MTM2007 - Back to Basics?

[The Marcos Graveyard]

[quote="kerryminigringo"] maybe i,m paranoid you tell me[/quote]

Don't listen to the voices Aidan, and keep taking the tablets :-)

[laura]

[quote="kerryminigringo"]i seem to remember the mtm being a lot more fun when there were more minis on it and there is not much fun in being behind a bini when you come up to a road surface with gravel on it and he slows down to 5kph to protect his 30 odd grand and all you want to do is get it sideways,the badge may be the same but the buyers sure aint.It may have been originally designed to be a fun run but the fun went out of it when the media circus came to town to sell binis[/quote]

bit harsh don't you think?

we did this years MTM, it was our first and it was brilliant, it was great to see MINI's and mini's on the same run, the only other place I've seen both co-existing is at our local club, northeastminiclub.co.uk and it's great.

i think it would be a shame to see the stupid comments and ill feeling surface once again.

we were tempted to travel across in the mini, but decided being able to hear and not feeling like we'd been steam-rollered was a better plan :wink: so took the other, it was just brilliant and there's no difference in experience, at the end of the day it should it matter what mini/MINI you drive....

as for the one day thing, it would certainly be one to remember!

[ned78]

[quote="kerryminigringo"]ned where exactly did i dismiss ths organisers cos i never questioned their ability but what i would question is the lack of any minis on the mtm pack including bonnet sign only binis how easily people dismiss the real mini or maybe i,m paranoid you tell me[/quote]

You said that the fun was gone out of the run, and that a media circuis had taken over. That in my opinion is completely negating all the hard work the organisers did. Another poster on this thread, Laura, has agreed with my sentiments. Harsh doesn't even begin to describe it.

MTM2004, 2005, and 2006 were some of the best organised runs in a long time, and if you're memory is lacking, in both 2004, and 2005 there were far more Minis, than MINIs on the run. I believe this year it was 50/50 - the IDEAL model mix.

[kerryminigringo]

ned your original post said it all that man from tv3 has a mini but took the bini, billy you were right about the minis being shoved into the corner while the binis get used and no laura i dont think its a bit harsh, thats my opinion and i am quite intitled to it as this is a democratic club ran under democratic rules and by the way dont you think calling my comments stupid a bit harsh

[ned78]

[quote="kerryminigringo"]ned your original post said it all that man from tv3 has a mini but took the bini, billy you were right about the minis being shoved into the corner while the binis get used and no laura i dont think its a bit harsh, thats my opinion and i am quite intitled to it as this is a democratic club ran under democratic rules and by the way dont you think calling my comments stupid a bit harsh[/quote]

:D Of course he took a MINI, his accomodation, and expenses were being paid by MINI Ireland, to promote the IMOC (Not the new MINI, just the whole club), you didn't know that? If it was something he was doing off his own back, he'd have brought his classic. And who shoved Minis into the corner? I think you're all paranoid and dillusional. Everytime the SR has a run, there's more classics than new, and MTM had a great mix of cars this year.

[kerryminigringo]

nedthis is my last post on this thread because the bini owners have gotten their thongs in a twist over someone expressing an opinion that not to their liking and we are losing sight of the topic here.Firstly i,m not anti bini i just dont like them,Idon,t like the new honda civic,the bmw 1 series,the jag s type but i,m not anti any of this makers I just don,t like them.I am a mini fan,I lve the roar of the carbs sucking in air,the sound the maniflow makes on my cooper going through tunnels,the fact that every single one is compleletly different to drive and the slight degree of uncertainy that is in the back of my mind every time that i take a long journey that i might need some of the parts i have in the boot.If i wanted to get from a to b with the minimum of fuss i would take my wifes honda accord but i love driving minis for all their faults and there are many but the sense of achievement in long distance mini driving brings a smile to my face everytime.Now heres a newsflash,a lot of mini owners don,t like binis and thats the way it is,accept it get on with it and get over it because it won,t change in the near future.Now Billy if your running mtm next year and its minis only count me in but if its not I getting my hair done that day

[The Marcos Graveyard]

:D Of course he took a MINI, his accomodation, and expenses were being paid by MINI Ireland, to promote the IMOC (Not the new MINI, just the whole club), you didn't know that? quote]

I must admit Ned, you are very well up on the running of the MTM, cause thats news to me.

[Billy]

Jeepers, I go away for 48 hours camping in Banna without access to the web and all hell breaks loose. Time to calm things down....

First of all, I started this thread looking for a discussion and I'm delighted that this thread has probably had more views and more replies than any other thread since the IMOC forum began (indulge me here). So first of all, thanks to everyone who has contributed, irrespective of their opinions.

With regards the involvement of BMW/MINI, I for one certainly felt proud when Ger and the crew got the new MINI entered in an MTM before it was even officially sold in the UK. Remember back then, that was a MAJOR coup!!! With MINI contacts, many of us took spins in Killimor in the Mini Seven that was brought along for US journalists in 2000 (I think it was 2000, keep indulging me here). Don't forget quite a few of us were scouring the US looking for copies of the US car mag that had a 5-page article on that MTM.

My point is that we can't be naive and say that the BMW/MINI influence hasn't been positive in certain respects. Without BMW's financial support, it would have been harder for the MTM organisers to organise runs in recent years as anyone who has had to look for serious sponsorship will tell you. Saying that the last few MTMs have been boring isn't fair to the efforts put in by fellow IMOC members and don't forget nobody gets paid for their time in any of this. Let's keep the slagging in perspective.

