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Volume 27 Issue 12
December 2016
What’s Inside
Page 2 “From the CAR CAVE” continued
Membership update Classifieds
.
Page 3 Remaining 2016 Club Events
Page 4 Hidden Rattle Can Drive—Report
Coffee & Classics report
Page 5 2017 Regional Miata Events
Page 6 Clean Your Windshield!
Page 7 Be A Better Driver!
Page 8 IMRRC Raffle Form
Page 9 Funny Stuff?
Page 10-11 Advertisers
From the Car Cave By Ken Koehler, President
I can't believe my year as president of Indy Miata Club is racing to its conclusion. December is almost upon us and a fast year 2016 has been. We have seen IMC grow with additional members and many fun events. Next Saturday at the Christmas Party I will be handing over the reins of the club to our VP, John Lyghtel. I'll help John as much as I can as he sets up his "transition team" (HA!) so he can be off and running January 1st! Our rally season ended earlier this month with Sara McBride's Hidden Rattle Can Drive November 5th. We had an incredible 32 car turnout for this brisk sunny day in November. Although temps were a little lower than we normally like for top down driving, I don't remember one car that didn't have its top down for the whole rally. And a fabulous rally it was! Even planning her route from her summer residence in Canada, Sara came up with some amazing "Miata Roads". With some last minute help from two "closer to home" members to check out her route, Sara designed a beauty! Add to the challenging roads a great lunch at Squealer's BBQ, it was a fun day for all 31 cars joining Sara for the day. Thanks again, Sara, for an incredible season ending drive. One more event rounded out November, Steve Crouse's Saturday morning mingle on the 12th. All met for breakfast and then a visit to Ray Skillman's Classic Car museum on the south side. As my Sara and I were not able to make this event, I'm sure you can find in another section of this newsletter how it all panned out. I believe the participants were going to visit another Skillman location farther south to see Miata's new Mazda-assisted competition in the "Fiata". For those of you not familiar with the term Fiata, it is a combination of Fiat and Miata in Italian dressing called the Fiat 124 Spider. I'm interested to read how that turned out. Looking ahead to 2017, Sara and I are planning to take on the role of rallymaster again with a redesigned route sometime next summer. Haven't picked out a date yet but I'm sure we should get on it as many new rallymasters-in-waiting are thinking about routes they want to plan (hope, hope!). I really enjoyed the short mingle route our treasurer, Ben Hecht came up with and look forward to finding more interesting roads like those that we experienced that nice Saturday evening. An event I hope will return for next year will be Marietta. This year another conflict in our schedule caused us to miss it. We've still only run this event once and are very much looking forward to doing it again. I know Gary and Linda Weidman are planning a yearlong event, similar to one put on by Moss Miata that they have enjoyed participating in. I'm not sure of all the details yet but I believe more information is now available on our website or very soon will be. 2016 saw a version of Musical Miata's within IMC, which I call the Indy Miata Trinity. Continued on page 2
The Official Newsletter of the Indy Miata Club
Looking for clothing with the Indy Miata Club logo on it? We've got two stores to help you out at the Clothing tab on our website. For digitally printed casual wear, head over to our Spreadshirt store. How about an embroidered shirt or jacket? Our Lands' End store can deliver the goods to your door. Polos, jackets, sweatshirts and more with the IMC logo embroidered on the item.
Indy Miata Club Officers
2016
President Ken Koehler
Vice-President John Lyghtel
Treasurer Ben Hecht
Secretary Sonya Cady
Membership Director Dick Cady
Website Editor Sara J McBride
Newsletter Editor Steve Crouse
The Open Road is published monthly for the members of the Indy Miata Club. The Indy Miata Club assumes no liability for any information contained herein, or injury or damage resulting from the use of this information. The ideas, opinions, maintenance or modi-fication tips expressed are to be used at the reader’s discretion. Individual contributors and/or the editors express no approval, authentication, or en-dorsement. Thank you.
Page 2 Open Road December 2016
From the Car Cave, cont.
