2010 Pumpkin Run

~The Third Annual 2010 Fall Pumpkin Run~

Everyone had a great time last year so here it's time to mark your calendar's for Saturday October 9th !
A one day local motoring tour set in the hills and back country roads of South Central PA. Kim and I will furnish a light continental breakfast.
Arrival 9:30 and 10:00 AM at the Merklin family Casa,some socializing and exaggerating and heading out around 10:45 or so for a 3 -4 hour run through the back roads and a chance to crank it up here and there though the twisties and hills with a couple of rest stops along the way. Our destination for food and drink is in the planning stages.
Please email me with your thoughts on any possible improvements.
We all look forward to having additional speedsters on this year's run!
The rain date will be Sunday October 10th. ~Alan & Kim

If the rain date was the 16th, you could count on me to be there! Wish I could Alan and Kim!

I realize that, with the recent sad passing of Bill that the Pumpkin Run has not been at the top of everyone's list of things to do. However time is getting short as the run is scheduled in three weeks that being Saturday 10/9.
We'll need a decent number of participants to avoid cancelling this years's Pumpkin Run. Let me know if you can make it asap as the cut off date will be 9/25....Thanks ~Alan

We're in. Teresa, me and the Hoopty.

I'll do it if I can get my brakes done (likely). And if y'all would allow a Limey-looking Bug to crash the party.

We'll be down.

~WB

Travel'n light so far, goes without say'n that the weather will be picture perfect as it has in the past two years !

Confirmed:
Alan Merklin, Rocky Cimbrec, Cory Drake, Bill Drayer and Ed Ericson.

Waiting to heard from:
Bruce Stumpp, Max Zinmmer, Paul Rich, Syl Mathis, Greg Billesbach, Barry Crone, Mickey Donnatello, Kelly Fraser, Jim Chichi, Dale Schumacker, Justin, Howard Bobrow, Bob Rose, Greg Seitz.

...There be a few others close by...

You don't need to be driving a speedster to enjoy the Pumpkin Run. ~Alan

Alan,
I should be there - unless something crazy happens. Had fun last year - looking forward to it again.
Dale

This just in -- Dogfish Head is making a pumpkin ale this year.
We really should scout the territory for someplace to get a good pumpkin brew while we're out.

Not sure yet, Alan. Pat and Stacey Campbell are coming up to our place for the Annapolis sailboat that Friday, they haven't decided if they are bringing their Speedster - will be a decision based on the weather.

Hope you guys can make it !

Alan, with school back in session, I have more of my time defined for me. I have a four-day sea kayaking trip with students over Columbus weekend and will not be able to join the group for the run. Hope you all have a great time.

OK, it's Frazer w/ a "z" reporting in: I'll be there. I will not mind trailing Wild Bill this year, since he fixed his tail pipes and is no longer a flame thrower. Had to buff out scorch marks last year ;-) I wonder if he will be OK w/ me behind him, "pushing" him fwd through the turns? Maybe I should make him chase me?? It should be a fine event, looking fwd to the fine countryside, friendly folks, (free breakfast??) etc. Not sure I'm all entranced w/ the idea of beer from pumpkins, but I'd give it a go, at least once . . .

" Frazer w/ a z' " Holy Crap...I think I did that last year too ?
Kewl that you are coming and once again, a free light breakfast and fresh brewed coffee. Those that have been on the Pumpkin Run in prior years have met my neighbor Doug who drives the mint red Corvette sweep car. Today he did a test run on my revamped route and looks good all except that one dirt road that I didn't realize was, dirt... that will get corrected ~Alan

Max and Toni Zimmer have RSVP'd!
Come on guys and gals time's short let me know !

You gonna throw a birthday party for Max?

Yeah, it's been a few months. He must be due by now......

...and he's always complaining about how no one ever remembers its his birthday!

I know better than to throw yet another and since Max is a writer, the pen is mightier than the sword ~

I don't know........If you continue to give him more and more "birthdays", then pretty soon he's gonna be the oldest living and still writing writer. Older than Mailer or Azimov!! Oh, but I guess they're both dead, aren't they?

Still! That's less competition for Max!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAX!

I'll be there
Looking forward to it
Barry

Here's the list so far~

Alan & Kim Merklin (Miata - Speedster under construction)
Rocky & Linda Cimbrec (Kia)
Max & Toni Zimmer (Honda S2000)
Cory & Teresa Drake (S)
Bill Drayer (S)
Kelly Frazer (S)
Barry Crone (S)
Dale Schumacker (MGTD)
Ed Ericson

Maybe: Bruce Stumpp & Stacey Campbell

Still waiting to hear from: Greg Billesbach, Greg Seitz, Mickey Donnatello, Paul Rich, Jim Chichi, Bob Rose.

