The Joy of CruisingCruise.

by Dennis & Ruthann Weberll Miata lovers will experience "The Joy of" topdown, wind in your hair, heel and toe downshiftingcruise on June 25. This is a "driver's cruise" planned

for the enjoyment of every Miata driver and co-pilot. Wewill escape the suburbs and head North through ButlerCounty and the flatter roads of Lawrence, Trumbull, andMercer Counties.

There will be a morning rest stop at an Amish Store thatsells fresh cheeses, meats, jellies, canned vegetables, honey,and hundreds of other Amish made foods and gifts. Bringyour cooler to take home a snack. Lunch will be under a’36 Chevy in a Famous Gas Station opened in 1974 by"Jig" & "Moe" in Sharon PA. After lunch, we will bestopping at our favorite DQ for a zooming treat. Thecruise will terminate at the Grove City Outlet Mall at Rt.208 and I-79 around 3:30 PM +/- ? Shopping is optional.

Date & Time: Saturday June 25, 2011 (rain or shine) at8:30 AM. Fill your Miata’s tank and drain yours! We’llleave at 9:00 AM Sharp!

Place: Billco Motors, Rt. 19N, Wexford, PA - Notethe change in location from last month’s newsletter.

GPS: Billco Motors VW/Mazda, 11750 Rt. 19,Wexford, PA 15090

RSVP by June 11 to 724-342-1296 or zoomtopless@live.com. Thanks, Dennis & Ruthann Weber

SatJun 18

SatJun 25

Sat-SunJul 2-3

ThuJul 7

SatJul 9

Sat-SunJul 23-24

SatJuly 30

ThuAug 4

SatAug 13

SatAug 27

ThuSep 1

SunSep 18

SatSep 24

SatOct 1

Curvy Roads Cruise (Willis)

Joy of Cruising Cruise (Weber)

Independence Day Weekend

Monthly Meeting Teleconference

Letchworth State Park Cruise -Grand Canyon of the East

Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix

Palace of Gold Cruise

Monthly Meeting Teleconference

Sprague Cruise

WPMC Annual Picnic

Monthly Meeting Teleconference

Fourth Annual Golf Outing

Paul Bunyan Maple Sugar Camp

Rock ’N Roll Hall of Fame Cruise(Willis)

SatOct 8

SatDec 3

Zimliki Cruise

WPMC Annual Christmas Party

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Volume 21 #5June, 2011

Upcoming Events

Curvy Roads And ACrooked Creek Lake

Cruiseby Bill & Nancy Willishat can be more fun on a sunny Saturday thencurvy roads and a crooked creek? We will haveall of this and more. Join us for a fun day and great

lunch at Lenape Golf Course.

Date & Time: Saturday, June 18, 9:30 AM

Place: Target in Harmarville

GPS: 2661 Freeport Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15238

RSVP by June 13 to Bill at 724-226-3461 orbwillis@westpennmiataclub.com

Letchworth StatePark Cruise

by Cindy Stiffler & Greg Boserign up, one and all, for a wonderful cruise to thevery scenic Letchworth State Park in Castile N.Y.This is a one day, fun packed drive to one of the

most beautiful waterfalls in the East! Please note: ThePark has an $8.00 admission fee, but so well worth it! Weare also working out arrangements to have lunch at theGlenn Iris Inn, located within the Park, as well as a fewother surprises planned for the cruise. Hope you will bejoining us Saturday July 9th 2011! Please let us know byJune 30th if you plan on going. Contact gboser@verizon.netor phone: 724-464-7242.

Pittsburgh VintageGrand Prix

by Wally Swarmer

t's that time of year again. Get your engines runnin’or just bring a lawn chair and relax. Once againour car club will be attending the Combined Car

Show at the PVGP on Saturday, July 23. The events forthe PVGP start on July 10 and continue through July 24.There are many interesting events taking place around thePittsburgh area. Details can be found online atwww.pvgp.org. We will again be reserving a spot at SchenleyPark Golf Course for our cars to be parked and will havea tent for the weekend of the races. The reserved area andtent will also be available for our use on Sunday, race day.We will have tables under the tent for anyone that wouldlike to bring food and drinks to share. This is a perfectopportunity for anyone with a friend who owns a Miataand is not in the club to invite them to join us.

