April 2009 Newsletter
Visit DtRC on the
web at: www.downtheroadcorvettes.org
Visit the Rocky
Mountain Region NCCC at www.rmrnccc.org
Visit NCCC on the web
at: www.corvettesnccc.org
Next Meeting: 4th
Thursday of the month. April 23rd, 7 PM Go Chevrolet - 7320 North Broadway near I-25 and
the Boulder Turnpike.
Guest Presenters - Limit of 2 presentations per meeting, please make
arrangements with the President at least a day in advance to be placed on the
agenda and to see if the limit has been reached for this month.
2009 Down the Road Corvette Club Officers
|
President |
Mike Davis |
Vice President |
Bill Schultz |
|
Treasurer |
Gail Krusen |
Secretary |
Nancy Keyser |
|
Governor |
Nancy Burritt |
Board Members |
Mike Kelley |
|
Newsletter Info (Deadline the 15th) |
Official Club Address |
……….Witty
words of wisdom from our Prez.
Happy
April everyone…
Hope
everyone had a nice “Easter”…..
It
doesn’t seem that the year is already
one fourth over.
We
have already had a busy few months, what with the “St. Patricks Day” Party ,
Rally runs , the Rally, different
meetings for the Caravan, & Club meetings.
It
is hard to imagine what a busy balance of 2009 holds for our club.
Again,
a big Thank You to everyone that made our Rally a success, Gail, hopefully,
will have the amounts we collected for the club & our charity totaled for
our meeting.
Bill and Cathy S, & Mike P. seem to have most
everything under control for our first overnight mystery meal, car show,
parade, road trip, whatever!!! I am
writing this before it happens, but, It is likely quite a few club members are
going to Gateway for a car show & tour of
the “Gateway Auto Museum”. For
some of us, it will be a new experience, with the Museum tour &
running NEW Cars. It will be nice to get away for a couple days
with club members & friends. Also,
Just think, from what I hear, NO phones, Cell phones, T.V., Newspapers,
Inter-net, or Radio in Gateway…….
But,
Lets All have FUN!!!
When
this month is over, be prepared, it sounds like our Social Committee, along
with other Clubs activities it is going to be a VERY busy summer..
See
everyone at this months meeting,
Remember
One Thing…….
Mike
Misc. ramblings from the
Editor
Well, the 2009 Corvetting season is having some weather related issues getting
off the ground! I notice that the vegetation is also having the same difficulty
as the trees and flowers are usually all out in leaf and flower by now, but are
instead all sitting patiently waiting for things to straighten out.
In spite of the weather, the April Fool’s rally lived up to its name going off without a hitch for those foolish enough to run it. Other events such as TORCA’s Auto-x school were not so fortunate. I’m sure the weather will improve shortly and the season will be on with a bang!
Speaking of with a bang, how many of you are planning to head to Pahrump June 15th to the 17th to hone your driving skills at Spring Mountain? The price is right and you will hae more fun than adults are allowed to have! Be brave, just go for it!
Tim
Minutes of Past Meeting
QUORUM
A quorum was present.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes were approved for Jan.
TREASURER'S REPORT
The books balanced and the report was approved.
GOVERNOR'S REPORT
No governor's report.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT
No new members.
MERCHANDISE COMMITTEE REPORT
Still researching new vendor for jackets. Remaining merchandise is marked down.
SOCIAL COMMITTEE REPORT
The pre-meeting dinner was at Jay's and will also be there in April. Thank You Pat for the treats.
NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM REPORT
The anniversary registration is available. There are raffle ticket available.
AUTOCROSS COMPETITION DIRECTOR REPORT
No Report
DRAG RACE DIRECTOR REPORT
The first race is May 1st.
OPEN DISCUSSION
Dave B. is doing well and is at home.
The bones were awarded to Phil O.
ADJOURNED
The meeting was adjourned.
submitted by Joan Breher
Club News:
May Birthdays:
Wanda Chadwick - 1st
– 29 again!
