2009!! A New Season BMW Club NE

Hi everyone,

what a long winter this has been. Well its time to take off those dust covers and start preparing for some days out in our BMW's. The pocket rocket has a new MOT and checking to see what I need if anything to keep it reliable. Last year did prove to be an interesting one with breakdowns and bad weather.

I am again arranging the Thirlestane Castle event and hope to see a good number of you there. If you would like to attend email me terrymunley@gmail.com I still have a few places left.

Hope to see you at our events this year.

Corbridge Car Show

Hi everyone,

What a summer this is!

It seems everytime we open up the polish take out our cloths and prepare for a show the good lord takes a pea. (not the pea) well could be.

Anyway Corbridge (ex Dilston) attracted a lot of cars and over 20 BMW's so thanks to Mick for organising the event and a huge thank you to everyone who turned up in the rain. It is always a pleasure to see everyone again and catch up with what has been happening.

Who mentioned the Pocket Rocket?

Well I did turn up with the Pocket Rocket since it has largely caused no further problems since Thirlestane Castle. Since then the only thing I have done is bleed the coolant system. This appears to have cured the problem since we have had no further overheating or leaking of water in the footwells. Even better the assault on my wallet seems to have stopped so I have decided to buy an mtech2 rear spoiler.

Lets hope I am not tempting fate. Even though the Pocket Rocket seems to be in better health I have decided to give Croft 08 a miss this time. That just might be too much too soon. Anyway I hope to be there but in more of a spectators role.

Until next time.

Thirlestane in the RAIN!!

Hi everyone,

Well Thirlestane Castle was a great event and I can only say a massive thank you to everyone who turned up. The weather wasn't all bad but after 1pm it definitely took a turn for the worse. But that wasn't the real news.

The Pocket Rocket living up to its name taking more of my pocket and giving very little rocket. On Saturday before the event I took it out to get one or two bits and pieces. Only 10 minutes down the road and the needle was in the red and water was pumping out the hose leading to the heater matrix.

As it glided to a halt on the A1 I called for help and was quickly assisted with more water. On our way again to South Shields no problems. Cured I thought!!

During the sunny Saturday afternoon it was polished and washed and ready to go. Only could I risk taking it to Thirlestane tomorrow. YES, NO, YES, NO, YES, NO Finally YES.

BIG Mistake!!

The full version is too long to write and needs input from the people who saw it happen first hand.

Here is the summary.

Gwen drove the pocket Rocket and broke down twice on the way there. Where was I?? In a Morgan sports car heading for the same event. Not mine.

While the Pocket Rocket overheated more times than I can remember the rest of us were drowning in the rain. As the show ended the Pocket Rocket lost its cool and sat steaming by the road. Not even a visit from the AA man could cool its head. They might smile and sing on the telly but they don't fix much when its raining.

Thanks to Mike and Linda Gwen had some company while I drove 80 mile home to pick up my 320 diesel and a tow rope. Back in Scotland we stripped it and lost again. Bollocks was the final bit of advice as it was quickly strapped to the back of the 320 and we dragged its sorry arse back home.

Busted, broken, knackered, caput I hear you say. NO. Another gallon of water went in and it has not overheated since. The only car to drink harder than Oliver Reed at his half sisters wedding. Fixed?? Not a chance just another cantancrous, aukward, expensive piece of German engineering.

Just a Pocket Rocket with a headache.

New Pocket Rocket??

Hi,

Before you all ask let me explain. "Pocket Rocket" I hear you say. Well the E34 535i Sport has gone to a new owner and been replaced by an E30 318is. This is what I call a Pocket Rocket. Pocket because its easy on your wallet (well that's the theory, it hasn't exactly started out that way with a few new parts required) Rocket because it has got some go for a 1.8 engine.

After a pick up from the south of England from a less than honest seller (one of Del Boys relatives) and a mix of magic and luck it arrived back in the North East. With a clutch that could only be operated by an acrobat and a cooling system losing more water than a marathon runner in July I can only say we made it. Many thanks to Mike for his help.

What have I bought I hear you say. Waking up on a Monday morning and looking out the window and faced with a BMW that had seen more abuse than Zimbabwe's population. Pinky, pot marked, scratched and dented my wallet was already shedding a few tears.

Two weeks later and a few quid lighter I ignored the Kiddy Kit (sorry Dale) and went straight for the essentials, clutch master cylinder, water pump, radiator, some trim and a host of bits and pieces. Within a very short space of time I was on first name terms with the guys at euro car parts and Fawdingtons were taking some many calls from me I was given my own parts hotline.

On the one half decent day in April I thought lets get this pink bodywork back to red. With a strategy as complex as the one to restructure Jordan's ti*s and with contracted help again from Mike (Thanks) out come the T Cut, cloths and a range of polishes. We were off!!

The bodywork had been butchered by Animal off the Muppet Show with what I assume to be a machine polisher. In one place it had been polished so hard it was through to the metal. (The polish had been applied with a bucket by someone with very short arms.

Anyway enough of this complaining.

The effort went in and soon we could see red. With more elbow grease needed to clean it up than a crap Kebab house in Blyth by the end of the day it was red (well mostly).

Well thats it for now but I will keep you updated over the next few months.

White Scar Caves Report

Hi everyone,

Well today was our first event of 2008 and we started with a brilliant day out to White Scar Caves. Thanks to Mick for organising the event and to everybody who made the effort and enjoyed a great day. We had 12 cars turn up including some new faces who we hope to see again at other events throughout the year.

The day started with Mick struggling to decide which car to bring. Should we take the baur or the M3?? Well done Mick for finally deciding on the M3. The roads were the usual mix of fast and twisty with a couple of Afghan bombed out motorways in the middle. Never again through there unless on horseback.

We managed 24 people on our tour of the caves and thanks to "Popeye" the tour guide who provided some fascinating insights into the history of the caves everyone came through safe and suitably educated.

Well I will try and get some pictures and post them up here but until then drive carefully.

Names For Thirlestane Event

Hi everyone,

I have had confirmation from the organisers of the Thirlestane Castle event on June 1st 2008 at Lauder in the borders that we have been allocated 25 places at the show. I expect demand for tickets for this show to be high as there is no charge for exhibitors. I need names and registration numbers by the April meeting as that is when I have to forward my entry list to the organisers.

This is a big car show event with autojumbles competitions and parades. I have attended here for the last two years and found it to be an excellent day out for all the family.

I want BMW vehicles only and for anyone who is interested please could they email me at terry@bmwclubne.co.uk .

The itinerary will be as follows:

Sunday June 1st 2008

07.30am meet at Total Petrol Station Seaton Burn (Next to Travelodge)

08.30am Jedburgh Woolen Mill (Breakfast)

09.30am Leave for Lauder

Entrance Tickets will be given out at the breakfast stop at Jedburgh

Hope to see you all there

Terry

Beyond the North East

What about this for a radical idea!!

The club has always focused its membership in and around the north east of england and I personally don't think that should change. However even in our north east some members cannot always get to the meetings at Gateshead.

What can we do about that?

What we could do is hold a second meeting as an online conference that people could access from their computer. The committee and members can still set an agenda and other BMW enthusiasts could join in the online conference as guests from anywhere in the world.

At these online conferences members could talk about their cars or seek advice from other members and guests.

This would help any members who find the travelling difficult. All you need to access the conference is a broadband connection and PC. Web Cams would be an advantage but not essential.

Opinions welcome.