vol. 17 topless maneuvers issue # 2 march3 topless maneuvers: the official newsletter of the greater...
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1 TOPLESS MANEUVERS: The official newsletter of the Greater Cincinnati Miata Club
Vol. 17 Issue #2 March 2017
TOPLESS MANEUVERS
The Official Newsletter of the Greater Cincinnati Miata Club
Our Sponsor:
In this issue:
Top Down…1 Recent Events…2-3
Upcoming Events…4-5
Fun with Gasoline…6
Car Trivia…7
From the Top Down: A word from our club president – Bobbi Ross [email protected]
As I write this, we’ve had a taste of Spring and the beginning of top down driving. I’m looking forward to some
interesting driving events this season.
Since our last newsletter, we’ve had two social events and one excursion. “Professor” Tom Draper took us to the
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force to see the new fourth hangar. Thank you! Our dinner/social meetings were the
annual planning meeting at Belterra and the delicious Soups, Stews, Chilis potluck dinner hosted by Chris, Ken and Doug
Bogart. Check out the website calendar – it’s filling up.
March includes two events: Buddy and Sue Smith are starting their “first Sunday Dinner Drives”, and Heather and Rob
Salvucci have secured space at MJ’s on Main in Milford for our monthly social meeting. The meeting on March 23 will
also be our Annual Meeting. This is a reminder that your 2016 membership is ending – our 2017 fiscal year begins on
April 1, no fooling! Dues are $25 per year and may be paid at the March 23 meeting. (Or may be mailed—see info on
page 8 of this newsletter.)
On April 22, we are invited to the Spring Classic Driving Tour organized by Kurt Niemeyer. Check the website for specific
details, but his year Kurt has added a charity component. GCMC has chosen to support Days of Wonder, an alternative
educational option in Batavia, owned and operated by member Ken Kramer’s daughter Cynthia Day. I encourage you to
come out early to see the cars at the start (Ferraris to Austin Healeys) or join us at Jungle Jim’s finish.
Looking further out, our annual M&M Vacation takes us to Marietta, OH with the Queen City Coopers. Once you have
made your hotel reservation (8 of 15 rooms are still available), please email me ([email protected]) so we don’t leave
you behind! If you can’t make all of the weekend (I know, not all of us are retired), please contact me – we can give you
a shortened itinerary.
See you on the road – top down driving season is just around the corner!
Visit the club website (you can pay your dues there with PayPal!)
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Recent events: Social and Planning Meeting, Jan. 19, 2017 by Bobbi Ross
Tom Hemsath arranged for us to use a part of The Stadium Club for our January planning meeting. In attendance: our
host Tom and his wife Della, Bobbi & Tim Ross, Ken Kramer, Scott & Eileen Brown, Rob & Heather Salvucci, Buddy & Sue
Smith, Jimmy & Deana Smith, Gary Miller, and Bob & Toni Baur.
Tim Ross, Treasurer, reported that we have money! After this fiscal year ends March 31, we will not be giving gas cards
as a thank you for putting together a drive, rallye, etc. Instead, the Mazda swag will be used.
We discussed the calendar and made updates, which are being added to the website calendar. We had a description
from Gary Miller of the plans for the 2017 M&M Vacation in May to Marietta, OH. Tom Hemsath, Scott Brown and Bob
Askin are working on an overnight to Lake Erie/Put-in-Bay.
For 2016, we had a challenge of visiting towns starting with each letter of the alphabet. The challenge for 2017 is to
attend all of the GCMC events on the calendar. One point is issued for each event - highest point total wins Mazda swag.
Note that those who attended the January 19 meeting already have one point in the bank!
Air Force Museum Tour, Feb. 18, 2017
Our club once again appreciated the expertise of member & Vice-president Tom “Aviation Guy” Draper as they explored
some of the newest exhibits of the National Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH. The event fell on an astonishingly mild
February day, and tops-down could be seen, at least for the drive home. After a quick lunch in the museum café, we
started our tour in the new building, #4. This building exhibits more modern aircraft and lots of experimental and
unmanned craft. One high point of the tour was seeing the Air Force One planes from the first one used by Truman and
then newer planes which served Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Clinton. Tom’s true passion is WW I and WW II era
airplanes so, after touring building 4, he took a group back to those displays and wowed us with lots of stories. Thanks to
Tom for being such a wonderful tour guide!
