Volume I, Number X May/June 2000
Hi All:
Summer is finally here... Mini overheating season has arrived, and we have a whole bunch of fun things planned for you... so let's get those Minis on the road and make every meeting a "Bring Your Mini To The Meeting Month".
In This Issue... you'll find our new MMPEAPSHA Summer Schedule plus other upcoming BritCar Events, a report on our May Mini-Sota Mini's "Italian Job" Mini Cruise & Meeting (and pizza pigout), details on our next meeting, plus other fun stuff (some of it even useful)!
Our next issue will be coming out at the beginning of July (more or less), so, if you have anything you'd like to contribute to the newsletter...articles, news items, technical tips, helpful hints, Mini jokes, pix of your Mini, items for the "For Sale & Wanted" pages... send them to Jim Baumann at: cbaumann@lkdllink.net or call me at 1-320-963-5681. Deadline for the next issue is the end of June (more or less).
Our Last Meeting... held on Saturday, May 20th, was our May Mini-Sota Minis "Italian Job" Mini Cruise, a leisurely 1 hour cruise along some interesting roads in the South Metro Area.
The Culprit Cars
Criminal Mastermind Karl Jenstad with (L to R) Jim & Carol Baumann's "Dudley DoRight", Ann O'Callaghan's '68 Mini Cooper "S", Dave Piacentini's "Babe the Blue Box", Mick Mohrlant's '67 Mini Cooper "S", Curt Carlson's "Gerty" ('66 Sprite Mk.III), and Bob Enquist's '69 Austin America.It was a gorgeous day, and to top it all off, Richfield was having their "City-Wide Garage Sale"... so we had a large and enthusiastic audience. Lots of waves, smiles, double-takes, and bugged eyes!Criminal Mastermind, Chief Navigator, and Course Marshall Karl Jenstad only managed to get us lost twice! Oh well, u-turns are fun in a Mini.
We took off from Karl's house at about 1:45, drove thru some nice scenic areas and some neat twistys & turneys, and finished about an hour later at Fireside Pizza in Richfield... and wouldn't ya know it, the bus never showed up! Sooooo... we took our gold bullion inside and blew it all on pizza!
"We're here, now where's the #%*$ Bus!!
The Gang... (L to R) Curt "Spriget" Carlson (Pres. of the MN AH Club),"Blackjack" Bob Enquist, Mick "The Knife" Mohrlant, "Deadeye" Dave Piacentini and sons, Ann "Leadfoot" O'Callaghan, Karl "U-turn" Jenstad (Event MINIster), Carol "Baby Doll" Baumann... not pictured... Jim "Hotwheels" Baumann, (Hero Driver, editor & photographer).Our Next Meeting... will be on Saturday, June 10th, '00 @ 10 AM at "British Car Day" in Mankato, MN. This is the fourth annual running of this event (last year it drew 180 British cars). It will be held at, and hosted by Triumph Club member Dave Wintz's business, "New Life To Classics" (specializing in the rebuilding and restoration of British cars). Food, door prizes, and more......
New Life To Classics
1101 N. Riverfront Drive
Mankato, MN
(507) 387-2277
If you'd like to convoy down (over back roads) with other BritCars, meet at the "Happy Chef" parking lot at 1120 lst Ave. E, in Shakopee at 9 AM (there's safety in numbers).... or make it there any way you can. There will be a group photo taken around 10 AM...copies will be available for $15. Need more info? Contact our Event MINIster, Karl Jenstad at: jenstad@pro-ns.net or by phone at: (612) 869-7611.
BRING YOUR MINI TO THE MEETING
UPCOMING EVENTS
June 9-11.....Rendezvous 2000.....Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada....10th annual vintage sports car rendezvous. "We're looking for a few good Minis, MGs, BMWs, Healeys, Triumphs, Volkswagens, Jaguars, Alfas, Morgans, etc. to help us celebrate." Hosted by the Thunder Bay Vintage Sports Car Club. The schedule for the event is as follows:
Friday - Pre-event touring; registration; hospitality reception. Saturday - registration; buffet breakfast; rally; lunch; show & shine; banquet Sunday - continental breakfast; funkhana or slalom; short local tours; good byes 'til next year.
