Articles from the British Marque Newspaper

October through December 2001

OCTOBER  2001 ISSUE

On the beat with Dave Black

    I'll tell you what, I hope we never have another week like the one this past month.  The emotions have run at an all-time high and low!  Thank goodness we can occupy ourselves with our beloved little cars!  Somehow, though, a lot of the fun has been taken out of driving.  Time will help to heal the shock we all feel, but the memory of that week's events will remain
as vivid as ever.
    Now, on to more enjoyable pursuits.
    NEMO activity this month included a Cruise Night with BMCNE in Scituate, RI, Vintage Weekend at Lime Rock Park, and the British Invasion at Stowe. Randy has been good enough to contribute an article about Lime Rock and
member Dave Reid's exploits.
    I was unable to attend the British Invasion due to circumstances perpetrated by the week's events, but many of the NEMO crew were there.  We understand that the weather cooperated fully and a full report will be in next month's Marque.
    Cruise Night was our first appearance en masse at BMCNE's weekly activity.  It's held at the Gazebo in North Scituate, former site of the old Scituate Elementary School.  I can remember when the school burned down in the '60s!  Had a couple of siblings in attendance at the time!  Lots of British stuff there and much good conversation, with snacks to boot!
Recommend we attend more often.
    Way back at MME, Bruce had asked if I'd do a little work on his Mini. He needed some carburetor jets replaced and a proper dogbone installed. Well, it finally happened two weeks ago (maybe he should find a more reliable mechanic!).  Bruce showed up at 10 on Labor Day morning and proceeded to unpack all the parts he'd received to do the tasks at hand.
Every nut, bolt, washer, and plate was included in the box of stuff he brought. 
    I inquired about the whereabouts of the dogbone itself and got one of those "oh my gosh" responses.
    A frantic search ensued, first the box (empty), then the car (nada), then the toolbox (not!).  It seems we were to install a phantom part!  It was discussed that perhaps Faith could find the errant part (Bruce was sure he knew where it was.  Of course, he knew it was in the box of parts!), and run it up here.  That idea was squashed when we realized that Faith would
probably run out and buy a bag of dog treats for us!
    Steve came to the rescue when he announced that he had at least a couple of the silly things at his house.  And so the day progressed from dogbone to Nikki jets and on to a scrumptious lunch put on by Jo-Ann.
    Over lunch Bruce let on that perhaps his Mini was a bit louder in the exhaust department than it should be (anyone who's followed him will attest to that!).  What was needed was a good old RC-40 system, we told him.  Have to wait for another day, he commiserated.  Not so, came the reply,  got one ready to go leaning against the garage wall!
    About two hours worth of cussing, cutting, hammering and swearing later,  voila!  And so now you'll really have to listen to hear the comings and goings of Bruce and Faith's 1100 Mini!
    In other member news, Dave Vanolinda has finally got his Cooper S on the road.  He reports that it's as much fun to drive as he had imagined all last winter while working on it.
    Curtis Boivin is awaiting delivery of a rear subframe with attendant parts and wants to hold a tech session to get it swapped.  A notice will be posted when this event gets planned.
    Ken Lemoine reported that he and several other members flew to England to attend an event whose name I didn¹t catch maybe Beaulieu.  They returned on Monday, September 10th!!  Phew!
    Steve Dodge has gone and done it again.  Another Innocenti is in his driveway!  This one is a real honey, 1974, 1100cc, and a real tight body. It's for sale and will make somebody a very nice driver.  Call him at (508) 478-8706 or e-mail at sedodge@mediaone.net
    Here's a tech tip from personal experience.  My engine had started to run very rough and seemed to be stumbling "on the cam."  It was most noticeable about 2500rpm, and would sputter when really pushed past 5000rpm.
I messed with all the usual suspects;  points, condenser, timing, carburetor adjustment, and even tried a variety of different needles.
Nothing seemed to improve the problem.  As an afterthought, I checked the dashpot for oil and, you guessed it;  dry!  Now all is fine once again!
    Another problem developed on the way home from work.  After about 15 miles at 70mph, I exited and noticed the oil pressure had dropped to about half what it usually is.  Oh my gosh!!  I stopped and checked the oil level, looked for leaks and anything that might be amiss.  All seemed O.K., so I drove it home a little less aggressively than normal, wondering all the way whether I had time before Stowe to perform a lumpectomy.  At home, I decided to double-check the pressure gauge.  Hooked up a spare that happened to be hanging around, but that showed the same as the original.  Hmm, wonder if the pressure relief valve spring might be broken.  Found a lump of metal that had stuck the relief valve open!  That problem seems to be solved now, though I have to wonder if there¹s any more of that metal floating around
the engine!
    That's about it for this month.  Don't forget to come to the Halloween Party on Saturday, October 27th!


