A MCA PUBLICATION Merkur Happenings 2000 Fall Edition Volume 1, Issue 3 October 15, 2000 New Challenges Ahead for MCA Inside this issue: Challenges 1 Membership Membership Grows 1 MCA Information 2 It is nearing the end of the This will include more topi- bers. first year in the new millen- cal subjects and activating Web Site Volunteers 3 nium. Only a few more the Members Only Section. The planning cycle for Car- Suggestions Required 3 months and year lisle 2001 also is about to be- Thank You 4 2001 will be How- gin. Those who can devote Madsen, Marshall & Clarke 5 with us, hope- ever, their time are requested to fully without your assist in planning and staging Awards & Prizes 7 any of the fuss Board events and selecting the BBQ Prizes 8 concerning the of proper facilities to make the MCA Application 9 millennium cri- Direc- upcoming Carlisle the best Sponsors 10 sis. This is our tors ever. third edition of a can- newsletter that not do Don’t stand back and assume many never thought would the job by themselves. We someone else will do the happen. need volunteers to supply work. We need each and eve- editorial and pictorial con- ryone of you to help us grow The Merkur Club of America tent and volunteers who can and become better. is alive and growing. We feel help manage and operate the MCA Facts confidant that membership club website. No one said it Please let your Directors will continue to support us as would be easy, but it has be- know where you can be of · Members reside in 21 we continue with our growing come an onerous task with- assistance. E-mail them di- states and Canada. pains. You will be seeing ma- out the involvement and as- rectly from our website or · Canadian members jor changes to the website. sistance of other club mem- contact them individually. live in Ontario and Nova Scotia. Membership Exceeds 100— · New Jersey has the most members with Tops Year End Goal 14 · Pennsylvania has 11 The membership of In fact we with 21 foun- members MCA has continued to have suc- ders, we have grow throughout the ceeded and seen member- · 25% of our members year. Many of us re- look for- ship grow to live west of the Mis- sissippi River member when the Club ward to an over 100 dues was just an idea and even better paying mem- many people in the 2nd year. bers. This has Merkur community did been a pleasant not want us to succeed. Starting (Continued Page 3) PAGE 1 MERKUR HAPPENINGS 2000 PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY MERKUR CLUB AMERICA (MCA), INC. 130 Pennhurst Road, Spring City, Pennsylvania 19475 www.MERKURCLUB.com. M e MISSION STATEMENT: The Merkur Club of America was founded as a nationwide, independent association of owners and enthu- siasts, dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of the Merkur Scorpio and XR4Ti. The goal of the club is to provide Merkur owners with the opportunity to participate in organized events throughout the year. Our schedule of events will include car shows, autocross, track, rally (fun rides), swap meets and social events. These events will be designed to promote camaraderie, family involvement and technical support to our members, and to educate the general public on the unique styling and performance qualities of the Merkur marque. Our personality will develop over the coming year. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Saul Rivkin President & Director of Finance Dave Compton Director of Technology Rich Franco Director of Communication Paul West Director of Member Services Dave Ziminski Director of Event Coordination NON-BOARD RESPONSIBILITY: Rick Byrnes Ambassador at Large Phil Dorsey Merchandising Manager Jay Ertl Ford Lincoln-Mercury Dealership Liaison Allan Slocum West Coast Coordinator Dave Weiner Newsletter Editor and Vendor Representative FOUNDING MEMBERS: Brad Anesi Ben Buemi Rick Byrnes Alex Chaney Dave Compton Phil Dorsey Jay Ertl Kate Ertl Rich Franco Nick Mannarino Scott Miller Don Paluh Saul Rivkin George Schults Allan Slocum Cliff Walton Dave Weiner Elaine Weiner Paul West Dave Ziminski Eve Ziminski VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3 PAGE 1 Merkur Happenings 2000 Membership Exceeds 100 continued Surprise to your Board of Directors We are not a one state club by any Steve Munk! and special means. New commenda- State Representation Jersey has the The various charts pictorially depict tion must go most members MCA membership. Further infor- to Paul followed by mation is available through Paul West , Direc- 42% Pennsylvania West or Dave Weiner. tor of Mem- with 11, 58% ber Services, Virginia Membership Distribution for his role in with 8, helping us Ohio Members