For event information contact Roger Richards, Registrar at (807) 473-4882.
June 10 (Sat.)...... June MMPEAPSHA Meeting and "British Car Day".....10:00 a.m. Mankato, Minnesota. Fourth annual running of this event. It will be held at, and hosted by, Triumph Club member Dave Wintz's business, New Life to Classics (specializing in the rebuilding and restorationof British cars). Address is 1101 N. Riverfront Drive in Mankato. Food, door prizes, and more. Contact Dave for info, (507) 387-2277.
June 11 (Sun.).....Wright County Car Club Extravaganza.....Car show, fly in, buffalo burgers and band held at the Buffalo, MN Rodeo Grounds. Y'all come....."Dudley DoRight" will be there. Contact: John Hagen at (612) 684-1617.
July 16 (Sun.).....July MMPEAPSHA Meeting and "Sunday Picnic In The Park"......a hotdog & hamburger cookout to be held at a Twin Cities Metro Area park. Time & place to be announced.
Aug. 12 (Sat.).....August MMPEAPSHA Meeting and 1st Birthday Party and "British Car Swap Meeting" at Ellingson's Car Museum, Rogers, Minnesota. Parts parts, parts. People, people, people. Cars, cars, cars. More info later.
Sept. 9 (Sat.)......September MMPEAPSHA Meeting at "Wheels & Wings".....This is the Biggie! This is where MMPEAPSHA really got started! 7:30 AM Osceola, Wisconsin. Classic Motorbooks' annual car show and sale. Last year there were 900+ cars in attendance, many of them Minis, Triumphs, MGs, Healeys, Morgans, Porsches, Fiats, Lotuses, Alfas, etc. There's a tent with Motorbooks overstocks available in deep discounts and you can get a good discount on any of their books in the warehouse also. More information as the event gets closer but pencil it in on your calendar now.
Sept 22, 23 & 24 (Fri., Sat., & Sun.)....."Midwest Fest"....LaCrosse, WI....This will be the first multi-day, all British, regional event held in this part of the country. All cars can participate in the rally, tour, funkhana, autocross, and concours. This event is sponsored by MN Triumphs, but all British Marques are encouraged to attend. For further info on this full weekend of fun, contact Andy Lindburg at: andylindberg@earthlink.net or by phone at: (651) 227-3355.
Oct. 7th (Sat.).....October MMPEAPSHA Meeting and "Mini Monte Carlo Fall Sceinic Criuise to Mankato".....a scenic back-road drive from the South Metro to Dave Wintz's New Life To Classics in Mankato, MN. More info later.
"BRING YOUR MINI TO THE MEETING"
Welcome To Our New Members......
Maurizio & Christina Annibaletto
Brescia, Italy
'73 Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300MINIACS PSALM
from the SAMOAN newsletter June 1975The Morris is my motor--I shall not want another
It maketh me to lie down in wet places.
It despaireth my soul.
It leadeth me into the paths of ridicule for its name sake.
It prepareth a breakdown in the presence of mine enemies.
Yea, though I run through the valleys, I am towed up ye hills.
I fear no evil when it is with me. Its sump runneth over me.
Surely to goodness the damn thing won't follow me all the days of my life.
Or I shall dwell in the house of the insane forever.
BUMPER STICKER
THERE IS A METHOD TO THE MADNESS
When tracing your way through that spaghetti pile of a wiring harness, have you ever wondered what the colors represent? Believe it or not, there actually is an explanation for the color code. Each major circuit of the electric system has a basic color code which represents its function.The feed or source wires of a particular circuit have a solid color; the switched wires of that circuit have the identifying main color with a second color tracer which identifies the sub-circuit. Ground wires are almost always black. Circuits which are switched on the ground side of the load such as the horn usually have a black tracer color.
