Hunting for Mini Parts in a Junkyard: An Unexpected Adventure

 I never considered myself much of a mechanic, aside from the basics-changing a flat tire or installing a sound system like I did back in the day on my 1978 Super Bettle in the Philippines (but that's another story). However, when my Mini Cooper started leaking coolant, I was suddenly faced with he choice of paying the dealership over $1k for repairs or figuring out a way to do it myself. The leak was discovered during a routine oil change when the dealer did an inspection and handed me the dreaded repair estimate. Knowing the dealerships charge a premium, I started wondering if this was something I could tackle on my own. When I mentioned it to my friend Owen, he confidently said, "Bro, you can do it. That's an easy fix, and paying that much is crazy". I agreed-so did my wallet.

The entrance to the junkyard

Determined to save as much as possible, I decided to go even further and hunt for the needed parts in a junkyard. Buying used parts from a salvage yard sounded like a great way to cut costs while also adding a bit of adventure to the process. I asked my son Adi, who's into cars, to tag along. Unfortunately, we learned that there was an age restriction for entry, and he didn't meet it. That meant I had to return the next day solo, ready to navigate the maze wrecked cars in search of Mini Cooper gold parts.

A wrecked Mini Cooper Countryman 

Upon arrival, I paid the $5 entry fee and received a list of available cars. That's when I hit my first roadblock-the most recent Mini they had was from 2013, and my car required a newer part. Still, I decided to make the most of my visit, wandering through row of cars, peeking inside wrecked interiors, and marveling at the variety of vehicles that ended up here. There was something oddly fascinating about it all. yet a bit sad too. Many of these cars had been in accidents, their stories ending abruptly. Some even had personal belongings and documents left behind, a reminder that each one had a past before landing in this metal graveyard.

   

   
A Nissan 300ZX in a sad state

Despite not finding the part I needed, the experience was worthwhile. I t was my first real foray into junkyard scavenging, and while it didn't yield the results I had hoped for, I walked away with a newfound appreciation for the process. It was eye-opening to see firsthand how many usable parts are still out there for the taking -if you're willing to loo. Plus, the was something satisfying about the idea of fixing my car with my own hands rather than throwing a pile of cash at a dealership.

 

A butchered Mini Cooper Hardtop

Now, with the junkyard search proving unsuccessful, I've move on to the next phase: hunting for the part online. While the adventure didn't go as planned, it sparkled something in me/ Who knows? Maybe this won't be my last dive into DIY car repair. For now, though, it's time to fire up my browser and see if the internet can succeed where the junkyard couldn't. 

An 80's Toyota Corolla GT-S

Quarantine

Been several days since we came back form our trip. On a 14 day self quarantine and most of the world is on the same predicament. Our means of communication is through online news, Facebook and several other media outlet on different streaming mediums. For now, Anna's been catching up with her Netflix shows.


One thing we're so thankful is for the fast and reliable internet.

We have only just begun

The hard part of buying a house besides paying for the mortgage would be renovations. Our house is fairly new, about five years old. We do have a few issues considering it's in very good condition. Some sections of the house had different wall colors. Fortunately, upstairs were in all in white except for the lilac (really?!) bathroom in the master's. Of course the OC in me had to put another coat of fresh paint.



I had to buy tons of painting equipment since I'm too cheap to even consider hiring a professional painter. Heck, how hard would it be to paint house interiors, right? Well i figured that out the hard way. Not only that It's not just a one day gig, my paint went to places i never want it go to.



Since I made a mess on the carpet and had paint splatters on most part, I then decided to hire people to take care of the old and now messy carpet. If I had the slightest idea how to install one, I would have done it myself.

Miss January

We had a staff meeting 2 days ago. And to my surprise, I was January's employee of the month. I wasn't expecting it, but I knew a bunch of people voted for me.



Anna told me that she knew about a week ago. So, she told me not to wear my usual scrubs and insisted i should wear the better looking set i have for the meeting. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary from her request since she usually check everything I put on-- basically making sure my shirt has no holes and what not. I'm glad i listened :)

Crime Scene

I've seen horrible things, but this is the worst, by far.



I was taking a photo of the cupcake, till the suspect hastily approached the subject and brutally hand picked and butchered the helpless thing.



She then munched on it piece by piece and when she was done, just left it there with no signs of guilt nor remorse.



What kind of a world do we live in. And how can we sleep at night knowing that these so called babies that we think are so precious and fragile at the same time can be deceiving.



The humanity!!!!!!

The Happy Worker

The newest addition to America's work force, me!

Monday: Orientation day. I was there as early as 6AM eventhough it doesnt start till 8.



Tuesday: First day at work. My shift starts at 8am and ends at 4:30pm. Guy named Jose was to train me for a whole week. Gave me a tour of the whole hospital and the up's and down's of our work.

Wednesday: Same as the day before but with some extras. I'm starting to get the hang of what I am supposed to do. But instead of the patients giving me a hard time, it was the nurses and doctors. But that's part of it.

Thursday: Valentines day. Work again. Anna and I went out for an early dinner since it was too late to make reservations at this Vietnamese restaurant. Our date ended up at the ER because Anna ate shrimps to which she had a severe allergic reaction to. Which was kind of odd because she was never allergic to it. She exactly looked like Will Smith in the movie Hitch. Her face was all swollen. Up until now, she occasionally experiences itching.

Friday: My last training day at the echo department. I really have to thank Jose for giving me a good training. And Mon just gave us a very special post wedding/post Christmas/pre-Birthday gift for me and Anna/post-Valentines/pre-house(or apartment)warming gift and all the pre and post that we can think off. We love you Mon!!!


Saturday: DMV exam. Went there in the morning and passed the written test. Had the little jitters that I might not pass. Went to our apartment to fix our stuff. Our new bed and dinette set was delivered... we're loving our new Primopedic mattress!

Sunday: Cleaning. We're still moving most of our stuff to our new apartment. Tired but it's worth it. Having a place to call our own and living the real life. And tomorrow, it starts again. We're off to work, happy.