Controlled Over-Steer

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1 Volume 19 Issue 4 April 2009 Page 2 Miatas In Leavenworth Last Print Issue! Welcome To Our New Members. Page 3 Tag Article. Page 5 Classifieds. Check Your Settings! Page 6 Post Tax Blues Info. Page 7 Club sponsors. Controlled Over-Steer or... Steering with Your Right Foot! by Tom Lewis, President The year 2009 has been a year of learning for me, and more from a needs standpoint as opposed to a desire to learn. But the end result has been extraordinarily self satisfying. Let me explain As a single dad with two daughters the oldest just graduated from Purdue and her sister a junior at IU money has been tight for some time, requiring some rigid budgeting. This budgeting has had zero room for automobile payments for some time, so the newest car in the fleet is actually the 1996 Miata M Edition. Also included are a 1995 Nissan Maxima and a 1995 Acura Legend. All three are finely made automobiles, extremely reliable, and most importantly, paid for. But even the finest of cars will begin to wear over time. So it was only natural when my job was eliminated in early January that all three of my automobiles simultaneously required significant maintenance to components that had reach the end of their useful lives. Now, I ve been doing normal maintenance on my Miata for several years; things like oil changes, tire rotations, adding cold air intakes and other things most any one with hand tools could accomplish. But when it came to anything more complicated, I have to leave that to the experts. Best to make sure the job is done right. But as I read more and more on Miata.net, I began to think that perhaps I could do a bit more maintenance myself. When the water pump failed on the Maxima and required professional attention and some serious dollars, it certainly expedited the need to learn to do more myself. Then the Miata s clutch began to act up. An to Shane Benson confirmed a bad bearing in the clutch, which of course, is not something I m qualified to even attempt. And if we re going to replace a bad bearing on a clutch with over 130,000 miles, might as well replace the clutch, too, right? So the Miata is off to Shane s for a new clutch, and I m off to the bank for another draw on the Home Equity Line. Shane discovered a leak caused by the failed rubber O-ring in the Cam Angle Sensor. A pretty common item to fail on the Miata and something I ve actually done before on my previous 95 M Edition (RIP!). It s a pretty straight forward procedure and with some very thorough instructions from the Garage section on Miata.net, a $0.59 cent O-ring from NAPA and about 30 minutes under the hood, that pesky oil leak is history. Now I m feeling pretty good about myself and the grit under my fingernails. Maybe saved a hundred bucks or so! The next week I begin to get the metal on metal sound coming from my right rear brake. A quick inspection found that not only had the inside pad worn down to the bare metal, the slider pin on the caliper that allows the pads to squeeze evenly on the rotor had frozen. Solid. Consequences are that the rotor will need to be replaced and the caliper either rebuilt or replaced. Since the Miata is a daily driver, I opted to replace the caliper with a NAPA rebuilt unit. I checked the other side of the car and found the left caliper in similar shape. So what the heck, if we re going to replace one caliper, might as well replace both as a pair! Hey, it s only money! So, a few days later my new calipers arrive at NAPA, and I pick up new pads and rotors, too. Then off to Harbor Freight for to purchase a brake bleeding kit for $10. I ve changed brake pads before, but have never attempted to replace the calipers and bleed the braking system. But you know what? It s not difficult at all, really. A bit time consuming, as anything you do the first time is apt to be, but very doable. I even got Laura involved in the process by helping with the brake bleeding. The sense of self-satisfaction felt for doing it yourself is priceless, and for less than $250, I now have new brake pads, rotors, calipers and clean fluid coursing though the brake lines. I've got a nifty little brake bleeding kit, too. How much did I save? You tell me, but I know I could not have afforded to shell out that kind of cash at this point in time. Zoom-Zoom to page 2

