For 2005 see NorthwestNews
See the new NW Track car at:
projectmr2.com and Wayne's website at:
http://www.mk1toyotamr2.co.uk/
Ryan Kevan, Mob: 07782 131306 Email: ryan@mr2mk1.com
NW Meet Sunday 27th June 2004
Next Meet Sunday 11th July
This months meet was slightly out of 'sync' due to Le Mans, hence the next
meet only 2 weeks away when we will finalise the run to Billing (JAE).
We had another good gathering and Phil 'Slick' Talyor was presented with his
forfeit for losing the Go-Karting event, look out for him sinking very low into
his driving seat, especially if there are any 'Scoobies' about, (I think there
might be one or two attending JAE Phil!!!!).
A total of 8 MK1s turned up plus a few other members in their 'other' cars. I
have acquired a couple more MK1's, a Mica Blue T-bar which I am using as a spare
whilst my black one is having a few more bits added plus Mike Sheavills Sherwood
which I intend to do up over the next few months. The Mica Blue will be up for
sale soon £1500 to anyone interested (new exhaust downpipe, new pads, calipers
freed, complete oil and coolant change, Tax to Nov, 12 months MOT and a new
electric aerial)
Apparently, Le Mans was much enjoyed by all who went, I must go next year and
so should as many of you as possible, JAE in July promises to be great fun with
a few surprises thrown in!!
Anyone who is interested in the JAE weekend should contact me ASAP so that we
can arrange meet up points etc.
RYAN KEVAN
NW Meet Sunday 16th May 2004
Another new face turned up for May's meeting, that of Simon Taylor with his
recently purchased Dark Blue T-Bar, and he also committed himself to the full
weekend at the forthcoming Tatton event (June 5th/6th in case you have
forgotten).
Another new car appeared but it had an old face driving it, (sorry, meant
familiar face!), Charles Fox, aka Frogge, arrived in a white T-Bar having kept
this purchase very close to his chest, obviously the recent hot weather had a
lot to do with it, as for his Red MK1 A, I think he intends to keep it and
slowly do it up (we all know what that means!)
Ye old familiars were also there, Gary, Phil 'Slick' Taylor, John, Roy and
Sue, Mark and Sharon, Chris, Ian Harrison, Wayne, Richard, Graham and of course
myself.
Fortunately, Saturdays post had delivered the tickets for Tatton's classic
car show (5th/6th June, still a couple of tickets left you know!) so I was able
to pass these out, so far there are 12 confirmed for the full weekend and 5
others for either the Saturday or Sunday, unfortunately, yours truly will
probably not be able to make due to work commitments, but, all being well, I
will be at JAE, hopefully with a few extras done to my car ( you will just have
to wait 'Slick'!)
After the meet, a few ploughed on up to the Barn for a few items. The Black
MK1 A is now in the hands of a welder and paint sprayer so should be ready soon,
after which we will turn our attention and cash to the track car (hope:hope:hope!).
The next meet will be held on the 4th Sunday in June to allow those who are
going to Le Mans to get their stories straight before a mass Q&A from those
who were unable to attend this year!
RYAN KEVAN
NW Meet Sunday 18th April 2004
Me in Must have race wear
Race for the Lead which Gary Brown emphatically won.
Next Meet Sunday 16th May
Definitely a first this month, we had more Non-MR2s than than actual MR2s,
only 5 MK1s turned up and 8 other members arrived in what can only be described
in their '2nd cars'!
Excuses ranged from 'I couldn't start mine this morning' to 'mine's in the
bodyshop', fortunately, I could vouch for all the reasons as we are having a run
of cars being dispatched to Colin Taylors for various bits of cosmetic surgery,
at the last count he had 4 MK1's in his yard having allready dispatched 3 others
recently. (However Phils tale of a large fish landing on his bonnet proved too
hard to swallow!!)
Once all were sat down within the Wiggin Tree, drinks in hand, the
discussions begun about future events and when will this bl***y track car be
finished?
The next event will be Tatton on the 5th/6th June and I will need to the have
names of those who wish to go soon, so start thinking about it and let me know
ASAP.
On this day, we had also organised a GO-Karting session at the Burscough
Kart-World circuit. The original 10 participants was unfortunately wittled down
to 8 by the time we arrived but after 10 practice laps and 15 qualifying
laps, the grid was sorted.
Now Phil 'Slick' Taylor was out for world Karting dominance, or so he
thought! After making the fatal mistake of challenging me, adding a forfeit for
the loser, he was given a sound thrashing not only by myself but also by the
other 7!! Sorry Phil, your forfeit will be arriving soon!
It was a fantastic afternoon, everyone leaving with grins ( at least one also
leaving with a large bruise on his side courtesy of T-Boning someone else) and
thoughts of taking on Mr Button at his own game, this is something we will do
again allthough I hear on the grapevine that Phil has allready booked a crash
course in how not to crash!
Following are the Final Race Results:- Till the next time.
NW Meet Sunday 21st March 2004
Back at the Wiggin Tree now although our corner of the Pub does seem rather
crowded now with a large number of members turning up, something we shall have
to look into I guess.
We welcomed a new member, Phil Edwards with his SC and had the usual talks
about upcoming events, life etc.
For our next meet, which will take place still at the Wiggin Tree, Parbold at
1230, I have organised an afternoon of Karting at the indoor track, Burscough
from 15:30 onwards. Cost of this will be £35 pp and will consist of 45 laps, 15
practice, 15 qualify and 15 final, bound to be great fun which I am sure will
show up the competitive streak in us all (isn't that right 'Slick'?).
Anyone interested should contact me on 07782 131306 or ryan@mr2mk1.com
Other future events to put into your diary are:
Tatton Park weekend, June 5th and 6th
Billing JAE weekend, July 24th and 25th
Tatton Park again, August 21st and 22nd
There are a number of others, found in the club mag, but these are the main
three for which we would really like a big turnout from the NW.