* (S) Speedster
______________________________________________________________

Fuel:
Please gas up after you have exited Rt. 81 and before you arrive. Sunoco, Hess, Exxon or Sheetz along Rt. 30 aka Lincoln Way West

Arrival:
For light breakfast 9:30 - 10:30 AM heading out around 10:45 or so.

Food and grog:
Location to be determined.

Weather:
If we need to cancel, I will post here at 6:30 AM with a reschedule of Sunday 10/10.

We'll wrap things up by 3:30-4:00 pm to allow for daylight travel home.

Directions:
Rt. 81 S to exit 16, right onto Lincoln Way West (Rt 30 W) for 6 miles to pass the ACE Home Center on your right, make a left at the light onto Hade Rd. go 800' and make a left onto Wilhelm Drive we are two blocks down on the left, corner of Wilhelm and Millhouse.

Alan & Kim Merklin
4157 Wilhelm Drive
Chambersburg, PA 17202
717 860 8476

Had too much beer last night, now I have the Sheetz!

Have fun boys and girls, wish I could go.

.....can you switch weekends with the Ex?

I thought Max owned a Speedster. :>)

PS: Looks like my right-seater is game for this one, so pencil Kelly and Babs in.

Cory/BERT: We need to figure a rendezvous pt. and time. Anybody else from these parts heading that way?

Sorry guys - will have to beg off this time. That is the weekend of the Ocean City Cruisin. Glenn and I are both going to be there. The "creamsicle" is going "big time."

Paul Holden

Kelly: if I can get Bridget's brakes in some kind of shape by then I'd be keen to ride up with y'alls. My route is looking like 'round the Balto beltway through Towson to about Pikesville, then northwest up 795. Good 2 1/2-hour haul from Joppa, so having a wingman or two or three would be very cool.

Bridget, BTW, is a '52-TD-shaped 1969 VW Bug. Engine is in a '66 case (1300 cc, single port) probably embiggened at some point but don't know for sure. Runs pretty good. Stopping is the problem.

This just in. Right-seat vacancy available.
Teresa will be busy that weekend with other commitments.
She regrets it, but she's got good reasons.
Give a ring if you need a seat.

Kelly, whenever, wherever. Let's see who's going by this weekend, then make a plan, eh?

Cory:

eh? - OK, will reconoiter(?) later in the week. Clarksville FD at 8:00?? that give enough time??

ed: I'm not too sure where Joppa is, but sounds like if you manage to be on I70 west at some point, then where it crosses MD 32 is a natural meet point for Cory and me. Anybody else?? I need to get a Googlemap working to see how it all might fit in. ANd do fix those brakes quick as can. and if not in time, then drive whatcha got workin'; glad to have you.

Kelly, I'm tossing around the idea of going up Friday night.
Nothing is graven in stone. I'm totally flexible.

Hope all you guys have good weather. I broke my bow on my top and when I fixed it it was 1.5 inches shorter. Now it doesn't mate well with the top of the windshield. Hoping that we don't get rain either - don't know if blue tape will help it. Maybe green or black duct tape.

PCH

Kelly, Cory: Looks to me like you guys are going I-70-270-81. I'm running parallel on MD 140, rt 97 and then U.S 30. I go through Gettysburg. You're going through Frederick. We may not cross paths at all.

Anyway. Cut a big hole in Bridget tonight and adjusted the (previously unreachable) rod into the master cylinder. Got some pedal out of that. Will test tomorrow and see if she's good enough to trust for a 300-mile run.

ed,

You know the original P-cars had an access port cut in the "trunk" floor so you could reach the steering box to adjust, and maybe the mast cyl too, I forget. I have looked at what it would take to service the Speedster mast cyl, and decided that some FG cutting might be the only way. Now if if I had a Hoopty, things would be different . . .

I'll check the map, and see how we might hook up. I have often threatened to eschew the interstate highways in favor of the secondary roads for the scoot up to Alan's. So let me look at that and see if we can meet up on some country road somewheres.

Kelly - At lease on CMC/FF remove driver's front tire and you should have complete access to the master cylinder. Don't even need Cory's SawZAll.

I cut a hole. Worked good. Got a nice high pedal and fair to good brakes now. Screwed in a piece of black battery box to cover the hole. You can see it if you crouch down and look for it, otherwise, no.

Kelly: Let me know your route & me and Karen will try to meet you along the way if possible.

Cory,
Greg is working on a Newbee speedster guy that might be able to make it and we may need a right seat for him - hopefully we can fit him in somewhere.
Dale

Cory -- Sorry to hear Teresa can't make it. But it'll be good to see you even without your party gal.

Gordon -- My doctor says all these birthdays are bad for my health. In fact they're gonna kill me. Can't turn my back on you guys for a minute without getting older. I'm starting to feel like Merklin's Portrait of Dorian Gray.

Wish you were gonna be there.

In the meanwhile really looking forward to seeing everybody. Kelly and Dale and Wild Bill and all the rest of you.

Max

I'll bring the B-day cake -- how many candles?? BWAAHAHAHAH!!!