Non-Members achieve this with 6, 17% level of New 33% membership. Contrary to the mis- York with 6, California with 13% taken opinion of non-members, 6, and Canada with 5. your fellow Club members are from 6% 10% 21 states and Canada. The 21 One of your fellow members 7% 7% 7% states represent 41% of our total lives in Alaska and won the states. award for longest travel dis- tance at Carlisle—way to go New Jersey Pennsylvania Virginia Ohio New York California Canada Other MCA Needs Volunteers for Web Site Support MCA needs consuming job. It is not not continue due to a change of volunteers a task that one person work responsibilities. Remember specifically can properly per- even your with web form, although Dave Directors page skills. Compton, pictured need to sup- This includes with one of his cars, port them- design, link- has provided extra selves. ing, hosting, ordinary skill and and the like time to launch the So let us type skills. website and con- know how tinue its operation. you can help shoulder some of the The opera- workload to continue the success of tion of the website is a very time But Dave’s superhuman efforts can MCA. Carlisle 2001 Suggestions Requested / Required This is your chance to contribute to antee that suggestions can be im- ber. Please follow the instructions the planning for Carlisle 2001. We plemented, we will endeavor to pre- for registering and post your mes- ask for your input, regardless of if sent the best suggestions to the sage. Also take the time to peruse you did or didn't attend, to recom- Carlisle Planning Committee. our website if you have not been mend how we can make this a big- there before. ger and more fun event for the Please use "The Wall" section of Merkur community. Let us know the MCA website, http://www. For those who find it easier please what worked, what didn't work, or merkurclub.com to post sugges- send a response to me, Dave anything you'd like to see be done tions. The website is available to all, Weiner, [email protected]. differently. While we cannot guar- you do not need to be a MCA mem- PAGE 1 Merkur Happenings 2000 Terry Watson’s Rapido Stage IV XR4Ti I bought my first XR4Ti (an '89 Off to Laguna Seca with street tires then there would be all the installa- auto) from some friends who & a stock suspension. What a tion fun, and rear gear ratios head- were the original owners (this blast! Now I am really hooked! aches, etc. Knowing that this would was their second XR4). I had be a major undertaking, and I would just rear-ended someone with my After the Laguna Seca trip, up- be notching up the daily driver an- rare 1959 Alfa Romeo 2000 grades began. Rapido IC, Rapido other level, I thought I could probably Touring Spider (one of 4000 suspension & Konis, Cossie grill & buy a 5-speed car for about the made, about 200 still running). hood vent, rear disk brakes, racing same price as the transmission tires, 15x7 wheels, etc. Back to swap. This would be a lot less pain- I was having a bad day to say the Laguna Seca for another Alfa club ful, and I could get to the bottom line least, and thought that it would event. faster perhaps. So, I began to watch make sense to get a "practical" the "for sales" and searching the car, since my other car is a 1972 Much more competitive, even with internet sites for possible cars. Datsun 240Z converted to a Fer- the auto tranny I am passing rari GTO replica, and a four- bunches of people, until a tire wall An interesting thing occurred. Some- seater, low-profile car could have ran into me at 60 mph or so! It did one posted a message about a car its merits. I knew nothing about a real number on the passenger for sale in Alabama with an awful lot XR4's except Jack & Lyn had side of the car, but was really all of good stuff done to it. He wanted one for sale with 70,000 miles, sheet metal damage. Got it all to know if the price was too much or and they keep their cars in im- fixed, and then to Willow Springs okay. I responded that it sounded peccable condition. like it was a fair price, but One call to them entirely too much car for resulted in them him (jokingly), and that he driving it down that should pass on the deal and day from Pasa- let me have it. Several dena, CA. months passed, and then I got an email from the guy I gave them a saying that the car was still check, no test for sale and he wasn't going drive, no questions to buy it. He gave me the asked (we are information on how to con- long –time friends, for a Time Trial event where I did tact the seller, who was a and I had driven the car around terrible! Willow is a fast track doctor in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.