DATR ‘09Daily Driver Racing

Wheels for Meals

Cover Worthy Art

© Mike Selander

StaffEditor in Chief

Richard Melick

Photography EditorMike Selander

Layout EditorAaron Crooks

Staff Photographer

Erik Melander

ContributersChuck Maybee

Mini5280Minis in the Mountains

Ian ColeWasabi Race Team

Racing Your Daily

Reggie WhiteWheels for Meels

Justin BlackburnIntrigue DetailWinter Detail

Aaron BlairFirestone in Parker, CO

Winter Tires

Alex BakerPhotography Locations

© Richard Melick

ContentsFall 2009 :: Issue 5

Looking Back

Minis in the Mountains

Nu Vintage Bug In

Racing Your Daily

DATR 2009

Meals for Wheels

Detailing

Touring Colorado

Winter Tires

Photo

The Editor’s words

Liitle Cars, Big Mountains

Old school Dubs gather

Yes, it can be done.

The biggest show in Colorado

Raising money to help others

Prepping your car for winter

Head to the hills!

It’s coming. Here’s your guide

Find the perfect location

6

7

12

22

30

39

44

49

50

54

A little over a year ago, Euro-Berge was established and published as the only Colorado based maga-zine focusing on the European auto-motive scene. Since that first issue of 10 pages with a few articles and photos, we have grown to a point that none of us ever imagined we would. As overwhelming as it might be every day, we all get excited about the fu-ture of the magazine, what we will be bringing to you the readers, and what is next in store for the company itself. Now before you stop reading in fear of the big changes, let me make one promise to you; we will always stick by our roots of being a free publica-tion that is for the enthusiasts and by the enthusiasts. So many other magazines tote this little slogan but dont necessarily deliver on it. That is where we are different. Each one of our writers is an enthusiast that you can meet at shows or races, or a lo-cal industry leader that you can call and ask for advice on a certain mat-ter. I personally feel there is nothing healthier for a community like ours than that personal touch with each article and couldn’t be more proud than to be apart of this magazine. Now, this past summer was one of the greatest for events for all to enjoy. We had some great shows, drives, community get togethers, and open houses. In my opinion, the com-munity has only grown for the better as each event has pushed itself to be better than the last, and the prover-bial bar has been set higher for the next year. Like every enthusiast out there, event organizers are inspired by what they see in the community. With your feedback before and after

events, they are able to bring you a better product every year. I commend each group that has taken the time to work on these events and provide great times for the community mem-bers over the past few months. But, with the winter months coming up and cold weather ap-proaching fast, these events will slowly begin to dwindle away. Some clubs will have their normal get to-gethers and there will be a few shows here and there. but overall will be lim-ited. This does not have to be how it is, so I call out to you all to start something new this year. Establish a fall drive with your club, or a ski trip to one of our local resorts. You can grab a group of friends and head up to one of the many ice racing events for a day of racing fun as well. Or maybe just a big holiday dinner for everyone to come and enjoy the season with their closest friends. This helps the community stay active in the fall and winter and gives many people some-thing to do other than sit and watch the leaves fall. So with all that in mind, I pres-ent to you our fall issue for 2009. I hope you enjoy it as much as we en-joy putting it together. And as usual, I invite each and every one of you to contact any of the staff with your ideas, comments, or concerns at any time. Without each and every one of you, we would not be here. I thank you for your support and look foward to seeing you on the road.

Richard Melick Editor in Chief

Looking BackFrom September ‘08 to now, it's always been about you.

Issue 5 :: Page 6

What could make the Colo-rado Rocky Mountains bet-ter, or improve on a fun car like the MINIs? Put them to-gether and you get the best weekend event for MINI lov-ers in the nation. MINIs in the Mountains is a local event held nationally or perhaps a national event held local-ly—either way MITM is an event for all MINIs and Minis from Colorado and across the nation. This year’s event was the fourth in so many yearsand was again held at Copper Mountain Resort . As always it resulted in new friendships, new MINI mod purchases and a renewed appreciation for the Colora-do Rockies and its many fun twisty roads. Nearly 150 MINIs reg-

istered for the 3-day event, which included vendors, group rides, a banquet and a couple of midnight runs up Mt. Evans. The weather was as close to perfect as possible in August with only a few brief showers and some clouds. The tempera-tures soared into the upper 60’s during the day and fell to the lower 30’s at night making for excellent mo-toring and better sleeping. While Denver sweltered in the 90’s we at MITM felt as if Mother Nature had turned on the air conditioning just for us. Friday found a de-parture from years past by elimination of the typical banquet meal in favor of a group feed opportunity at

a barbeque contest held in Dil-lon, CO. MITM attendees were invited to purchase taste tickets and load-up on the contest en-

