Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Volume 26 Issue 11
November 2015
What’s Inside
Page 2 “Controlled Over-steer” continued
Membership update Classifieds
Page 3 2015 & 2016 Club Events
Page 4 Christmas party registration form
Page 5 2015 Regional Events
Page 6 MX-5 Miata Coupe?
Page 7 “Not So” Technical Report
. Page 8
Funny Stuff?
Page 9 Advertisers
Page 10 November calendar
Controlled Over-Steer … By Tom Lewis, President
A quick update from our last “meeting” here in the Open Road newsletter where you
had to listen to me describe the upgrades I’ve made to our Miatas. If you recall, we left off
with me hoping there might be a courageous member who would step up and host a drive
before the 13th Annual Hidden Drives rally on November 7th, but alas, it was not to be. So,
desperate for some lateral G-Forces, I went out and found some serious curves to test out the new shocks absorbers on the ‘95 M Edition and the new Flyin’ Miata sway bars installed on
the ’01 LS. The ’95 drove and handled exactly as a stock Miata should – very composed,
comfortable and predictable. The KYB Excel shocks are a great value to replace the original
worn out shocks absorbers to bring your Miata back to “stock” ride, just as it left the
Hiroshima factory. The Flyin’ Miata sway bars proved to be even better than their first
impression! Even with the ultra-cheap Chinese SenSen shock absorbers (set of 4, delivered -
$100), the car has been transformed into a very “toss-able” platform, where you can place
the car wherever you’d like, even in mid-turn. The steering is so communicative, the car lets
you know just how much it can take and allows you to approach the limit of adhesion
without stepping over the line and losing control. Again, I wish I knew 10 years ago what I
know now – this $199 upgrade is one of the first upgrades someone should do if they are
interested in taking the handling of the car up a couple of notches. Two thumbs up! Moving on to club business, we have a few offices to fill this year! In addition to the
annual election of 2016’s Vice President, this year we have a few additional elected and
volunteer offices that are opening up. Ken and Joan Rabbers have informed us that they
have sold their Miata and will be resigning their offices at years’ end. Ken has served as our
elected Treasurer for the past few years, keeping the club’s finances in complete order, while
Joan has graciously served the membership as our elected Secretary, keeping notes to post as
our Board Meeting minutes every three months. Beyond their time and talent given in the
officer positions, Ken and Joan have hosted countless rallies over the past 9 years with the
club. And Joan, I’m certain with Ken’s assistance, has led our Holiday Celebration
committee the past few years, responsible for putting together our Annual Holiday dinners
and elections. Please join me in thanking Ken and Joan for their years of service and count-less contributions to the club. You two will truly be missed. We can only hope you will
realize how much you miss the Miata and we’ll see you back here soon, perhaps in a new
2016 4th Generation Miata! Regardless, Ken and Joan – best of wishes in the future for both
of you.
Darlene Evans, who took over the volunteer Membership Director position for me a few
years back, has also offered her resignation from the position, due to personal commitments.
Darlene, along with her husband, Jeff, are another example of members who have given
back to the club in so many ways, including hosting several rallies and volunteering their
The Official Newsletter of the Indy Miata Club
The Holiday Party Committee asks all Christmas party
attendees (and anyone else who wishes to) please send us a
picture of yourselves when you were a child. Please include your name and
the decade when this picture was believed to be taken. Send to Editor@ in-
dymiata.org, or K. Crouse, 7001 Peacock Lake Court, Plainfield, IN 46168. Scan and email is preferred. These pictures will be integrated into our “Ice Breaker” exer-
cise at the party. (No dartboards will be involved!) Please consider this ASAP. Thx.
Indy Miata Club Officers
2015
President Tom Lewis
Vice-President Ken Koehler
Treasurer Ken Rabbers
Secretary Joan Rabbers
Membership Director Darlene Evans
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 November 2015
Controlled Over-steer, cont.
time and talent in officer positions – Jeff is a past Vice President and President. The good
news is that Jeff and Darlene have not sold their Miata and hopefully, we’ll continue to see and
enjoy their company as active members.