Brown - Battery and charging circuits
White - Ignition circuit
Blue - Headlamp circuit
Red - Side and tail light circuit
Green - Auxiliary circuits supplied through the ignition switch
Purple - Circuits supplied directly from the fuse block
Black - Earth (Ground) circuits
Light Green - Turn signal circuit, instrument circuits
As an example, suppose that you want to know which coil wire is connected to the points. Upon examination you will find that' there is a solid white wire and a white wire with a black tracer. The white wire, by definition, is the ignition source wire. The black tracer indicates that the wire is in a switched circuit to ground. Therefore the white wire with black tracer is the one connected to the points. This is quite useful on
Minis with the plastic insulated wires. But if you have one of the early models with the braided fabric insulation that inevitably fades beyond recognition, you will have to depend on the trusty ohm or continuity meter.
Actor James Garner faces emergency situations every week in his role as Jim Rockford on the popular TV series The Rockford Files. But recently he was faced with a real-life crisis. While backing into his driveway in an imported English Mini-Cooper, Garner accidentally ran over his dog's paws. So, he borrowed a few tips from Jim Rockford and rushed the injured pooch in for emergency veterinary treatment. Now thanks to Garner's quick action the canine should be completely recovered in a few weeks. (from a 1977 newspaper article)
MINI FOR SALE.......Custom Paint Job
WANTED & FOR SALE
WANTED: Hosts for MMPEAPSHA meeting. If you'd like to volunteer your home or place of business to host a club meeting, contact Karl Jenstad at: jenstad@pro-ns.net or call: (612) 869-7611.
WANTED: Scott Maxson is looking for a project Mini to make into an autocrosser. The engine isn't important, but he'd like as little rust as possible. Call him at: 1-507-356-4965 or e-mail him at: smaxson@us.ibm.com .
SERVICE OFFERED: New member Philip Roberts from Brighton, England writes: "I had a thought....If there is anything I can pass on, i.e..send you copies of the 'Mini World' Magazine, spares catalogues, or even act as an agent to get things, even full working Mini's....then I would be only too happy to help. Maybe you could print that, and my details in your next Oily Edition. If any of you fellow Mini nuts need a break and want to visit the good old blighty, then my sofa bed is always available...:o) I live in Brighton, about 50 miles from Central london, and not a million miles away from the Cooper garages....let me know , if you know anyone is after anything in particular, and I will gladly help....." Philip can be contacted at: Funky.Duck@virgin.net or by phone: +44 (0) 1273 235 059
FOR AUCTION: Member Mike Priest has an auction site on eBay with some real neat Mini items up for auction: http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewListedItems&userid=minisota
FOR SALE: "Dear friends, I'm a mini fanatic from Italy. I send you some pictures of my Innocenti Mini Cooper 1300, year of production 1973. The car has been with my family since new and has only 23.000 Km on it ! It is absolutely as new, spotless. I wish to sell it, possibly in the United States, where last year I sent our old Fiat 500 as well. I would like to get US$ 5.000 for it, which is a very reasonable price, I think. If some of you is interested, please feel free to contact me for further information or other pictures. The car is in Brescia, Italy. Best regards and good luck with your club. Maurizio Annibaletto maurizio.1@numerica.it " (Editor's note: This is an absolutely beautiful and pristine Mini. If you're interested, I'll forward the e-mail pix that Maurizio sent me: cbaumann@lkdllink.net )
FOR SALE: 1960 Austin Mini Mk.I....1275 Engine, Cooper transmission, Minilight wheels and Patty Hopkirk seats. It is red and runs real well. Recently driven home from Pennsylvania. We are asking $6500.00 or we will consider an offer. Car is located near Hudson, WI. My home phone is 715-425-2580 I am at that number after 5:30. My wifes work # is 715-386-8332 ....any interest just call. I can also be reached at: triumph@pressenter.com Thanks Bob and Sue Lee.
