N.E.M.O.

New England Mini Owners' Club

Past Articles - NEMO Newsbeat in British Marque Car Club News

  Articles from July through December 2003

  Articles from January through June 2003

  Articles from June through December 2002

  Articles from January through June 2002

    Articles from October through December 2001

    Articles from July through September 2001

   Articles from April through June 2001

   Articles from January through March 2001

    Articles from October through December 2000

    Articles from July through September 2000

    Articles from April through June 2000

    Articles from January through March 2000

    Articles from October through December 1999

Being a Mini Owner (Written by Glen Carliss) JANUARY 2000 ISSUE

Being a Mini owner again has given me a new perspective on life.  I think it has something to do with the fact that everyone who sees you in a Mini smiles, waves, blows their horns, follows you, etc.  I am sure you know what I am talking about.

Yes, I am a member of NEMO.  I had actually signed up before the last British Car Day at the Museum of Transportation in Brookline.  I get the British Marque and read your news every month.  I never did get a NEMO decal though...

I had my first Mini back in the 70s.  It was an 850 with an MG 1100 engine and tranny in it.  I couldn¹t keep the thing on the road.  It was a lot harder to get parts back then, and I finally sold it to buy a Pinto.  (Ssshhhh.  Please don¹t tell anyone...) Back in March I was about to buy a 1990 Buick as a third vehicle so my two driving daughters would have something to tool around town in. But before I put the money down, the whole family left for England on vacation to visit friends in Surrey.  Well, there were Minis everywhere.  So my buddy and I stopped by the local Rover dealer and took a couple hot 1999 Minis for a test drive.  That was all it took I was re-infected.  When we got back, I jumped on the Internet and bought a car within a month.  It is a 1964 Mini 1000. I have been working on my car regularly to keep it in good running condition.  I just put in new front wheel bearings, replaced the Verto clutch cylinder, and have been cleaning things up under the bonnet.  I was quite jealous of Dave Black and Steve Dodge, with their bonnets up at the MOT.  I am miles away from concours and am not that interested in getting there.  I would be more interested in a hotter engine and tranny than a clean engine compartment.  (I got a kick out of hearing one car try to idle with the hot cam the owner must have had in there!) The Mini network is fantastic.  It has been fun e-mailing Karl about my exploits.  Doug at Mini City has been free with his information and has helped me quite a bit.  I have also been getting parts from Mr. Mini in Canada and Mini Mania in California.  I bought my car from Bill Cox and he has been a trip dealing with, in more ways than one! Autocross really interests me.  My Mini has a 998, so you guys with your 1275s will eat my lunch.  I do not have a helmet and the only seat belts in the car are the factory version.  My battery hold-down is a piece of rope and the front end alignment is still in question. The car goes and stops in a straight line so things are not far off. I need to know what else to pay attention to so that I can pass the safety inspection. Right now I am suffering from the Lucas curse.  The electrical system runs partially through a relay which is faulty.  I can¹t find one through the normal channels, so my buddy in England is getting one for me.  Once I get that installed I have to figure out why the rear lights don¹t work.  Hopefully that will all happen soon, because right now I can't drive the car at night. My goal as a Mini owner is to just drive the hell out of the car as much as I can.  I want it to look good and run well, but I am not going to get crazy about it nor can I afford to end up with a $30,000 Mini.  I would like to find a Mini panel truck at a reasonable price for my wife to use in her landscaping business, but that can wait.  I just want to keep the car I have on the road as much as possible. So that gives you a brief history of my love affair with the Mini. I look forward to talking with you all more, and hope to find time to be a little more active with the club.  Thanks for contacting me.

On the beat with the Car of the Century (well, almost) (Written by Dave Black) JANUARY 2000

Here we are, it's after Christmas and the roads are still clear enough to drive our Minis!  How many of you are taking advantage of the late snows and putting on some extra mileage? Christmas Eve I loaded up the Thurd with a bunch of presents and made the rounds ‹ first to Leicester for a delivery to a niece with four youngsters, then on to Storrs, Conn., for a celebration with the family at my brother's house.  If you think the Mini gets a lot of looks by itself, you should load it up to the roof with Christmas presents and watch the reaction!  If the weather holds, I'll be out on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in the Y2K-compliant Mini!  Computer chips be damned! On to the news. 

Our Christmas Party at John Harvard's Pub in Framingham turned out to be a resounding success ‹ at least 25 folks, with lots of Minis!  Newest addition to our population is a 1964(?) saloon that Lisa and John Mastrandrea bought while in England for the 40th.  Lisa claims it drives like a "real" car.  But what does that mean?  Most of us drive Minis because they don't drive like any other car!

The Yankee Swap at the party turned into a fiasco when all present coveted the Kyosho model given by Steve Dodge.  At least four people were in possession of this prize before the tickets ran out, and I don't even remember who ended up with it!  There was something for everyone, including two Mr. Bean teddies, an old distributor, a tailpipe (that's right!), and a survival kit complete with throttle cable and fan belt.  There was lots of good joshing and jostling for possession of the most desirable presents.

In other news, the "Car of the Century" contest is finally over, but you can still visit the web site for a wonderful tour of the most famous cars built to date (www.cotc.com).  The site contains pictures and comprehensive write-ups on 100 vehicles.  Sad to report that the Mini didn't win - it came in second to the Ford Model T.  The final tally of points follows: Model T, 742; Mini, 617; Citroën DS, 567; VW Beetle, 521; Porsche 911, 303.  Pretty heady company for the lowly Mini, and consider that the Mini wasn't even available in the largest car market in the world for 30 of its 40 years!

Greetings from the U.K.

Included with a Christmas card from England was a newspaper article about a couple who have recently completed an 18,000 mile journey in their Mini driving from Australia to England! The story starts in 1964 when John Pollard bought his 850 while in college.  Four years later, he and wife Carys drove to Sydney via India.  They've used the car regularly for 30 years and recently had it fitted with an 1100cc engine for the return trip to England.  They shipped the car to Malaysia, then drove through Thailand, Burma, Laos, Tibet and China, across 1,000 roadless miles in Mongolia, then on to Moscow and northern Europe!  Now there¹s a trip worth reading about! Makes a trip into Boston or up to Montréal seem like child's play!

Mini Meet East 2000

If you haven't already done so, I urge you to pick up the phone and call the Cheribourg to make your reservations for Mini Meet East 2000! Ask for Annie Boudreau and mention MME for special rates for June 30 through July 4, 2000.  Call now as rooms are going quickly, (800) 567-6132 or (819) 843-3308.

This just in to the editorial page: the Newmans are the proud owners of a 1966 Mini 850 "kit" car (see accompanying article)!  Some assembly required!  Looking forward to seeing it next spring, Dave!

Also in the news...Dave and Nancy Reid are taking an extended holiday to Australia! Dave is fresh from winning 1st place in GT-5 Northeast with his #57 vintage racer.  Rumor has it he¹s going to show the Aussies how to drive!  Remember they shift with their left hand Down Under, Dave!

