Taking the Long Way … By Ken Rabbers, President

The Official Newsletter of the Indy Miata Club
Volume 23
Issue 9
September 2013
2013 Indy Miata Club Christmas Party
Saturday, December 7th
George's Neighborhood Grill
6935 Lake Plaza Dr.
Indianapolis, IN
There will be a $10 per person fee again this year.
Don't miss the fun!
Reserve the date now and sign up on the IMC website events
page. You will need to fill out a reservation form that will be
available in the next Open Road.
What’s Inside
Deadline will be November 15th
Page 2
Taking the Long Way (cont.)
Page 3
Club Forum
Newsletter Editor Needed
Upcoming Events
Page 4
Great Western Adventure
Page 5
Great Western Adventure Cont.
Advertisement
Page 6
August Contests
Club Classifieds
Page 7
Advertisers
Page 8
Miata Trivia
Advertisers
Taking the Long Way …
By Ken Rabbers, President
Where did summer go? Hard to believe we’re already near the end of summer and almost
to autumn. The good thing is that there is still plenty of nice, warm, top down weather
ahead of us. To me, one of the best things about getting to September is not having to worry about it being too hot. Whether you like it hot or not so hot, be sure to get out and enjoy
whatever weather we have before it’s too late and you regret it. There’s no time like the
present.
As much as I like getting out in my Miata, there are so many other things I like about the
summer months; Wednesday evening concerts at the Gazebo in Carmel, morning bike rides
in the country, Symphony on the Prairie, the long daylight hours, the invention of air conditioning, and just simply enjoying being outdoors whether it be walking around or sitting on
the porch with a book and glass of wine. Granted, a lot of the activities mentioned can and
are done throughout others time of the year, but there is something about summer that
makes everything you do a little bit different and special.
I’ve got to confess, one thing I haven’t done this summer is a road trip in the Miata. In fact,
I’m pretty sure I haven’t even gotten out of Indiana with it since our trip to Eureka Springs
in May. In past years, Joan and I have done quite a bit of travel in the Miata to destinations
such as New England, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, and West Virginia. I guess the only
reason we didn’t go anywhere this summer is that we’ve been busy doing other things and
just haven’t had the time or inclination. We’ve talked about heading to southern Illinois
and checking out the wine trail but that box still waits to be checked.
There are plenty of other potential destinations that I’d like to get to whether it’s this year
September 2013
Page 2 Open Road
Indy Miata
Club Officers
2013
Taking the Long Way Home cont.
or some future time. Ones that come to mind in no particular order are: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Mill Run, PA; Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, OH; Mammoth Cave National Park in Cave City, KY; no specific destination in Memphis, TN.
Of those places listed above, my first choice of places to visit would have to be Fallingwater. I’ve
always been a fan and admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright and remember, even as a child visiting some
President
of his other creations such as the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio in Oak Park, IL, Taliesin in
Ken Rabbers
Spring Green, WI, and The Acres in Galesburg, MI, a residential subdivision designed by Frank
[email protected]
Lloyd Wright. The Acres in particular was a favorite because one of the homes there was built for
and owned by friends of my parents who met in college. It is still known as the Pratt House. (To
Vice-President
view homes at The Acres, use this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/karlasfotos/4323863981/in/
Gary Weidman
photostream/)
[email protected]
Fallingwater was commissioned by
Edgar Kaufmann, owner of KaufTreasurer
mann’s Department Store in Pittsburgh. The site of the home was origSteve Crouse
inally that of a summer camp for the
[email protected]
department store employees. The
Kaufmanns eventually asked Wright
Membership Director
to design them a new vacation house
Tom Lewis
along the banks of Bear Run where
[email protected]
they could enjoy the views of the and
sounds of the water. Frank Lloyd
Secretary
Wright had a unique way of using
Joan Rabbers
nature as an element in his designs
[email protected]
and the Kaufmann’s were confident
Pratt House © TheLandOfKarlalot
that he would be able to give them
something special and incorporate
Website Editor
their
desires
into
his
deign.
