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SAN DIEGOMIATA CLUBNEWS

From the Editor

U Betta Cappa

he weather is great, the road is twisty and your Miata is humming along. Life is good. Nothing can take that smile off your face. Nothing except the fact you didn’t replace the valve stem cap on one or more of your tires the last time you checked the air pressure.

You do check the air pressure regularly, don’t you? Those seemingly insignificantitems, be they the stock plastic caps or the spiffy logo ones with either Miata script ora prancing chicken, are actually very important.

Take this scenario, for instance. You and your Miata are cruising right along, say65-75 mph, when suddenly there is a pothole in the road. A quick twitch on the steer-ing wheel and you almost clear it, but WHAM, not quite. The car slews left and thenright and you realize that a tire has blown. Within a few seconds the episode is overand you are safely off the pavement.

As you prepare yourself mentally to change the tire you may find yourself thinkingthat even a good jolt like that shouldn’t blow out an expensive high performance tire,should it? The answer is an unequivocal maybe. Just maybe the tire didn’t “blow out”in the normal sense of the term.

If the valve stem did not have a cap on it, here is what could happen. At 70 mphthere is a lot of centrifugal force working at that part of the wheel. The core of the

valve stem is held closed partially by a spring in the core and partiallyby internal air pressure in the tire. If you hit the pothole with the valvestem at the bottom of its rotation, the impact of the pothole, added tothe already significant centrifugal force, can overcome the spring and

air pressure, and presto, the valve is open. The centrifugal force alone may now besufficient to keep it open. The end result is much like a blowout. The air escapes fromthe tire so quickly that, coupled with tire distortion at the moment of impact and thelateral load on the tire (you were trying to steer around the pothole, remember?), thetire bead will unseat itself from the wheel rim and all of the air is gone, instantly.

No, this is not an everyday occurrence, but just once in a lifetime is one time toooften, especially if it is due to having left that little insurance policy (valve cap) off.Most anyone can deal with aslow leak, even at speed, but afast leak is no fun at all. Theworst part is you will have un-necessarily ruined a tire, a wheel,your slacks (changing the tire),your shorts (death defying ride)and your day. The time savedleaving off those two-bit caps isdefinitely not worth the possibleconsequence! — ANTHONY WILDE

VOLUME 4 NUMBER 8 august 1999 A CHAPTER OF THE MIATA CLUB OF AMERICA

August 1 — Sunday

MDA Fun RunFund-Raising Event

August 7— Saturday

Twilight Run

August 7– 8

Autocross at the “Q”

August 14 — Saturday

Tech Day at the Conn’sJoint Event—VROOM/SDMC/SOCALM

August 26 — Thursday

Monthly Meeting

August 28 — Saturday

Southeast County Runand Pool Party

September 6 — Monday

MDA TelethonSDMC Helps to Man the Phones

October 7–10

Surf’N’SafariSDMC Regional Event

October 16–17

Eastern Sierra TripJoint Event— with SOCALM

October 23–24

Coronado Classic SpeedFestivaland RetroMobile, USA

U p c o m i n g E v e n t s

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S o c a l m e v e n t s

“All That Jazz & More”Mountain Lakes Fun Run Date: Sunday, August 8 Time: Depart at 10:00 a.m. Place: Ontario Mills Mall, Starbuck's

Coffee (next to Mobil station, 4th Streetexit off of I-15)

Run Leader: Sherri Fairbanks,(909) 396-2383Enjoy the Big Bear Run? Here's a runyou won't want to miss! Historic Route66 which follows I-15 through CajonPass will take us through the UpperMojave to a scenic overlook of LakeSilverwood. Then it's up the mountainthrough shady pines to Lake Gregorywhere we will take our second break.Finally, we're off to Lake Arrowhead, afamous mountain resort, which is host-ing the International Jazz Festival. Therun will end with lunch at Garibaldi'sGrill overlooking the lake. Enjoy theafternoon at the Festival, shop at quaintstores & factory outlets, or take a rideon the Lake Arrowhead Queen ferry.Those who spend the evening can enjoy“Hot Summer Nights” with their favoriteice skating stars at the Iceoplex IceCastle nearby. Star gazers can starwatch at the new Mountain Skies astro-nomical observatory only a few minutesfrom the village. Make your reservationsearly as this is bound to be a populartour.

Socalm contacts:President— K. Zack Broadbent,(714) 525-9065, racerzack@aol.comClub E-mail list: socalm@avatar.comWeb site: socalm.org

A u t o c r o s sa t t h e “Q”

The following autocross eventsare tentatively scheduled.Please call the hotline below toconfirm the time and date ofeach event.

Naval Training Center—Prebble Field

Saturday, August 28 . . . . . . . . . . . PracticeQualcomm Stadium Parking Lot

Saturday, August 7 . . . . . . . ChampionshipSunday, August 8 . . . . . . . . ChampionshipSaturday, September 25 . . . ChampionshipSunday, October 10 . . . . . . ChampionshipSaturday, October 23 . . . . . ChampionshipSunday, November 14 . . . . ChampionshipSunday, November 28 . . . . ChampionshipSunday, December 12 . . . . Championship

For autocross information call:

San Diego SCCA Hotlines (619) 441-1333(800) 360-4454

Web page www.sdr-solo2.comRainer Mueller (760) 439-0067John Godden (619) 538-6165

Come participate or watch our clubmembers race at the autocross (timedevent). To participate you need to regis-ter for a Solo II card and number ($15)and have a DOT approved helmet.Loaner helmets are available at theautocross.

Events are open to the public at nocharge however to enter the pit area youmust sign a release and waiver form atthe entry gate. You will be given a wrist-band which must be worn at all times.There is no seating provided so bring alawn or beach chair!

Hey Dudes!Surf’sUp in San Diego!

•Beach Luau

•Wild Animal Park

•Poker Rally

•San Diego Sightseeing

•Banquet Dinner

•Historic Julian"Apple" Run

•Wine Country Fun Run

•Lobster Run to Mexico

•Miata Zoo

•Vendor Mall

•Event T-shirt

•Optional: Sailboat Racing,Paragliding,Skydiving and Hot AirBallooning

Hang with the San Diego Miata Club for this way-cool event! Only $99.00/person.

www.SanDiegoMiataClub.org/surf.htmlContact: Sue Hinkle (760) 735-9456, or sportscarr@aol.com

Hurry! Sign up now for the first

Surf ‘N’ SafariOctober 7 – 10 at the DoubleTree Carmel Highland Resort

San Diego, Home of MiataMagazine!

