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Old enough to know better, young enough to still play with cars
Bay Area 02 turns five!
by JP Collins
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In the beginning...
I was having trouble finding reliable resources for my 2002. I also saw a lot of 2002s in the Bay Area and in San Francisco where I live. I thought it would be cool to get together with other 2002 owners, get to know them and drive around! And why not? The Bay Area has more 02s around than possibly any other area in the US if not the world.
JP's 1969 2002 |
But let me back up a bit. My name is JP Collins, I have a 1969 BMW 2002. When I first bought my 2002 I knew nothing about the car or the model. I wanted to find out if the problems my car had were typical of the model or just specific to my car. As it turned out I was at the beginning of a long road to a rolling restoration. I needed resources and figured there were others out there who like me, did too.
I had an idea, a need for help and resources and the desire to meet other 02 owners. But, I had no way to connect with them. One day while searching on the Internet for parts and advice, I came across Chris Kent's email list . It turned out that a bunch of Bay Area based 2002 owners were on that list. So the question was posed, "wouldn’t it be fun to get together?" Six months later we did.
Our first gathering was so successful that we decided to keep getting together. I put up a Web site to show photos and it wasn't long after that we started to put up information about where to get parts and what mechanics out there worked on 2002s. Eventually original content was added and Bay Area 02 became the resource I was originally looking for.
I recently told someone that Bay Area 02 isn't really a club, it's a loose coalition of enthusiasts. But how do you make something like that work?! From the beginning Bay Area 02 has always been a loose coalition of enthusiasts. It works because its looseness helped it grow. Bay Area 02 has no dues, no bylaws, no officers. We've been able to maintain a group of people connected through the fun of '02 ownership.
Making friends along the way
OK, so the group stays together through fun and through enthusiasm but why is Bay Area 02 successful really? The 2002 has always been a popular car. 2002s inevitably catch people's attention. When people come up to you to talk about your 2002 they either: have one, used to have one, their dad or other relative had one or they have always loved them. With that kind of support from the outside it's hard not to keep enthusiasm levels up.
A well attended Bay Area 02 gathering, especially a drive always make people smile. It's hard not to like the boxyness of a car often referred to as "cute." Mix its retro-vintage appeal with a bunch of them driving around together in all those bright colors, and you have a party on wheels!
Bay Area 02 gatherings have always been inclusive. Sure it's about the 2002 but it's also about driving. We've had vintage MGs, Porches and other BMWs drive with us. Although we are not an official auxiliary group of the BMW CCA a lot of Bay Area 02 members are members of the CCA and participate in our local Golden Gate chapter activities. We like having members from the CCA join us. It's how we make friends along the way and keep the momentum going.
Some of the friendly folks you can meet. |
Staying in touch
We all met on the Internet through email but getting together in person made the group happen. People who would normally not run in the same circles see each other regularly at the monthly gatherings and friendships develop. We've picked up new members along the way through word of mouth and through windshield post cards advertising the group. But the core of how we bring more and more people in, people who become friends, is through the Bay Area 02 Web site and email list.
Our Web site serves as the centerpiece of the group it features articles, photos of events, resources and listings of all the gatherings we've ever had. Although our geographical reach is Sonoma County to Santa Cruz, the Web site reaches the whole world. Emails that come in with questions or comments about our articles are from all over the US. We get some email from foreign countries as well.
The email list extends the conversations from gatherings. It's the place where people ask how to fix things, where to find things or just to talk. Things for sale are listed or requested. The list has also been a place where people arrange to meet before a gathering in order to drive there together.
The Second Saturday of the month
Getting together each month is easy because early on we figured out that no one's schedule would ever match up. There were always people who couldn't make it. By choosing one day each month, the same day, people could schedule it in advance.
Our gatherings take a variety of forms from pop-the-hood-and-talk events, to back road treks to field trips and family oriented destinations.
40 cars came out on February 2nd 2002! 020202 day. |
For me, my favorite gatherings have been the ones where we hang out and shoot the breeze like last year's fourth anniversary at Crissy Field in San Francisco's Presidio. But, although I like to sit around and talk; I am like a lot of the members of Bay Area 02, I like to drive.
Over the years we've had some great drives, from East Bay back road tours to Sonoma winery tours to drives in Santa Cruz county. We've seen our share of twisty mountain roads or flat-out country straight aways. But the fun isn't just on twisty mountain roads or small country roads. Sometimes the challenges of crazy gimmick rallyes in San Francisco every December are just as entertaining and appreciated.
Some of the best drives have been so good that we've posted them on the site for people to print out and drive on their own. We've had a lot of success with our drives because of volunteers taking on the role of co-host and setting up routes they know and love.
Our biggest success and best known gathering though is the annual Swap & Show. The hard work and patience of volunteers combined with the fantastic turn out of participants and stellar support of our sponsors have made this particular event something that people look forward to. This past Swap & Show was our third. Three must be a charm because we had over 100 cars displayed on the lawn with an impressive number of specialty cars including six 2002 turbos in one place at one time!
Keeping it going
People ask me if I think the group will continue for another five years. It's hard to say. We drive old cars, so you just don't know. But if Bay Area 02 has a mission it's to keep 2002s on the road and to keep their owners driving them. If we do nothing else we'll still to be successful.
See you on the road. |
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