RYAN KEVAN
NW Meet Sunday 8th February 2004
This month saw us at a new venue (the Black Horse, Much Hoole) which was a
one off as we will be returning to the Wiggin Tree, Parbold for March's meet.
All the faces where ye old familiar ones and the general conversation
revolved around the Barn and the upcoming run the Isle of Man (report will
follow soon after the weekend finishes).
After a quick lunch time session, needless to say, we ended up back at the
barn but as it was just a little cold, it was decided to continue with the
waiting game and hope the trackcar would magically fix itself before the next
visit!!!
Stop Press 22nd January 2004
G'day all, Due to popular demand, our monthly meets are re-locating. The new venue
is to be the Black Horse Pub on the A59 in Much Hoole, just south of Preston. We
are moving for two reasons: - 1) We have recently moved to another storage
barn, this Pub is a lot closer. 2) We seemed to have developed a core group,
most of whom will find this venue closer. The one down side is we may now be
limiting ourselves to the North and West of the North West region as this venue
is now further from the likes of Manchester and Chester so maybe someone would
like to try and run a North West region but catering for those in
N.Wales, Chester etc. Anyone interested should contact me at ryan@mr2mk1.com
This can only benefit the NW in general as I know of a number of MK1 owners
who feel that it is too far to travel to Parbold for our monthly meets. We will
still represent the entire NW and combine for the likes of Tatton, JAE etc.
Who's up for it? and is there anybody against it?
Regards, Ryan Kevan
NW Meet 11th January 2004
Our first meeting in 2004 and yet another excellent turn out, all be it that
3 of the cars were non MR2s for various reasons, we still had a good line up of
8 MK1s.
Once again the core group made it to the Wiggin Tree although Sue had to
suffer the indignity of arriving in my car as hers had decided to throw a
wobbler shortly after she left her house (still, at least she didn't have to do
any parking!)
New member Dave Shickell turned up in his White Coupe and I hope he felt
quite welcome.
As Decembers meet was a bit of a non-event due to yours truly being
dispatched off to Italy at short notice, we all had alot to catch up on so the
main topics were 'who takes over should I become unavailable' and 'when the
bloody hell are we going to get to grips with our Barn cars?!!'
Gary Brown is 2nd in command, but as he is currently without a computer both
Mark Richardson and John Redmond have been a great help in getting thing
organised, notably the run to the Lakes early December for which I thank them,
even though they had a far better time than I did as I was bouncing across the
Bay of Biscay at the time.
As for the 2nd topic, we all ventured off to our new premises after the meet
in order to try and install some much needed enthusiasm which, with the help of
Jim Leddens infectious get up and go attitude, arrived shortly after.
A large group should be congregating this Saturday (17th) in order to
commence scrapping two cars, a red MK1A Coupe and a gold MK1A coupe. Once
this is completed we will then have more room to start on the Limo which we will
be putting up for sale once completed.
Finally, there are still a few places left on the Isle of Man run for Feb
20th, but only a few mind as this will be an interesting event. I have already
been contacted by two MK1 owners living on the Island, both of which have
volunteered their services once we arrive.
Ryan
North East / North West Blast around the lakes Sunday 7th December 2003
We plan to meet up as regions with the same format as last years event.
Meeting at a suitable location in the lake district for lunch and then a blast
around the roads which at this time of year is spectacular. Take a look at the
pictures taken from last years event it was fantastic. This will be the last run
for 2003 so lets see it off in great style. For more information get in touch
with your Area Organisers See
Report
NW Meet 16th November 2003
As last months meet was replaced by the run to N. Wales, it had been 8 weeks
since the last gathering at the Wiggin Tree but support for the NW was proven
again with the arrival of 13 cars including amongst them two new members, namely
Jonathan Bawden and Carl Windsor, both of whom had a number of quite important
questions to ask, namely 'why has my MK1B got a MK1A nose?' and 'who do we know
that can repair this unfortunate ding?'. Fortunately for both concerned we were
able to answer both questions to what I hope was to their complete satisfaction.
F Reg with early nose
More wallet lightening!
The other eleven were Gary, John, Steve and Jo, Tim, Mark and Sharon, Sue,
Chris, Linda and Doug, Richard, Jim and myself. In order to get someone to look
at Carl's damaged quarter I had to leave relatively early and so left the other
in the capable hands of Gary. The Xmas party has now been renamed the New Year
party with a date still to be set; no doubt this party will soon become the
Easter party!!! I took Carl to see Colin Taylor, the man responsible for getting
mine back on the road, who came up with a rather favourable quote to do the
repair plus a number of other smaller jobs that will need doing before the
dreaded rust takes too much of a hold, hopefully he will be doing the work
around December time, watch this space. I now have a number of specialists in
the Southport area who I am recommending, namely Colin Taylor for repair and
spray work and RSM Garage for engine work. Anyone wanting to use them should
contact me on 07782 131306. We will shortly be re-locating to a better storage
facility and will also have a new project in the shape of a rare Black MK1A
coupe (with new front wings), this we will be doing up and selling on, so if
anyone is interested in purchasing it once completed, again, contact me on the
above number. A few of us moved on to the barn for a couple of items and that
was that. Our next outing will be on the 7th December when we will be hooking up
with the NE for our annual run to the lakes. We will be meeting at the Charnock
Richard service station, N. Bound on the M6 at 0930 and proceeding up the M6
(stopping briefly at the next service station to pick up those who live further
North) and making our way to the Glen Rothay Hotel (Grasmere, near Ambleside)
for lunch, after which we will do the same run as last year finishing off with a
final stop at a fine pub before heading home. Once again, anyone interested to
participating can contact me by phone or via e-mail at ryan@mr2mk1.com
Jim arrived shortly after this photo which is VERY WIDE so scan
across to view all 12 MR2's
NW Meet 19th October 2003
First of all an apology for not getting the September report in on time, a
bout of illness is to blame for this but it will arrive soon. As for this months
meeting, it had been decided in September to do a run to North Wales instead of
congregating at the Wiggin Tree. A full report can be found on the NW Past
events page or by clicking on the following link. http://www.mr2mk1club.com/NW191003.html
Novembers meet will be held at the usual place and time.