3 TOPLESS MANEUVERS: The official newsletter of the Greater Cincinnati Miata Club
Soups, Stews & Chili Potluck Dinner (and social gathering), Feb. 25, 2017 by Bob Askin - GCMC Secretary
A big thanks to Chris, Ken and Doug Bogart for hosting
this annual event. This seems to be one of our more
popular gatherings and is always tasty. Also thanks to
Chris for making the corn bread and yummy deserts! I
counted 7 crock-pots with 2 beef stews, 2 conventional
chilis, 1 chicken chili, a Polish cabbage soup and a
chicken rice stew.
In attendance: The Bogarts; Tim & Bobbi Ross; Ken
Kramer; Tom & Della Hemsath; Gary & Cindy Miller;
Bob & Wendy Askin; Jimmy & Deana Smith; Bob &
Terri Mackey; Matt & Jackie Lawson and Tom Draper.
After dinner and social time, club president, Bobbi
Ross called the meeting to order. First order of
business was to thank the Bogarts for hosting this
annual event. Chris said she loves doing this and
will host as long as we want to keep coming back.
Treasurer Tim Ross stated that we have a good
balance in the bank to end the year and start the
new fiscal year in April. He also announced that
we are down to the last few club window clings
and need to order more. He has researched and
found a new source and will follow up with an
order. He also has 'lid latches' (hat tethers to keep
your hat from blowing off) for $5. This is a new
item in his offerings of club gear. Bobbi recapped
the events on the club calendar so far and
provided details for many events. Check the club
website for a complete run down of all that is
planned this year. There are still some drives and
events/meetings that will be added as further
plans are made. There are at least two overnight
outings on the schedule. One is in May to
Marietta, OH hosted by the Millers. Another will
be in September to Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie being
led by Tom Hemsath, Scott Brown and Bob Askin.
Be sure to look at the website schedule of events and consider participating in as many events as you can. The Club
Challenge for 2017 is a participation challenge where you earn points for participating in events throughout the year.
Bobbi will keep track, so let her know if you do a non-club sponsored event so she can award your points. Mazda swag
will be given away at the December meeting and party.
4 TOPLESS MANEUVERS: The official newsletter of the Greater Cincinnati Miata Club
2017 Upcoming Events: Check website for details added after this newsletter!
Sun.,
Mar. 5
4 p.m.
First Sunday Dinner Drive Meet at Richard's Pizza in
Fairfield at 4 p.m. 495 Nilles Road. No drive this time
but will discuss next month's outing for possible
locations and a drive beforehand.
Thurs.,
Mar. 23
5:30 p.m.
Social Meeting Supper get-together at MJ's on Main in Milford. Gather
5:30-6:30 - order off the menu - short business meeting 7:15 +/-.
Parking on Main (US 50) is limited - consider parking on High St and
enter from the back.
Sat.,
Apr. 8
9 a.m.
Ohio Valley Austin Healey Club Driver's Training/Gymkana Rain or Shine Not a GCMC sponsored event.
Live Oak Vocational School - 5956 Buckwheat Road - Milford, OH 45150-2287. "Fun & Family Oriented
Gymkhana" This event is designed to be a safe, fun way to enjoy your automobile. No dangerous driving
or recklessness will be tolerated. Exhaust systems must be street legal for noise. The main gate opens
before 9:00 AM. Registration is the first 20 cars with up to 25 drivers. The maximum is usually reached
BEFORE 10:00 AM. Runs start as soon as possible. Clean up about 3:30. The more help picking up cones
and cleaning the earlier we leave. Cost: $25.00 per Driver - Max - 25 drivers - spectators free! - Rain or
Shine. Everyone will be required to sign a waiver and all drivers are required to work the course when
not driving. Bring chairs and a cooler; there is shade available. No alcohol.
Required Equipment: A safe/functioning car (we will inspect it) any make or
model, the cooler the better; Helmets are required for drivers and passen-
gers. There are usually loaners available.
Sat.,
Apr. 22
7:30 a.m.
Spring Classic Driving Tour We are invited to attend the 5th Annual Spring Classic
Driving Tour. Meet up at the American Modern Insurance Group, 7000 Midland
Boulevard, Amelia, OH. There will be Food Trucks and a Coffee for a “Cars & Coffee”
start to the drive.
Our club will be issued route instructions. The first vehicle will leave at 9:00. Several stops will be
included at points of interest along the way. After 4-5 hours (including stops) of touring Clermont
County, the drive ends at Jungle Jim's Paradise Pavilion in Eastgate for a Cruise In and Reception.