2 2 Open Road April 2009 Indy Miata Club Officers 2009 President Tom Lewis Vice-President Eric Drumwright Treasurer Steve Crouse Membership Director Mike Selvy Events Coordinator Greg Waltz Secretary Nancy Burrill Publications Sara J mcbride 4249 Springwood Ct. Indpls., IN editor@indymiata.com The Open Road is published monthly for the members of the Indy Miata Club. The Indy Miata Club assumes no liability for any information contained herein, or injury or damage resulting from use of this information. The ideas, opinions, maintenance or modification tips expressed are to be used at the reader s discretion. Individual contributors and/or the editors express no approval, authentication, or endorsement. Thank you. Controlled Over-Steer...continued from Page 1 So when the alternator gave out on the Miata, I wasted no time in calling my new friends down at the NAPA store, ordered one and installed it a couple days later. Then it was the Variable Speed Sensor on the Acura that failed, rendering the speedometer inoperable. Now, in a car that's driven by a 21 year old with a rather heavy foot, I can t delay on fixing this one! Two days after ordering the part from an Acura Dealer in Delray Beach, I m under the Legend replacing the rather difficult-to-get-to part. But it s fixed! I don t mind telling you that I m pretty darn proud of myself, and knowing that I ve saved hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars is so satisfying. I encourage all of you to open the hood of your Miata and get a little dirt under your fingernails. Even if it s pulling the dipstick out to check your oil level, getting to know your Miata a little more intimately can be extremely rewarding. As a bonus, it can save you a few bucks, too. Miatas At Leavenworth Inn The weekend tour for IMC scheduled for April in Leavenworth, Indiana looks to be a fun time. Bob Wiley and Steve and Kathy Crouse have organized this weekend trip down to the Ohio River with fine roads and fine dining There's no more room at the Leavenworth Inn for you, but accommodations should still be available at the Days Inn or in Corydon. Sign up at the events page and contact Steve (treasurer@indymiata.org) to let him know that you're joining the group as they have planned an optional buffet dinner Saturday evening, at Magdalena s Restaurant in Corydon. If you would like to join us for dinner that evening, they are asking for payment in advance. The menu will consist of the following choices- Salad: Tossed garden salad with choice of dressings. Entrees: BBQ Chicken Breast & Baked Turkey w/gravy. Sides: Seasoned Green Beans, Broccoli Casserole & Mashed Potatoes. Dessert: Blackberry cobbler. Drinks: Coffee, Iced Tea, Water. Bread: Butter-flaked rolls. The cost of dinner is $23.25 per person ($46.50 per couple). In addition, in order to simplify our ordering of lunch at the Rocky Point Grill on Saturday, we ask that you RSVP your selection from the following subsandwich menu: Italian Beef, Stromboli, Philly, Italian Combo, Hot Ham with Mozzarella.(Payment for lunch will be direct to the cashier. Again, it is important to contact Steve to let him know you will be on the rally and what your dinner (and lunch) arrangements will be. Don't Miss An Issue Of The OR This is the last regular issue of the Open Road that will be mailed to you unless you have contacted your newsletter editor. We will be posting the Open Road in PDF form and sending all members the link to the file when it is posted online. You may then read it online or download the file to your computer to read and/or print. We are going to this method of delivery to be able to get the latest information to you on a timely basis and to keep our costs down. It is very important that we are able to contact you by . See Page 5 for more information on how to verify your information. Greetings To Our New Members! by Mike Selvy, Membership Director We would like to welcome our newest members to the Indy Miata Club. Joining us are: Herman Freeland, Jeremy Polson, Mark Thomson, Bill and Sam Biel, Jim and Janice Craig, Duane Raab, Roy and Teresa Pruett, Syl and Linda Ebert, Scott Black, David and Shannon Off, Gary and Linda Weidman, Jim and Patty Owens. We hope to meet and say "Hi!" to all of you in person at a club event soon.

