Hello, all you NorthEast MINI Maniacs!

The Wife, Kids and I are transferring soon from the Pacific NorthWest (PSMINI Rocks!) to be stationed in Portsmouth, NH/Kittery, ME for 12 to 18 months. We are looking for THE MINI/Mini Club for the area. I've seen both NEMINI and NEMO listed. Are these 'rival' clubs, or does one handle North of MA/Cape Cod MINIs, and one handle South of MA/Cape Cod MINIs?!?

 

There's not much in the way of formal clubs up here. We're very active on the MINI2 NY/NE Region forum and members live all over the area, from Western NY to NH, ME, MA, CT, NYC, and with a very active contingent in RI. There's also the Ocean State MINI Club (which *is* more of a club) in RI, but I think the percentage of members who actually live in RI is quite small compared to folks in MA.

Despite the lack of really organized clubs, we're extremely active. There seem to be runs or activities at least twice a month. It's very ad hoc and grassroots and people don't depend on a club to organize things for them. I personally like that.

 

Well, I've become fond of the PSMINI club because of discounts a club can get from vendors, dealers, and companies that sell/deal with MINI goodies. That, plus a club can bring awesome power of negotiation, such as special group insurance for track days, super discounts on DE and Autocross events, and pull strings at major events (such as AMVIV or MOTD). I mean, the greatest thing about the club we belong to now is that if you just want to drive and talk, the forum is free. Only those wishing to get the discounts (those of us with moditis) and participate in DE have to pay.

Or are you about to tell me that no group has a good working relationship with their local dealer, and there are no track days, and everyone pays full price for Mods and DE days?...

 

OSMC has a fledgling paid membership ($25/year) that gets you a 10% discount on non-JCW parts from MoP and 10% off labor at DT Automotive (one member's general auto repair business, but he also does all kinds of MINI work, pullies, sway bars, exhausts, etc.). Herb Chambers doesn't seem to be included with that discount, yet, nor does Inskip. That doesn't mean we don't have great relationships with them, however (quite to the contrary), but I don't know what OSMC's prez is doing to elicit their support.

Most folks up here seem to do autocrosses, DEs and ADSSes with the various BMWCCA chapters who do an excellent job organizationally and at reasonable cost.

I'm not trying to say that anyone up here is against clubs, just that our loose-knit, ad-hoc organizational non-structure seems to work well currently. If you want to come in and put together something else (after checking out what already exists) then by all means do so!

 

Brian left out MAMA (Monadnock Area MINI Owners (who can't spell / make acronyms)) http://www.mini-mama.org/

We do not have a whole lot of "discounts" set up through clubs. MINI of Peabody treats all of us very well, regardless of what club we are in.

For autocross / DE events, like Brian said, there are no "secret discounts" around. Look into BMWCCA, COM - http://www.comscc.com/ - for time trials, New England Quattro Club, SCDA - http://www.scda1.com/ and I'm sure there are others I am forgetting.

 

Has anyone ever asked MoP to help cover the cost of DE days? Also, where is Monadnock? Specifically, in relation to Portsmouth, NH/Kittery, ME. I noticed about six dealers in the NE region on MINIUSA.com, which ones are the best when it comes to service?

I don't think I'll have any time to start any clubs or help expand the ones that do exist. I may not even be able to work on MINIQue in what little spare time I may have. You will see me on the 2008 MINIs on Top, I'm sure. Maybe we'll be able to do the Dragon, as well. The one thing we'll miss is AMVIV, but, such is life!

 

I'm not sure, but they (MINI of Peabody) are sponsoring a MINIs only skills school with the BMWCCA. I'm not sure exactly what the "sponsoring" entails, because the cost for participants is the same as any other skills school.

Monadnock is a "region" (and a mountain). The home base for most of the MAMA runs is Keene, NH - about 2 hours (so says google maps) from Portsmouth.

But most MAMA members are not from the Monadnock region.


90% of the people you ask that question will say MINI of Peabody.

We (the Boston, NH, VT, etc) crowd do not have a whole lot in terms of formal clubs. We just have a lot of impromptu runs, usually organized over on mini2 in the New York / New England sub forums. Most of us like it that way. I guess most of the regulars are more intereted in the social aspect than finding a deal.

Excellent. It sounds like I'll be one of the parking lot traffic directors at the Loon mountain morning meeting spot. Say hi! The downside to the traffic duty is that I won't be near my car to talk up the HPDE events in the area. But others will take care of that for me, I'm sure.

 

BMWCCA membership qualifies you for 10% discount at all BMW dealerships. Not sure if the MINI dealerships (which are all under the same ownership as their corresponding BMW dealers) participate.
Also, Peabody gives everyone 20% discount during any of their events, like yesterday.

Bring your wit over to the mini2 forum and you'll quickly see why we need no club.

He said 2008 :p

 

somebody started the 2008 MINIs on Top thread already?