Tim Barnes - 11th over the hill and sliding fast!
Gail Krusen - 19th
Get well soon to:
Dave Burritt - we hope you are
rapidly recovering!
April Fool’s Rally – another event perfectly
executed!
By Tim Barnes
In spite of the weather which occasionally throws us a curve ball, the
April Fool’s Rally went off just great!
Nine foolish Corvette owners came out to play with us on a day rebounding for a potential blizzard that didn’t quite happen! For a day that was supposed to have us shoveling out from several feet of snow, it actually turned out chilly, but mostly sunny. No one got lost, rally sheets were all turned in, grading went quickly, the trophies were fantastic and awards were over in minutes! You have to love it when a plan comes together!
A special thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make sure that the participants had a good time!
By the way, I still have a huge stack of rally sheets if anyone wants to take a nice ride sometime.
Tech Tips with Bill!
By Bill Schultz
Ready or not—Another Tech.
Tip
Corvettes are
great!!! 0-60 in a few seconds, Top speed near 200 mph etc. We all talk about
how fast our cars will go but you seldom hear about how fast they will stop.
Stopping quickly could come in handy at times.
The tip I offer
this month may be the easiest “do it yourself” tip while also being the most
neglected. We all know about pads, rotors, and drums. At some time or another
most of us have taken our cars in for brake problems. Usually we take them in
when we hear or feel a problem. However, there is a hidden demon in our brake
systems that quite frankly most of us, and our repair shops, ignore.
Have you ever
noticed that sometimes if you press on the brake pedal the car reacts
immediately just as it should, but then if you let up just a little on the
pedal then reapply pressure the pedal seems firmer, the car reacts better? Old
school dictates that you may have air in the lines or the pads may be worn a
little or whatever. All most of us know is that the car slowed down just as it
should. Usually a problem will develop so slowly that we do not even notice it
until it stops working or we need it in an emergency such as a high speed hard
braking situation.
Brake fluid is
very hydroscopic. (remember the lesson last month concerning hydroscopic?) Over
time the fluid will draw moisture, air and other impurities. These impurities
do not compress well. Good clean brake fluid is designed to compress very well.
When you apply brakes, the fluid immediately compresses and applies pressure to
the calipers which in turn apply braking pressure to the pads. The only
“squishiness” may result from rubber
brake lines, but this is a topic for a later tip.
If there are any
impurities in the brake fluid they will not compress as well which in turn will
cause a softer brake pedal or the need to “pump” a pedal. If your car is two year old or if the fluid is a very dark color in the
master cylinder, your brakes are not
performing as they were designed. Here
is a very simple way to bring your brakes back to life. This
process can also be performed on your hydraulic clutch.
- Purchase a couple of quarts of DOT 3 brake fluid
for the brakes, DOT 4 for the clutch. Prestone makes a synthetic that is
meets DOT 3 and DOT 4 specs. Either sneak your wife’s turkey baster out of
the kitchen or while you are picking up the brake fluid by a “baster” at
the auto store. They usually have them by the batteries. Grab a 2 foot
length of 5/16” plastic tubing. I prefer the clear stuff.
- Pull the cap off the brake master cylinder and
suck all the fluid out that you can. Discard the old fluid in a responsible
manner. DO NOT in any way touch
the brake pedal at any time during this process.
- Fill the reservoir back to the top with new
fluid.
- Locate the “bleed valve” on your brake caliper.
Usually they are in a very convenient location on the caliper. Slip one
end of the tubing you bought over the end of the bleed valve. Place the
other end in a container big enough to hold a ½ pint or so. Open the bleed
valve 2 or 3 turns just until you get a slow drip of the old dirty brake
fluid. DO NOT TOUCH THE BRAKE
PEDAL!!! Sit back and relax while letting the fluid drip into your
container. Keep an eye on the brake reservoir to make sure it always has
ample fluid.
- Let the fluid drip until it comes out clean and
clear. Do the same at each wheel until all four are clean and clear.