3 3 Open Road April 2009 Tag! You're It! How Did We Get Here? Where Are We Going? This month s Tag Article is brought to you by Jeff Evans, courtesy of last month s author Eric Drumwright. I m not an officer of the club, rather more of a newbie to the Indy Miata Club and the whole Miata experience. I can truthfully state that a large part of why I m writing this article is attributed to my wonderful wife and navigator Darlene. We had been talking about a two-seat roadster since shortly after we got married (soon to be) twenty-nine years ago. Somehow life intervened, until two years ago, when she realized that our oldest was about to finish college and the youngest was half way through college and would soon be off the payroll. So when she said Let s do this!, I did not hesitate to get started on what would turn out to be nearly six months of research followed by another six month wait. As it turned out (and you already know this) the determination of the best two-seater for the money was fairly straight forward. Frankly, we didn t even bother with driving the competition, there was no need. The reviews in print and on the Internet were more than conclusive the Miata was it. By mid 2007, we decided that the PRHT (Power Retractable Hardtop) was the way we wanted to go, even though we knew we would winter the car in the garage. We figured that the PRHT would give us more time along the edges of the driving season. It did not take long to learn of the Miata s aura. During the summer of 2007, I was receiving s from dealers all over the Midwest offering me their lone PRHT for a mere $4, over MSRP! It seems that in 2007 folks were paying top dollar for this little gem. By July, it was obvious that we would need to be patient if we were to get what we wanted, so in early October 2007 we ordered our 2008 GT Copper Mica Red PRHT. In March of 2008, our birthday gift to ourselves arrived and we couldn t be happier. So how did we end up here with the IMC? Both Darlene and I grew up in the Chicago area (mostly NW Indiana) and worked in the southwest suburbs of Chicago for over twenty years. I was working as a research engineer in the telecom industry while pursuing a PhD in Computer Science (am I nuts?) when the industry and its products became more of a commodity with the explosion of the Internet. Between 1999 and 2004, more than 30,000 engineers in the Chicago area lost their jobs. We were able to hang on between Darlene s bookkeeping business and me doing consulting work while working on my dissertation research. In 2003, I was offered a tenure-track faculty position at Purdue University in West Lafayette, so here we are in central Indiana. Since we had to start over in establishing a circle of friends in a new area, our Miata purchase served to motivate us to find a Miata club and try it out. Our choice of the Indy Miata club was no accident. We thought that since we already knew the terrain of northwest Indiana it might be nice to see and experience other parts of the state, so we joined the IMC in June of So far we have not been disappointed. The rallies have been great and we can t thank Gary and Kathy Collings enough for their efforts which allowed us the opportunity to participate in the 2008 MMG. It was an experience we will never forget. We have thoroughly enjoyed getting acquainted with members of the IMC. It s great to mingle with folks from all walks of life who share a common interest and bond with the best roadster in the world. I learn something new with every event or gathering, the collective knowledge is tremendous! Which brings us to the second phrase of this article s title, where are we going? One of our goals for the next ten plus years is to establish how we want to live once our working careers slow down. Notice I did not mention the R word. Darlene says I m like a shark if I stop swimming I ll die. She s probably right. So, we just completed a big test in our Miata. Our oldest daughter lives in Orlando FL, so we divided my spring break into six driving days and three down time days in Orlando. Our goal was to determine if we would enjoy using our Miata for the purpose of longer road trips. Would we be comfortable? Could we fit our stuff in the trunk? Would there be enough room for souvenirs? Our first day took us from home in Lafayette to Newport, TN. We got off the expressway in Lexington, but I blew the route I had planned so we decided to drive Route 421 through the Daniel Boone National Forest. What a wonderful drive. Even though it rained (and rained, and rained) making the roads wet, our Miata handled flawlessly through this part of rural Kentucky. We went through the Cumberland Gap and headed into Newport, a town along Interstate 40 just northeast of Smoky Mountain National Park. On day two we headed out along I-40 through Asheville, NC and onto I-26 into South Carolina. Again it rained (and rained, and rained). By the time we got to a decision point at Continued on Page 4 Darlene and Jeff Evans, proud owners of a 2008 Copper Mica Red MX-5!

