Motor Show Motor Sport - Mazda MX

Transcription

MX-press
www.mx5club.com.au
Founded 1990
Sep-Oct 2007
Editing, design and production Simon Corston & Bob Sharpe
Motor Show
President’s Report
Motor Sport
JDM Look
The (wood) chips are flying at Jarrahdale Fair.
This veteran of log-chopping has been log-chopping competitively for 66 years. He’s slowing
down now, but I bet he could beat any of us.
Read more of this in the event write-up for the 7th
October Sunday Cruise.
PLUS
Coming Events
Humour Us
Membership Update
For Sale
...and much more
Mazda MX-5 Club of WA inc members have reciprocal rights with other Mazda MX-5 clubs in Australia.
Australian International Motor Show
F
or someone as enthusiastic about cars
as I am, a big motor show is a really
enjoyable event. New models, concept
cars, special show editions, even race
cars, are brought along to add to the appeal and spice up the stands. In Australia,
the Australian International Motor Show is
the biggest around.
es, others had special rotating plinths, and
most would have cost many thousands of
dollars to set up. Mitsubishi and Jeep were
two makes with half a dozen cars up
on a higher level.
five metres long and nearly two metres
wide, it was stunning and made the Maserati Quattroporte look quite ordinary!
Of the new production cars on
show, I was really impressed by
the Mitsubishi Evo X – much more
stylish than the new WRX, and
Previously called the Sydney Motor Show,
it is held in October at Darling Harbour, in
a much better car too. The new
the Sydney Convention Centre. I’ve never
Holden Commodore Sportwagon
managed to be in Sydney at Motor Show
really impressed me as well. Ford’s
time, so this year, I decided to go there
new Mondeo also looked good,
just for the show. It turned out to be a
though the interior looked garish – I
think the “Twin under the skin” new
great weekend.
Lotus 2 Eleven plus
Mazda 6 was
Ashley
better. Mazda
I flew over
on the
had a True Red Roadmidnight
ster Coupe MX on the
The Hyundai Veloster sports car was also
flight on
stand, and people were
impressive, and Skoda showed their Yeti
happily whizzing the
Friday Ocsmall 4WD wagon concept car, which
tober 12th,
roof up and down.
has just been announced for production.
arriving in
This looks as stylish and special as the
Sydney at
Of the more exotic
New Mini, and I think it will sell really well
7.30 am
production cars, I fell
in Australia when it comes in a couple of
in love with the Audi
after an
years.
R8 – very compact,
early mornstylish and beautifully
ing stop in
Honda showed their RA272 formula 1 car
ow car
built, it is rated as betMelbourne.
from 1965 – the first Japanese car to win
BMW Concept CS sh
ter dynamically than
Surprisinga Grand Prix. It had a 1.5 litre V12, and
a Porsche 911 by many journalists.
ly, I caught
looked very basic compared to race cars
The new Maserati Gran Turismo looked
a good couple of hours sleep, and felt
of today. Maserati had a 1957 250F, surely
much better in the metal than pictures indiquite bright by the time I arrived at Darling
the best-looking front-engined Grand Prix
cated, though it looks and is a big heavy
Harbour. Perfect Perth-style weather
car ever? And Porsche showed the ALMS
car. Lotus had the new
awaited me, and it was a pleasure to chat
RS Spyder
semi-track car, the 2
to the organisers of the special 4WD track
sports car
Eleven. This is basically
set up outside, as I waited for the doors to
that Ausa stripped out superopen at 9:00 am.
sie Ryan
charged Exige with
Briscoe
Over 50 new models were on display this
no doors or roof. I tried
has driven
year, some many months in advance of
it for size, and guess
this year
being released in Australia. There were
what – it fitted me perto a curalso 20+ concept cars, some of which
fectly! The price tag of
rent third
had been airlifted from the
place in
Frankthe chamSkoda Yeti
furt
pionship.
Show
Audi R8 - 4 litre V8 and 4WD
last
I’ve probamonth,
bly missed
$127,500 is way out of
and
out many other cars worth seeing – the
my league though. Anwhich
show is so comprehensive that you could
other new model which
would be
easily spend a whole day there. With all
really impressed me was
transthe Darling Harbour attractions and eating
the BMW M3 V8 – comported
places handy, you can get some fresh air
plete with unpainted
straight
for an hour overlooking the water, then
carbon fibre roof.
to the Tohead in again for another stroll around.
kyo Show
My pick of the many
later in
I will definitely be planning to make a
concept cars was a real
October.
return visit next year!
surprise. I am not generally a fan of the
new BMW styling, but their CS Concept
Some of the manufacturers’ stands had
Ash Price
four-door coupe was just gorgeous. Over
mezzanine floors and sweeping staircas-
MX-press Sep-Oct 2007
2
President’s Report
F
All state clubs are listed at www.mx-5club.com.au
or those of you who didn’t attend the
club AGM or notice the name changes
on the committee list in the last MX-press
(page 18), I am now the President of our
illustrious club.
bers have exceeded 100 thanks to the
tireless efforts of Ashley Price. The feeling
is positive about the rate of renewals given
that we have only just reached the end of
October.
Contents
As mentioned at the AGM I feel honoured
to be elected to this role and I will endeavour, along with a strong committee,
to fulfil the obligations of the office and do
my best for the club and its members. I
particularly admire the excellent job David
Turk did as my predecessor as he has
handed over the club in a very healthy
condition.
A new initiative is the professional printing
of our membership cards. Enclosed in the
envelope with this edition is your membership card with your name and the expiry
date on the reverse side. Mazda dealers
have been informed of the change in style
of the membership card, so when you
present it to claim your 15% discount for
service or parts from a Mazda dealer it
will be recognised. We have David Turk to
thank for the graphic design and organising the printing. Well done, David.
Features
We already face a small challenge and
that is the loss of the Wheelspin venue
for our monthly technical gatherings after
work. In the short term we have been
offered the Yacht Doctor’s workshop as
a venue, thanks to Peter Coleman. Ideas
for alternate venues are being considered
by Aart ter Kuile. If you have a possible
venue please let Aart or someone on the
committee know about it.
Aart ter Kuile has kicked off the new club
year with an interesting line up. Our first
Sunday cruise took us through the hills
and ended at the Grand Prix 50th anniversary at Caversham. How many of you
even knew there were Grand Prix held in
WA back then? The next Sunday cruise
was another hilly run ending in Jarrahdale
at their annual fair. You will note the cover
page picture that was taken at the event.
It makes a change from another car shot.
See if you can spot the flying woodchip.
Alan Wallace (now driving his Porche after
selling his SP to Wayne O’Brien) continues to do a great job as Treasurer with the
club accounts at an all time high. So there
is no truth about the holiday in Bali or the
Porche payments then, Alan?
Importantly, our club membership num-
D
ON’T MESS WITH GRANDMA
An elderly Florida lady did her shopping and, upon returning to her car, found
four males in the act of leaving with her
vehicle.
She dropped her shopping bags and
drew her handgun, proceeding to scream
at the top her voice,” I have a gun, and I
know how to use it! Get out of the car..!!”
The four men didn’t wait for a second
invitation. They got out and ran like mad.
The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her bags into the back
of the car and got into driver’s seat. She
was so shaken that she could not get her
key into the ignition. She tried and tried,
An up and coming event is Natmeet 2008,
to be held at Beechworth Victoria. The
club will have several members representing the club at Natmeet 2008. This will be
a record turnout from W.A. If you want to
know more about Natmeet
talk to someone on the
committee or visit the
club website (www.
mx5club.com.au) and
follow the Natmeet link
by clicking the Natmeet
logo shown here.
The last thing I will mention is that we are
trying to move out some old merchandise to make way for some new stock. I
would suggest that you approach Janice
Fairhurst, our new Merchandise officer, to
see if there is a bargain you cannot live
without.
Happy motoring and here’s to another
great year as members of the Mazda
MX‑5 Club of W.A.
Simon Corston
and then it dawned on her why.
A few minutes later, she found her own
car parked four or five spaces farther
down. She loaded her bags into the car
and drove to the police station.
The sergeant to whom she told the story
couldn’t stop laughing.
He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting
a car-jacking by a mad, elderly woman
described as white, less than five feet tall,
with glasses, curly white hair, and carrying a large handgun.
No charges were filed.
...................................................................
2 Australian International Motor Show
8 Mazda Performance Drive Day
9 JDM Look
10 World Domination
13 Members’ Articles
19 Through the Lens
20 The Ups and Downs of the Retractable Hardtop - Part One
Regulars
3 President’s Report
4 Editor’s Desk
4 Membership Update
5 Past/Coming Events
6 Event Write-Ups
11 Humour Us
12 Bits ‘n’ BobS
14 Computer Corner
15 Around The Club
16 Motor Sport Report
18 For Sale
Cover Photograph: Veteran (78) log chopper at Jarrahdale Fair October Cruise by
Simon Corston.
-------------------------------------------------------
The Mazda MX-5 Club of WA does not provide
valuations for cars, it does not endorse or
recommend any insurance company, service agent or parts/accessories vendor. The
opinions of individual club members do not
represent official club policy.
------------------------------------------------------MX-press is the newsletter of the Mazda MX-5
Club of WA Inc.
...................................................................
All contributions are welcome. Articles and
photographs should be emailed to
[email protected]
MX-press Sep-Oct 2007 3
Editor’s Desk
I
was sitting around the other day doing
not much, which is what I do best, when
I had an epiphany. I liked it so much, I had
another. The first was only a small idea
so I got a drink and changed the channel on the TV. The second was slightly
larger and involved the decision to move
from Chateau Sharpe, our home for 20
something years. Now, moving house is
difficult enough for mere mortals but with
enough collectibles to fill a local version
of the British Museum, the task for us is
one degree short of horrendous. Anyway
the first thing we did was look around the
manor and fix all the stuff that we had put
up with, but others certainly wouldn’t. The
place needed painting and I am past the
ceiling whitewashing age so I employed
a couple of dudes at a rate which would
have bought the whole house a few years
ago to do the job. Fair enough, but now I
need to shift all the furniture. Easy-peasy
break-your-back-easy stuff….except that
first you have to take each collectible
“treasure” out of a cabinet or off a shelf
before you can move them. A huge display
cabinet twelve feet long by seven feet high
was emptied of over three thousand items
individually. (The cabinet and a bunch of
kitchenalia, coke collectibles, port jugs,
tins and other priceless objects d’ art are
for sale at club members’ discounts by
the way.) Then after moving collections of
model cars, model trains, porcelain plates,
figurines, pictures and other artefacts
that Indiana Jones would mount another
crusade for, the rest of the furniture was
moved except for the bookcases. Now my
collection of esoteric reference tomes runs
into hundreds and includes a collection of
model railway catalogues, a two hundred
plus collection of Biggles books, some
car books and hundreds of writings about
the weirdest stuff to ever have occurred
on this planet. It’s a bit like a modern day
Dead Sea Scrolls collection without a cave
to put it all in. (The Biggles collection is
also for sale at club members’ discounts
too.) The silverfish got a bit annoyed at
this disturbance and the mother of all
garage sales is waiting in my garage but
the place got painted and now a bathroom
man is coming to make a new bathroom
out of a twenty-year-old one so someone
else can enjoy it. (Did I mention that a
house in Willetton is for sale at club member discount?) Then a builder is coming to
reline a storage room, a tiler is fixing some
tiles and an estate agent is saying forget
the whole deal and pay our house tidy-up
team a smaller fortune and move out.