The
big
surprise
came
when
they
first saw the plans for the house; inSara J McBride
[email protected] stead of placing it next to Bear Run where it could be viewed, it was designed such that it was over
the water and a set of falls. Wright had explained that he wanted them to be able to live with the
waterfalls and not just look at them now and then. There is quite a bit to see and do at FallingNewsletter Editor
water and definitely a place worth visiting. More information can be found on the Fallingwater
Sabrena Smith
website at www.fallingwater.org/. If a destination such as Fallingwater has interest to anyone,
[email protected]
please let me know, perhaps a group trip can be planned. In addition to the visit of the house,
there are plenty of other places to visit in the area and an abundance of Miata friendly roads to
explore.
The Open Road is published monthly
for the members of the Indy Miata
Club. The Indy Miata Club assumes no
liability for any information contained
herein, or injury or damage resulting
from the use of this information. The
ideas, opinions, maintenance or modification tips expressed are to be used
at the reader’s discretion. Individual
contributors and/or the editors express
no approval, authentication, or endorsement. Thank you.
Fallingwater © Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Until I get back to doing some road trips, I’m still enjoying my weekly trek to Zionsville to volunteer
with Special Olympics Indiana; not a very long trip but the route to get there is really ideal for a
Miata, it has something to do with roundabouts, hills and curves.
Cont. on page 6
September 2013
Page 3 Open Road
GIVE IT A TRY
As you probably know, our club website has a forum that is accessible only by members. We
have a few members of the club that use it on a frequent basis, but it would be great to see
more participation. If you’ve never participated in an on-line forum, why not give this a try?
It’s more or less self-explanatory, doesn’t require a high level of computer skills, and it’s a
fun way to keep in touch with other club members between events. It’s also a great place to
discuss your Miata, road trips, mods, events, and anything else Miata-related or IMC-related.
Saturday, October 12th.
An afternoon event to include a drive, weiner roast, hayride and s’ mores. The event will start someplace on the south side and end
at McCormick’s Creek State Park. $10/car. Sign up on the events page of the website.
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 6th—Danville Cruise-in
September 28th—Indy Miata Club Invades St. Louis, Attack #2—IMC members enjoy a weekend in St. Louis with Gateway club
members.
DANVILLE CRUISE-IN
On September 6, we’ll be attending the Danville (IN) Cruise-in. Because this
event isn’t sponsored by our club, we have no control over the schedule, but
for those who can get away at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon, it promises to be
an enjoyable gathering. We’ll meet on the far west side, take a short drive
on back roads to the Danville town square, and park our Miatas on the
square (space permitting). This is a casual event that will be a great time for
socializing and “catching up” on what we’ve been doing this summer, and it might even be an opportunity to promote our club. We expect a wide variety of vehicles to be on display. Food will be available, and there will be a DJ.
If you can’t make it at 4:30, consider getting to Danville as soon as you can and joining us. You may not be able to
park on the square, but you’ll still have a fun evening. As usual, full event details are on the events page of our club
website. http://www.visitdowntowndanville.com/first-friday-cruise-ins/
The newsletter editor position will become available starting with the January 2014 issue of
the Open Road. The position takes approximately 2-3 days each month to compile articles
and announcements and then get it sent out to the members. There is no cost to you, just a
little of your free time is required. Training is available, if needed. You don’t have to be the
one who drives the Miata, spouses are welcome too! This would be a good position for anyone who enjoys playing around on the computer. If you would be interested in helping the
club out on this level, please contact Sabrena Smith at [email protected]
September 2013
Page 4 Open Road
GREAT WESTERN ADVENTURE (PART TWO)
Twenty one days, twenty one motel rooms!
By Gary and Kathy Collings
Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas,
Missouri, Illinois, Indiana
June 12th – July 2nd
Hopefully you’ve all read part one of our story in the August Open Road. If not, you need to go back and read it before reading any further.
June 18th: Destination Cut Bank, Montana to Sandpoint, Idaho (57 degrees) -- Cut Bank residents pride themselves in
living in the coldest place in the U.S. We spent a long day of driving under an expansive sky. We stopped at a place
that had Trick Falls, which was worth the day’s trip. Water flows from the top and then appears to be hidden and
tricks us as it appears into two waterfalls. We crossed back into Idaho for awhile and changed into the Pacific Time
Zone. (361 miles)
Welcome to the Coldest Spot in the Nation
Parking Lot Greeter
Continued on page 5
Trick Falls
Ford Motor Co. helped with the
refurbishing of these buses.