4 Open Road 4 April 2009 How Did We Get Here?...continued the intersection of I-95 we decided to forgo our plan to visit Charleston (thanks to Phil Buffington for his wonderfully detailed suggestion, we will plan to visit next time) and head toward Brunswick, GA. When we got to Savannah, the rain stopped, the clouds parted and I pulled off at the nearest exit. It was TOP DOWN TIME!!! In Brunswick, we decided to wait an hour, catching the end of the Purdue basketball game before exploring the area. Since we had planned on visiting Charleston, we had to wing it, so we headed down to Jekyll Island for some exploring. After a spin around the island followed by a quiet walk on the boardwalk-like path constructed out of sea shells, we headed to a beach front restaurant for a delicious seafood dinner, followed by the true spectacle of watching the launch of the space shuttle. Even from 200 miles away, we could clearly see the release of the solid rocket boosters followed by the release of the external fuel tank. The shuttle itself, now just a dot of light, ascended into orbit, eventually disappearing from sight into the now darkening sky. On day three we headed into Florida, top down of course. We stopped in Jacksonville for a visit to Jacksonville University. I attended JU as an aspiring musician in the late 70 s, but never finished, a story for another time perhaps. To no real surprise, the campus had changed significantly, and it was with slight disappointment that we found my old dorm locked down with combination security locks on the doors. There were no locking outside doors on the dorms when I attended and they were always open, we were in Florida after all. It was now on to Orlando, the outside temperature was now 79 degrees and we proceeded along Highway A1A with the top down. What a drive! Remarkably, we noticed that most of the sq. ft. mansions being built along the shore actually had construction crews on site and working, someone in this country still has some money. I think we also learned that we are not really beach people, but the drive was still amazing. Once we got to Cape Canaveral, we took a right and headed west. In Orlando we had dinner with our daughter, then chilled the following day. On Wednesday we headed for a local state park for a hike to prepare for our winery visit (there seems to be a common subject thread evolving here). Believe it or not, there are some pretty good wine grapes grown in Florida, so we filled the remaining trunk space and began to prepare for our drive home. We had a final dinner with our daughter and friends, said our goodbyes, and assured all that we would be back soon. Our trip home began on Thursday along Route 19 in Florida and Georgia all the way to the south suburbs of Atlanta. The day was long, mostly just getting to Route 19 from western Orlando. (Note to self: find an alternative way to get View from the navigator's seat as Jeff and Darlene cruised the Florida coast. to Route 19.) Route 19 is a pleasant four lane divided highway in Florida along the west side (not really the coast) with only a few towns along the way. Once we crossed the state line into Georgia, the countryside becomes more hilly and scenic. Route 19 is being rebuilt in GA, which was not a problem as the traffic density was nil. In fact, there were portions along the road where we thought the road might be closed, since we did not see a single vehicle (none!) for five to ten miles at a time. We were alone on this road, so the question was "How fast do you drive?" Our stop for the night was in Fayetteville, GA where we stayed with my best friend Pat from old JU whom I had not seen in 31 years. We had kept in touch, but never got around to a personal visit. There was much reminiscing about our days (and nights) of playing the local clubs, on Daytona Beach, etc., our lives since then, and what may be ahead. After a quick top down drive around the block with Pat and a few pictures, we said goodbye and headed north, through Chattanooga, then Nashville, and eventually home from Kentucky the following day. While getting closer to home we realized that our questions had been answered in the affirmative. We were indeed comfortable on a longer drive (2,491 miles@31mpg), our stuff fit in the car, and we had room for wine. What a bonus! Be sure to check out next month s tag article when Larry and Sabrena Smith, who are also new members of the IMC, share their adventures with all of us. Darlene and I look forward to many fun filled years on the road and at future IMC events.

