Jaunty Angle

I’ve tried a couple of times to get that front license place to be parallel to the road surface, but something keeps shifting it. Not sure if it is the post into the tow hook threads or the screw that holds the plate support to the post. I’ve tightened both separately and together, but invariably it ends up non-parallel.

My need of order is screaming at me, “Get that thing right!” while the newly created laidback vibe is saying, “Chill dude, it’s fine.” Or perhaps it’ll be some enterprising young rookie on the traffic beat telling me, “According to Motor Vehicle Code 237.4, sub section ii, the license plate must be set at exactly 0° or 90° to the angle of front wheel camber.”

Sport, Off-Road, Touring

Sunny Day Edition of SORT
As of Monday, February 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM pacific time:

Sport Off-Road Touring
1961 Morris Mini-Minor 1962 Dodge Town Wagon 2003 BMW M5
Even though it was only in the upper 30s the sunshine was worthy of a New Mexico sky. My hands and feet were pretty cold after getting soaked while washing both cars in the driveway. The third car is probably still very dirty down there in Eugene at FTW Tuning.

Here is what last week’s cars sold for, or bid to (if the reserve was not met):
Sport: 1972 Datsun 510 Sold for USD $28,510 on 2/5/25
Off-Road: 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser Bid to USD $15,500 on 2/5/25
Touring: 2004 Volvo V70 Sold for USD $9,000 on 2/5/25

Man, They Are Really Old

Back when I first won the auction for Miata #6 I wondered if it was on the original tires. In the auction notes the tires it is said to have are the same name and size as original equipment tires, but they could be replacements. I asked the folks who have the car to tell me what the date codes are on the tires. Well, it dawned on me that they usually have tire photos in the gallery that show the date code.

I knew about date codes and even looked up what it was a long time ago, but because I never used that knowledge, I forgot it. I had to look it up again:

For tires made since the year 2000, the tire date code is always the last four numbers in the series. The first two digits represent the week of the year the tires were made, and the last two digits indicate the year.

Those tires all have the date code of 3200, or the 32nd week of the year 2000. That’s about 1,280 weeks ago. A long long time ago.

25 Years Ago – Volume 11, Issue 1

Yesterday when I realized I hadn’t posted the Miata Magazine Blast from the Past, I looked through the first magazine of 2000 I found just the article I would use because I actually attended that event with other members of the Masters Miata Club. But I hadn’t written about it on the blog previously, so I dug up my old Club newsletter from that time and published it yesterday,

Jacks or Better

MCA Poker Run a Resounding Success

On a sunny fall Saturday, the national office of the Miata Club of America held its largest and most successful event thus far. Beginning at their offices north of Atlanta, Georgia, over 100 Miatas and their owners invaded the parking lot and offices this past October 23, 1999. The hardy souls braved the blustery and chilly weather for a great day of top-down Miata fun.

Groups from the Peachtree, CAMS, Florida Panhandle, Masters, and Foothills chapters joined local enthusiasts for a fun-filled day. Old friends from as far away as Ohio and Michigan made the long trip. An adventurous couple from New York used the event as an excuse for a road trip in their new 10AE. The couple drove down to enjoy a weekend in Atlanta.

The afternoon began with a leisurely 80-mile drive through the colorful north Georgia countryside. MCA President, Vince Tidwell, did the honors of manning the starting line. Miata owners were seen motoring by horse farms, browsing at country stores, shopping for mountain property and admiring the sailboats on a nearby lake. The hungry travelers were welcomed back to headquarters with plenty of food including barbecue sandwiches, coleslaw, baked beans, and the now famous “Miata Club” cookies. Those who chose not to drive had ample time to shop and converse with the aftermarket vendors in attendance – including R-Speed, Autocentric, Top Notch Accessories, and Liberty Mutual Insurance.

After all had driven, eaten and shopped until they were satisfied, it was time for the awards and prizes. Awards were given for the highest poker hand – a straight flush from Sonny and Vickie Seamon of CAMS, and the second highest poker hand – three of a kind from Eric and April Holtzclaw of Acworth, GA. In addition, plaques were awarded to honor the following: Furthest distance traveled, presented to Joe and Joyce Lamphere, from Vestal, New York. Charles Taylor of Conyers, GA easily won for the highest mileage with his Candy Apple Red ’90 Miata that showed over 364,000 miles on the odometer. The Lowest VIN number award was presented to Carolyn Sharpless of Austell, GA for her Miata built in April 1989. After the awards, a bounty of raffle prizes were given away. Everyone went home a winner as all participants were given a commemorative deck of Miata Club of America playing cards as a keepsake of the event.

The Miata Club of America wishes to thank the Peachtree Miata club and all the hard-working volunteers who helped make this a successful event. They are a great bunch of people and were of invaluable service. The Poker Run would not have happened without this group of dedicated Miata owners.

Keep watching Miata Magazine for future events, as at least two more are in the works for next year. Without a doubt, one of these events will be the Second Annual Poker Run and Barbecue.

Copyright 2000, Miata Magazine. Reprinted without permission.