Spot the Mini
by Faith Lamprey

    Take the Money and Run is an old movie ('60s vintage), but one worth seeing again, even if it is only to check out the Mini!  Woody Allen takes a pristine white Mini with a black top and (unsuccessfully and hilariously) tries to run down a woman who is blackmailing him.  The size of the Mini is, of course, an integral part of this very funny gag!


Reid setback at LRP
by Randy Koehler   (photos by Randy also)

    Lakeville, CT;  David Reid's point lead took a serious blow at Lime Rock's Vintage Festival on Labor Day weekend.  He was to run his Mini in two events;  the Historic Trans-Am, the field being composed of mostly Camaros and Porsches, and the Historic Production Based, which was filled with mostly Triumphs, MGs, Lotus, and Alfa Romeos.
    His first race, the Trans-Am event, was to be a tune-up for the class race, to be held later in the day.  His brother Peter instructed him to be careful and stay out of trouble as this race, in the scheme of things, was of no great importance.
    David started the event about mid-pack behind all the big block Chevys, and was soon chasing a 2 liter Pinto.  This turned into a torrid battle. Late in the race, they both came upon a lapped car in the esses.  The Pinto went outside and Dave pulled a gutsy move by going to the bottom and passing both cars.  (Later in the day this same move was tried by a Lola T70 on a
Ferrari, with disastrous results.)  Dave spent the last couple of laps trying to fight off the Pinto, but lost by a whisker at the checker.

    In the all-important race of the day, Dave was gridded third behind a Volvo P1800 and an Alfa Romeo. At the green they motored away, exchanging the lead several times, leaving Dave basically uncontested in third.  On the last lap a Triumph Spitfire tried to make the pass for position underneath him in the esses.  Things got ugly as the Spitfire hammered on the Mini,
shearing the left rear wheel and hub assembly off the car and throwing it, by all accounts, at least 10 ft. in the air.  Dave, meanwhile, was in a slide that ended just short of the woods.
    The day ended sadly with the battered Mini being towed to the paddock and placed on the trailer.  Much work would have to be done to get the car ready for the following week's vintage races at Watkins Glen...

Don't miss the NEMO Halloween Party!

    Grafton, MA;  Greg and Janet Mazza will host the annual NEMO Halloween Party on Saturday, October 27th, at 6 p.m. at their lovely home in Grafton. Bring a dish for the buffet table and dress in costume (it's more fun!).
Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes.  Call Greg and Janet with questions, (508) 839-3518.
    Directions from the west:  Take the Mass Pike (Rt. 90) east to Exit 10 (Millbury, Rt. 122).  Go right at the end of the ramp on Rt. 122 south. Follow Rt. 140 south (bear left at the lake, up the hill).  Follow 140 south 4 miles past the lake on your left.  Take the next left onto Leland Street. In 1/2 mile take the next left onto George Hill Road.  It is the fourth
house on the left.
    From Connecticut:  Take 84 North to the Mass Pike and follow the above directions.
    From Boston:  Take the Mass Pike west to Exit 11 to 495 South to Exit 21B (Main Street, West Upton).  Follow to the end.  At the light take a right onto Rt. 140 North.  Follow 3 miles to Leland Street.  Take a right and follow 1/2 mile to left onto George Hill Road.  It is the fourth house on the left.
    From Rhode Island:  Take 146 North to the Central Turnpike exit.  Take a right off the ramp.  Follow to the end near an old brick mill.  Take a left onto Rt. 122 North.  Follow about 2 miles to Milford Road (Klondike Inn on corner;  if you get to the Agway, you¹ve gone too far).  Take a right. Follow to the end at Rt. 140 North.  Take a left.  Follow 3 miles to Leland
Street.  Take a right and follow 1/2 mile to left onto George Hill Road.  It is the fourth house on the left.

NOVEMBER 2001 ISSUE

NEMO attends 'Legends' show
by Dave Newman

    Falmouth, MA, Oct. 7 (2001)  Four Minis and three times that many NEMO members were part of the Cape Cod British Car Club's Sunday show in Falmouth.
    The first of what is to be an annual event, the show was held at the Marine Park, right along side the Falmouth Harbor.  Clean, well-packed grass greeted participants.  The small entry fee got you an event T-shirt and a goody bag of stuff.
    NEMO and Cape Cod member Glen Carliss had been there first with his 'Banana Creme Pie' Mini.  Glen¹s wife and daughters were there, too.  It was a long commute for Glen, seeing that he lives about a half mile away!