So folks, we have a few positions to fill! Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Membership
Director. I’d like each and every one of you to please consider contributing back to the club by becoming a club officer. First thing to realize is that NO EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY! Any
member can raise their hand – driver or navigator, young or old …with a few miles on your
“odometer”, new member or a long-timer! These Officer positions are by no means difficult and
require minimal time and effort. They are, however, integral to the operation and success of the
club. Secondly, we want this to be FUN! Who wants to do a job that you don’t enjoy? Not me.
This is a car club, folks. When all is said and done, our goal is to HAVE FUN enjoying our
common interest, the Miata. So, we keep everything fairly informal; even with the required
parliamentary procedure format of the quarterly Board Meetings, we still manage to have a great
time while conducting club business. This is a car club! We’re all here to enjoy ourselves and
have fun!
The positions will not fill themselves, and we cannot contact each of you individually to gauge
your interest. So, it has to be up to you to raise your hand and let us know you’re interested in contributing. I’m appealing to every single one of you out there… consider giving back to the club
by serving as an officer of our Indy Miata Club. Do you have a bit of time that you could afford to
contribute? Do you have a talent with accounting, marketing, or other skills the club could benefit
from? Please consider contributing your time and talent. Just think how good it will look on your
resume!
Have questions? Contact me directly, or any officer via the “OFFICERS” page at
www.IndyMiata.org. Any of us would be happy to discuss the positions and the duties that go
along with them. You can also go to the “FORMS” page at our website to access the club’s
By-Laws which describes each position.
Or better yet, you can also grab me, Ken Kohler (VP), Steve Crouse (Newsletter Editor), or Sara
McBride (Web Master) this coming Saturday, November 7th, 2015 at the 13th Annual Hidden Drives rally, with your Rally Master Extraordinaire, Sara J serving again as host for the day. This
annual and traditional last driving event of the season always promises a great drive from Sara, top
up or down. This year, Sara promises some new and curvy roads and something all of us
appreciate – fresh, smooth and black asphalt! We always have a large turnout for this event, and
this year is shaping up to be, perhaps the largest turn-out of the year with 20 Miatas currently
registered as I write this on 10/29/15. If you’ve not yet registered, better do it real soon! You
don’t want to miss this great annual event.
And don’t forget to send in your registration and payment for the annual Holiday Celebration
and Elections taking place on Saturday, December 5th, 2015 at J. Razzo’s in Carmel. This event is
always a hoot with the gift exchange and subsequent “thefts” of the previously chosen gifts by
other members. Plus, who knows what Mazda North America Operations will send us in this
year’s “Zoom-Zoom Box”? T-shirts, Polos, Sweatshirts, hats, books…??? Could be any of these things and more! It’s a pretty safe bet there’ll be some Mazda lanyards in there!! And everyone
gets to share in the goodies as we draw tickets to win these great prizes! Where else can you get a
great Italian meal with a bunch of fun people for $10 a head? Look for the registration form in this
newsletter, print and complete the form and send it in! We’ll see you there on Saturday, Dec. 5!
Membership Update: 99 members.
Welcome New Members !
Sonya Cady
Ben & Anne Hecht
Ken & Sherry Sutton
CLASSIFIEDS
FREE Miata Magazines from Fall 1989 (premier issue) through May 2001.
Full set of all issues to the first contact to make arrangements for pick up.
Contact Gary Collings 317-873-4224.
Page 3 Open Road November 2015
Upcoming 2015 Indy Miata Club Events
November 7, “Hidden Drives” Rally
It’s not too late to join the fun.
All information is printed on the
Event page on our website.
December 5, IMC Christmas Dinner-Party (See page 4) We will again this year have the “Steal a Gift” gift exchange. If you want to participate, bring
a “creative” wrapped gift (of about $15-20). Questions? Contact [email protected].
Tentative 2016 Indy Miata Club Events
January, annual President’s luncheon
April or May, Leavenworth, Madison or OTHER weekend
Sat., May 28, “Night before the Indy 500” Mingle June, “Marietta Madness”
Sat., July 25, “Night before the Brickyard 400” Mingle
November, “Hidden Drives” September, St Louis Fireworks weekend
December, annual Christmas Dinner-Party
If you are considering organizing an event in 2016, please report the date to Event Coordinator, Ken Koehler ASAP.