MITM-'09

Minis in the mountains

tries and other vittles. A raf-fle ticket ensured a chance for entry in to a drawing for the night and the winner re-ceived their prize at the next evening’s festivities. On Saturday the event premiered the first NUF! Car show with MINIs and Minis parked in Copper Village. The public wandered about the show cars with gasps of adulation and astonish-ment as the show judges sternly evaluated each en-try. Winners for the various categories were calculated and prizes presented during the Saturday night banquet

along with numerous other vendor sponsored prizes. The vendor list this year was longer then previous years and included everything from leather jackets, custom shift knobs, grille badges and clear bras to MINI themed cards, decals, lubricants, window tint and performance mods. Even a few trailer mounts were giv-en away. Ralph Schomp MINI was again one of the sponsor-ing vendors and provided the event MINIs with a free ser-vice check as well as a fully outfitted MINI store and test drives of a new Cooper S.

This is the seminal event for MINI5280 and once again, through the efforts of Jonathan Souza and Rick Gonzales as well as a host of club volunteers, MITM went off with minimal hiccups and no calamities. Many a MINI motorer could be heard plan-ning for next year’s MITM and our club is more then happy to provide the oppor-tunity. MITM is one of the three largest annual events for the MINI community and we are proud to display our state and our twisties to the rest of the nation.

Issue 5 :: Page 8

MITM-'09“The public wan-dered about the show cars with

gasps of adulation and astonishment

as the show judges sternly evaluated

each entry.”

Article By chuck Maybee

Photos By Mike Selander

© Erik Melander

After having an unseasonably rainy spring and early summer in 2009, the cli-mate moved to scorching under the sun for the 25th annual NuVintage Bug-In. Usually occurring on the first weekend of August, this year’s event took place on Sunday the 9th. The Volkswagen-specif-ic show has been running at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison since the event’s conception in 1984. The track, carved into the red rock foothills, is nested just south of I-70 and west of C-470 providing a glorious view east towards the Denver high-rise. Hundreds flocked to the open-ing gates at daybreak to enter before the mid-morning rush to the registration booth. Within a few hours after sunrise, the Colorado heat-wave was increasing temperature rapidly; ice-filled coolers and frozen water bottles were starting to dry up. To seek refuge from the heat sever-al huddled underneath umbrellas, pop-up tents, opened hatches and building overhangs for shade. The only thing that didn’t seem to melt in the sun was the 202 show entries that were separated by production generation and cooling-type. Predominantly the Bug-In event has been an air-cooled show boasting origi-nally owned and highly modified Beetles, Things, and Buses. But the older the air-cooleds get the more water-cooled model popularity springs up with the same pas-sion and perseverance to be unique in ev-ery way. In lieu of shifting to the electric hybrid power in the automotive industry, one of first prototype fully-electric rolling chassis from an air-cooled Beetle was on

25th Annual

Nu Vintage Bug In

display. Such other engineering and fab-rication marvels were on display from a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive MK3 GTI, to complete tubular frame Baja vehicles fitted with new and classic powertrains.

Along with showing off the eye-catching goods, just over half of the show par-ticipants demonstrated the powertrain amenities on the track. Street daily, road racing, vintage racing, and drag-specific cars lined up for side-by-side time trials in the mid-morning. Racers were allowed four passes to determine their dial-in time before the elimination bracketed competi-tion started in the early afternoon. Those passes during the mid-day heat allowed for drivers to adjust engine parameters such as ignition timing and boost, to oth-er physical attributes including tire pres-sure, launching characteristics, and aero-dynamics. The field of partaking racers had a wide range of times from leaving the starting beam till crossing the finish line; anywhere from the low 11’s to the mid 22-second tier.

For the drag-strip elimination rounds con-testants have to battle against their dial-in time, and the opposite driver’s dial-in time in the other racing lane. It’s not the type of race of where the fastest car wins; there’s more depth, so pay close atten-tion. The dial-in time is set by the driv-er, which predicts the clock time of what their own car will complete the quarter-mile gallop. With each race the car with the slowest dial-in time leaves the light tree first. The faster dialed-in timed car

Nu Vintage Bug InArticle and Photos by Erik Melander

Issue 5 :: Page 13

is given the green light after the slower dialed-in vehicle, exactly the difference between the two dialed-in times. With both cars now hauling to the end, if the slow car makes it to the line first, they are the winner. If the faster car makes the sprint down the track and passes the slower car to cross the line first, they are the winner. However, there’s a catch; the dial-in time cannot be undercut, or a “breakout” of the drivers’ expected time to make it to the finish line. If a breakout occurs, the other car is deemed the win-ner of the round. If both cars breakout during the heat the winning vehicle is de-termined by the least amount time from their respective dial-in times; see the il-lustrations for examples on the possible win-lose scenarios throughout the races. Each set of passes narrowed the field down by knocking out matched op-ponents, and the winners moved on to the next elimination. From a handful of rounds of side-by-side racing, the com-petition dwindled down to a pair of fi-nalists in each class. There were three class divisions: Pro-Eliminator, Sports-

man Eliminator, and Water-cooled Eliminator. Pro-Elimina-tor is the 9.50 – 13.80 second bracket that does not allow any electronics for launching. Keith Huff won over Keith Oliver with a 12.894 @ 100.17mph. Sportsman is the 12.00 – 19.99 second bracket that does not allow any transmission braking for launching. Bryan Davis took top spot above Jeff Mortimer with a 16.326 @ 77.89mph. The Watercooled grouping al-lowed all water-cooled engine street cars. Michael Stiffey

