I agree but I cant stand carosel motors they are just rude to people


and they are the BMW here

 

Do the BMW dealers in eastern IA do routine/warranty maintenance on MINIs? Do they have MAs with the requisite training? The BMW dealer in Rochester would be a lot easier drive for me than Minneapolis.

After recently moving to Decorah, I discovered another PW/B MC that lives only two blocks away! How cool is that? I haven't yet met the owner exhibiting such good taste and judgement, but plan to soon.

I've seen an AB/B in town too, and I've seen a HB/W parked out at Luther College...woo hoo!

 

They will do out of waranty work on the mini are they trained well in BMW yes in Mini no...

That being said Kruse Waltham (BMW Dubque) has a 35 year vet of BMW on staff #1 BMW tech in the US 3 years running.

He knows cars inside and outside

 

Sometime in the next few weeks there will be a new MW/B R56S with bonnet stripes running around Des Moines and central Iowa. Say hi if you see me

 

Will do for sure

FYI while there is no official Mini group in Iowa there is a small but growing Yahoo groups out there of Mini drivers in Iowa

[FONT='Times New Roman','serif']minicooperiowa@yahoogroups.com[/FONT]

 

Kimberly BMW in Davenport, worked on mine ,reset an air bag code, only because I leaned on the salesman that I bought the car from (the Mini was used) .

 

Great glad there is atleast one more BMW dealer with some experience.

I go that way quite a lot from Iowa City...


I was told by the owner of Kruse Waltham that they were trying to get a mini dealership in Dubque but I just dont see the fit there better in Iowa City
1 Hour from QC's
1 Hour from waterloo
1 Hour from dubque
2 Hours from Desmoines
30 minutes from Cedar Rapids

see perfect

 

I've seen several references to the IA MINI Yahoo group in this thread and in a couple of others. I'm guessing that this group started out being hosted in Yahoo Groups as a personal initiative (because some nice person had the time and energy) and because it seems there is a loose association with a broader, more diverse classic British car group in IA where MINIs are a small subset. This makes sense, particularly in the early 1st Gen years when there were likely very few MINIs in the non-urban midwest, let alone Iowa.

I know that inertia is at work here, and initiating change is sometimes a difficult thing, but I have to believe that an Iowa group (or maybe just an eastern Iowa group) organized around the NAM website--like the dozens of other MINI groups around the country--would provide a much, much greater service to the local Iowa MINI community. The resources available within all of the NAM threads are priceless; I find myself learning new things about my MINI almost every day (how else would I have learned that I can drive with more confidence on rough, back country IA roads with SRPs installed, and that I need to keep an eye on my motor mounts because they have a history of being a weak point in the car's design?). There is not a better single resource for linking to vendors who specifically cater to the MINI crowd. In addition, NAM has constant information about upcoming events around the country that are not be available from any other single site.

It's also easier to be in communication more frequently with your fellow group members since you're likely to be visiting NAM for other reasons (e.g., to check out the latest posts, order a cool new part, etc.) and can easily check in on the group link. Yahoo is a fine communications conduit and I'm sure the current folks are comfortable with it, but it in no way even approaches the vast resources and extensive network that NAM provides on behalf of the enthusiastic MINI owner.

Organizing an IA MINI group around NAM seems like it might make more sense now that the car has been produced for 6+ years and there appears to be many more of them popping up across the state.

I'm certainly not trying to organize a muntiny of the present Yahoo group members. I just can't understand why the group hasn't tried to gravitate to NAM like most of the other MINI owners and groups across the country. As a recent former member of the NAM-based DC Metro MINIs and a relative noob to eastern IA, I'm very much interested in your perspective and comments--especially those from members of the current Yahoo group.

 

I tend to agree with you I think the momentum is at a high level with the ammount of MINI's I have noticed in the last 2 months in the area.

I am all for this and willing to help in any way that I can!

 

If they put a mini Dealership in Iowa City I think I shall Shat myself. It would make taking my R56 in a lot easier.

The Mini is my wifes car, she loves the thing and our next year mini vacation is to MITM so maybe we'll see some of you out there or see some of you Iowa City Mini's around.


Black and White Mini Cooper With Bonnett Stripes and Custom Wheels, wave if ya see me

 

The EIMOG goal is to get a dealer

 

JPMM your from Clinton IA


Interesting I grew up in Clinton still go there about 2 - 3 times a month to visit parents

 

I found out about the Yahoo group and subscribed to email updates, but don't regularly go there for information. I'd be happy to participate in an IA NAM group. How do you go about getting one set up?

 

sure would like to see some of you folks at the auto crosses lots of fun but need some MINI Competition

http://www.dmvrscca.org/

 

It would be easy to set up on NAM, once the local organization was established and formalized. NAM has an online application form set up for just this purpose.

mixdorfs, do you have a way of communicating with the folks subscribed to the Yahoo site? If so, would you be willing to run a straw poll with them to see how many would be interested in associating with a NAM-based group?

Unless other alternatives are offered for a possible group name, JPMM's "EIMOG" is the front-running candidate (as the only candidate). Let's go, all of you creative types...any other name possibilities? Maybe truncate to just "Eastern Iowa MINIs" for simplicity?

 

Eastern Iowa Mini Coopers Unite! I'm for that!

I hear that on Friday evening, August 31, we're staging a Mini drive-in at the new Sonic fastfood drive-in in Coralville. Retro cars at the retro fastfood. Sounds cool to me Maybe this is the premier event for Eastern Iowa Mini Coopers

See you there?

 

I'm new to NAM, but have had Marty for a year now. I live in Davenport, (well technically Long Grove...) and wondered if Iowa minis do any special trips, or events and have any planned. I'd love to meet up with some of my fellow Davenport/ QCA minis- it would be a blast!

--Maria, driver of Marty

 

Take a quick spin out to Coralville this friday and meet up with us
our first time as well

 

I PM'ed oldsbear and told him that I'm winging my way back from the east coast on Friday at the same time as the Sonic rendezvous, so I'll have to settle for participating in spirit...

MariaChick, I've added you to my growing list of Iowa NAM buddies who have a potential interest in organizing. If you happen to see other Quad Cities MINIs in your area, see if you can bring them into the fold! (I checked out your gallery...beautiful MINI!)

Hope everyone has a great time at Sonic. Scarf one of those awesome chili dogs for me!

 

Sigh your not going to make it I mean come on drive faster...

 

(If they let me behind the wheel of an Airbus A320, I'd do just that )

 

I would love too but as a base mini with CVT dont know if that would be good on the CVT

 

Mineartg- Thanks! I will try to coax any MINI owner into joining us if I see them
We will be coming Friday to Coralville- when are we meeting, and where is the Sonic at? I am so excited for this!!! I also wondered if any Davenport minis will be there? Maybe we could motor there together if there are?
See ya'll there!

 

I can't give you the exact address, but it's on the Coralville strip -- the main 4-lane that goes through town.

From Interstate 80, exit at the Coral Ridge Mall. Go south past the mall entrance. Go to the far left lane and take a left at the stop lights. (Lowes will be on your right when you turn.) This puts you onto the Coralville strip. Motor on for maybe a mile(?), and the Sonic will be on your right.

My wife (also a Maria!) and I plan to arrive about 6:00.

See you there!

 

6pm will be too early for us as my wife gets off work at 5pm Can't make it Iowa City/ Coralville from Clinton in a hour