The "CRUISER" Newsletter

AS THE WHEEL TURNS!

BY ROGER BEAUCHAMP, PRESIDENT

I engaged in a recent conversation with a fellow club member. We were at one of our Cars and Coffee* events, commenting on the age of our fellow car enthusiasts and their vehicles. The question came up “Who Will Buy My Car”? At your next event just note the age of the persons who support this hobby. Most have been a car guys for the past 40 or 50 + years, that includes myself.

With this in mind in the next 20 years the classic car market may be flooded with available vehicles. On occasion, we do see younger attendees

participate some with classics, others just checking out the cars. Last summer at the Blue Ridge DQ show I had conversations with a much younger person, and I empathize younger!

He had a Bullet Mustang purchased used from a local dealer. He was aglow, proud of his car and comments on the exhaust note and performance. We talked about a few street challenges and future planed modifications. I was this fellow 60 years ago when I purchased my 67 fastback GT Mustang, big block & 4 speed car.

The ford dealership was located on Woodward Ave. I left the dealership, straight to the gas station, top off the tank and did a few Woodward cruise loops. I hope he and others will continue the car culture into the future.

Roger

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR APRIL, 2025

This calendar is dedicated to car events OTP (Outside The Perimeter) covering the North Georgia area.  www.ellijaymountaincruisers.com

---RECURRING EVENTS---

Saturday, 5th - Yellow Jacket Diner Cruise-In, Oothcalooga St., Calhoun, GA 10 am - 1pm (Recurring event-first Saturday -Rain date 2nd Saturday- of the month)

Sunday, 6th - Caffeine and Octane Car Show. Town Center at Cobb - 9:00 AM (Recurring event-first Sunday of the month)

Sunday, 6th - WORSHIP Vintage and Classic Car Event - 1135 Woodstock Rd.,Roswell, GA. Vehicles must be 18 years old or older. 8:00am - 11:00am (Recurring event-first Sunday of the month)

Tuesday, 8th - ELLIJAY MOUNTIAN CRUISERS CLUB SOCIAL DINNER at El Reys Azteca. El Rays Mexican Restaurant - 6:00 PM (Second Tuesday)

Saturday, 12th - CarQuest Cruise Night - 60 Redmond Rd. NW, Rome GA - 5pm - 9pm  (Recurring event-second Saturday of the month-Apr-Oct)

Saturday, 12th - Northeast Georgia Swap Meet, Habersham Cty Faurgrounds, Clarkesville, GA., 7am - 1pm (Recurring event-first Saturday, Feb-Dec, ex:June&Sept)

Sunday, 13th - Dahlonega Car Club Cruise-In. 140 S.Chestatee St, Dahlonega,GA. 9:00am - 12:00pm (Recurring event-second Sunday of the month)

Saturday, 18th - Roo Mountain Winery Cars and Coffee. Roo Mountain Vineyards - 8:00 AM - ? (Recurring event-third Saturday of the month)

Saturday, 18th - Po Boys Cruise-In, Riverstone Plaza, 1447 Riverstone Parkway, Canton, GA. 3:00pm - 6:00pm (Recurring event-third Saturday of the month)

Friday, 25th - Georgia Mountain Classics DQ Cruise-In. 380 Progress Circle, Blue Ridge, GA. Blue Ridge Dairy Queen. 6:00pm - 8:00pm (Recurring event-fourth Friday of the month)

Saturday, 26th - ELLIJAY MOUNTAIN CRUISERS CARS AND COFFEE  Ellijay, BURGER KING - 9:00 AM (Recurring event-fourth Saturday of the month)

Tuesday, 28th - ELLIJAY MOUNTAIN CRUISERS DRIVE & DINE - Ellijay, GA. Meet at the Park & Ride across from Poole’s BBQ 10:30am-KSU11:00am (Fourth Tuesday of the month)

APRIL, 2025

Saturday, 5th - Habersham County Sheriff Benefit Car Show, Habersham County Fairgrounds, 10am - 3pm

Saturday, 12th - Music & Motors Car Show, Dawson Cty High School, 1665 Perimeter Rd., Dawsonville, GA, 10 am - 2pm

Saturday, 12th - Disabled American Veterans Car Show, Bradley Square Mall, Cleveland, TN., 4pm-8pm $20/reg fee.

Saturday-Sunday, 12th & 13th - Bug-A-Paluza, Camp Jordan Park, East Ridge (Chattanooga), TN., 8am - 3pm

Saturday, 12th - Cruisin’ For Life Car Show, 914 Shorter Ave., Rome, GA., 10am-2pm.

Friday-Saturday, 25th & 25th - Corvair Springfest, Various Locations,  Helen, GA., 8am - 10pm daily.

Friday-Saturday, 25th & 26th - Memory Lane Car Show, Georgia Mountian Fairgrounds, Hiawassee, GA., 8am - 4pm daily.