B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s

PresidentSTEVE WAID

(858) 673-4141swaid2@san.rr.comVice PresidentVOODOO BOB KRUEGER(858) 486-4711voodoo@miata.netSecretarySAL CAUSARANO

(760) 787-0624wooddust@aol.com

TreasurerELLIOT SHEV(858) 679-0777cranial@aol.comMembershipMARK BOOTH(619) 670-3789markbooth@home.com

Event CoordinatorGERI CAUSARANO

(760) 787-0624montegom@aol.comClub E-mail PostmasterCINDY PALOMA(858) 534-0969sd-miata-request@cs.ucsd.eduWebmasterROBERT “JTBOB” HOLLAND

(858) 549-4011robert@caliban.ucsd.edu

NewsletterEditorANTHONY “NEVADABOB” WILDE(858) 693-8095NevadaBob@miata.net

Design and LayoutTOM & STEPHANIE GOULD

(619) 297-4272stef@miata.net

N o t i c e sTHE SAN DIEGO MIATA CLUB is an official chapter ofthe MIATA CLUB OF AMERICA.We are a nonprofit organization whose purpose isto promote the enjoyment of— and enthusiasmfor— the Mazda Miata.

SAN DIEGO MIATA CLUB NEWS is the monthlynewsletter of the SAN DIEGO MIATA CLUB. Use ofarticles or stories by other MCA chapters ishereby granted, provided proper credit is given.Submissions to the newsletter are welcomedand encouraged. Did you just add a new acces-sory to your Miata? How about writing a reviewfor the newsletter? Where possible, please E-mailyour submissions to the newsletter editor. Sub-missions can also be faxed to the club’s dedicatedphone line or mailed to the club’s post office box.Submission deadline is the 15th of each month.Editor reserves the right to edit all submissions.Internet: The SAN DIEGO MIATA CLUB has estab-lished a dedicated World Wide Web Home Pageat http://www.sandiegomiataclub.org.The club has a members-only electronic mail listfor those members with E-mail capability.

Dedicated 24-hour voice/fax phone line:(619) 670-7948SAN DIEGO MIATA CLUBP.O. Box 2286Spring Valley, CA 91979-2286

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Meeting Places

Miles of Miatas for MDADate: Sunday, August 1

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Place: MDA District Office,3914 Murphy Canyon Rd., San Diego

Coordinator: Sue Hinkle, (760) 735-9456,sportscarr@aol.com

Three years ago the SAN DIEGO MIATA CLUB

held its first fund-raising event for theMuscular Dystrophy Association in supportof club members Jack and Sue Hinkle’s son,Jason, who is afflicted with FreidricksAtaxia, a neuromuscular disease.

For this year’s 100-mile fun run theHinkles have obtained sponsorships fromCush Mazda ($1,000) and Barona Casino($2,500). The event will kick off at theMDA office: drivers will register, turn intheir sponsor sheets and donations.Event T-Shirts will be given to drivers andpassengers who raise $100 or more.

First run stop will be at the Barona Casino,who will host a continental breakfast forus; and drivers can draw a 5-card pokerhand. Drivers will have the opportunity todraw one more card just before dinner.

The run will be a leisurely drive throughSan Diego County ending at a surpriselocation for a buckboard BBQ with allthe fixins. The run will end around4 p.m., dinner will be served at 5 p.m.(Cost for dinner is $8 per person).

Awards for the top fund-raiser, 2 highestpoker hands and lowest poker hand.Drivers and passengers can also partici-pate in raffles and event guessing gamesthat will be included in the run packets.

RSVP to the Hinkles so that they canmake arrangements with the Casino andthe dinner location.

San Diego Twilight Fun Run—Once Again for Lynn

Date: Saturday, August 7

Time: 1:30 p.m. for lunch (optional),Driver's Meeting at 3:00 p.m.

Place: Oscar's Restaurant29375 Rancho California Rd., TemeculaPlease arrive with a full tank of gas

Run Leaders: Mark & Cathy Booth,(619) 670-3789, markbooth@home.com,Cell Phone: (619) 855-5020.

This year’s Twilight Fun Run is dedicatedto the memory of our friend, and fellowMiata enthusiast, Lynn McClelland. Lynnpassed away on August 9, 1998, one dayafter last year's run. This tribute is notintended as something sad, but, rather,

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U p c o m i n gN a t i o n a la n d R e g i o n a lE v e n t s

August 27–29, 1999Monterey Historic RacesMonterey Penninsula, California

The historic race; this year featuring theSilver Arrows of Auto Union.www.laguna-seca.comThe same weekend— Pebble BeachConcours, Concours Italiano, as well ashistoric and classic auto auctions.There will be a Miata tent (see July’s news-letter, page 4)— $70 including a Saturdayrace ticket. Contact Barbara Beach,(760) 631-1202 by August 13.

September 10–12, 1999Sizzle On the Beach!

Treasure Island, FloridaFriday reception, Saturday picnic, Satur-day dinner and one event T-shirt.Registration $65/person, $99/couple;4-hour defensive-driving school, $30.Contact: Jonathan, SUN RIDERS MIATA CLUB,(727) 784-5529, jonathan@sunriders.com

September 16–19, 1999Ascutney Mountain Miata Rally

Ascutney Mountain, VermontContact: Jack Reardon, MASS MIATA CLUB,(508) 393-2195, miatajack@aol.comAutocross, Funcanna, rallies and thebest food around. Registration— $295

September 24–26, 199911th Italian Mazda MX-5 Meeting

Contact: REGISTRO ITALIANO MAZDA MX-5E-mail: mxcinque@tin.itFax: +39.011.8998059

October 7–10, 1999Surf’N’Safari

See pages 2 and 8 for information aboutSDMC’s way cool regional event.

October 7–9, 1999Gathering of the Green [BRG] IV

Deals Gap/Blue Ridge Parkway(Eastern Tennessee and North Carolina)Breakfast, Bar-B-Q lunch, SundayBrunch and event T-shirt, $60/personContact: Don, (231) 972-2167,ddiget@centuryinter.net

October 10, 199910th Anniversary Meetingof the Eunos Roadster in Japan

Miyoshi city, Hiroshima, JapanThis event will be largest Miata eventever held in Japan—1000 Roadsters willmeet at MAZDA’S Miyoshi test circuit.Contact RCOJ at rcoj@avanti.co.jp

as a joyful celebration of how Lynn livedher life and how she continues to live ineach one of us.

This will be the 5th Anniversary runningof the Twilight Fun Run— a leisurely andrelaxing ride along some great San Di-ego County roads during the late after-noon/early evening hours. You know…that special “twilight” period when thehot summer day slowly gives way to acomfortable summer night! A perfecttime to enjoy some top-down driving!

Arrive early (1:30ish) and enjoy some ofOscar’s wonderful food. The drivers’meeting will start at 3:00 p.m. in Oscar’sbanquet room. The run will end at ap-proximately 8:30 p.m. in southeast SanDiego County (the Rancho San Diegoarea). There will be restroom and leg-stretch breaks along the route. A dinnerstop is NOT part of the run. A “fill up” atOscar’s is recommended. Various fastfood places are available at the end ofthe run.

Directions to Oscar’s: Take the RanchoCalifornia Road exit off of I-15 inTemecula. Head east on Rancho Califor-nia Road— Oscar's is on the right, justpast “The Pond.” If Oscar’s parking lot isfull, use the lot down near The Pond orthe Target parking lot across the street.