5 Open Road 5 Classified Ads Wanted - I need 2 wheel centers for my 1999 Miata. I was missing them when purchased this unit and would like to have a complete set since putting new tires on last fall. Jim Owens from the club web site Classifieds page. For Sale - Jack Stands. Working on your car? For safety's sake, you need these! Four for $ Sara J: editor@indymiata.org or For Sale - Rhino Ramps. Working on your car? These will make it easier for you. Two for $ Sara J: editor@indymiata.org or For Sale - I have a full set of four 14" X 6" OEM 7-spoke wheels from a 1996 B package. These are the coveted TRUE HOLLOW SPOKE wheels that weigh in at a mere 10.8 pounds each! Follow this link for details on Miata.net: Cosmetically, the finish on these wheels is just OK... the previous owner was running competition brake pads that created a tremendous amount of dust that has settle into the finish. They are however functionally in super shape. Very little curb rash and are not bent. Two of the wheels have 185/65 R 14 Goodyear Eagle GT tires mounted with approximately 60% tread life left. The other two wheels have Falken ZIEX ZE /60 R 14 tires mounted with approximately 80% tread life left. These are just non-performing assets taking up room in my garage and I could certainly use the space... not to mention the money! Make me an offer! I can photos on request. Tom Lewis For Sale - I am selling 2 Cobra radios with charger. I am upgrading to a much more expensive set of Midlands. I used these last summer on a few road trips. Model # PR4500WX (new at Walmart about $40) I can't locate the box, but do have the manual. (ear-piece may be in box, maybe thrown away?) I'll sell the two radios, charger with manual for $20 to a club member! Bob Wiley: wileekyot@aol.com April Verification It is very important that you have your current address listed in the club's database. If you did not receive an informing you that this issue was available online, we do not have your correct address or your database settings are set so you cannot receive club s. To check this information, go to the club web site (indymiata.org), log in and then click on the "Update Your Information" link under the club banner. You must have the "Receive Club ?" option set to "Yes". (While you're in there, don't forget to add a note about yourself and your car, plus a picture!) Forgotten your User ID or Password? There's a link in red to click ("Click here if you have forgotten your password") and your information will be sent to you. Tried to login and the program told you that the Login was incorrect? Click on the white "Click Here to Log In" link under the club banner and the red link will reappear. If all else fails, the webmaster (webmaster@ indymiata.org). It won't be as quick, but she'll get back to you as soon as she can. If you wish to continue to receive a mailed copy of the newsletter due to lack of a computer, please drop a note to the editor (contact information is on Page 2). We don't want you to miss any issues of the Open Road and any of the fun!

6 6 Open Road April 2009 It's April and it s time for The world famous, not to be missed, more fun than you could ever believe... Post Tax Blues Rally! You've done your taxes so now it's time to take a break from the grind and have some fun. Join us on Saturday, April 18th for the Post Tax Blues Rally. We'll be joining up with the Lake Effect Miata Club for our annual "get rid of the blues" event. We'll be starting just north of beautiful Lafayette in Battle Ground and heading... well, we don't want to give it away, do we? Here s a suggestion... bring a pencil and a clip board! Meet at: Battle Ground Memorial Park, Battle Ground, IN Driver's meeting: 11:45 First car off at 12:00 All times are Eastern Daylight Time. We will end up in Lafayette where we'll eat and award fabulous prizes! The fee for this rally will be $7 if you pre-register and $10 day of event. Please bring cash! Please register on the event page of the club web site so your Rally Masters can be prepared for the crowd! ( ) We'll meet at the Battle Ground Museum parking lot around 11:15-11:30 to chat if you'd like on April 18th. Take Exit 178 from I-65, head north on SR 43 to IND 225 to Battle Ground. Follow the signs to Battle Ground Park). Or take a right at the light by the McDonalds (600 N) and follow it to Prophet Rock Road. Left at the stop sign, follow the road into Battle Ground, then right onto Railroad Street to Battle Ground Park. Want to drive up as a group? Meet at Exit #130 off of I-65 at the Burger King. Departure time from this location to drive to Battle Ground will be 10: 30. Come earlier for coffee, croissants or conversation. Circle April 18th on your calendar and every morning when you get up to start your day, say "It's going to be a warm, sunny, top down day on April 18th because I'm going on a fun filled Indy Miata Club Rally!"