Finally: be sure to check out NEMO's new web site at www.airportworld.com/NEMO_Main.htm  Dave Newman is doing a great job with it. Thanks, Dave!

Christmas Party Adventure (Written by Dave Newman) JANUARY 2000 ISSUE

After Barbara, Christa and I left Exoticar, the stop after the party at John Harvard's Pub, we headed one exit west on the pike to 495 South.  While on the pike, we smelled gas.  No problem, must be someone else¹s car, I said.  Barb then noticed that our tank gauge just went from 3/4 to 1/2 in a mile.  Oh, my! We pulled over, with Glen Carliss behind us, and stopped.  But Glen got blocked by a truck and couldn¹t see us pull over. The nylon (it's supposed to be nylon) pipe from the float to the jet had snapped, dripping gas onto the manifold.  Emergency bailout followed, thankfully with no fire. After calling AAA and asking for a ramp truck, another guy with a tow truck stopped by (not from AAA, just a MINI fan), sans ramp truck, and asked us if we need help.  He was not AAA, but was driving a wrecker.  His name was David Ranusham Maharajh and he was from Rhode Island, and he had a Mini Cooper at home!  He took a look and agreed with me.  No duct tape is gonna fix this puppy. About an hour later, AAA arrived and we were ramp-trucked back to Kingston.  Home at 8:30 p.m.  Oh, well.  That carb needed work anyway! We all had a great time at the party!  Once again that Yankee Swap was a success!  Faith is a natural at playing host!  (Isn't that a permanent elected position?)

Here's a description of the Mini we just bought... (Written by Dave Newman) JANUARY 2000

HERE's the EBAY Auction Description "1966 Austin Mini Mk1 with sliding windows, RH Drive. Engine rebuilt (850cc single carb ‹ not yet run!), all new brakes, new body panels to complete, new tires, alloy rims.  Car is disassembled, ready for bodywork and then reassembly.  Have all parts! Easy project for a beginner or someone who really wants a good early Mini.  Clear title.  Newer subframes ‹ no rust!) Here is a listing of some of the new parts with the Mini: inner and outer sill panels, RH front fender, both hinge panels, spare trunk lid, spare engine, spare carbs, spare rims, spare trans.  This is an early Mini with good Hydrolastic suspension ‹ was working fine last time car was driven (about 1.5 years ago)!  Car includes HiLo conversion kit for regular shocks, if so desired."

(The Shell. The BOXES of parts not shown here...)

So we bid on it and after some last minute higher bidding and nail biting, WON the Auction! (but, it is in New Jersey!)

The owner, Geroge, spent over $1,500 wholesale for the body parts, then sold the car to a friend who bought another $1,000 in parts.  Then Geroge bought car back over the summer for $1,500.  He just didn't have the time to finish it due to prior and new business interests. And the only thing we need to do is pick it and the stuff up in New Jersey.  Simple...!

.....PS: (we did, a 600 miles round trip in 13 hours in a Ryder rental truck!) NOTE: this article was edited for clarity by the original writer. DN

Germans Annex Roverland (from the British press, via the Internet & David Newman) JANUARY 2000

BMW is preparing to scrap Rover dealerships by bringing all its brands together under one showroom roof. The company¹s British outlets will get a new silver and white livery by the end of 2001, and will sell BMW, Rover, Land Rover, Mini, MGF and, ultimately, Rolls-Royce.

Will the real Dave Black please stand up? (Written by Dave Black) DECEMBER 1999 ISSUE

Has anyone seen a certain plaid-shirted recluse named Dave Black recently?  Reports from 30 October had confirmed sightings in Marblehead, also Grafton, and Hopedale!  Could he really have been in all these locations at once?  One witness claims he saw four of Dave in the same car!  What is going on here?  Further questioning had conflicting reports of blonde hair, brown hair, and one from north of Boston with no hair!  Estimated age was from 6 years old to well over 60! Let's cut to the chase, or "choke the chicken" as they say in some circles.  Those in the know, know he'd be driving the Thurd (and there was only one siting of the Thurd on 30 October.  That was at Janet's in Grafton for NEMO¹s Halloween Party!  It seems there were a dozen present for the festivities and eight of them were Dave!  Can you imagine the odds of having that many people wearing the same obscure costume at one party?  I think we should syndicate this and go public!  Either that, or perhaps we should let our imaginations out of the box!  Get a life!!  Anyway, the Halloween Party went off without a hitch and a riproaring good time was had by all. Our Christmas Party is planned for 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, 5 December, at John Harvard's Pub, 1 Worcester Road, Framingham, Mass.  They've arranged for a room, but need a count the day before, so please call me if you plan to attend, (omitted for web).  Bring a wrapped present to participate in the Yankee Swap (anything Mini-related, new or used!) and plan to have a great time!  Immediately following the brunch, we'll be heading west on Rt. 9 about three miles to a right on California Avenue, then left on New York Avenue for a visit to Exoticar.  The management has arranged for any NEMO member to get a 10% discount on purchases made that day.  This is a great time to fill in your Mini collection! Mini Meet East 2000 is in the final planning stages, and all who plan to attend are urged to call Annie Boudreau at the Hotel Cheribourg at (800) 567-6132 for reservations.  I called last week and got the final remaining suite!  More than 30 rooms had been booked by the beginning of October.  This is going to be a meet for the record books and is only about six Mini-hours north of Boston, so get your head out of the sand and let¹s go!! Can't think of anything else to report this month, so I guess that wraps it up!

Silverstone Mini @ 40 Celebration (by Dave Newman) November 1999 Issue

Saturday, August 21, 1999, Silverstone, England

The second stop on our pilgrimage to England for the 40^th Birthday of the MINI was at THE BIG ONE, the official Rover MINI @ 40 birthday party at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit. Imagine over 30,000 Minis in one place! The announcer on "Radio Silverstone" said they stopped counting at 30,000, so it could have been more.

After a short drive in our rental Y2K Ford Focus from Daventry to Silverstone, (stopping along the way to photograph and video the thousands of arriving Minis) we arrived in a sea of Minis. In just one of the many car parks, we counted over two thousand Minis, of all types and from all over Britain and Europe. German and Dutch Mini clubs were in abundance, along with a large Italian group which arrived in Mokes, shouting and honking their horns like a Rome traffic jam! There was no shortage of cars and owners to videotape.

Silverstone had a full day of qualifying races to fit in among the Mini activities, so we had a constant symphony of racing engines to listen to. We spent the first hour on the outside of the track photographing some of the hundreds of clubs who had brought members cars to the celebration. There was even a collection of five Wild Goose Mini motorhome conversions, including one from Washington State. After crossing the bridge into the infield, we toured the hundreds of vendor stands, where your could buy any part for a Mini, including a whole Mini if you wished. We must have purchased 25 T-shirts with all sorts of Mini themes. There were posters, art prints, videos, models, Mini candy, and lots of club stands.