It’s a bit like deciding to sell a car and getting the dents, oil leaks, water leaks, upholstery tears, odd noises and stuff fixed
before selling it. Not that this happens to
MX-5s of course. With the rumoured new
MX-5 appearing in the US next year, club
members will be thinking about trading
their current cars and looking at addressing any minor imperfections in their current
transport. It’s not as bad as moving house
but parting from a much-loved car can be
traumatic for some people.
Also in the news recently was the usual
suggestion to lower the speed limits in the
name of road safety. Until we ban vehicles
altogether there will be crashes so let’s get
real and dissect the statistics to find some
answers. To my knowledge no data is kept
on the drivers of vehicles in accidents
except their age and sometimes whether
alcohol is involved. What about their medical history, emotional state, drug status,
fatigue level, reason for being on the road
at that time and distractions present eg radio, ipod, phone, passengers? Other data
which I suspect is not analysed enough
relates to road conditions, weather conditions, whether commercial or private vehicles were involved and make and model
of vehicles involved. Until this is done the
authorities will continue to target speed
limits until we abandon vehicles, lose
any enjoyment derived from driving and
be restricted by public transport schedules as to when and where we can go.
For my money we need to abandon the
50 km/h metro limit and return to 60 km/h
and increase country limits by 20 km/h to
130 km/h and then closely monitor and
analyse the results.
In the meantime keep having fun on
wheels, while you can, and remember Edison tried to invent a gunpowder-powered
helicopter but gave up after he blew up his
lab and ‘Mummies’ are so called because
of the wax or ‘mum’ used to waterproof the
bandages.
Bob Sharpe
Membership Update
The membership list keeps on growing
every month. Of late, it has been mainly
last year’s members rejoining that has
swelled the numbers, but we have still
seen six NEW new members since the
last report two months ago.
I have also started the process of calling
lapsed 06/07 members, and jogging their
memory regarding this year. Some have
promptly sent in their renewal, others
have sold their car, still others have been
away /overseas, and were grateful for the
reminder. It is easy to put the renewal to
one side then forget it.
New faces and names in the Club include:
Steve Hooton 2007 NC Roadster Coupe
ZOOMSTER Black
Steve came along to a committee meeting, to suss out the club. He must have
liked what he saw, as he joined up before
the night was out!
Ian McCully 2007 NC softtop?
MX5RDSTER Galaxy Grey
Ian was previously a member of the
club about five to six years ago, and has
rejoined the fold with his new NC – welcome back, Ian!
Steve Harris 2007 NC Roadster Coupe
1CNP 752
Copper Red
Steve first came along to a Committee
meeting two months ago, and was also
persuaded to sign up.
Jeff Hankins 2006 NC soft top
1CPA 033
Copper Red
There’s an NC trend starting here….
Jonathan Wood 2002 Mk 3 1CPI 188
Midnight Blue
Now that’s a refreshing change of colour.
Joe Lubout 2002 Mk 3
1BCF 388
Silver
Joe came along to a recent Sunday drive
and enjoyed the drive.
Thank you all for joining our club.
Please make the most of all the various
events that the club run, and come along
as often as you can. Also don’t hesitate
to pass on any ideas for events to any
of the committee members – we always
welcome fresh input. And if you have any
issues or questions about your car, just
ask – there is a wealth of knowledge on
MX-5s in the club, and we’re only too
happy to help out.
Ash Price
4
Past Events
S
unday Cruise - 2/9
Jason Doyle organised a memorable
run, which showed because of the large
number of members that turned out. Apart
from the great weather and the turnout the
run ended at the 50th anniversary of the
Caversham Grand Prix. On show were
some really great cars and motorcycles.
There was also plenty of (dusty) action on
the old track. See page 6 for more.
T
arga West 2007 - 6/9
Our very own Ashley Price participated
as navigator to Bob Chaplin in a Lotus
Elise in Targa West 2007. Just surviving
is an achievement and I understand from
Ashley they had a bit of trouble during the
event. Getting 32nd overall is an excellent
result. Well done, Ashley and Bob.
A
fter Work Get-together - 12/9
The new-look after-work technical discussions are now held at new premises.
We are now meeting at The Yacht Doctor
(34 Stockdale Road, O’Connor), courtesy
of Peter Coleman. There was some freeform discussions and Robyn and Janice
kindly kept things lubricated with nibbles
and tea/coffee.
C
Coming Events
lub Meeting - 25/9
The committee met at Mazda’s head-
S
unday Cruise - 4/11
Alan Wallace is arranging the November
cruise, which will take a little under two hours.
We meet at the Burswood start location at 9.30
for 10 am start for a cruise in the Perth Hills.
After re-grouping in Kalamunda, the drive will
be in the Hills around Perth finishing at The
Elizabethan Village about 25 km South West
of the CBD. The Elizabethan has a variety of
meals available to suit all appetites (from dips,
wedges, fish and chips, salads, to steaks and
chicken). Alan promised that the route will
involve lots of twisty MX-5 friendly roads.
P
roMax - 11/11
An Autokhana event at Belmont Raceway
designed to test acceleration, braking and general manoeuvrability of the vehicle together with
skill and judgment of the driver. It is designed to
be low in risk, but high in excitement. Cars are
required to follow a set course around the markers set out on a bitumen surface. The Special
Twist is that two courses with the same layout
are set out on two parallel, but divided competition areas and cars are started simultaneously.
Drivers are competing against the clock but also
against the car on the parallel course. Almost
like Drag Racing around corners.
A
The club’s monthly after-work sundowner,
Don’t forget to check out our website (www.mx5club.com.au) for the latest pictures
quarters (170 Campbell Street, Belmont)
at 6:30 pm. All who attended enjoyed the
pizza before discussing club business.
S
unday Cruise - 7/10
Joe Cameron was the organiser of another good cruise held on a day of brilliant
weather. The turnout was up to the usual
high numbers. Hooking into an event at
the finishing point (Jarrahdale) seemed to
do the trick. Jarrahdale Fair had plenty of
things to offer, and big on the list was the
professional log chopping competitions. I
found it staggeriing that people start this
sport in their low teens and are still doing
it at 78! Check the front page. See page 6
for more details on the run.
A
Our second Yacht Doctor-based afterwork technical discussion. This involved
a demonstration of the Toughseal range
of car care products. Brian Oswald did a
pretty convincing job in demonstrating the
effectiveness of his products and made
it even more attractive by offering members a generous discount. See page 6 for
more.
O
bservation Rally - 20/10
Gary Wotzko and David Turk organised a Super Special Observation Rally,
technical talk, social gathering, modification
mambo, problem-solving session, general car
chat and movies. Members arrive from 5:30
pm onwards and it’s also a good opportunity for
potential members to come and have a chat in
an informal setting and find out more about the
club. The venue is The Yacht Doctor, 34 Stockdale Road, O’Connor and this time we will have
the guys from Bridgestone over to tell us more
about tyres and tyre-related matters.
D
avid’s Big Budget Burger Run - 20/11
Organised by immediate past club
president David Turk, these events are great
for those light in the hip pocket. No ritzy high
classed restaurant, just grouse tucker. We
meet at Burswood at 6.30 for 7.00 pm start.
an event designed to cater for all club
members. Navigating was as easy as
driving a Club Cruise so that the effort
could be channelled into keen observation
skills and some fun challenges along the
way. To finish off the day the event wound
up with a tasty BBQ at the Bullsbrook
Maze.
Despite all the planning the weather gods
were not kind, but that didn’t dampen the
participants’ enthusiasm.
Winners on the day were Graeme and
Rose Martin with runners-up being Keith
English and Bob Sharpe. See page 7 for
more details and www.mx5club.com.au for
more event pictures.
C
lub Meeting - 30/10
The committee met at Mazda’s headquarters (170 Campbell Street, Belmont)
at 6:30 pm. All who attended enjoyed the
pizza before discussing club business.
It is good to see new and existing members at these meetings. After all, we are
making decisions regarding the running
and well-being of the club.
As you will see in the Membership Update
(page 4) there is a continual influx of new
members. Ashley is also contacting past
members who haven’t rejoined, mainly, it
seems, because they have been rather
busy and just forgot to renew.
many other things to go and see in York, W.A.’s
most historic inland town itself. The Cruise
starts at the Burswood at 9.30 am for 10 am
start.
A
The club’s monthly after-work sundowner,
tech talk, social gathering, modification mambo,
problem-solving session, general car chat
and movies. Members arrive from 5:30 pm
onwards and it’s also a good opportunity for
potential members to come and have a chat
in an informal setting and find out more about
the club. The venue is The Yacht Doctor, 34
Stockdale Road, O’Connor.
C
lub Meeting - 27/11
The last committee meeting for 2007 at
the usual venue of Mazda’s headquarters (150
Campbell St, Belmont) commencing at 6:30 pm.
All members are welcome to join us for pizza
before discussing club business. Come along
and have your say!
hristmas Picnic - 15/12
Meet at Point Walter Reserve, Bicton,
from noon onwards. So polish up the MX-5,
bring a rug or chair and the bacon, sausages,
steak, hash browns, mushrooms, tomatoes,
eggs, toast, muffins, croissants, baguettes, fruit,
coffee, orange juice, champers, etc. There will
be a prize for the best dressed Santa! See flier
included in this copy of MX-press.
S
W
C
unday Cruise - 2/12
Gary Wotzko is taking us on a scenic cruise
to the York Motor Museum which has one of
the finest private collections of veteran, vintage,
classic and racing cars in Australia. There are
ASCC Hill Climb - 16/12
Well, it’s still 2007 but that doesn’t mean
that the W.A. Sporting Car Club can’t hold
Round 1 of the 2008 series of Hill Climbs at
Jack’s Hill in Wanneroo.
Event Write-ups
S
S
unday Cruise - 2/9
Father’s Day 2007 for many of our
members was a day to remember. 40
cars left the Burswood car park including
Andrew’s CLK350 Mercedes, Barry and
Hillery’s Porsche Boxster, Neil’s WRX and
most of the clan Currell in all sorts of cars
beginning with M. There was an MX-5, an
MG, and a Mini Minor. It is always great to
see a family come to play together on our
monthly drive. I did notice how often they
changed cars and drivers. FANTASTIC!!!
We wound our way up to the lookout at
Gooseberry Hill where we reassembled.
What a view of the city and surrounds on
such a beautiful, clear day. Once everyone
had arrived it was back behind the wheel
and down the Zig-Zag. It really is fun, that
road! At the bottom we engaged in a little
cross country, through the rural, bush land
and back to the Great Eastern Highway.
From there we made our way North-west
to West Swan Road and Caversham to
take our place in the long line of traffic
waiting to enter the car park for the historic
car racing.
The organisers of the Caversham Grand
Prix were obviously overwhelmed by the
huge number of people who attended.
There must have been in excess of 4,000
people. What a crowd, lines for food, lines
for drink, lines for loos, but a lot of fun
anyhow.
The racing was hilarious to watch old men
driving old cars flat chat. Dust, screaming
engines and cheering from the onlookers
covered in dust.
Something I didn’t expect to see were the
old planes parked at the end of what appeared to be a landing strip. They were in
magnificent condition, a joy to behold.
