March 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. March 26th, 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 |
Just a short note from the President,
First, let me thank Phil O., Joan & Joe B.
for putting together what is turning out to be, to say the least, a very
challenging & fun April Fool’s Rally. Thank you’s go out to all who showed
up for the first trial run, We eventually found the right McDonalds, (Phil had
some problems)?
During the next few weeks, it is going to take
a concerted effort from everyone to finalize the clues & fine tune the
route, I hope all or most of our members will pitch in, It is a fun way to
spend the day with your favorite toy and friends.
It seems the next few weekends are going to be
exciting & fun, what with Mary’s St. Patrick’s Day Party, the trial runs,
club meeting, & finally, the Rally.
We all should be proud of the members who
received Awards at the banquet, it is good to have so many awards presented. Considering we are probably
the smallest club, we done GOOD. Thank you, Award winners.
And now just a thought:
With all
of our Volunteer positions nominated, & voted on, I would like to think we
have a very competent & capable group of people. With little assistance
from past holders of these positions, I think they have done a commendable job
to this point in the new year. I, for one think they will continue to succeed
& exceed expectations in all their positions. (Just a thought). Maybe a
THANK YOU!!!
Mike
Misc. ramblings from the
Editor
It’s here!!!!!
Yes, that’s right; the 2009 Corvette season is upon us! Just look at the schedule of upcoming events, and you’ll see that it’s now in full swing. There are way too many events to participate in all of them, but be sure to pick out the ones you are interested in and go have a ball. While you’re at it, why don’t you try to pick up a few other club members or even your friends to join you. After all, it’s really not about the event itself any way, it’s about spending time with others who have the common Corvette bond!
I’m excited to announce that we have a new section in the newsletter starting this month. Bill Schultz, (our back up head bone head), has stepped up to the plate and hit a home run with his new Tech Tips by Bill column. This month’s subject is motor oil and Bill has done some great research to provide all of us with information we need to properly provide for the long and happy life of our cherished Corvettes and all the other vehicles we own. Great job Bill and keep up the good work!
Please be sure to drop Dave Burritt a get well card. Dave has had some real health issues over the last week and I’m sure would appreciate your cards and thoughts!
Tim
Minutes of Past Meeting
QUORUM
A quorum was present.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The last month minutes were approved.
TREASURER'S REPORT
The treasury report was approved.
GOVERNOR'S REPORT
A motion to approve $20 for Nancy B. to buy an ad in the convention program was approved.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
New members are Richard and Fancy, welcome to the club.
MERCHANDISE COMMITTEE
Research on a new vendor for jackets.
SOCIAL COMMITTEE
The Christmas Party is Dec. 12th at The Old Neighborhood Rest.A request was made for new ideas for pre-meeting dinner places. The mystery meal is March 21st, 12-4 p.m.
NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM AMBASSADOR
Raffle tickets are available on the web-site. You can also receive newsletters on line without being a member.
AUTOCROSS COMPETITION DIRECTOR REPORT
The autocross in Golden is June 27th. A motion to pay the track fee was approved.
DRAG RACE DIRECTOR REPORT
the Bandimere schedule is May1, May 22, June 26, July 31, Aug. 14, Sept. 11, Sept. 25
OPEN DISCUSSION
April Fool's Rally- We will have a rally. Joan B. will chair. Phil O. is the route master.
Points- Mike D. fells its easier for the women to get points, because less woman compete. Which along with other comments earned him the Bonehead Necklace from Bill.
Meeting was Adjourned
submitted by Joan Breher
Club News:
April Birthdays:
Frank Arco - 3rd
Get well soon to:
Dave Burritt -
April Fool’s Rally – It’s Time!!!!
By Tim Barnes
Well, between Joan, Joe and Phil, we have quite a challenging April
Fool’s Rally lined up!
The route, while a little on the long side, is a very nice drive taking you through areas you’ve probably never been through or at least haven’t been through in a while. The questions are coming together and with three weeks to go until the rally, the rally committee could really use your help to finish refining the questions.
I’d like to thank all of you who have already come out and helped get things going. It’s amazing what a dozen sets of eyes can spy along any given stretch of road. Some questions so far are easy, but then again, there are some really miserable ones as well!
So, come on out and meet us an McDonald’s, 18181 E. Hampden in Aurora to try your hand and have lunch with a fun bunch. We’re meeting at 11:00 on the 22nd and probably the same time on the 29th for the final run before the rally.
Tech Tips with Bill!
By Bill Schultz
Due to popular demand, I am going to do my best to offer “tech tips” to
our newsletter. While anyone is always welcome to join in with their own tips,
I will add a comment to each newsletter.
OIL CHANGES-when do I change my oil? Do I change it due to mileage, time or color?
