Special note: I am searching for the MOA member that I talked to at the Dixon show. This gentleman gave me a deposit on a Mini that I have for sale. That was in May. I don't know who this person is and I would like to determine if he still wants the car and if not, where I can send his deposit. You can email the newsletter or otherwise contact me if you know anything about this.
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Hello fellow Mini Owners. So far the weather has been pretty good for getting old English cars out and about. I just finished a short shake down run in my Traveller in preparation for a trip to Eureka for Mini Meet West 2026.
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Pat Kaye is organizing our caravan and it looks like a pretty good group making the trek north. If you have never had the opportunity to attend a Mini Meet West I encourage you to do so at least once.
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Cars shows are something I really enjoy. I like to talk to folks about our marvelous little cars. I recently attended the Father’s Day Show at Blackhawk. I was joined by Jim Predmore, Steve Poff, and Andy Biddle. Jim had his Cooper S. Andy brought his Pup. Steve had his Cooper and I brought the 66 Moke. The Minis always bring a lot of attention and probably 20 or so kids sat in the Moke. I think this is a great way to get the younger generations into our old English Iron.
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On the trip down to Danville for the show, I realized that driving the Moke at 7 a.m., I needed a heavier jacket. I choose to take the side routes as much as possible as the Moke is not really built for the freeway. I sometimes wonder how Dorothy and I ever drove the Moke to Denver, Colorado for the Mini Meet there in 1984. There were three cars on that run, two Mokes and a 70s vintage Canadian Mini. On a back road in the mountains of Colorado we saw a highway sign indicating a $1,000 fine for hitting a moose. Dorothy said we might have just passed under a moose in the Minis. I guess being younger figured into the equation to make that trip.
But a lack of common sense has to also be a factor as on the return trip we decided we would take Highway 50, the “Loneliest Highway in America”. And indeed it is just that. We would go 20 minutes without seeing a single car heading in the opposite direction. We did, however, see an Army tank on the road heading East. At least I think we saw a tank. I don’t think mirages usually manifest as military vehicles.
Just about half way across Nevada is the town of Austin. Not much there but we stopped for fuel and gathered in front of the Austin Garage for a photo. Trip was otherwise pretty uneventful except we decided to go up a dirt road to see a mine that was noted on the map. (Yes, we actually had paper maps.) The road got way too rough for us to continue but on the way back Scott in the other Moke decided to take a parallel road across the desert. He either wanted to get ahead of us or was tired of the dust and then sort of disappeared. He had gone into a rather sever dip in that road and hit hard enough to dislodge the lower radiator hose from the Moke. That was the only damage (except them being covered in radiator coolant and dirt). We reattached the hose, refilled the radiator and proceeded back to Highway 50. Later in the day we stopped at a rest area and filled the empty coolant jug with water and washed the dirt mostly off Scott and his sister Ann.
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Not sure how I got onto this ramble when I just intended to relate that I think driving the Moke is not quite as easy as it used to be. Maybe it is time for the beast to find a newer, younger driver. That’s it for this edition. Get out and drive your Minis. They always bring smiles not to just us driving them but to the folks that see us on the road. I always get lots of smiles, waves and thumbs up whenever I am driving a Mini.
Jon
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Welcome to the 23rd edition of the MOASF Newsletter. We're always looking for member input, where everything Mini is most welcome. So, please email me with your contribution.
A quick word about Mechanics Corner. I have contributed an article for this edition. I know a lot of readers do their own mechanics, so I am keen to have a submission for every edition going forward. Next time you do a fix or a project, take a few pics and send me a quick write-up. Add a photo of yourself for a personal touch!
If you want to organize a run, let your area representative know, and the club will confirm suitable days and help promote it. You can find your rep in the list at the bottom of this newsletter. Contact me if you need help.
There was love in the air on Memorial Day weekend, with member Andy Hoffman (yours truly) marrying his fiancee Lale Yurtseven at a ceremony in Willow Glen, San Jose. In attendence were members Andy Biddle and Kay Dee; Bruce Hurlburt and Angie; Craig Dewey and Lynn; Anita Weemaes and Christoph Fitsch; and Mike Singer and Stephanie. |
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Pictured are the happy couple with wedding gifts from Anita and Christoph commemorating Andy's long-running battle with an oil leak.
