Hi gang, I'm Andy. I've been trying to start up a Mini Club out here, but it's been goin kinda slow. (Edit: going slow because of me, nothing else!) I've got a 1964 Austin Cooper S (with the 1071cc engine), a 1971 Mini (998cc engine) and a 2002 Yellow / Black MINI Cooper S. As you can see, I'm a bit nuts about Minis... I know there are a handfull of "old" Minis out here on O'ahu, and I've seen more and more new Minis.

...so, the next step is to start a club! I figure that if you're willing to buy a Mini, old or new, you must be a pretty cool person. My thoughts for the club are as follows:

1. Fun.
2. Fun.
3. Attending SCCA / BMWCCA Autocrosses & possibly "track days" when possible.
4. Club drives / cruises with picnics & "stuff" to do other than just drive.
5. Road rallies or other competitions.
6. Fun.
7. More people to bounce tech problems off of! :smile:

I spoke with Darrel Pestana down at MINI of Hawaii (He's the Sales Manager) - he said if I / we got a club up he'd help us sponsor some events and participate where they could. Additionally, I spoke with Brian Okubo from the BMW Car Club of Hawaii - he was interested in getting together and doing stuff as well.

There's a page up - http://www.miniclubofhawaii.com - but be warned, it's kinda rough. Put some preliminary stuff up that I worked on a while ago... man those colors look a LOT different on my laptop! Lol - with this color scheme I think it's more suited to a Lotus club. :smile: Anyway - if all goes well I'm going to have the website up soon...err...the website that doesn't make you want to puke your lunch up because of the colors used, that is!

In the meantime, feel free to contact me. ...it was just today that i noticed that Minicooperonline.com had a Hawaii forum! Doh!

latka@hawaii.rr.com
ICQ: 3644296

-Andy

 

Hey Andy welcome to MCO. The Mini club sounds good. Sign me up! Glad to see someone with an older Mini like the newer Minis. Meet a few that hated the newer Minis with a passion just because BMW makes them. Well I'm just glad we're getting together because we're all enthusiasts. I'm coming from a VW, and on the vwvortex they had a saying which Mini owners could use......"You didn't just buy a MINI you bought a family!"

 

E komo mai, Andy!

It's weird that so many of us that have been on MCO for a while didn't know about this board.

Sign me up too. I can't wait.

Sylvia

 

Cool - fantastic even :smile: Got a few e-mails from folks today, so hopefully that'll be the kick in the butt I needed to get things goin. I'm sure between the group of us we can get a nice club goin.

As for the whole New Mini / old Mini debate - sheesh. I've fought that battle over on Minimania.com for quite a while now. Seems a good handful of the "old" types are really pissed that BMW put out a Mini. Heck - I like 'em both. The old car - I get looks, offers to buy it, everything. Hehehe... it's a hoot to drive, even though it left the factory with about 35hp at the flywheel. I have devious plans to fix that though The new MINI is a great little car. Great suspension, strong engine, and at 6'6" 277lbs I actually fit in it. What's funny is that the old Mini actually has more space than the new one! Can't wait to show 'em both to everyone.

-Andy

 

Count me in, Andy.
I'm glad you found the Hawaii region forum...it's starting to get some action.
We're just MINI enthusiasts (classic or new) trying to get together to talk story.
I'd love to see your classic Minis.

I hope this is the jump start needed to get organized. Just checked out your website and that is a good starting point for a MINI Club. PM me if you need a helping hand.

 

Ech.

As usual, "life" intrudes on the fun I wanna have. Been really busy with work this week - sheesh, don't they know I want to work on my Mini and get the website updated? :smile:

I work tomorrow and Friday, so hopefully Friday night I can work on the website... this weekend if all goes well I'll get the '71 Mini back on the road and start workin through the "issues" so I can take it to the Spring Fling and the MINI meet afterwords.

 

Andy,

Did you fax in your application? Please send it in ASAP. Thanks!

 

Doh!

I did not... I will do so when I get home from work today (about 2:30pm or so). Thanks for the reminder.

-Andy

 

 

Sorry I've been so behind on getting the site updated. Every time I look at that current color combo it makes my skin crawl!

Darrel Pestana (I hope I remembered his name right) down at MINI Hawaii said they'd help sponsor events and cool stuff like that once we got the club off the ground. Thankfully there's some interest here on the board, so I'm hopin that once we all get together and figure some stuff out it'll take off on it's own.

