Miatafun's Cars

Tom and Marna Wood

Tom, Is a member of the Southern California Miata Club, San Diego Miata Club, Club Miata Northwest, Sacramento Area Miata Owners Club, San Joaquin Valley Miata Club, MX-5 Club Australia, Bay Area Miata Club, Delta Miata Club, The SAHUARO Miata Club, and is also a member of Miatafun of course ;-). 

Tom and wife Marna in "ODO" 1999 Twilight Blue Mica

It all started in 1998 when I was looking around for a car. I had just paid off my 1985 Truck and was "Told to go look at cars". So doing as told (Married guys sometimes do that!) I went down to a few Miata dealers and looked at the new M2's. After bringing a Emerald Green and a Twilight Blue to show the wife, along with a candy red Chevy truck! She let me decide which I would have - (No brainer here!) -

I wheeled and deal-ed with the two Miata Dealers, one was ridiculous the other went out of their way to see I was happy with my deal, and the rest is history. 
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Now for the rest of the story. I found out that their was a Miata Club and thought that I would go and see what it was like. We signed up with the SOCALM club and our very first run was with the San Diego Miata Club! The "Twilight Run"!   Being a past fisherman I was hooked big time. We started going to socials, and meetings. Went to the Meetings and found myself "Inland Empire Rep. (1999-2000)". After a few runs we got the idea and started putting on runs of our own. What fun having all our new Miata Club friends following us around and sharing some of our favorite places and pastimes. 

To help in supporting the club with the cost of postage and printing going up, we found ways to raise income for the running of the club, and printing of the REWARD the club newsletter. In 2000 Barry Rosenberg came to me with an idea about a car show. We went over some of the things we did at the car shows I had done in the past. Together the club formed a committee and had our first "Best of the Bunch Car Show".

I couldn't stop there, in 2001 the "new millennium" I took on the responsibility of "Club President". My wife Marna took on the "Merchandise Coordinator" job.  We had another Best of the Bunch Car Show, and produced the First SOCALM Calendar Featuring Club members cars, and the Car show.

In 2002 I went back to being Inland Empire Rep. I also started in February the Miatafun website. At first it was a place for Miata club members to find a place to see pictures of events the clubs put on that we attended over the years. We used to make picture books of the runs to show prospective members what we did and what it was all about. We had other clubs from across the state ask for links to their sites put on our website. It started growing from there.

In 2003 We started Miatafun the club! Not a Miata/MX5 Club. But a club that one could join for FREE. Get a name badge (ordered direct @ $6-7.00 get in about 3 days) with a picture of a smiling Miata (That's what they do after their first run) and have their name put on it so when they find a club to check out they will have a badge with their name on it so people can learn who they were with out having to ask. And you don't look like a stranger when you have a club badge on! And if they like what they find, they can join and start receiving the discounts, newsletters, and benefits of being a "Club Member".

We purchased our second Miata a 2003 Splash Green "Emily" and promptly entered her into car shows, "Del Mar Fair", "Best of the Bunch IV", And SJVMC car show. We won Best M2 of the show at BOB'IV, and second place at SJVMC's Poker Run. She has been featured in a Japanese magazine and Miata Magazine along with a couple of Calendars.

It's 2004 now and we are still here. And guess what? Poor "ODO" had a short in the system and is now under repair. So what does my lovely wife do? She offers to buy me another car so I can work on ODO in my spare time! So what is the best car to buy at this time? A nice shiny Velocity Red MazdaSpeed of course.

We have already added a "stylebarII" from Racing Beat, a remote oil filter from Thompson Motors S.D., A Miatafun shift knob from the "knobmeister" a custom honeycomb grill from yours truly, and a SOCALM license plate holder and lots of car finish to bring out that Gold Mica underneath the candy red paint!

In 2005 We put on another ten day run, Made it to MOAB-II the next weekend! And Joined a few more clubs. About 30 now. We updated the website with a new look and now have a visitors sign in page to let us know how you liked our site. And a store where you can purchase items "Miata related" that make nice gifts for all occasions thorough out the year.

In 2006 Tom again ran for office and is the Vice President of SOCALM. We have already made arrangements for a big MOAB-III run that will be incorporated in our two week run in 2007. We already have people from other states wanting to join in on our trip and be able to go to MOAB-III also!

In 2013 We acquired a 2000 Evolution Orange Miata from one of our Miata friends as a project car. After putting a rebuilt motor in it I gave it to my Grand daughter, It was returned after it was sabotaged and needs to have new rod bearings to get it back on the road. (P.S. it is for sale if you need a project car to play with, it has a lot of new parts and runs real strong if you add new bearings, make a offer).

In 2015 We did a big move to the exact center of California with Miata Clubs North and South of us! We joined the San Joaquin Valley Miata Club and went on a few runs with them. We plan on putting on a few runs ourselves once settled in. We (My son and I) remodeled the new home inside and out, we have 5.51 acres which needed lots of care as the forest was not kept up with the need of a lot of dead pine trees, (bark beetle damage) removed.

In 2017 We did something really different! Mazda along with Fiat designed a car with the Miata base, with an Italian body, and a Mopar turbo motor. It is like having a Miata with a classic sports car look. The interior is the same as if you were in a 2016 ND! The torque and horsepower were a little more than the new ND's, The handling was like driving a Miata with a little ZOOM ZOOM added. Some people call it a "Fiata" We named it "Allie" We still have 2 NB Miata's in our collection of cars. 8^))

If you were lucky enough to be one of the first 50 Charter members you received a charter member number and certificate! To which if you like you could have your charter number put on your badge. As of 2018 we are up to 458 Members.
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Watch for more as another year progresses.

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Would you like to see your car on our website?

It's easy send a short story about your car, or why you chose it over another, or where you took your car. Its up to you. Email it to miatafun@miatafun.net or tomwood@miatafun.net and we will put it up on the web for all to admire. Won't your friends all be jealous with your car on the web or as car of the month!

Tom Wood