Poll on meeting location

 

 

Sugar Pine run still on for May 18th

Don’t forget  – the Sugar Pine Railroad run is still on for tomorrow.

http://www.midcalminis.org/2013/05/new-midcal-run/

We will see everyone at the Starbucks at 41 and Shaw and will leave from there at approx. 9 a.m!

 

Getting it’s tummy fixed – part 2

Part one of “Getting it’s tummy fixed” here:

My MINI is back home after a trip to East Bay MINI for it’s warranty repair of the water pump module recall.  While in Pleasanton I also made arrangements for the windshield to be replaced due to a crack on the left drivers side that started to get into my line of vision.

While at  East Bay MINI the following were replaced under factory warranty:

They obviously replaced the module and antifreeze while there all under warranty.

Normally the job only takes two hours to replace, but my windshield replacement meant that the car had to stay overnight.  Then today I received an email back from Jeff Killoran from  East Bay MINI that the car was ready and did I want them to make arrangements for transport back home as soon as possible.  Less than three hours later the car was back home from the dealership all safe and sound, delivered back to my office on a flat bed truck.  The transportation was covered as the car is still under factory warranty.

The gang at the office who watched the MINI being unloaded, joked that there was room for two MINIs on the back of the truck and that next time we should transport both mine and my Sister’s MINI this way.

All in all a very satisfactory experience from MINI and from the folks at  East Bay MINI .

So yes, JD Powers, this is another satisfied MINI owner.

 

Getting it’s tummy fixed

Having a car under factory warranty and living in Fresno means that you have few options when you need service;  drive to your nearest dealer for service or call the Mini Roadside assistance and have it towed there.  So on sunny Monday morning March 12th, my Baby got put on a flat bed and started it’s trip over to East Bay Mini in order to get the Water pump controller changed by the dealer under warranty.

I received the letter from MINI USA which indicated that I needed to immediately contact my dealership to make arrangements for the water pump controller replacement.  Normally I drive my car down to the dealership in Santa Ana for annual checkups, but the fact that this is the time of the year that I can’t take off time from work and the vendor recommended urgency to take care of the matter.  This meant I was looking into what options I had for servicing.

To start the water pump controller recall process I called my original dealership, Crevier MINI (which was not my geographically closest one) and asked for my options.  They indicated that MINI would cover towing the car to the nearest MINI dealership and then returning it back to me using the same towing process.  In the case of Fresno, that’s East Bay Mini in Pleasanton.

I called the dealership in Pleasanton and they were quite pleasant (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun).  When I called, they indicated that the earliest appointment I could get was a few weeks away and the service would take about 2 hours.  I indicated that while there I also wanted to get the windshield changed as I had developed a crack in the windshield and it kept getting a little bit larger and was starting to enter my vision field.  They indicated that the glue on the windshield would take overnight to set.  When the car was complete it would be towed back to Fresno and the dealer would arrange for a “reunite”.  “A reunite?” I asked on the phone, “what’s a reunite?”.  “It’s when we reunite you with your vehicle”, the service specialist said.  Awwwww….leave it to MINI to come up with cute names for the experience.

I called the MINI Roadside assistance phone number (iPhone app available as well) and made arrangements for the car to be towed.  On the appointed day a large flat-bed truck from Blue Sky Towing arrived in front of the house.  As any Mini Cooper owner knows, one cannot just willy nilly tow a Mini due to the front wheel drive, it has to be flat-bed towed.  Up on the truck it went.  While the car was quite excited for this new experience, his owner, however, will be a bit nervous until her baby is back at home safe and sound in the garage.  No wonder they call the process “reuniting”.

Stay tuned for more in “Getting it’s tummy fixed”.

MidCal MINI’s January 2012 Meeting:

All MidCal MINIs Meetings Occur on the Third Friday of the Month Unless Otherwise Noted

 

What:  MidCal MINIs’ January 2012 Meeting:

When: Friday, January 20 at 6:30pm

Where: Yosemite Falls Cafe at Granite Park – 4020 North Cedar Avenue, Fresno, CA

Join us for an evening of great conversation, fun stories and a common love of all things MINI. Following dinner, an informal Club meeting is held in the parking lot to update the group on upcoming events and to exchange ideas for future Club events and runs. It’s also a great time to ogle the latest Mods to our MINIs!

Directions: Take 168 East to the Shields Ave exit. Make a left on Shields Ave and then take the first right onto Cedar Ave. Travel 0.7 miles and Yosemite Falls Cafe will be on your right.