I'd love to do all kinds of stuff - everything from tech sessions to picnics, cruises, some light road rallying (there are tons of ideas from some friends in Europe that I can't wait to try!)... err, on that note, it's not "rallying" like I would have originally thought but more along the lines of something like this:

At the start you're given a booklet. The book will have (probably) a pictoral description of your first waypoint. Once you find that waypoint, you go on to the next, etc, etc. At key checkpoints throughout the way we'll have people stationed to mark times and ...ahem...help sort out the lost folks via cell phone or somethin'. They're designed to be run at the speed limit, so that'll help keep those guys in the white cars with the funny blue lights on top happy :smile: According to the guy I spoke with (who works for Wood & Pickett, a great classic Mini aftermarket company in London) these things are a blast. I figure that...some "poker runs", and whatever else we can come up with + autocrossing should take care of us who lust for the (cough) quicker (cough) motoring.

Can't wait for the new motorsports facility to get built. Mmmm... nice clean, fresh, new, sparkly track. :smile:

Jeez I'm in a "Chatty Cathy" mode today!

 

Had to revive this thread again....since progress has been slow

Latka has been the driving force to start some kind of MINI club of our own and we (MINI enthusiasts) need to get the ball rolling. MINI of Hawaii would give their support but first, and foremost, it needs a club to exist to give support.

We have enough MINI enthusiasts to at least start a impromptu "charter" club. We need to use our collective minds and talents to make this vision a reality!
Latka, you have the MINI contact list so please feel free to call us if you need help. If time is against you, don't hesitate to delegate your ideas.

I think SouthSeaSadie can "conjure" up the by-laws, I have free time when my twins allow
minikahuna offered time and space at the dealership for meetings/brainstorming.

It seems to me we have all the resources to make this vision a reality....we just need to make the first step. So all you Hawaii MINIacs, any input/suggestion to make this work?! I'm new to this but willing to give time and effort.

Mahalo for your support!!
Future member of the Hawaii MINI club,
Kohu'ulaMINI

 

Kohu'ulaMINI-
Thanks for striking the match over the gasoline and C4 pile.:evil:

 

I have all the BMW club proceedures, by-laws, etc. on the computer waiting to be revised for us.

I have tried to set a meeting with Latka for a month now, but he's incredibly busy.

About 10 days ago, he turned the reins over to me and I was about to contact you all about getting together, and I started setting up a website. Then Latka talked to Darrel last week and seemed to feel he could do it after all.

So, the ball is still in Latka's court. I would like to get this off the ground.

 

I suggest we all just go over to Latka's house and sit on his lawn and wait for him to come home.
No problem on meeting. You say when and the magic little minihunes will come a plenty.
DaKineMini would be a good person to include in the planning stages once he gets settled here in late July.
Keep thinking who else might also be good to have as advisors.
Thanks sylvia for watching over this and being ready to go. How come all the movers are in MINIlani Mauka?
Why don't we just have planning meetings here (Darrel lives near too).

 

It seems like the MINIlani folks are ready to get this off the ground!
A meeting after the July movie get together sounds like a good idea...it's a start, at least.

minikahuna has graciously provided a place (M of H) for a meeting and hopefully future meetings
Hey Sadie! Could you please bring the proceedures, by laws, etc.(along with the movie ) to the July get together?! If Latka can't make it, we could at least make "rough" revisions and have Andy proof/finalize it later.
This is the start we need to materialize the club. Those interested please chime in and give your input.
From the turn out and enthusiasm for the IJ premiere, I'm sure the future club could pique their interest. Let's have FUN and MOTOR as a collective MINI Ohana!

ALOHA!!!

 

>>A meeting after the July movie get together sounds like a good idea...it's a start, at least.
>>
Sounds good to me.

>>Hey Sadie! Could you please bring the proceedures, by laws, etc.(along with the movie

 

Count me in. :smile: I'll be leaving for CA tomorrow but we'll be back B4 school starts.

 

Count me in. :smile: I'll be leaving for CA tomorrow but we'll be back B4 school starts.

 

Well, that's three so far....anyone else?
We need MINIs from all sides of the island(s) to represent....not just MINIlani

 

 

^
^^bump
Anyone interested in a informal meeting after the movie?

Don't leave minikahuna hangin'

 

Yes for me on the meeting after the movie on Sunday.
Can you bring your digital camera and take some pics of me and my MINI?
I'm wishing that I could get me wheels in before sunday but there are only a few days left-
please visit me MR. Postman!

 

Yes for me, and I'll have a camera too.

 

Wish I could be there, but we aren't moving out there until the 17th so I can only be there in spirit. Keep us posted on what happened - looking forward to the photos! Actually, I have never been to the dealer out there so I am looking forward to seeing what this dealer that everyone raves about is like.

 

>>Wish I could be there, but we aren't moving out there until the 17th so I can only be there in spirit. Keep us posted on what happened - looking forward to the photos! Actually, I have never been to the dealer out there so I am looking forward to seeing what this dealer that everyone raves about is like.

Believe DaKineMini, they are great. We came all the way from St. Louis