There's more about this in this edition's Mechanic's Corner article. |
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From left: Bruce, Angie, Craig, Lynn, Andy and Kay Dee.
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North Bay Run
by Pat Kaye
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The group was Gerardo Ortiz and his nephew, Jim Jensen, Steve Poff, Mel Rodrick, Lou Gilpin, Chris Monson and me (Pat Kaye). I 'dropped the ball' by not telling everyone to bring their charged up 2-way radios (me included as mine were dead). We really could see how much more difficult the run was as far as communicating later. I also didn't do my detailed instruction page for turns along the route which also proved to be a mistake on my part.
Joe Whyte was supposed to join us but suffered electrical problems with his ignition switch at a gas station a mile or so from his house, so he didn't make it. Colin Urquhart came down to the meet point to say hi but was on his way to see his wife Claire in the recovery center in San Rafael.
I had told the group that depending on traffic, I might stray from my initial route plans. That did in fact happen as we headed on Highway 1 out of Tam Valley and we got behind a couple of slow Sunday drivers. I decided if they went straight toward Muir Beach, I'd turn and go up the Panoramic Highway over Mt. Tamalpais, which is exactly what we did. At the top of the road, we went up Pantoll Road, then went left onto Ridgecrest which runs along the top of the Bolinas ridge above Stinson Beach.
At the end, we headed down the narrow and twisty Fairfax Bolinas Road, which is very similar to Alpine Road on the Banzai Beach Run, but quite a bit steeper descent and longer down to Highway 1. At the bottom of the hill we stopped just to stretch and make sure all the cars were good.
We next ran up the coast to Nick's Cove where we stopped to use the restroom. As we left there, I assumed at the front that everyone got out on Highway 1 OK and in retrospect, should have stopped along the section heading inland along Walker Creek to gather the group. I didn't and as the main group turned in the middle of Tomales to head out toward Elephant Rock (pictured) above Dillon Beach, I managed to lose Jim and Mel in the two cars in the back, who were stuck behind a truck. When we pulled into the dirt lot at Elephant Rock and got out of the Minis, it was the first time I noticed the missing cars!
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We hung around for a bit hoping they'd come along but they didn't and I didn't have a cell signal out there so we couldn't reach out to the missing cars. We decided to continue north on the run, and as we were heading north on Valley Ford Franklin School Road, here came Jim and Mel, so we slowed down and they turned around.
The rest of the run was fun, albeit most of the roads being bumpy. We encountered turkeys in a couple locations, but none were hit! We ended up going to the Pub Republic in Petaluma for lunch. All in all, a good run and fun to get out on some twisty roads with MOASF club members again!
Thanks to Gerardo for this video! |
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Clovis British Auto Round Up
by Bill Wilson
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Valley British Auto Club (VBAC) held its annual Spring car show on Sunday, March 29th, in downtown Clovis in conjunction with the annual “Vintage Market & Antiques Fair,” and had 88 show entries, and 78 entries actually at the show. The weather cooperated and was glorious, unlike last year when it rained heavily early in the day, then was cloudy the rest of the day. The clear and sunny day, however, made midday somewhat warm, so the food trucks and cold beverages available along Pollasky Avenue, where the vintage fair was set up, made the day quite enjoyable.
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In conjunction with VBAC’s car show on Sunday, there was the optional, but very well attended, car run up into the Sierra Nevada foothills, down to the Kings River, then back to Clovis where we had lunch at Bobby Salazar’s Mexican Food Restaurant, a local favorite. We had about 40 cars tearing it up in the foothill twisties, divided into two groups, and it was a perfect day for driving!
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During the car show on Sunday, we had various raffles of donated goods and items, which enabled the club to donate $2,000 to the Central Valley Veterans. In addition, the sister of one of VBAC’s longtime members, Peter Patriquin, who died this year, donated an additional $500 in his name and memory.
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We gave out eight awards to the attending vehicles (and of course, their owners!), as follows:
- Best Vintage Vehicle through 1960: 1960 MGA 1500 Roadster, Mike Jacobson, San Mateo.
- Best Classic Vehicle 1961-1985: 1967 Land Rover 109 6cyl station wagon, Matt Moore, Auberry.
- Best Modern Vehicle 1986-2005: 1993 TVR Chimaera 400, Brinder Grewal, Fresno.