Christmas CLASSIFIEDS NC (2006-2015) Mazda OEM Rubber Winter Floor Mats , Very good condition. Only $20 FOR SET! Contact Gary at 317-709-0705 or at [email protected] 15x7 Chaparral wheels: with 195/55 Kuhmo Ecsta 4XII tires, used only 5000 mi. $500 firm for set. [email protected] For Sale: A stock radio from a 2014 Miata. Asking $35. Email [email protected] if interested. 1992 Sunburst Yellow, PRICE REDUCED!, $8,950, low mileage, w/hardtop, call Terry King, 317-491-5916 Pair of tan “Wet Okole” high-back seat covers for 2nd Gen. Miata, $50; contact John Lyghtel at 317-626-9117 or [email protected]. 2004 MazSpd Velocity Red, Many extras, 93K miles, NEW PRICE $12000, Details on club Classified webpage. Contact John @ [email protected]
2016 Membership Update: 107 members Welcome New Members !
Kenneth & Becky Kreps
It was a domino kind of event which saw three of our members change cars. It all started at a summer rally when a retiring member decided to sell his 2010 SE in perfect condition with only 5000 miles on it. The perfect color combination for Sara and me, we were immediately interested. However, we were really crazy about our '02 yellow SE and really hadn't had any plans to make a switch. But, as things have a way of falling into place, Gary and Kathy Collings snapped up the 2010 SE, we made the move to their '07 Retractable Hardtop and, low and behold, John and Elaine Weiss are now driving the bright yellow '02 that we prized for over 4 years! The hardest thing about seeing someone else driving our old yellow is that it now has a Purdue license plate, some-thing almost sacrilegious to an ND grad! All in all, 2016 was a good year for Sara and me and I believe Indy Miata. We didn't quite match Tom Lewis' year for the number of events, but we had some really fun times. I have many people to thank for helping me through the year, not the least of which is Tom. I'd like to give special thanks to Steve Crouse for all the help he gave me and "reminding" me to get my article written for the newsletter. I think I was early once, wasn't I, Steve? Also, what would IMC do without Sara McBride? I know without her I would still be trying to sign in to the admin section of our website. She's done a great job -- and for many years now -- keeping our website up to date and trying to stay one step ahead of the hackers out there. I think we'd be hacked from here to eternity if it weren't for Sara. And, thanks to Ben Hecht for “cooking” -- I mean keeping -- the books. And lastly, thanks to John for stepping up to VP and taking over next year, and Sonja and Richard Cady for taking care of the secretarial and membership duties. But thanks mostly to all the members out there with whom we share so many fun memories and
make IMC the thriving and vibrant club that it is! Don't forget, Tom Roush Mazda was picked as
one of 18 dealerships across the nation to be visited by the Millionth Miata. We all know Tom
Roush is a great dealership but I think we had a part in the selection process because we are such a
large and active club. I hope all the new members who joined us this year have enjoyed
themselves and will come back to be a part of IMC next year, too. Thanks again to one and all.
This is truly a great club to be a part of.
Page 3 Open Road December 2016
Indy Miata Club—The Remaining 2016 Events
Saturday, December 3,
Annual Christmas Dinner-Party & Election
Coming in 2017
It’s Time to Start Thinking about 2017 Rallies! Choose a rally, mingle or weekend trip.
Get it on our 2017 calendar ASAP. Please report the date & info. to Event Coordinator, John Lyghtel.
Contact him at [email protected].
AND, bring something for “Steal a Gift”, if you want to participate!
(Max. value: $20)
We respectfully request that you register on the event page of all events you anticipate attending.
It is very helpful to have an idea of how many members may attend.
INDY MIATA CLUB MOTORING CHALLENGE An all-new event will be on our club calendar for 2017. The first-ever Indy Miata Club Motoring Challenge will take place starting January 1 and continuing until November 30. The Challenge, which is similar to a scavenger hunt, will be open to all Indy Miata Club members. Participants will be given a list of destinations to visit or certain items to find. At each destination, you’ll take a photo of the location or an appropriate sign, depending on the instructions, along with your Miata and a special flyer that will prove the photo was taken in 2017. Points will be awarded for each destination visited. There will be a nominal fee to participate, and cash prizes for the top three finishers. The amount of the prizes will depend on the number of entries. Gary and Linda Weidman will be the “rally masters” for this event. This is a great opportunity to do something a bit different, and an “excuse” (if you need one) to get out and enjoy your Miata(s). Look for more detailed information in the January newsletter and on the events page in the coming weeks.