FOR SALE --Collector Reduction Sale: Austin Mini Mokes from $1500. Australian Mini Moke, Datsun 2000 Roadster, '74 MGB Roadster, Bugeye Sprites, BMW Isetta, Moretti Coupe, NSU Sport Prinz, Glas 1700 GT Coupe, '71 Austin Cooper 1275 "S", '71 Lotus Europa racecar, Austin & Morris Minis, Austin Cooper project car, Austin Cooper "S" body shell (ex-racer), '70 Lotus Europa project, Austin Healy 3000 (BT-7), Austin Mini Van (new paint & interior), Austin Mini vintage race car, Austin Mini Van project, '82 Austin Mini 1000 low miles, '71 Jag XJ6 for parts or restoration, '84 Toyota Starlet, '91 Honda Civic hatchback......................and..............
PARTS & EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: 5hp air compressor (horizontal w/new motor), 165 amp wire feed (220 volt, still in box), TIG Welder (250 amp Marquette), Panasport Wheels for most cars, 2 steam or water unit heaters (2' x 2'), Lotus Europa Renault engine, Mini 1000 & 1275 engines & assorted parts, Window Air Conditioner (large, 220 volt), BMW 2002 Ti Engine & Transmission, MGB engine, Victorian Furnitre. Contact: Tom Schramm at Tommytoyota@aol.com or phone: 1-612-937-2337
FOR SALE: 1980 Scirroco S....Alpine White, 5spd, rare fuel injected model w/105k original miles. Car is in pristine shape and is 90% original, never driven in snow, and has original alloy rims--new tires, CV joints, timing belt. Needs nothing...No disappointments -- looking for $3500 but bring me your offer. Brian Burkart...1-612-299-0335 (Pager) or e-mail at: brian.l.burkart@ac.com .
FOR SALE: Greg Wold still has a nice Mini tow bar for sale for $100 and now has a Mini gearbox for sale. 3 syncro, straight cut, close ratio with or without diff. Wold Racing prepared. All safety wired and rebuilt for race or street if you want noisy gears. $600. Contact Greg at: barbfw@aol.com or phone 1-612-420-4503.
FOR SALE: On consignment: Accepting offers on a 1969 Mini "K" 1100. Australian car imported in August of '99. Wet suspension car with 1098 engine which died in transit from California only 130 miles from the Colo. Springs Mini Meet. Engine needs complete rebuild, but would be better to swap for a new 1275. Has a remote type transmission, not rod change. Drum brakes with twin leading shoes, original paint in Camino Gold (an Oz exclusive). Mark1 trim and Cooper type grille and this car is a Morris as are most Oz cars. And the best part is the Oz Doors! Roll up windows with 1/4 vent windows. Car is original and rust free. I need to cover the over $1500.00 in shipping costs as well as the price of the car so please consider this in your offer. This transaction must meet the approval of the owner who is still in Oz. Contact Dave Piacentini at: davanan@msn.com or phone: (612) 242-1729 (cellular w/voicemail).
FOR SALE: Mini MkII, needs total restoration, ready to roll [on trailer], have most parts. $675. New set of replacement floors, rockers, batt.box, misc. $175. Old style dbl. snowmobile trailer....$150. Please call Dean at: (612) 938-2281
FOR SALE: 1972 Mini 1275...has had a complete teardown and rebuild....$12,000. I'll have more Minis for sale in the future. I can find Minis in England for anyone. Prices start at $5,000 for an "as is" RHD Mini. I also have a number of Citroens for sale. Call Brent Peterson at: (612) 545-2020 or e-mail at: brent@minisforsale.net
FOR SALE: 1969 Austin America 1275cc, 4-speed, 37,000 original miles...runs and drives. $1,000. E-mail Kristen and Alan Albrechtsen at: kalbo@home.com.
Any Comments or Suggestions? Any ideas for improving "The Oily Edition"? Give me a call at: 1-320-963-5681 or e-mail at: cbaumann@lkdllink.net ..........
.......See ya at "BRITISH CAR DAY" in Mankato.......
.......BRING YOUR MINI TO THE MEETING.......