Saturday, 26th - Easy Forsyth High Band Car Show, 8910 Jot Em Down Rd., Gainesville, GA, 9am - 1pm

Saturday, 26th - Chickamauga Depot Round-Up, 200 Gordon St., Chickamauga, GA. 10am - 3pm

Saturday, 26th - Spring Classic Show Out Car Show, Hyde Out Diner, 6674 Allatoona Gtwy, Acworth, GA - 1pm - 5pm

Saturday, 26th - Righteous Rides Car Show, 3750 Dallas Hwy, Acworth, GA., 9am-3pm

MAY, 2025

A Detail Geek’s Guide to Microfiber Towels

(Reprinted by permission of Hagerty Media)

Microfibers were invented by Japanese textile company Toray in 1970, but the technology wasn’t used for cleaning until the late 1980s. The key, as the name suggests, is in the fiber: Each strand is really tiny—100 times finer than human hair—which allows them to be packed densely on a towel. That creates a lot of surface area to absorb water and pick up dust and dirt. Plus, microfibers have a positive electric charge when dry (you might notice the static cling on your towels), which further helps the towel to pick up and hold dirt. “They tend to trap the dirt in but not allow it to re-scratch the finish,” explains professional concours detailer Tim McNair, who ditched old T-shirts and terry cloths for microfibers back in the 1990s.

These days, the little towels are ubiquitous and relatively cheap, but in order to perform wonders consistently, they need to be treated with respect. Below, a miniature guide to microfibers.

Care for Your Towels: Dos and Don’ts

“They’re just towels,” you might say to yourself. But if you want them to last and retain their effectiveness, microfiber towels need more care than your shop rags:

DO: Keep your microfiber towels together in a clean storage space like a Rubbermaid container. They absorb dirt so readily that a carelessly stored one will be dirty before you even use it.

DON’T: Keep towels that are dropped on the ground. It’s hard to get that gunk out and it will scratch your paint.

DO: Reuse your towels. “I have towels that have lasted 15 years,” says McNair. That said, he recommends keeping track of how they’re used. “I’ll use a general-purpose microfiber to clean an interior or two, and I’ll take them home and wash them. After about two, three washings, it starts to fade and get funky, and then that becomes the towel that does lower rockers. Then the lower rocker towel becomes the engine towel. After engines, it gets thrown away.”

DON’T: Wash your microfibers with scented detergent, which can damage the fibers and make them less effective at trapping dirt. OxiClean works great, according to McNair.

DO: Separate your microfibers from other laundry. “Make sure that you keep the really good stuff with the really good stuff and the filthy stuff with the filthy stuff,” says McNair.

DO: Air-dry your towels. Heat from the dryer can damage the delicate fibers. If you’re in a rush, use the dryer’s lowest setting.

Tim’s Towels

The budget pack of microfiber towels will serve you fine, but if you want to go down the detailing rabbit hole, there’s a dizzying variety of towel types that will help you do specific jobs more effectively. Here’s what McNair recommends:

General Use: German janitorial supply company Unger’s towels are “the most durable things I’ve ever seen,” says McNair.

Drying: Towels with a big heavy nap are great for drying a wet car (but not so great for taking off polish).

Polishing: Larger edgeless towels are good at picking up polishing compound residue without scratching the paint.

Wheels and other greasy areas: This roll of 75 microfiber towels from Walmart is perfect for down-and-dirty cleaning, like wire wheels. When your towel gets too dirty, throw it away and rip a new one off the roll.

Glass: There are specific two-sided towels for glass cleaning. One side has a thick nap that is good for getting bugs and gunk off the windshield. The other side has no nap—just a smooth nylon finish—that’s good for a streak-free final wipe down.

 

FOURTH TUESDAY DRIVE & DINE MARCH

 

For the past couple of months the Ellijay Mountain Cruisers have added a new monthly event called Drive & Dine. We meet at a central location, drive to another town with a great lunch stop and enjoy a lunch and fellowship among the car crazy members!  We have gone to Murphy, NC and Varnell, GA so far on our mid-day junkets for food and car fun.

 

Last month (March) we traveled from the parking lot by the McDonald’s to The Butcher’s Market Cafe in Varnell. They have wonderful sandwiches and a meat market next door. I picked up some homemade brats that I plan to enjoy soon. Here’s some pictures from our trip. I hope you will join us in April, watch the website and Facebook page for more details.

OUR CLUB SPONSORS

Local companies and club Sponsors offer discounts

to Ellijay Mountain Cruisers members for car parts,

service specials and automotive events.

Being a REGULAR member of Ellijay Mountain Cruisers

allows members access to special group discounts for club related events and shows

and other discounts offered by vendors and sponsors!

Visit: www.ellijaymountaincruisers.com

and click CLUB SPONSORS for more details about each sponsor.

link to sponsors