepay with a card. Finally, she gives up and storms out in disgust.

My turn. “I need a receipt.” “What pump number?” “I dunno, that one.” “OK, 4.” He starts mashing buttons and gets nothing but error beeps it seems. I say, “I got $2 worth.” More beeps. Kid say, “This says $12.25.” “That ain’t mine. Two bucks.” more buttons, more beeps. The cash draw pops open and the register reads, $5.47. He closes the drawer, more buttons more beeps. My turn to give up, I say, “Forget it.”, and walk out.

Of course I catch hell from the wife because of no receipt and then even more grief when she thinks that I’ve been charged $12.25 for two dollars worth of gas – we’ll see.

Home Again, Home Again

The old car is back in the garage this evening after sleeping around for the last 8 nights. God, it is good to be back in a real Miata again. I always just clucked when confronted with the Father of the Miata, Bob Hall’s, quote, “The NB is a better car, but the NA is a better Miata.” but now I know how right he is having spent 4 days in a second generation Miata. A good part of the “better car” is admittedly that it had 120,000 fewer miles on the clock, but it is structurally stiffer, the interior & dash construction are better thought out and the trunk, while just marginally bigger, is a lot more usable due to the relocation of the spare. Driving a new car is seductive and had this one been a laguna-like blue, I might have been tempted.

The first two or three shifts back in the old Miata I almost hurt my wrist. The new Miata had a pistol style shift lever and the normal short Miata throw, but my car has a smaller round knob and a short shift kit, so I was trying to push too far.

I also missed the audible feedback, the new Miata has a much quieter muffler. The 1st generation has a sweeter sports car rumble, not rice-boy annoying, but just enough to let you know what you are driving.

Purchased Today: $0 on new timing belt
Money spent since 03/03/03: $2451.97
Started up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 249

Too Late

Kelly called at 5:00 PM to tell me the Miata is ready. Unfortunately it was too late for me to get it and get back for when I wanted, so I told her I’ll get it tomorrow. I went out to run a lunchtime errand and stopped at an old warehouse building and took a couple pictures for posterity.

Purchased Today: $0
Money spent since 03/03/03: $2451.97
Started up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 248

I’m Filing A Protest With The Commisioner

Tonight was the big “gala” opening of the Drive By Photo Contest and with it the announcement of the winners. Boo-hoo, I didn’t even get an honorable mention. I think that whoever judged the pictures forgot that it was supposed to be a drive by, in your car or within 5 ft of it. There were only maybe 3 or 4 others beside myself where a car is visible.

OK, I’m really kidding, I could tell that neither of my photographs had a chance. The 1st place winner was actually my favorite photo and the others were not bad at all. Here is the entries page, 1st place was the pumpkins.

Andy Jones Mazda

On our afternoon walk around the parking lot I glanced back at the bright green car and noticed that the front plate (that says “Rader”) was hanging crookedly. Walked back and noticed that one screw was missing and the other was really loose, so I just took the plate off and threw it in the trunk. This gave me an even better idea for when I return the car. Instead of yesterday’s Wabbit Teeth, maybe I’ll just get a dealer plate from the competing Mazda dealer, Andy Jones, and put it in the holder on the front. 🙂

Silly Wabbit

I wonder what the sense of humor level is over at Rader Mazda? I have those stupid Wabbit Teeth in a cabinet in my garage that I put on in place of the Alley Gator teeth for about a week a while back, I’m thinking of taking off their front plate and putting the teeth in before I return the loaner.