Page 4 Open Road December 2016
Hidden Rattle Can Drive—report Thirty-two cars! Thirty-two cars! Wow! It was a sunny, warm day for the Hidden Rattlecan and folks must have been checking the forecast because we had a great turnout. We met at Hummel Park and after the Driver’s meeting, cars were separated into
four groups. Group 1 was led by Eric Drumwright and Ann Cole, Group 2 were led by Gary and Linda Weidman, Group 3 leaders were Jeff and Darlene Evans, and Group 4 was led by Gary and Kathy Collings. Many thanks for these folks stepping up as the groups made things a lot more manageable! The cars headed south and three of the four groups elected to make a stop at the infamous Rattlecan Road. Group 1 didn’t stop, they were looking to get to the twisties. All the cars found the curvy roads as the route took us into Morgan county where there were no leaf peepers to be found. Rob Hill, Mosier, Big Hurricane, Middle Patton were just some of the fun roads
everyone drove. And how about that low gear, uphill, 170 degree turn on Shelton Road? Yeah, somebody made their tires “sing” on that one! The rally ended at Squealer’s BBQ in Mooresville where most folks enjoyed a late lunch. A random drawing was held and prizes were awarded with first place going to Ben and Anne Hecht, who received a can of Canadian blueberry jam and their entry fee back. Second place went to Tim Miller (Hardtop Tim!) who received a Mazda
ball cap and his entry fee returned. Third place in the random draw went to Ken and Sarah Koehler; they received an IMC sticker and their entry fee. Thanks to all who came out to play, photos & videos were taken (They can be viewed on our website photo page.) Judging from the smiles, everyone had a great time. I guess we’ll have to do it again next November... so, see you then!
Coffee & Classics—report We didn’t have 32 Miatas, but we did have a reasonably-sized group, with lots of smiles and laughs! And, one gentleman and his son, who are not yet members, joined the group for breakfast, to check us (and Skillman’s classics) out. It all started with a breakfast gathering at Yia Yia’s Pancake House in Greenwood. If you’ve never been there, the food is excellent, and the staff was super friendly. Plus, as busy as they were on Saturday morning, they had no problem with us hanging around well beyond just eating. After getting our fill of food and chatter, we headed the short distance over to Ray Skillman’s Classic Car Sales (behind Skillman Ford on US-31) to check out Ray’s personal collection of American muscle, and a few foreign specialties. Our club made a tour of the collection several years ago, and were impressed immensely. I’m surprised we haven’t been back sooner. (FYI: Entrance to the exhibit is free, and open 6 days a week, in case you want to drop in sometime.) To top off the morning, someone had suggested earlier that we might also drop in at Skillman Fiat South, to get a first-hand look at the new “Fiata” (Fiat 124 Spider). The sales manager was very shocked to see 10 Miatas pull into his lot, but he was very accommodating in sharing everything he knew about the Spider. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any serious customers in our group, so test drives weren’t forthcoming. If you want to stop in some day, maybe you’ll be more fortunate. So, that’s how our morning went. Food, fun & fellowship! And lots of interesting cars.
Regional Miata Events in 2017
Page 5 Open Road December 2016
Do you want to do something different this year? How about attending a Miata event outside our area?
These gatherings are a great chance to meet Miata-fanatics from other areas of the U.S. Need help finding information? See links from Non-IMC Events page on our website,
contact one of our club officers, or search Miata.Net.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
“Miatapalooza” Tampa, FL
May 31—June 4, 2017
11th Annual “Zoomin’ the Mountains of East Tenn.”
Johnson City TN
August 3-6, 2017 “Miatas at the Gap, XXI” Deal’s Gap/Robbinsville NC
Page 6 Open Road December 2016
Clean Your Windshield! By Sara J.