At 2 PM, a 10 lap Mini 40 Celebration Trophy Race was held with 30 Minis in full race trim fighting like NASCAR racers on a road course. Lots of paint was exchanged in the corners! The sounds of Mini engines at full agitation was heaven! In the FOX-FM stage area, Russ Swift and the Mini Driving Display Team showed us Minis driving on two wheels, and handbrake turns that parked a Mini between two others with just inches to spare. All of this was shown on two GIANT TV screens, like a rock concert while "The Self Preservation Society" music from The Italian Job movie blared over the speakers. Over in another area was a gathering of Minis spelling out "MINI 40", although you needed a helicopter to see it. And, there was a rallye sprint area featuring MINI rallye cars in action on the "special stage" dirt.

Most of the action took place on the infield, including 150 more club displays. MINI Magazine had a display of Editor Gerard Hughes choice of "The Best Minis in the World". Minis were displayed by era and Mark and by Saloon, Van, Cooper, Moke, etc. It is hard to describe walking around looking at some of the most perfect looking Minis we had ever seen. Next to the display, hundreds lined up to take in the Official BMW-Rover Millenium MINI show. This consisted of a 10-minute laser light show, with film of John Cooper talking about the present Mini then a brief, almost mystical look at the NEW Mini. Afterward, the crowd was asked to deposit ballots in various boxes labeled LOVE IT and HATE IT. The actual look at the Y2K Mini was so short and so dark that you almost got the impression that BMW-Rover didn’t want to commit themselves to an actual new shape, in fact, no new Y2K Mini was on display or shown anywhere else at the show! One Mini fan outside the show was predicting that "Honda will be buying Rover in a few months and will release a new Y2K Mini that looks just like the old one but with updated mechanicals and a Civic engine." This may be a bit far-fetched of a story to actually believe as BMW has just gotten 200 million pounds sterling out of the Labour government to keep Longbridge open for production. But, that was one man’s opinion and only time will prove his theory out! Current Mini production will continue at Longbridge and the planned NEW Y2K Mini will arrive in September of 2000. British Motor Heritage may continue some limited production of the current Mini for years to come. Over 50% of current Mini production are shipped to Japan, and the Japanese prefer the "classic" Mini, even converting new Minis to retro-Minis. BMH also had a display of three new complete MK4 body shells, in a stack, Red, White and Blue of course! These come complete with doors, bonnet and boot already installed and ready to install your bits to rebuild your rusted out clunker into a brand new classic Mini.

The highlight of the event was the Mini Cavalcade on the circuit, where 800 pre-selected Minis of all types and ages were driven around and around with horns blaring, flags flying and owners having the time of their lives for over 30 minutes! The track seemed like it was painted with Minis.

Alas, the sun was setting on one of the best days of our lives. We were sure we had missed something, as the show was HUGE. There was a music show, fireworks and a parachute drop after the Cavalcade, but we had already retired to Daventry to watch the early evening hot air balloon rally. The next day continued the racing and trade stands, but for us, the 40^th was over. Can you meet us there in five years for the 45^th birthday? We’ll be there! AND, we’ll be looking for that guy and his Honda Story to see if he was right.

MINI in the Park 99 (by Dave Newman)

Sunday, August 15, 1999 ......(as seen in the October 1999issue of British Marque Car Club News)

Oxfordshire, England

In 1620, the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a few miles from our home in Kingston. In 1999, OUR family pilgrimage found us on a Boeing 777 making the 3,000-mile trip in the opposite direction in just 5 1/2 hours. The first MINI event for us was MINI in the Park, presented by MINI Magazine. The venue was the strikingly beautiful Cornbury Park in Charlbury, Oxfordshire. Cornbury Park is located six miles north of Witney, a great old English town for walking, shopping and visiting pubs. Witney is also home of the manufacturing and warehousing facilities of British Motor Heritage.

Gerard Hughes of MINI Magazine told us that 1999 is the third year for MINI in the Park and last year’s attendance of 8,000 was far surpassed by this years 10,000+ people. Our best estimate was that over 4,000 Minis were on display and in the car parks! We never had seen so many Minis in one place! (The week after at Mini 40, there were 30,000) Mr. Hughes has been Editor of MINI Magazine since January 1997. In fact, it was a quirk of fate that the 40^th Issue of MINI Magazine came out for the 40^th anniversary of the Mini! The main purpose of MINI in the Park is to meet the readers and let them meet the staff of the magazine. They put the "magazine on show" and had a special area of cars that have been featured in previous issues. Gerard says he was seventeen when he bought his first Mini, a 1973 Clubman GT. Since then, he has owned many more than he wished to list, but said, "Never a Moke, but it’s a favourite!"

MINI in the Park was one of the smoothest run events we have ever attended. It had a special cozy feeling, with every event on time and laid out for easy access. The weather was cool and the approaching rain held off all day. The efficient parking marshals could have doubled as Air Traffic Controllers at Heathrow. Moving the Minis into club and special lots was poetry to watch! Non-Mini cars were put into general parking. This created SEAS of Minis in the Mini-Only lots and it we found ourselves spending as much time looking at everyday driver cars as well as the concours and show cars on display. Regular Minis, Mokes, Pick-Ups, custom 4x4 Mini conversions, chopped and shortened Minis, cabrio Minis, WOW! The massive Concours d’ Elegance was tough for the judges to score, given the variety and preparation of the owners. We spoke to two judges in the VIP tent during a lunch break. One was an expert in the Innocenti Mini and taught us about the tens of differences between the Innocenti and regular Longbridge built Mini.

One of the owners whose cars have been featured in Mini Magazine, was Simon Clarke from Banbury, who was showing his immaculate 1989 Mini Sky and his 1962 Austin Seven. Simon beams a big smile when he tells us, "We’ve only been interested in Minis for three years. Especially the children, so we decided to invest in a couple and since then we haven’t stopped!" Simon shows us under the bonnet. It look almost spotless! He continues, "The Sky has a twin-carb conversion and a Cooper head. The cam is original. We took it to France a few weeks ago with the Italian Job charity folks." Simon, his wife and children are true Mini enthusiasts!

While we were getting our exercise walking around looking to interview British Mini owners, we ran into Karl Strauch of M.A.D.M.E.N., all the way from Missouri. Karl had plans to meet with Rover PR people in Longbridge about the new Mini. Then, after meeting Karl, we met "the Big Guy", Hrach of NEMO, then Lisa and John of NEMO! This was turning into a Yank Invasion! (We have a picture of Hrach kneeling down, kissing the new Mini 40 not suitable for a family paper.) J

Over on one side of the park was a "live rallye stage" where fans could purchase a ride in a real Mini rally car on a specially set up course. The queue was hundreds long, so we just watched and enjoyed the sounds of a Mini engine at "full chat", then took a ride overhead in a Bell JetRanger helicopter to view the huge event. There was a giant "autojumble" (flea market) of Mini parts and accessories along with tens of trade stands. If you were looking for a deal on parts and spares, this was the place to be! If only we had brought a bigger suitcase! For the smaller children, they could race the Cheshire Cats Mini Club’s Scalextric slotcar model Minis, radio control Minis, ride Honda mini-quads, drive-fly a hovercraft and have a "99" ice cream from Mrs. Whippy!