EVERY car must be registered for the event. Pre-registration ($25) is recommended either online atwww.pvgp.org or by mailing the registration form includedin this newsletter. Mail-in and online registration deadlineis July 19. You will not receive a confirmation of your pre-registration. Just enter the main gate at the intersectionof Schenley Dr./Forbes Ave. (5370 Schenley Dr.) Saturdaymorning and the attendant will have you on their list anddirect you to our location. Gates open at 9 AM.

Anyone with questions please contact Wally Swarmerat wsswarmer@consolidated.net.

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Prabhupada’s Palaceof Gold Cruise

By Ray & Barb McBridef you missed this at MMM or you want to do it again,come join us for a cruise staring at McDonalds onRace Track Road near the Meadows racetrack. We

will be traveling on curvy back roads, and I mean curvyback roads, all the way to The Palace of Gold.

The Palace of Gold tour cost is $5.00 per person and willtake about 45 Minutes. We will be grabbing a bite to eat,but this part of the world does not offer any special placeto eat.

We will however visit THREE states on this cruise. Therewill be a lot of rights and lefts so you need to bring yourbest navigation skills with you. A detailed route sheet willbe provided so you will get to practice your rally skills. Inaddition everyone will be responsible for the Miata in frontand in back of you. Captain Ray and First Mate Barb runa tight ship. Any lost Miatas will result in someone walkingthe plank.

Date and Time: Saturday July 30, 2011 at 9:00 AM -Departure at 9:30AM

Place: McDonalds on Racetrack Road off exit 41 onInterstate 79

GPS: 235 Meadowlands Blvd, Washington PA 15301

RSVP by July 25, 2011 to Ray or Barb at 412-793-7815or raynbarb@comcast.net

What People Won't Do...To See A Rodent!!!

by Greg Boserow, I must tell you, I'm not speaking about just anyrodent. I'm talking about the world famous, Germanfolklore, groundhog by the name of Punxsutawney

Phil, who now resides in the small town of PunxsutawneyPa. and has for the last 125 years!

Bob and Dorothy Wachter led an exciting cruise onSaturday, May 14th through Western Pennsylvania. Ourultimate quest for the day was to find that very rodent!Bob, our "fearless leader," made sure to give us detailedinstructions for this cruise. We were to stay on a tight timeframe! So, as the minutes of the clock ticked away, wedrove through numerous tiny towns that dot the westernPennsylvania hills - towns such as Rochester Mills, Rossiterand Creekside to name a few. Several photo shoots werealso planned by Bob and Dorothy. Both the beautifulHemlock Lake and the scenic Blue Spruce Park madewonderful backdrops for our shining Miatas as we all linedup for some great photos. At our pose together at thefamous Gobbler's Nob, we just kept on smiling! Of course,we always have to include eating into our day, and Boband Dorothy made sure that it was not forgotten. Fromthe very first hour to the very last hour, we were consumingeverything from donuts (stored in Bob's trunk) haha..., tolunch at the Pantall Hotel in Punxsutawney, to ice creamat Sterns Ice Cream in Creekside Pa. Food wasn't the onlything that Bob and Dorothy remembered for their group.They provided great twisty, curvy roads, hours of fun andlaughter, and remembrances of rules of our childhood.Bob reminded us to keep our hands to ourselves and tonot touch anything at the restaurant. Ha-ha! Believe it ornot, a wedding reception was to take place at the restaurantshortly after we were finished eating our lunch.

At 2 P.M. sharp, we marched ourselves across one ofPunxsutawney's streets to the Chamber of Commerce tomeet Phil face to face! Low and behold, Phil was awaitingus, but he wasn't smiling. It is springtime, and Phil hadother things on his mind! Although he wasn't in the moodfor handling, we did enjoy meeting him, learning "Philfacts", and getting an up close and personal view of agroundhog. So, Bob and Dorothy, THANK YOU for agreat cruise!

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2011 CRUISIN & ZOOMINSEASON

BY LINDA ZIMLIKIhe season is well on its way. A few changes havebeen made to the schedule. Walnut Dale FarmsJune 4 and Whitmire Cruise August 20 have been

cancelled. We have added CURVY ROADS AND ACROOKED CREEK LAKE CRUISE Saturday, June 18along with the PAUL BUNYAN MAPLE SUGAR CAMPSaturday, September 24. I have another possible cruisefor August - details to come. W want to remind leaders tosupply their cell phone numbers to people on their cruise. Also new members attending should be in front of thetrain. The club would like all turns to be announced.

