Created by: | Orig. Posting Date | User Name | Edit Date |
| Feb 3, 2022 02:00PM | maj4479 | |
| Jan 22, 2022 09:45PM | dr. jinG | |
| Jan 22, 2022 10:49AM | 6464s | Edited: Jan 22, 2022 01:08PM |
| Jan 22, 2022 07:35AM | ve9aa | |
| Jan 22, 2022 07:13AM | ve9aa | |
| Jan 22, 2022 07:07AM | ve9aa | Edited: Jan 22, 2022 07:09AM |
| Jan 20, 2022 06:57AM | Alistair | |
| Jan 20, 2022 05:14AM | Dan Moffet | |
| Jan 19, 2022 06:13PM | Abelclasico | |
| Jan 19, 2022 02:53PM | Scargo | |
| Jan 19, 2022 02:00PM | SCUM | |
| Jan 19, 2022 11:46AM | jtaylor3 | |
| Jan 18, 2022 07:22AM | dklawson | |
| Jan 17, 2022 09:33AM | onetim | |
| Jan 17, 2022 07:02AM | Scargo | |
| Jan 17, 2022 07:00AM | Authimini1 | |
| Jan 16, 2022 11:45PM | Alex | |
| Jan 16, 2022 06:00PM | Authimini1 | |
| Jan 15, 2022 04:00AM | 66Cooper'S | |
| Jan 14, 2022 12:13PM | backstay | Edited: Jan 14, 2022 12:15PM |
Posted:
Feb 3, 2022
02:00PM
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Total posts: 263
Last post: Feb 7, 2022 Member since:Sep 15, 2015
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Cars in Garage: 0
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My heart and thoughts to the Guest Family. My late parents and I thought of him as family too. I will miss him greatly.
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Total posts: 4410
Last post: May 22, 2022 Member since:May 6, 2002
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Another one of the great ones in the Mini community gone. A big loss for all of us. Condolences to his family. Rest in peace, Big Al.
**Dr. jinG**
"I tell you and you forget. I show you and you remember. I involve you and you understand." ~ Eric Butterworth
"The true charter of liberty is independence, maintained by force." ~Voltaire
Edited:
Jan 22, 2022
01:08PM
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Total posts: 244
Last post: May 25, 2022 Member since:Jan 25, 2017
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Cars in Garage: 0
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Mike, Thanks for posting those pictures. Hard to believe 30 years have past. And equally hard, is to keep up with all Big Al's minis.
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Total posts: 8515
Last post: May 17, 2022 Member since:Sep 30, 2002
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Cars in Garage: 4
Photos: 40 WorkBench Posts: 2 |
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I didn't take THIS pic, but most here will know what it is and how it relates !
~ 30 minutes in a Mini is more therapeutic than 3 sessions @ the shrink. ~
Mike 
NB, Canada
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Total posts: 8515
Last post: May 17, 2022 Member since:Sep 30, 2002
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Cars in Garage: 4
Photos: 40 WorkBench Posts: 2 |
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Image Gallery
~ 30 minutes in a Mini is more therapeutic than 3 sessions @ the shrink. ~
Mike NB, Canada
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Total posts: 8515
Last post: May 17, 2022 Member since:Sep 30, 2002
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Cars in Garage: 4
Photos: 40 WorkBench Posts: 2 |
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Image Gallery
Big Al scared the outta me driving this orange Clubman 1275GT which later went to Ron in Maine I think. I seem to recall anyways.
~ 30 minutes in a Mini is more therapeutic than 3 sessions @ the shrink. ~
Mike NB, Canada
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Total posts: 2864
Last post: Jan 20, 2022 Member since:Jun 10, 2000
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Cars in Garage: 0
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Had the great pleasure of meeting Al a few times over the years. Always a top notch guy. He'll be sadly missed.
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Total posts: 9103
Last post: May 21, 2022 Member since:Aug 14, 2002
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Amen to Abel's post. I wish I'd met him in person.
.
"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."
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Total posts: 931
Last post: May 3, 2022 Member since:Aug 6, 2011
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For those of us who never had the pleasure of meeting him in person, it is nice to hear your stories about Big Al. Keep them coming, please, and pictures of events he attended would be great.
cheers,
Abel
cheers,
Abel
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Total posts: 3060
Last post: Apr 10, 2022 Member since:Aug 17, 1999
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2002
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Total posts: 867
Last post: Apr 30, 2022 Member since:Aug 23, 2000
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Great idea to drive your Mini and remember Al! I went today as the next few days will be pretty wet/icy.
Found some twisty Mini roads and had some fun. Many thoughts of Al and too many other friends no longer with us.
Found some twisty Mini roads and had some fun. Many thoughts of Al and too many other friends no longer with us.
SCUM #2. "Life is too short to own just one classic Mini!"
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Total posts: 154
Last post: Jan 19, 2022 Member since:Jun 8, 2000
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Cars in Garage: 3
Photos: 17 WorkBench Posts: 1 |
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Not sure if was 2004 or not, but it was a year the Mini was featured at the Watkins Glen Vintage races. I had purchased tickets for all activities but my employer scheduled an IT conversion for me that w/e and I could not get out of it. Called AL and I was in luck! He and his Son were happy to take my tickets! He did send me a poster for the event as a thank you! RIP SIR
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Total posts: 9238
Last post: Jan 18, 2022 Member since:Jun 5, 2000
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Sad news indeed. He will be missed.