5th Annual Tech Day, Pool Partyand Pot Luck, plus1st Annual SOCALM Swap

Joint event SOCALM/SDMC/VROOM

Date: Saturday, August 14

Time: 10:00 a.m. until ?

Place: John & Gerry Conn's1530 S. Lovering Avenue, Fullerton(714) 441-2552, connjb@earthlink.net

Bring: A pot luck dish, swimsuit, towelsand something to put on your car!Sodas provided.

If you've got something you want toinstall on your car, something you'vebeen thinking about installing or justwant to swim and eat, this is the eventfor you. You can get lots of free advice,help in installing, lots and lots of goodfood, and a great opportunity to get toknow one another better.

And, if you don’t already have some-thing to install on your Miata, Jaime andJeannie Villacorte can help you solveyour woes. They'll be holding the first-ever SOCALM “Let’s Go to the Swap.”We’ll have an area where you can swapand sell your unneeded Miata accesso-

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MDA Summer Camp

June 25, 1999ARIANNE and I had a great time today. Although we arrived a little

late, we took some of my favoriteroads to get out to Cuyamaca:Highland Valley, Old Julian High-way, and Wynola Rd., and on theway back it was Wynola again,Mesa Grande, and Highway 76.What a beautiful day! Sorry youworking stiffs had to miss it!

On the way into camp we sawART HAMILTON and the DODGES

who were already leaving, but aswe rounded the next bend, we knewthat when we saw a good thing, followit. And so we followed the huge “In-N-Out Burger” portable hamburger stand tothe camp.

When we arrived, at the camp wewere greeted by SUE HINKLE and BARB

TEMPLETON, who presented us with neatMDA Summer Camp ’99 tee-shirtsdesigned by a couple of the talented girlsattending the camp. A quick change intothe uniform-of-the-day and we watchedas the kids finished an elaborate game ofHide-and-Go-Seek with the Marines.These active-duty Marines had spent theentire week getting to know these re-markable MDA kids! There was approxi-mately one Marine assigned to eachcamper.

Camouflage face painting was theorder of the day. Jason Hinkle, as usual,was surrounded by a bevy of beautifulwomen — that guy’s got the touch! (Thelesson line forms right behind me…)He was the one without the camouflageface paint.

The “burgermobile” proceeded tosupply all of us with tasty cheeseburgersand we had a picnic out among the trees

in beautiful Camp Cuyamaca.Next the kids went on to play wheel-

chair soccer with a 30" diameter soccerball. But we “snuck” away to devourJason’s 28th birthday Julian pie— black-berries and apple— a delectable delight!

Then the kids were treated to a wildanimal show by noted North Countyconservationist, Bob Farner. He broughta coyote, a several owls, an opossum,and even a couple of snakes. The kids(and I) were thoroughly mesmerized byhis fascinating show. And then the nextorder of the day was swimming.

Wow, these kids get a full day of fun,and all the money the SAN DIEGO MIATA

CLUB raises stays right here in San Diegocounty to help these kids go to this campfor one week every summer. Hopefullynext year you’ll get an opportunity tojoin us.

We got to meet many of the kids, aswell as the movers and shakers of theSan Diego MDA group, and as you canimagine, Sue is one of top movers andshakers— and wouldn’t you know it—she was recently named MDA volunteerof the year!

The entire day was an uplifting expe-rience for us! We hated toleave the kids and themountains on such a beau-tiful day to return home.Thanks, Sue, forinviting us!— RAINER & MARIANNE

MUELLER

The Ladies on the Left—Men on the Right

Hot Night at Viejas

June 26, 1999 just wanted to drive the car! STEVE

always gets to drive. Maybe that’sbecause it’s his car, but I reallywanted a chance to drive, so I had to

find a way. I didn’t want to just drivewith him on some twisties— I wanted allmy girlfriends to be there too. SoMICHELLE LANGMAID and I decided toplan a ladies run.

Michelle handled all the dirty work—picked a good meeting place in Mission

Valley, contacted Viejas fordiscounts and specialparking, scheduled FOOD(a very important part) andfound out about Summers

Past Farms, so that we had a cool,convenient potty and refreshment stopalong the way.

Steve and I pre-ran the run twice. Thefirst time we ended up not speaking toeach other— after 32 years of marriage,we still try to boss each other to death.The second time we took Michelle andEd with us. Things went more smoothlyand we got a little taste of the fun tocome, and lunch at Viejas.

When the day arrived, I picked up myguest (my son’s mother-in-law Kathy, asweet, but not too brave, soul) and weheaded for Mission Valley. Steve’s datewas ELLIOT SHEV, driving the Kingfish,the racing car, while BARB took a friendin Sapphire. The “babes” arrived atMission Valley in great style, preparedfor the day. Several other husbandsjoined their wives (probably hoping togive “instruction” on how to handle thetwisties). ART HAMILTON came without alady, but we promised him ice cream.The THOMPSONS brought their wholefamily, some in a van later, to enjoy theevening. We had around 25 cars includ-ing several new members.

There aren’t many good ways to getto Flinn Springs without going on thefreeway, but we tried to find them. Wewent through a beautiful area of DelCerro and ohhhed and ahhhed at thelovely homes. We traveled most of Mis-sion Gorge Road, waving at the gawkersand enjoying the smiles of the truckers.We even passed the “Home of the IowaPorker” which harkens back to the first

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Campers with their active-dutyMarine pals.

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ladies run last year. When we reachedFlinn Springs, everyone enjoyed a colddrink and a short break before weheaded south of I-8 to hit Dehesa Road,past some wonderful green golf courses,then head into the twisties at Lyons Val-ley Road. At this point I scared my pas-senger, my friend, to death. She is notused to a convertible, whining away insecond gear, gliding into the curves andaccelerating out at breakneck speed. Toobad. This was my chance and I wasn'tgoing to miss it. Of course, our littletrouper, TRAVL LT, handled it like adream. We had a few OTMs slow downeveryone else’s dash, but we stayedtogether pretty well, considering. By thetime we all met up again at Viejas, thedrivers were all smiles and the passen-gers (mostly husbands) were a littlemore sympathetic to the feelings of apassenger...its hard to sit there with nocontrol and stay quiet while you watchyour life flash before your eyes.

Viejas’ marketing assistant AnnetteArehart greeted us warmly with speciallydesignated parking, discount couponsand our dinner tickets. Some wentdirectly to the Casino to try their hand atthe tables and slots. Others headedstraight for the shopping— another formof addiction. Still others were starved,and headed straight for the food— areasonably-priced tasty chicken dinnerfrom the Twelve Oaks Café. We spent aleisurely few hours waiting for theevening show, The Spirit of Nightfire, inthe fountain area. Since we had speciallyreserved seats, many of us spent an houror more before the show at 9 p.m. sittingin our seats enjoying the fountain, lightsand music. It was cool and interesting to

watch what they could do with the waterand lights.