NW Meet 10th August 2003
This month saw nine MK1's plus John in his trusty 'other' having had a (shall
we call it minor John?) mishap after parking his on a slight incline with no
handbrake, I shall say no more on the matter!
Attending were Myself, Gary, Mark & Sharon, Froggy, Chris, Linda, Penny,
Phil and welcomed on board was Pete Chadwick in his Silver T-Bar.
After issuing and attaching the NW new logo onto the rear right light cluster
(See Pic) to all who attended (except Chris as his Supercharger has a different
rear light set up) we went about the usual discussion about who has done what
and what was soon to be done. Gary will soon be sporting a new front and rear,
Pete learnt about the benefits of losing his present air filter system and will
be looking into a K&N replacement and Froggy, a new or 2nd hand rear Bumper
will soon find its way onto his. As for mine, those of you who attended Billing
may recall mine was the noisy one, this has now been improved by putting the
front Sub into a box rather than leaving it 'free to air' with a considerable
improvement.
Discussion in the Pub revolved around our next big event, i.e. Tatton Classic
and Sportscar show next weekend. Arrangements were made for pick up points and
tickets issued, those of you who have not received yours yet, they will be in
the post soon.
Once again we then paraded down to the Barn to replace various missing, worn
or broken parts after which we parted. Next meeting is 21st September, Octobers
will hopefully be a run to the Lakes and late November will be the NW first
'Xmas party', TBA!!.
'Three's a Crowd'
New member Pete Chadwick
Nice Line-up.
NW Meet Sunday 15th June 2003
This month saw a slight drop in numbers but we did welcome back Graham Crook
in his black T-bar and also welcomed yet another new member, Colin Moore, who
turned up in what will more than likely be a crowd puller at future events, a
multi coloured Coupe (See Picture). Craig made it once again, his last before he
goes back to sea, arriving in his rejuvenated MK1a, minus a front valance, which
we were able to supply after being removed from ReaLM. ReaLM now has a new
partner in way of a recent purchase from Birmingham, another Sherwood Toning
with a very good front end which will replace that on ReaLM and also a good
engine which will also find itself relocated to what will one day be our NW show
car. (Picture of new purchase below) The also-rans were once again Gary, Mark
and Sharon, Roy and Sue, Linda and John. We discussed the upcoming Billing
weekend (July 26th/27th) and it looks like a number of us will be driving down
on the Friday afternoon with the remainder following on Saturday. If anyone else
is interested then please get in touch so that we can arrange times for meeting
everyone somewhere on the M6. I believe all the B&B's in the area are either
fully or nearly booked up so it will have to be a camping weekend which, if it
is to be anything like last year, will be a weekend not to forget. As I have
mentioned before, if you are going to struggle to get everything into your car,
let me know and I can arrange to have it taken down in one of our support cars.
I am also hoping to arrange a run to the Isle of Man for the weekend of
20th/21st September, leaving on Friday 19th evening sailing from Liverpool and
returning on Sunday 21st evening sailing from Douglas. I am still trying to
obtain costs but if anyone is interested please let me know so that I have a
rough idea of potential numbers. As soon as I have more info it will appear on
this page hopefully with a link from the homepage. This weekend coincides with
the Manx Classic Cavalcade, the organisers of which I am having talks with.
Ryan Kevan
Wild
Multi coloured line up
Not bad for £75
NW Meet Sunday 18th May 2003
This month saw 10 MK1's, an Audi 80 and a Suzuki Vitara! Mine was the Audi
due to my MK1 being repaired after someone reversed into it and the Vitara was
Craig Nightingales (New Member No.1) whose MK1 is still being rejuvenated and
will be ready 'Next Week'!! New member No.2 was Jim Leddon in a Red Coupe who
was found loitering around a local scrap yard eyeing up a MK1A for parts. New
member No.3 was Linda McLean in a silver D reg Coupe which she has owned from
new and has since found how valuable becoming a club member is as Gary and John
have already been able to diagnose a knackered clutch and found the source of an
annoying knock from the front nearside which a number of local garages had not
been able to. The 'others' were Gary, Wayne, Sue, Chris, John, Penny, Geoff
(Watkinson, first time to a monthly meet), Mark and Sharon. Once firmly seated
in the pub, discussions revolved around our first big event, i.e Tatton Park on
the 31st. All tickets are now gone and we are all looking forward to what will
be an interesting if not taxing day! Naturally, anyone wanting to come along for
what should be a good day out are welcome, I'm not sure of the cost at the gate,
but if you do go, make yourselves known. We are meeting at the B&Q car park
(off J9, M62) at 0800 on the 31st to start our run down to Tatton, likewise you
are welcome to come along and join in. Billing is getting ever closer, last
weekend in July (26th/27th), and we are hoping for at least 20 cars to go
en-mass down there plus there will be another Tatton show in August, details to
follow.
Afterwards was the customary run down to the 'barn' to pull various bits off
the scrappers for those who wanted them followed by more work on the Track Car
which we trying to make road worthy for an MOT soon, if successful it will be on
the road as a replacement car should any of us in the scheme find ourselves
needing a ride whilst our own is being repaired. I can assure you that the fact
that mine is currently off the road and I need a ride is pure co-incidence!