I love having a clean windshield to see through when I’m driving. I have struggled though with always hav-ing streaks and spots, and it drove me crazy. I finally found the answer... Stoner’s Invisible Glass cleaner. In-visible Glass does not contain soaps, scents, or dyes, it evaporates quickly and completely, leaving glass clean and clear with no streaks, haze or residue. But why not use Windex? It’s made for windows, you ask. There’s a big difference between your living room window and your car’s windshield. Most household glass cleaners contain ammonia in them. and what does ammonia mean for cars? Well, if your car has tinted windows, then the ammonia over time will break down the tint, causing it to peel. And, ammonia causes streaking! The first time I used Invisible Glass, I was sold. (Note: There are other good glass cleaners out there: Meguires, Mother’s, Pinnacle, McKee’s. I picked Invisible Glass and was happy, so didn’t do any comparison testing.) Invisible Glass comes in a spry bottle or aerosol can and is available at automotive stores, Wal~Mart, Meijer’s.. a lot of places. So, let’s talk about how to clean your windshield. Cleaning your car’s windows on a cool, cloudy day will work best. Sunlight can heat up windows causing sprays to dry before you can wipe them clean. Here how I clean mine: 1. Lift the wipers out of the way (and be careful when leaning over the windshield, don’t poke yourself in the eye. Experience is a big teacher here...) 2. Spray half the windshield with cleaner and wipe the windshield clean. Usually I use vertical wipes and then horizontal wipes. 3. Do the other side! 4. Buff the windshield with a new clean cloth. Please don’t use paper towels, as they are abrasive. What is paper made of? Wood. They also contain dyes and adhesives that will undoubtedly leave streaks. I use two clean, microfiber towels that are folded into quarters. Use one side of the first towel to wipe vertically, then flip it over to wipe horizontally. Then reverse the fold so you have clean sides showing and do the other half of the windshield. The second clean towel is to buff the windshield. You should use low lint cotton cloths or microfi-ber towels as they will produce the best results. Cleaning the inside of the windshield is a giant pain. I’ve learned that since I’m not a contortionist, it’s much easier to clean the windshield from the passenger seat and to lean over the center console area. Some say to always spray your glass cleaner onto your glass cleaning towel, some say on the towel and the win-dow. I do both the window and towel but put down a towel on the dash to catch any overspray. Then I do the horizontal and vertical wipes on each side of the windshield. The hardest thing about cleaning the inside of the windshield? The lower edge and corners. I bit the bullet and bought the Stoner Invisible Glass Reach & Clean Tool and after using it once... worth every penny. It comes with terry cloth and microfiber “bonnets”, which are removable so they can be cleaned after using. The triangular shaped head makes it easy to get into the corners. I do this step after cleaning the main area of the interior windshield. Again, glad I bought it! It’s best to launder towels in warm water without added fabric softener or dryer sheets. I normally do a second wash with my towels and add a cup of vinegar to get all the soap residue out. (Tip: this goes for your bath towels, also! Fabric softeners make them less water absorbent.) Last, but not least... Don’t forget your windshield wipers! A little preventative maintenance will take the ag-gravation out of window cleaning. I always wipe them down when cleaning the windshield, as this removes any dirt that would be scraping across my windshield when I use them. It also means I will notice if I need to replace them. Again, you don’t want to use any ammonia based cleaner (Windex, I’m looking at you!) as this will dry them out and cause streaking. So, here’s to clear vision!
Page 7 Open Road December 2016
Ten Obvious Ways To Be A Better Driver (Some good, some sassy!)