All in all it was yet another happy day to
file in my memory.
Thank you, Jason and thank you every
one who came and made it fun to be
there.
Robyn Thompsett
unday Cruise To Jarrahdale
Fair & Log Chop- 7/10
Does everyone’s Sunday morning begin
like ours? We left Melros late (dinner out
Saturday!) and had to queue for fuel
while some lady did her weekly shopping at the service station, resulting
in a sprint up the freeway. Colleen
(the ‘ever loving’ and navigator) drove
and did well to get us to Burswood
at 9:50 am without being booked.
She then asked for large print cruise
notes (which we had already) and
consequently won us the honour of
this write-up.
After a briefing from cruise organiser
Joe Cameron we proceeded in very
law-abiding fashion along Orrong Road,
Crystal Brook Road to the first re-group at
the Lions’ Lookout on Welshpool Road. A
total of 22 MX-5s made the run accompanied by a Lotus, a WRX and an MGB,
After much discussion and good-natured
blame shifting we proceeded to Byford via
South West Highway and headed left up
the hill. The run along Nettleton Road is
always great value and we enjoyed the
110 kp/h section until we caught up to a
70 kp/h Commodore close to the log chop.
(Amazing how some motorists bugger up
a good cruise!)
There was a lot to see at the Jarrahdale
Oval and the bacon and egg burgers were
delicious. From there everyone made
their way home by various routes. We
went via the Serpentine Dam and enjoyed
the run down through Karnet (didn’t pick
up any suspicious hitchhikers) to the
South West Highway and home in time
to see the last 10 laps of Bathurst and a
great Ford victory.
Thanks to Joe for organizing an interesting
event and a great run on a perfect Spring
day.
Pat Gannon
A
which took pride of
place in the middle of the circle. (Trying
to drum up more members for the MGB
Club??) After enjoying the view and the
social chit chat we prepared to tackle the
27 km second stage.
As no one seemed anxious to lead off I
grasped the nettle, full of confidence in
my navigator. After crawling up Welshpool Road behind a near-dead 4x4
(amazing how some road users spoil a
good cruise) we set off down Pomeroy
Road and then the fun began. “At 3.8
km turn right into Lawnbrook” said my
navigator. At 4.1 km I still hadn’t found
it and pulled over. Confusion reigned.
Some went on, some of us back
tracked, some turned left, others right.
Most drivers (the ones following Joe)
got it right while some of us consulted
the street directory and joined the hunt
somewhere along Canning Road. “The
wild flowers are lovely” commented
Colleen. All good fun and we still had 25
participants when we got to Churchman’s
Brook Dam, although some came in from
the wrong direction.
fter Work Technical Gathering - 10/10
I was contacted through the website by
Toughseal to ask if they could present
their products to our members. My first
reaction was oh no, not another paint finish product.
However, I sought the opinion of the
committee and there was agreement from
them to let Toughseal present their wares
at the next after-work technical gathering
to be held at the Yacht Doctor’s premises.
The date was set and there was a reasonable turnout, so clearly there is some interest in such products. Brian Oswald turned
up and set up his demonstration.
Brian spent many years as a panel repair
and paint expert and is very clear about
his belief in the products and the value
they add to a
car when applied properly.
In fact the product range is quite wide,
but the central item is the two-part acrylic
(Continued on page 7)
6
(Continued from page 6)
(non-wax) Toughseal product that first
cleans and prepares the paint surface and
then bonds (after 24 hours) a hard, clear
acrylic finish that protects your paint from
UV and other damage.
As an adjunct to the paint protection product, Toughseal have a dry-wash cleaning
solution. This is simply sprayed on to the
painted surface and wiped off with a micro
cloth. It works extremely well (yes, I have
bought the products and tried them).
Another product (Bodyshop Pro 3000)
Brian presented was a polish that promises to remove those swirl marks in the
clear gloss surface of the paint. I decided
that this was a great sounding product
and bought that as well. After trying it I
can confirm it does reduce the swirls when
applied by hand polishing, but it will probably do a much better job if applied with a
buffer.
Brian had a number of other Toughseal
products on show and I have only mentioned the ones I purchased on the night.
If you want to find out more then go to
http://www.nowax.com.au and visit http://
www.toughseal.com.au.
Simon Corston
O
bservation Rally - 20/10
It was many months ago Gary and
I began discussing some ideas for a
treasure hunt-style observation rally.
Paramount was including a few challenges
where drivers had to get out of their car to
answer clues and complete tasks. As part
of this concept I wanted to make competitors collect items along the way to create
the contents for their own BBQ lunch.
The final element I wanted was to have
members complete a challenge using the
wooden maze at Bullsbrook.
Our initial run went very well but was cut
short in Wanneroo as a bush fire blocked
the road to the maze. It was only on our
second run through that we managed to
visit The Maze and discovered it would be
a great location to complete the run and
utilize the BBQs.
After budgeting for additional food, soft
drink and salads we asked for an expression of interest to insure we had enough
support to guarantee a group rate. We had
a fantastic response. Gary was headed
overseas so I enlisted one of my mates to
help me do a final check of the question
sheets a week before the event.
Unfortunately the weather report was for
morning showers and perhaps it was the
catalyst for a number of cancellations I re-
ceived a few days before the event. Much
more disappointing were the people whom
I was expecting to attend who just didn’t
both-
er to show up. This left me with a stack of
unused question sheets and extra food
and drink. Luckily we still had enough
participants to get a group discount at the
venue.
Thank you to everyone who attended. It
bucketed down while we were waiting for
the event to get under way but the weather managed to hold off for the remainder
of the day.
Some of the challenges during the event
were, climbing Bold Park Lookout, buying an item to cook on the barbecue, a
dessert item, an unused fast food wrapper and a dessert item that would make
everyone else jealous.
The challenge for Gary and me was to
design an event that any member could
participate in and have a lot of fun but
have some questions that were challenging enough that we had a clear winner.
Tony Robinson and his fiancé Prithy Siraraman finished third.
Scores for first and second were tied and
the winner was decided with a tie-breaker
question.
Second place was Keith English and Bob
Sharpe with Rose and Graeme Martin winning the $50 voucher for first place.
David Turk
S
econd Opinion
Observation rallies are always fun.
Having said that, I have witnessed and
experienced a number of “pointed” verbal
discussions between husbands and wives,
partners and friends during and after
Observation Rallies. Strangely it has also
always been between male and female
occupants of the same vehicle involving
map reading and the distinction between
‘left’ and ‘right’. As far as I know the only
divorces that resulted were probably going
to happen anyway, so perhaps we have
discovered a new way to shorten rocky
marriages. Anyway I digress. Saturday
October the twentieth dawned fairly miserably with intermittent showers and a
turnout of about 20 cars. This would
have been a great effort a few years
ago but recently 30 or more cars
have been turning out for normal
Sunday runs so it was initially not
a great reward for David Turk and
Gary Wotzko who put so much
effort into organising this event.
Maybe it was the weather or the
Saturday instead of Sunday date.
Nevertheless the day progressed
with Dave having the satisfaction of
seeing all participants enjoy themselves
immensely, including at least one crew
who participated in one of the aforementioned ‘discussions’. Cars were sent off
at one minute intervals and it wasn’t long
before cars were approaching each other
from opposite directions! This would have
pleased Dave and Gary no end. On top
of that we had to endure clues such as ‘If
the shops on the left were burned down
what supermarket would survive?’ Answer;
Coles. (Coals get it?) And I thought no one
was as bad as me. We also had to find the
number of the Lands Department. While
we all looked for a telephone number to no
avail, a numbered survey marker lurked
surreptitiously under our feet. Thanks
again Dave. Never mind, to add to our torture we finished at the Maze in Bullsbrook.
This truly is an ‘amazing’ (Dave again)
place and well worth a visit to see the
various mazes, animals, mini golf courses,
garden chess and indulge in café or barbecue eating. The torture came when the
answer to the final clue was in the middle
of one of the mazes. The sight of some
unfit clubbies zoom-zooming through a
maze in search of glory was obviously
amusing to many. All that done the event
was judged and won by Graeme and Rose
Martin after a tiebreaker ‘guess a number’
question. Congratulations, guys.
Then we got down to some serious eating
and drinking, demolishing the drinks, buns
and salads that Dave had organised. All
in all it was a genuinely fun day in the
best traditions of the club and we thank
David and Gary for all of their efforts
and we hope that at least one observation rally can be included on our events
calendar each year. For those who missed
it, do your best not to miss the next one
because you can bet an umbrella to your
undies that it will be fun.
Bob Sharpe
Mazda Performance Drive Day
W
e’ve all seen the recent TV ads
from Mazda, selling the four
performance models from Mazda, and
the concept of the Mazda Performance
Zone. Well, I’m here to tell you that it
really exists!
A few months ago, I received an email
asking if I wanted the opportunity to drive
these cars at a Performance Drive Day. I
emailed back Yes, then forgot all about it,
until I received a pack with all the details,
personalized swing tag etc., and a date
– 11th October. Be at the AHG Driving
Centre on the 11th or……???
I squeezed in a couple of hours at work,
then headed down Reid & Tonkin Highways mid-morning, looking forward to a
full-on driving session. The beautiful blue
sky put me in just the right mood for a
fun day at the track. The Mazda Australia
organisers were very efficient, and I was
soon sitting down with a coffee, examining
the contents of my Mazda show bag and
awaiting our turn for the drivers’ briefing.
This was just like a real motor sport event!
Sarah and John from Mazda Australia
talked briefly about the day, and the four
models that we would be driving – Mazda
3 MPS, 6 MPS, MX-5 and RX-8. John also
talked about Mazda’s motor sport heritage
– did you know that Mazda beat Porsche
four years straight in the Bathurst 12
hour production race in the early 1990s?
And that Mazda is the only Japanese car
manufacturer to have won the Le Mans
24 hour race? All with rotary engines of
course!
Motor School is the organisation that runs
these days for Mazda – they also hold
the driver training days that all Mazda
Performance model purchasers receive
free of charge. Actually, I remember when
we bought our original MX-5 in 1989 that
we received two driver training days – one
basic training, and one advanced driving
on Barbagallo Raceway. Given that all
these cars have Dynamic Stability Control
(DC) and ABS, maybe the basic training
need has been taken over by electronic
trickery driving the car for you?
Dave and Ron ran through the order
for the day, cornering techniques and
what we could and couldn’t do, with the
emphasis on safety, as you would expect.
No overtaking, and no turning off the DSC
were the main points.
Enough of the sitting around – it was time
to get out and drive! One bonus was the
presence of a certain Dick Johnson, fresh
from running his V8 Supercar team at
Bathurst last weekend. He was giving everyone two hot laps in the passenger seat
of an RX-8, and I figured that this would
be a smart way of starting the session. As
expected, he was very smooth, while also
driving quickly and aggressively. Quite a
performance to try and emulate when I got
behind the wheel!
First off was the three MPS. A very sharp
clutch (yes, I stalled it, though so did many
others) and as expected, there was quite a
lot of roll and understeer into and through
the corners. Very punchy though, and
certainly plenty of power. It also had a loud
roar from the exhaust under hard acceleration that was similar to the sound of my
late lamented RX-7 – really only audible
from outside the car.