So that's that sorted. Back to my original scheme and to try to capture some of the like-minded contributions to this thread so far:

Let's celebrate Issigonis's late 50's design (FYI for non-members and non-Mini gurus, Issi designed the original Mini and was pushing up daisies long before BMW got involved) in all its permutations (Elf, Hornet, Cooper, Moke, Marcos, 25, 30, Seven, Van, Pick-up, etc etc) and run a 1-day Reliability Run for classic Minis only.

There's loads of new MINIs getting plenty of use every day due to successful marketing and a reputation as a good modern reliable car. I've never driven one myself but then I've never driven a new Astra, Golf, or Hyundai either. I've never bought a new car before and am in no rush to. I just like old cars with all their faults and failings, that's just me.

It saddens me that we don't see enough of the classic Minis on the road anymore so let's rectify that situation and for 2007, let's keep the MTM500 to Minis only.

Finally, while this thread has recorded the feelings of many Mini/MINI enthusiasts, the MTM500 in 2007 can only take place as an official Irish Mini Owners Club (IMOC) event if it has the backing of the club. I have no intention of running this as a non-IMOC event (the Ballyhooly Mini Club BMC has not been set up as a limited company yet!). So at this point, perhaps it's time for the IMOC to hold a club meeting to seriously discuss this proposal. I don't want the sentiments expressed by many including myself to fester and cause division in the IMOC so a club decision should be made sooner rather than later.

I'm not an IMOC committee member but if there is a National Committee meeting held in the near future, I am prepared to attend and put forward a case for the back-to-basics MTM.

There's no panic as regards the organisation of MTM500 as the suggested date of April 28th 2007 is a long way off yet.

Something has been started here so let's keep the momentum going.

Over to the IMOC committee (It's now 8.30pm Sunday June 28th). Ye know how to contact me.

Thanks again to all the contributors.

Enjoy Minis Sensibly!

Billy

[Guest]

Hope it gets the go ahead for the 28th of April. I've already booked my B&B's, hehe... I gotta say though, as much as I don't like the new Bini, they wouldn't stop me taking part in an event. No matter how badly my hair needed to be done...
On a different topic, it may also have been a bit harsh of me to say the 3 day MTM's were a little boring. What I should have said was that they weren't as much fun as the first one. Or at least they weren't in my opinion. Although the night in the hotel in Westport in 2000 was pretty cool thanks to DJ Fahey. Oh yeah, the year after that was kinda funny too, in Castlebar watching Paul Kelly being thrown around the dancefloor by Alma. (I wonder, does anybody have a video of that?)
Oh by the way Billy. You said that you never bought a new car... What about the car you drove to the IMM98 in Switzerland?!? Ok, ok, it was a Mini, but still... All I can remember is that myself and Paul Kelly were in the back, terrified to fart on your new seats when we took that sight seeing trip.

[The Marcos Graveyard]

[quote="earthwormjay"] You said that you never bought a new car... What about the car you drove to the IMM98 in Switzerland?!? .[/quote]


Owned.

[Billy]

I was waiting for someone to jump in on that one.

The '98 Sportspack was an ex-demo and had been used to follow the Killarney Rally of the Lakes before I bought it so strictly speaking it was a used car (and I certainly didn't pay full whack) and the Volvo S80 was a company car. So I'm sticking to my theory that I've never gone out and knowingly bought a new car. It scares me that ye lads know me too well!!

On a slightly different note, it's good to see the photos from Mosney showing several of the Mini variants I'd love to see out in MTM500.

Tick, tock.

Billy

[Billy]

Another reason just came to me why it would have to be MTM500 and not MTM800. 99.9% of classic minis have their speedos and mileometers in MPH. I've just checked both my '67s and kilometres are not even shown on the speedo. Unless we produce a separate kmph routebook for the Binis.

Methinks not.

Billy

[The Marcos Graveyard]

Could you not just print the Km in brackets beside the miles on the roadbook ?

[Billy]

Hush! Whose side are you on anyway?

The other option is to stick mileage figures onto the speedos of the MINIs.

[The Marcos Graveyard]

There are sides ???

[Guest]

Well the black Hornet on the Mosney gallery will definately be there Billy. It's just as well I didn't know that '98 Sportspack wasn't strictly brand new. Myself and Kellier were suffering a "little" after drinking Swedish Virgin cola and were dying to fart...
I wonder will we see any Marcos' on the run too...

[woody]

You may only see the marcos if you start at the back and carry a spare head gasket.

Lets go the full hog and make MTM500 a pre 1980 cars only.No more aparthite.

[The Marcos Graveyard]

If you have more than 6 vent holes in your sills then your not a REAL Mini really. :-D

[THE DUKE]

Hi Billy long time no see Just a note to let you know I would be in favour of doing the "MIZEN to MALIN" run in one day Having driven all 6 runs not to be confused with Mizan to galway/mayo run which did not have the same ring to it so did not attend. I had so much fun only I break down. Run was completed in the same car every year
Jury still out on the BMW my only problem was there width (for passing on a 10ft wide lane) and how slow they are on corners not to scrape there fine paintwork on the hedges. Denim Blue 1275GT in mosney Gallery

[Guest]

[quote="woody"]Lets go the full hog and make MTM500 a pre 1980 cars only.No more aparthite.[/quote]
Now Woody. You're gonna start a whole other conflict with that kind of comment. :D

[harry]

hi folks . one day MTM sounds great looking forward to getting a mini very soon so it will be my second MTM ,since2000 no douth if simon see's me in his rear view mirror he'l be accelerating hard or waveing me past (minis dont stop to well with unbraked trailers and if i could lose about 4 stone that might help things ) :oops: SEE YE ALL SOON ON THE RUNS :D