RMC News 11-09.indd - Rocky Mountain CORSA

The Denvair News
November 2009 Vol. 36, Issue 1
A Member of the Corvair Society of America
rocky mountain
corsa
CORVAIR
In the late 1940s, ex-GIs were working
in re-tooled US factories, and prosperity had returned. Automobile ownership
skyrocketed as the young men (and la-
dies) purchased both new and pre-war
cars. With lots of young people on the
roads in cars, it was only natural that
a few would engage in side-by-side ac-
anksgiving!
Have a safe and peaceful Th
After 50 Years the Truth Revealed:
Drag Racing Killed the Corvair!
Okay, the headline isn’t literally true, but during this 50th birthday year for the
Corvair, it’s interesting to reflect back on the impact of drag racing, that most
American of motorsports. Corvairs literally grew up alongside organized drag
racing, and it’s not a stretch to say that the quest for acceleration was a big factor
in the Corvair’s demise.
celeration contests from one traffic signal to the next. It’s no coincidence that
drags races are a quarter-mile
in length, roughly matching a
city block!
were not common. Immediately popular, even the earliest events could have
thousands of spectators show up to
watch the races.
It was inevitable
California
was a glorithat a sanctionous magnet
ing body would
to early hot
be formed: In
rodders, and
1951 Wally
it’s believed
Parks organized
the first
the National Hot
organized Above, US30 Dragway in 1966
Rod Association.
drag races - back motor V8 Corvair gets air. It would be ten
were held at Light ‘Vair unit bodies were tough years before the
the Goleta engine swap candidates.
NHRA would
Air Base
Left, Norm Grabowski took anoth- become a secure
near Santa er approach to making a Corvair success, but more
Barbara in dragster - his Indian motorcycle
and more racers
1949. Early has some great pipes!
joined their ranks
drag races were held in big,
and the class
flat areas with no guard rails, safety
structure expanded. Fastest growing
fences, or bleachers. Tech inspections
among the classes were the various
Super Stock categories, where you
(Continued on pp 5)
2009 RMC Christmas Party Arrangements (Thanks to Steve Goodman)
Hello fellow RMC members: I reserved the Lone Star Steakhouse at Wadsworth and 52nd Ave (7450
W. 52nd Ave.) in Arvada for Friday, December 18 at 6:30pm for our annual Christmas Party. The
menu runs from $10.99-24.99, everyone can order from the menu with separate tickets to each
couple. Jury is out whether they will add gratuity automatically or leave us on the honor system. The
restaurant closes at 11:00pm, so we have plenty of time for the Yankee gift exchange after eating.
We’ll have a separate room to ourselves. See www.lonestarsteakhouse.com for map and menu.
Pre-registration: To ensure everyone who says they’ll go actually attends, there will be a $5.00/person
($10.00/couple) registration fee. You can pay at the Nov. 6 meeting or mail it in check form to me.
If you mail a check, I will simply give you the check back at the dinner, I will NOT cash it. Make the
check payable to RMC, please. If this seems odd, remember that the restaurant deserves the assurance
that the number of attendees will be correct – they will go to some effort to have the room ready for us
and we need to be faithful to our promised attendance.
Thank you, and pleae either email me or call with questions: 303.278.4889 (W) 303.934.5027 (H)
Rocky Mountain Corsa (RMC) has been a chartered
chapter of the Corvair Society of America (CORSA) since
October 1974, and is dedicated to the preservation and
enjoyment of Corvair automobiles.
Membership & Dues
Rocky Mountain Corsa annual dues are $23.00, Corvair
Society of America (CORSA) annual dues are $45.00,
which includes a subscription to the Corsa Communique,
an award-winning monthly magazine. Combined dues are
The Denvair News is a monthly publication for members
$68.00 annually. Checks should be payable to RMC, mailed
and affiliates of Rocky Mountain Corsa. The Denvair News is to: RMC, c/o John Dinsdale, 3240 Billings St., Aurora, CO
now available as a PDF by request to the Editor.
80011-2231
Editorial Contributions
We encourage your participation! Please forward stories,
ideas, jokes, recipes, and/or photos to the Editor. Content
must be received by the 15th of the month prior to the desired publication month. Electronic files are mucho preferred.