- Fill the reservoir to the proper level and you
are done!! You will probably notice a difference in your brakes
immeadiately depending on how bad the fluid was.
This process
should be done every couple of years or when the fluid looks dirty and brown in
the master reservoir.
This process is
by far one of the easiest maintenance projects on the car that will show the
most results in an stopping emergency.
Next
month--------“I can’t get any air!!!!!!!!!”
Thanks Bill
Happy Mothers Day
With “Mothers Day” fast approaching, I thought it only appropriate
to write a few words I found to honor “Mothers Day“.
M……is for the million things she gave me
O…….means only that she is growing old
T………is for the tears she shed to save me
H………is for her heart of purest gold
E……….is for her eyes, with love-light shining
R……….means right, and right she’ll always be
Put
them all together, they spell ‘MOTHER,’ A word that means the world to me…
Some Motherly Advice…..
* Always change your underwear; you
never know when you’ll have an accident.
*Don’t make that face or it’ll freeze in
that position.
*Be careful or you’ll put an eye out.
*What if everyone jumped off a cliff?
Would you do it too?
*You have enough dirt behind those ears
to grow potatoes!
*Close that door! Were you born in a
barn?
*If you can’t say something nice, don’t
say anything at all.
*Don’t put that in your mouth; you don’t
know where it’s been.
I hope everyone enjoys these tidbits & has
an enjoyable day……
Mike D
Upcoming
Other Events
Rather than try to put the entire schedule in here, I’ve opted
to include items both NCCC and otherwise into a close up schedule. If you want
to see the entire NCCC schedule, please go to the Rocky Mountain NCCC regional
site at http://www.rmrnccc.org/
|
Date |
Event |
Sponsoring Club |
|
April 25th |
Auto-X School – PPIR |
CSCC |
|
Aptil 26th |
2 Low Speed Auto-X – PPIR |
CSCC |
|
May 2nd |
Justin Andersen Memorial Bike Day |
DtRC |
|
May 2nd |
Ruth’s Memorial Car Show |
CSCC |
|
May 9th |
Fun in the Sun Car Show |
CSCC |
|
May 16th |
Show Us Your Vette Car Show |
TORCA |
|
May 22 – 25 |
Big Sky |
Billings, MT |
|
May 23rd |
Auto-X |
DCA |
|
May 24th |
Auto-X |
DCA |
|
May 30th |
Memorial Day Parade |
CCC |
|
May 30th |
Car Show |
CWC |
|
May 31st |
Auto-X |
CWC |
|
June 6th |
Dealer Appreciation Show |
CCC |
|
June 7th |
3 Low Speed Auto-X |
CWCC |
|
June 15th – 17th |
Spring Mountain driving class |
DtRC |
|
June 20th |
9 Cares Colorado Shares |
CCC |
|
June 20th |
People’s Choice Show – Burt Chevrolet |
DCA |
|
June 21st |
Father’s Day Show at Heritage Square |
Rocky Mountain Corvette |
|
June 21st |
Low Speed Auto-X |
CSCC |
|
June 27th |
2 Low Speed Auto-X at CSP track |
DtRC |
|
July 4th |
Georgetown 4th of July Parade |
DtRC |
Justin
Anderson Memorial Bike Repair Day
The bike repair day is Saturday in May, May 2nd.
The staff and kids at Western Hills Adventure Elementary are all looking forward to our participation this year. The event organizer is once again looking for donated good used or new bicycles and parts. If you have a bike laying around gathering dust, please consider giving it a quick tune up and donating it to the event.
The event was a huge amount of fun for all of us that participated and I hope to see even more smiling faces from the club this year. It means a lot to these kids to get their bikes working safely!
Mike Palomar mounted a valiant effort to have is company sponsor the bike helmets this year. However, that effort has been met with defeat – for this year anyway. I’ve contacted the event organizer to see if they would once again like assistance from Tim’s Challenge to help cover the expense of the helmets. I should know if help will be appreciated by meeting time.