New this year: each club picks a charity to support, sets and collects an entry fee; after the drive the
club sends its donation to its charity. Our donation will go to Days of Wonder School in Batavia. Its
founder is Ken and Sue Kramer's daughter. Suggested fee is $5-10 per car, but you're welcome to give
whatever you're comfortable with. http://www.daysofwonderschool.org/ will give you more details. Its
founder is long-time Miata club member Ken and Sue Kramer's daughter.
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Sun.,
Apr. 30
Sharonville Car Show This is the 40th for this event. We haven't done this as a club
for several years, but here's the link:
http://www.sharonvillechamber.com/events/sharonville-car-show-9/
Sat.,
May 13
Drive to Midway, KY A twisty-road drive to Midway, KY
for lunch led by Tom Draper.
Fri.,
May 19 - 22
M&M Vacation Gary and Cindy Miller are sharing
their hometown of Marietta, OH with us. Four days,
three nights - fourth day is optional for those who
can't get off work. Start - Shell/Subway/Dunkin'
Donuts - Elick Lane at SR 32, Batavia. Directions: I-
275 to Exit 63 toward Batavia - when you see Wyler
on your right and Homan on your left (CARS &
TRUCKS!), prepare to turn left at the light onto Elick
Lane and the Shell station.
May 19 - drive to Marietta using SR 32 and SR 550. Lunch in Athens. Walking tour of Marietta. Supper
on the banks of the Ohio River.
May 20 - drive SR 26, one of THOSE roads. Lunch in Woodsfield. Leisurely return to Marietta. Slow
driving tour of Marietta and the area. Supper at The Busy Bee (owned by Gary’s cousin).
May 21 - brunch at the Stockport Mill on the Muskingum River. Campus Martius Museum and Ohio
River Museum. Supper in West Virginia.
May 22 - leisurely return to Cincinnati – at least partly following the Ohio River.
Hotel: Fairfield Inn & Suites, 200 Cherry Tree Lane, Marietta - 1-740-374-3000; $107 for 2 queen beds,
$99 for 1 king bed; May 19-22 (3 nights) - call hotel directly, ask for M&M Vacation group (Mazda Miata
seems to come up in their system)
Email [email protected] when you have your reservation so we can get a good count.
Wed.,
May 31 -
June 4
Zoomin in the Mountains of East Tennessee Not a GCMC event--run by the TriCities
Miata Club. Laps around Bristol Speedway are typically the high point. Fundraiser for
Speedway Children's Charities. Holiday Inn Johnson City, TN. 101 W Springbrook Dr.
This date appears on the ZMOET Facebook page. Watch the club page for additional
information: http://www.tri-citiesmiataclub.com/home Their Facebook page says you
need to register (with them) by April 30 for a guaranteed shirt size.
6 TOPLESS MANEUVERS: The official newsletter of the Greater Cincinnati Miata Club
Fun with Gasoline: Goodbye Car Mags (Part II) From our member, Tom Draper
This month my subscriptions for Auto Week and Automobile have come to a close.
Both issues took between 1 and 2 minutes to make sure there was nothing of
interest to read, not counting two trips to the waste basket. Now I must endure
countless junk mail submissions from these two as well as from Road & Track, Car &
Driver, Motor Trend and so forth. Now the only two I get are Classic Cars (about
older U.S. cars of all types) and Sports & Exotic Cars (about sports and exotic cars),
both Hemmings publications. These magazines are generally free from articles
about driverless cars, high performance Lexus sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, and
statements such as “At only $87,000 dollars, this (four door sedan) is a steal at twice
the price.”
A few days ago, some friends and I were sitting around eating pizza when the
subject of “What is or was your favorite car?” came up. Everyone named a car that
was a completely analog car. My 1956 TR-3 beat out my 1968 Fiat 124 Spider,
which was also an analog car. Anologiness was not the only common attribute
found in the favorite car list. Favorite cars needed adjustment at regular intervals, such as every Saturday morning, or
got adjusted every Saturday morning whether they liked it or not. Many of them had folding tops and none of them had
four doors. Usually they accepted aftermarket add-ons which either added
power or felt like they did, and attracted expressions of distain from parents
such as my father saying “Christ Tom, you can buy a brand new Catalina for that
price!”
Which brings me around to the beginning of this particular rant: Almost any
new car is boring, fast and boring, has four doors (boring), too expensive
(boring), too big (boring), looks ugly (boring), or is in fact boring (boring).
Of course, there is a car that is not boring, but car mags don’t write about them
anymore because reading their articles have become boring (boring) because
they are about Miatas. Miatas, I have to admit are in some ways boring. For
example, anyone who had a real (read analog) sports car (not boring) did not
consider a Miata a real sports car. Did they always get you there? Yes? (Boring.)