- Best Ultra-Modern Vehicle 2006-Present: 2025 Morgan Plus 4, Craig & Lori Wagoner, Clovis.
- Best Sports Car, Peter Patriquin Memorial Award: 1955 MGTF 1500, Bud Alkema, Visalia.
- Show Committee’s Choice Award: 1961 Triumph TR-4, Joel Justin, Camarillo.
- Participants’ Choice Award: 1960 MGA 1600 Coupe, Donald Herrick, San Jose.
- President’s Award: 1959 Morris Minor Traveller, Bill Czerwinski, Ventura.
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As one can see, participants came from all over California, and I think everyone had a great time at our show. I encourage MOASF members to consider coming over to the sunny (usually) Central Valley to attend our friendly and low-key show. In years past we’ve had many MOASF members come over, like Andy Biddle, Jim Predmore, Pat Kaye, among others, and you could ask them about their experiences here in Fresno.
Bill Wilson, MOASF and VBAC member.
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Banzai Beach Run
by Andy Hoffman
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This year, we drove the same route as we did last year, which was developed by member Todd Dunning. However, we skipped the detour to Long Branch Saloon and Farms because we couldn't confirm its availability in time. Maybe next year.
The event started out in Woodside and finished up at Cameron's Pub in Half Moon Bay for lunch. In between were some the most Mini friendly roads in the Bay Area. We met behind the Pioneer Inn in Woodside at 9am and managed to set off before 10am. It was an amazing run, as usual, but this time we had a lot of fog until we got down to lower elevations, and it reminded some of us that it is handy to have windshield wipers after all!
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Annual All British Motor Show
and Swap Meet, Dixon
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On May 17, British cars of all shapes, sizes and vintages gathered at the Dixon Fairgrounds for the 2026 Annual All British Motoring Show and Swap Meet.
The Mini contingent was well represented, with several cars proudly on display. It was especially exciting to see that all three winners in the Vintage Mini class were MOASF members.
Congratulations to our club members!
Here are the winners in the Vintage Mini class:
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First Place: Chris Monson, 1973 Mini
Second Place: Paul and Margaret Barrow, 1970 Austin Panel Van
Third Place: Andy Biddle, 1967 Morris Mini Twinkam
A great showing for MOASF and another reminder that our little cars continue to make a big impression!
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Velocity Invitational
Mini Versus Muscle
Sonoma Raceway
by Andy Biddle
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The 2026 Velocity Invitational took place May 29–31, 2026 at Sonoma Raceway in California’s wine country, marking the event’s return after a one-year break. It was billed as North America’s greatest car culture festival, blending motorsport, lifestyle, and automotive history in an open, no-velvet-ropes paddock.
Event Highlights
- Racing Groups: Featured everything from 1950s–60s sports and GTs to 200+ mph Le Mans prototypes
- Special Groups: Historic B&C Sedans with 30+ cars, including the Corky Bell Trans Am 510 (restored and raced after 53 years) IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z and other vintage B-sedans were also prominent
- The Mini Versus Muscle Car endurance races reenacting the famous David versus Goliath races of the 60s with the nimble underpowered Classic Minis against the big lumber American Muscle cars off that era.
- Notable Drivers: Art Hebert raced both a 1963 Lola Formula Junior (2nd) and a 1971 Lotus 69B Formula B (3rd), honoring his father’s racing legacy
- Fan Engagement: Friday night meet with Sung Kang (Fast & Furious) and Larry Chen, celebrating JDM culture and previewing Kang’s film Drifter
- Experiences: New ride-along opportunities, celebrity meet-and-greets (including Yuki Tsunoda and Lia Block), and a first-of-its-kind live online/offline auction with Cars & Bids
Mini vs Muscle Event
This year the scope was expanded from the original “Mini vs. Mustang” format to include muscle cars of all eras and brands, not just Ford Mustangs but targeted to include Camaros, Falcons, Fairlanes and other simar muscle cars. It promised to be a fun, accessible race group that pits small, nimble cars (like Mini Coopers) against big, powerful muscle cars (such as Camaros, Chargers, and other high-horsepower sedans) in a spirited on-track showdown.
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Dennis Racine showing how it should be done
Photo courtesy of Cindy Racine
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The format of the weekend started with two Friday qualifying sessions, as some cars had two drivers, followed by a 50-minute endurance race on Saturday and Sunday. Each endurance race included a mandatory 5-minute pit stop to facilitate driver changes, refueling or any other needed maintenance jobs.