The highlight of the event was the arrival of Paddy Hopkirk, famous Monte Carlo Rally winner, Mini rally driver and maker of Mini accessory parts. Paddy was driven up to the interviewer area in a custom white "Mini Mille" open side Mini. On display behind Paddy, were two famous red rally Mini Coopers, car 73 formerly driven by John Handley and Alec Poole and car 107 (LRX827E), the car in which Paddy won the 1967 Alpine Rally. After the formal interview for the crowds, we were able to meet with Paddy, who by the way, is VERY fond of visiting Cape Cod and does so quite often. He is always smiling and willing to talk with a Mini owner.

If you missed the 1999 event, plan on attending NEXT years MINI in the Park! (August 20th, 2000)

Plymouth County Treasure Rally & Get-Together! OCTOBER 1999 ISSUE

Join us on October 17th for the NEMO Plymouth County Treasure Rally and Get-together!  For those who want a great breakfast before the rally, meet at 9:00 a.m. at Dave¹s Diner (an retro-1950s stainless steel diner), which is located 0.8 miles south of the Middleboro Rotary on Route 28 in Middleboro, Mass.  First car off will be 10:00 a.m. for those not wanting breakfast.  The rotary is at the intersection of Routes 18, 44 and 28.  For directions, call Dave or Barbara Newman at (omitted for web). The rally will take about one-and-a-half hours and is a treasure hunt for clues along the way.  No stopwatch is required.  We have found some of the best "Mini" roads in Plymouth County for this event! The rally ends at Barbara and Dave's house in Kingston, Mass., where a "covered dish" lunch will be served.  Please bring something for all to share! We will also have Scalextric Mini slot car racing, and videos of the latest "Mini in the Park" and Mini 40 at Silverstone, direct from our U.K. vacation in August.  If you also went to the U.K., bring your pictures and videos too!  (We met quite a few NEMO members there!) A BBQ grill will be available.  For questions, call (omitted for web) or e-mail dnewman@capecod.net.

Halloween Party! OCTOBER 1999 ISSUE

All ghouls and goblins are invited to NEMO's Halloween Party Saturday, October 30th!  Greg and Janet Mazza will once again host the event, beginning at 6 p.m. at their lovely home in Grafton, Mass. Bring a dish, a beverage and your best costume. Janet would appreciate the courtesy of a call to let her know how many to plan on for dinner.  Call her at (omitted for web) and leave a message. Directions (omitted from web article)

On The Beat (Written by Dave Black) OCTOBER 1999 ISSUE

You all know the big event for September was our annual trek to the British Invasion in Stowe, Vt.  It seems all of us drove up with some guy named Floyd, a real bag of wind who we all realized was all wet! All the Minis, save one, performed admirably in the pouring rain.  It seems Bruce got as far as Westminster, Vt., before moisture seeped into his distributor and ended his pilgrimage.  Fortunately, Faith was near at hand to call AAA and get a tow to a friend's place where the Mini was put to bed for the weekend with the chickens!  At last report, Bruce was lecturing the hens on proper bathroom etiquette! Though the trip up was miserable, the rest of the weekend turned out to be fabulous.  The usual venue is Bouchard's hayfield, but Floyd manged to dump copious amounts of precipitation and blew down the big top, so the whole event was moved at the last minute to the parking lot at the Mt. Mansfield Ski Resort.  I know the organizers agonized and had to do some real fancy footwork to pull this off, but the attendees seemed hardly to notice the change at all!  High marks and many thanks go to the organizers!  We are surely fortunate to have such a capable staff to take care of all the details so the rest of us can enjoy the weekend.

At least 25 Minis were present with some really beautiful examples of the marque.  We're beginning to see more Vans, Pick-ups and Travellers, which serves to broaden the interest of the viewing public.  Top honors went to Jacques Bouchard from Québec with an outstanding Saloon with matching trailer.  Paint was a special hue from Rover called "Volcano."  If you've ever seen molten lava in Hawaii as it courses down a mountain, the red-orange-copper color is close to the color of Jacques' car.  He even took the top Meguiar's Trophy for best paint among 700-plus entries! Kevin Chappelle's newly finished (bright yellow) Pick-up also took a trophy and was really a treat to see. There were so many great looking Minis there that it all begins to blur soon after the show.  Come on up next year to get the full effect!

Our next event is the Plymouth County Rally on Sunday, October 17th. See the announcement on page 23.  Our route takes us along some great Mini roads through Plymouth County and finishes in Kingston at Dave and Barb Newman¹s house for lunch.  Cranberries and foliage will be some of the highlights of this drive!

October 30th is our Halloween bash at Greg and Janet¹s in Grafton, Mass. Costumes have always been optional, but are recommended.

Mini Meet East 2000 is well into the planning stages now.  The host hotel is the Cheribourg in Magog, Québec.  This is just over the border from Vermont on Route 91.  The hotel is filling fast, so make reservations now at (800) 567-6132 or (819) 843-3308.  Dates are June 30 to July 3, 2000, and the rate is $34 USD  per night, buffet breakfast included!  More information will follow and all attendees of MME 1998 will receive a mailing. Hope you¹re all keeping the shiny side up!

NEMO members race around by Randy Koehler grafton, mass.Well, the results are in from the Autocross, August 8th, at Wyman Gordon, and once again Dave Black emerged victorious. Much-improved Steve Dodge finished second by the slimmest of margins. Even though Greg Mazza¹s fresh 1380 was the biggest, baddest motor on the block, it didn't help him enough to catch these two speedsters.  I do think they¹ve both raised the bar for the rest of us competitiors. Then, at Lime Rock Park, on September 6th, David Reid entered his GT5 Austin Cooper in the Vintage Festival.  On Saturday, Dave blew a head gasket, and on Monday morning this writer found Dave and his brother, Pete, finishing up putting everything back together just moments before his morning practice session. Carburettor problems forced David to the pits after only a few laps. Later on, in the pits, we found he had added help in the form of Greg Mazza and his son, Chris.  Fortunately, Dave had a tent over his Mini, as about 12:30 p.m. the skies opened and it poured for about 40 minites.  The lay of the land was a bit low, and before long the water was ankle-deep around the car.  Peter had the best defense as he was wearing sandals. The car was diagnosed as unfixable in time for the trophy race, so all of us Mini-men headed for the viewing building on the main straight, to see how the other Minis would fare.  The track had dried out by this time, so we expected to see some good racing. One Mini barely made it to the track on time after extensive repairs, and started a half lap behind the field only to drop out after a couple of laps with more problems. Another Mini that had started scratch put on a great show, passing five cars at the drop of the green, and outbreaking a car or two every lap in Big Bend on his march to the front.  He literally drove his fanny off, but alas, by Lap 7 of the 12-lap event he was done, and had to be towed to the pits. The only Mini left of the four entered, a slightly modified street Mini, complete with a full interior, held his own and finished the 12-lap affair.  Sometimes simpler is better!