Nu Vintage Bug InIssue 5 :: Page 14

grabbed the win from Andrew Augustain with a 18.807 @ 72.06mph.

As the shows leading provid-er, NuVintage brought their staff and a few of their proj-ects for display. The gem was a butterscotch metallic Beetle that had the roofline chopped and lowered, with reversed hinged doors that opened at the a-pillar. The interior was matched with tan leather and golden inserts on the doors and headliner. Along with NuVintage, sever-al other organizations came together to attribute. Paint-er’s Grinding and 23 Deluxe, two of Denver’s off-road Volkswagen part suppliers and fabrication were on-site exhibiting their work. Flash Rods, who create die cast cars wrapped around USB hard drives and jump-drives, the Volkswagen Enthusiasts of Colorado (VWEC), and Motorworks Restorations contributed and aided to the event at Bandimere.

During the peak of the morn-ing, more than 2200 v-dub gear heads scoured the south end of paddock to find long-lost golden treasures. Some 60 swap-meet loca-tions were swarmed with multi-generational parts, collectables, original main-tenance and marketing lit-erature. Framed invoices to

Issue 5 :: Page 15

nostalgic signs were a steal of a find for the older own-ers, where the die-cast and remote controlled Volkswa-gen replicas appealed to the younger offspring. Trin-kets, badges, trim pieces, patches; it literally could all be found sprawled out on the black tar lot. After surveying the entire parts bin availabil-ity, it was quite possible that one could have built an en-tire air-cooled Beetle at the show from the ground up. One of the appeal-ing attributes of the junc-

ture was the several side events. Young children were able to race modified air-cooled valve covers fitted with axles and wheel, to go down a sloped railed track. Think you have the strength to push your air-cooled or water-cooled vehicle 1000 feet down the drag-strip with keeling over? Grab two oth-er buddies and go up against other 3-person teams to see who can get their ve-hicle to the end first. Teams huffed and puffed putting up 17-second or more times to

win the bracket. Even with the super hot ultra-violet rays beating with people scram-bling around for gobs of sun-screen, the Bug-In event is a popular show that gives par-ticipants a diverse variety of vehicles, events, and gifts. Look forward to next year’s event under the blistering sun; it’s worth the burn and lobster-red skin color effect.

Nu Vintage Bug In

Camera : Canon EOS 40DAperture Value: f/4Focal Length 200 mmISO: 100Shutter Speed: 1/660 sec

© Erik Melander

MITM-'09

© Mike Selander

MITM-'09

facebook.com/EuroBergeContest sponsored by the following Colorado companies:

If our Facebook fan page reaches 500 fansby January 1, 2010 at midnight, we will be entering all the fans into a random drawingfor some great prizes! That’s right! All youhave to do is become a fan of our Facebook

page to enter into the contest.

Legal: No purchase necessary. Contest open to any legal US resident with valid identification. Prizes must be redeemed in the state of Colorado. By becoming a fan of EuroBerge on Facebook,

you agree to all terms and conditions as provided by Facebook.com. Winners will be picked at random and notified through Facebook of winnings.

One Year Celebration!What better way to celebrate the one yearanniversery of the first EuroBerge issue than to have a fan appreciation contest?

Issue 5 :: Page 22

Racing Your DailyHave all that European performance, but nowhere to open up? Have no fear, the solution is closer than you think.

Article by Ian Cole Photography by Erik Melander

Issue 5 :: Page 22

Issue 5 :: Page 23

So, your idea of a fun weekend drive is rowing through the gears as you toss your car through the canyon corners, feeling the exhilaration of massive g-forces pushing your body in all directions.. Unfortunately, the local law enforcement agencies do not share your ap-preciation for performance driving. To the contrary, they take a dim view of your position that you know these canyons like the back of your hand and that you are a safer driver than the chronic left lane camper doing 10 miles per hour under the speed limit on I-25. As a result, you have sought out other avenues to hone your driving prowess. But is your car ready; are you ready? For regular readers, previous articles have detailed the options available to high per-formance driving enthusiasts: Autocrossing and Track Events. The Rocky Mountain chapter of the SCCA offers both Autocrossing and Performance Driving experience, and NASA offers their High Performance Driving Experience program in the Rocky Mountain Region , , .Each program provides an excellent opportunity to experience high performance driving in more controlled, and legal, environment. And while all these programs welcome and encourage the use of your street car, some preparation of both the car and the driver will go a long way to assure your full enjoyment of your time at the event.

