I am SO happy to announce the Karl Strieby will be your new leader(at least of the MB MINI Motoring Club)!

For those of you who do not know Karl I think he has been at every one of the MB MINI Club Events and is a fantastic MINI Supporter! He is proud owner of "Bucky" a beautiful red MC and previous owner of an earlier MC. MINI blood runs in his family as he was telling me the other day about his brother's adventures in his '06 JCW MINI (let's just say you are really safe in a roll over!...don't try that at home!)! Karl has also been kind enough to develop and host the MB MINI Motoring Club website since the beginning!

So please join me in welcoming Karl as the new MB MINI Club President!

 

Welcome Karl:
Let's motor on.
Our 2002 MINI is a summer driver only, so if we don't rally before the snow flies we will see you in the Spring.
Ron and Joyce

 

Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone...

I am hoping to have an announcement soon for a fall cruise or some other cool thing.

Watch this space (or www.mbminiclub.com) for news!

 

"Summer driver only"? All you need for your MINI to be a great winter car is winter rims and tires!

In my experience, MINI engines start reliably even in Winnipeg's worst cold, but you do want better traction than "all season" or "performance" tires can offer. Any good tire dealer can find you cheap steel rims and good rubber for winter driving in your MINI.

Story time: one February day, with a blustery north wind, I was heading east along Ness Ave. between Whytewold & Sharp in my former '02 MINI (south edge of the airport, and a bad area for wind-blown show), and could see a big snowdrift forming ahead on the road. I downshifted to 2nd, but kept my foot on the gas, and plowed through the thing in fine fashion at 30 or so km/h. Snow went flying!

A Toyota Tundra 4x4 pickup who had been along side me chickened out before we hit the deepest part and changed lanes to follow in my MINI's tracks!

I had to laugh when that happened, and got a dirty look from the driver of the big macho truck as he passed me after we were through the worst of the drift!

I plan on mounting a new set of Blizzaks on my winter rims for the coming season...but not for a week or two yet!

Oh, and if you have any doubt that a MINI is a good winter car, you have not seen the "dominate winter" bit on www.MINI.ca?

 

Welcome Captain K (hahahah does that stand for Krunch?) I'm looking forward to a fall cruise! See you then!

 

Congrats for taking over the reins of the club.

I happen to have a set of winter rims and tires for sale that I no longer need now that I live in St. Louis, where they think winter is when you don't need to run the A/C

Mark

 

How much and how do I get them to Wpg? PM me!

 

Hey Mark,

Thanks for the good wishes .

I have a brother who lives in St Louis, and the last time I visited him, there was a foot or more of fresh snow, and it was good entertainment watching drivers trying to cope (without knowing how).

Sounds like you may have found a buyer for your winter tires!

 

I also see you have become the Moderator of this forum.
Not much to do here, but I'm glad someone is doing it, keep ex-Tobans like me from messing up the forum

Mark

 

Karl,

Congrats on the job. What happened? Did you forget to go to the meeting when the election was held? (only kidding).

Your brother and his garage FULL of MiNis wishes you well.

 

Thanks, Paul,

You obviously need a bigger garage -- there's no room in there for a new convertible or Clubman.

I was wondering how long it would take you and your garage full of MINIs to notice my promotion from webmaster to webmaster and president of this august assembly . So did Woody tip you off, or was it Coop or Kermee?

Now all we have to do is get through the rest of our winter and figure out some cool club activities for the spring, summer and fall. (As you may know, Winnipeg is said to have seven seasons, spring, summer, fall, winter, winter, winter, and winter. Or only two seasons, winter and construction...)

 

Hey Mark, you would never mess up the forum, now would you?

<just kidding>

 

Actually, I made one of my rare visits to the club site to see what you might be up to. We are well aware that you keep sending us tons of the white stuff each year, some years more than others. I have been spending time in the garage actually, in deepest therapy with KERMEE3, making sure his suspension is ready for his first track day -- April 12. It's actually been warm enough to work without ear muffs on!

For events, I could suggest taking the group out for ice cream on that summer day.