Minis Converge, Far & Near (by Dave Black) September 1999

HOPKINTON, MASS.

Events in the news this month include "Minis in the Mountains" and a razmatazz autocross at Wyman Gordon. Initial reports from Colorado indicate that this year's Mini Meet, Minis in the Mountains, was well attended by folks from all over. Events were scheduled at picturesque locations around the Colorado foothills and required a good bit of driving to reach. After all, that¹s why we spend countless hours of tinkering and oodles of money on our cars ‹ to drive them! The rally sounded especially interesting, covering 120 miles with scheduled stops at many local tourist attractions to answer questions. Estimated time to complete: seven hours! Sorry I missed that one. Many thanks to all who contributed to 1999 Minis in the Mountains. Believe it when I tell you, we know what you went through to pull this off, and hearty congratulations are in order! Next year's meet is scheduled for the Eastern Townships of Québec. In July, the Montréal group rallyed out to check some of the possible locations for MME 2000. Listen to the names of some of the places they¹ve explored: Chateau Bromont; Manoir de Sables; The Cheribourg. They all seem to have golf, camping, water sports, and facilities to house a meet. It will be a tough choice to decide which will be best for us miniacs, but it sounds like any one of them would be perfect. Plans are to have the rally and autocross handled by professional groups. Should be an outstanding meet!

Autocross

The autocross at Wyman Gordon this month was attended by five Minis. Steve Dodge, Greg Mazza, Randy Koehler, Ken Foley and yours truly all made an attempt to negotiate what turned out to be a very challenging course. All had trouble with the layout, and adding to the confusion were the left-over tire tracks from the last event! (It seems we've had no rain to obliterate the marks from the last course and most of us use these marks to help find our way.) Though the official results have yet to be posted, the general consensus has Steve leading the day. (I knew it was a mistake to help him install negative camber the day before the race!) Greg, Randy, and Ken all had steadily improving times with each successive run and I'm sure they'll be ready for the next event in Springfield. After the autocross, all were invited back to Jo-Ann's for a whopping Tex-Mex feast. Appetizers included several types of salsa, her legendary layered ranchero dip, and even lime-flavored chips and a mustard dip for pretzels! The main course consisted of brisket smoked on a wood fire, rice, some kind of corn concoction, beans and many other tasty treats. Then it was on to a dessert of pecan pie, homemade ice cream, and a frozen peach delight (for some). All this was washed down with the best margaritas north of the Nueces River! (Look on a map!) Now, don¹t you think you should get involved with this group? They're having altogether too much fun for a bunch of Mini nuts! In fact, some of our members actually prefer to drive non-Minis! That's O.K., just so long as they keep attending the functions!

On The Beat (by Dave Black) August 99

July has been a hectic month for the NEMO crew. Activities included the all-day autocross at Wyman Gordon in Grafton, Mass.; another legendary cookout at Janet's (I've taken the liberty to refer to the Mazza residence as Janet's because we all know she does most of the work!!); Cruise Night in rural Pascoag, R.I.; British Car Day at the Museum of Transportation in Brookline, Mass.; and our annual meeting, held in conjunction with this spectacular show. The autocross went off as planned ‹ er, I mean these races are getting to be pretty predictable ‹ come on, guys, don¹t you think it's time for one of you to write about the day? We have a tradition that states simply, "The winner writes that month's article." Well, now that you know who won, let¹s take a look at the other contestants. Steve Dodge is getting very competitive, but I still suspect his fear of writing is keeping him just shy of 1st Place! On one run, he even deployed his hood to help him slow down after crossing the finish line. Unfortunately, deployment occurred a little too early and seriously affected his time! Greg Mazza doesn¹t seem to know how to use all the power coming from his hot, new 1380, but he spun his tires enough so the rest of us had a clear course to run!! Dave Reid attempted to regain his position as top NEMO autocrosser with his beautiful Cooper S. He drove it all the way from Marblehead only to have mechanical problems on his second run foil his attempt. AAA to the rescue! Paul Gingras made a valiant effort to negotiate the course, but found out that a map would have come in handy! After all of this, we were treated once again to a fantastic feed at Janet's. Her specialty this time was lamb kabobs! You really should have been there. The New England Region SCCA Solo II Autocross organizers have done an outstanding job of making us welcome at their events. We would normally run in E-stock class with the Miatas, Rabbits and some of the Hondas. It would be difficult for us to be competitive with the ¹90s technology found in these contenders, so the NER folks agreed to give us our own Mini class. We¹d like to thank them for their hospitality. You don¹t have to be an expert driver to compete, or have a finely tuned race car to finish in 1st place. Heck, until this year, most of us were competing with 998 engines and having a great time, so don¹t hesitate to call for details about the next event. It happens August 8th at Wyman Gordon. After this event, you're all invited to Jo-Ann's for a Tex-Mex barbecue (call for more info)!

Microcar Day comes to the MOT (by Bruce Vild) AUGUST 1999

Brookline, Mass., July 10. How do you explain the spectacle of some of the world's tiniest cars zipping about the grounds of the Museum of Transportation, offering rides to a very long queue of enthusiasts, spectators, and lovers of the odd? You don't; you just show the pictures. We brought our Mini and were invited to park it on the show field. It's very strange to have a Mini dwarf the cars parked around it! Other "large" cars on the ield included Nash Metropolitans and Citroën 2CVs. But the real stars of the show were Isettas, Messer-schmitts, baby Fiats, a bizarre-looking Mazda and a Vespa (yes, they made cars, too). What a fabulous event this was. We met Charles Gould, the organizer, a very friendly chap with a great sense of humor. (He admits to owning a three-wheeled Peel Trident, the only car ever manufactured on the Isle of Man.) We also met a couple who said they had a Trabant stashed away that they were restoring. NEMO has put this on the calendar for next year's annual meeting. You simply must attend. Mr. Gould has already promised to show some of the weirdest cars you ever saw!