I am still awaiting the History check on ReaLM but should have a decent
enough write up in time for Tatton.
Ryan Kevan
Double figures again
2nd Outing with the MK1's
At last, the Gremlin in the Engine bay was discovered!
No, honest, I was only doing 30!!
NW Meet 20th April 2003
This months meet was exceptional. No fewer than 11 MK1's turned up plus
another member who is currently MK1'less but desperate to find one ASAP (no
guesses who that might be then!). Phil had recently contacted me via e-mail asking if he could attend the meet
so as to view the MK1's prior to buying one himself but the bug took hold
quicker than he anticipated thus turning up in his red coupe and as for Dave,
well, a 'minor' disagreement with a VW Golf has resulted in a £2000 insurance
bill to fix his front end (See Picture). I have to add in my defence though that Gary and myself were rather
pre-occupied with our latest possession.
Last Friday night, together with Gary's workmate Pat (who had the day before
installed a tow-bar to his Rover 4 series and is now regretting the timing), the
three of us set off to the Devon/Cornwall border to pick up a MK1 with a blown
engine.
The 'ad' had described it as B Reg, Green over Gold, Limited Edition with
Yellow/black seats, big end gone, 5 months MOT left. £250. Sounded intriguing
and as we had a spare engine we thought put that in and sell it on.
We arrived at 2:30 (in the morning!), the present owner opened his barn door
and an audible gasp was heard from Gary's mouth. "Ryan, it's a Tin Top" I heard
him say, "Oh, that's a pity" I replied, trying not to sound too excited and
digging Gary in the ribs, had we stumbled onto something far more interesting
than anticipated? We then poked around a bit more and I could not hand over the
£200 agreed price quick enough.
Yes, B Reg (B132 RLM)
Yes, Green over Gold (i.e. Sherwood Toning)
Yes, Yellow/Black seats (with Red triangle on each headrest)
Yes, air-conditioning
Yes, built 1984, imported December 1986 (Why?) and oh, hang on, say
that Chassis number again? AW11 0009040!!!!! Had we also stumbled onto what
could possibly be the oldest MK1 in the country?
We trailered 'ReaLM' back up North, arriving home around midday, the three of
sharing the driving overnight. Do you think we qualify as enthusiasts now?
It does require some body work but all is easily repairable, the engine is
completely siezed but as it is the cars 2nd one we are not too disappointed, it
must have had a hard life though as it has only got 85,000 miles on the clock.
I am currently doing a history check and once I have more information a full
article will be published.
The Line Up
The VW apparently came off worse
Hello, what have we got here then?????
NW Meet, 9th March 2003
This months meet was unfortunately without yours truly due to illness, but I
was helped enormously by Gary Brown who welcomed those that turned up and by
John Redmond who took the photos and names of a few new members. Penny's new Toy
Sharon's in the foreground
G'day all,
That time of the month again I'm afraid, you know the one, where I bombard
your already overfilled inbox with MK1 club info.
I e-mail nearly 50 of you but rarely get more than 10 recognition's back. If
you do not want me to e-mail you about future club events then could you let me
know so that I no longer waste any more of your time.
Anyhow!!, March's monthly meet will be on Sunday 9th March at the usual
place, i.e Wiggin Tree pub, Parbold, just off J27 on the M6 at 1230, ALL are
welcome!
The biggest event this year will once again be the Japanese Auto
Extravaganza (JAE from now on), last year saw 50+ MK1's turn up and we are
all hoping to better that this year (who knows, maybe 100+?).
The weekend you all need to clear is 26th/27th July Sat/Sun). Most
members camp, but there is a B&B nearby, this does, however, fill up quite
quickly so early bookings are advised.
If I can get just half of you to attend for one or both days we will put the
NW firmly on the MK1 scene. My initial plan is to meet at a service station on
the M6 on the morning of Saturday 26th July and head on down (en-mass), should
prove quite a sight. There is no stopping anyone from making a whole weekend of
it and setting off on Friday, if that is the case, could you still let me know
so that I can make the appropriate bookings.
There is a small fee for camping, but if I recall from last year, it won't
break anyones bank. Those of you interested should contact me as soon as
possible so we can ensure sufficient camping space or rooms in the nearby
B&B. Below is some info on the JAE weekend plus last years write up. It is
an excellent event, great for kids too as there is plenty to amuse them (fair,
lake and lots of cars! etc).
See pictures and last
years write up by Mike Sheavills
A Brief History of JAE NW Cobweb Run/Monthly Meet Sunday February 9th 2003
This months meeting started at the Ponderosa cafe, near the Horseshoe pass, N
Wales. This will be an annual event for the NW and proved quite successful with
the normal 10% of NW members turning up. Club member Andrew Donnison, being a
'local' organised the route for us, which took us from the Ponderosa Cafe toward
Betws-y-Coed for lunch at the Swallow Falls Hotel, followed by another scenic
drive through the valleys of N.Wales and back to the Ponderosa.
We were due to start at 1100 but due to yours truly blowing a head gasket 5
minutes after setting off, this turned into 1200, minus one MR2 and replaced by
a more reliable Audi 80 of which there were no pictures taken, thank you Andrew
and John!
Those who also attended were Andrew Donnison, Gary Brown, Tim Moss and John
Redmond who is now the proud owner of an F Reg Helios Blue coupe after deciding
to write off his previous white coupe when the bodyshop pointed out that his
B-pillars weren't actually connected to anything, and that it had had a large
side impact in its history carefully hidden by a non-metallic substance, some
refer to as plod! I am sure some of you who are reading this will be remembering
similar events that have happened to yourselves.