The preview was mild compared tothe spectacular show at 9 p.m. The mul-timedia presentation, with water, lights,lasers and music was a great ending to awonderful afternoon and evening.

A large group of folks were even en-ergetic enough to go have pie after theshow...always room for pie in this group.

A little downer: the BROKAWS, JIM andCHARLEEN, had a mechanical difficultyduring the trip— (from a non-technicalperson, it broke). Charleen wanted toknow why it had to happen when shewas driving. Our able bodied “babes”Steve and Elliot assessed the problemand the Langmaids got them home—and back to Viejas for the evening, sothey were able to have a little fun evenwith the car “broke.” It is now back upand running fine! We appreciate Sum-mers Past Herb Farm and Viejas' hospi-tality and hope to be able to visit themagain... Ladies driving!— LAURIE WAID

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Laurie Waid explains the route the PowderPuff Run will take at the drivers’ meeting.Below, Stevie and Ellie volunteered to runsweep.

The Miata folks enjoyThe Spirit of Nightfireshow at Viejas. Right,Sal Causarano had todress the part when hetook over driving forGeri!

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HKATHIE MCCELLAND from SOCALM andsaid she was only 20 min early for the8:30 time that was also 1/2 hour early.She helped me put out the decorationsand then I remembered I hadn’t put the

sodas in the ice chest yet! People startedarriving and the next time I looked thecul-de-sac was FULL! Full of the mostbeautiful cars in the world. Decorate,decorate, decorate. WOW! CATHY

PHILLIPS, WOW, donuts! Thanks...just gotmy energy back. What do you need? Oh?

OK, a phillips screwdriver. Some PVCpipe? Water and a sponge for theclingey things? Then I think, "Hey, whatabout my car?"— I better get the flags onmy windshield wipers!

Anthony then quietly comes up to meand says “Are you going to lead to thestart of the parade? I say “Yes, why doyou ask?” Then he pointed to my car inthe driveway at the end of the cul-de-sacand then the cul-de-sac FULL of Miatasand says “How are you planning on get-ting to the front?” Ummmmm? We hadthe drivers’ meeting and then I called apotty stop. Ten, maybe 25 people in thehouse and two bathrooms; OK you canuse mine but I didn’t clean it— pleasedon’t trip over the cats or the litter box!I finally help everyone find everything inthe house and come out to hear “HeyDiane, we’re all waiting for you!” WhileI was in the house all of the Miatas hadturned around and were headed out ofthe cul-de-sac. Two deep on the rightand one deep on the left. They had madea ‘very small’ corridor for me to godown. Boy did I feel like a Queen, but I’dknew I better not hit any of them. Wewere finally off! What a great day. Whata great parade. What a great bunch ofpeople! I’ll be back next year. Nothingcould stop me.—DIANE LONG

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4th of July ParadeFrom the Host’s Perspective

ouse sort of clean, decorations almost ready, I’m ready to hit the day. Wake up at 5:30 and get the newspaper. I don’t go

anywhere ‘til the newspaper is read andthe coffee is drunk! Now the shower.Whoops, better get the OTM’s off thestreet while there is still parking. Take mydaughter’s car over to Vons. Parking lotfull. Find side street and walk home. Needto get the sodas and ice and then park myOTM. Arrive at Vons, no parking. Park il-legally and rush to find sodas and ice(milk too, we’re out). Hear announce-ment over the loud speaker. “Vons cus-tomers, the cash registers are down, itwill be 5 or 10 minutes ‘til they are upagain.” OK, I can handle this. I bring mysodas and ice up to the front and startpacing. They ask if I had heard the an-nouncement. I say yes and keep pacing.They finally let people buy their newspa-pers and coffee and let them go, no cashregisters yet. I offer $20 and would putback the milk. Keep pacing. Finally theytally my basket full of stuff. I run to seethe price of milk— $2.15 for half a gallon,you got to be kidding! Anyway, $21 andI’m out of there. Now, home, put the milkaway, the sodas in the garage and the icein the cooler. Take the OTM to anotherside street and walk home.

Finally into the shower. By then Ineeded it. Actually, from this point onI don’t remember too much. I said hi to

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A First On the Fourth

July 4, 1999 he final Fourth of July celebra- tion of this century turned out to be truly grand and glorious for the SAN DIEGO

MIATA CLUB. It started by dawn’s earlylight with a colorful collection of carsspaced out in Diane Long’s cul-de-sac,and culminated with a spectacular fire-works show viewed from the Powayestate of BARB and ELLIOT SHEV. Inbetween there were gigantic happeningsof fun and frolic for the 4th.

Judges agreed that our group was thebest (naturally) by awarding first place,in the car club division, of the

annual ScrippsRanch Parade.From the ven-

erable ‘90s tothe sparkling ‘99s,each of the 37 carswas festoonedwith colorful andimaginativedecorations tocomplementthe good looks

of the drivers and passengers.TED KESLER created a huge flag pole

on the back of his car to carry the clubcolors, which provided a mobile excla-mation point to our entry.

The pre-parade anti-carbo loading inthe form of donuts, fruit and drinks wasprovided by CATH PHILLIPS, GORDON LONG

and DIANE LONG. ART HAMILTON volun-teered to serve as official taster to makesure all was fit for consumption—it was!

The round-up also gave our talentedautomotive engineers a chance to dem-onstrate their skills, as one car alarm keptgoing off. (No names, please, to protectthe chagrined, but it was green). Thesolution in engineering terms— leave thedoor open and the alarm will not arm.

ANTHONY “NEVADABOB” WILDE had theunenviable task of trying to create mildconfusion out of simple chaos as thefield marshal/drum major. He had aninflatable red, white and blue baseballbat instead of a baton, and it seemed towork magic. It took some doing (everthink you could get 37 cars, plus theneighbor cars also in the street, in onecul-de-sac?) Eventually he had us alllined up and the group snaked out

briskly to the starting point. Since ourentry was near the end of the parade, wegot to watch the rest of the world go byand cheer for our favorites.

Barb Shev even ran out and handed aclub application card to a dealer-ownedMiata carrying a civic dignitary to try toadd to our membership roles. (The pas-senger was sitting on top of the back—obviously not very well trained.)

The start of our pack was lined withred, white and blue cars in keeping withthe occasion, and then came the greens,blues, silvers and two yellows. Theimagination of the decorations rangedfrom great to truly outstanding. Thecrowd really loved the wiper-flag wavingcaper, and the headlight covers winkingat the cute kids on the curb.

Post-parade, some headed for thenearby Scripps Ranch park for a picnicwith the Heroes band, others went forpizza and assorted snacks. Then it wasoff to the Shev manse for food, frolic andfestivities, including water sports andimbibing of selectedfluids to replacethose lost to thenoon-day sun.

It was capped offby a grand view ofthe Poway city fire-works, and the en-tire day certainlywent off with abang.

