cmcveay

I'll post this reply as it's information that everyone considering the coordination of an event may find interesting but if you'll PM or email me from DCMM, we can get into specific details. 3-4 hours would be nearing the maximum as some will be looking at an hour or more getting to and from the event so it makes for a rather long day in the car. I'll check the maps that I have at home and there may be a suggested route in that area. If so, I'll be glad to share that info with you. As far as eateries? We typically aim for a sit down location that's got a good menu and doesn't require a second mortagage on the farm. Pubs are always a good bet! The areas that you mention all sound good and if you did want to include a winery, it would be important to check their schedule to see if they have any events that day. It would be painful to show up with the thundering herd just as the bridal party started down the "Green Mile". Some wineries also have food that can be arranged. Oh, I forgot one CRITICAL element. Some of our owners would rather roll around in a recently "used" cow pasture before they drive their MINIs on a gravel road so if there's more than about 500 feet of unpaved road, people will get their pitch forks and detailing kits out of the car, surround you and - well, you can figure out the rest. Right Brian, Marty & Quitta?

:embarassed:

Nick - feel free to reach out if you have questions about setting an event up down in that area. What I'd suggest from the start would be to start at a location that's closer to the middle (between here and there) for the start and then set up the route to visit those places (2-3 specific destinations with good "twisties" in between) to visit. Last fall, we did a run out to Luray caverns and it was a "destination" event in which we met at one place and the run officially ended at the destination so that's an option as well. That also tends to be an easier route to set up as you don't have to worry about getting everyone back to the start. A couple of key things to keep in mind when setting it up. Bathrooms (real flushing facilities) at the start and roughly every 40-50 miles or 45-60 minutes. A start/comfort break location that has enough room to support 15+ MINI/Minis and 3-4x that many people. If there's a food/eating stop planned, the menu should have a good variety for those in the club who have challenging dietary restrictions and the establishiment should be notified of a large group coming so they can be ready. If you set up an RSVP for the event, you'll have a good ballpark idea of how many people will be there. We can provide you with a template for a route sheet and it's suggested that you drive the route at least once with a co-pilot calling the turn by turn directions just to make sure it's a good route and then drive it again within a week of the even to ensure there are no rock slides, construction sites or other long term blockages. It's also best to have another car (or two) know the route to act as a "relay" car and a sweeper. If there are more than 12-15 cars, add more as you'll probably split the cars into two groups so you'll need two leaders and two sweepers. Oh, right hand turns are our friend while left hand turns can break the group up. Most important? Don't be afraid to reach out to the club for help because we all love to get out and drive and there are lots of members who are always willing to help coordinate events. I'll also help with dates and getting the event on the calendar for you.

I obviously can't speak for the 1st Gens but both 2nd Gens that I've had do the same thing and the folks that I've talked to about it just refer to it as "idle hunting" or "idle surge". The ECU tuners have been looking at it and they can't figure out a rhyme or reason for it so it is probably as suggested, the A/C compressor kicking in or some high amp draw system like the PS or cooling fan. The big power systems make the alternator jump back on at a lower RPM and it puts a momentary stress on the engine and then the ECU corrects the amount of fuel to the idle circuit and the RPMs come back up to where they should be.

That's good info Haemish. I actually didn't realize just how small the tire diameter is between all of the OEM offerings - Looks like .5"? In all of this, I also forgot to mention the Tire Rack (www.tirerack.com). Even if you don't buy your tires from them, they have all the specifications and you can read reviews from users. These guys will also drop ship tires to the location that's doing the install so you don't have to drag the tires around town.

Just make sure the rim size for the new tires is 17" and if you stay with the factory profile, they will fit. The tire industry is reasonably well standardized so a 205/40-17 from company A isn't going to be all that different dimensionally than the same size tire from another company. I can tell you that I went up to the 235/40-17 with an OEM width (7.5") and offset wheel. You could go as far as a 215/40-17 and not have any fitment/clearance issues at all. The Miata tire size calculator that I mentioned earlier will take the tire dimensions and compare them again another size (you enter the numbers) and it will then show you the difference between the two. A "taller" tire or one with a larger diameter will roll fewer times in a given distance just as a shorter tire will roll more. Each has advantages and disadvantages so if it's just too confusing, I'd suggest staying as close as possible to the OEM tire size and just enjoy the improved traction of the better tires. Careful with calling the Runflats names though. There are folks that absolutely swear by them and I must say, they do have their place in the world. All tires are a compromise and the main advantage of the RF is that you are much less likely to find yourself stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire.

It doesn't have to be actually. You can stay with the same exact size tire you have now and just find a different brand/model tire. I like Kumho because they won't break the bank but Pirelli, Continental, Dunlop and a couple of others also put out some fantastic tires.

