Ever since our humble beginnings in downtown Nelson in 1945 the Bowater Motor Group has been very focused on community involvement. We believe that you are only ever as successful as the support that you can give back. It is with this philosophy that we continue to be as involved as we can be in the wider Nelson / Tasman community.
This section of the website houses stories, links and content from a collective of organisations and events that we are involved with or support through sponsorship or partnerships.
The menu to the right has got comprehensive articles from those events, organisations and charities that we regularly involved with, click on the menu items to read more, or scroll down this page to keep up with events as they unfold.
If you think you have an event, organisation or group that would benefit from our community interest feel free to contact us.
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.
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