RAINER MUELLER collected digital im-ages all day and evening, and presentedthem on a truly spectacular Web Site(www.mainstreet-data.com/sdmc) forthose unfortunates who could not bethere and for those fortunates who wantto relive how great they looked.

Diane Long was imitating the Ener-gizer bunny as she organized the entireevent, and despite the tortuous task,says she is already looking forward tonext year. As are we all. — TOM SPRAGUE

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AOHey Dudes! Don’t MissSDMC’s Surf’N’Safari Event

ctober 7, 1999 kicks off the first Surf ‘N’ Safari regional Miata event in San Diego. $99 per person registration*

includes a banquet dinner, a beach luau,admission to the Wild Animal Park, anevent tee-shirt, vendor corral (Miataaccessories sold and installed), fun runs,tours, and more!

Hosted by the SAN DIEGO MIATA CLUB,the event includes admission to theworld-famous San Diego Wild AnimalPark. A portion of the proceeds will go tothe San Diego Zoological Society.

Hotel accommodations are availableat the Doubletree Carmel Highland Re-sort for just $99 per night. Reservations:(619) 672-9100; ask for the SAN DIEGO

MIATA CLUB Event’s special room rate.Come hang with the SAN DIEGO MIATA

CLUB during Surf ‘N’ Safari. October 7, 8,9 & 10, 1999. Registration is filling up fast— don’t miss out!

A special note of thanks to all thoseclub members who helped us promoteSurf ‘N’ Safari at the National Miata Eventin Dallas. The excitement demonstratedby our club members certainly providedadditional incentive to have Miata en-thusiasts from all over the world join usfor a fun weekend in San Diego.

Space is limited!— registration is first-come, first served. Sign-up online,www.SanDiegoMiataClub.org/surf.html,or call Sue Hinkle at (760) 735-9456.—BOB LLEWELLYN

July 10, 1999 line of cars slowly proceeded along Front Street. The cool mist of the morning had cleared as the first car went

under the old town entrance. Estab-lished in 1858, the sign said. Could thisbe a key discovery? The first car pulledup in front of the old building. It looked

deserted. MR. STEVE WAID,the leader of the rag-tagpack of adventurers, letout a big “Hello.” To hisamazement, the place

suddenly came alive. The wrought irongate swung open and Steve and his crewproceeded to enter the weathered stuccostructure known as Rosa’s Cantina. Toeveryone’s delight, a smiling, middle-aged fellow named Mike greeted themwith a question. “What’ll ya have,” as hepointed to the wooden menu on thewall. “Machaca and Huevos Rancherosare my specialties,” he exclaimedproudly. Steve’s crew eagerly orderedlarge plates of delicious Mexican foodand found cool seats on the veranda.Small talk of the impendingventure could be heardat the various tables.

The day’s adven-ture would be led byJOHN and JOYCE

RICHARDSON. John,who was knownby friends as “Juan,”had planned outthe day’s routewith his daughter

Breanne earlier in the week. “Welcome tothe first annual ‘dam’ run,” shouted John,as people gathered out front of thecantina for the drivers meeting. “We’ll beheading east into the badlands of Sageand then into Hemet, where we’ll en-counter a majestic sight.”

John handed out directions and apage of trivia questions. The driversmeeting was quickly concluded and thevehicles queued up. The line of noisychariots reverberated along the store-fronts as the pack proceeded out oftown. They would head east along the79th route through the ghost town ofAguanga and then into the badlands ofSage. The road would soon becometwisted with the drivers yelling out “YeeHaw” as they proceeded vigorouslydown the steep canyons.

The crew would quickly come uponthe dam visitor center on the outskirts ofHemet. Large pipes and huge equipmentwere displayed in the front of the build-ing. The crew was greeted by representa-tives of the Metropolitan Water District.

They were led on a guided tour ofthe site where tales of the huge

reservoir were told. “Over 260billion gallons of water willfill this lake when it is full,”shouted a tour guide.DONNA RAMSEY was in awe

of the huge mastodonfound at the site. “He’sdam big,” she exclaimed,referring to his size inrelation to the dam.

That “Dam” Run

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*Registration for members of the San DiegoZoological Society is $85 per person.

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The raspy automobiles would soon beon their way to the dam overlook. Threedams could be seen in the distance aspeople exclaimed “dam, dam, dam.”BARB SHEV showed some Miata items toothers but suddenly saw a bulldozercoming from behind. “I’ll be dammed if Idon’t move,” she screamed as the largeCat drew closer. Luckily she moved intime. Steve Waid had returned to the sitewith his Amphibian car. “Where is thedam water?” he exclaimed as his vehiclecrested the main dam. He didn’t realize itwould take five years to fill the lake.

RAINER MUELLER encouraged every-one to get going by yelling “It’s dam hot,let’s eat!” The group drove quickly toTyler’s Taste of Texas in Hemet wherethey all had a gigantic Texas sized lunch.After huge plates of ribs and steaks itwas time to head up the mountain fordessert. The weather had clouded upand became cooler, to everyone’sdelight. The stoplights of Hemet soonbecame the mountain twisties as thegroup headed for the little town ofIdyllwild. After a race with a Z3 BMWand a wrong turn, the entire groupfinally made it to the top.

Ice cream, stuffed bears and incred-ibly hot “hot sauce” awaited the adven-turous souls that had made it the entireway. The day was almost over as Johncalled for all of the trivia sheets. It wassoon apparent that ELINOR SHACK wasthe winner of the trivia contest. She waspresented the first annual “dam cup” forher outstanding skill at answering thequestions. The run was over. It was a“dam” fine day!—JOHN RICHARDSON

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“Where is the dam water?” he exclaimed as his vehicle crested the main dam.

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The Richardsons present the first annual “Dam Cup” toElinor Shack, winner of the trivia contest .

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The buildings, the art,the gardens, the fountainsand the views can eachtake you in and absorbyour day at the Getty. Yousimply cannot enjoy thisvenue in one visit.

Plans were made forthose who wished to pic-nic to meet at 1:00 p.m. inthe picnic area. For thosewho wished to dineindoors or outdoors, theGetty has both. The foodis good and items areavailable for all budgets.

After a day ofart, we left theGetty for the sec-ond part of the run,the BRAINSTORM

open house.Roshan and Dali,owners ofBRAINSTORM,opened their shopfor us to visit andwonder what tobuy next for ourtoys. Not only didthey providerefreshments andinformation, allitems purchasedthere were offeredat a 10% discountand installationwas free.

This got myattention, as a pairof BSP sway barsfound their wayinto my car. In-stalled that is. Sucha deal they had forus! Thank youBRAINSTORM for the

special treat. I know Barb had a goodtime buying some interior jewelry for our10th Anniversary, also. I even bought anew item for the Kingfish. If you haven’tbeen, go. They have really nice accesso-ries and a great staff to help and install.