September 2013
Page 5 Open Road
GREAT WESTERN ADVENTURE Cont.
June 19th: Destination Sandpoint, Idaho to Leavenworth, Washington and “That Dam Place” Grand Coulee and Coulee
Corridor Scenic Byway (rainy of course)—We traveled to the middle of nowhere to Coeur d’Alene Lake and Grand Coulee Dam. We learned that dams cannot be named after the rivers that flow into the dam. Hence, the name Coulee was
selected rather than the Columbia River Dam. The Grand Coulee Dam is the largest hydropower producer in the U.S.
providing power to eleven western states (WA, OR, ID, MT, WY, CO, CA, NV, NM, UT, and AZ) and Canada. The dam is
one of the largest concrete structures in the world as its 12 million cubic yards of concrete would build a highway from
Seattle to Miami. There were many rivers and lakes which stretched for miles along the day’s route.
Grand Coulee Dam
Lush flowers everywhere in Leavenworth
We arrived later at the beautiful town of Leavenworth, WA, which is a true Bavarian town with authentic chalet buildings with displays of flowers everywhere. If we didn’t know better, we would have thought we were in Austria. We all
enjoyed dinner at Andreas Keller Bavaria Haus Restaurant located at Leavenworth, WA. There was a strolling accordion
player true to German heritage and, lo and behold, one of our group leaders was a piano/accordion player, who played
a tune while the entire restaurant sang. This was just a good, “let your hair down, make a fool of yourself, sing-a-long
participation evening” which included great food and beer. (287 miles)
During this first part of our tour we were reminded of words and places that we had not thought about in a long time
as we traveled through the Old West such as: canyon, rodeo, bighorn sheep, wrangler, tribal center, aspen, park ranger, war bonnet, summit, avalanche, alpine, Oregon trail, wagon train, outlaw, high country sagebrush, reservation,
cowboy, butte, sand creek, massacre, stagecoach, hitching post, barbed wire, deer, antelope, dry gulch, headwaters,
Navajo, scenic byway, trailhead, glacier.
Join us in the next newsletter edition as we finish our journey. Stay tuned…..
September 2013
Page 6 Open Road
Taking the Long Way Home cont. from page 2
Speaking of trips and travel, there is still plenty of time and open dates on the club calendar if anyone is inclined to organize an
event. As it is right now, the calendar has only 3 driving events for the rest of the year. You can check those out on the Events page
on the club website. Venture over there, see what’s available and sign up if anything catches your fancy.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
The next scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors will be in October, time and location still to be determined and will be listed
on the Events page of the website.
A link to the reservation form for the 2013 Holiday Party will be added to the event listing beginning September 18. Remember
your reservation form and payment must be received by the club treasurer, Steve Crouse, no later than November 15.
The Last Word…
"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you."
Frank Lloyd Wright
AUGUST NEWSLETTER CONTEST
For the photo below, newsletter readers were asked to give the make, model,
years of production, and country of origin.
There were three entries received for the contest with two being correct. The
winner, drawn at random, was Gary Weidman who correctly identified the car
as a Tatra T-87, built in the Czech Republic from 1936 to 1950. Gary won a $10
Panera Bread gift card.
BE FEARLESS CONTEST
Dear Members,
We did not receive any feedback on the "Be Reckless" painting shown in last month's newsletter. No one was able to identify it's location. You guys have got to get out more! But rather
than furnish you with information on it's location, I'm going to file it away, and save it for sometime in the future when you will again be put to the test. Keep your eyes open when you are out
dining. You just might stumble onto it in the most unlikely place.
Steve Crouse
RALLYMASTERS NEEDED
It’s not too late to schedule an event for this year. Some of the best top-down weather
is in the fall, so why not go ahead and set up a drive? We have a couple of potential
events in the works, but could really use one or two more between now and the time
the snow flies. Please contact Gary Weidman at [email protected] for
more information or assistance in planning an event.
