Update.. I retrieved Rog from the airport tonight, as he has arrived safe and sound.. bearing Mini gifts and travel bags of souvenirs from Mini 50 event at SilverStone. We'll be packing up the car tommorrow and heading out on Thursday. Mike

Headed out to pick up rog at the airport..and received this update from him... Mike

"So you think flying over to Canada is easy with British Airways is easy in Cattle Class, so what do you do when an email comes from B.A. to up grade to Traveler Plus for £80. Well usually you can ask to be up graded and its free not that you ever get up graded.

So I fill in the form thinking its both ways, click click then the credit card click "oops" was that £800 to late, so what had happened I was miss lead into clicking the return trip as well. so that's £720, what do B.A. say "nothing we can do". any suggestion's will be welcome on how to get my money back.

Fathers Day was a lovely dinner with my daughter & family, but when I was eating crunch "O" a bit of my tooth fell off, I am lucky to have a good dentist, I am there on Monday, "I fly out tomorrow", 2 hours later tooth filled. Now pack, and off to Heathrow on Tuesday at 9am to fly out at 2pm.
Which I did but not in Traveler Plus but up graded again to Club class, its all to much for me all this up grading, I suppose I should be thank full but still want my £720 pounds back.
Now its over to Victoria it looks on time. "

Happy Mini-ing Rog "The Hat"

Mike's VTEC Video

A short video of my car....music by Laura Smith.
www.laurasmithmusic.com

Car Prep

The Mini had an oil change and a lube today, as well as checking as the suspension nuts and bolts and frame mountings to make sure all is in good shape on the car after 1000kms of driving. Found the source of my tranny fluid dripping a quarter size pool each time I drive... the drain plug needed tightening and the drip has stopped. All looks great, so other than packing the car with some tools and spare parts and some more polishing the car looks good for the trip. Rog the Hat is ready to go, tickets in hand and bags packed for his trip from the UK to here...The Cooper S that is coming along was in the shop today getting new tires, exhaust system and a few other items checked out before we head out. It's good to have a great local Mini mechanic in the club.. Thanks Richard!

Tentative route

We have a tentative route planned, along with a lot of things to see along the way there or back.. We plan on the following to get from Victoria to Winona..route may vary as we find other roads that parallel the I90..

Day 1 - Early ferry to the mainland, and a drive down I5, Hwy2, 203, 202 and I90 to somewhere around Coeur d'Alene, Id.
Day 2 - I90, Hwy 12 to Billings , MT
Day 3 - I90, 212 to Sturgis, SD
Day 4 - I90 to Mitchell
Day 5 - I90, 43 to Winona

Things to see.. some on the way out and some on the way back..any other suggestions??
Devils Tower
Little Bighorn Battlefield
Wall Drug Store
Mount Rushmore
Black hills National Forest
SD Air and Space Museum
Atka Lotka Museum
Corn Palace
Pioneer Museum
Spam Museum
Coulee Dam
Custer National Forest

Well, we have confirmed there will be three cars. My 1989 Mini 30 with the D15B VTEC engine, a 2004 Mini Cooper automatic, and a 1968 Mini Cooper S. We are following a route that is along I90 with using some other highways to keep off the interstate, but hitting I90 where it makes sense to see sites. We have lots of stuff planed along the way, and expect to take 4 days to arrive a EMW2009. I have 700+km on the VTEC build and all seems to be good. I lost the engine due to a broken valve spring in the first 200km, and had to replace it with another used one..so 500km and no problems with this one! Here's a shot of the new roof decal I just added to the car. My good friend Bob W and I spent one afternoon, measuring and fitting the decal..