Life of Brian

Finally warm enough to ride home with the top down today. The weather has been positively January-like recently (maybe that means January will be February-like and so on.) The sun never really did make an appearance, so it kept the weatherman 3 for 3 in last three days on overestimating the high temperature. Today’s expected 65 was never reached, but 59 is nice top down weather….

The short shifter will stay. The small noise is not at all apparent with the top down and I just love the snick-snick short throws. I’m still going to add some more oil to the turret, maybe this weekend (got to go buy some.)

After having been stuck driving around all weekend with the top up because of the winter type weather, Donna and I scheduled a lunch time drive. It was supposed to reach the lower 60s and be sunny, so a nice short brisk ride with the top down would have been nice. But alas the weather folks missed the high temp mark again. It was barely out of the 40s at lunch, so we called it off, hoping that after work we might sneak in the 6 mile drive home with it down. Didn’t do it then either, we are working 9 hours days this week, so by the time we got off work the sun, and with it what little warmth available, was fading fast.

I had an appointment with fellow Miata Club member, Leroy Delionbach, to snap some photos of his car for the Club calendar right after work. Because of the impending sunset we ended up in a field just across the street from his house (the same one I used for Andrew Miller’s car picture.) Leroy’s car is the same color as my old car, the beloved Laguna Blue. It is still the best looking color for a 1st generation Miata, but I am no longer sad that I don’t own one in that color.

The short shifter mod has introduced a few minor little noises to the cockpit, besides the snick-snick I expected. Little faint whines and spinning sounds. There was a thin black foam with sticky on one side that fell off the big outer boot when I took it off. I placed it back in a groove that was on the bottom of the boot, but now I’m not so sure that is where it went. There was some on the outside of the ring and maybe that is where it all goes. I’ll try that when I open her up to add some turret oil next week (or tomorrow.)

The verdict is still out regarding the short shifter, and I think I need to take this car on some twisty roads soon so that I can get this perception of new refined car out of my head. It is a Miata and it is meant to be DRIVEN, not just driven. Part of the problem is it doesn’t sound like a sports car, it is too muffled. Even Donna notices this and has even commented on it. I know this is a perfect opportunity to get an aftermarket exhaust, but fear of getting something too loud is paralyzing me (that and the $300 price tag.) Although we don’t have a payment until January, if we buy a muffler of roughly the equivalent cost we can just think of it as payment number 61.

We decided to run over to the DMV after work and see about transferring the license plate over to the new car. According to the SC DMV web site I knew I needed to complete Form #400 and have several pieces of paper pertaining to the purchase of the vehicle.

When we got there the first hint of possible trouble was the front parking lot was full and the back nearly so. When we got inside the place was teaming with humanity. I wanted to back out then and there, but Donna said, “We’re here, let’s try.”

First stop and 4 people deep in line is the triage desk. This women makes sure you have what you need or gives it to you to fill out first. No one gets into line unless their paperwork is in order. I had the paperwork already filled out, but I didn’t have a Title or Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin. I explained that the tag/title clerk at the dealer told me I didn’t need it as she had taken care of that for me earlier in the week. We are waved into the Vehicle Services line.

4 back in line again here. There are 3 clerks for our line, so it shouldn’t be too bad, hopefully (one clerk was tied up with the same people the whole time we are in the building.) We get lucky and the other folks in line in front of us have easy things because we get to a clerk in like 10 minutes.

She takes my completed Form 400 and enters the VIN into her computer. Asks who my insurance carrier is and says, “That’ll be three bucks.” She prints a receipt and my new registration card. She hands me back all the papers and says bye. She didn’t look at any of the stuff the web site said to have. I could have filled out just that one block of the form and it would have been enough. It was all in the computer. Probably would have needed more stuff if the dealer hadn’t registered for the title a couple days before.

I got home and removed the temp tag. I briefly contemplated leaving the dealer’s frame around the plate, but didn’t. I may still put it back or add a different one, the stark mostly white plate needs a black border I think. Maybe one of those thin metal ones. Christmas is coming…