I was keen to compare this with the 6MPS,
with the same engine and gearbox, but
with added weight and four-wheel drive. It
didn’t feel quite as powerful, but was much
more civilised in its behaviour through
the corners, due to the 4WD. You could
put the power down earlier as you would
expect. It also felt less frantic, and much
more relaxed and luxurious, though this
may have been the driver settling in to the
task.
Next was the RX-8, and try as I might, I
couldn’t match Dick’s level of performance. I had forgotten just how high it revs,
and because of the lack of torque, seemed
to be waiting forever for the chime to come
on at 8500 rpm, telling me to change up
as I pounded down the main straight. It
handled the corners very well, turning in
much more sharply than the previous two
cars. And I much preferred the lower seating position, feeling more in control.
I saved the best till last – the MX-5! It was
a soft-top manual, and we drove it with the
hood up, which was a shame. I have to
say that the straights seemed much longer
all of a sudden, but it was sooooooo much
nicer through the corners. You could turn
in when you wanted, not two seconds later, had more adjustability with the throttle,
and generally felt much more in control. I
heard many comments from other drivers
that they were both surprised and delighted with the handling of the MX-5.
After all this activity, we enjoyed an excellent lunch, and I had a chat with Dick,
and congratulated him on a great performance by son Steven at Bathurst last
week. Finally, we received signed photos
of ourselves sitting in the RX-8 with Dick,
and it was time to go.
motion of the MX-5, and all the performance cars in the range. They seem to want
to promote that side of their product range,
which hopefully augurs well for a repeat
of an SP/SE addition to the MX-5 range in
the future?
Ash Price
New Drugs For Women
DAMNITOL
Take two and the rest of the world can
go to hell for up to eight full hours.
EMPTYNESTROGEN
Suppository that eliminates melancholy
and loneliness by reminding you of how
awful they were as teenagers and how
you couldn’t wait till they moved out!
ST. MOMMA’S WORT
Plant extract that treats mom’s depression by rendering preschoolers unconscious for up to two days.
PEPTOBIMBO
Liquid silicone drink for single women.
Two full cups swallowed before an
evening out increases breast size,
decreases intelligence, and prevents
conception.
DUMBEROL
When taken with Peptobimbo, can
cause dangerously low IQ, resulting in
enjoyment of country music and pickup
trucks.
FLIPITOR
Increases life expectancy of commuters
by controlling road rage and the urge to
flip off other drivers.
MENICILLIN
Potent anti-boy-otic for older women.
Increases resistance to such lethal lines
as, “You make me want to be a better
person. “
BUYAGRA
Injectable stimulant taken prior to shopping. Increases potency, duration, and
credit limit of spending spree.
JACKASSPIRIN
Relieves headache caused by a man
who can’t remember your birthday, anniversary, phone number, or to lift the
toilet seat.
ANTI-TALKSIDENT
A spray carried in a purse or wallet to
be used on anyone too eager to share
their life stories with total strangers in
elevators.
NAGAMENT
When administered to a boyfriend or
husband, provides the same irritation
level as nagging him, without opening
your mouth.
Thanks to Mazda for a very positive pro-
8
JDM Look
S
hopping recently I noticed the Converse brand had re-released their “All
Star” basketball boot. Those who weren’t
chin deep in lager lunches or struggling
to see
past their
shoulder
pads may
remember
the 80’s.
In a decade where
muggers
stopped
taking wallets began
“rolling”
kids for
their cap
and shoes;
the cheap canvas Converse All Star became trendy. Costing only $15 they didn’t
have fancy pump-up tongues or air cells in
the heel, they were single colour canvas
on a rubber sole. The hip kids in the 80’s
would wear shoes without any laces, similarly the youth of today wear their pants
without a belt and half way down their
thighs for that “I’m so bad I just got out of
the Police Lockup” theme. Ghetto culture
shone through. Perhaps you were a little
more Ozzie; you wore Dunlop Volleys,
head to toe denim or Ugg boots. Either
way, you felt so bad it was good.
Strangled by rules and procedures, the
current generation are not expected to
use common sense, they’re suffocated by
well-meaning baby boomers who rule by
mass hysteria. Kids can no longer play
football at school for fear they may injure
each other. Those who are energetic get
drugged to the eyeballs so their parents
can cope when they return from working
overtime at the office. There is more pressure than ever to conform; workers dare
not speak
out of turn
or stand
up for
their rights
for fear
that they
could be
fired on
the spot
without
reason or
recourse.
Bosses
are
bargaining their employees out of family time,
holidays and loyalty.
While many may cringe at big hair, leg
warmers and Ken Done shirts, there was
a greater freedom of expression in the
80’s. Converse have
re-released the All Stars
because youth culture
is embracing retro
(and paying five times
as much).
Retro is
cool, it’s
a symbol
of more
exciting
times, bold
expression and
cultural
iconography. What better fashion
accessory than the pinnacle
and rapture of 80’s vehicular
design; the Mazda MX-5.
Although it seems hard to fathom, the
MX-5 is almost 20 year old, and this
“modern classic” has become retro cool.
I’m obviously preaching to the converted;
you all love the MX-5 and as members of
this club; you
are cool by
default. So,
perhaps you
a looking for
an edge to
stand out in
the crowd?
Well, one of
the newer
trends in
MX‑5 subculture is the
“JDM look”.
Riding on
the wave of
retrospective design, MX-5 fans are styling
their cars based on the 80s Japanese Domestic Market.
Japanese design is
predominantly very
clean, iconic and
minimalist. To follow
the JDM styling MX-5
owners try to make their
engine bay cleaner and
simplified, like that of
a classic car. Owners
often strip emissions
plumbing, hide wiring
looms and replace the
cam cover with that of
the earlier Mazda 323s.
Rather
than the spaghetti of pipes
associated with a turbo setup, JDM fans
focus their performance modification on
the classical individual throttle bodies
and intake trumpets. You can even buy
a wide range of carburettor kits to suit the
MX-5. While American culture brings us
bigger shinier bling wheels and rubber
band thin tyres, the JDM set seem to go
for wider wheel sizes with 80s styling in
black or matt colours with the occasional
“deep dish” polished lip. The ex-Torana
owners in the club will be happy to hear
that fender flares are also making a come
back. The interior
is given a classic
look by removing
the centre console
so the carpeted
transmission tunnel remains and
retro gauge faces
are encircled
with chrome accents. Instead of
radical body kits
that make your
MX-5 look more
like an Autobot,
there’s a strong
trend for more rounded kits with fixed
or bugeye lighting. The original Mazda
side mirrors are often replaced by smaller
chrome items or those from a motorbike.
So is life getting you down? The boss
breathing down your neck? Perhaps you
need some retro therapy of your own. If
you are looking for a sub culture that will
embrace you with open arms then the internet is a good start; www.ClubRoadster.
net began about a year ago and is already
a huge community of MX-5 owners with a
love of JDM styling. The JDM MX-5 “bible”
is the Road&ster magazine produced by
the MX-5 owners association of Japan.
David Turk
World Domination
A
-Z the Japanese Way
First there was the Mazda AZ-1…except it wasn’t really a Mazda because it
had a Suzuki motor under a Mazda badge
on the body.
After Honda
Beat, this was
another midengined sports
car classified
as “K-car”
in Japan.
Like other
K-cars, the dimensions were bounded by
3.3 meters in length and 1.4 meters in
width, engine capacity limited to 660 cc
and power output did not exceed 64 hp.
The styling might be inspired by the first
generation Toyota MR2. The Suzuki-supplied 3-cylinder engine had four valves per
cylinder and a turbocharger, capable of
the upper limit of 64 hp and 63 lb ft.
Specifications
Model
bored rich Japanese guy but I reckon he
has done a good job of turning a K car into
a very OK car.
If anyone else knows anything more about
this beast please let us know… Ed
Here is some additional information on the AZ-1 courtesy of
Wikipedia. Apparently this little
widget has become a cult car in
some circles.
The Autozam AZ-1 was a midengined two-seat sports kei car,
designed and manufactured by Suzuki but
sold by Mazda under its Autozam brand.
Mazda AZ-1
Year of launch
1993
Layout
Mid-engined, Rwd.
Engine
Inline-3, dohc, 4v/cyl,
turbo.
Capacity
657 cc
Power
64 hp
Torque
63 lb ft
Gearbox
5M
Weight
720 kg
Top speed
95 mph (estimated)
0-60 mph
11 sec (estimated)
Then we had one that looked slightly
better by changing the rear spoiler to hold
down all 657 cc’s of raw power.
It debuted in October 1992 until production ceased in 1994, and was perhaps
most noted for its gull-wing doors. Power
came from the same Suzuki-sourced
657 cc turbo charged engine used by the
Mazda Carol that produced 64 PS (47
kW) at 6500 rpm and 85 Nm (63 ft lb) at
4000 rpm.
The AZ-1 was also sold by Suzuki as
the Cara, with only minor detail changes
including the addition of
fog lamps.
In the 2006 animated
movie Cars, a pink Suzuki
AZ-1 was featured as the
Japanese news host when
Lightning McQueen went
missing.
from the Pistonheads website:
Hansa 23R / Mazda MX-5
Founded in 1905, Hansa-Automobilwerke
has produced 10,000 cars over its first 25
years with more than 1,000 employers in
the small town of Varel in north Germany.
The firm was recently revived with the
foundation of the Hansa-Mobile GmbH by
Stefan Janssen.
It offers tuning especially for Japanese
cars and its first project is the Hansa 23R,
a heavily modified Mazda MX-5. It’s got a
modified bonnet, up-rated brake system
and steering, OZ wheels with Yokohama
tyres, sport suspension, weight optimised,
exhaust, and more. It’s powered by the
drive-train of the
231bhp Mazda RX8.
The first prototype has
just been finished and
its world premiere was
recently here in Essen. Next year, Hansa
Mobile will test the car
in cooperation with
Rotary-Motorsport and
finish the German type
approval (TÜV). The first
customer cars / convers i o n
of customer cars are
expected in summer 2007.
Hansa Mobile will offer the complete car or
convert customer cars. The pricing hasn’t
been calculated yet, but we expect that
the conversion from a Mazda MX-5 to a
Hansa 23R will cost something around
€20,000 (£13400).
Combining Japanese reliability with Ger-
M
Then someone seemingly did this to it.
Not only did they fix the outside but they
also added a 20B rotary engine (two litre
twin turbo three rotors – final RX-7s were
1.3L TT two rotor for comparison). And
hopefully some suspension modifications.
It is apparently a one-off thing done by a
X-5 Blitzkreig
Elsewhere in this issue you will see Japanese
and Italian after market
body kits for the MX-5. The
Germans have now got
hold of the car and in typical
Germanic fashion have basically said ”never mind the
looks,
lets make the bloody thing go faster” (must
have been an Australian German…Ed).
They then proceeded to stuff an RX8 engine and drive-train under the bonnet and
call it a Hansa 23R. The following is taken
man precision engineering just has to be
a winning combination. With this car and
the rumoured 2.3 litre, turbo charged MX-5
mentioned in the last issue, revheads the
world over have some exciting things to
look forward to next year.
10
Humour Us
T
oilet Humour
A sexy woman went up to the bar in a
quiet rural pub. She gestured alluringly to
the bartender who approached her immediately. She seductively signalled that he
should bring his face closer to hers. As he
did, she gently caressed his full beard.