Parking: After turning into the main driveway, turn left into the parking lot area (Me-N-Eds/Victory Grille will be on your left and Yosemite Falls Cafe will be on your right. Park along the back row (furthest north of the restaurant) as this area gets very busy as the night goes on.

Click on the following link for an interactive connection to the Yosemite Falls Cafe menu. http://www.yosemitefallscafe.net/menu.html

To RSVP please post that you are coming by responding to this thread on the Motoring Alliance Forum.

Topics for discuss will be setting/calendaring upcoming events for 2012, update and discussion of the  Club website; any other topics of interest to the Club.

Winterizing your Car

With night coming early and temperatures dropping, winter is not a good time to have vehicle trouble.

Remember, cold weather takes its toll on a vehicle. Although California doesn’t have the extreme weather of the East Coast, it’s still a good idea to check your car before we enter the Fall and Winter seasons. Therefore, review your car with our 12 point checklist.

12 point Winterization Checklist

  1. Tune up the motor. (Air, Oil and Fuel filters, including new spark plugs, ignition cap, rotor and wires. Ignition system needs to be in top shape to battle the cold. )
  2. Check the anti-freeze. (Only fill with premium brand anti-freeze, make sure to check your owner’s manual for proper anti-freeze type.)
  3. Check all other fluid levels and fill as needed. (Brake Fluid, Oil, etc.)
  4. Fill wiper fluid reservoir with de-icing solution.
  5. Check the battery. (You can load test your battery at any local auto parts store.)
  6. Check the tread and air pressure of tires. (You want to insure good grip on the slick roads, also good for the gas mileage of your vehicle.)
  7. Inspect the brakes. (Quick visual inspection will give you peace of mind driving in cold harsh conditions.)
  8. Install good windshield wiper blades. (Good wipers such as Bosch will keep your windshield free and clear.)
  9. Check headlights and signal lights. (A good idea would be to convert your old filament bulbs to the new LED bulbs, these are brighter and last longer.)
  10. Check belts and hoses, replace as necessary. (Any cracks will only get worse in the cold weather, leading to more expensive repairs.)
  11. Ensure heater and defroster are in good working condition.
  12. And last but not least:

We suggest you keep a Cold Weather Kit in your trunk

A Cold Weather Kit contains the following: Jumper cables, a shovel, snow chains, an ice scraper, towing cables, flares, a blanket, a first aid kit, candles, non-perishable food items, warm gloves, boots, a flashlight, and a cell phone.

Announcements

OCTOBER: A Beta version of the new proposed MidCal MINIs website was introduced and demoed at the October 21st Club meeting. All were invited to take it for a test drive and give the tyres a kick. More improvements are under development and suggestions and feedback are welcome. Tell us what you would like to see. The Club Calendar is under construction as is the Club Membership Page. Watch for more improvements.

NOVEMBER: MidCal MINIs is planning to experience the World’s most realistic racing simulation. RaceRoom located in the River Park shopping area in Fresno, is the first North American RaceRoom, and the largest in the 13 store international chain. Featuring 29 racing simulators with 5.1 surround sound, Butt Kicker seat mounted bass shakers and wrap around monitors, the racing seats and force feedback steering wheels will make you feel like you are actually racing one of the 50 international racing circuits and one of 72 real world race cars. In addition to racing, the location features an on-site Euro Bistro, free Wi-Fi and televised racing programs.

The vote is in and the date has been set. The winner is November 19th.

The event package being considered is the Indianapolis Package
$24.99 per person / Minimum of 8 drivers
Includes:
Reserved pit crew area for 1 1/2 hours
Host
Pizza (Cheese or Pepperoni) or all beef frank with french fries
Unlimited fountain drinks
Practice lap and 30 minutes in race simulators for every driver
Trophy presented in Victory lap
RaceRoom Cap for every driver
RaceRoom Lanyard for every driver.

Click here to make your reservation to join the MidCal group at RaceRoom.

DECEMBER: While no Club meetings or runs are scheduled in the month of December never let it be said that the MidCal MINIs don’t know how to celebrate the holidays. The date has been set for the Annual MidCal Christmas Party, Saturday December 17th.  Check out the “Club Events” tab on November 1st for more information and a Thread on the Motoring Alliance site.  “Christmas is coming, how joyful it will be; the family will gather round the Christmas Tree…..”

In case you did not notice, the picture of the cute little red Christmas MINI is a cake. Now who could possibly imagine eating that sweet little thing.

