101 replies to this topic

[The Matt]

Excellent, more Minis!

[miniman retford]

Sounds good, app sent off this afternoon. count us in! All I have to do is get the mini sorted before then.....

Oh and nige, you know you should go. stop kidding yourself haha

Seems so long since i went

[The Matt]

Come onnnnnn! DOOOO ITTTTTT!

[stocky]

Excellent, more Minis!

Yay!

[The Matt]

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

This year, the run will NOT be starting at Brands Hatch. It's closed due to an Olympic road race and also the road past it will be closed.

Instead, we're starting at Buckmore Park which is not too far away at all. As a bonus, we're getting a parade lap there when we set off!

[The Matt]

The list:

Kam (VTEC Mini)
MinikidX14 (Retro Nova Saloon)
The Matt (VX Mini)
Lemmingzappa (205 GTi)
Mike174 (K-series Mini)
Aarond (Mini or Eunos)
B-Shaw (MKII Polo)
Sam H (205 GTi (16v conversion))
Ben H (205 XS - Rallye stylee)
Sam S (205 GTi)
Rickmercs (1970 Cooper S)
Tahiti Joe (1993 Mini 1275)
Stocky (Mini 1275)

"Tag-alongs" (that I know of so far)
Lise (Clio 172)
Mike174's mate (Mondeo ST24)
Val (Clio 182)

It's looking good for Minis this year. If you're thinking of signing up, then this year will be a good one! With our addition of the parade lap at the start venue, I'm reet excited about it!

Edited by minili, 04 March 2012 - 05:15 PM.
Matt gave me 10 extra bhp (thanks!) :P

[The Matt]

Our website's been updated.

www.retrorun.co.uk

Lemmingzappa has added a front page and also a Facebook blog thingamybob. If you're interested in coming, have a look at it and join the FB group/blog/page thingamybob!

[minili]

Facebook page: BH2N Retro Run

[minijoe]

Hi Matt
we at the bumpstart miniclub of Cornwall are having a meeting next week to see how many would like to do the BH2N
One question is do to health reasons I cant camp ,I have stayed in the local hotel in the past but this is very expensive, I wondered if you know of any cheeper accomodation ie chalets etc ....
many thanks
joe
[email protected]

[The Matt]

Hi Joe,

I can find out for you from Mr Fischer at the campsite. I know there are static caravans there that people privately own and rent out. A group of our runners booked one for 2009 (but then didn't make it on the run due to car failure).

I've got a retro run email address too [email protected] which I check each day

[Kam]

If anyone is going and hasn't signed up yet then pull finger out time, better to get it all booked up now your end than leaving it till later

If anyone is still 50/50 about going then ask away what your not sure about, most of the info will be over on the retro forum anyway

More minis the better

[The Matt]

Hi guys and welcome to the official run thread for the Brands Hatch to Nurburgring Retro Run 2012.

OK, firstly a brief set of details:

This year's run will have us meeting at Buckmore Park kart circuit at 7am on the 5th September, we are yet to confirm details with them but we should be doing a parade lap!
We will be leaving at 8am to head for Dover.
The outbound ferry is 10:00 on the 5th September Dover-Dunkirk, to be booked by yourself through Norfolkline.
The campsite we use is Camping Am Nurburgring, We will be arriving on the 5th, camping is paid for in DAYS, not nights stayed, so we have to pay for the 5th-11th (7 days total). We will arrange the campsite, but you will need to pay camping fees upon arrival at the campsite's reception.
Return ferry is set as 14:01 (Dunkirk to Dover) on the 11th, however, there is the option of staying at the Etap in Charleroi to break up the return journey on the night of the 11th. This obviously means you'll need to change your return ferry to the 12th (the 12:01 is ideal). I will add here that I know some people have booked for the 11th already. IF you decide that you want to stay at the Etap on the way back, then it shouldn't be a problem to amend your return fare in advance to accomodate this extra stay. This isn't an official part of the run, but it certainly makes the return journey more chillaxed!


Links:

https://www.quidco.com/home/ <--- register on there to get cashback, then search for Norfolkline and you'll get up to 7% back. There is also the option of using http://www.topcashback.co.uk, either way, you can get cashback on the ferry booking.

http://www.camping-am-nuerburgring.de/

http://www.etaphotel...rt/index.shtml#

I have stayed at the Travelodge in Thurrock on the night before on all of the runs I've attended, it's ideal for me as it breaks up the journey down.
http://www.travelodg...info?hotelId=69 but that's optional.

Update: http://www.travelodg...info?hotelId=23 is cheaper and nearer to Brands.
http://nurburgring.org.uk/ Ben Lovejoy's site is an excellent guide to the details of the 'ring. Please take as much time as possible to read up on the safety sections of that site, plus also the local attractions etc. that are worth seeing.

So, now I've wet your whistle, you want to know how to book, yeah?


How do I become a runner?