If you plan to attend a cruise, you can respond online onthe forum under the cruise you wish to attend. There hasbeen a comment on the forum concerning chatter on FRSradios. They feel only the leader, middle, and sweep carshould be talking. Officers did address this at our lastmeeting. I hope they will place their comments on theforum as I plan to do. The matter needs to be addressed. WPMC has always encouraged members to use radios togive the leader, middle or sweep needed information which

Coraopolis MemorialDay Parade

by Wally Swarmere had a beautiful day for the parade and it wasHOT. We had 5 Miata owners participate. Thanksto Ed Diaz, Ben Hill, Dan DeMatteis, and Dennis

Weber for joining me. We were assigned 4 WWII veteransto ride along with us. I do believe we all considered it aprivilege to be part of the Memorial Day Parade.

Red-Belt Orange BeltCruise

by Barb McBrideunday morning, May 22, sixteen Miatas departedfrom Target's parking lot in Harmarville for a cruiseon the red and orange belts around Allegheny

County. I would like you to remember the number 16because throughout the cruise the number of cars keptchanging. At one point we had 12 cars, at lunch we thoughtwe had 15 cars, at the winery we had 7 Miatas and at theice creamery we had 5 autos. Five of the cars missed oneof the turns on the red belt and they decided to take analternate route without letting anyone know. Followingseveral conversations on the cell, Linda and Joe sacrificedtheir time and waited for the stray Miatas. We all regroupedduring the bathroom stop at a Giant Eagle. We continuedon our way with sixteen cars but at lunch we had a headcount and Joe said Vera and Dan were missing. Lindaresponded with "Dan and Vera are not on this cruise." Wefinally settled down to a wonderful lunch at Joey D's atthe Quality Inn in Harmarville.

Wally had a print out for everyone describing the beltsystem. The system was developed in the late 1940's, offeringdrivers alternative routes that did not lead into thecongested Golden Triangle. The purpose was to define aroad system away from the major arteries and thecongestion. The colors of the system are like the colors ina rainbow with the outermost red, followed by orange,yellow, green, blue and purple. If you cross one color, youhave an idea of how close you are to downtown and whetheryou are heading towards or away from the city. The belt

system is marked very clearly, but apparently not clearenough as people can still get lost. After lunch, sevenMiatas headed to the Narcissi Winery in West Deer. Boband Sally, from West Virginia, were determined to visitthe winery as that was their main reason for traveling sofar for the cruise. It was a beautiful afternoon and we allsat in the picnic shelter, drinking our wine, and listeningto the sounds of the "Good Guys Duo." The winery toldWally that our 16 Miatas could not attend the wine tastingon Sunday, as they were expecting 60 cars from a CorvetteClub. Our group went anyway and purchased about eightbottles of wine. Only one Corvette showed up, that we saw,and I am sure people enjoyed looking at our Miatas asopposed to a Corvette. After leaving the winery, fiveMiatas stopped at Emmerling Ice Creamery on 910. Youcannot end a cruise without an ice cream stop. It was avery enjoyable cruise, a beautiful sunny day, and Wallydid a terrific job. Thanks Wally.

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might not be obvious. The Miata train can be miles longdepending on the number of cars. Information about"Wannabes", large distances between cars, being stoppedat a light or other incidents should be communicated tothe group. Members on the last cruise did a great job ofproviding this needed information. I want to thank themember for starting this important discussion.

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is next month andwe hope to see a big turn out by members and officers.Wally has information and the application form in thisnewsletter. Hope to see you there.

Invitation from NorthcoastMiata Club

My name is Bob Belding. Betty (decidedly the better half)and I are members of the Northcoast Miata Club and weare hosting the NMC annual picnic at our home locatedat 45459 State Route 14 Columbiana, Ohio 44408 onSaturday July 9, 2011. How about you and an entourageof your Miatas come join us for a great day? Will youplease pass this information on to your club members?

NMC will furnish hamburgers, hot dogs, soft drinks, cakeetc. You will be asked to bring a dish to share and yourfavorite beverage. Come one and all. We usually havebetween fifty and seventy club members show up. Pleasecontact me for more information, reservations, anddirections. We have lots of room to park and play. Thepicnic is a great time and it will make a great event.

We are located approximately 20 miles north of EastLiverpool, Ohio which will be a short drive for a greatevent. Folks start arriving around 4:00 PM and we willeat around 5:30 PM. Many stay until way after dark.

Cordially, Bob & Betty Belding

Contact us at 330.482.3752(home) 330.853.81112(cell)bibelding@aol.com (home) rbelding@cityofcolumbian.org(work)

If anyone is interested, please contact me atlzimliki@westpennmiataclub.com. I have directions toBelding's home.