To top it all off, BRAINSTORM held araffle. TREVOR and MELISSA ROGERS wona set of white gauge faces for their car.Thanks BRAINSTORM!

Sounds like fun? Sorry you missedthe event? Now’s the time to mark yourcalendars— we booked it for June 10,2000. Don’t miss it next year!—ELLIOT SHEV

BMiatas Do the Getty andBRAINSTORM

July 17, 1999 ARB and ELLIOT SHEV led, for the second time, a group of 50 Miatas to the J. Paul Getty Museum. Bright and early Saturday morn-

ing the first group met in Carlsbad. Afterthe drivers briefing, about 30 carsheaded north to meet the balance of theMiatas in Fountain Valley.

Not long after we made our way ontothe freeway, a passing admirer in a

Firebird lost control of hercar and did a 360 plus a180 in the lane right nextto us. While this scared theheck out of a bunch of

Miata folks, no one was hurt and nodamage was done.

We made it to the Getty at 10:00 a.m.,our target arrival time. It was really neatto see all the cars at the toll both. Afterparking on the third sublevel, we allheaded for the tram up to the museum.

At the main entry there is a really nicebook shop, information center, and aplace to rent an audio tour guide. This ishighly recommended. All were off to filltheir senses with the sights, sounds andsmells of the Getty. PH

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WEmergency Stuff toKeep in the Trunk

ith a little forethought, and some good packing skills, I have shoe-horned a number of things into

our Miata, just for emergencies:First, I keep a 6' 0'’ beautiful blonde.

She can flag down pretty much anyassistance we need. Beyond that, a cellphone, an inverted relocated (into lowertrunk well) deflated spare, a cigarettelighter-powered air compressor, AAAfirst aid/safety kit including flare, flash-light, gauze, Band-Aids and the like, tiregauge, jumper cables, a what to do incase of an accident pamphlet, and a“help me” sign. A spare hat, sunscreen,chapstick, wet naps, sinus medicine,

Immodium (for true emer-gencies), stocking cap forcold weather top-downdriving around Brentwood,

jacket or sweatshirt, a travel pillow, fold-ing chairs, nail clippers, tweezers,ibuprofen, the car cover, 2-4 detailingrags, Meguiar’s Quick Detailer, spraybottle of distilled water, glass cleaner,plastic window polisher and clean dia-pers in case I scare myself (or to awardto others who scared themselves). Onclub runs, we also carry a cooler withsoda and sometimes beer. Oh, and acouple boxes of Good & Plenty. (Youshouldn’t drink on an empty stomach.)

That’s about it. Minus the cooler, withall this stuff in the car, we can still getnine bags of groceries in the trunk, andkeep up with RAINER MUELLER in theturns.— JEFF HOLLADAY

P.S. Except for keeping up with Rainer,all the rest of it is absolutely true. Whosays the trunk is too small? Don’t believeus? We’ll prove it to all doubters on ournext run.

And another thing…My tip, (stolen from CINDY PALOMA),because I keep the Miata covered with aNORTH COAST TARPAULIN Ultralon carcover, I always have several large trashbags stuffed in tiny places in the trunk toput the cover in if it gets wet, to keepclean stuff clean or dirty stuff contained.Just the thing to put a flat tire in beforeputting it in my passengers lap!—STEF GOULD

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Everyone got a lift from BRAINSTORM’S open house.

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Aftermarket Goodies

Geri Bags

ooking for extra luggage space in your Miata? Need things to be out of the passenger’s way and yet handy to both of you? Just want a great bag right behind your seat?After our trip to Dallas when we had so much stuffed behind the seat in the

deck area of the car, I decided there had to be a better way to travel in our be-loved Miatas. I have designed soft duffle bags that fit behind the seatsand are totally accessible to the driver and passenger. Whether youhave a roll bar, cockpit brace, or nothing at all in that area, I can cus-tom-make a bag to fit your Miata. I also have made some pockets for

behind the seat of the car that snap onto the deck where your boot attaches andpockets for the trunk to store wax, Windex, towels, California duster, etc.

I have decided that black is the most practical color and the bags are made ofdurable cordura with heavy-duty zippers. The tie downs are custom-placed onthe bags— especially for your car. The cost— $40 for the deck bags, variousprices for other bags depending on their size. If you would like to order, eithercall me at (760) 787-0624 or E-mail at Montegom@aol.com.— GERI CAUSARANO

MEETING PLACES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

ries and parts to fellow Miata owners.Search your garages for car stuff thathas been gathering dust. Just about any-thing goes: extra tires, shop tools, softboots, oil filters, OEM parts removed foraftermarket goodies…the list is virtuallyunlimited. If you have something toswap, contact Jeanne Pandes-Villacorte,(714) 838-6208, or jppandes@earthlink.netShe’ll compile and announce the list ofstuff as the date approaches.

Schedule of events:

10:00 a.m. Krispy Kreme donuts/coffee

11:00 a.m. Dent Doctor will give ademo and stay to remove dents— theywill explain their costs during the demo.

11:30 a.m. – ‘til the end of day (what-ever that time turns out to be)— workon your car, eat, work on your car, eat,visit, eat, help someone work on theircar, eat, swim, eat, detail your car, eat.

12:00 - ? Let’s Go to the Swap

Directions: Exit the 91 FWY in Fullertonat Euclid. North on Euclid to Baker(about 0.5 mile), drive west (left) onBaker about 4 blocks. Turn left onLovering, it’s the last house on the left.

Monthly MeetingDate: Thursday, August 26

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Place: Boll Weevil9330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.(At Ruffin Rd.), San Diego(619) 571-6225

This event is the single best way tomeet your fellow club members, askquestions, share stories, etc.Don’t miss the fun!

Mystery Leader Fun Run in EastCounty & Pool Party

Date: Saturday, August 28

Time: 10:00 a.m. — at leave 10:30

Place: Family Foods parking lot,Sweetwater Springs Blvd. at Austin,Spring Valley (South of Highway 94)

Run Leader: Mystery leader!

A run through the Southeast county.Bring: your suits (or not) for a pool partyand Mexican buffet at the Kesler’s inEastlake, after the run.

BYOB, donations toward the cost of thebuffet gladly accepted.Please RSVP by Wednesday August 24th.Ted & Sue Kesler, (619) 421-8472,RNNAWAY@aol.com

RetroMobile USAOctober 21–23

irst came the crois- sant, and now comes the RetroMobile,

another tasty Europeantradition brought toAmerica. The Europeanautomotive spectacularknown as “RetroMobile”will make its first appear-ance in the United StatesOctober 21 through 23 inSan Diego, in conjunctionwith the third annualClassic Speed Festival,Coronado.

“The atmosphere andambience of San Diego,coupled with the enormous success ofour historic Speed Festival, is ideal for aRetroMobile-type exhibition,” said SteveEarle, president of General Racing Ltd.,the event organizers.