We were also joined by Chris Beard from the MR2DC, driving a white MK2 whose
local knowledge also proved helpful if not interesting. Chris is also planning a
car treasure hunt on May 18th, primarily for the MR2DC but I am sure he will
welcome MK1 club members as well. Anyone interested should contact me at ryan@mr2mk1.com, I will then contact Chris to
see what it is all about.
All in all, a superb day, the sun shone and the rain held back. We will
definitely do it again next year.
The next monthly meet will be at the usual place (Wiggin Tree, Parbold), 1230
on Sunday 9th March.
Ryan
The four who made it.
John's new purchase
Swallow Falls
The Right Stuff?
Lake Bala
Time to go
G'day all,
February's meet will be on the 9th and will be a little different this time
as we are planning a run around N Wales. Club member Andrew Donnison has kindly
agreed to plan a route so all you have to do is turn up and enjoy the day.
We will be meeting at the Ponderosa Cafe, on the A542 leading to Llangollen,
on the Horseshoe pass at 1100. After an interesting run through the
valleys, we will stop for lunch at the Waterfall pub (probably not its correct
name) at 1300 and continue on after that.
How to get there is shown below. These are directions from the M6 which
obviously don't have to be followed by the letter but do give you a good guide
on how to get there.
If you could find the time to e-mail me back letting me know if you can or
cannot make it, it would me much appreciated.
Time Mile Instruction For Towards 0.0 Depart
M6 Exit 20 on Ramp (South) 0.4
mi B5158
/ A50 / A537 / Lymm / Macclesfield 0.4 At
roundabout, take the THIRD exit 109
yds 0.4 Exit
roundabout onto Ramp 0.2
mi M6
/ M56 / 0.6 Stay
on Ramp (South-East) 0.4
mi M56
/ 1.0 Stay
on Ramp (South) 0.4
mi M56
/ 1.3 Bear
LEFT (West) onto M56 17.0
mi 18.3 At
M56 Exit 15, continue (West) on Ramp 0.6
mi M53
/ 18.9 Continue
(South) on M53 2.7
mi 21.5 Continue
(South-East) on A55 5.1
mi 26.6 Bear
LEFT (West) onto Ramp 0.3
mi 26.9 At
roundabout, take the FIRST exit 10
yds 26.9 Exit
roundabout onto A483 [ 0.4
mi 27.3 At
roundabout, take the SECOND exit 43
yds 27.3 Exit
roundabout onto A483 9.0
mi 36.3 Bear
LEFT (South-West) onto Ramp 0.1
mi 36.5 Turn
RIGHT (North-West) onto A525 8.5
mi 44.9 Bear
LEFT (West) onto A5104 0.8
mi 45.7 At
roundabout, take the FIRST exit 21
yds 45.7 Exit
roundabout onto A542 0.9
mi 46.6 Turn
RIGHT (West) onto Local road(s) 54
yds 46.7 Arrive
Ponderosa Cafe
1st Gary Brown
2nd Me - + 23.99 secs
3rd Dave Shickell - + 39.26 secs
4th Mark Richardson - + 1 lap
5th Mark H - + 2 laps
6th Nick - + 2 Laps
7th Charles - + 2 laps
8th - Phil 'Slick' Taylor - + 2 laps
We welcomed two new members, namely Phil
Taylor (Red D Reg Coupe) and Dave Cuthbertson (Mica Blue F Reg Coupe, under
30,000 miles!) plus I got to see for the first time Penny Farrer's new purchase
who, thanks to help from Ken Salmon who took the time out to inspect it prior to
purchase down in Dunstable, is still enjoying life in the fast lane!
Also attending were Sue 'the Car
Parker' and Roy Evans, John Redmond, Sharon and Mark Richardson, Froggy, Wayne,
Gary and of course myself.
A big welcome went out to Mike and Viv who turned
up in their S/C and a welcome back to Shirley and Richard Price.
We
discussed a few future events, namely Ripon Classic Rally on May 4th, Tatton
(Weekend May 31st/ June 1st) and of course Billing (26th/27th July) but these
meets are so casual I often forget to talk in depth about events, this is
something I will endeavor to get on top of in future, especially as events are
coming in thick and fast.
We have
gained two new members, namely Penny Farrer (White G reg Coupe) and Sharon and
Mark Richardson (Mica Blue F Reg T-Bar), the later having only bought their MK1
the day before and Penny having bought hers the week before down in Dunstable (1
lady owner and FTSH). Both appeared to be more than happy with purchases. Also
turning up were Sue Evans and Ruth Evans.
Sorry I wasn't there, I will make
sure Aprils meet will not be missed. Ryan Kevan
2003 Marks the ninth outing of the Japanese
Auto-Extravaganza at Billing Aquadrome with over 50 clubs expected to attend -
the largest number ever.
The event began just as a meeting of Datsun Z
club members as far back as 1991 and with the growing interest in Japanese cars
both as classics and modern supercars in the last 10 years, it has grown to what
is probably the largest gathering of Japanese vehicles of all types in
Europe.
The event is non-commercial, non-profit making and is run solely
by enthusiasts for enthusiasts for all types Japanese car. If your interest is
in older vehicles such as a 1968 Datsun President or how about a two stroke,
360cc, triple cylinder Suzuki Coupe!
For those of you more interested in
modern metal, how about the latest Subaru Impreza WRX, Mitsubishi EVO VII or
grey import Honda Beat or even a Turbo Charged and Super charged Nissan Micra
(Yes really).
The event is open to members of all Japanese car clubs or
just private individuals and entry to the show field is free.
Thank you
for your interest and look forward to meeting you over the weekend.
Sam
William, Gill Keith
SUMMARY
Driving
distance: 46.7 miles
Total
travel time: 58 minutes
Driving
time: 58 minutes (30 minutes in MR2
MK1)
The NW region has only re-appeared
recently, having its first monthly meet back in September 2002.