If you're a driver, you need to book a driver's run pack from us. This will include:
Pair of magnetic door plaques (let me know if magnetic is no good to you)
BH2N Retro Run 2012 T-shirt
Donation of £5 to Macmillan Cancer support
Contribution of £5 to firewood at the campsite (it's only free on the weekends, so we need to pay for it during the week)
Front and rear "Brands Hatch to Nurburgring Retro Run 2012" window stickers for your car
Side window "retrorun.co.uk" stickers
Campsite discount (amount TBC, but probably worth 1-2 Euros per day)

If you've got a passenger, you need to get them a passenger's run pack, which includes:
BH2N Retro Run 2012 T-shirt
£5 donation to Macmillan Cancer Support
£5 contribution to firewood for the campsite

Prices will be confirmed, but I want to put a guide price up so it's likely to be £30 for a driver's pack and £20 for a passenger's pack. I will also be offering a couple of extra options of kit to be bought through this site to help us promote the run. Retro-Run hoodies, T-shirts, mugs and stickers for starters. These will be for sale individually so you'll need to keep an eye out in the for sale section.

There will be an application form uploaded into this thread soon, in which you will need to give me the following details:
Username (on here or TMF)
Full name
D.O.B.
Car type/colour
Car reg.
Passenger details
T-shirt sizes
Phone number (mobile and home)
Email address
Contact details for Next Of Kin
Whether you're willing to lead a convoy
Whether you've got a CB radio or not

You will be paying via paypal hopefully, but if you can't do paypal message me and let me know how you would like to pay (postal orders, cheques or cash in hand at a show/event before the run are acceptable).

Once you've signed up to the run, you'll be able to access some hidden sections of this forum which will enable you to exchange locations, phone numbers and other details with other runners to arrange convoys, camping gear sharing, meets before the run etc.


So, what is a retro car?


We all know that classic Minis of all ages are welcome on the run, right? So whether you're in a 1964 Cooper S (I wish), a 1986 Mini City E, or a 2001 Sportpack, you're more than welcome. The more minis the merrier.

To classify as a retro car, your car needs to either be 1990 or earlier, or your model and mark of car needs to have been first produced no later than 1990.

Examples of cars that would fall within the ruling:

1991 205 GTi
1992 R32 Skyline
1993 Corrado
1992 MKII Golf GTi

So, confused? If a 1992 MKII Golf GTi is Retro, is a 1992 MKIII? Afraid not. If there's any confusion then we will allow exceptions for cars that we like or can be deemed retro! I know, we're fickle, but it's a privately run site and run, so we can do what we want.

Main things we don't want on the run (sorry if I offend anyone, but it's all to help clarify)

1995 Corsa B with bodykit
1998 Impreza
1999 Evo
MKIII Golf VR6
BMW MINI

You get the idea now, yeah? It's all about old school cool!

What do I need to do to be prepared?

Well, your car obviously needs to be MOT tested and taxed for the duration of the trip, obviously insured.
We also expect all runners to have European breakdown cover and may ask for proof
You need both parts of your driver's license with you
You are advised to take sensible amounts of spares if you're driving something rare/modified
You need a hi-vis jacket or waistcoat for every occupant in the car
You need a safety triangle
You need to have as much paperwork with you as possible (I take logbook, insurance cover note, MOT certificate and also the paper part of my driving license all in an A4 wallet, then keep my plastic driver's license in my normal wallet.
You'll need Euros, I'd say take around 200-300 with you in cash, then get the rest out of ATMs when you're there (unless your bank charges you a lot for that, mine doesn't).

You can look into insurance for the 'ring, but I'm not going to start that whole conversation about insurance and the 'ring in here.

Once you've applied for the run and paid for the run pack, you need to book the ferries, as I've covered elsewhere, you can make changes to your ferry booking, it's easier to do so in advance over the phone, but you can do it at the gate if you/they have time to do so. There may be an admin fee for changes (either passenger details or car registration). I've not personally tried changing the return date, but I'm told that lots of people have set off a day, or even two days earlier than planned in the past and have had no problems, just got straight on the ferry after changing at the gates. Same applies for going out there, if you turn up to the gate late you can often just drive onto the next ferry (they're at 2 hour intervals).

If you have any question (or indeed additions) regarding the above, please either post here or PM me or another member of staff.

The main idea of the run is to have fun and experience the great German countryside, the track itself and also to meet new friends. I've set up this forum so that we can organise the run off TMF, but I am putting details on there too. This forum is intended to help potential runners get to know other runners before committing to the run and also to help organise convoys to Brands, camping kit sharing, tool kit sharing, passenger rides and all that kind of thing.

There are a couple of areas on the forum that are locked so that only moderators and signed up runners can see them (once given access by me). I'd like to keep the organising of convoys, sharing of phone numbers etc. in those sections please. Other than that, we don't really have any strict rules on here, so enjoy yourselves!

If anybody on here doesn't already have me on Facebook or on MSN, my email address is [email protected], my full name is Matt Howard, so feel free to add me if you want a chat.

Finally, p-p-p-pics of previous run stuff!

[The Matt]

Sorry for the copy and paste, but it's the best way to bump the topic!

So as Kam says (by the way, what is Kam short for???) if you're thinking about it, please, please just do it. It's an amazing trip to an amazing place with some really, really nice people (and me).

This year's run will be a little different to the norm with the Buckmore Park starting venue, but we've got a magazine covering it, so it'd be great to have a good show of Minis signed up.

It's looking good for numbers already (already got more applications than last year), but we want more. More Minis, more retros, if you can't come, find someone that may be interested and forward the run details to them please!

Fankoo, Matt

[Spud_133]

I'll be doing this next year Matt! I'm going away to South Africa when this is on, but I have vowed to go next year!

[The Matt]

Excellent. Tell all your friends to sign up!

We need more Minis!!!