Minis line up for Brit Car Day (by Dave Black) AUGUST 1999

BROOKLINE, MASS., July 18 The Museum of Transportation's British Car Day saw about 10 Minis and at least 22 NEMO members out for our annual meeting. I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome the following new members: Ken Foley and family, Paul Lachance, Tom Pitkin, and Glenn Carliss, who all braved the 100°-plus day to join in the festivities and enjoy a remarkable collection of British cars. Even Hrach made an appearance, but was very secretive about a "special project" he's been working on for Rover. He did announce that the new Mini will be part of a display at New York's Museum of Modern Art opening later this month! Faith chaired our meeting where we voted in the entire slate of incumbents, then discussed upcoming events. All present agreed that rallyes, tech sessions, Cruise Nights, and Halloween and Christmas parties should be continued. (Watch our calendar of events for details.) Bruce gave an interesting talk about auto emission regulations in Rhode Island. It seems that legislators are continually trying to stiffen regulations on older cars and in some instances it can mean the difference between being able to register your car or not! We all need to remain vigilant to any proposed changes that could affect our hobby and use whatever means necessary to defeat or modify these changes. Faith reminded us that there are still quite a few items left from Mini Meet East '98 to sell. Magnetic dash plaques, adhesive plaques, Mini note pads, and T-shirts are all being sold at cost. T-shirts are a bargain at $5 each with that colorful logo! Call her for more details at (401) 766-6920 (the British Marque phone).

On The Beat (by Dave Black) July 1999 Issue

Have the rest of you been as busy as we have turning nuts and bolts on your Minis? This month found Greg, Steve and I in marathon sessions getting Greg’s car back together. They claim that all Mini parts are interchangeable, and they’re right, to a point. Anyone who’s fitted a different engine and switched from rod-change to remote can attest to the fact that a cutting wheel, pry-bar (4’), and 3-lb. or better sledge hammer are required. A healthy dose of patience and persistence goes a long way toward getting the project completed. Greg’s motor was finished and had been run on the test stand to work out any leaks and bugs before fitting it in his car. This completed, we spent 15 hours on Saturday, and another 6 hours on Sunday before he took his first test drive. If you¹ve ever heard Greg’s 998, you know it really starts to bark at 3-4,000rpm. His new engine is a 1380 with a 648 cam and ported head with 1.5 roller rockers. It barks when idling! He drove about a mile through our neighborhood in each direction and Steve and I could hear him all the way! His smile went from ear to ear as he felt the torque and power of his new, "big" engine! Plans are to get it fitted with a different exhaust so he can sneak around when need be! Steve Dodge attended the Milford (Mass.) Lions Club car show and walked away with a 3rd Place trophy. He must have been the only Mini there! Dave Reid spent a day racing at Lime Rock, starting in 6th place and finishing 3rd, one one-hundredth of a second ahead of Mary Baltronis ‹ and who says "close" only counts in horseshoes? Dave claims he didn¹t even bring any tools to this event! The Cruise Night planned for June 15th was rained out, but NEMO members Bruce, Faith, Greg, Steve and I got together for a cookout anyway. Faith showed a 3-D film from Alaska that was really outrageous! Ask her to show it to you sometime! Haven’t heard a word from any other Nemites this month. What have you all been doing...?

Mini Meet of the Century! - July 99 Issue

Colorado Springs, Colo. "Minis in the Mountains 99, Celebrating 40 Years of Fun," takes place this August 3-5 in Colorado Springs. Minis of the Rockies is hosting this 40th anniversary celebration of the Mini. To make this special anniversary absolutely spectacular, Mini Mania and BMW of North America are major sponsors and partners in this event. Other national and international sponsorship will ensure that this will be a great Mini Meet. A special vintage race car and driver reunion will be a major part of the event. A vintage race and exposition will be held at Pueblo Motorsports Park, just south of Colorado Springs, and will feature current and vintage Mini race cars and current and retired Mini race drivers. A full vintage race will be sponsored by Mini Mania and Computer Car. Celebrity races and driving tours of the race track are certain to entertain and excite participants. A number of SCCA GT-5 Minis will also be there the Fortech and Mincomp Minis, to name just two. Television coverage by Speed Vision and Meridian Broadcasting of England is anticipated, and Mini World magazine will be there as well. There will also be tech sessions, vendor displays, and a chance to win a trip to Rover’s 40 Anniversary Celebration at Silverstone as a BMW representative will draw the name of a lucky winner of two airline tickets to London. And who knows what will you hear about the new Rover Mini Millennium and its introduction onto our shores? Special sponsorship arrangements are being made to help participants ship their Mini to Colorado Springs on a car transporter. So far three transporters, each capable of hauling 12 or 13 Minis, have been lined up to meet people in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Ohio. A rate of $400 round trip per car offers an alternative to driving all the way. Don Racine of Mini Mania is taking reservations right now, first come, first served, at (408) 234-2031. Visit the Mini Meet web site for a registration form and current information about the Meet: http://www.minimania.com/motr and http:// www.minimania.com. Register on-line with your credit card. The Best Western LeBaron Hotel is the host hotel, convenient to downtown Colorado Springs and close to nearby attractions. Make room reservations by calling the hotel at (719) 471-8680. Ask for the discounted Mini Meet rate of $79.95. For more information, contact Peter D. Myers, Chairman, Minis in the Mountains 99, at (303) 797-7116 (home), (303) 971-2028 (work), (303) 977-3601 (fax), or peter.d.myers@lmco.com (e-mail).

Schedule of Events - July 99 Issue

August 2 ‹ All day, Performance Driving School (optional; cost, $75); 14:00-evening, registration for MM99, hospitality/welcome, LeBaron. August 3 ‹ All day, registration for MM99, hospitality/welcome, LeBaron; morning, car washing and waxing, LeBaron; 13:00-17:00, Concours and group photo, LeBaron; evening, Remote Control Car Races, vendor displays, LeBaron. (Secure vendor areas.) August 4 ‹ All day, registration for MM99, hospitality/welcome, LeBaron; 09:00-17:00, Rally Scenic Colorado; evening, Photo Contest, Model Contest, vendor displays, LeBaron. August 5 ‹ All day, registration for MM99, hospitality/welcome, LeBaron; 09:00-12:00, Autocross, LeBaron; 14:00-17:00, Funkhana, LeBaron; 20:00-?, Awards Banquet, LeBaron. August 6 ‹ All day, Follow-My-Leader Mountain Tour, Rocky Mountain Highways. Meet headquarters: LeBaron/Best Western Hotel, 314 W. Bijou, Colorado Springs, CO, (800) 477-8610. Be sure to mention Mini Meet for the rate of $79.95 per room night. (From combined sources.)

On The Beat (by Dave Black) June 1999 Issue

A whole lot has happened since our talk last month. The driving season is officially in full swing and most of the projects started last fall are rolling down the road!

Jeff Siefert has been driving his newly rebuilt "S" for about a month. He reports that the British Heritage Registry responded positively with a certificate confirming that his car is a true 1967 "S". His wish now is to restore the proper vehicle numbers and get his registration aligned accordingly. (Let us know how the Massachusetts registry responds, Jeff!)