We meet on the 2nd or 3rd Sunday of the month at the Wiggin Tree, Parbold,
just off J27 on the M6 at 1230.
The reason behind it being the 2nd or 3rd Sunday is due to my work pattern,
working week on/week off, I am only available for the 2nd Sunday for part of the
year only. I do promulgate the next date via e-mail to all the NW members plus
it appears here on the MR2 MK1 club website, NW Newsletter.
We are currently averaging 7 cars at each meet which is not bad considering
it is still Winter. We are hoping for bigger turnouts once the warmer weather
returns.
Plans for the future include a club trip to the Isle of Man or Dublin
(probably soon after TT races), attending the Woodvale International Rally
(August 2nd and 3rd) and a NW run down to Billing for the JAE (last weekend of
July).
There are two of us organising the NW, Wayne Duncan is the other, being based
in Northwich.
We also get a lot of help from Gary Brown and must also mention Paul Moores,
Mark Nias, Sue and Roy Evans, John Redmond and Andrew Donnison who have all
helped in one way or another in getting not only the NW up and running but also
with the Trackcar project.
Any member in the NW can contact me via e-mail ryan@mr2mk1.com for more information or if
they are looking for parts etc and I will get back in touch ASAP.
Ryan Kevan
The first meet of 2003 came and went with a small gathering of friends, a
bite to eat and discussion of further events. Those who turned up were Sue
Evans, John Redmond, Paul Moores, Froggy, Andrew Donnison, Gary and myself.
John's car is now in the bodyshop having new wings fitted and should hopefully
be ready for the summer. Froggy's car sported new style door locks, the thieves
who broke in doing a very good job of total distruction (animals) and Sue now
has a larger bore exhaust at the rear, giving the trackcar a good run for its
money! My car was given a free spray of grey overspray, courtesy of A&P
shipyard, after they decided to paint over the old Cammell Laird name on a large
shed, they have, fortunately, been able to remove it using a compound called 3M
Cleaning Clay (anyone heard of this?), so now it is looking as good as new
(nearly). As for Paul, Andrew and Gary, they seem to have gotten away with only
a few niggles. Our next meet is scheduled for 9th February and following in the
NE footsteps (which, rumour has it, is the centre of the MK1 world!) we hope to
have a Cobweb run to North Wales, details to follow soon. As far as the trackcar
is concerned, now the holiday season is over, we hope to re-start with vengeance
and continue the dismantling of UBU and GET for spare parts and then concentrate
on stripping out and re-spraying GECKO. Many thanks to John Redmond for getting
the cursed alarm and associated immobiliser of GECKO disconnected after the
battery decided to discharge itself over Xmas.
Ryan
EAST MEETS WEST - JOINT MEET SUNDAY 1st DECEMBER 2002
Due to the postponement of the Northern Ireland run, Mike Sheavills and
myself decided to hold a NW/NE get together instead.
Last years run to the Lakes by the NE was a great success and a particularly
fine Hotel, the Glen Rothay, had been discovered then, so without a second
thought, Mike booked a table for 20 for for the 1st December.
After much phoning around in order to gather support in the NW for this
event, and despite the gloomy weather outlook, 7 cars arrived at the Charnock
Richard service station on the M6.
Of these, only 1 was not going to be able to complete the run up to
Ambleside, that being Stephen Ashton and his partner Janine who had come along
in order to put faces to names. we look forward to seeing more of them in the
future.
At 10am the six of us set off, these were: - Gary Brown, Wayne Duncan, Andrew
Donnison, Charles Fox (Froggy), Tony Evans and myself. We made a quick stop at
the next service station just in case anyone from the Morecombe bay area were
waiting but by 11am we decided to carry on.
We made good time and arrived at the Glen Rothay at 1145 and were met shortly
after by Robert Treen whose MK1 was suffering and so had been driven up by a
friend.
(The NW six)
A quick call to Mike revealed that they were running a bit late, something
about a MK2 getting lost (or something along those lines anyway!) and at 1245, a
total of 11 MK1's (and 1 MK2) were sat in the car park; we think this is the
largest gathering since Billing.
Those from the NE were: - Mike Sheavills, Joanne Thom, Mac Sheavills, Jackie
Sheavills, Mike Johnson, Vivienne Allison, Paul and Becky Woods, Phil Moore,
John Moore, Dave Moore and Claire Moore.
The final eleven + substitute
After introductions, we all (21 in total) sat down to a fine lunch during
which some members of the NE tried (in Vain) to wrestle out information from the
tight lipped NW about our Track car project which has now had to go into
moderate secrecy, not for any great reason, just for a bit of fun!!
Once lunch was finished, we all took to our cars for what was a thoroughly
enjoyable run out organised by Mac Sheavills (the Great Navigator!). We headed
back toward Ambleside and took a back road up to the A592 and on to the
Kirkstone Pass. Having rarely got into 4th gear, we stopped at an off the road
parking area for an ideal photo shoot.
(Great view but the van was extra)
We then proceeded onwards, passing Lake Ullswater and stopping once more, at
Pooley Bridge, for coffee. Shortly after Newcastle levelled with Everton, we all
said our farewells and agreed that it had proved a success.
We will definitely arrange to do it all over again next year, probably in
November.
Ryan Kevan
December Meeting.
Our December meeting will be on Sunday December 1st and will see us teaming
up with the North East members at a designated spot in the Lake District. The
venue looks like its going to be The Glen Rothay Hotel in Ambleside which is
situated North of Windermere. After lunch there will be a planned route around
some great roads through the lake district with the opportunity for some
spectacular photographs. The lake district this time of year is beautiful and
teamed up with some fantastic roads will make this event one not to be missed.