RetroMobile USA will retain itsEuropean flair but with some distinctlyAmerican accents added. The expo willoffer a wide range of automobile memo-rabilia, rare parts and services andaccessories, all of which will be avail-able for purchase— a collectors’ dream!

There will also be art exhibits, historicaland even some modern displays frommajor automakers and car clubs. TheSAN DIEGO MIATA CLUB has volunteeredto help staff the first RetroMobile everheld in the U.S.— watch for details.

RetroMobile will be held in the down-town San Diego Convention Center,from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. October 21, andfrom 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. October 22 – 23.Admission is $5.

Above, an Auto Union supercharged V-16 Silver Arrow wasfeatured in this year’s RetroMobile in Paris. [Audi is bringingthe largest collection of Silver Arrows ever displayed in theUnited States to this month’s Monterey Historic Races (seepage 3 for Historic race details), there is a chance they willmake the trip South!]

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TMazda Formula Racesat Irwindale Speedway

July 17, 1999 hanks to everyone from SDMC who followed me up to the Irwindale Speedway for the Mazda Star Formula Races.

The day was terrific. Over 40 Miatasfrom SOCALM and SDMC showed up totake advantage of the special package

offered SOCALM (and bySOCALM to SDMC) by theIrwindale Speedway: freeexhibition corral parking,

free admission for two and a parade lapduring the opening ceremony! TheSpeedway’s officials were impressed.They said no other car club respondedso well on such short notice (oneweek). That says a lot about this greatcollection of people. I must add that I‘mproud to be associated with all of you.

The forty-plus Miatas made a very im-pressive sight as we took a slow paradelap around the half-mile oval. ZACK

BROADBENT, president of SOCALM (and amember of SDMC), was in the lead. Aswe crossed the start/finish line, he wasdirected to the infield for an interview.He gave a good accounting of the historyof the Miata and the reason for ourclubs' existence. As the default spokes-man for the San Diego chapter (I thinkI got drafted into the position: KarenThomas, the event’s organizer fromSOCALM said, “He is,” pointing at me),my name was mentioned— although Idid not hear in what context. That wasquite a moment for me and maybe Iwon't let it go to my head.

The Formula Mazdas were the firstfeature of the night. In my opinion, theygave the best performance. The racingwas hot and heavy. Starting from fifthplace, a young, twenty-one year old SaraSenske outraced everyone on the track.She fought ferociously up to fourth thenthird. In the final laps she wobbled a biton the exit of turn three, but refused torelinquish her podium finish to numbertwenty-six. Given a few more laps, I donot doubt she could have won.

Next up were the 3100-pound stockcars. Only seven were entered in whatturned out to be a rather uneventfulrace. The winner, Dusty McDonald in thecolorful number 94 led the race from theget go to the checkered flag.

Finally, the spec-trucks made theirpresence known: in a huge way. Thirtyfire-breathing, fuel spitting ground-pounders roared around the track. Onlap ten, numbers twenty-two and fifty-eight tangled on the back straight. Slam-ming into the wall at one hundred milesan hour, they came quickly to a halt forc-ing four or five others to slam headlonginto them. The race was immediatelyred-flagged with race trucks swarmingall over the infield after swerving toavoid the tangle of twisted, smoking

Aftermarket Goodies

Fly Your Colors!

lub member BRUCE

HARMER'S NORTH COAST

TARPAULIN WORKS isoffering a new service to SanDiego Miata enthusiasts! For anintroductory price of only $7.50per logo, you can have yourchoice of the SAN DIEGO MIATA

CLUB logo or TEAM

VOODOO’S “PolloRampante”

silkscreened on the car or cockpit cover of your choice. You don't even have tobuy a new cover, unless you need one, of course. (Remember, NORTH COAST

gives wholesale pricing to club members). The logos can be silkscreened onyour existing cover.

Also new from NORTH COAST is a full-coverage mechanic's mask for those ofyou who only trust your baby's maintenance to yourself. Made by ColganCustom, the premier manufacturer of quality car bras, these masks cover bothfront fenders and the upper portion of the front fascia —including the head-lights! Constructed of sturdy bra vinyl lined with a soft flannel-like backing, andfeaturing covered bendable tabs for anchorage, they won't scratch your paintand will probably outlast the car! They even feature a tool pocket on each sidefor easy access to those 10, 14, and 17mm wrenches. Available by special order(less than one week shippingtime), custom Miata mechanic'smasks are only $39 for clubmembers.

NORTH COAST TARPAULIN WORKS

(619) 275-71001229 Morena BlvdSan Diego, CA 92110

Have you got a new item or ideato share with the club? This spaceis your forum. Just write it up andsubmit it to the editor, Anthony“NevadaBob,” (619) 693-8095 orNevadabob@miata.net.

metal stretching from the wall across thewidth of the track. The driver of numbertwenty-two was the only injured driver.He was rushed by ambulance to anearby hospital with a dislocated knee.He will be OK.

Nine laps later, a spinning truckcaused another multi-truck pileup inturn three. No one was hurt, thankfully.The race ended with only half the origi-nal field finishing.

All I can say is... What a day!—SCOTT ROSIN

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New Members!The following are the new memberssince the last newsletter:

Jan C. BrownSan Diego1990 White A

Mick & Jan KeenoySt. Louis1992 Yellow A1991 BRG SE

Barry KershawSan Diego1996 M (Starlight Blue)

Barbara C. LemaireEncinitas1996 Montego Blue Leather

Jim & Rebecca McQuestionEscondido1999 White Leather

Walter PenningtonDallas1999 Black Leather

Lynn & Gail TrimbleSan Diego1999 Emerald Green Leather

The following members have renewedsince the last newsletter:

Ian Dacanay

Greg & Kris Dunlap

Alan & Debbie Elster

Dwight & JoAnn Fisher

Leonard & Lois Garth

John & Catherine Godden

James W. Hind

Anna, Craig & Evan Jameson

Ed Roesenthal

Steven L. Schock

Michael & Elinor Shack

Ruth & Lou Stark

Ken & Carla Jean Tooker

Woody & Maggi Woodhouse

Jamie E. Zuieback

Member Profile

TOM CHAN

y membership is unique in that GALE CHAN and I are probably the only father/daughter duo

in SDMC. I think she’s trying to fan theembers of my 1967 BMW days into aroaring Miata flame. I’ve driven herMiata and it’s what you guys say it is. It’seasy to see why that li’l puddle jumperhas such loyal/ardent/fanatical/worshiping adherents. It is truly the CultCar of the 90’s—oh yeah. By the way,I’ve read all the club News since Galebecame a member, and I nominate it asthe best club news of any kind in exist-ence. Obviously the news staff workshard and comes up with a dilly. I guessthey’re journalists at heart.

I like in particular the tech/aftermar-ket articles wherein savvy members passon the goodies to less mechanically-inclined members. Those gurus haveresearched the projects and zeroed in onthe nitty-gritty with the precision ofbrain surgery. The article about the tire-trailer shows club members go to greatlengths to get things right. Most peoplewould have dropped the project due tothe hassle involved, but not RAINER

MUELLER. The tougher it gets, the toughget going. I wonder if he’s an ex-Marine?I would call him True Grit. He has thetrailer to show for it.