CAR PREPARATION While not abusive, autocrossing and track events do put more wear and tear on a car than normal day-to-day driving, unless your daily commute involves the aforementioned canyon bombing. There is always risk of something breaking, but high performance driving activities are more likely to accelerate the breaking of equipment that is on its way to failure, rather than causing an outright failure of a component that is in perfect operating condition. As such, a little preparation can go a long way to assuring that you will be able to drive your car home, not ride shotgun with the tow truck driver.

Issue 5 :: Page 24

Prior to the Event:•If you have done any recent maintenance or upgrades, pay a visit to each nut and bolt that was loosened or replaced as part of the effort to assure none have come loose.•Check your tires. Nearly bald or cord show-ing can result in your not being allowed to par-ticipate, or having a blow-out at an inoppor-tune time, which can result in more damage than just a bad tire.•Get a tune-up. When was the last periodic maintenance performed? Do a regular check of the oil, spark plugs, fluid levels, and air fil-ter, and replace as necessary.•Perform a “once over” visual inspection of all critical components. Look at your suspension and make sure nothing is cracking or broken. Check the wear level of your brake pads and rotors. Check the belts on your engine.•Set up your tool box. Include all the tools that you think you will need to perform basic adjustments and maintenance on your car. A small, dedicated tool box and tools makes this task much easier. Include items like a tire gauge, special lug nut tool (or lug nut key), torque wrench, small socket and box-end wrench set. Always take blue painter’s tape or masking tape – this is very useful for ad hoc car markings.

•Make sure you have enough fuel. For au-tocrossing, this is generally not an issue as there is usually a gas station in the vicinity of the event, but a lack of fuel can some-times present a problem at a track. While many tracks offer fuel onsite, they may not have a “streetable” octane, and if they do have an appropriate octane available, you’ll pay more. Coming prepared with extra fuel can save you a headache, and money.•The night before leaving, remove all non-essentials from your car. This may include the back seats, floor mats, road side hazard kit, etc. For practical purposes, you should take your spare tire to the event.•Also the night before leaving, load your car. If it is your first event, or first time bring-ing extra tires, you will be amazed at how much room they take. Do not wait until the last moment to figure out the optimal load-ing to assure you can bring all your equip-ment to the event. Confirm all the required equipment (helmet, etc.) is loaded or will be available at the track before leaving (some events have loaner safety equipment).

Issue 5 :: Page 25

© Erik Melander

DRIVER PREPARATION Any driver that thinks that just showing up at the event is enough will lessen their experience. As with the car, a little preparation will go a long way to making the event much more enjoyable. All the car preparation in the world will not make up for a driver that is not prepared, so take the time and give yourself the best opportunity for suc-cess.

Prior to the Event:•Know where you are going. Many adventures to a performance driving events have been thwarted by going to the wrong location. If you’ve never been to the lo-cation, use an online mapping tool to familiarize yourself with how to get there.•Review the rules. Confusion in classing, required equipment, and event regulations can lead to a frustrating experience.•If you are expecting loaner safety equipment to be available, confirm beforehand.•If you have any questions, ASK! Do not be afraid to sound like a n00b, everyone has at some point in time, even seasoned veterans. All programs have online fo-rums and pages dedicated to asking first-time questions, and a support community ready and willing to provide answers and advice.•Review the published schedule. Arriving late, having to scurry to and fro will only make the experience that much more poor. Give yourself time to acclimate and to take in your surroundings. Being rushed will induce stress, and that is the last thing a driver needs when trying to concentrate on performance.•Get a good night’s sleep. Being refreshed in the morning will assure you have the needed energy for the day.

Issue 5 :: Page 28

At the Event:•First, foremost, and most importantly (this cannot be stressed enough), get out and meet the other enthusiasts sharing in your enthusiasm at the event. The social com-munities associated with high performance driving are awesome, extremely helpful, and great to be around. You will get greater enjoyment out of your experience if you actively participate.•Arrive early. This will allow you time to unload the car, familiarize yourself with the layout of the event, and not just the course. Where are the restrooms? Where are the scheduled meetings held? Where is the concession stand? Where can you park? Where is grid, paddock, start and finish?•Get your required car preparation out of the way early. Change your tires, add oil, and check your tire pressures while you have the time.•Be vocal. Do not be afraid to ask questions, of anyone. A majority of the participants have attended previously and will be in a position to either directly answer your ques-tion or refer you to someone else who can.•Finally, take a deep breath and a moment to relax. Absorb the experience, and take a moment to enjoy yourself.

