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9月18日 The MINI-Trunk - an evaluationBefore I go into describing my thoughts on this proposed product, I should state that Martin sent me his MINI-Trunk at no charge so that I can evaluate whether or not this might be a viable marketable product as an accessory for the 2001-2006 MINI automobile (all models). I am not sure how much it would cost to purchase such an item if and when Martin goes into market production but I probably leave that with Martin to decide.
Pictures associated with this write-up can be viewed by clicking here.
The MINI automobile have flat folding rear seats. However, the trunk bottom is actually situated about 6 inches below the folded seat back. So what we have is really a small trunk and a shelf. This is fine, but when carrying larger items, like golf clubs or, in my case, crutches, they would teeter totter over the edge of the seat back. Hence, it would be nice to have something that would raise the surface of the boot (trunk) so that there is a flat floor when the seats are folded. MINI has a fold up box that accomplishes this at about $70CDN but it is made of material and would not hold up a lot of weight. Or for about $100, there is an organizer box. But it also is made of a cloth material. The reason is so this can be folded up and hidden away when not in use. Personally, I thought, like all BMW accessories, the price is a bit steep. But if you really want the exact proper fit n finish and look (ie quality), you would pay the price. But a simple flat panel can't be THAT hard to make and expensive would it?
Along come Martin in MINI2 offering myself and Velveteen MINI to evaluate this product he called MINI-Trunk for market. We could test it out for him.
Velveteen said "Yes" first so Martin shipped her one. As it turned out, Velveteen MINI has a CD changer in her boot and the MINI Trunk would need some custom cutting to fit. In any case, she showed it to me and we even fitted it into Beken to see if it fit nicely or not. Well it did look pretty useful so I gave Martin a call and said I wouldn't mind trying one out on Beken also.
So Martin sent me Version 2. The MINI Trunk arrived in a nice transparent vinyl carrying case, nice touch. Some differences between V2 and V1. V2 is slightly thinner, hence lighter. V2 has the MINI-Trunk logo embroidered on it, very classy looking. The build quality looks to be much improved over V1, Can't see nails and the cloth is tidier.
From the pictures, you can see what it looks like installed. Fit n finish is exceptional. The crutches do not teeter totter on the seat back edge and the MINI-Trunk acts as a cover to provide a hidden cubby hole to hide small items. The straps to tie the MINI-Trunk down are lined up perfectly to tie up to the seatback hooks.
There is one picture where I proposed to store the MINI-Trunk against the seatbacks when the seats are up. The MINI-Trunk does NOT fit this way and the seats do not latch with the MINI-Trunk in this position. Maybe Martin can find a way to do it. I wanted to try this because sometimes, I could use the extra few inches of height in the trunk and would like that option.
I have two other points that I would have liked but do not detract from the usefulness of this item. The cloth material would look really nice if it was a match with the seatbacks. But Martin informed me he was unable find said material. Secondly, in going to V2, the board itself is thinner. The advantage is less weight and for all intents and purposes, still strong enough. However, I noted that it also warped a little bit. Given its purpose, it is not a big deal, but if it stayed perfectly flat, would enhance the quality look and feel of the product. Maybe a reinforcement strip underneath would help. But then, that would use up some space in the cubby hole.
So the question remains, would I buy one of these things for myself to use if I had to pay money for it? The answer is a definite yes. But it would also depend on cost. Value for money is subjective. Would I buy this over MINI's own boot box? I would but not if MINI's boot box was less expensive. There is some cache to the MINI logo and official MINI accessories. Reality is I don't think I could produce a better quality myself than what Martin has managed to put together here. I would rank this product right up there with GoMINIGo's glove box tidy. Of which I bought.
9月13日 Lamenting my old ageBack in the April to June timeframe, I mentioned something about pulling some hamstring or muscle attached to it. So I spent the summer hobbling around, somewhat immobile, but as the summer wore on, it seemed to get better. Back in June, the doctor also requested for a CTScan appointment. As I got better, I started doing the summer things we need to do. Like landscaping, painting the house (well, touch-up painting), clearing the gutters, building a fence. Well, the day we finished building the fence, was the day my CT Scan appointment came up. That's 2 1/2 months after the request. Gotta love the public healthcare system. Also, the next day AFTER finishing the fence, I re-aggravated the leg problem. I was in enough pain to wind up in the emergency ward. I found out one thing....Demerol does not work for me. The doctor gave me a shot of the stuff and the pain got very very intense. So I went on a Tylenol 3 diet. The scan also revealed that I did not pull a muscle at all. I had a herniated disk. Which in turn is irritating some nerve that connects all the way down my left leg. So....the doctor requests for some minor back surgery. And when will this happen? January 2007. In the meantime, I'm now in crutches as I have problems standing up, or lying down. Sitting isn't too bad.
So some of you must be thinking "good....he's off the road...he can't drive". Well, wrong. I'm not driving because of the T3's. Sitting, my leg is actually fully functional. The MINI's seats are adjustable to a position that there's no problem at all hitting the clutch pedal. Also, with the bonus that the seats are heated. Now the passenger seat in the Buick is another story. I can probably drive the Fiero too except for the minor problem of getting in and out of the thing. You sit pretty low.
I'm trying to ween myself off of the T3's during the day so I can go back to driving the work and get on with my life while waiting for the surgery. Maybe I'll try and get one of them handicap passes for parking.
Okay, anybody reading this can go and feel sorry for me now. |
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