“Are you the manager?” she asked, softly
stroking his face with both hands.
“Actually, no,” he replied.
“Can you get him for me? I need to speak
to him,” she said, running her hands beyond his beard and into his hair.
“I’m afraid I can’t,” breathed the bartender.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Yes. I need for you to give him a message,” she continued, running her
forefinger across the bartender’s lips and
slyly popping a couple of her fingers into
his mouth and allowing him to suck them
gently.
“What should I tell him?” the bartender
managed to say.
“Tell him,” she whispered, “there’s no toilet
paper, hand soap, or paper towels in the
ladies room!”
R
eligion
Little Mary Margaret was not the best
student in Catholic School. Usually she
slept through the class.
One day her teacher, a nun, called on
her while she was sleeping. ‘Tell me Mary
Margaret, who created the universe?’
When Mary Margaret didn’t stir, little
Johnny who was her friend sitting behind
her, took his pencil and jabbed her in the
rear.
‘God Almighty!’ shouted Mary Margaret.
The nun said, ‘Very good’ and continued
teaching her class.
A little later the Nun asked Mary Margaret,
‘Who is our Lord and Saviour?’
But Mary didn’t stir from her slumber.
Once again, Johnny came to her rescue
and stuck Mary Margaret in the butt.
‘Jesus Christ!!!’ shouted Mary Margaret
and the nun once again said,’Very good,’
and Mary Margaret fell back asleep.
The nun asked her a third question...
’What did Eve say to Adam after she had
her twenty-third child?’
Again, Johnny came to the rescue.
This time Mary Margaret jumped up and
shouted, ‘If you stick that damn thing in
me one more time, I’ll break it in half!’
The nun fainted.
M
arriage and Golf
A husband and wife came for counselling after 15 years of marriage.
When asked what the problem was, the
wife went into a passionate, painful tirade
listing every problem they had ever had in
the 15 years they had been married.
She went on and on and on: neglect, lack
of intimacy, emptiness, loneliness, feeling
unloved and unlovable, an entire laundry
list of un-met needs she had endured over
the course of their marriage.
Finally, after allowing this to go on for a
sufficient length of time, the therapist got
up, walked around the desk and, after
asking the wife to stand, embraced and
kissed her passionately.
The woman shut up and quietly sat down
as though in a daze. The therapist turned
to the husband and said, ‘This is what
your wife needs at least three times a
week. Can you do this?’
The husband thought for a moment and
replied, ‘Well, I can drop her here on Mondays and Wednesdays, but on Fridays, I
play golf.
T
errorist Wanted
I was feeling a bit depressed the other
day, so I called the help hot line.
I was put through to a ‘call centre’ in
Pakistan.
I explained that I was feeling suicidal.
They were very excited at this news and
wanted to know if I could drive a truck or
fly an air plane.
W
isdom and Deep Thoughts
1. A day without sunshine is like night.
2. On the other hand, you have different
fingers.
3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made
up on the spot.
4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a
bad name.
5. Remember, half the people you know
are below average.
6. He who laughs last thinks slowest.
7. Depression is merely anger without
enthusiasm.
8. The early bird may get the worm, but
the second mouse gets the cheese in the
trap.
9. Support bacteria. They’re the only culture some people have.
10. A clear conscience is usually the sign
of a bad memory.
11. Change is inevitable, except from
vending machines.
12. If you think nobody cares, try missing
a couple of payments.
13. How many of you believe in psychokinesis? Raise my hand.
14. OK, so what’s the speed of dark?
15. When everything is coming your way,
you’re in the wrong lane.
16. Hard work pays off in the future. Lazi-
ness pays off now.
17. How much deeper would the ocean be
without sponges?
18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t
get sucked into jet engines.
19. What happens if you get scared half to
death, twice?
20. Why do psychics have to ask you for
your name?
21. Inside every older person is a younger
person wondering, “What the heck happened?”
22. Just remember -- if the world didn’t
suck, we would all fall off.
23. Light travels faster than sound. That’s
why some people appear bright until you
hear them speak.
24. Life isn’t like a box of chocolates; it’s
more like a jar of chillies. What you do
today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
L
awyers
A lawyer married a woman who had
previously divorced ten husbands. On
their wedding night, she told her new husband, “Please be gentle, I’m still a virgin.”
“What?” said the puzzled groom. “How
can that be if you’ve been married ten
times?” “Well, Husband #1 was a sales
representative; he kept telling me how
great it was going to be.
Husband #2 was in software services; he
was never really sure how it was supposed to function, but he said he’d look
into it and get back to me.
Husband #3 was from field services; he
said everything checked out diagnostically
but he just couldn’t get the system up.
Husband #4 was in telemarketing; even
though he knew he had the order, he
didn’t know when he would be able to
deliver.
Husband #5 was an engineer; he understood the basic process but wanted three
years to research, implement, and design
a new state-of-the-art method.
Husband #6 was from finance and administration; he thought he knew how, but he
wasn’t sure whether it was his job or not.
Husband #7 was in marketing; although
he had a nice product, he was never sure
how to position it.
Husband #8 was a psychologist; all he
ever did was talk about it.
Husband #9 was a gynaecologist; all he
did was look at it.
Husband #10 was a stamp collector; all he
ever did was... God! I miss him! But now
that I’ve married you, I’m really excited!”
“Good,” said the new husband, “but, why?”
“You’re a lawyer. This time I know I’m
gonna get screwed!”
Bits ‘n’ BobS
T
he Mazda God (Ref: Wikipedia)
The name of the Mazda company is
supposedly derived from Ahura Mazda,
the transcendental god of Zoroastrianism. It is also said that Mazda coincides
with the anglicized pronunciation of the
founder’s name, Jujiro Matsuda, who was
interested in spirituality, and chose to
rename it in honor of both his family and
the Zoroastrians. Mazda means “wisdom”
in the Avestan language. However, in
Japanese, the company has always been
pronounced and spelled as “Matsuda”
leading many to believe that Mazda is really just a poorly anglicized version of the
founder’s name.
Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed
to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra,
Zartosht). Mazdaism is the religion that acknowledges the divine authority of Ahura
Mazda, proclaimed by Zoroaster to be the
one uncreated Creator of all (God). While
Zoroastrianism was once the dominant religion of much of Greater Iran, the number
of adherents has dwindled to not more
than 200,000 worldwide, with concentrations in India and Iran.
The “song” Thus Spake Zarathustra could
have been titled Thus Spake the Mazda
Disciple and it is not only modern car fans
who like Mazdas. As demonstrated by
a Zoroastrian adherent who states: “…I
profess myself a devotee of Mazda, a follower of Zarathustra. Some club members
could chant…I profess myself a devotee
of the MX-5, a follower of Mazda. Maybe
we could sacrifice some Goggomobiles
to the Mazda God before each run or
something?
B
CE (Bloody Confusing Exercise)
While researching the Mazda God article
I came across the abbreviation BCE. Coincidentally, it was also used in the recent
Egyptian exhibition at the W.A. Art Gallery.
It is apparently a replacement for the BC
abbreviation used in dating things and
Wikipedia gives us the following explanation. Common Era, also known as Current
Era or Christian Era, abbreviated CE, is a
designation for the period of time beginning with year 1 of the Gregorian calendar.
An earlier date is then designated BCE,
described as “Before the Common, Current, or Christian Era”. The numbering
of years is identical to the numbering in
the Anno Domini system, neither system
using a year zero. The only difference is
that the term “Common Era” does not use
the religious titles for Jesus (“Lord” and
“Christ”) that are explicit in “Anno Domini”
and “Before Christ”. Originating among
Christians as early as 1716 (at first in
Latin), Common Era notation has been
adopted by many non-Christians, and also
by some Christians wanting to be sensitive
to non-Christians. The use of BCE and CE
has been criticized by some who favour
the AD/BC system as being “the result of
secularization” and “political correctness”.
Once again MX-press readers are kept
up to date with current trends in CE 2007
and may trendily refer to ancient events as
BCE e.g.1000 BCE.
T
urbo Toast
Bugatti roars into the toaster business
Posted by Mike Yamamoto
Forget about phones and MP3 players-the next designer gadget is the toaster.
And leading the way to branded nirvana
are, of all things, sportscar dynasties.
Porsche joined the fray with a brushedaluminum model that looks good enough
for the track, and now Bugatti has gotten
into the act with an appliance of its own.
something new in China, as MG general manager Zhang Xin said: “We want
Chinese consumers to know this brand
as ‘Modern Gentleman’. To see that this
brand represents grace and style.” In Europe it still stands for “Morris Garages”.
M
odel Behaviour
The two MX-5s in the animated
movie “Cars”, Mia and Tia have been
released as toy models. Apparently they
are hard to get and very collectible in the
USA. Watch for them in your local Toys R
Us shop or TRU shop to non-collectors.
Also they apparently changed colours in
the movie from blue to red.
D
on’t drive legless
A Japanese motorcyclist hit the central barrier while negotiating a bend in a
Tokyo street, but recovered and drove on
for two km before realising that his right
leg had been severed in the accident and
had been left behind at the scene.
The 54-year-old office worker was riding
with a group of friends, one of whom
stopped when he saw the crash and
retrieved the missing limb. The man and
his leg were taken to hospital, but the limb
had been crushed in the collision and
could not be re-attached.
M
True to its exacting nature, Bugatti has
included “six browning-control options” for
its “Volo” toaster, Gadgetizer says, with
especially wide slots to accommodate
different sizes of baked goods. But it’s the
red Italian flair that drew us to it, of course.
If Porsche and Bugatti can do it, I’m sure
Mazda can. How about a cheaper, better
looking, well-balanced, reliable Mazda
SP toaster with a tiny turbo to give fast
heat which has self spreading butter that
Spreads Perfectly (SP)? Maybe a 13B
Rotary toaster where the bread revolves at
high speed creating heat through friction
and toasts itself? “ Mazda Toaster, Good
for crumpet too.”
O
h M(y) G(od)
MG was bought by the Nanjing
Automobile Group in 2005. Under its new
Chinese owners, the brand stands for
odel News
Autoart has released models of the
NC MX-5 in 1/18 and 1/43 scale. Prices
at the Gamesworld shop in Carousel for
the 1/18 retractable roof roadster is $119
and they don’t stock the smaller 1/43 scale
range because the price would be over
$60. Colours are red, silver and blue in the
smaller scale and so far only blue in the
larger scale.
D
ummy feels the heat
If you can’t stand the heat... but
unfortunately, these drivers have to stay
put whatever the temperature. They’re the
new high-tech, heat-sensitive crash test
dummies being used at Mercedes’ climate
tunnel in Germany.
The tunnel is cleverly devised to recreate
all types of weather, from an arctic winter
to the heat of the tropics. The dummies sit
inside the vehicles and send back information on temperature recorded by more
than 100 sensors fitted to their bodies.
The data is then used to refine vehicle
heating and air-con systems to make sure
that human drivers keep their cool at the
wheel when the vehicles finally hit the
road.
12
Members Articles
Q
uick way to get rid of an annoying
noise in your MX-5:
No, this is not the way to get rid of your
co-driver’s comments on your driving, (but
on second thoughts … read on, this might
work!)
