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June 5 - Trip to Chateau Morrisette and Villa Appalacia. See article in next column. June 19 - NEW EVENT ADDED TO CALENDAR!!! Drive and Eat to the Old Place Restaurant south of Silar City. See related article. July 17 - Club Birthday Party at Tom and Donna Byrd's beautiful home on Lake Norman. July 30 - August 1/2 - Deals Gap (see article at right) Please click on the following link for more details. Click here to view calendar.President Carson will mail postcard reminders for each event. The Tarheel Footprints - Produced periodically by Are we finally finished with Winter? Did you think the time would come when you could put that top down and cruise in nice weather? (Even now as I write this, we have the heat on to take the morning chill out of the house.) Our unusual weather patterns of late have been somewhat frustrating to us as Miata owners, and no more evidence bears this out that the experience of the TMC "diehards" who trudged on toward the Outer Banks earlier this month in the face of terrific winds and unseasonably cool temperatures. (See related article in this issue) And yes, Ferd had a last minute crisis in his work and couldn't get away... so we cancelled before the trip got underway. We missed "driving to Beaufort for dinner" as they say. And I was the one who was concerned about hurricanes last Fall and suggested postponing the trip!!! Sorry folks!! Oh well, the prospects do look good for better times ahead! The TMC officers met again last weekend, reviewed the calendar of events and made plans for the remainder of the year. It looks like we have some fun time ahead! Evan as this newsletter was being written, the phone was ringing with some more plans coming in! So, I encourage you to take a good look at the events in on our calendar page and mark your calendars NOW so you can be a part of some really great times with us this year!!! We can always use more ideas from you too! Or even if you don't have ideas and are just willing to help carry out the ones we have, we need to hear from you. Just email me (ferdnviv@aol.com) or call me at (336)292-8878. See you next month!!! Can you write a technical article? Something that is old hat to you may be a revalation to someone else. Jot it down and mail it to me. Don't worry about spelling and grammar - I'll clean it up. The address is 9 Keppen Trail, Greensboro, NC 27410. The mail is checked almost daily. |
We're going to the mountains!!! Pat Linko has been planning a trip to Chateau Morrisette and Villa Applachia, and her plan is now complete! We'll meet at the McDonald's Restaurant on NC 68 just south of I-40 near Greensboro at 8:30 on the morning of Saturday, June 5. We'll leave promptly at 8:45, and caravan by back roads to Chateau Morrisette, on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Meadows of the Dan. We'll arrive at Chateau Morrisette, a French country winery, just in time for lunch. After lunch, we will tour Chateau Morrisette before continuing on to Villa Appalachia, a Tuscan country house in the Rock Castle Gorge where Italian style wines are featured. After touring both wineries, we will caravan back to Greensboro. The restaurant needs to know how many to expect for luch, so please RSVP to Pat or Richard Linko at (919)-848-6721 by Tuesday, June 1, 1999. They have an answering machine. There will be buying opportunities at both wineries!!! Make plans now to join Ferd and Vivien Carson for a Saturday drive to the Old Place restaurant, just south of Siler City. We'll meet on Saturday afternoon, June 19th in Greensboro, and caravan to the Old Place by some back roads to be determined. Look for a postcard with further details in the mail. Be prepared for some gooooood eating. It is country cookin' at its best, served buffet style, AND it is all you can eat for around ten to twelve dollars. The country ham makes you think of red-eye gravy immediately! It is that good! Please RSVP to Ferd or Vivien Carson, (336)292-8878, or email (ferdnviv@aol.com). The Oris Windstop is available from many of the suppliers found in the Miata Magazine for about $220. The wind block is a tubular metal frame with cloth mesh that attaches to the Miata via legs which slide into existing holes to the side of the rear deck. A storage bag is included. Installation does not take too long. The problems I encountered were due to the angled sides of the bolt at the base of the boot snap and the bolt provided as part of the windstop kit. Both bolts proved impossible to tighten to the specified torque due to the socket slipping. After trying various sockets and wrenches, I left them as tight as I could get them. I will follow the instructions and check them periodically. Wind blocks work by reducing or stopping the back flow (of air)into the cockpit which is created by the lack of a top. If the wind block completely stops the flow, you will experience increased side flow behind your head because the low pressure in the cockpit must be equalized by the air coming from somewhere. A second problem with solid windblocks is the lack of air flow below your waist. This might be desirable in cold weather, but it is very hot when it is warm. The Oris Windstop does not stop the airflow from the back, but slows it down. This keeps the side flow behind your head from becoming a problem. It also allows enough cooling to prevent discomfort in warm weather. Should you want the windstop out of the way, it folds flat against the boot with a push. Is the product worth $220? It is if you want a wind block. In general, it reduces the wind, wind noise, and fatigue which accompany long trips with the top down. It will allow you to keep the top down at lower temperatures, especially if you put one or both windows up. It causes you to have to get out of the car to raise or lower the top, whcih is easy to do with the windstop in place. This may cause you to get wetter if you get caught in the rain. It may interfere with storage of items on the rear deck. But, when you don't want it up, it stores on the deck or in the trunk. the design and workmanship are worth the money. |
Beaufort, NC. A low-pressure system, moving up the coast from the south, has been blamed for the fatal mishap. Lost, due to the storm, were the travel plans of the Triad Miata Club's three diehards. A spokesperson for the group blamed an earlier negative prognostication by the absent TMC president, who suggested a similar strong weather system might occur should the group try the trip in October. Evidence supporting this conclusion was uncovered. Called into question were the timely work conflicts put forth by the president and her husband to excuse their participation in the doomed trip. Not completely discouraged, the group vowed to attempt the trip again. Tarheel members Paul and Karen Weller, Richard and Pat Linko, and Gerry and Peggy Taylor ignored the forecast and traveled to New Bern for lunch at the Chelsea Restaurant on Thursday, April 29th. If you visit the Chelsea, ask for a table upstairs where the wonderful view allows you to look out for a tow truck which the bank promises will arrive in an hour to remove your Miata from the lot! Besides the view and good food, our company had their only glimpse of the sun whilst dining. Continuing on to the Beaufort Inn, our company spent the afternoon visiting the town while fighting the wind and the light rain. Dinner at the Grocery Company was superb! Letting out all the stops, we thoroughly enjoyed the meal and ourselves. An early wake up call on Friday brought the group to the breakfast room at the inn where one of the wait staff from Cedar Island informed us that the ferry did not run the previous day because of the wind. A quick call confirmed her suggestion that the ferry would not be running that day or the next, should the wind continue. After a nice breakfast, we decided to head home via the scenic route, again by rain, through Emerald Isle. Our trip ended with a late lunch at the Garner where we said good-bye and restated our commitment to trying to do this again. Plan to join us next time. We may even go in October! If you have never been to a national Miata gathering, here is your chance. Way back in 1997, 42 Miatas met at the Gap. Last year, 1998, 141 Miatas attacked the Dragon! Thus far, 242 Miatas and 393 Miata nutts have agreed to launch upon the Dragon once again! Pat and I made the trip last year and every hair on our bodies stood up to greet the 141 yellow, BRG, red, black, and every shade of blue Miata at the "non-event" as it has been billed. The "GAP" is an eleven (11) mile stretch of mountain highway with 311 turns, twisties, and switch-backs. The grins will not stop. Visit the web site for directions and reservation information. Unlike most national events, there are no fees involved - just come as you are and stay where you can! Click here for details GAP 99 |