Preparing a daily driver for performance driving duty may seem like a daunting task at first, but after a couple of events it becomes second nature. Developing a routine can go a long way in relieving the stress associated with getting ready. Creating a checklist of things that need to be completed and packed is another way to help assure your pre-paredness. Regardless of your approach, arriving at the event prepared and refreshed will go a long way to assuring you have a great time.

Issue 5 :: Page 29

Article by Richard Melick Photography by Erik Melander

Issue 5 :: Page 30

Dubs Along the Rockies took place during late August and provided a great opportunity for the Volkswagen and Audi enthusiasts of Colorado to strut their stuff one last time in the great Colorado sun. Aside from show-casing the amazing rides that grace the Rocky Mountain roads on a daily basis, the opportunity was provided for some vehicles to hit an autocross and show their prowess. Pikes

Issue 5 :: Page 31

Dubs Along the Rockies took place during late August and pro-vided a great opportunity for the Volkswagen and Audi enthusiasts of Colorado to strut their stuff one last time in the great Colorado sun. Aside from showcasing the amaz-ing rides that grace the Rocky Mountain roads on a daily basis, the opportunity was provided for some vehicles to hit an autocross and strut their stuff. Pikes Peak International Speedway provided one of the

best locations for a large gathering of Volkswagen and Audi enthusiasts and vendors alike. With better orga-nization than the year past, this years show was packed with vendors, ac-tivities, great food, and amazing cars all over the pad. DATR is not a Colo-rado specific show as it is celebrated by many enthusiasts who drove from as far as California to enjoy the Colo-rado sun. Speaking of the sun, boy was it out that day. With some thermom-eters marking over 100 degrees, the water was flowing from each vendor’s booth. Nobody could get enough of the liquid goodness that kept every-one safe. The paddock provided something that was lacking last year as well; a huge garage full of plentiful shade. With the vendors setting up inside as well as out, fans were able to head inside and admire some of the best that vendors had to provide. From purpose built racecars with beautiful roll cages and big turbos to restorations of a classic, every ven-dor brought their A-game to DATR. Along with some great cars, each vendor did their best to one-up the

Issue 5 :: Page 32

other’s display, with everything from parts on display to shop-specific memorabilia for sale. But each vendor got along as all professional enthusiasts do, and in the end, they all only helped make the event even greater. From old school Audi’s to the newest VW TDI, the range of vehicles on display were end-less. The collection of air-cooled rides on display was a definite improvement than the previous year, which could be because of the new location and better advertising. These great clas-sics all painted a great picture of the evolution of enthusiast from the old school guys to the new scene. While the separation of the two groups was clearly there, the respect shown between the old and new keeps growing ev-ery year. Every member of the old school crew admired all the newer cars just as the new crew admired the old school. As with every car show, every car was at the top of its game. Some cars were just polished stockers, while others were full on builds from scratch. The amazing part of DATR was that no matter what you drove, what you loved, or how old you were, there was a vehicle on dis-play that you would love. Every-one’s paint shined and chrome pieces were polished to a mirror finish. No aspect of a vehicle’s highlights was left untouched by every vehicle’s owner. This made the choosing of the best cars for each class even more difficult. In some cases, some of

© Erik Melander

the most amazing vehicles on site were not the ones with the most money dropped into them. This aspect shows how even with a little bit of money, some amazing vehicles can be built and can become show winners. With all the great vehicles on display and the variety of activities to participate in and watch, the 2009 Dubs Along the Rockies was one of the best shows of the year. With the new location and great weather, nothing could have possibly gone wrong at the end of the day. Each enthusiast left the show with new ideas and in-spiration to prepare for the next year’s show. Before 2009’s show was even over, everyone’s excitement for the next year’s show was defi-nitely there. If next year’s show is even just a carbon copy of 2009’s, it as well will be a great success.

© Erik Melander

www.eurob

erge.com

Wheels for MealsIssue 5 :: Page 39

In August, Ed Carroll Motor Company in Fort Collins played host to an event that brought out some amazing cars all for a great cause.

The 24th annual Meal on Wheels Auto Show held on August 30th was different thanks to John Carroll, President of Ed Carroll VW, Audi, and Porsche. Mr. Carroll included Audi and Volk-swagen vehicles for the first time this year. The two extra makes allowed in the show bumped the number of cars from the past 50 to 75 and created a great diversity of vehicles. Earlier on

Friday a fleet of Porsches poured out of the dealer-ship to help deliver meals those in need. On top of the donations to the organization John also matched all the funds that were collected on Sunday for the Meals on Wheels organization. The show on Sun-day was well attended and there were crowds surrounding the cars all day. Because of the his-toric Porsche involve-ment most entrants were

Issue 5 :: Page 40

Written By Reggie White Photos By Erik Melander

older Porsches. I must say there were some great looking Porsche 356s in attendance. Mark Baer, owner of SCR Performance in Loveland brought his newly assembled Audi B5 race car. It was a beauty with a magnificent looking roll cage. The body was completely stripped of all bells and whistles. All that was left had everything to do with performance. John Carroll said the event raised $4,837 for Meals on Wheels. The break-down was: $1,875 in entry fees; $1,875 in match by Ed Carroll Motor Co.; And $1,087 in food and direct donations; every dollar spent on food also was donated.