Perhaps your MX-5s soft top cover has
lost one or more of its press studs? Mine
was missing two when I bought it and I
had been putting up with the tap-tap-tap
noise as I drive along, for about a year. I’d
gone to get a quote from a car upholsterer
and they estimated a couple of hundred
dollars, since they would have to take the
carpet lining out behind the seats to get
underneath and fix in a new press stud
bottom. I dithered because it sounded too
dear, meanwhile the tap-tapping continued.
Then I had a brilliant thought (it happens
to women a lot :o)
I went out and bought a packet of “hook
and loop” tape for just $5.20. I chopped off
a couple of two cm strips and sewed then
to the underside of the hood cover in the
appropriate places where the studs had
snapped off. The vinyl material is reasonably soft, and the edge is folded under so
it is easy to do this “invisibly”. The carpet
acts as the “loop” part so there is no need
to struggle trying to stitch the other half on
to the carpet behind the seats.
The result is a firmly-anchored soft-top
cover, problem solved very quickly and
cheaply.
Now, back to that other annoying noise
from the passenger seat …….
Look out for more quick tips and brilliant
ideas from female MX-5 drivers in future
issues of MX-press!
Sandra Pullman
I
nsurance Prediction
Given that we seem to follow the good
old USA when it comes to money-grabbing
methods I predict that it will not be too
long before our insurance companies latch
onto this one.
Apparently in most states of America your
car insurance premium goes up with each
traffic fine that you incur. In California it
is compulsory by law that this happens.
In most other states you get away with
at least the first one but get hit after that.
Here they are more interested in your past
accident record but you can imagine them
pleading that it is their duty to penalise
speeders by increasing the premium with
each fine. The fact that fines don’t affect
insurance company payouts nor do they
deter speeders doesn’t seem to have
any relevance to the issue. If they introduced it here it would probably only lead
to more drivers driving without insurance
but may swell the coffers of the insurance
companies by firstly raising more revenue
and secondly by not insuring the chronic
speeders who may have more accidents.
I wonder why they haven’t got this one
through yet?
M
X-5 TRAGEDY
Aart ter Kuile found this internet story.
By Dominique Loh, Channel NewsAsia |
Posted: 24 October 2007 1829 hrs
SINGAPORE: Regan Lee Da Wen, 26,
was initially charged with causing the
death of a salesperson while test-driving a
Mazda MX-5 sports car. But he has since
pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of committing a rash act.
Lee, on Wednesday, was disqualified from
driving for 10 years and sentenced to
seven months in jail.
The case had dragged on for more than
two years amid public outcry over Lee’s
action.
According to court documents, Lee was
driving at a speed of more than 90 kilometres on 29 October 2005 along Upper
Paya Lebar Road – nearly twice the legal
speed limit for that stretch of road.
It is believed that Lee had lost control of
the car while negotiating a bend. Veering
to the right, he crossed the centre divider,
crashing head-on into an oncoming car.
The impact flipped the Mazda before
hitting another vehicle, killing 22-year-old
Mazda sales executive Angelia He Xueli.
Lee escaped unhurt.
His case was supposed to have gone to
trial with the original charge of causing
Ms He’s death, which carries a heavier
penalty. However, the case never went
to open court and was adjourned several
times.
During that time, it is believed the prosecution and defence teams came to an
agreement to an amended lesser charge.
T
eacher Arrested
NEW YORK, July 22 -- A public
school teacher was arrested today at
John F. Kennedy International Airport
as he attempted to board a flight while
in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a
set square, a slide rule, and a calculator.
At a morning press conference, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he
believes the man is a member of the
notorious Al-gebra movement.
He did not identify the man, who has
been charged by the FBI with carrying
weapons of math instruction. “Al-gebra
is a problem for us,” Gonzales said.
“They desire solutions by means and
extremes, and sometimes go off on
tangents in search of absolute values.
They use secret code names like ‘x’
and ‘y’ and refer to themselves as ‘unknowns’, but we have determined they
belong to a common denominator of
the axis of medieval with coordinates
in every country. As the Greek philanderer, Isosceles, used to say, ‘There
are three sides to every triangle’.”
When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, “If God had
wanted us to have better weapons of
math instruction, He would have given
us more fingers and toes.”
White House aides told reporters they
could not recall a more intelligent or
profound statement by the president.
R
oad Rules (courtesy the
Govt of W.A. & me)
Penalties for Speeding
1-9 km over limit $75
0 pts
10-19
$150
2 pts
20-29
$250
3 pts
30-40
$350
5 pts
>40
$1,000
7 pts
Holidays & Long
weekends
Double
points
12 Demerit
Points
3 Month
suspension
>45 over
(Reckless
Driving)
1st offence
Up to
$1,000
or 9
months
prison
Min 6
months
suspension
Ian Lewis
Computer Corner
D
M
anish Speed Bumps
There is something liberating about
the Swedish attitude to sex and it appears
to have rubbed off on their Danish neighbours. The Danes have trialled a unique
method of slowing traffic and getting
motorists to obey the speed limit. If you
log on to http://www.speedbandits.dk/ you
will see some R-rated scenes of topless
women waving speed limit signs…all in
the name of road safety. There were a few
problems however. It seems that some
motorists slowed to a standstill causing major traffic jams. Also there was no
mention of the cold. Is this a summer only
activity? Regardless of that, it is a lateral
thinking attempt at solving a worldwide
problem and we can only hope they try it
here even if we already know it doesn’t
work.
F
errari vs Kia
Someone actually tested an old Ferrari
308 against a current model Kia. Go to
http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpcontainers/do/vdp/articleId=122612/pageNumber=1 to see how it ends up. By the
way isn’t Kia the noise Xena makes when
she is particularly annoyed?
M
X-5 Italian Style
After seeing some of the Japanese
attempts at body kits have a look at an
Italian version at http://www.retroforza.
com/ which might appeal to the retro Italian sports car people. You can then go to
http://www.retroforza.com/forum/viewtopic.
php?t=28 to see how to install the kit.
X-5 Krash-N-Trash
Want a cheap MX-5 or some parts
at least? Go to www.mx-5.de/html/hauptseite.shtml and translate the pages. Go to
the “cemetery” section and there you will
see what a whole bunch of over enthusiastic German drivers did to their cars.
S
peeding Ticket Vs GPS
Go to http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/
post/20071026-accused-speeder-to-copsmy-gps-proves-your-radar-gun-is-wrong.
html and read about the dude in America
who is trying to beat a speeding ticket by
proving his GPS shows him not speeding
at the time and place stated on the ticket.
The quirkiest bit about all this however is
that he is being egged on by his stepfather who is a retired sheriff who has the
glorious name of Roger Rude. How many
times was “Roger Roger” heard on the
radio when this bloke was sheriff and what
about complaints about the “Rude” sheriff
etc.?
B
eauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
‘ is an old truism that not only applies to
people, otherwise ugly blokes like me
wouldn’t even be spoken to by the fairer
sex, but also to cars. Thanks to some
computer dredging by David Turk we can
show you some MX-5 stuff that only a
mother could love. Lets go to http://www.
zoom-eng.com/catalog/product_info.
php?cPath=260_49_50_285&products_id
=611&osCsid=2c4b089110e5af3e0a99b1
b5cc1d5c0f to see a carbon hardtop for an
NA or NB MX-5 produced by Zoom Engineering in Japan. Seems like a reasonable
thing but you will need to translate the
Japanese to see if can be colour-matched
and what the landed cost would be.
Next we move on to an NC body kit at
http://www.ab-carsshow.com/mh1/index_customer.html produced by Monocraft
MH1, another Japanese firm. This, in my
eyes did not look too bad, but wait, there
is more.
Shuffle along to http://www.ducks-garden.
co.jp/311type-3 to see the NA body kit that
wins the set of steak knives. Revelling in
the name of Ducks-Garden Roadster 311
Type 3, this monstrosity is every American’s dream, a mini Cadillac. My advice
would be to take the steak knives and stab
the beast until you have killed the body
kit, saved the car and cremated the kit
remains. Ducks-Garden is definitely not
the duck’s nuts.
If that is not enough for you, hold your
breath, gird your loins and jog further
along the net until you come to http://www.
katch.ne.jp/~elvis/ where you will encounter yet another Japanese NA body kit full
of chrome and bulging head lights that fell
out of the ugly tree and hit every branch
on the way down. It sort of looks like a
chrome plated frog that has been dissected and attached to the front of a perfectly
good car.
Still, I suppose someone must love them
or they wouldn’t make them and they are
…er different. I might have to give Dave
his own ugly car column.
Plane Stuff
From the pages of Flight Safety Australia magazine Sept/Oct 06 issue comes the following summaries of aircraft crashes:
AIRCRAFT
Canadair CL-215
L100-30 Hercules
Twin Otter 100
Antonov 28
Schweizer 269C
Robinson R22 BETA
Robinson R22 BETA
Cessna 182P
Kavanagh Balloon
Beech 58 Baron
LOCATION
Greece
Congo DR
USA
Russia
NSW
QLD
QLD
QLD
QLD
WA
DESCRIPTION
While scooping up sea water, the aircraft crashed into a wave and sunk (sic).
On the second landing attempt the aircraft descended at high speed and crashed.
After takeoff the aircraft lost height, contacted a utility pole and tree during landing.
The aircraft struck a mountain side, crashed in a forest and caught fire.
The helicopter landed in long grass which then caught fire.
The pilot’s swag jammed the cyclic. The helicopter then impacted the ground.
During mustering the helicopter’s tail rotor struck a dead tree.
The aircraft collided with a house.
The passenger caught his foot on the basket and fell awkwardly on his left leg.
The pilot inadvertently retracted the landing gear instead of the flap.
And finally my favourite was a motorised glider in NSW that “collided with the ground”. Yep, that will cause an accident every time, I
reckon.
(Note: Some of the above had “serious” or “fatal” consequences. We are trivialising the trite terminology, not the incidents...Ed).
14
Around The Club
M
X-5 SP Sold
After nearly nine months having two
cars, my SP has finally been sold. Why did
it take so long to sell an SP, aren’t they a
very limited edition? Well, one way to slow
the process is to not advertise widely that
the car is for sale. It worked for me!!
I bought an
04 Boxster in
early January
with the intention of selling
the SP, but the
MX-5 is such a
lovely looking
car, and the
SP goes like a
rocket. Thus,
it was hard to
say goodbye.
So I did what
anyone would
do. I relegated
Sheila’s old
Magna to the driveweay and put both of
the soft-tops in the garage. I could use
the Boxster as the daily drive, and use the
SP for club events. This worked fine until
Sheila got a new Mazda 6 (that was my
big mistake). For some reason, she then
thought that her car deserved a possie in
the garage. Anyway, long story short, the
pressure was gradually applied to sell the
SP, or the Boxster.
I managed to hold on for another four
or five months but as of late September
the SP has a proud new owner. The car
has been bought by club member Wayne
O’Brien. For those who don’t know Wayne,
he’s easy to spot. He’s the one with an
ear-to-ear grin. He is also sporting the
MX‑5 SP registration plates.
It was sad to sell the SP as it’s the best
car I have ever owned, but you only live
once so it’s good to try other cars. Knowing that it’s still in the club made selling a
bit easier as I effectively have ‘de facto’
visiting rights by turning up at club events.
If Wayne has half the fun I’ve had in the
SP, he’s picked up a bargain.
Now all I need to do is wait for the NC
turbo…………….
In the interim, I’ll still be active in the club.