The lineup for the weekend had 18 Classic Minis entered and 3 muscle cars: two Mustangs and a Camaro. One of the Mustangs, the 1967 Mustang Shelby GT350, was co-driven by Alex Brundle, professional race driver, son of Formula 1 World Champion Martin Brundle and F1 commentator who took the break between races to participate before returning to Monaco to continue supporting the rest of the F1 season.
On the Mini side of the garage, cars had come from all over the country including MOASF club member Joe Whyte who had purchased a nice shiny new race car built by Endaf Owens that arrived just in time to make it to the grid. Endaf, a former UK Mini Miglia Champion - and some would say fearless aka bonkers driver - was keen to demonstrate the form he showed last time he raced at Sonoma in the CanAm event in 2017. He flew out with his family, taking a vacation driving up from LA before picking up the car and unpacking it to race. As the preparation was starting for him and the car, Joe’s wife Kate was rushed to hospital with complications from the imminent birth of their second child. He was unable to practice or race on Saturday but fortunately Millie was born on Saturday and Joe was able to nip over Sunday afternoon to take the final stint in the car.
Other MOASF club members that drove the event were Christoph Fritsch, Mike Kimball, John Burmann, Andy Biddle and Jim Jensen and a few club members came out to help with pit crewing including Anita Waemes, Julie Racine, and Jim Predmore.
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Starting Grid for Race 2
The Endurance Race 1 on Saturday started with the 1969 For Boss Mustang in pole position with the 1968 Chevrolet Camaro second and Endaf in the #17 Mini in third place ahead of the 1966 Shelby Mustang. Andy Biddle had, as usual, car issues, with a non-functioning clutch in a freshly built motor that manifested itself during load up Thursday afternoon, just making it in time for the drivers meeting required to be eligible to race, followed by a successful trackside repair. But on the qualifying laps, the transponder did not register resulting in no lap times and starting the race at the back of the grid.
The Boss 302 and Camaro held first and second place for the first lap with Endaf following closely behind in third. Lap 2, and the Camaro took the lead which he held until the finish. The Boss 302 had mechanical failure forcing a retirement on lap 20. Endaf had a good race with the GT350 relinquishing second place on lap 15.
The results from Endurance Race 1 were:
1st John Hildebrand 1968 Chevrolet Camaro
2nd Matt Johnson/Alex Brundle 1966 Shelby GT350
3rd Endaf Owens 1967 Mini Cooper S
4th Gary Drean/Chris Copley 1965 Austin Mini Cooper
5th Dennis Racine/Don Racine 1966 Cooper Mini
6th David Cooper 1965 Austin Mini Cooper
7th Christoph Fritsch/Brian Walters 1967 Austin Mini Cooper
8th Dave Hagan/Tyler Hagan 1964 Mini Cooper S
9th Mike Kimball 1966 Austin Mini
10th Tazio Otis 1971 British Leyland Mini Clubman
The Enduro Race 2 on Sunday was a reverse grid where the top 10 from Race 1 were swapped around with the Camaro starting tenth, GT350 ninth and Endaf in the Mini starting eighth. The Mini clubman was on pole position with club member "crazy" Mike Kimball in second.
Storming off the line, Endaf dived up the inside into turn 1 and by the exit of turn 2 had taken the lead with Dave Hagan up to second and Andrew Wait third. By the Carousel it was Endaf extending his lead, Andrew second and Dennis closely following in third. Heading up the hill to turn 7, Dennis was able to draft pass Andrew into second. The Clubman retired on lap 1 with a mechanical issue. Endaf held the lead, holding back Dennis and the fast-charging Camaro until lap 9 when the Camaro took the lead. Endaf came in for his pit stop and driver change on lap 15 to hand over the reins to Joe Whyte. During the pit stop there was a lot of discussion and checking the car over as it appeared to have started having handling issues. Not able to find the cause, Joe came out into second behind the Camaro with Dennis /Don Racine in third place, Andrew Wait in the #62 Mini fourth and the GT350 in fifth.
The Camaro was extending his lead when the rear axle failed dramatically, forcing him into the pit for Joe to take the lead and Dennis holding second. In spite of the poor handling, Joe was able to hold the lead until the end and take the checkered flag. By lap 18 the GT350 had passed Andrew and while catching Dennis quickly was unable to pass him.
