BMG Mini Rebuild for the Cancer Society
Local retired Wakefield auto mechanic Bob Croy and his mates got together early 2012 to come up with an idea of how to raise more money for the local Cancer Society. They had just completed a successful fund raising effort for the Relay For Life, but wanted to give back more. Being an ex mechanic Bob remembered a previous auction of a rebuild Morris Minor and so the BMG Mini for Nelson Cancer was born.
The concept was to raise a large sum of money to be given to the Cancer Society Nelson through the Relay for Life process. By creating a raffle, Bob and his mates (called the Wakefield Caffeine Crew) felt that they could really make a difference, and generate a lot of interest in the project as well as a whole lot of money.
The Bowater Motor Group have joined with this motivated team to help support them through this process by donating all of the parts needed to complete the job.
Follow their journey as this rebuild takes shape.
It is time to get the show on the road.
The personalised plate is on.
The W.O.F has been granted.
It has been officially restored to it's former glory.
The BMG Mini for Nelson Cancer is street legal and ready to raise money for Cancer Society Nelson.
We are having the launch of the BMG Mini for Nelson Cancer this Thursday 31st October at Bowater Toyota.
The Bowater Motor Group are pleased to announce that the BMG Mini is now officially restored, and the raffle tickets ready for sale.
We have been very happy to have been a part of this project along with the Wakefield Caffeine Crew, the Cancer Society Nelson and the many other sponsors that have helped get the project to this stage.
The evening we have planned is a casual get together of all those that have been involved to celebrate this outstanding achievement and to create momentum for the next very important stage, the selling of the 20,000 raffle tickets.
Feel free to come along to our showroom on Thursday night and see what all of the fuss is, listen to some of those closely involved with the project talk about their experience with the restoration and maybe even buy a raffle ticket or two!
From left: Bob Croy of the Wakefield Caffeine Crew with Tony Bowater, CEO of Bowater Toyota as the BMG Mini heads out of the Bowater Toyota workshop with its new W.O.F.
Thursday 31st October 6.30pm - 7.30pm
Bowater Toyota, cnr Rutherford & Halifax Streets.
We have rebuilt the car now can YOU help us?
It is now eighteen months since we started on our journey to help Bob Croy and his team as they sourced and rebuilt the BMG Mini for Nelson Cancer. During that time Martin Reid, John Bruce, Dal Stewart, Bob Croy and many others have put this little car back on the road in as good as, or if not better condition than when it was born back in 1975.
The Bowater Motor Group have been instrumental in this process as we have provided new parts to replace damaged, old or worn ones through the Parts Department of Bowater Toyota.
Over the last couple of days the BMG Mini for Nelson Cancer has passed the last hurdle on the road to restoration, the Warrant of Fitness inspection. It arrived on the purpose built trailer at Bowater Toyota with great expectations - after all this is a ground up restoration of a car nearing 30 years old that had been sitting outside idle for a number of years.
BMG Mini a colourful step closer to completion
The BMG Mini outside Sun City Panel & Paint in between processes. From left: Tony Johnston, Allan Hardaker, Robert Cowan & Andrew Sowman from Suncity, with Dal Stewart & Bob Croy from the Wakefield Caffeine Crew and Kieron Reilly from Bowater Toyota.
The BMG Mini for Nelson Cancer is looking really very good in it's new yellow finery, complete with Cancer Society daffodil, and is now in the home straight on the journey to a comprehensive and total bolt up restoration.
The Wakefield Caffeine Crew, led by ex Wakefield mechanic Bob Croy, have put in the hard yards along with a lot of help from key business sponsors The Bowater Motor Group, with all new parts provided by the parts department of Bowater Toyota; paint and body work by Suncity Panel & Paint and the internal upholstery completed by Mortimers Auto Upholstery.
The painting process has been done with longevity in mind - the paint now on this mini is better than ever, and very shiny! The BMG Mini has just returned to Sun City Panel & Paint so we stopped by for a quick visit.
Gentlemen, start your engines!
The engine is now in, and it is almost time to get the motor running, and head out on the highway. Maybe Bob and his team can also look out for adventure, whatever comes their way?
The little BMG Mini is now moving along at a pretty fast pace at the moment, with all of the big jobs tackled as the refurbishment process nears its end. Last week the group behind this exciting community based project received it back after having a wonderful job done by Mortimer’s Upholstery, who completely refurbished the entire interior.
The BMG Mini is an exciting collaboration of a team of committed local retirees headed by ex mechanic Bob Croy, enthusiastic local businesses and the Bowater Motor Group, who have supplied all of the new parts needed for the project through the Parts Department of Bowater Toyota.
Bob and his team have recently spent time refitting the doors and getting all of the new rubbers and fittings around the car boot and doors. The windows are all fitted and look great. Smith and Smith Glass have fitted the front and rear screens and very generously have supplied the project with a brand new front windscreen.
The team behind the BMG Mini, affectionately self titled as the Wakefield Caffeine Crew, got the engine going last week and are very pleased to be able to say that it goes and sounds very well.
