Be Careful What You Wish For...

Not long ago I casually mentioned I should put some money into Miku to lower my net worth, and now that’s exactly what I’m doing. I just never imagined the tab would be this high.

Miku is back home. She runs smooth now that she has a new OEM battery under the bonnet. For the first time since I bought her both windshield nozzles work as intended. The total bill was just under $800 to complete both jobs, an agreeable cost to ensure she drives like a dream.

As for the broken rear window defroster, that’s going to hit my wallet like a swift kick in the balls. 

An inspection determined the wiring for the defroster snapped from old age and usage, a common thing in MINI convertibles. I could get it soldered by some hole in the wall shop but the top is already seven years old and near the end of its useful life. I've decided to replace it since the new one comes with a brand new window and rear defroster. 

The cost of the top, mounting hardware and labor will exceed $6,000 no thanks to Tariff Man. Lucky for Miku she's got pretty privilege, I've got a wallet and I want to keep her long term. This is also my one opportunity to buy a Union Jack printed top instead of a plain black one. 

For those interested, this is what the Union Jack top looks like on a Caribbean Aqua Metallic MINI. I’m crossing my fingers it will arrive from Germany in about two weeks.

As for Artoria, I dropped her off at the dealership to mount a new set of Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus run flat tires. I'll pick her up tomorrow and the bill should be around $1,400.

When you add up the total cost of everything... well, I'd rather drive these two beauties until the day I surrender my drivers license than buy a Breitling or Rolex.