Once the race was over, because of the poor handling of Endaf and Joe’s car became clear, they had run the front tires almost to the chords but fortunately they had held on to the finish.
The final results of the Enduro Race 2 were:
1st Endaf Owens/Joe White 1967 Mini Cooper S
2nd Dennis Racine/Don Racine 1966 Cooper Mini
3rd Matt Johnson/Alex Brundle 1966 Shelby GT350
4th Robert Hoemke/Kyle Collins 1965 Austin Mini Cooper
5th Andrew Wait 1965 Austin Mini Cooper
6th David Cooper 1965 Austin Mini Cooper
7th Dave Hagan/Tyler Hagan 1964 Mini Cooper S
8th Gary Drean/Chris Copley 1965 Austin Mini Cooper
9th B Lyon 1967 Mini Marcos Mk II
10th John Burmann 1965 Austin Mini Cooper
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The Final Podium
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Mini Meet West, Eureka, California
by Jim Predmore
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Mini enthusiasts from across the West converged on Eureka, California, July 13–16 for Mini Meet West 2026, a four-day celebration of all things Mini. What follows is a day-by-day account of the event and its many highlights.
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The Caravan – Day 1
Members came from just about every MOASF Region to meet in Novato to enjoy a 7+ hour trip up Highway 101/1 to Eureka, CA. Graham and Susan Reid also led a group up from Orange County and San Diego to connect and make the trip. After our meet up in Novato and a bit of socializing, we were ready to motor on. Pat Kaye (MOASF’s Road Master) designed another great route heading for the ocean on some of the best twisty roads Northern California has to offer.
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With a caravan of about 12 cars, we enjoyed the scenic views of majestic redwoods while heading towards the beautiful coastal town of Mendicino to add Scott Kurth to our group. President Jon Becker shown leading the pack.
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Mendicino bound...
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...and the group makes it to the ocean
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Late lunch stop at the Avenue Café in Miranda. Our club favorite restaurant while on the road North. It’s a quick trip from here to the Host Hotel.
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Registration - Arriving at the host hotel we were greeted with fresh oysters along with a great registration reception...
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...where we connected with our fellow Mini friends to get ready for a fun week.
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Car Show – Day 2
The historic town of Ferndale in Humbolt County closed the downtown streets for the Mini Meet West Car Show. The town, known as the “Victorian Village” was the perfect setting. Dozens of preserved mid-19th century homes and storefronts provided a main street with food, shopping and friendly town people.
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Funkhana – Day 2
Wow, what an action-packed day! After that classy Car Show, a quick trip to the fairgrounds for lunch, Funkhana and slot cars for the kids (and big kids). The Racines seemed to capture most of the best times and laughs in the Funkhana while several other MOASF members joined in the fun. The Funkhana course was designed to be challenging for driving skills, and a lot of coordination and patience between the co-pilot and driver.
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Day 3 – Rally/Tour Day
There were multiple options on Rally/Tour Day to enjoy:
- Explore the beauty of the centuries-old redwood forest during the Avenue of the Giants Rally.
- The Town Rally explored the port town of Eureka with its harbors, local parks and fisherman’s getaways.
- The Walking Tour in Old Town Eureka had the true feel of a treasure hunt.
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We captured some of our MOASF members enjoying the day and even sneaking away for a bit of World Cup Soccer (sorry Andy B.)
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Day 3 – MOASF Member event
This is becoming a tradition at MMWest events. This year was the biggest ever with over 50 MOASF Members and family members joining the fun at the local Paul’s Live from New York Pizza. We pretty much took over the whole restaurant, and the term “Fight for a Slice” was born. Everyone had a great time including our new San Diego Minis members.
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Day 4 – Autocross
Day four was packed with activities starting with the Autocross and ending with the Closing Banquet for all attendees. The Autocross was held at the historic Samoa dragstrip which was setup for speed events. The test of skill navigating the course was a challenge and reward for all who participated.
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Day 4 – Rocker Cover Races
I think this was brought back from earlier times at Mini Meets. Seems like the East continued with this event but the West has not hosted the races for a while. It was really nice to see the enthusiasm and competitive spirit in the races. Run by Verdis Upton, we saw MOASF members on the winner’s podium!
