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Contacts: Graeme Kinsey, President Mary Diamond, VP/Secy Linda Derby, Treasurer Bonni Weatherwax, Tech Dir Connie Kellner, Newsletter Ken Christensen, Webmaster |
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Note from the Prez DMC Members Celebrating Birthdays in December Membership Report THE SHORTEST RUN What Your Miata Color is Telling People About You MEMBERS CORNER Winterizing Your Miata |
Note from the Prez November 2003
What a
great month! So many fun
activities, so little time. . . Our November Delta Miata Club activity was the
Blackhawk Museum Event, such a rousing success that I’ve been asked to organize
another one next year (June) for the SAMOA folk and anyone else in Delta who
wasn’t able to make it this time.
See Denise’s article elsewhere in this newsletter for her very thoughtful
contribution.
We had an outstanding voter turnout for our Delta Miata Club elections! We had the largest percentage turnout in Delta’s history (40%) even eclipsing the typical turnout of other clubs that I have heard about. Congratulations on taking an interest and showing you’re on the team.
Our new board brings a fresh round of new ideas into the Club:
Larry Mensch, President (2003
Sunlight Silver)
Larry Meek, Vice President/Secretary (2000 Pure White)
Connie Kellner, Treasurer (2000 Black)
Mary Diamond, Membership/PR (2001 Midnight Blue Mica)
Bonni Weatherwax, Tech Advisor (1991 Crystal White)
Yours truly, Newsletter Editor/Webmaster (2001 Classic Red)
I want to express my thanks for our outgoing board and volunteer group – please take the time to thank them also, for without them the club would have foundered – and welcome the new group. They’re going to be calling on you for ideas and will bring in new ones themselves, but don’t wait – contact them with things you’d like to do, fun you want to get out of the Club. I’m sure 2004 is going to be the best year ever for Delta Miata Club!
By the way, we continue to grow – check Mary’s membership
report. MIATAS RULE!
Delta folk should also explore sister club’s activities – while we live in one of the best areas in the best state in the best country in the world, there are still other club activities that offer regional benefits we don’t have here in the Delta. For example, a couple of weeks ago I joined SOCALM and did a run through Death Valley; if this run occurs again next year I highly recommend it! The photo at the beginning of this article was dawn, as seen from that beautiful place, reflecting on Gina’s hood, and the other one is by Badwater, lowest place in the Western Hemisphere.
In just a couple of weeks we’re having our annual holiday party – don’t forget to bring an ornament if you’d like to participate in the exchange. How fitting that we’re going to be in a restaurant on the water of the fabulous California Delta, sharing the holiday warmth of our fellow Delta Miata Club friends. See you there!
Graeme
DMC Members Celebrating Birthdays In December
Kenny Christensen
12/14
Linda Derby 12/5
Steve Diputado 12/3
Cam Woolcott 12/9
Joe Locicero 12/9
Danny Schact 12/28
Larry Vanvekoven 12/15
Bonnie Weatherwax 12/21
Happy Birthday Wishes From Everyone At DMC !!!
DMC membership includes 53 active memberships and 82 members.
Our new member this month is Margaret McConnell from Sacramento and SAMOA.
Welcome to DMC Margaret !
*******************The flyers can be downloaded from the website*******************
Blackhawk Auto
Museum Event
November 2003
The rain stopped and the sun came out to shine on the brilliant fall colors of the Sacramento trees. A very nice surprise for us as we drove to Danville. We left Folsom Sunday morning, November 16th, to meet the Delta, BAMA & Samoa club members in the parking lot near Blackhawk Auto Museum at 11:00AM.
22 Miatas
lined up to drive the .1 miles to the museum -- the shortest run we have
ever done! We parked in tight circles in the "patio" in front
of the museum at the direction of Graeme Kinsey and John Diamond.
Cameras captured the moment.
Then we split into two groups and followed expert docents
through the amazing collection of automobiles. The cars were gorgeous and
most of them had a story to spice up their history -- the displays on platforms
were similar to "jewelry" and the colors and interiors were impressive.
The docent allowed us to get a very close look at the interiors (behind the
ropes) and opened compartments to view vintage engines.
The craftsmanship and evolution of technology presented in
the basic brilliant blacks with mahogany and chrome and copper were a step back
in time. The blacks evolved to purple and yellow and silver and
nickel exteriors. The leather, snake skin, brocade interiors and thick cushions
emphasized the luxury required by the very wealthy and privileged owners who
commission the creation 
of
artistic transportation -- many one-of-a-kind -- during another era.
The other half of the vehicles was devoted to the autos that attempted to
satisfy the "need for speed" for many of the famous and wealthy original
owners. The box shapes of the 1800s moved to the long, long, long sleek
low curves of the 40s and 50s.
After the tour we broke into groups to explore the area and find a place to have lunch. Our Miatas are still the best, most beautiful, and nicest ride -- ever!
Tom and Denise Klisz, Graeme Kinsey
What Your Miata Color is Telling People About You
(According to USA Weekend – October
18-20, 2002)
Red:
You’re assertive (or aggressive) and strong.
(Warning: see Black for
theft info.)
Yellow:
It screams “Look at me!” Or,
if it’s a really expensive model it also says “I’m so rich I don’t care what you
think”.
Orange:
You’re on top of the trends.
Orange (in many variations) is a key new color in 2003.