FRS/GMRS Talkabout Radios

WPMC uses FRS/GMRS Talk About Radios as theircommunication device for cruises. We ask members topurchase one to use on cruises.

FRS/GMRS 2-way radios are simply dual-service, or"hybrid," radios that provide access to both the FRS andGMRS bands. The radios are compact, handheld, wireless2-way radios that provide very good clarity over a relativelyshort range. They operate on UHF radio frequencies whichare much less prone to the static and interference thatplague CB . They utilize FRS channels (1-14) and GMRSchannels (15-22). FRS radios have a maximum allowablepower of 0.5 watt. FRS radio transceivers and theirantennas may not be modified to extend their range.

GMRS requires an FCC operator's license. Dual-serviceradios may be used without an operator's license, if onlythe FRS channels are used. We only use FRS channel 5.The FRS radios have a 2 mile range. Stated higher rangequoted up to 35 miles is for the GMRS which we do notuse due to the needed license.

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July DeadlineThe deadline for articles for theJuly newsletter is July 9, 2011

Curvy Roads With Billby President Bill Willis

he sun is shining and we have some great cruisesfor June. Hope to see everyone enjoying the greatweather and the cruises scheduled for this month.

Interesting Information from Inside Line

TOKYO - No official announcement has come yet fromMazda Motor Corporation, (Inside Line has learned) thatbig changes are in the works for the next-generation MazdaMX-5 Miata. Expected to debut in 2011, the future MX-5 roadster is likely to be smaller than the current model,and should tip the scales at a lean 2,200 pounds. Underthe hood will be a SKY-G engine that Mazda quietlyintroduced at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show. This naturally-aspirated 1.3-liter gasoline-powered inline-4 is expectedto deliver more than 50 mpg; with some saying it can getup to 70 mpg. It isn't a hybrid setup or a diesel, but agasoline-burning engine. This figure was calculated withthe engine powering a compact car about the size of theKiore show car (shown in Geneva and Tokyo).

A new SKY-G engine is being produced for the MX-5.It's not known whether the new roadster's power plantwill use 1.3 or 1.5 liters of displacement. Expected to havea rating near 150 horsepower, the new engine wouldmaintain the Miata's current power-to-weight ratio. Thesecret to this astronomical fuel mileage hasn't yet beenreleased, but IL has heard that Toyota has already inquiredabout the SKY-G.

Inside Line says: Sound too good to be true? We'll see inthe next several months. - Mak Tokuyama, Correspondent.

Zoom, zoom zoom!

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Price range for radios is from $10.00 to $70.00. Thereare higher priced models but not necessary for our usage.

Brands available are Motorola, Midland, Uniden, andCobra. The most widely used brand is Motorola which iswhat the club recommends. We also recommend arechargeable unit instead of a battery operated one. Somemembers also use ear buds with their radios. You can findradios at amazom.com, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Dick'sand K-Mart.

GMRS radios are very similar to FRS radios, except fora few important distinctions:

1) GMRS radio use requires you to purchase an FCCoperator's license.

2) GMRS radios generally achieve greater ranges thanFRS radios.

3) While FRS radios may not legally be altered, GMRSradios may legally be outfitted or retrofitted with optionalantennas, car antennas, or home antennas to extend theirrange.

FRS radio range is generally stated as "up to 2 miles."You should note that this manufacturer's stated rangeshould be construed as the absolute max, to be achievedonly under optimal conditions (such as flat terrain, noobstructions and full batteries). Somewhere in the 1/4 to1 mile range, depending upon conditions, is much morerealistic.

GMRS radios typically achieve greater ranges than FRSradios. GMRS range is generally specified by manufacturersas "up to 5 miles" and occasionally slightly more. Again,this is a maximum range, likely achieved only under optimalconditions. Realistic range for GMRS radios under mostconditions is more likely 1-2 miles, depending on theparticular conditions.