Incidentally, Jeff came by last weekend to have his head re-torqued and valves adjusted and the most amazing thing happened he pulled into my wife’s side of the garage (where there are no oil spots), and when he left, there were still no oil spots! And yes, I checked the dipstick and there was oil in the engine. Maybe he just hasn¹t given it enough time!

Jeff also brought out an official pump for evacuating and refilling hydro-Minis. Greg figured out how to make the thing work and it did! I’m sure Jeff would let others use this tool if you ask him real nicely.

Horseneck autocross

Dave Reid returned from a trip to Loudon to break in the race engine and run in his new tires. He met Peter and me on Sunday, April 25th, at Horseneck Beach for the first autocross event of the year. More than 200 drivers congregated for a very busy day of racing. The Minis ran in the middle of the pack time-wise, not a bad showing overall. I just wish Dave would quit taking short cuts to try and better his time! Dave, the reason we walk the course before driving it is to get an idea of the layout and stay on course! Next time, pay attention! I really shouldn’t rag on Dave too much, ‘cause he did come through in a pinch later that evening.

After supper, we all headed for home. I insisted on blasting off first so I wouldn’t have to follow Dave at his leisurely pace in camper and trailer. Up Route 88 to Route 24 North went the Thurd, cruising for all the world with the rest of the traffic at 70 or so. A couple of kids pulled up alongside and gave me the thumbs-up, so I decked it and kept up with them for about 5 miles. All of a sudden there was a power loss and smoke out the back! We were just approaching Route 495 and I had to decide whether to get on Route 495 or pull into the rest area on Route 24. I opted for the rest area (luckily). Dave pulled in about 10 minutes later and we determined the Thurd should not be driven. Dave insisted on going out of his way to trailer me home, even though he¹d been gone from home for four days and had to catch a flight to the West Coast the next morning! Many thanks, Dave! Because you were so nice that evening, I¹m not going to publish the autocross results!

By 10:00 that night I’d pulled the head and determined that #3 piston had come apart and would require a rebuild. As luck would have it, I was scheduled to be in Sunnyvale, Calif., the next weekend, so I consulted a map and realized that Milpitas is only a couple of miles away. As most of you know, Mini Mania is located there. I spent an afternoon with Don, Julie, Jack and the crew, poring over their copious inventory and filling the baskets they provided! Everything needed was shipped and the Thurd went back together in record time, just in time for our first Cruise Night coming up the next Thursday.

In other news...

Greg’s engine is coming together slowly. The latest glitch has been cam timing and the wait for offset keys has delayed the project even further. NEMO held a planning meeting on May 2nd at Bruce and Faith¹s house. See the accompanying schedule for details of our events. A final note this month is to bid adieu to long-time NEMO member Pat Hourigan. Pat and his wife Lisa have been our official member contacts for a number of years and their contribution has been invaluable to a fledgling club. He will be sorely missed.

To NEMO friends

We have some sad news: Pat Hourigan passed away April 23rd. Lisa called to let us know. He was crossing a street and was hit by a car - he died instantly.

Pat and Lisa designed our NEMO logo and have been active members from the beginning. They couldn’t attend MME, but contributed those great remote control Minis that all the kids (big and small) wanted from the raffle. They are both very much in our thoughts this month.

On The Beat (by Dave Black) May 1999 Issue

Activities this month have been limited to the garage variety. Though a couple of forays into the real world with the Mini kindled the need for more, most of the action was found in the garage.

Jeff’s Cooper S was reassembled, tested on the stand, found worthy, and installed in his car. Road tests confirmed that this could be a keeper, and Jeff was last heard from driving into the sunset, look out for him around the North Shore!

Dave Reid has completed the rebuild of his race car and can't wait for the chance to get it on the track. He explained that he needs to break in a new set of tires as well as the engine, but can¹t do both at once! This sounds implausible until you learn that the engine needs 25 laps of easy running to break in properly. Tires, on the other hand, need three laps - one easy, the next harder to warm up, the last at race pace to "set." Then they must cool off completely before running again. It would be foolhardy to run a blistering lap with a fresh engine, so it¹ll take at least a day at the track to break in both! The things you learn when you least expect it!

The next event is scheduled for May 15-16 at NHIS. Prospective attendees so far are Dave Reid, Peter Reid, and Greg Mazza. Let Dave know if you plan on attending.

Greg¹s project recently got bigger. We hear there's a package weighing about 150 lbs. en route from the U.K. That's too heavy to be a loaf of bread, but too light to be a whole car. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what’s inside!

A visit to Mike Church in Tiverton found Don Bollin’s Mini rolled up on its side on a mattress! The underbody has been done and awaits a hydro pipe before full reassembly can be completed. Has anyone got a hydro pipe they can sell, lend, or give to Don so Mike can have his shop back?

I have it from two sources that Hrach is still excited about Minis. He was spotted at FLAME’s Spring Fling in Orlando in February. Has he been seen in New England recently?

Saturday last I spent with Faith and Bruce writing the summary for MME 1998. Bet you thought they’d forgotten about that! With any luck, and a lot of work, the report will be on its way to you by month’s end. Just don't hold me to which month!

Last year we had monthly meetings to plan MME and found that NEMO is a very cohesive group. This year, it seems we are all waiting in the closet for a reason to come out. We all have things we enjoy doing around our cars. For those still in the repair stage, how about some help from others in the club? It’s amazing how much can be accomplished on a Saturday afternoon to get your pride and joy on the road again. All you have to do is ask.

For those that are roadworthy, how about a rallye, or just a drive in the country? You could simply give directions to your town using all back roads and let the rallye come to you! Some destinations that pop into my mind are Plymouth, Cape Cod, Marblehead, Fairhaven, Plum Island, Westerly, Sudbury, Springfield, Tiverton. We have members in all of these areas, and all have points of interest besides your back yard! How about doing one a month? Bring your ideas to the Planning Meeting on May 2nd. Next month we’ll have events to talk about. Who's your choice for first place in the autocross this year? My opinion doesn't count! We need help from others in the club. As I said, it's amazing how much can be done on a Saturday!