Doug L.
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Total posts: 1002
Last post: May 5, 2022 Member since:Jul 24, 2014
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Sorry to here of Al's passing, condolences to his family.
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Total posts: 3060
Last post: Apr 10, 2022 Member since:Aug 17, 1999
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This coming Thursday, Jan 20, the family will be holding a memorial service for our dear friend Al. I plan to do exactly what he'd want from all of us on that day, and that is to drive my Mini and/or Moke. Join me in honoring him in this manner if you can, while recollecting all the great times we had with him.
R.I.P.
R.I.P.
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Total posts: 4
Last post: Jan 17, 2022 Member since:Nov 7, 2021
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I dont recall. I want to say 2004 possibly? It was an epic weekend!
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Total posts: 10131
Last post: May 13, 2022 Member since:Mar 24, 1999
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Authimini1
... I'll never forget the weekend I spent with him and Capt JJ at Watkins Glenn. He put me up for the night in the BMC, bought me breakfast the following morning and allowed me to drive the woody wagon he had with him on the trip. So many years later he sent me a book on Vespa scooters knowing I was in to them.
...
-James
...
-James
2002 ?
We were there too.
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Total posts: 4
Last post: Jan 17, 2022 Member since:Nov 7, 2021
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Absolutely heartbreaking. This world has lost a great human.
Al has always been so good to me. I'll never forget the weekend I spent with him and Capt JJ at Watkins Glenn. He put me up for the night in the BMC, bought me breakfast the following morning and allowed me to drive the woody wagon he had with him on the trip. So many years later he sent me a book on Vespa scooters knowing I was in to them.
For those who dont know. Al would sell a Mini to someone with no collateral and accept whatever payment they could afford to give him monthly just so they had the opportunity to own one. Ask me how I know! I had the pleasure of picking up a few cars from the Port of Newark or around the Tri-State area for Al because he wanted nothing to do with travelling in "the city". I would drop them off at my house in the Catskills and Al would swing by to pick them up when he had the opportunity.
-James
Al has always been so good to me. I'll never forget the weekend I spent with him and Capt JJ at Watkins Glenn. He put me up for the night in the BMC, bought me breakfast the following morning and allowed me to drive the woody wagon he had with him on the trip. So many years later he sent me a book on Vespa scooters knowing I was in to them.
For those who dont know. Al would sell a Mini to someone with no collateral and accept whatever payment they could afford to give him monthly just so they had the opportunity to own one. Ask me how I know! I had the pleasure of picking up a few cars from the Port of Newark or around the Tri-State area for Al because he wanted nothing to do with travelling in "the city". I would drop them off at my house in the Catskills and Al would swing by to pick them up when he had the opportunity.
-James
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Total posts: 3518
Last post: May 17, 2022 Member since:Feb 26, 1999
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Cars in Garage: 0
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Rest in peace Big Al.
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Total posts: 64
Last post: Jan 14, 2022 Member since:Apr 12, 2014
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Cars in Garage: 0
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1147
I had a number of dealings with Big Al over the years and he was a great help to me with parts and advice.
The best story I have was; I had found a very nice Mini and the guy that was selling it also had built a new 1380 for it but hadn't installed it. I wanted the engine for my pickup and really didn't need the Mini. I sent Big Al the pictures and he was only about a hour away and drove up to see the Mini. When he got there the car was being test driven by a gentleman and then returned, the guy liked the car but needed to chat with his wife for a few minutes and returned to his car that his wife was sitting in. Big Al looked at the car and told the owner he would take it and the engine for the full asking price and handed him the cash. The gentleman returned from talking with his wife and proudly exclaimed he would take the car! He was not amused when the owner informed him that it had been purchased!
Big Al thank you and we will miss you greatly
The best story I have was; I had found a very nice Mini and the guy that was selling it also had built a new 1380 for it but hadn't installed it. I wanted the engine for my pickup and really didn't need the Mini. I sent Big Al the pictures and he was only about a hour away and drove up to see the Mini. When he got there the car was being test driven by a gentleman and then returned, the guy liked the car but needed to chat with his wife for a few minutes and returned to his car that his wife was sitting in. Big Al looked at the car and told the owner he would take it and the engine for the full asking price and handed him the cash. The gentleman returned from talking with his wife and proudly exclaimed he would take the car! He was not amused when the owner informed him that it had been purchased!
Big Al thank you and we will miss you greatly
Great story, thanks for sharing it! Best one I remember is Big Al was at our house for dinner with another MM member, scargo. My wife (Missus BB) brought out the ginormous Lamb Shanks with Lentils entree. Scargo said the entree looked like something the Flinstones would eat, and since then, IIRC I was Fred and he was Barney from then on......
And the time Al bought back a car, my mechanic could not fix. I felt bad for him, but he was an honorable man of his word....
Fondly, Billy Backstay..??