Justin T. Westbrook You probably think you’re a great driver. Studies show that most people think they are better drivers than everyone else. If everyone is better, than no one really is. Here’s ten techniques to master to make sure you actually are better than average, you special, special soul. The quick tips from Car Throttle might seem easy and obvious at first, but think back to all of the times you’ve done something stupid or seen someone else do something stupid on the road and everything on this list seems relevant again. They may be simple, but ten techniques to being a better you are: 1. Look ahead in curves and turns. When driving a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle or basically anything, you should be looking at where you want your vehicle to go. If you are a standard human, your body is already pretty good at following your eyes. 2. Pay attention to what’s happening in the distance. Not only will this make you a master at spotting speed traps and road-side obstructions just based on taillight patterns alone, but it will also give you more time to react in a controlled manner instead of being surprised by something. 3. Be at the same speed as traffic when merging. Be at the same speed as the traffic you are merging into. YOU SHOULD BE GOING THE SAME SPEED AS THE TRAFFIC YOU ARE MERGING INTO. LOOKING AT YOU, BUICK LESABRE GOING 30 ON THE ON-RAMP. 4. Don’t just slam on the brakes all the damn time. Sudden braking is most often the cause for traffic congestion. One person slams on their brakes, causing a chain reaction with the time to return to speed growing exponentially for every car that has to slam on their brakes. So just pay more attention and don’t brake for the racetrack all the time. Unless, like, you need to. 5. Know how to drive a manual transmission. Not only is it the “ultimate anti-theft device” for cars, but it also makes you more focused on actually driving your car and less focused on that girl that likes every single one of your Instagram photos but never replies to your messages. 6. Learn how to control oversteer. This is one of the major things that’s often taught at “advanced” driving schools. But it’s not that advanced! Spoiler alert: sometimes your car oversteers when you are not expecting it, so knowing how to turn into the slide and power out of it just might save your skin. 7. Get fancy with heel-toe downshifts. Not only will this reduce wear and tear on your transmission and help you maintain optimal power output in the bends, but it also makes your car sound loud and cool, which makes you look loud and cool. 8. Master the art of reversing a car. Pull out (of the parking lot) game strong! That’s what the kids are all talking about, right? 9. Practice how to park. Alternatively, a date will also be impressed when they step out of your “hella” flush car and see that you’ve parked perfectly even between the lines. Who doesn’t love a good parking job? 10. Be patient. Check left, then right, then left again. Patience is that “left again” part. Also just generally chill when driving. Put on some tunes (not too loud!) and enjoy the ride. Don’t yell at the elder in the crosswalk. That will be you one day if you don’t die from stressing all the damn time. There you go. Some easy techniques to train on and maintain to get you to be a better driver. If everyone follows this, just think of how good our lives would become. You don’t need a European-spec Civic Type R (or Miata) to be a better driver, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt.
Page 8 Open Road December 2016
See information about this organization & drawing on our club website.
Page 9 Open Road December 2016
Funny Stuff?
Do you have any funny auto-related cartoons, photos or sayings?
And watch out for deer on the roads!
Now celebrating 40 years!
Exclusive Discounts for Indy Miata Club Members
Tom Roush Mazda, Indiana’s first Mazda dealer established in 1972 has not only the most experienced sales and service staff in town, but also is the highest volume dealer in Indiana. We hope to serve you in our next 40 years as Indy’s premier Mazda dealer. In support of the Miata Club member’s we would like to offer the following benefits:
15% off regular door labor rate
15% off any accessory purchase
S-Plan pricing to eligible customer’s Extended Saturday service hours 7:30—3:30
US 31 North @ 169th Street Westfield, IN 46074 800-891-3056
Page 10 Open Road December 2016
Page 11 Open Road December 2016
INSURANCE GROUP
Tom Lewis
Hughes Insurance Group is an Independent Agency representing over 35 insurance companies.
Our ultra-competitive rates assure that you receive the most value at the best price for all of your home, auto or business insurance needs.
For a limited time, I’m giving away a $20 gas card with an insurance review and quote for your home, auto or business with no obligation! If I’m competitive, consider allowing Hughes Insurance Group to write your business. If I can’t provide you with a better value, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing you’re properly insured at a fair price.
Call or e-mail Indy Miata Club member Tom Lewis today! 317-984-9228 [email protected]
Have a few dollars invested in upgrades? Ask about Agreed Value Coverage for your Miata!
Benefits for Indy Miata Club Members -First year dues to the Indy Miata Club after purchase of any Mazda -S-Plan Pricing to Current Members -15% off All Parts & Accessories -15% off Labor Rates -Maintenance for Life with the purchase of Any Mazda -Saturday Service Hours 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM -Free Cookies!! Contact Lauren Auld for more information.