CLASSIFIEDS
Roadtrip Fitted Luggage Bags—2 pc.: Luggage made to fit the trunk of a 2001 Miata. Constructed of a triple-layer fabric withleather piping, black. Used only twice. $50.00 Contact Wally Kienzynski
2006 Mazda Miata Mx-5 Touring, 5spd manual, 49,000 miles, True Red, It has Mom Wheels, Sportster11 Muffler, IIL Motorsports
red strut bar. Excellent condition. Asking $12,500. Call Mark @ 317-60-6686
Odds & Ends—A former member (and President) sold his Miata (boo!) and found some items while doing spring cleaning in his garage. 1st gen front license plate bracket, original console ashtray, brand new. And a used but still good original engine oil cap. All
free..........just come and get it. Contact Rick Booe at 765-720-5624
September 2013
Page 7 Open Road
Hughes Insurance Group is an Independent Agency representing over 35 insurance companies.
Our ultra-competitive rates assure that you receive the most value at the best price for all of
your home, auto or business insurance needs.
For a limited time, I’m giving away a $20 gas card with an insurance review and quote for your
home, auto or business with no obligation! If I’m competitive, consider allowing Hughes Insurance Group to write your business. If I can’t provide you with a better value, you’ll have the
peace of mind knowing you’re properly insured at a fair price.
INSURANCE
GROUP
Call or e-mail Indy Miata Club member Tom Lewis today!
317-984-9228 [email protected]
Have a few dollars invested in upgrades? Ask about Agreed Value Coverage for your Miata!
Answers to trivia questions on page 8:
1. a or b, 2. b, 3. d, 4. a, 5. b, 6. a, 7. c, 8. a, 9. c, 10. d
Tom Lewis
September 2013
Page 8 Open Road
MIATA TRIVIA
1) As of 1997, how many colors were available for Miatas import- 4) The Miata ground clearance, (laden) is:
ed to the US?
A. 4.5 inches
A. 13
B. 5.2 inches
B. 14
C. 6.0 inches
C. 15
D. 6.6 inches
D. 16
5) Miata fuel tank capacity, US gallons, 1990:
A. 11.2 gallons
2) What was project name for the Miata during its' development?
B. 11.9 gallons
A. R75
C. 12.5 gallons
B. P729
D. 13.8 gallons
C. 1
6) In Miata lingo, PPF stands for:
D. M88
A. Power Plant Frame
B. Peak Power Formula
3) What are the Miatas dimensions: (Overall length, Wheelbase,
C. Performance Proven Figure
Overall width)
D. Primary Point Function
A. 141.4 inches; 81.2 inches; 60.4, inches
7) Which Miata part(s) is (are) made of aluminum?
B. 145.7 inches; 83.6 inches; 62.9, inches
A. Trunk
C. 151.9 inches; 85.8 inches; 64.6, inches
B. Doors
D. 155.4 inches; 89.2 inches; 65.9, inches
C. Hood
D. All of the above
Now celebrating 40 years!
Exclusive Discounts for
Indy Miata Club Members
8) What was the MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price)
for the base 1990 Miata, excluding port processing and inland
freight charges?
A. $13,800
B. $13,975
C. $14,250
D. $14,900
9) What was the EPA Fuel consumption rating for the 1990
Miata?
A. 22 mpg city, 27 mpg highway
B. 25 mpg city, 28 mpg highway
C. 25 mpg city, 30 mpg highway
D. 27 mpg city, 31 mpg highway
10) Mazda recommends changing the timing belt every:
A. 30,000 miles
B. 45,000 miles
C. 50,000 miles
D. 60,000 miles
Answers can be found at the bottom of page 7.
Tom Roush Mazda, Indiana’s first Mazda dealer established in 1972 has not only
the most experienced sales and service staff in town, but also is the highest volume dealer in Indiana. We hope to serve you in our next 40 years as Indy’s premier Mazda dealer. In support of the Miata Club member’s we would like to offer the
following benefits:
 15% off regular door labor rate
 15% off any accessory purchase
 S-Plan pricing to eligible customer’s
 Extended Saturday service hours 7:30—3:30
US 31 North @ 169th Street
Westfield, IN 46074 800-891-3056