Issue 5 :: Page 41

Photos By Erik Melander

© Erik Melander

Wheels for Meals

© Erik Melander

© Erik Melander

Winter is upon us, and if you are like most enthusiasts, you fall into one of two categories:

1. Like me, this month you began getting very depressed as the sun set earlier and earlier each day and the nip in the air sent you body into chills. Knowing your beloved car and the passion you feel driving it will be locked away in the garage for the next four to six months causes you deep pain and anguish. You have properly maintained your car throughout the summer, and now it rests under cover in the garage getting the needed once a month start and warm up, anxiously awaiting the first sign of spring to roar back to life and once again claim it’s rightful place in your heart.2. Unlike me, you love this stuff. Sliding sideways around a slippery corner at a higher than advisable speed while the slush pulls your wheel one side to the other, just on the brink of loosing control, makes you feel alive. You probably also have a collection of snowboards as big as Brett Michael’s Rock of Love bus. You are that person that believes the car was meant to dive in the snow, and that all wheel drive means can go anywhere.

If you are in the first category, you can stop reading. You are already done for the year, and we will look for you when the weather heats up and you bring your baby back out. If however, you are in the second group, this one’s for you.

Winter WashArticle by Justin Blackburn Photos by Erik Melander

Issue 5 :: Page 45

Winter Wash

Although plowing through par-tially frozen water with embedded rocks and calcium chemicals in sub zero temperatures is a lot of fun for you, it is extremely hard on your vehicle and its components. The obvious and well know issues are the wheels and exte-rior paint. However, there are many oth-er areas that need the same love and attention that you give your favorite ski jacket. Extreme variations in tempera-ture and freezing conditions are very hard on any material that has the abil-ity to expand and contract. Door seals, tires, interior vinyl, plastics, and leather are all subject to cracking and shrink-ing of not properly nourished. Just like applying lotion to those hard and dry hands after a long day on the slopes, your car would appreciate the same at-tention. And just like your skin will crack

if not addressed, so can your cars inte-rior. Unlike many other areas of the country, Colorado also poses huge ul-traviolet light hazards. UV light causes fading cracking and general degra-dation to just about everything. Even when the sun is not shining, UV is com-ing through to beat down on your winter driving machine. Applying good qual-ity products with UV protectant factors can reduce the damage that UV light causes and extend your cars life. Of course, where would the world be without the use of calcium road clearing chemicals like magnesium chloride? Mag-chloride is a salt based substance that is supposed to prevent the roadways from freezing making it easier for that new set of Blizzaks you just got to stick to the pavement around

your favorite slushy corner. However, mag-chloride literally eats away at many vehicle surfaces, painted and unpainted. When mag-chloride came out they said it would replace sanding roads forever and make them easier to get around. I think it was a pay off from the car wash lobby as our roads now not only have the usual sand we have become accustomed to, but now we also have this wonderful chemical that if not cleaned off regularly can cause severe damage. If you drive on roads dur-ing or right after snow in the winter, rinse off your car as soon as possible. Make sure you are catching the underside, in-side of wheels, rocker arms, and any other gaps on your body work where the chemical can splash up and get trapped. Or, you can always go for the lazy path and replace your wheels yearly.

So before you head up at 2 am for the opening day at Winter Park, remember, your car is just like you. It needs a good jacket (Paint Sealer like PRIMA EPIC) to keep it warm and prevent the crud from sticking to its skin. It needs a sunscreen on all of its exposed surfaces like leather, vinyl and rubber. PRIMA Nourish is great for leather and Nero is used to treat syn-thetic materials like vinyl and plastic. It also needs its shoes to be warm by having a good wheel wax applied to them. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, I know you would never come home after a long day on the slopes and go to bed without taking a shower and rinsing out all of the cracks and crevasses that dirt and other impuri-ties can collect. Your car will appreciate the same love and attention.