Special Minis will celebrate 40^th - May 1999 Issue

Special to the Marque

A limited edition of the Mini goes on sale in the U.K. in April to mark the 40th anniversary of the car's original launch. The Mini 40 LE combines the traditional strengths of the car with the latest in style and colours. Production of the newcomer will be restricted to 250 and is likely to be much sought after by collectors. Rover Cars marketing director John Sanders said, "This highly desirable limited edition celebrates the Mini's long-standing position as a design icon. It is safe to say that no other car packs so much style into such a small space." The Mini created a new word in the dictionary when the car appeared in the 1960s. It provided interior space for four adults in one of the smallest vehicles on the road. This was achieved by putting its wheels on the very corners of the car which also gave the vehicle outstanding roadholding. The latter was quickly exploited in motorsport where the Mini proved a low-cost winner in both rallying and racing. The Mini 40 is being offered in the new colours of Island Blue, Mulberry Red or Old English White. Sitting on 330mm (13 in.) sports alloy wheels with body-colour wheel-arch extensions, it also sports twin spot-lamps and a large-bore tailpipe that pays homage to the Mini's competition history. Even the badging is special, with an anniversary decal on the bodyside and gold-plated Mini 40 badge on the bonnet. The interior boasts colour-keyed leather seats with contrasting piping. The same leather treatment extends to the fascia header, handbrake, and gear knob. A striking alloy fascia gives a sporting look reminiscent of historic racing Minis and incorporates a high-quality entertainment system complete with CD player. The Rover Mini Cooper continues in production and has been used as a basis for another limited edition, the Mini Cooper S Works, produced by John Cooper Garages. A spokesman for the latter said, "The conversion builds on the standard car's strengths to provide a substantially improved engine performance together with an enhanced specification. A specially developed (90hp) engine produces impressive acceleration, reaching zero to 60mph (96kph) in under nine seconds and a top speed of over 100mph (160kph). Exclusivity is guaranteed as just 250 S Works cars will be built, also. The spokesman continued, "The Cooper S Works proudly builds on its heritage to retain the unique Cooper S character, with its timeless appeal and cheeky exuberance. So many of today's cars are coldly efficient but bland. People will find that the Cooper S Works not only offers a total style statement that is refreshingly different, but it also proves to be a great way to discover the thrill of a light and lithe performer." While the Mini 40 from Rover has yet to be priced, the Cooper car will cost between £12,500 and £14,600. The Mini has been named the "Car of the Century" by the U.K.-based Autocar magazine and its 40th anniversary will be the subject of a two-day party at the Silverstone grand prix motor racing circuit north of London in August. For more information, contact Rover Group Ltd., Warwick Technology Park, Warwick, United Kingdom, CV34 6RG. Telephone +44 121 7816815, fax +44 121 1926 482001. Reach John Cooper Garages, Ltd., at 3 North Lane, East Preston, West Sussex, United Kingdom, BNI 6 IBN. Telephone +44 1903 784784, fax +44 1903 787722. (This arrived compliments of Terri Evans of the British Consulate-General in Boston.)

Halloween Party brings out some strange characters! by Faith Lamprey December 1998

Janet and Greg Mazza opened up their door on Halloween night to more than just kids trick-or-treating! NEMO club members trooped in from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut to enjoy each others' company, great food and some pretty creative costumes!

Janet, dressed as a devil (with a great tail!), hosted among others a biker chick (those tattoos were real!), a princess (that cleavage couldn't have been real!), a Maine fisherman, a Knight Errant (sans sword,a fuel pump adjuster, i.e., hammer, had to do!), the Prince of Darkness, and Zorro (and two mini clones)! There also was some guy dressed up as a NEMO member, plus a geisha (complete with komono), a Texan (now, some people wear that stuff on a regular basis!), a guy "who, you know, looks employed," and my personal (and the crowd's) favorite‹a Dave Black twin!

You know, they say imitation is the highest form of flattery. From the hat, the beard, shirt, pants, shoes‹even the belt‹we all knew who Steve Dodge was dressed as! However, Dave's wife was heard muttering, "Steve, you and Dave are spending way too much time together!"

We understand that Dave's boss, upon hearing about the stunt, gently suggested to Dave that maybe it was time for some new clothes and a different look!

What a great time we had‹thank you, Greg and Janet, for opening your house to this wild crew!

Tales from the Invasion by Dave Black - November 1998

STOWE, VT. -- As you've no doubt gathered from this month's headlines, the Stowe "British Invasion" was blessed with some of the best weather New England can offer. I agree that the inclusion of rain gear in this year's goodie bags was a good idea‹hope they're ordered already for next year!

Though the weather was perfect, only 23 Minis made the trek. We were split into two classes: one for '60s Minis, the other for '70s and newer. This meant that Mokes, vans, Travellers, pick-ups, and saloons would vie for the same prizes. In the '60s class, Hrach's (a.k.a. Dan Viola's) Moke took 3rd, Bruce and Faith 2nd with their recently repaired saloon, and Dean Meyer 1st once again with his lovely woody Traveler. The newer Minis found Pierre Tanguay in 3rd, Kevin Chappelle 2nd, and Martin Laliberté 1st with a beautifully restored '73 saloon.

Saturday evening's NEMO meeting was a refreshing change from last year‹only one event was planned! The annual Halloween Party was scheduled for October 31st at Greg and Janet's. Hrach will be orchestrating the foodstuffs, but call to see if you can bring another dish.

Sunday dawned bright and clear‹though that refers to the weather, as most of the Mini folks were neither! The Tug o' War was set up and the M.C. called for volunteers from the crowd to pitch in and help the team of their choice- Minis or Rovers. Lots of people streamed onto the field and filled the rope on each side to capacity. The M.C. noticed there was a Rover parked at their end of the rope, so he asked that a Mini be present at our end. Denis Boisvert volunteered his Moke (as usual), but we expected the Rovers to cheat again by tying the rope to their vehicle.

At this point, Chris Francis announced that the Minis‹in the spirit of good sportsmanship‹were offering for the Tug o' War winners a commemorative pin celebrating Land Rover's 50th Anniversary. The losers, he added, would get... two Land Rover pins!

Hearing the Rover boys groan over that dig and co-opting their next move, Denis parked his Moke behind the Rover! The Rovers left the rope and went to pick up Denis' Moke to get it out of the way. While they were so occupied, the call went out to pull! The rope stretched, caught for a moment, then came surely towards the Minis! We'd won! What we didn't realize is we'd also pulled the Rover! It seems the driver in a moment of overconfidence hadn't set the brake! Ha, ha! To be fair, the rope was then disengaged from all vehicles and we had a good old honest pull. It wasn't easy, but after much grunting and groaning, the Minis won! How many years has it been since we had an honest pull? I don¹t know how much money was donated to the Vermont Children's Fund (they should announce this), but it was certainly worthwhile, no matter who won!

[Exec. Ed. note: Well, there you have it. Now the matter I mentioned in my cover story is put to rest. We did pull the Rover after all, but during the first tug, when the Rover boys dropped the rope to remove Denis' Moke- and not the second time. Thanks, Dave, for clearing that up! - BV]

Later in the day, Denis had a chance to look over the Rover four-wheel drive obstacle course. With a little coaxing, we convinced him to try it in his Moke! He did, and this was the highlight of the show! He got hung up over the second hill and his "crew" ran onto the course to set things right. They became his cheering group, sending up a mighty hurrah! every time Denis cleared an obstacle. At least a hundred people came over from the car show to watch this silly little two-wheel drive Moke conquer the same course as those monstrous four wheelers! I'm sure next year the course will not be so Moke-friendly!

If you missed the Invasion this year, don't miss the next one!

more to come!

Return to NEMO Main Page