On a mechanical note, I did the tune-ups and maintenance on the ’67 BMWas it was a very simple car in those days.There were no imbedded systems—electronics, complicated smog stuff, fuelinjection, turbo-supercharger, and “youcan’t touch this cuz it would affect that”stuff. It did have a smog pump and deac-tivating it increased HP by five horses.Tune-up and timing was by ear— to seewhat setting gave the best revs, and thatwas it. Nowadays cars are much morecomplicated and require computer input

to lead the way. However, the after-market stuff for the Miata should provideendless fun for the shadetree mechanic.You could jazz up your car with everyconceivable gadget and it would costmore than the car itself. Come to think ofit, some of you people might’ve done justthat. Well, what’s money for?

Of course I’ve read the member pro-files and that guy from Switzerland tak-ing a leave of absence to indulge in hisMiata fantasy in sunny California showsthe power of the SDMC News. He’s reallyfar out and a true diehard. You can’t helpbut admire people who go all out to dothings they love most, and damn the tor-pedoes. My wife would kill me if I didthat. And there’s JACKIE BREE, whodoesn’t join anything, but is out therewinning her racing stripes. Even my owndaughter Gale is sorta in a Miata Nirvana—wow, a new gear shift knob, whatnext? Gotta be a rollbar that also servesas a Big Bass boom bar. You guys arehaving too much fun!

One thing I have on you people in SanDiego is that the Thunderhill DrivingSchool is just one hour from our house.I wonder if they would let me drive ourLincoln Town Car on their course? I’ve aproblem with that sofa-on-wheels in theturns, but my wife Sandra just loves it.I’m 79 years old and we recentlycelebrated our 50th wedding anniversary.Letting the wife choose the family carcontributes to a happy marriage but notto driving bliss. It’s not inconceivable thatthere might be a Miata in our future.Yeah, on to geriatric bliss!

P.S. After reading the March 1999SDMC News, my hunch that RainerMueller was an ex-Marine was borneout. The double-spread centerfold is trulyawesome and proves what I said aboutSDMC News earlier. I enjoyed the CampPendleton Tour and Champagne BrunchRun through your article and even had totake a few TUMS for my imaginary eatingfrenzy acid reflux. Also, the PMO escortsreminded me of my Military Police daysduring World War II. Did the escorts wearchrome helmets/yellow scarves like wedid in the old days? And in the Mini-TechDay at DIANE LONG’S I noticed amechanic in jumpers/hat with long hairwho vaguely looks like my daughterGale. Hmmm— moving up from shiftknob to oil filter relocation. Well, she hada lot of help from savvy members/gurus.

To be included in our on-goingseries of Member Profiles, write ashort (200–300 word) introductionand mail (or E-mail) it with a photo(your face should be large enough tobe recognized) to the Club P.O. Box orgive it to a board member at an event.— Your photo will be returned.

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LPresident’s Message

ast Sunday was my birthday. Mybeloved wife, the first Babe, shewho is to be obeyed, madearrangements for us to go up to

Buena Park after my afternoon of Auto-cross on Saturday. We checked into theKnotts Berry Farm Hotel and in the lobbythere were, it seemed like, hundreds ofpeople wearing bright yellow T-Shirtswith the message on the back that said“The Johnson’s Family Reunion.” I spokewith one of them and asked how manythere were. He said, “I don’t have aclue.” I was impressed and noticed howmuch fun they were having together.The next morning as Laurie and I werepreparing to enter Knotts Berry Farm forthe day, we noticed a young family offour. You know, the typical “FatherKnows Best” set up. Mom, Dad, Brother,Sister— all wearing bright yellow T-Shirts so that they would be able to eas-ily spot one another inside the park. Aswe went on in, I chuckled and thought—”they have no idea.”

You probably are now wonderingwhat this anecdote has to do with us.Not a thing. I just thought it was funnyand wanted to tell someone.

As summer has really arrived, I havecaught myself turning on the air condi-

From the Pulpit

There are now 302 membershipsconsisting of 462 members.

Memberships by Miata Color: 96 Red 51 White 34 Black 21 Montego Blue 19 Emerald Green 17 Silver 12 Mariner Blue 11 Laguna Blue 10 Sapphire Blue 9 Twilight Blue 9 BRG 6 Starlight Blue 6 Merlot 3 Marina Green 3 Yellow 1 Hunter Green 4 Unreported

tioning in my Miata to take the edge offof the heat. JOHN and JOYCE RICHARDSON

put together the Dam Run and discov-ered why Dam and Hell seem to go to-gether so often in conversation. They ledan enthusiastic group to see the threedams and it was “hotter than Hell,” or atleast so I have been told. John and Joyceare now proudly sporting their new SAN

DIEGO MIATA CLUB magnetics, a rewardfor their efforts in putting together asuccessful “Eat-Drive-Eat-Drive-Eat”event. Who will be next?

In each of my monthly preachings,I have attempted to profile one of themembers of our board. Many people donot know that the board is made up ofnot only the four elected directors; thatthere are other appointed positions thatact in an advisory position and theirvotes are included when decisions aremade. One of these positions is that ofthe Club E-mail Postmistress, aka CINDY

PALOMA. Cindy, a lady of exquisite taste(drives a WHITE ‘92), has been in thisposition since the BIG BANG (the start ofSDMC). The tremendous growth andenthusiasm of our club is largely drivenby our very large and active Club E-maillist. Cindy monitors not only the addi-tions and deletions to the club list, buthas helped establish “the rules” andetiquette for the use of the list.

The Club E-mail list has allowed us tobe a very spontaneous group. The spon-taneity is most visible in the form ofimpromptu events. When an opportunityfor fun pops up suddenly, the immediacyof E-mail allows forinstant contact andresponse. Laurieand I have experi-enced theseimpromptu eventsfirst-hand. It is whathelps make theSDMC special. Thatmeans that Cindy,who is also special,provides a specialservice for a bunchof special peoplewho happen to lovea special car. I think

I’m preaching again.So, be ready. Besides the scheduled

events that you will find in this news-letter, the summer is when you findmore incentives to be serendipitous andspontaneous. More weekday eveningsbeckon for exploring. Some destinationsthat can be reached in less than an hour,with the top down, are all over SanDiego County. The Ferry Landing onCoronado, Lake Cuyamaca, The ViejasFountain Show, the Zoo, any beach, andmany many more. Don’t miss the oppor-tunity and don’t forget to put your ideaout on E-mail.—STEVE WAID

Robert ‘JT’ Holland, SDMC’s Webmaster,discusses the finer points of enginemodification with Cindy Paloma, SDMC’sPostmistress, at BRAINSTORM’S open house.Below, the Waid’s 4th of July Miata.

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