I’ll be the one in the dark blue Boxster,
looking longingly at Wayne’s SP.
Alan Wallace
B
reaking News
It was recently reported that the ex
presidential limousine (Dave’s MX-5)
had a mirror broken. Taking a lead from
that ancient British monarch Edward
the Confessor, one Ted, offspring of the
aforesaid Dave, ‘fessed up that he had
been the propelling force behind the tennis
ball which caused the damage. We don’t
know what punishment was meted out or
whether the ball was examined for explosive innards in case it
was an assassination
attempt but life apparently has returned
to normal in the Turk
household.
S
P Register
There is a bloke
called Alastair Dennis
who is the vice president of the Victorian
MX-5 club and the
editor of MXtra, their
club newsletter (must
be a good bloke). He
is trying to establish a
register of all 100 MX-5 SP models in Australia. He is well aware of the privacy and
security issues but other marques have
successfully done this exercise before and
for a car that will become rarer by the year
I think that the MX-5 SP deserves to have
its own register. For those who wish to
participate please send me the VIN of your
vehicle, rego, colour, kms and your name
to [email protected]. If the vehicle was
not sold new in W.A. it would also assist to
know this.
W
HEATBELT MOTORPLEX
Your committee has received a letter
from the Dowerin Events Management
(inc) asking for expressions of interest
in a motorplex (motor sport complex) at
Dowerin, 165 kms north east of Perth. We
are responding to the effect that it seems
like a good idea. The Dowerin Shire has
hosted the Dowerin Field days for 44
years and it is a huge event on the farmer’s calendar. If the motorplex is handled
as professionally and is as popular as the
field days it will be of huge benefit to club
level motor sport in this state. Projected
opening time is at the end of 2008.
P
EDANTIC POMS
We all know now that smoking is
dangerous over a long period of time. You
may also know that in England, like here,
it is an offence to smoke in an enclosed
space. When two presenters of that great
TV motor show, Top Gear, recently lit
pipes filled with herbal tobacco in front
of an audience in an aircraft-hangar-size
studio the moral minority hit the roof. The
audience probably inhales more exhaust
fumes on the trip to the studio than herbal
smoke from this effort. Here is an edited
version of a report on the fiasco:
Top Gear pipes anger anti-smokers
Anti-smoking campaigners have asked the
BBC to apologise after Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May lit
pipes on Sunday’s show.
“Smoking in a studio is illegal. We would
hope programme-makers make some
form of apology,” said a spokeswoman for
Action on Smoking and Health (Ash).
Waverley Borough Council said it was
investigating the incident at Dunsfold
Aerodrome in Surrey.
The BBC declined to comment on whether
or not what took place was illegal.
All three of the show’s presenters pulled
pipes out from under their chairs during a
discussion about Porsche-branded products, but Richard Hammond did not light
up, having recently given up smoking.
The ban on smoking in enclosed public
spaces in England was introduced in July,
following similar laws in Northern Ireland,
Wales and Scotland.
Flouting the ban can result in fines of up to
£50 for individuals and £2,500 for businesses who allow people to smoke on
their premises.
The BBC’s spokeswoman said it had
received just a couple of viewers’ complaints.
During an item in Top Gear, making fun
of car merchandise, the presenters lit up
branded pipes, which contained herbal
tobacco,” she said.
“We are very up-front about the style and
tone of the show, so viewers know what to
expect.”
“There were no complaints from members
of the audience present during the filming,” she added.
One audience member told the BBC News
website: “No-one in the audience seemed
to mind when they lit up - people laughed,
although the room did get quite smoky.”
Ash’s spokeswoman said smoking was
“not appropriate for the BBC”.
“There are no exceptions,” she said, adding: “You cannot smoke in a public place.
This isn’t covered by artistic integrity.”
She said she did not consider it appropriate to fine the BBC, but that producers
“should be reminded at the very least of
the law, and make sure they abide by it”.
A spokeswoman for Waverley Borough
Council said footage of the show had not
yet been viewed, but added: “Smoking is
not permitted in a smoke-free place.”
Motorsport Report
With Ian Lewis
MotorSport Report - 3 November 2007
A
EM Superkhana at the Midvale CycleDome
Sept 2nd Three MX-5s competing, but not
club members – yet.
D
rug Bus(t)
W.A. Police can now randomly test
for cannabis, speed and ecstasy at their
booze buses.
M
axAuto Action Autokhana
October 14. Simon Corston came
7th, ahead of a Porsche GT3 & heaps of
GTR Skylines.
M
C State AutoTest Autokhana
Round 6 of the State Autotest
Championship of W.A. was conducted on
Sunday Sept 9 in perfect conditions. The
courses were Challenge 9 on one skid pan
and Mt Arrowsmith utilising both skid pans.
Each class was represented and we
witnessed the best, most competitive and
Driver
Event
Ashley Price
exciting autotest driving. In particular it was wonderful to see so many
Skyline R33’s with 9 competitors,
some sharing cars. Also the number
of girls competing now proves that
it’s not a “blokes only” sport. Mandy
Lister has competed for a while now.
She is a very quick punter who has
improved with every event she enters.
Congratulations go to Graeme Martin,
Morgan McBride and Danny Cerro for
putting on a “Duke Out on Arrowsmith”.
It was great to watch the three guys really
throwing their cars around the circuit in
an attempt to beat the fastest time set.
Warwick Gates took out class AO, but it
was Graeme Martin who again pinched
the trophies with the fastest times on both
Challenge 9 with 51.78 and Mt Arrowsmith
with a lightening quick 55.88.
The 2007 competition was finalised when
Round 7 of the State Autotest Championship of W.A. was conducted on Sunday
14 October. One morning session with 26
hardy competitors faced the judge for the
last time in 07. Each class was represented and again we witnessed really competitive and exciting autotest driving.
As for most of the year Skyline R33’s have
dominated our entrants list with eight competitors. Many classes came down to this
final round to decide. The added pressure
resulted in very aggressive driving as we
used Challenge 15 and the double-skid
pan Daytona courses. Outright fastest
was John Fowler (Porsche GT3) in both
Club Competition 2007 Results
MC Auto Test 5
Targa West
MC Auto Test 6
MC Sprint 6
Car
12 August
6 September
9 September
23 September
PRB
1st
32nd
Warwick Gates
1.8
Mark Hardcastle
1.6L
Peter Corboy
1.8L
Graeme Martin
Elise
Simon Corston
1.8T
4
disciplines with a 37.53 on Challenge 15
and with the last run of the day and year
– 56.43 on Daytona. Daryl Dellow (WRX)
was a consistent second but was unable
to match the brute speed of the GT3.
Club member Simon Corston finished seventh, sandwiched between two Porsche
GT3s in class B.
Congratulations go to club members
Michael Wood taking out the 2007 Trophy
for class B in his MX-5 SE and Ashley
Price with the Outright Trophy in his PRB
Clubman.
M
C State Sprint Championship
August 26. Round 5 of the State
Sprint Championship of W.A. was conducted in atrocious weather conditions for
competition. We do need the rain but it
is so inconvenient when a Sprint event is
conducted. At some stages it was dry and
then a downpour. In the morning session
it was a least consistent. Rain, rain and
then more rain. This at least allowed all
competing to have a ”level playing field”.
The afternoon session had a full field of 34
competitors. It started out as dry and that
was both good and bad. But then it rained
– in a torrential downfall. Both competitors and spectators were seen running
for cover with many cars caught out and
spearing off at warp speed. There are a
number of memorable stories and sights
that were both funny and a bit tragic. The
rain normally means the 4WD fraternity
smile. But the rain was so heavy that even
Midvale
Superkhana
7 October
MC Auto Test 7
YTD Average
14 October
7.7
4.8
th
7.8
8th
1
8.4
9.4
st
5th
7th
15.8
1.8T
16.7
Rob Payne
S2000
30.9
Peter Coleman
S2000
28.3
David Masters
Alun Morgan
1.8
Michael Wood
1.8T
Tony Hamilton
1.6
Ian Lewis
Ian Coombs
Ian Wells
1.6T
26.0
11
th
50
th
32
nd
26.9
16.2
3.0
87.0
83.0
16
the better drivers were found out. The
rain included a strong wind. This gave
our wonderful officials led by Les Baxter
Clerk-of-Course, a hard time. Cones were
blown over and with cars off; their work
was cutout. The weather like the recent
Duttons should have favoured 4WD cars.
But it was a two-wheel drive car that came
out on top. Mike Joss driving a Nissan
Silvia had the fastest times on every pass.
Mike’s final run was 116.53 seconds, seriously quick given all the weather dramas.
The class winners started with Graeme
Martin in AO, a fastest of 121.42 seconds.
September 23. Round 6 of the State
Sprint Championship of W.A. was conducted in perfect weather – for once! And
what an event we had! A full field in the
afternoon session was preceded by a near
capacity line-up in the morning. What a
sight it was - some really quick cars and
even quicker drivers. The two-wheel drive
cars came into contention with the fine
weather, bringing the 4WD advantage
back a bit. Or was it just a case of better
driving? The launch ability of 4WD cars
is a distinct advantage but more so in the
wet. Yesterday the fine weather brought
that advantage back. Matt Cherry in the
AHG Driving Centre Evo 6 (D class for
4WD) was the quickest on the day with
113.71. We all thought that we were in
for a “dog-fight” when Mike Joss’s Silvia’s
(BO class for 2WD) first run produced
a 115.58. However Mike was unable to
match that again and finished second
overall. Third place was taken by the rapid
Brett Morse in his superb BMW E30 M3.
We had relatively few Porsches enter
so it was good to see Benham Borbar’s
(Porsche GT3) take B class with his time
of 122.87. Michael Wood was second.
T
op 10 Fuel Saving Tips
Whether you drive a two-seat hybrid
or a three-ton SUV, chances are you can
squeeze a bit more distance out of each
gallon of fuel. These ten fuel saving tips
have served me well over the years, and
they can help you improve your car’s fuel
economy and take some of the sting out
of high fuel prices. Most of these tips will
give you a very slight increase in miles per
gallon (mpg) -- but use several together
and the gas mileage improvements will
really add up.
1. Check your air filter
A clean air filter is the key to good fuel
economy. A dirty air filter restricts the
flow of air into the engine, which harms
performance and economy. Air filters are
easy to check and change; remove the
filter and hold it up to the sun. If you can’t
see light coming through it, you need a
new one. Consider a K&N or similar “permanent” filter which is cleaned rather than
changed; they are much less restrictive
than throwaway paper filters, plus they’re
better for the environment.
2. Check your tire pressure
Next to the air filter, under-inflated tires are
one of the most commonly ignored causes
of crummy mpg. Buy a reliable tire gauge,
check your tires when they are cold (driving the car warms up the tires and the
air inside them, increasing the pressure),
and keep them properly inflated. Use the
inflation pressures shown in the owner’s
manual or on the data plate in the driver’s
doorjamb.
3. Slow down
As speed increases, fuel economy decreases exponentially. If you one of the
“ten-over on the freeway” set, try driving
the speed limit for a few days. You’ll save
a lot of fuel and your journey won’t take
much longer. Just be sure you keep to the
right, so you won’t impede the less enlightened.
