[mcleonard]

I have been testing using a cam in my Mini. I posted a few in car videos on YouTube, username RedMiniMike. Some were made on backroads in the hills and a few were made in San Francisco. I drive up to Coit Tower, and down Lombard Street and through the Broadway Tunnel at night in three of them. In other ones I drive on Palomares Canyon, Calaveras Canyon and Kings Mountain roads. So for anyone who wants a look at the roads in this area from a Mini Motoring point of view click on the link below to go to my YouTube profile page to see the video list. You can click the stars and rate the videos after viewing them if you like and give me an idea of how you like them.

Here is the url: http://youtube.com/profile?user=RedMiniMike

[MarkPe]

Kings Mt looks a nice road to drive. Where did you mount the camera for those videos. It seemed like you had positioned it on the dash somehow.

I also have a few videos of a couple of nice roads clicky. I basically jammed the camera under the head rest of the passenger seat.

[mcleonard]

Quote: Originally Posted by MarkPe

Kings Mt looks a nice road to drive. Where did you mount the camera for those videos. It seemed like you had positioned it on the dash somehow.

I also have a few videos of a couple of nice roads clicky. I basically jammed the camera under the head rest of the passenger seat.

Nice videos that you did. Your area reminds me of Stoke de Abernon, Surrey, where I was visiting on business last month.

Kings Mt. is an entertaining road. It is very tight and bumpy. Many corners are almost full lock and first gear up hills. I am constantly turning the wheel. I have to pack things away as they fling about the Mini and rattle in the glove box. You can probably hear a lot of noise from all of that. It was 7 minutes bottom to top but the video was too large to upload so I cut it in half.

I have the cam in the center of the dash up against the windshield. It is held down with zip ties using a plastic holder that just happend to work as a mount. I was using a mini tripod but all the shaking and vibration caused the tilt and swivel joints to come loose and the cam kept moving. Now it stays tight.

[bigpoppa81]

i liked the one where you were in san fransico-vermont street, them streets look great for driving on what with all the banks and stuff, it reminds me of bullit, we have nothing like that in england, one thing i must say noticing all the cars parked up( im a car geek) americans have really boring cars! all suv's and big american things, the new mini and the new beetle must stand out like a sore thumb (good) on the roads of america!

[mcleonard]

Quote: Originally Posted by bigpoppa81

i liked the one where you were in san fransico-vermont street, them streets look great for driving on what with all the banks and stuff, it reminds me of bullit, we have nothing like that in england, one thing i must say noticing all the cars parked up( im a car geek) americans have really boring cars! all suv's and big american things, the new mini and the new beetle must stand out like a sore thumb (good) on the roads of america!

Those hilly streets are fun to drive. I was going to get a little air time ala Bullit but those freaking big parked cars you noticed were sticking out so much I had to swerve around them when I came over the hills. You should see the traffic when I drive the motorway to work. It is a sea of lumbering SUVs. I feel like I am swimming with the whales. San Francisco does have a lot of Minis though. I see them everywhere. With gasoline prices rising and the large rebates that are being given on SUV's I am anticipating the age of the dinosauers to end soon.

[PW/B_JCW210]

I know some of those roads well. The Bay Area is a favourite vacation destination for us, we will be there again in November.

Unfortunately I have always been driving horrible hire cars when on those raods, it would be fantastic to do them in my Mini.

Another fantastic road where I always wish I were driving a Mini is California 1 from Carmel down to Gourda!

[mcleonard]

Quote: Originally Posted by PW/B_JCW210

I know some of those roads well. The Bay Area is a favourite vacation destination for us, we will be there again in November.

Unfortunately I have always been driving horrible hire cars when on those raods, it would be fantastic to do them in my Mini.

Another fantastic road where I always wish I were driving a Mini is California 1 from Carmel down to Gourda!

California 1 through Big Sur is a pretty drive. It gets a lot more windy north of San Francisco and continues for quite a ways. There are a few places in San Francisco that rent Minis. They aren't cheap though. But maybe worth it for a day or two just for the fun of it.

[PW/B_JCW210]

Yes the road to the North of SF is also very twisty we have gone as far as Mendocino, but my favourite is the Big Sur area, the scenery is just stunning!

Do you have any names of firms that rent Mini's? It will be interesting to contact them to find out costs, as you say even if it is only for a couple of days rather than for the whole stay.

[mcleonard]

Quote: Originally Posted by PW/B_JCW210

Yes the road to the North of SF is also very twisty we have gone as far as Mendocino, but my favourite is the Big Sur area, the scenery is just stunning!

Do you have any names of firms that rent Mini's? It will be interesting to contact them to find out costs, as you say even if it is only for a couple of days rather than for the whole stay.

Here are a few places that rent Minis that I checked out when I was thinking of renting.

http://www.cityrentacar.com/fleet-specialty-cars.html
http://www.specialtyrentals.com/caroptions_sport.aspx
http://carrentals.sanfrancisco.com/ERG/vehicles.php
http://www.zipcar.com/sf/find-cars
http://www.citycarshare.org/cardetails.do

[PW/B_JCW210]

excellent, thanks for those, will look into getting a MINI for a couple of days while we are over in November

[mcleonard]

I have added a couple of club run videos and a few more roads.

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=RedMiniMike

[mcleonard]

I have added a couple of videos taken on Highway 36 in Northern California. It is one of the best motoring roads there is and a favorite of mine. One hundred and forty miles of twisty mountain road with very little traffic. There are other Minis in these videos.

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=RedMiniMike

[baskers]

Quote: Originally Posted by mcleonard

Your area reminds me of Stoke de Abernon, Surrey, where I was visiting on business last month.

Round the corner from me - and I kinda agree!

[baskers]

Just watching the Redwoods Mt Shasta run video... is every MINI an S????

[mcleonard]

Quote: Originally Posted by baskers

Just watching the Redwoods Mt Shasta run video... is every MINI an S????

Most of them were S's, but there were a few Coopers as well.

[:: Jon ::]

some great videos

[R1]

Quote: Originally Posted by MarkPe

Kings Mt looks a nice road to drive. Where did you mount the camera for those videos. It seemed like you had positioned it on the dash somehow.

I also have a few videos of a couple of nice roads clicky. I basically jammed the camera under the head rest of the passenger seat.

I mounted my vid the same way in my old Cooper!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhs2FNwaxyM

[Robert Stancliff]

Quote: Originally Posted by bigpoppa81

americans have really boring cars! all suv's and big american things, the new mini and the new beetle must stand out like a sore thumb (good) on the roads of america!

You're absolutely right. Wasn't alway that way. For a while, many years ago, we had bright, cheerful colors, two-toned and three-toned paint schemes, musclecars, etc. Then, something happened and they all started to look just alike, and the only paint colors available came from a casket factory catalog. Boring is an understatement.

My CR/W MC does what it can to brighten things up.

[Mini-Trainer]

Video is great lads, how about popping a link on the Mini Video Thread?
http://www.mini2.com/forum/mini-medi...o-footage.html
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