Winter WashIssue 5 :: Page 47

G Richard Melick

Touring ColoradoWritten By: Aaron Crooks

Drive Stats: Directions:

The way we see it, there are two types of drivers on the road. There are those among us who simply see the road and their cars as a way to get from point-to-point. Then there are the drivers who enjoy driving for the thrill of the next corner. For those of you who share our passion for driving, Colorado is heaven. Our beautiful mountains not only provide us with some of the best slopes and most beautiful landscapes in the country, but also some of the most challenging driving roads anywhere. Whether you prefer short and hair-pins, or long and chicanes, the Rockies have it all.One of my favorites is the Allenspark drive from Longmont to Loveland. This drive is perfect for a nice after-noon in the fall. There are plenty of trees and vegetation so you can bet

on a treat to the eyes as the aspens start changing color in early Octo-ber. The drive is a convenient horse-shoe and takes less than an hour and a half to complete and is great for all occasions. Whether you’re looking to bash some fun corners or to simply enjoy some beautiful scenery, the Loveland to Longmont bowl has it all. The first 28.8 miles of the drive consist of tight curves where you can certainly take the more aggressive line. About half-way into the drive you have the op-tion of stopping at the lovely town of Estes Park for coffee, lunch or just to stretch your legs a bit. After being refueled at Estes Park you take St. Vrain Ave. or CO-66 south to enjoy a fun and fast mountain highway that takes you through some of the most gorgeous valleys in the Rockies.

The easy driving highway is a great way to drive and enjoy the beauty of Colorado in the fall. The colors and mountains come together to make a truly magnificent scene. If you de-cide to drive for a sunset adventure be sure to watch for wildlife as you drive. This less intense section of the drive is a perfect length to get your adrenaline flowing before the down-ward trek out to Longmont. The last section comes after 7 miles of easy mountain highway driving. From here on out, it’s more curves and downhill driving. Of course you must remember that it’s easy to swing out going downhill so as always motor safely. I certainly enjoyed this drive and I’m sure you will too, especially with the treat of the colorful patches of aspen trees throughout the drive.

-Start at on W Eisenhower Blvd/US-34 in Loveland. -Continue West on US-34. -Turn left at CO-66/St Vrain Ave/US-36-To return to Longmont turn left at Broadway St/CO-66/CO-7/US-36/Ute Hwy.-Continue to follow CO-66/Ute Hwy until you reach Longmont.

Miles Driven: 62.6Time Driven: 1:21Total Curves: 117

It’s that time of year again when the sun turns into clouds and the rain turns into snow. The ques-tion is will your car be prepared to handle the cold, snow and icy con-ditions? You were just noticing a little trouble last season when your all-season tires were new, now they probably aren’t going to be enough to give you the comfort and safety you desire when the road is ice-packed and you are driving in a blizzard. So what are the options available in the winter tire catego-ry? I will break it into 2 main cat-egories: studdable snow tires and studless snow tires. Let’s begin with studdable snow tires. This is a shrinking mar-ket due to several factors. While a studded snow tire still offers better traction than an all-season tire in winter conditions, they are proving to be quite a bit behind on the tech-nology that makes a studless snow tire grip so well. Recent tests have shown that a studded snow tire such as the Firestone Winterforce does not accelerate, stop or turn as well as leading studless snow tires such as the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60 or Michelin X-Ice XI2 on ei-ther icy or snowy surfaces.

winter tiresAritcle by Aaron Blair Photos by Erik Melander

Issue 5 :: Page 50

Another main con-cern about studded snow tires is how they drive and feel on dry pavement. They tend to feel squirmy, are loud and do not grip on dry surfaces as well as an all-season or studless snow tire. Many states, and even Canada, have made them illegal for many months out of the year. The studs also destroy roads when the roads are dry. But the main reasons for buying a studded snow tire usually boil down to two things: price and go-ing with what you know. Studable snow tires are going to be cheaper than a quality studless tire in most cases. Sure, the studding costs extra, but its usually not enough to make up the cost between the 2 choic-es. They are also available to run without studs. In this scenario, you are getting a tire that is a little better than an all-season for the condi-tions, but the compound is nowhere near that of what makes a studless snow tire grip so well. The ma-jority of studded snow tire buyers are repeat buyers because they are used to driving their car with stud-ded tires in the snow and on ice. Making the switch to a more expensive op-tion that you are not 100% sure about makes it hard to want to try something else. Either way, the technology

Issue 5 :: Page 51

is there and the studded snow tires are becoming a thing of the past. Why a thing of the past, you might ask? Because the advance-ment in tire technology has made way for a far better tire option in the snow and ice category: the stud-less snow tire. Back in the early 1990s, Bridgestone pro-duced its first stud-less snow tire for the masses, the Bridge-stone Blizzak WS-15. It featured a soft tread compound, many sipes in the tread and the grip of a studded snow tire without utilizing studs. Since then, the Blizzak line has improved by leaps and bounds. The Blizzak WS-50, re-leased in 1999, re-placed the WS-15 with new features such as “tube multi-cell” compound. The current model, the Blizzak WS-60 uses the same tech-nology with a re-vised tread design to offer even better traction and a better dry surface ride and feel, as well as last longer. The tire is basically 2 rub-ber compounds, with the tube multi-cell being the outer layer. It is made up of tubes with millions of microscopic pores and a softer

rubber specifically designed to grip ice, snow and slush. This layer of tread makes up the first 60% of the tire’s compound. Once that tread is worn, there are wear indicators in the tread that are exposed to let you know that only 40% of the tread