7 Open Road 7 April 2009 Hubler Mazda South Never stop smiling......and why should you? Top down, wind-in-your-hair, engine-growling exhilaration is what Mazda MX-5 Miata roadsters are known for. Stop in and take a look at the new MX-5 with the Power Retractable Hard Top today! Official Sponsor of the Indy Miata Club 1274 US 31 South, Greenwood, IN Located 3 miles south of the Greenwood Park Mall (317) Cleaning Indiana, one car at a time! AIM is your one stop resource for Miata parts, service and accessories. From recommended maintenance to adding more power, your Miata is in good hands with our factory trained specialists who care about your car. Contact us today to set an appointment! 298F Gasoline Alley Indianapolis, IN Indy Miata Club members receive a 10% discount off labor, maintenance and OEM Mazda parts. You are proud of your car, so let us help you to keep your Miata looking great. We offer services ranging from a "Wash and Vac" to a "Full Service Detail". Most importantly, we'll also give you guidance on how easy it is to keep your Miata looking great after it leaves our shop. And yes, we do black! We invite you to stop by, take a tour of our new shop, and let s just talk about your car. Indy Miata Club members receive a 10% discount. Stop by and say Hi! Jim Schliebner 4265 West 96th Street Don't forget to visit the club web site for up to date information and more!

8 IMC Member Steve Jacobson forwarded this invitation to a special Tech Session and Car Club Night at Griot s Garage in Plainfield! Thanks, Steve! Hello Friends of Griot s Garage! You are invited to a special Tech Session and Car Club Night at our Distribution and Manufacturing Facility in Plainfield, Indiana I would first like to take a moment to introduce myself for those who have not met me. My name is Dustin Wilson, and I am organizing the events and tech sessions produced by Griot s Garage. Many of you met me last year when I was traveling to the various events and tech sessions around the country. I am working closely with Lisa Schimling who many of you know through our club assistance program. We wanted to go above and beyond for those of you who have supported us over the past year. On Friday April, 24th, from 4:00pm until 9:00pm we will be opening our doors to a private, cruise in and tech session for our very best clubs and contacts. We will be featuring some of the best deals ever offered to anyone. We ll be throwing some hot dogs on the BBQ and opening our doors to a night of fun and relaxation for all of you! This is our chance to say thank you for your support. Saturday, April 25th is our annual open house and tech session, from 9:00am until 7:00pm. If you haven t attended in the past, you will not want to miss either event! If you would like to attend, please send me an mentioning you are coming and how many club members, friends or family you are bringing, or send an to events@griotsgarage.com with the same information. You are welcome to bring as many people as you like and if you know of a club or group of gear heads who would like to come, feel free to forward this ! The more the merrier and everyone is welcome. I ve included some directions and a quick summary of the event below. And, watch your for more information about the April 25th event. We would like to see all the clubs come back on Saturday and show off your awesome rides when we open the doors to the general public for the main event! Thank you for you time and your continued support of Griot s Garage. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you at the event and working with you as we continue to build our relationship. Griot s Garage Inc. Open House and Tech Session Club Night: April 24th, from 4:00pm until 9:00pm Public: April 25th from 9:00am until 5:00pm Location: Griot s Garage Inc Airwest Blvd Plainfield, IN Have fun in your garage! Dustin Wilson Sales Supervisor ext. 113 dwilson@griotsgarage.com

9 March 28 - Speedy Gonzalez Road Rally April 18 - Post Tax Blues Rally April 24 - Miatas at the Leavenworth Inn 2009 Scheduled Events May 9 -Fun Run and Brownsburg Motorsports Celebration May 16 -Early Days of Bliss May Miata World II - Gaylord, TX May 23 - Indy 500 Mingle June 6 - Putt to Putnam June 16 - Midweek "Cruse" June 20 - Sock Hop & Shine July 11 - Shall We Gather at the River? July Miatas At The Gap XIII July 25 - Brickyard 400 Mingle August 29 - Red Bull GP Mingle September 11 - Midwest Miata Gathering X More info at: October 24 - BYO BBQ Fun Run November? - Hidden Drives The hazards of rally planning in March and April... Water! This very wet road will NOT be included in the Post Tax Blues Rally!