Forget putting the MR2 away for the winter, get in touch and register your
interest. As usual this event is open to all members of the club and anyone who
owns a MR2 MK1. Why not make a weekend of it if you live further North or South,
get in touch as we can recommend some great places to stay. The NW MR2
Drivers Club are will also be holding their Xmas weekend at this time (staying
at a different venue) and there is every likelihood that we shall 'hook up' with
them at some point. They have 15+ booked, the NE have ? coming but I am hoping
the NW arm of the MR2 MK1 Club can pull off a major coup. We have only just
re-grouped, lets show the rest of the club what we are capable of.
The Glen Rothay Hotel http://www.theglenrothay.co.uk/
As you can see the last run to the lakes (organised by the NE) in March 2002
was superb, this trip will be even better. I would appreciate it if members
within the North West could contact myself or Wayne Duncan to register.
Don't just read about it, DO IT AND LIVE THE DREAM!!
Ryan - ryan@mr2mk1.com
Wayne - sirjimmyquinn@hotmail.com
3rd NW Meet - 10th November 2002
Location - Wiggin Tree, Parbold, Lancs. Time - 1230. Turnout - 9 cars. Next
meet - 1st December (run to the lakes) Our third meeting heralded the usual
suspects plus a few new faces:-Paul Moores, (NW Coordinator MR2DC), a recently
converted MK1 member having just sold his heavily modified MK2 Turbo. Paul
turned up in a low mileage B reg Sky Blue Coupe having been offered it by a
museum that no longer had the space for it. He has assured me that he will soon
be signing up to the MR2 MK1 club and has also been welcomed onboard the NW
Trackday car project. Ian Harrison and son, a recent new member arrived in his E
reg Red T-bar to see what all the fuss was about and hopefully left with most of
his questions answered. Tim Moss will also shortly be signing up, having
recently purchased a previous NW members G reg white Coupe and was also welcomed
into the Trackday car project. Charles Fox (Froggy) appeared as some of us sat
down to lunch, owner of a D reg Red Coupe and a friend of Sue and Roy. The usual
suspects were Gary, Shirley, Sue, Wayne, John Redmond and myself.
Once again, various future functions were discussed but the main topic of
conversation was the Trackday car (sorry Shirley!). When Gary and myself first
bought GET, I don't think we realised the interest it would create. There are
now five of us heavily involved, not only financially but also with skills
and time committed to pursuing our goal. After lunch, Gary, Paul, Sue, Ian,
Froggy and myself set off to view our storage (Barn) for the Track car so that
visions of a professional set up could be immediately dismissed! We have a lot
of work to do, some of it will be ongoing over the next 7 days i.e. Engine and
bodywork checks. All I can safely say at this time is WATCH THIS
SPACE!!Our next meeting is on the 1st of December and as already
mentioned will be a run to the lakes meeting up with the NE. The first of two
meeting places will be at 10am at the Charnock Richard service station between
J's 27 and 28 on the M6. The second stop will be further North at a place yet to
be finalised in order for those living in the Lancaster, Heysham, Morecambe and
Lakes areas to join in. Anyone interested in this run, please contact myself so
that we don't leave anyone behind at either of the stopovers. mailto:ryan@mr2mk1.com07736 232289
2nd NW Meet - Sunday 13th October 2002
Location - Wiggin Tree, Parbold, Lancs. Time - 1230. Turnout - 8 cars (inc. 2
Superchargers)
Only the 2nd NW MR2 MK1 Club meeting and not bad
at all. Myself, Gary and Wayne were joined by Shirley once again plus Graham and
Louise Crook, Sue and Roy Evans, Mark Nias and special guest from the Midlands
Region Lauren Blighton.
Left to right:- Marks, Laurens, Sues, Grahams, Gary's, Mine and
Shirley's. (Must buy better camera)
Graham and Louise had the audacity to turn up in another D reg Black T-Bar (I
thought mine was the only one in the NW!!), having said this, no doubt loads
more will now make themselves known. It was a pleasure to see and I think the
next time we see them, a small modification by way of a K and N air filter will
be sitting proudly in the engine bay. Sue and Roy Evans appeared in their C
plate red Mk1 and once I had clocked the reg. realised I had seen them on the
road only a couple of days ago in Southport.
Gary now has a new set of alloys from of all things, a MK3!! but assures us
it is only temporary until his originals come back from the grave looking as
good as new. A K and N is also sitting comfortably in the engine bay. It was
good to see Shirley and Richard again (100% record so far!) and this time we
managed to talk her into parking a little closer to us all!! And finally, Mark
Nias and his Supercharger plus Lauren Blighton and her modified Supercharger
appeared with a roar of power and screeching tyres, (only kidding), but myself,
Gary and Graham were more than pleased to see a couple of SC's and also two very
knowledgeable people when it comes to modifications and Trackdays.
After the obligatory conversations and revelations, mine being a completely
re-leathered interior (see below) we went into the pub for refreshments. Having
ordered drinks, Shirley went on to book a table for lunch only to be told that a
party of 86 Rugby fans/players would be arriving shortly and that food would
take about 1 1/2 hours (well planned Ryan) so we decided to move on down the
road to another fine eatery (Dickinsons Pub) where No.8 finally arrived (No
names, but you know who you are!)
Before and After
During lunch, various topics were discussed including the run to Northern
Ireland (Nov 23-25), Club Xmas party (28 Dec), Anglesey trackday (27 Oct),
possible run to the lakes in Feb/March (to be arranged) and finally the NW
Trackday car project (still very much in its infancy).
Left to right :- Louise Crook, Mark Nias, Richard Price, Shirley
Price, Wayne Duncan, Graham Crook Lauren Blighton, Gary Brown and myself Ryan
Kevan.
