Events 2002

Events 2002

Many more events were attended and reported on during this year. Here's a rundown on some of the events your fellow Miniacs have participated in during 2002.

Norman Wright went to Spring Thing in Florida in late February or early March.

Also, in March, Arturo Lee took his brother's 2000 green Mini and headed south of the border to a Mini Meet in Morelia, Mexico.

"Captain Jake" Sposato made the 4th Annual Texas Mini-car Roundup in April and had a blast despite all the rain. Three Minis made it to the show - Angel Ruiz's Mayfair (Figaro,) a great blue Traveler (if you know whose it is, please send me a name!) and Jake's own Nigel. Here's Angel's account of the trials and tribulations he went through to get there:
"Figaro was ready to take us the Round-Up, but the rain wouldn't let up. After breakfast, we said, "What the heck, let's go for it." So we took off and I must say Figaro was just purring down 360 until we got over by the GM plant and then putt, putt, putt, oh man, we gonna walk in the rain. We called John Wright and told him that we were going to head back home. Figaro is cutting out and running real rough. So we turned around and we nursed Figaro all the way back home without having to walk or call for help. Once we arrived at the house, I told Maddy to give me 15 minutes and be ready to try it again. John had informed me that there were about 13 cars including The Captain at the Round-Up and I was determined to be there also. So remembering an old VW Beetle cure for wet distributors I asked Maddy for her Playtex gloves. I cut the fingertips off the left glove, and then I removed the cap and wires from the distributor. I removed the wires from the cap and then we ran the wires through the fingertips of the glove. Maddy had to stretch the fingertip while I tried shoving the plug wire through the hole with the boot still attached. It fits. We then did the same with all the other wires including the coil wire and our first attempt was all wrong. The cap was 180 off. So we took it all apart again and this time we tried it with the right glove and behold, it worked. We blow dried everything, put the cap back on the distributor, connected the plug wires and worked the palm of the glove over the distributor. With wire ties, I tightened the ends of the fingertips around the wires and told Maddy, "Let's go". It took us 30 minutes. Figaro started right up. Off we go again, rain coming down big time. As we passed the GM plant for the second time that day, I knew we were going to make it. We arrived just in time to win the Last Arrival Award. Truly an honor and well deserved I might say. We had enough time to say hello to everyone and chat for a while. It was great, rain and all. We made it back home with no more wet distributor problems. I'm thinking of leaving it on."

Also in April, nine classic Minis and one New MINI made it to All British Car Days at White Rock Lake in Dallas.

Four Minis turned out for the Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee celebration & Great Taste of Britain at The British Emporium in Grapevine on Saturday June 1st.

On the weekend of June 22/23, John Wright, Wes Stewart, and Skip Laughlin ventured their way to Rockwall for the annual Cruise and Blues car show. Wes reports:
"Even though we did not bring home any trophies, we are all winners. I am thoroughly convinced that we brought a great many smiles per gallon to that show. Thank you to all that participated. The event has certain expenses, but the net raised this year looks to exceed late years $8000 charity fundraiser. The money goes for scholarships for deserving youth. Anytime I can break bread with my fellow Miniacs is a good time."
John supplied these pictures.

Skip and Elaine Laughlin loaded up their Woody and headed for the east coast for Mini Meet East June 27-30. They came back thinking they had won one award - only to learn a few days later that they'd won another. Here's Skip's account:
"MME 2002 was a blast, Elaine and I had a ball. There were 138 cars registered, probably 25-30 Binis (MINIs). There were some new Cooper S's, some less than a week old. We won 3rd in the "closed" class (vs. open, meaning Moke and convertibles) of the Funkana and the Woody was 3rd in the judging for "Personal" class of Vans, Pickups, and Estates. Elaine and I judged Personal MKII and MKIV sedans. Very interesting and educational."
Then came the big surprise:
"Can I be allowed to puff my chest out a little? 8 or 10 people come up to me during the MME meet and said that the Woody was one of, if not the, nicest Minis there. Several recognized it as an M-Tech car and I willingly give Mike Waterjohns credit. Consequently, I was surprised that we were awarded 3rd in class, not 1st. Sunday morning, after my head cleared a little, I realized that the lack of a commission number and of a chassis plate handicapped us 20 points. That's a lot to make up in condition points. The judges only followed the judging points, nothing more and nothing less. Consequently I was most pleased to get an email yesterday from Gordon King, the MME committee chairman of SCUM, saying in part:"
'In a discussion started at the MME Banquet, the SCUM / MME Committee has awarded you a special Mini Meet East Award "Enthusiasts of the Meet." This award is being made for several reasons, all of which recognize true Mini enthusiasts with true Mini enthusiasm. From driving the distance you did, the level of preparation of your car, the spirit with which you and Elaine took part in the various sub-events, and least but not last - the (in my personal opinion) judges' faux par in not awarding you 1st place in the Concours. And the class with which you accepted "defeat." You and Elaine are a class act - very worthy of such recognition! We have the trophy prepared, but need a photo of your car. Our MME photographer left for vacation right after the meet and I don't have a good picture of your car. Please could you e-mail a photo of your Estate?'

The weekend of September 28/29 saw the return of All British Car Days (ABCD) to Roundrock, TX - north of Austin. There, no fewer than a dozen Minis turned out to bask in the Texas sunshine.

Tom Davies and his crew saddled up their racing Mini and took it to Mexico for the Mexican Road Race known as La Carrerra Panamericana October 25-31.

Every year, there's a Mini Meet East and a Mini Meet West. But there's been never been anything of that caliber in the middle of the country. So John and Charlene Lee set about to change that. They organized an event that we called Mini Meet SouthWest in Boerne and Comfort, Texas, on the weekend of November 1-3 and the turnout was fantastic. Despite the cold, rainy weather, 19 classic Minis and 3 New MINIs showed up - along with close to 50 people. Xavier Gonzalez Ortega and his family drove all the way from Mexico City in their Mini. Ricardo Albrecht and his family drove their Mini from Laredo. And a group of MINIacs led by Roman Paez from Monterrey made the trip in a Volvo, since their Mini wasn't ready. Weekend activities included a laid back car show in downtown Comfort, short and long drives through the Texas Hill Country, a gimmick rally, and some great food. The San Antonio BMW dealer sent out a New MINI Cooper S in the company of salesman Enrique Palacios and even sponsored a Saturday night party at the Armadillo on the Creek.

But your friendly neighborhood MINIacs weren't finished yet. On Sunday, November 10th, a bunch of them got together in Grapevine, TX, for the British Emporium's Fall Classic. Those attending were "Captain Jake" & Dana Sposato, Angel & Maddie Ruiz, John Wright, and Wes Stewart with their Minis as well as John Stadleman and Craig Morgan without.

MOT members Mike and Cindy Morgan and Craig Burchsted wrapped up the year by taking part in the annual Friendswood (a suburb of Houston) Christmas parade on Saturday, December 14th. Here are some shots of their cars. Mike provided this explanation: Craig Burchsted's snowman was an inflatable powered by a fan and also had an interior light. The unit collapsed onto the top of the car until the start of the parade. Craig used an inverter to power the fan motor, created quite a stir when it came to life. Everyone was taking pictures.