    Another NEMO member, Dave Vanolinda, brought his original-condition (and very red) '65 Mini Cooper S.
    Barbara, Christa and I drove down in our ¹67 British Open Classic Mini with Dan St. Croix following in his Bank Garage Mk4 Retro Mini.
    The Minis seemed to get more attention from the crowd than all the other cars, and the others were impressive.  Almost everyone asked NEMO members what they thought about the new BMW Mini coming out next year.  The usual
reply;  great car, love to own one, but no, we'd never give up our classic Minis.
    The night before the show, Dan's Lucas Sport Coil lost all its internal cooling fluid to a leak caused by rubbing on his oil cooler lines.  We dug out a brand new coil from our 850 MkI and found that while his distributor used push fit wires, the 850 coil used screw-in.  No problem, mate!  We quickly fashioned up some bumble bee ignition wire, one end screw-in and the
other with push-fit to match.  A few minutes later and Dan's Mini was back on the road with more power than before.
    During the show, Dan took off his grille to check an oil leak and, while Glen was looking at his starter primary wire, noticed that the rubber insulator was worn away.  The oil cooler, which was wedged in between the grille and starter, had lost its jury-rigged rubber mount and worn away the insulator.  Who knows what the sparks and possible fire would have been on
the next start up!  Never underestimate the power of a Mini engine to chafe away at any part left flapping!
    During the show, Dave Reid, his wife and Dad stopped by.  They had been at a wedding the night before just a few blocks away.
    There were British cars of all types here.  A Roller, a Bentley, Jags, Lotuses, MGs, Triumphs, Healeys, a single Morris Minor, Morgans, and more!
See the (here) NEMO website for photo coverage of the show and lots of pictures.
    The weather was cool but not cold, and many new friendships were made. The CCBCC got a few more members also!  One thing that was quite different from any other car show was the excellent food and service by the local PTO
group.  The event organizers made a great choice there.
    Judging of the various classes was announced at 1:30 p.m., with the Minis being the first class judged.  Dan St. Croix took 1st place, Barbara Newman 2nd place and Glen 3rd.
    Glen credits his high finish to his secret weapon; a hula girl ornament.  A few minutes before the voting, Glen pulled out his hula girl and inserted it with a custom mount into the bonnet release area of the grille.  In the wind, the hula girl started swaying, and sway the votes it did!  Not even a Cooper S could resist the vote pull of the cute little hula
girl.  Keep this in mind, folks, the next time you see Glen at a show.
    Our hats are off to the show organizers.  Well done, and well worth attending during the Columbus Day weekend next year.  We'll be there!

On the beat  with Dave Black

    Two events to talk about this month; Stowe and Classic British Legends.
    Though I was not able to attend the British Invasion at Stowe, reports spoke glowingly about the new location; a dry, well-manicured field (no cow-pies!).  Mini attendance was at an all-time low this year.  We assume itwas due to the time-consuming border crossings brought about by recent events and, of course, the continuing exchange rate that puts the Canadians at a distinct disadvantage.  One newsworthy item: Ken Taplin of Blue Hill, ME, won a third place trophy for his tilt-nose, recently re-powered Cooper. Congratulations, Ken!
    The Cape Cod British Car Club held their annual Classic British Legends weekend over October 6-8.  Four Minis made the trek and found this to be an event worthy of our attention next year.  To see some pictures not included
in this month¹s report, go to www.airport world.com/CCBCC_Falmouth1.htm.
    By next October, there should be a few 'new Minis' in our club; do you suppose they'll be excluded from the next 'Classic British Legends'?  It's obvious they only want classics in attendance!
    I received a distressing e-mail on October 4th.  It read, 'Mini production ceased one year ago today.'  Nuff said!
 Work continues in the basement on a couple of 1293 rebuilds.  One lump is almost ready to go with a 3.1:1 rod-change tranny.  The next will be ready shortly and will come with a choice of 3.1 or 3.44:1 final drive; anyone interested?  Call me!
    On Saturday, November 3rd, there will be a tech session at my (Dave Black's) house.  Starting around 10 a.m., we will attempt to replace a rear subframe in Curtis' car.  He assures me all the parts have arrived and it should be a cinch!  Yuk, yuk!  Ever heard that one before?
    After the tech session, the next event is the annual NEMO Christmas Party and Yankee Swap.  This will be held at the usual location; John Harvard's Brewhouse in Framingham, MA.  It's located on the north side of Shoppers World.  Look for Minis in the parking lot.  Starts at 11:30, December 16th, so bring your appetite and a small gift for the Yankee Swap!
    Dave Newman has e-mailed to suggest that we plan at least one more rallye this fall.  Next year, he'd like to see a monthly activity, starting with tech sessions in February and March, then continuing with rallyes and autocrosses, shows and what-have-you, one event a month for the whole of 2002.  Bring your ideas to NEMO parties for discussion!
    Can't think of much else this month;  see y'all soon!

Spot the Mini       by Faith Lamprey

    Bridget Jones' Diary provides something for everyone.  The guys get to see Renee Zellweger in very short skirts and a very revealing bunny suit (the Playboy bunny, not the Easter one).  We gals get to see Hugh Grant without his shirt.  And Mini lovers get to see three people try to jump into a Mini very quickly. Admittedly, this is a 'chick film,' but fun to watch nevertheless!