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Address goes here

leave room for mail bar code to go here

WEST PENN MIATA CLUB

c/o JoAnn Sprague1750 Norsen DrivePi t tsburgh, PA 15243

e-mail: wpmc@westpennmiataclub.comweb site: http://www.westpennmiataclub.com

West Penn

Club

West Penn

Club

Editor - In - Chief:Steve Lapp

Send alleditorial contributions to:

WEST PENN MIATA CLUBc/o Steve Lapp105 Gadshill PlacePittsburgh, PA 15237e-mail: slapp@westpennmiataclub.com

Founder:Paul Fronko

President:Bill Willis

Vice President:Bob Wachter

Treasurer:Pam Gregar

Secretary:JoAnn Sprague

Events Chair:Linda Zimliki

Past President:Jim Pfeiffer

(724) 226-3461

(724) 357-8377

(724) 863-2124

(412) 278-0944

(724)327-1762

(724) 468-8435

The FUN ‘N’ THE SUN TIMESis published as a service by theWest Penn Miata Club, Inc. –a non-profit corporation.

The WEST PENN MIATA CLUBassumes no liability for any infor-mation contained herein; or injury ordamage resulting from the use of thisinformation. The ideas, maintenance,opinions, or modification tipsexpressed are to be used at the readers’discretion. Individual contributorsand/or editors express no approval,authentication, or endorsement.

Officers

Legalese

______________ INTERNATIONAL CAR SHOW REGISTRATION FORM ______________

2011 PITTSBURGH VINTAGE GRAND PRIX COMBINED CAR SHOW ON SCHENLEY PARK GOLF COURSE Join 2,000 Show Cars - July 23 & 24, 2011

All cars are welcome, all makes and ages. Use this form to pre-register by mail or go online at www.pvgp.org/register Pre-registered entries will receive a complimentary PVGP Race Program and dash plaque at the gate. Enjoy picnic atmosphere on the golf course with no judging. Your $25 donation benefits the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School and includes admission to Car Shows & Vintage Races on both Saturday and Sunday. Main gate at Schenley Drive/Forbes Avenue opens each day at 9:30 AM and cars are displayed from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Event held rain or shine.

You do not need to be a member of any car club to participate Mini Club members and WPTA British cars members should sign-up through their respective clubs

Marque of the Year Porsche’s require a separate form available at www.pvgp.org/marque Name ___________________________________________ Phone ___________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________ State _______________ Zip ________________ Email address ______________________________________________________________________ Make _______________________________Model _________________________ Year ___________ Car Club Affiliation ___________________________________________________________________   International Car Show Registration - $25 donation for the weekend $__________ Includes Saturday and Sunday entry, PVGP Race Program and Dash Plaque.

“For Sale” sign to help sell your car at the event -$10 donation $__________

“In Spirit” donation for our charities $__________

Total $__________  

 Mail-in registration deadline is July 10, online registration deadline is July 20 - after that all participants must pay at gate. You can register & pay online with credit card at www.pvgp.org/register or complete this form and send with a check made payable to the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association. Entry fee is tax deductible.

Mail to: PVGP Car Show Registration • Box 200475 • Pittsburgh, PA 15251-0475

Waiver of Liability – Required The undersigned hereby releases the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association (PVGPA) and the City of Pittsburgh from any responsibility for any and all damages and personal injuries sustained by me or my property from any cause whatsoever, while driving to and from and while participating in the International Car Shows It is understood that this release is given in consideration for permission to said event. Signature ___________________________________________________ Date __________________________

2011 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix

International Car Show at Schenley Park – July 23 & 24 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM All Makes & Ages: Antiques, Classics and Muscle Cars

Use reverse side to register - $25 donation  

2011 Race Week Schedule

Sunday, July 10 (first car off at noon) Kick-Off Rallye starting on S. Craig Street in Oakland

Friday, July 15 (6 pm – 11 pm) Black Tie Gala at Longue Vue Club in Verona

Weekend, July 16 & 17 (9 am – 5 pm) PVGP Historic Races at BeaveRun MotorSports Complex

Monday, July 18 (5 pm- 9 pm) Walnut Street Car Show (Show cars by Invitation only)

Tuesday, July 19 (5 pm – 10 pm) Car Cruise at Waterfront in Homestead Sponsored by Fuddruckers

Wednesday, July 20 (11 am – 2 pm) Downtown Parade & Car Display (call 412 596-0268 to participate)

Wednesday, July 20 (6 pm– 9 pm) Grand Prix Tune-Up at Bossa Nova

Saturday July 23 (9:30 am – 5 pm) Schenley Park International Car Show & Vintage Race Qualifying

Sunday, July 24 (9:30 am – 5 pm) Schenley Park Race Day, Opening Ceremonies, Vintage Races, Thunder Run, and Patron Parking

A 10-Day Festival of Racing, Car Shows and Motorsport Events Benefiting the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School

For information on all our events visit our website at www.pvgp.org