4. Hang with the trucks
Ever notice how, in bad traffic jams, cars
seem to constantly speed up and slow
down, while trucks tend to roll along at the
same leisurely pace? A constant speed
keeps shifting to a minimum -- important
to those who have to wrangle with those
ten-speed truck transmissions -- but it
also aids economy, as it takes much more
fuel to get a vehicle moving than it does
to keep it moving. Rolling with the big rigs
saves fuel (and aggravation).
5. Accelerate with care
Jack rabbit starts are an obvious fuelwaster - but that doesn’t mean you should
crawl away from every light. If you drive an
automatic, accelerate moderately so the
transmission can shift up into the higher
gears. Stick-shifters should shift early
to keep the revs down, but don’t lug the
engine -- down shift if you need to accelerate. Keep an eye well down the road for
potential slow-downs. If you accelerate
to speed, then have to brake right away,
that’s wasted fuel.
6. Get back to nature
Consider shutting off the air conditioner,
opening the windows and enjoying the
breeze. It may be a tad warmer, but at
lower speeds you’ll save fuel. That said,
at higher speeds the A/C may be more efficient than the wind resistance from open
windows and sun roof. If I’m going some
place where arriving sweaty and smelly
could be a problem, I bring an extra shirt
and leave early so I’ll have time for a quick
change.
7. Back off the bling
New wheels and tires may look cool,
and they can certainly improve handling.
But if they are wider than the stock tires,
chances are they’ll create more rolling
resistance and decrease fuel economy. If
you upgrade your wheels and tires, keep
the old ones. I have fancy sport rims and
aggressive tires on my own car, but I keep
the stock wheels with a good narrowertread performance tire in the garage. For
long road trips, the stock wheels give a
smoother ride and better economy.
8. Clean out your car
The more weight your car has to haul, the
more gas it needs to do the work. If you’re
the type who takes a leisurely attitude towards car cleanliness -- and I definitely fall
into that group -- periodically go through
your car and see what can be tossed out
or brought into the house. It doesn’t take
much to acquire an extra 40 or 50 lbs of
stuff.
9. Out with the new, in with the old
Many people keep their old cars around
even after they buy a new one. A spare
car, especially if it’s an econobox, can be
good insurance against temporary spikes
in gas prices due to world events. The
costs of keeping the car may or may not
be less then the fuel saved, but it does allow for more predictability in your budget.
My old beater doesn’t look like much, but
it goes 10 miles further on a gallon of gas
than our regular car. For that, I can afford
to look bad!
10. Don’t drive
Not a popular thing to say on a car site, I
know, but the fact is that if you can avoid
driving, you’ll save gas. Take the train, car
pool, and consolidate your shopping trips.
Walking or biking is good for your wallet
and your health. And before you get in
your car, always ask yourself: “Is this trip
really necessary?”
Speed Limit Reductions?
Here’s something for you motoring enthusiasts to look forward to – not! Road
Safety ‘experts’ from Monash Uni, commissioned by our state government have
devised a road safety strategy for the next
12 years. The paper proposes reducing all 60 km/h Perth roads to 50 (can
you imagine driving along Great Eastern,
Canning or West Coast Highways at 50?),
all CBD roads to either 30 or 40; even the
bike couriers will get booked! And reducing country roads to 100, until they are
made safer. When statistics show that the
majority of road deaths occur on country
roads, sometimes head-on, often without
a seat belt, sometimes drunk, how do they
think these changes are going to help?
S
T
tate Motorkhana Championships
No members currently competing.
arga West
Ashley Price came 32nd in the Competition class, but we can’t blame him, he
was only navigating for Bob Chaplin in a
(Continued on page 19)
Your Committee
Mazda MX-5 Club of Western Australia Inc. Committee for 2007-2008
Home
Mobile
Email
President &
Newsletter Production
Simon Corston
9310 4013
0409 139 606
[email protected]
[email protected]
Vice President
Sandra Pullman
9364 4456
0416 221 773
[email protected]
Secretary
Robyn Thompsett
9593 6673
0419 587 776
[email protected]
Treasurer
Alan Wallace
9313 6538
0414 809 922
[email protected]
Motorsport Manager
Ian Lewis
9277 3684
0407 058 996
[email protected]
Membership
Ashley Price
9364 4456
0411 886 122
[email protected]
Merchandise
Janice Fairhurst
9359 2926
0406 014 537
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Bob Sharpe
9332 1303
0430 596 479
[email protected]
Social Secretary
Aart ter Kuile
9387 1426
0419 915 784
[email protected]
Webmaster
David Turk
0413 939 007
0413 939 007
[email protected]
General Committee
Leslie Proctor
9358 2360
0411 520 595
[email protected]
General Committee
Gary Wotzko
9255 1145
0413 564 373
[email protected]
All other club correspondence to: Mazda MX-5 Club of WA Inc., PO Box 849, Cloverdale WA 6105
The committee meets on the last Tuesday of every month at Mazda WA 170 Campbell Street Belmont at 6:30 pm.
Thanks to Mazda WA for the use of their premises.
Founding Members of the Mazda MX-5 Club of WA (Founded Nov 1990) who are still members
Doug Cooper
Ian Lewis
Graeme Martin
Ashley Price
Sandra Pullman
Life Member: Brian Butterworth
For more vehicles and parts for sale check our website www.mx5club.com.au
For Sale
MX-5 PARTS FOR SALE
Parts taken from 2005 MX-5 SE:
• Radiator
• IHI Turbo (refurb. req’d) & pipe
work
• Cast Manifold/dump/front pipe
• Front strut brace with mounts
• Fuel injectors
• Air cleaner
• Bilstein coilovers
MX-5 Parts for Sale
Armrest – passenger door $20
Brakes – recently refurbished front callipers $90 pr; front & rear rotors $90 set
Exhaust – 2.5” stainless steel, turbodump-pipe to tip $300
Heater core & fan $40
Jack $10
Turbocharger, Garrett T25L – requires
refurb - offers
Vents - air con eyeballs $5 each
Contact: Ian Lewis
Mobile: 0400 319 958
MX-5 for Sale
Lovely Classic Red ‘93 Limited Edition MX-5, (manual), two owners from
new (both members of the MX-5 Club),
157,000 kms, $12,900.
This special edition features tan leather
seats, BBS wheels, CD player, stainless
steel scuff plates, hard top, air-conditioning.
Phone: 0422 238 927
Email: [email protected]
All reasonable offers accepted.
Contact: Simon Corston
Phone: 0409 139 606
Email: [email protected]
18
Motor Sport Report (Cont.)
(Continued from page 17)
Lotus Elise. Ex-club member Hans de
Corti and his son Marc, came first in the
Competition Classic class in their 911RS.
une To Win
Driving and tuning articles from past
M-press magazines are available at www.
mx5club.com.au and you can read more in
Engineer To Win, Tune To Win & Prepare
To Win by Carroll Smith, How To Make
Your Car Handle by Fred Puhn, Race
Car Engineering by Van Valkenburgh and
Inside Racing Technology by Paul Haney,
all available from PitStop Bookshop, King
T
St Perth.
8s in Perth 2010
V8 Supercars Australia have asked
Eventscorp to pay $3M a year to bring
racing to the city centre – plus an up-front
payment of $13M. If the government decides it’s too much we will not see the V8s
in W.A. after next year’s event. Surely it
would have been better to keep it at Barbagallo Raceway?
ASCC Tuning Days at Barbagallo
Rules, regulations and price have caused
us to cancel our Sprint School at Barba-
V
W
Through the Lens
Neville & Linda Armstrong
The things you see on
gallo. If you are still keen to experience
driving on the Barbagallo Circuit, I suggest
you join the WA Sporting Car Club. Go to
http://www.wascc.com.au/ for membership
details. Once a member, you can drive on
the track on tuning days, with instruction if
you desire it, 20 or 30 times a year for only
$55 a session and the first session is free.
You can also attend one of their excellent
Driving Schools, held twice a year for only
$300. In fact if we can get 14 members
& friends together we can have a weekday school with WASCC instructors all to
ourselves!
David with ACT member
Malcolm Bernhardt
the road!
Aart offers run advice to Jason
One of the vintage ca
rs at Caversham
Wayne O’Brien with
his SP
Joe (cool) Cameron
And it hadn’t left th
e driveway!
The Ups and Downs of the Retractable Hardtop - Part One
Based on the sketch below the first retractable hardtop or Coupé Cabriolet was
conceived in 1922 by Ben B Ellerbeck.
His system allowed easy switching between Coupé and Cabriolet modes thanks
to an articulated hardtop that could be
moved onto the trunk. The transformation
is manual but only one person is required.
As a Cabriolet, the lines are smooth compin.
pared to other convertibles of that era with
But it was not until 1957 that the systheir protruding
tem came
folded cloth tops.
into mass
Ellerbeck
production
developed an imon the six
proved model for
seat Ford
the 1923 Hudson
Fairlane 500
Super
Skyliner.
Six that
did not
Georges
require
Paulin built
the
a batteryEven in the 1920’s they used “ babes” to sell cars …
sliding
powered
arrangement shown in the sketch.
1/10th scale mock-up that was unsucHowever, as far as we know the
cessfully submitted to Citroën in 1932. A
novelty never came into producHotchkiss was the first car equipped with
tion…
the éclipse system and the car was to be
showed at
The factory
the 1933
Peugeot
motor show
401d and
but never
601d
made it
éclipse
because of
were not
a disaa huge
greement
commercial
between
success
the backer
due to their
and the
The 1932 Hotchkiss am éclipse in action
price, but
inventor!
this was
Coach builder Pourtout used the éclipse
still the first double digit producroof with a small batch of Lancia Belna,
tion of a Coupé Cabriolet, in 1934
followed by a few cars based on Peugeot
- 35 Peugeot sold 99 éclipse sys301 and 601 chassis. This was so well retem-equipped cars. More factory
ceived that Peugeot itself included éclipse
models followed until production
models in its range from late 1934.
was dis1923 Model
continAfter the
ued after
demise of
the 1939
the French
Peugeot
éclipse
402b
system in the
éclipse.
late thirties
Then a
the American
handful
car manufacof dream
After Ben B Ellerbeck’s efforts in 1922
turers got in
Pourtout’s
1934
Peugeot
301
Darl’mat
éclipse
cars or specials
– 1923 the concept of a Coupé Cabrioon the act as
had retractable
let disappeared until in the early thirties,
the retractable hardtop became fashionhardtops, the most remarkable one being
designer and engineer Georges Paulin,
able in the USA. The 1941 Chrysler
the extravagant Gaylord Gladiator, a Cawho created some masterpieces of preThunderbolt dream car was the first of that
dillacwar French coach building, developed the
era, but the retractable
powéclipse system. His retractable hardtop
hardtop was only a
ered
not only retracted into the trunk (and not
feature among others
roadster
onto) but was even electrically operated.
(full-pontoon shape,
which
Ellerbeck fitted his system on a 1922 Hudconcealable headwas deson super-six with an ultimate refinement:
lights).
signed
the top featured an opening so that the
for Jim
rumble seat could be opened even when
Aart ter Kuile
Gaythe top was down!
lord,
Ellerbeck’s formula appears to be ideal: as
(Part two of this article
inventor
a Coupé, the car has acceptable styling
will appear in the next
of the
The 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt dream car
and its comfort is equivalent to a regular
MX-press.)
bobbyCoupé or saloon car.

Motor Show Motor Sport - Mazda MX

Transcription

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