 

Poker Run

This is a reprint from the Masters Miata Club newsletter, The Driver, November 1999 Volume 6, Issue #11. Reprinted with my Permission, because I wrote it.

Date: Saturday, October 23, 1999
Time: 8:30 AM
Place: Georgia Welcome Center
Members Attending: Bill Baugh, Bonnie Baugh, Brian Bogardus, Donna Bogardus, Kurt Breitinger and Rudy Wilmoth.

After the usual chat session at the Welcome Center the four cars started barreling west on I-20. After about an hour and a half, Brian, who was leading, remembered that last time he had made a pit stop about midway between Augusta and the Interstate exiting town. We were way past that, so he picked the next exit that looked like it had a concentration of fast-food places and pulled the train into a waiting McDonalds.

In what turned out to be a preview of things to come, the place was jam-packed. Apparently this was also the getting off the Interstate point for travel to Athens, home of the University of Georgia. As luck would have it, it was football homecoming weekend, and the area was thick with cars flying red and white flags with black Gs on them like so many Staff Cars for Generals of the UGA Army.

Back on I-20 for a few more miles until we got off in Covington for the northern backroad loop around Atlanta to Alpharetta. The last two times the Bogardi had made this trip it went smooth as silk, but that was with a 7:00 AM start. Today’s later start was just enough for the millions of normal people who live in the ever increasing rash of suburbia surrounding Peachtree Center to wake up and hit the road. This made traffic a mess in the semi-small, normally sleepy, towns that the caravan had to pass thru. The first major setback was in Lawrenceville. They were having their annual fall crafts fair and probably some sort of pagan celebration to the pumpkin, which ground us to a halt. Of course now the “Spiraling Traffic Density to Time Postulate” kicked in. The further behind we got, the worse the traffic got.

Then, I think just to test our mettle, the Georgia D.O.T. tossed in an unexpected detour. It was “nicely” planned to take 2 lanes of impatient traffic on the right side of the road and funnel it into one left turn lane within the span of 50 yards. Then of course the detour signs magically disappear within a few miles leaving us to wonder whether we are still going the right way.

Finally our plucky band of adventurers arrive at the MCA Headquarters. It had taken us 4 hours to travel the 120 miles that usually takes 2-1/2. We were 30 minutes later than the listed start time, but that was not a problem because they were just starting the cars on the Poker Run. Looks like these bimonthly events may become a victim of their own success. The place was jammed. It looked like there were about 200 Miatas scattered around. The cars filled up the parking area around the HQ building and had spilled over into the parking areas of some of the neighboring complexes.

After the frazzling trip, Donna at first balked at getting back into the car when she found out that the Poker Run was an 80 mile affair. After convincing her that the route was rural, not suburban and that we would stop at the first likely place to eat something, she agreed to navigate. Because of complex directions, driving and navigating was really a two person job, so Rudy agreed to ride with Kurt.

The Bogarduses and the Baughs were following each other because Bill and Bonnie wanted to get a bite to eat as bad as Brian and Donna. Kurt & Rudy were several cars back. They were certainly right about the rural part, north and east of Alpharetta is still just Georgia farm land. The bad part about that is that there was no place to eat. At the first card stop we ended up feasting on Moon Pies and RCs at a little country store. That would just have to suffice until the post run BBQ.

On the final stretch back in to HQ for lunch we had about 6 Miatas running together along the back roads. Can’t help but wonder what those farmers thought about the steady stream of little Furin Cars travelling down those roads.

I don’t remember what Bill and Bonnie or Kurt and Rudy had, but on our last card Donna and I managed a pair of eights. We thought we were hot stuff. We were nowhere near the money, the winner had a straight flush! The Master’s group didn’t come away entirely empty handed though, Bill & Bonnie won a poster in the door prize drawings.

Miata driving on back roads, good food, car-nut camaraderie and near perfect top-down weather. Plus R-Speed and others had displays of all kinds of car goodies to separate us from our money. Thanks Vince and Norm for having us. Way to go, MCA. Big thank yous to Diane and Doneeta who probably did most of the work.

It’s Postal Photoin’ Time Again

I thought maybe an early drive and a caramel latte would be nice. I had picked out a route home so as to be able to grab some post offices parallel to I-5, but there were three not on that path, so I went looking for them. The hotel breakfast looked awful, but I went with my old standby, cereal with a banana with some OJ.

After breakfast I was really ready to go, packed up all my stuff, threw it in the trunk and started back north.

Bucky or #6 Needs A Bath

Couldn’t stand it any longer, I drove down to Eugene to see my new purchase. They have it scheduled to start working on it this Friday, but until then it is tucked away all dirty and forlorn. I dropped off some of the parts I purchased, for them to install, so I don’t have to do it in my driveway in the cold.

After that, instead of going back to the hotel and relaxing, I headed out on the town. First up was dinner at the Snack Shack. Blue Cheese & Bacon burger with crinkle fries, not bad, but not Burgerland wonderful. Afterwards I drove around the dark and rainy streets photographing Post Offices.