Magic95vert Blog

So as a designer you look at a thing and say “Ok, what is the purpose of the thing being built?” As an engineer you say “Can it be built?” As a laborer you say ” How should it be built?”

So you take those three criteria and the designer comes up with a vision.

The Vision

Then the engineer draws up the plans.

The Plan (part of it).

Then finally the laborer has to actually build the thing.

The fruits of the Laborer.

So, here’s the thing about that. At no point in the planning phases does anyone chime in and say “Should it be built?”  Now this paradigm applies to all manner of construction, be it a skyscraper, an interstate highway or a “Boot Box” for a R56 Mini Cooper or Cooper S or JCW for that matter.

The original plan was grandiose. Four separate compartments, four doors over them , a notched base plate to keep it from moving about in transit and the oh so clever “Butler Tray” handles. Yeah about all that, uh let’s keep in mind here that we are building this for a MINI!!!! THEY’RE FREAKIN’ SMALL!!! So if we follow that logic, then whatever we build to put in the back of them is going to be, say it with me, FREAKIN’ SMALL!!!! Now I don’t mind the 40 bucks I spent on parts. I don’t mind the time spent designing it, ’cause that was fun. I also don’t mind the time spent building it, ’cause I don’t do a lot of woodworking and it is always nice to do a project like this. Yeah I cut some corners and yeah it is not perfect, but that is not what is bothering me about this whole endeavor. After I put my compressor, California Duster, first aid kit and jumper cables in it realized one thing…IT’S FREAKIN’ SMALL!!!

So as I sit here typing this, I think “Are you pondering what I’m pondering?” “I think so, Brain, but if they called them Sad Meals, no one would buy them.”<cough><cough> sorry wrong train of thought. I am sitting here pondering the usefulness of this project and trying to decide if it is worth seeing through to its proposed conclusion. That being said let’s do some lists:

Pros:
Secure enclosed area for aforementioned items
Relatively low cost of entry (after fabric and remaining hardware about half of the store bought version.
Pride of saying “I built that”
Creative outlet.
Lightweight (under 3 lb.)
Easily removable.

Cons:
Storage compartment is not very large.
ROI may not be worth cost of entry.
Shame of saying “I built that” (I said yesterday, I am a crappy woodworker)
Takes up valuable space that is normally occupied by luggage on road trips.
Yes it is easily removable, but the way it stands now, it takes the “tool kit”
cover panel with it, thus exposing the tool kit. This means that this also has to come out during the autocross.
Actually finishing the project, and having it be worth the effort. While it will be fun to finish it, as I have more grandiose ideas, should I?

Let me address, in no particular order, the above lists. Sure it would be cool to have a custom built boot box, but do I really need it and if it doesn’t come out acceptable, at the very least, is it worth having. I really do need a place to keep everything that is in it (except maybe for the duster) and right now, that place is non existent. The car is small and not having that extra space for luggage can become an issue. That about covers it. Right now, my biggest hurdle to moving forward is that no matter how hard I try, It will never meet my expectations. I guess I’ll sleep on it, and revisit it later. Enjoy the pics. Oh and yes, I added some stuff for autocrossing and the duster had be relocated. <sigh>