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Day 4 – Closing Banquet
The Closing Banquet is always a wonderful time to reflect on all the activities of the week, share stories, celebrate the event winners, and plan for the 2027 Mini Meet West event.
With a wonderful beer and wine selection and hosted buffet we were all treated to a wonderful evening. The event included awards, raffle prizes, and several auctions to benefit charities. A highlight was the announcement by Mike Smith of Mini Meet West 2027 which will take place in Vernon, Canada. Time to start Planning!
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Many Thanks to Amanda and Mike, our Mini Meet West 2026 event hosts!
Great Job!!!
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Note: At the time of this publication not all attendance and event results were available. We hope to have all the specific event awards and MOASF member specifics as an addition to our next newsletter.
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Little Car Show, Pacific Grove
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The Little Car Show will be held during the famed Monterey Car Week, which brings tens of thousands of owners, collectors, and enthusiasts of automobiles to the Monterey Peninsula each August for more than a dozen events. The show schedule runs from noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, and is free of charge to all spectators. Unfortunately, it is too late to register for this year's event. |
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The Little Car Show showcases 125 vehicles 25 years and older and features multi-marque mini, micro, steam, electric, and arcane vehicles of 1,800cc displacement or less from around the globe. A “special interest” category offers select limited production, custom, and modified vehicles.
Trophies will be presented during the event for a variety of awards, including The Coveted Big Award.
Located on the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California, the show is held in the charming, seaside community of Pacific Grove, along multiple blocks of Lighthouse Avenue between Fountain Avenue and 19th Street.
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All British Field Meet
Portland, Oregon
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This year, the 49th annual event salutes MG, and special recognition is given to Lotus. All ‘British’ (and Commonwealth) cars are welcome to join the fun. With over 800 registered vehicles, this is the largest All British Field Meet in the United States and the largest 3-day event in the Americas!
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CSRG Sears Point Challenge
Sonoma Raceway
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With over 250 entries, spectators, car club displays, vintage aircraft flyovers and more, this is a full three-day event, with practice and some qualifying on the optional Friday session. Since the first Charity Challenge in 2004 this charity rides program has raised over $1M for Sonoma Children's Charities. Racers can offer to give rides to spectators and fans of vintage racing while helping raise funds for local children’s charities.
For club members, the event of interest is the Hoosier 2.5 B/C sedan challenge, where engine displacement is limited to 2,500cc. This means small production touring and sedan cars from the golden era of the 1960s and 1970s, which includes classic nimble racers like the Datsun 510, Alfa Romeo GTA, BMW 2002, Ford Cortina, and, of course, the Mini Cooper.
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Nick Becker Memorial
All British Motor Show
by Bruce Hurlburt
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Mini Owners of America - San Francisco is excited to host the 36th annual All British Motor Show on Sunday, October 18, 2025 from 9am to 2pm. The show is held in honor of the late Nick Becker who conceived of and promoted the show for many decades. The show will be held in the Blackhawk Museum parking lot in Danville.
Register your car or motorcycle online at motorsportreg.com. |
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Since 2015 we’ve partnered with the Blackhawk Museum to support their Children’s Education and Transportation Fund. Proceeds from our show and raffle are donated to the fund which are used to enrich the educational experience of local school children.
So come join us to celebrate all things British! The show is always fun and we look forward to seeing you there.
If you’re coming to the show, consider taking an hour or two to volunteer! Yep, join the cool kids. Who doesn’t love a vest, a radio, and maybe even a clip board!! Seriously though, we will provide our volunteers with some extra raffle tickets… so look for an email coming soon asking for volunteers.
- Bruce Hurlburt
ABMS Committee Chair
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October 30 – November 1, 2026
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CSRG Rolling Thunder
Thunderhill Raceway
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The racing is chill, the weather is exquisite, everyone gets lots of track time and the Saturday dinner is delicious, fun and memorable. Opt for a full Friday of testing and then at least four sessions (but sometimes six!) on the weekend and you will return home ready for a winter's rest! There will be midday Mechanical Picnics on both weekend days and maybe even a street car session. Come see how great racing at the hill can be and help grow this event.
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We have our popular traditional end of year run up the San Jose side of Mount Hamilton to the Lick Observatory and down the other side for lunch. This event will be on Sunday November 8th. We will again meet at Starbucks at 2707 McKee Road, San Jose at 10:00 am with a goal of leaving at 10:30.