Silver:
You ooze class. The No. 1 car color.
It represents speed, power, and success.
White:
A longtime favorite. People
under 65 in a white car like to blend in.
For the elderly, white harks back to the elegance and wealth of the
1920’s.
Black:
Power/aggression sums it up.
The top choice for ages 24-37 and one of the top colors targeted by thieves
(along with red).
Blue
(medium or dark): You’re
conservative, middle of the road.
Green
(medium or dark): See blue, above,
and add a touch of environmentalism.
Hey everyone – just to let you know, we will publish certain articles at
a members request even if it is not related to club events or news.
These articles can be either items for sale (generally Miata related) or
they can be for other important events.
The following is an article that we are publishing at a members request
for a fund raiser that is approaching.
Please remember that this time of year fund raisers are very important to
the community as there are several folks out there who are not as fortunate as
we may be. Happy Holidays to all.
The Discovery Bay Delta Community Presbyterian Church
proudly presents its
2003 Holiday Home Tour to be held on Sunday, December 7th from 12:30 to 4:00
PM. Advanced ticket sales for the event can be purchased from Alice Cramer
at (925) 634-8470. Tickets will also be sold at the door. Suggested
arrival time at the church, located at 1900 Willow Lake Road, should be
between 12:00 and 12:30 PM. Visitors and guests will be greeted with a
program and map which will direct them to the 6 festive, decorated homes.
After the tour, soft drinks, wine, cheese and crackers as well as an
opportunity drawing will be held back at the church social hall. Proceeds
from this event will be used by the church for community projects.
A Few Tips to Make Sure You Get to Those Spring Fun Runs
By Bonni Weatherwax, DMC Tech Adviser
Wow, we sure had a great year, didn’t we? Unfortunately, with the cold months ahead, we must take a few steps to ensure that our faithful Miatas will be around for us once the fever hits us again in the spring (not that the fever goes away for all of us). Below are just a few tips that have kept my ol’ Zippy still cruising for all these years. All of these items were taken from questions contributed by fellow club members. If you have more to share, please be sure and bring up your ideas at our next meeting, or through our club’s online news list – your input is what makes our club so exciting!
Antifreeze – A lot of folks have been asking me about how much antifreeze they should add. Well, the standard “one-size-fits-all” dilution is a simple 50-50 mix. I know of others whom merely add a gallon of antifreeze, then just fill up the radiator tank and reservoir with distilled water, and they are through with it. Because our part of California rarely freezes, we have little use for antifreeze – but it’s good insurance against engine damage. So long as the temperature does not get below 25-degrees Fahrenheit, a mixture of 30% antifreeze and about 70% distilled water has worked for me for the past twelve years. The decision is really up to you on which of these recommended dilutions you use. One thing to be sure of – please use distilled water. The minerals often found in every day tap water can cavitate your water pump and clog your radiator. Antifreeze also contains lubricants to protect your cooling system, and has anti-rust properties.
Keep your soft top up on cold days – If you have a plastic window on your soft top Miata, be sure not to leave it down if the temperature goes down into the chilly zone! Somewhere I once read that the borderline temperature would be around 46 degrees Fahrenheit, but I won’t take my top down anymore unless the temperature outside is above 55 degrees. The reason? Well, it has been my unfortunate experience that the plastic-like compound that the soft-top window is made of greatly shrinks in the cold weather. Once it warms back up a little, it expands back to its original shape. It is this expansion that can crack your plastic window. It looks like someone took a knife to it – but it is actually just a really unfortunate reaction of the window’s compound to extreme temperature changes. So keep that top up on cold days – unless you want to pay an upholstery shop to repair or replace it!
Tire Pressures – One member asked if we should be concerned about our tire pressures during different times of the year. Well, sure! For a tire to perform at its peak, it must reach a certain temperature. This optimum temperature will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, as the compounds will vary. In the summertime, your tire will heat up quicker, simply because the ground below it is warmer. Therefore, you can keep your tire at a more normal pressure, say, around 32 psi (this varies – so please do not necessarily inflate all tires to this reading). In the wintertime, the ground is cold, and thus, it takes longer for the tire to heat up.
In order for the tire to heat up, it must make contact with the pavement – the friction is, of course, what heats up the tire. That way, the tire can get to its desired temperature, offering you the best handling ability possible. Thus, in the winter, you need a little more tire contact with the pavement so that it will heat up a little quicker. I have always deflated my tires to about three or four pounds lighter in the winter. The best way is to monitor your tires’ reaction to given temperatures and psi settings. If your car feels ‘sluggish’ – doesn’t turn on a dime – you probably need to add a pound or two. If your car feels squirrelly – as though it could spin out, even though you are not going fast – then you likely are over-inflated and need to take out a pound or two to fix the problem. After a little experimentation, you should be able to come to your own conclusions as to the perfect tire pressures, winter or summer.
Ask Questions! – I was greatly honored to once again be elected as your club’s technical adviser. While the job is not incredibly difficult, I do often need to know what you folks are looking for as your tech adviser. I would like to start a new type of tech article each month, based on your questions. Please feel free to email me at techadviser@weatherwax.net, or just give me a call on my cell phone at 916-320-4020. Either way, please get in touch with me, so that I can serve you best. Thanks in advance for your participation, and I’ll see you in the twisties soon!