Is it too early to start your MINI Christmas shopping? It’s never too early to shop here…..

October’s Featured Member

October’s featured MidCal MINI member is Tron Chief

Vehicle Name Master Blaster
Year 2008
Make MINI
Model S
Color Dark Silver / Black
Packages Sports Package, JCW Body Kit

JCW Body Kit with second generation lip, JCW Carbon Fiber hood scoop, JCW Carbon Fiber Mirror Caps, JCW Carbon Fiber Wing. Asthetic Creations Black Jack Side Marker Covers and door handle black out covers. Go Mini Go third brake flasher, No holes license plate holder.

Under the Bonnet

2008 MINI S Under the Bonnet 2008 MINI S Under the Bonnet 2008 MINI S Under the Bonnet

M7 Strut Tower Brace, M7 Super AGS Cold Air Intake, M7 Heat Shield. BSH Catch Can and Direct Dual Boost Port Adapter. Craven R56 Oil Dip Stick. Borla touring exhaust custom welded to protect rear bumper.

Interior

2008 MINI S Interior 2008 MINI S Interior 2008 MINI S Interior

Limo tint to rear three and front visor strip. Panic Button decal over glove box button. M7 Carbon Electric Boost/Vac Gauge, Electric Fiber knob. Marshall’s Electric guage, Electric Boost/Vac Guage, Electric Oil Pressure Guage Water Temp Gauge, Electric Oil Pressure Gauge mounted using multiple Craven Cups and adapters.

Suspension


2008 MINI S Suspension 2008 MINI S Suspension 2008 MINI S Suspension

TSW Lowering Springs, ProLink end links, Helix lower control arms. M7 Under Strut Suspension.

Wheels and Tires

2008 MINI S Wheels and Tires 2008 MINI S Wheels and Tires 2008 MINI S Wheels and Tires

R98 Wheels with 215/45/17 General UHP NON RUNFLAT tires.

 

MidCal MINIs’ October 2011 Meeting:

All MidCal MINIs Meetings Occur on the Third Friday of the Month Unless Otherwise Noted

 

What: MidCal MINIs’ October 2011 Meeting:

When: Friday, October 21 at 6:30pm

Where: Yosemite Falls Cafe at Granite Park – 4020 North Cedar Avenue, Fresno, CA

Join us for an evening of great conversation, fun stories and a common love of all things MINI. Following dinner, an informal Club meeting is held in the parking lot to update the group on upcoming events and to exchange ideas for future Club events and runs. It’s also a great time to ogle the latest Mods to our MINIs!

Directions: Take 168 East to the Shields Ave exit. Make a left on Shields Ave and then take the first right onto Cedar Ave. Travel 0.7 miles and Yosemite Falls Cafe will be on your right.

Parking: After turning into the main driveway, turn left into the parking lot area (Me-N-Eds/Victory Grille will be on your left and Yosemite Falls Cafe will be on your right. Park along the back row (furthest north of the restaurant) as this area gets very busy as the night goes on.

Click on the following link for an interactive connection to the Yosemite Falls Cafe menu. http://www.yosemitefallscafe.net/menu.html

To RSVP please post that you are coming by responding to this thread on the Motoring Alliance Forum.

Topics for discuss will be a demo of the new proposed Club website; a proposed Club Event at the RaceRoom at Riverpark; and the Club Christmas Party

Fun Tips for Soon-to-Be New Mini Cooper Owners

For those of you just embarking on MINI Cooper ownership, after placing your custom order with the dealer, the hardest part to come is the wait for your baby to arrive. From the time you order your MINI until you are informed that your car is at the dealership waiting for you, that wait can seem like forever. Fear not, the MINI family that you are about to join has found a remedy to ease your pain. Upon ordering a new MINI there is a blog post that details how to track your car from England all the way to your dealer. There are forums that you can follow even before your car arrives. Join with other soon to be MINI owners, tracking exactly where your car is and sharing stories of your ‘mods’ with other pre-MINI owners. If you are ordering a car, check out the link for a fun way to share your excitement even before your car shows up! Some bloggers sharing the same ship, have even been known to reconnect on the anniversary of the arrival of their cars. Just because your car has not yet arrived, does not mean that the fun has to wait.

So if you are only in the planning stages of acquiring a MINI, new or previously loved, or just in the “maybe” stage, join us at MidCal MINIs and let the fun (and indoctrination) begin.

For more information contact us at mcm@midcalminis.org
All information copyright MidCal MINIs.