It seems that there are as many opinions on this matter as there are cars. I have enjoyed researching this topic for the last month or so. I have gone to web sites, dealers, mechanics, magazines and about any where else you can think of.
It would seem that the introduction of synthetic oils has added a entire new dimension to the question of proper oil changes. There are many myths and fairy tails about synthetic vs petroleum. Talk to any five people and odds are you will get five different opinions.
Myth—Synthetic oil stays cleaner than petroleum.
Fact----Synthetic oil gets dirty as quick if not faster than petroleum oil. Synthetic oil will maintain its cleaning properties, lubrication properties and viscosity longer than petroleum based oils. A quality oil filter is very important in maintaining clean oil and thus a clean engine. Today’s engines run much cleaner than in the past lending to the belief that the synthetic oil stays cleaner longer. Truth is, the better synthetics clean better therefore getting dirty faster.
Myth----Synthetic oil should be changed every 7 to 10 thousand miles.
Fact-----Every car and driver are different. It is the
general consensus that everyone should follow the recommended miles as outlined
by the manufacturer. With that said, a person that drives their car many miles
everyday primarily on the highway could expect little or no damage by extending
the oil changes beyond the recommended periods. Most drivers drive short
periods of time in stop and go traffic. These drivers do get the car up to
operating temperatures almost every time they take the car out. These drivers
would do well to follow the manufactures recommendations. Most Corvette drivers either start their car
periodically during the winter or take very short drives during the bad weather
months. Many Corvettes will sit in a garage months on end waiting for good
weather. All motor oil is hydroscopic meaning that the oil will draw moisture
especially if the car is started periodically and not brought up to operating
temperatures for a period of time. 95% of the information I have retrieved
recommend that in these cases the oil should be changed every 3000 miles or
every three months. At least change the oil before the driving season begins.
It would be silly to change the oil after three months if the car has not been
driven. Remember, while the engine may appear clean and the oil in good
condition, the oil does not clean itself. Synthetics will do a great job of
cleaning the engine but in doing so they may absorb contaminants that can
slowly over time cause excessive wear not visible to the eye. Now that you are
probably totally confused, there is an answer to your personal car. If you are
not sure when to change your oil I highly recommend the following. At 3000 to 6000 miles recover a small
amount of the oil from your engine and take it to
Myth---- Auto shops or dealers do a better job changing the oil.
Fact------This depends on the individual and their abilities, work space and knowledge. Generally you can do a better job than most dealers and almost always better that a local “quick lube”. The next time you have the opportunity to get you hands on dirty oil perform the following experiment. Pour about a cup of used dirty oil in to a glass jar. I recommend that you either use an old jar or glass or sneak one from you wife but don’t tell her what you are using it for. Now, pour the oil out of the jar and hold the jar upside down for 15 or 20 minutes. Turn the jar back over and sit it down. Go have a beer or watch the speed channel for a hour or so. When you return to the jar look what has settled to the bottom. A quick oil change works the same way. It is better to change you oil while it is warm but even with warm oil it takes time for some of the “bad stuff” to drain out. While you will get the big chunks, you will leave quite a lot of junk in the pan. Adding the new oil just dilutes the bad oil making it appear that you have all fresh new oil in the car. Best case, (not the most popular) pull the drain plug and oil filter in Friday or Saturday evening. Get up the next morning and complete the oil change. While you sleep at night all the dirty little monsters in you engine will lose their grip and slip into your drain pan.
I could go on and on but I recommend if you are in doubt, get your oil analyzed and do more research on your own. It is a real eye opener.
NEXT MONTH---ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS IN YOUR CAR YET THE MOST ABUSED AND NEGLECTED. IF YOUR CAR IS TWO YEARS OLD OR OLDER.
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 5th |
PC Charity Car Show |
DtRC |
|
April 5th |
April Fool’s Rally |
DtRC |
|
April 19th |
Driving School / Auto-X |
TORCA |
|
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 |
DtRC has been invited to participate in Georgetown Colorado’s 4th of July parade. I’ll update the information as the time gets closer.
Justin
Anderson Memorial Bike Repair Day
Details of the event are just now starting to become available. The bike repair day will indeed be the first Saturday in May, May 2nd. So, hold the day open!
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!
DtRC
Club Bone-Head award
Well, the bones seem to have a surprise new temporary owner! Way to go Mike! Our head bone head managed to suffer a severe case of foot in mouth disease right in front of everyone and managed to snatch the bones right away from Bill who so richly earned them.
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.
At last, plans are beginning to come together thanks to the hard work of all who are helping with this event. We now have a budget and great news from the City of Aurora on the use of the Sports Park at Tower and Colfax.
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/.
Let’s see if we can get Richard to take on the ambassadors role!
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. |