is remaining, and it is not the same soft, ice-gripping com-pound. The last 40% of the tire is made up of a normal but soft-er all-season rubber compound and does not grip the same as the multi-cell layer. Studdless snow tires are unrivaled by any studded snow tire for driving in the condi-tions we face on the roads today. As you consid-er purchasing a set of snow tires, think about a few things. First, what is your price for safety? Is it worth saving the money and driving on your all-seasons? Most of us can get by just fine, or think we can until we slide into a curb or another car and damage it, cost-

ing 3 times what a set of snow tires would have. Also, is it worth the extra money to buy quality stud-less snow tires? I say absolutely. The 30 foot shorter stopping dis-tance could be all the difference. Be sure to buy your snow tires in a set of 4 so you have the same

winter tires

Issue 5 :: Page 52

performance on all 4 corners of your car. Stopping and cor-nering are far more important than accelerating when you are on an icy road, and not having

the same performance on all of your wheels can cause

you to spin out. There are plenty of good options to

choose from, such as Bridgestone Blizzak

WS-60, Michelin X-Ice XI2, Nokian

Hakkapeliita and Dunlop Winter-

sport 3D. Be p r e p a r e d ,

mother na-ture isn’t

waiting f o r

you!

Urban PhotographyArticle and Photography: Alex Baker

Urban PhotographyThere are so many great places for urban photography in our great state, more than likely they are closer than you think. Over the last year I have found so many great spots to shoot and I wouldn’t of found them if I didn’t look. When trying to find new urban locations I always look for places less traveled usually in the outskirts of town. Industrial, commercial, business areas are on the top of my list. If you have time drive around look for structures or objects that catch you’re eye. When you get there here are some tips to help you capture that perfect shot.

Tip #1 Take more than one lens.I find that taking at least two lenses when planning to shoot is best when having the right tool for the right job. I prefer to take at least one wide angle and a zoom lens with a descent amount of length. The Wide-angle lens is best for capturing the whole picture and also gives more depth of field, which can make your shots more interesting and change the overall feel. The zoom lens is useful for capturing everything the texture of buildings, the fine lines on cars, elements of the street and all of its details.

Tip #2 Bring all the Extras.Because you’ll never know when you’ll need it, always remember to bring extra batteries, memory cards, filters, cleaning cloth, remotes and most importantly a Tripod. I’ve come across many too opportu-nities that were missed because I didn’t have the proper equipment.

Tip #3 Take a second lookI’m always looking for the next great shot and for me it’s all about composition, looking for the differences between textures, styles, materials, colors and lighting. I’ve shot at the same lo-cation more than once and I’m always surprised when I see something different and have a “how did I miss that” moment. Combining different lighting and angles you can really add depth and make your shot more interesting. Get dirty, don’t always shoot from eye level, shoot from the ground or an elevated level to add more dimension or change the perspective of the shot.

Tip #4 Sundown and SunriseSome of the best times to shoot are when the sun is rising and setting. First thing in the morning or at dusk is my favorite time to shoot, the natural light is diffused at this time and the sky simulates a giant filer. Early morning shots are also great because you can set up with no visual obstructions and usually don’t have to worry about traffic, pedestrians or security guards.

Tip #5 Have FunThis is what photography is all about, so get out there and put your camera to work!

In North Boulder, Follow one of the dirt alleys off Broadway to find this great location

Some great places to shoot around Denver:My favorite places to shoot urban photography are business districts, construction, commercial and industrial areas. Use these tips as a reference to help you plan your next shoot. Where would the fun be in just giving up addresses of my favorite loca-tions when you can find your own. Here are some of my favorite routes.

Industrial side of North DenverTake I-25 to 20th Street head east, take a left on Market Street and take a left onto North Broadway and follow it onto Brighton Blvd. There are so many spots along this road you can take it all the way to 36. Once you get to the corner of Brighton Blvd and York St, keep in mind both streets lead to some really great Industrial spots. York Street in particular is full of great finds. I suggest investigating any industrial area near you, you would be surprised the photo opportunities that they hold.

Side road to InvescoIf headed north: Take I-25 to 8th Ave east, take a right on Zuni

If headed south: Take I-25 to Zuni Exit (Cal Spa)

Then head north and find several spots on the way to Invesco, a great location is the Iron Works building under Colfax.

Downtown DenverReally cant go wrong here, early mornings are the best to avoid all of the obstruc-tions (people and traffic). Parking garages, construction sites, bridges, trains new and old structures, downtown has it all.

Denver Tech CenterBetween Arapahoe and Bellview on Orchard or DTC Blvd there are plenty of spots to shoot, just open your eyes and drive everywhere (including garages) to find the best locations.

G Richard Melick

Dub’Cember 2009Sunday, December 6thlocation TBA

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