Once lunch was over and the next meet arranged for November 10th, Lauren,
Mark, Wayne and myself left in search of the NW Trackday car which is currently
stored at Gary's. Once Mark and Lauren had got over the initial shock of seeing
it in all its glory, a tentative game plan was discussed. It was agreed that
instead of replacing the broken windows, we would instead replace them with
riveted on Perspex. The electrics are the first concern as at present Gary has
been unable to even get a battery light up, so once this is sorted we can get on
with the engine tests. Sponsorship and other members contributions are
desperately needed as new shocks, springs, brakes etc are going to be required,
anyone who can help should e-mail me at ryan@projectmr2.com Mark agreed to come in
on the project and Lauren will be there as an additional source of info, many
thanks to the both of them and also many thanks to Gary's Misses for her
continued understanding!
At 1630, we went our separate ways. I am looking forward to our next meet in
the hope of a larger turnout.
1st NW Meet - Sunday 15th September 2002
Just back from the first NW meet, not a huge turn out, but this was expected
due to the fact that not a lot of NW members were aware of it. Saying that, as
only 3 were expected and 8 turned up we can count it as a minor success. Those
that did turn up were myself, Gary Brown, Wayne Duncan (Joint NW Co-Ord), John
Redmond, Richard and Shirley Price and Peter Hunter.
Left to right, mine, Gary's, Wayne's and Shirley's.
John turned up in a-n other car due to his ongoing restoration of an F reg
white MK1 due to be completed by next summer and, judging by the pictures he
showed us, will be as good as mint when completed.
Peter also arrived minus an MK1 due to the fact that he does not own one!
Peter is a member of the Toyota Enthusiasts Club and proved to be a great source
of information. After handshakes and the inevitable viewing of each others cars
we made our way into the Wiggin Tree for a pint and a bite to eat.
Amongst other topics discussed were the club trip to Northern Ireland in
November and the possibility of building a NW Trackday car, following in the
footsteps of the NE but obviously far better!!?? (I hope I haven't laid the
gauntlet down !)Gary and myself bought a C reg white MK1 unfinished (barely
started!) project. We had three options, sell it as parts, do it up and sell it
as a runner or go for the more interesting although possibly more costly option
of building a Trackday car. This later option will have to involve more NW
members with various skills, parts or hard cash thus becoming part owners as per
NE. It is early days yet but anyone who can offer some assistance will be
greatly welcomed. (Contact myself at ryan@projectmr2.com) Pictures will be
following soon.
At 3pm, after confirming that the next meet will be on the 13th October, we
all went our separate ways. All in all, not a bad first meet, hope to see a lot
more in October. Ryan ryan@mr2mk1.com
The parts competition
STOP PRESS 27th August 2002 - The first and second NW Pub meets have now been
arranged. Meetings will be held on either the 2nd or 3rd Sunday of each month at
The Wiggin Tree, Parbold, north west of Wigan in Lancashire. The Wiggin Tree is
easily found as it is just off J27 (M6) on the A5209 situated on Parbold Hill.
The first meet is set for Sunday 15th September at 12.30 with the second set for
Sunday 13th October also at 12.30.
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 11:42 AM Subject: Re: Area organiser
Hello Mike,
I will be happy to try and arrange some area meetings for the club, Many Thanks Wayne Duncan, 10 Chestnut Grove, Barnton, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8
4ST POSTPONED
Ryan Kevan, our other North West organiser has organised a Northern Ireland
tour for November, details below. Here is some B and B info plus areas of
interest around the Port Rush area, (Bushmills sounds interesting!) Prices are
as follows:- SeaCat return crossing, Troon/Belfast 1200 23rd Nov 2002 Arr 1430
Belfast/Troon Dep 1600 25th Nov 2002 Arr 1830 Cost for 1 car plus two occupants
£99 return. Comfort Hotel:- £65 per person for two nights B and B or £95 per
person Dinner, B and B based on 2 people sharing. Single supplement £50. To Book
SeaCat crossing, Phone 01292 319762 quoting Product code DTRYN To Book Comfort
Hotel, Phone 02870 826100 quoting MR2 MK1 club and my name, Ryan Kevan. I have
reserved 10 rooms just in case, but I can obviously decrease or even increase if
needs be. The intention at present is to meet in Troon on the 23rd between 0900
and 1100, cross over to Belfast where we will hopefully meet a friend of mine
from the area (and maybe some Irish MK1 members?) and head up to Port Rush via
the Eastern coast road arriving at the Hotel between 1730 and 1830. Some food
and a few drinks and then for Sunday either everyone do their own thing or maybe
try to organise something; evening food and drink and then on Monday, set off
Westwards toward the Glenshane Pass then East back to Belfast arriving at about
1500 for the 1600 sailing. How does this sound so far? Obviously needs a bit of
fine tuning but when I have a better idea of numbers I should be able to
accomplish this. I figure there had better be a cut off date for bookings for
the NI trip so that I can amend the Room numbers in the Comfort Hotel. So, if
those that are interested could book by the 23rd of October (1 month before) and
also e-mail myself so that I also have an idea of numbers it would be much
appreciated. After this date, I will have to cancel any unused rooms as they are
all presently guaranteed by my credit card. Obviously, anyone still wishing to
book after this date will still be able to, subject to room availability and
space on the SeaCat. Plans for next year include a run to the Isle of Man.
Following are 4 definite for the NI trip, more to follow soon :-
POSTPONED
Ryan Kevan, Mob: 07782 131306 Email: ryan@mr2mk1.com
not
sure quite how many there are in the North West, I certainly haven't
seen
many on my travels, but will certainly give it a fair crack and see who
I
can get interested!! I have several more people signed up.
Wayne Duncan
07855 028319
01606 782475 sirjimmyquinn@hotmail.com