Contact him at [email protected].
Page 4 Open Road November 2015
Regional Miata Events in 2016
Page 5 Open Road November 2015
Here are some of the regional Miata events scheduled for next year. These gatherings are a
great chance to meet Miata-fanatics from other areas of the U.S. They are “tons-of-fun”!
Need help finding information? See links from the Non-IMC Events page on our website,
contact one of our club officers, or search Miata.Net.
April 21-24, Miatas at Myrtle Beach X, Myrtle Beach SC
June 9-12, “Zoomin’ the Mountains of East Tennessee”, Johnson City TN
June 22-25, “Miatas in Utah VII”, Deer Valley UT
July 14-17, “Cruisin’ CT 2016”,
September 15-18, “Miatas Play Music City”, Nashville TN
Page 6 Open Road November 2015
How would you react
to an MX-5 Miata
coupe?
Our “Not So” Technical Page
I found this posting recently, on the internet. Sounds crazy but it’s supported by several
reputable sources. I haven’t tried it yet, but intend to when the opportunity strikes.
Page 7 Open Road November 2015
Boost Your Car Key Fob's Range — With Your Head (Yes, Really!) Kelly Phillips Badal
There are so many situations where this hack could be a total save, ones we’re all privy to. Like, you’re
halfway through the grocery-store doors and realize (doh!) that you forgot to lock your car. Or you’re
desperately mashing the button on your key fob in hopes of hearing the telltale beep that will lead you to
your car.
If you have a key fob — and a head — this hack will work.
But … how?!
The key (pun intended) is water. Your noggin is mostly made up of water (about 75 percent) and those
water molecules amplify the key fob’s signal.
“You are capacitively coupling the fob to your head,” Tim Pozar, a Silicon Valley radio engineer, told the
New York Times. “With all the fluids in your head, it ends up being a nice conductor. Not a great one, but it
works.”
The tech site Tom’s Hardware has a more detailed breakdown of how it works. Your skull is like a
“rabbit ears” antenna for an old TV, they helpfully explain.
Even though this trick has been well known for years, few people seem to be aware of it. The popular
U.K. car show Top Gear tried it more than a decade ago and the hoax-debunking site Snopes.com has had a
vigorous (and sometimes profanity-laced) discussion among commenters for just as long. Perhaps it just
seemed too weird for people to accept. The water molecules in your head transform the key fob’s signal into
an electromagnetic wave. (Credit: Science Channel)
Is it safe to zap your brain with an electrical signal?
Scientists say yes. A car remote only produces a small amount of electrical power for a small amount of
time. Your brain, they claim, can handle it.
“Current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low-level
electromagnetic fields,” concludes the World Health Organization. (Of course the Internet is full of opinions,
but mainstream scientific research seems confident your remote won’t cook your noggin.)
We immediately tried this one ourselves. And though you might feel like a fool pointing your key fob at
your chin, this trick works. We tried it from roughly 300 feet away, and still saw our lights flash.
Go try it out!
Page 8 Open Road November 2015
FUNNY STUFF ?
I think
I’ll do this
to our
Miata
when it’s
“time has
come”.
A man is driving down the road with a bunch of penguins in
the back seat of his car. The police stop him and tell the man
that he cannot drive with that many penguins in his car, it’s
illegal. They inform him that he needs to take the penguins to
the zoo right away.
He is pulled over again the following day by the same
police officer when the officer notices all the penguins still in
the man’s car. He says to the man, “I thought I told you to take
those penguins to the zoo!” to which the man replies, “I did.
Today I’m taking them to the movies.”
Two blondes lock their
keys in their car. One of the
blondes tries to break into
the car while the other
blonde just stands around
and watches his friend.
Finally the first blonde gets
frustrated and says, “I can’t
get into the stupid car to
get the keys out!” The
second blonde looks at him
in disgust. “You have to
keep trying! You can’t stop
now! Look at this weather!
We have to get the keys
now! It’s going to rain any
second and the top is down
on the car!”
Page 9 Open Road November 2015
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.
Page 10 Open Road November 2015
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
Nov. 1st
The new
Miata-
based Fiat.