DtRC
Club Bone-Head award
Congratulations Phil! The dubious honor of the bones was captured this month by Phil for arranging the meeting time for the initial rally route planning meeting and then forgetting to set his watch to Daylight Savings Time the night before and arriving at his own meeting an hour late.
Committee
Updates
Social
Committee
Mary Kay, Mary and Cathy
Watch for spur of the moment events!
Be sure to remind Pat that she’s bringing treats for the March meeting!
Governor’s
Report -
By Nancy B.
There is no governor’s report this month as Nancy has had her hands full taking care of Dave.
Be sure to check the calendar above for all the events.
50th Annual National Convention - August 7 - 14,
2009 - RMR - Colorado Springs, CO.
And a permanent reminder for the next year’s worth of newsletters. Don't forget as you start making 2009 vacation plans - mark the following in your book. DtRC will be hosting the low-speed autocross currently scheduled for the parking lot at PPIR. I don't have the AutoCross dates handy, but can get them if you need them this soon. Even if you can't join us for the whole week, we'll need lots of help the days of our events (it is over two days I believe).
NCCC RMR Events
The regional banquet was held earlier this month. Several club members were recognized for their participation in RMR NCCC events over the prior year.
Congratulations to all of you who brought home trophies!
15th Anniversary National
Corvette Caravan - August 31 – Labor Day 2009
Tim B.
Things are moving forward! Mid-America Motorworks will be hosting events in Effingham and have a page on their website covering the events.
The Denver Caravan stop committee would like to ask DtRC is the club would be willing to sponsor the event as a club event so that we can obtain a liability policy to cover the event.
Please come out to the committee meetings on the 2nd Thursday of every month to help make sure that our guests from all over the northwest US have a memorable stop in Denver!
Drag
Racing Report
Joan B.
The 2009 drag racing schedule has been updated on the club web site. Please come out and at least tailgate with the DtRC warriors!
AutoCross
Committee
Frank A.
DtRC has reserved Jun 27th for an autocross at the CSP track in Golden.
Merchandise Report
Mike and Martha P.
Mike and Martha are busy getting things organized and ready
for the new season. Be sure to check out the merchandise table for new items
and to get great prices on the old merchandise.
NCM
Ambassador’s Report
By Tim Barnes
For the latest news and events at the museum go to http://www.corvettemuseum.com/.
A new raffle has just opened for 2009 Competition Corvette VIN #1. Tickets are $425 each and limited to 500 tickets.
The construction cams are also now up and running so you can watch as the final stages of the addition are completed! Be sure to go to www.corvettemuseum.com to check out the progress!
Want to
Advertise?
If you are a member of Down the Road Corvettes, you may place a For Sale or
Wanted Ad for any Corvette related items in our newsletter for free.
Submissions must be received via E-mail to the editor no later than the
15th of each month.
Disclaimer: All prices listed here are not guaranteed. You will need to confirm any and all prices with the selling party.
Advertising
*************************************************************************************
*** Member Ad ***
For Sale:
1980 Corvette 4 Sale, Automatic, 60K miles. glass tops, Silver / Dark Blue,True Spoke wheels & new tires, + original wheels.
Original and stock. Good condition. Tell me what it's worth.
Bruce Kinney
(303) 543-1238
2009 Committees:
|
Dealer Rep |
Mike K. |
|
Membership & Directory |
Cathy S. / Nancy B. |
|
Social Committee |
Mary Kay, Mary and Cathy |
|
Merchandise Committee |
Mike and Martha |
|
Rally Committee |
Joan – Chair, |
|
Show Committee |
Open |
|
|
Open |
|
Webmaster |
Mike P. |
|
Newsletter |
Tim B |
|
Drag Racing Competition Director |
Joan B. |
|
Autocross Competition Director |
Frank A. |
|
Tim’s Challenge Representative |
? |
|
Sno' Big Deal Extravaganza |
Open |
|
Roving Reporter/Photographer |
Bill S. |