Hey, if it hasn't been said enough - I'm still gonna say it again... The absolute best "results per dollar" to be found in the 2nd Gen is a tune. I'm pretty sure I posted my numbers from the Dyno day. I do have an aftermarket intercooler (Forge) and intake (DoS) and I saw an increase of just over 20HP and 40ftlbs of torque. I know if for a fact because we did a pull on the dyno with and without the tune. It's unfortunate that I forgot to put the decals under the hood when I did the installs as I'm sure that would have gotten at least 10% more out of the parts and tune. So, if you are standing there with the money burning a hole in your pocket and you can't decide between that sparkly new "gee whiz" exhaust and the access port, just ask yourself if you'd rather sound faster and more powerful or if you would actually rather BE faster and more powerful. Your answer will make the decision. And, before I get dog piled with this. I'm only talking about 2nd Gen MINI's here and yes, intakes and exhausts CAN make a difference. If it's results you are looking for though, do the tune first because it can be adjusted to take advantage of the other parts. For reference, take a look at my stock tune numbers. They show very little difference from the OEM projections, even with the intake and IC; throw the tune on and it's not just a different ballgame, it's a different sport. Oh - I almost forgot. I am a major proponent of making sure you have EVERYTHING you need to control that new power whether it's in the turns or at the stop box. Handling improvements (sway bar, tires etc.,) and brakes (whether just pads or a total upgrade) will make sure all of that new found power can be kept under control. It also goes without saying that I'm a firm believer is giving autocross a try just to learn how your car handles. The opportunity to see and hear just how your car talks to you in hard, sharp cornering is priceless, even if you just commute to work and never want to drive to the extreme limits. Just my .02.

Bill, You'll get lots of replies so I'll start this ball rolling. I've found that the Kumho Ecsta ASX (it's got a new name but it's their extreme performance all-season tire) did an awesome job for me. Wet, dry and even in Snowmaggedon, they didn't let me down. They even did well at autocross! No, they aren't the winter tire that some are and they aren't the summer tire like others but from my personal experience, they sure did cover a broad spectrum. I also ran 40's so the low profile made sure that I didn't have too much sidewall to squirm around and take away the responsive handling. Good luck sorting through the replies and if you haven't seen it yet, google "miata tire size calculator" and you can juse that to compare different tire sizes. When I was sorting out which size to get, I created the spreadsheet and then, I had a quick reference that showed me differences in diameter, width and weight. I put 235/40R-17's under a lowered R56 and only had minor issues with rubbing - that was at the rear of the rear wheelwells where the mudflaps were attached. Later, I put the same size Dunlop Starspec's on the car and since they are nearly an inch wider, the front tires did touch the fenderwell liner when the the steering wheel was all the way to the stops.

This was only the second event that I've been to in which the bathrooms weren't open. I'd consider that a "fluke".

His user name is Coop. Great guy to work with.

Another quality exhaust can be had from Van out at VIP Custom Designs. The muffler is a magnaflow and the work is really awesome. If you are looking on NAM, I'd suggest subscribing to the marketplace so it emails you when folks post things.

I kept hearing the instructors say "If you aren't hitting cones, you aren't getting close enough or you aren't trying hard enough". School cones are free but the rest of the time - not so much... As a bystander, I can say that it was fun to watch everyone as their confidence level with the upper and lower courses built and they drove faster and harder each time they went around the course.

Yep, had a great time everyone and I'll be posting pics over the next couple of days. Here's a really, really quick example of some of the possibilities and there's sooo much more that can be done to clean the image up.

Here are the photo's that I took. Nothing edited, cleaned up or anything. http://www.flickr.com/photos/38286280@N07/sets/72157629611639325

Hey, that's actually a great point that you bring up - After the Event driving. There have been several times when I've seen law enforcement "staked out" on the roads leaving the event venue. They know what's going on, they know it's legal and they KNOW that folks might tend to be a little heavy footed. I thought folks would like to know about that just so they can save their "mod money" for themselves and not the local county/state government.

Funny, that's not a route that I would have ever taken anyway. Through D.C. (SE D.C. at that), crappy roads and a million stoplights. The Beltway to 50 is the only way to go.

As long as the color is what you are wanting. I emailed Tod last week and haven't gotten any response back... As far as mods at the dragon? I don't think I am actually - of course, that could change depending upon what's offered.

That is true, that is true. I just thought I'd put it out there. See ya all on the road or in Bowie!

Aren't those hoops more than plastic? I think they are metal and they are the roll bars for the car aren't they?

Did anyone decide on a caravan? It's about 50 miles from here but that early on a Saturday morning, traffic shouldn't be much of an obstacle. Anyone up for meeting at the same Panera Bread that we met at for Autocross last October?

One word Ali... Do I need to say it?

To the dragon and back, with a few events/runs while there is still less gas than you'll use to drive MTTS!

Welcome to the Forums Nick! Yep, no VW bashing here - I drove an 05 Turbo Beetle before the MINI and kept if for a while afterward. Great car but it just couldn't hold a candle to the MINI. Sounds like you have a plan in front of you for the car and I'm betting you have about one more hour (or so) to figure out a name for it or Ali (Tgggrr) will be be offering up options... It's a little bit of a trip but if you have free time on the weekends, we are doing a club dinner up in Fairfax this Sunday and if you hit the DCMM FB page, there should be links to an upcoming event over in Yorktown/Jamestown on the 24th. It's called "MINIs on the Ferry" and it's put together by the great crowd down at HR MINI. There could be upwards of 40-50 MINI's at that event.