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This run is a rain or shine event on a fun twisty journey up and down the mountain to suit all driving speed preferences. We will plan a stop/regroup along the way to adjust the order and let the fast drivers up front.
We will stop at the Lick Observatory to enjoy the views and expecting to arrive around mid-day when the museum and gift shop open.
When the group is ready to leave, we will descend the mountain on San Antonio Road and stop at the recently renamed Rainbow Junction for lunch This restaurant reopened this year under new management and is now part of a regenerative farm. More information can be found here The Rainbow Junction Farm.
Bring your radios if you have them. We hope to see many of you on this run. |
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Marin County
When: 1st Sunday of every month, 6:30am to 10am
Where: Starbucks, 132 Vintage Way, Novato
Ronnies
When: 2nd Saturday of every month, 7am to 11am
Where: Auto Zone, 5566 Cottle Road, San Jose
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Oil Leak?
Don't overlook the fuel pump
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I've been battling an oil leak in my Mini for what feels like forever. As anyone familiar with the BMC A-series engine knows, there are countless places where oil can escape: the rocker cover gasket, timing cover, tappet chest covers, the infamous gearchange selector seal, the pot joints, and even the speedometer cable connection. Over the years, every one of these has been a suspect, but I could never quite pin down the real culprit—until recently.
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One clue was that the leak persisted even after I upgraded the engine from a 998 to a 1275. That suggested the problem wasn't in the engine itself, but in something that had been transferred from the old setup to the new. The leak was always at its worst after a long freeway drive, when the engine was hot and spinning at sustained high RPM.
After one such run, I asked Lale to hold the engine at speed while I shone a flashlight down the back of the engine. Sure enough, I spotted oil spraying from the weep hole on the underside of the fuel pump.
So what exactly is the weep hole, and why is it there? It's actually a clever safety feature. If the pump diaphragm fails, the weep hole allows oil to escape externally rather than letting fuel seep past the pump arm into the crankcase, where it could dilute the engine oil and potentially lead to catastrophic engine damage.
Wanting to fix the problem quickly, I contacted Nick Upton, who kindly sold me a replacement pump at a very reasonable price. It's the aftermarket version that Mini Spares claims is superior to the genuine pump — I'll reserve judgment on that for now.
Replacing the pump with the engine in the car is easier said than done. The air filters and carburettor(s) need to come off to gain access, and even then there's precious little room to work.
One piece of advice from the Mini Spares website deserves to be taken seriously: "When fitting, make sure the pump lever is sitting on the cam lobe, not to the side." My old pump had been installed using bolts rather than studs and nuts, making it awkward to align correctly while fighting the spring pressure on the pump arm. I buttoned everything back together, turned the key... and the engine cranked enthusiastically but refused to start.
There's a quick way to check whether the fuel pump is actually working: disconnect the hose from the pump to the carburettor, crank the engine, and see if fuel squirts out. Note to self: do the test before you go through the hassle of refitting the carburettors!
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As it turned out, I'd made exactly the mistake the warning described. The pump lever had ended up beside the cam lobe instead of on it. I made a quick trip to O'Reilly Auto Parts and picked up a pair of studs. Installing the pump with studs instead of bolts made alignment dramatically easier. You can see from the photo that the incorrect installation had already worn the plastic tip of the pump arm after only a few turns of the engine.
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The best part? The oil leak has finally disappeared. After all this time, both my Mini and my garage floor are much happier.
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Future Events
Our next issue will be late Fall, where we will describe more details of the first events in the new year in our Upcoming Events section, plus a list of other events for later in 2027.
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Current Officers:
President: Jon Becker
Treasurer: Jim Predmore
Secretary: Andy Biddle
East Bay Regional Representative: Rich Haub
North Bay Regional Representative: Pat Kaye
South Bay Regional Representative: Bruce Hurlburt
Valley-Foothills Regional Representative: Craig Dewey
Historian: Neil Blank
Webmaster (commercial design): Mike Singer
Webmaster (ABMS content/updates): Bruce Hurlburt
Newsletter Editor: Andy Hoffman
ABMS Chair: Bruce Hurlburt
Merchant Store Manager / Memorabilia: Pat Kaye
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