Did they need constant adjustment? No? (Boring.) Did they leak? No? (Boring.)
Did they constantly get out of Tune? No? (Boring.) Did they need, or look like
they might need, Saturday morning maintenance? No? (Boring.)
On the other hand, a Miata is one of the rare cars still in
production today that is not boring, or if you did or do have an
analog car, not totally boring.
7 TOPLESS MANEUVERS: The official newsletter of the Greater Cincinnati Miata Club
Car Trivia:
Q: What autos were the first to use a
standardized production key-start system?
A: The 1949 Chryslers
Q: What did the Olds designation 4-4-2 stand for? A: 4 barrel carburetor, 4 speed transmission, and dual exhaust.
Parts, parts, parts! We have discontinued Classifieds here in favor of you posting parts on the GCMC FaceBook. If you need NA parts, scroll back to Feb. 10 to access Gary Miller’s PDF catalog. Did you know the club has a few tools and equipment available for loaning out? Here is what the club owns (Tim Ross is currently guardian of the gark)
2 Sets of spring compressors
G-Meter to measure acceleration and G-forces in turns
Green Machine steam cleaner and solution
40-50 short orange traffic cones
Radio Shack Air horn/Megaphone Resources:
- To subscribe to ZOOM ZOOM Mazda magazine: www.zoomzoommag.com
- Website Photo Galleries Feel free to post your event photos to the appropriate section on our website! - Club Gear – Tim Ross has car door magnets of the GCMC logo (11.5” x 7”) and club hat pins for sale. The door
magnets are $15 each or 2 for $30. These are really heavy duty magnets and look sharp. The hat pins are $2.50 each or 2 for $5, made of quality enameled metal. See Tim or Bobbi Ross at the next club event to purchase.
Engraved name tags are being provided by the club to each member. A name tag can be purchased for a spouse or significant other for $6. The tags are magnetic, rather than pin-on, to save putting holes in clothing. Besides your name, some limited information can be engraved inside the
car silhouette. See Bob Askin at events to collect your name tag or sign up with him to get a name tag ordered.
Are you getting group emails? If not, subscribe to the eGCMC mailing list from our resource page!
The mailing list is used for contacting club members and as an open discussion forum for our members. We don’t send
out reminders of meetings every single time (we suggest that you join our Facebook page as well as check into our
website as events draw near), but if an email is sent out, we’d sure like for you to get it!
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Existing members: a new application need only be filled out in its entirety in the case of information that has changed from a previous year.
G.C.M.C. Membership Application
Thank you for your interest in the Greater Cincinnati Miata Club! Please take the time to fill out this membership application form and send it in with the correct dollar amount as indicated below. Our memberships all expire in April, at which time the full annual dues of $25 are due by the entire membership. The dollar amounts indicated below apply to your first year/partial year’s membership only. It is our policy to allow you to include a guest on your membership, such as a spouse or significant other. If you wish such a person to be included in our database, please include his/her information below.
GCMC Member Name: __________________________________________________________________________
Spouse / SO Name: _____________________________________________________________________________
Street Address: ________________________________________________________________________________
City, State and Zip code: _________________________________________________________________________
Home Phone: __________________________________ Cell Phone: ______________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________________________________________________
About your car:
Color: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Year: __________________________________________________________________________________________
Options Package: ________________________________________________________________________________
Specialized License plate? _________________________________________________________________________
Any Modifications? ______________________________________________________________________________
Find the month that you are applying in below and enclose the indicated dollar amount.
JAN-MAR = $10.00 APR-JUN = $25 JUL-SEP = $20 OCT-DEC = $15
This form may be mailed to the address below, or scanned and emailed to [email protected]. A new member may pay by check or PayPal, but a member form is needed for registration.
Greater Cincinnati Miata Club
In care of Jon Haas
2300 Paragon Mill Drive
Burlington, KY 41005
9 TOPLESS MANEUVERS: The official newsletter of the Greater Cincinnati Miata Club
Your officers:
Bobbi Ross –President [email protected]
Tom Draper – Vice president [email protected]
Tim Ross – Treasurer
Rally Director [email protected]
Bob Askin – Secretary Director of Communications Newsletter Editor [email protected]
John Haas –
Membership Director [email protected]
Tom Hemsath – Director at Large [email protected]
Buddy Smith – Director at Large [email protected]
Send your articles, pictures, event dates, and news about our club to: [email protected] (in the Miata named At a Boy)
The deadline for the next regular issue is April 25, 2017…articles and pix welcomed!