Classified Ads
Individual RMC member ads are free. Classified ads are limited to 25 words, and may include a photo. All ads will run
for three issues. Non-members may advertise for $10.00.
Please submit ads to the Editor, with payment due in advance to the Treasurer. Please make checks out to RMC.
Monthly Meeting
RMC holds meetings the 1st Friday of each month at our host
dealership, Burt Chevrolet, 5200 South Broadway in Englewood. Join us at 7:00 PM in the upstairs meeting room.
RMC Officers
President: John Dawson
[email protected]
303.779.4356
Vice President: Position Open
[email protected]
303.000.0000
Secretary: Linae Schakel
[email protected]
303 660-0914
Business Advertising
Commercial advertisers are welcome. The following per-issue Treasurer: John Dinsdale
rates apply:
[email protected]
Business card size – $2.50
Historian: Steve Goodman
¼ page – $5.00
[email protected]
½ page – $10.00
Full page – $20.00
Newsletter Editor: Eric Schakel
[email protected]
RMC Merchandise
Past event t-shirts, RMC name badges and other merchandise Auditor/Trustee: John Drage
are available. Please contact Earl Nelson for a current list of [email protected]
goodies.
Activities Director: Earl Nelson
corvairfi[email protected]
RMC Mailing Address
Correspondence, ads, & articles may be snail-mailed to:
Auditor/Trustee: Rob Brereton
RMC
[email protected]
PO Box 27058
Lakewood, CO 80227-0058
Membership Chair: Paul Seyforth
[email protected]
Denvair News - November 2009 - Page 2
303.341.2327
303.934.5027
303.660.0914
303.466.8755
303.652-3146
303.730.0820
303.280.2025
President’s Letter
Tires
Once the leaves began to change and started to fall, I realized it would not be too long before I had to put the
snow tires on the ‘66 sedan. Then it snowed on October 10th and I knew it was time.
So, on that nice warm Saturday the 17th, I pulled the snows from storage and got to work. The summer tires
proved to be a bit more worn than I had anticipated, so they’ll need replacing next spring (I’ll worry about whether
to “upsize” to 14’ rims then). The snow tire exchange went rather quickly since they were already mounted on rims
and my new floor jack made the task easier. Once the last lug nut was tightened and the car back on the ground,
tire pressure was checked and found to be just fine.
Since I was already thinking about tires, I thought I’d take a look at Karen’s Explorer. Much to my concern, those
tires looked a little “long in the tooth” as well. Two of the four are marginal at best, and with a trip to Steamboat
Springs and perhaps Manhattan, Kansas coming soon, I checked out the price for four new Michelin LTX’s and took
a big gulp. Yikes, $650 for four tires? When did tire prices get so high? Well, checked the date code on the tires
and realized they were about five years old. Oh well, as the old Fisk Tire ad said: “it’s time to retire”.
Lesson learned: Now’s the time to take a look at what’s keeping your car on the road - check the tread for wear,
the tire for cuts, bruises or nails, and be sure to check the tire pressure. Repair, replace, or adjust accordingly.
So, in the immortal words of our favorite Corvair mechanic: “It’s only money; spend it like you got it.”
Happy motoring,
John
!
RMC Cor vair Happenings
Chevrolet on Broadway, 7:00pm
— RMC Meeting at Burt
• Friday, November 6, 2009
adway, 7:00pm
Meeting at Burt Chevrolet on Bro
C
RM
—
9
200
4,
er
emb
Dec
• Friday,
front page for
khouse in Arvada, 6:30pm. See
Stea
r
Sta
e
Lon
ty,
Par
as
istm
Chr
— RMC
• Friday, December 18, 2009
tion
rma
info
tion
istra
details and reg
We didn’t do much RMC Corvairing this
month... Y’all got any idears? Speak up!
Pick up
and/or
drop off
parts at
either of
these shops
- they work
together to
make your
life easier!
Denvair News - November 2009 - Page 3
RMC Meeting Minutes — October 2, 2009
Returning to our club home at Burt Chevrolet, RMC meeting
was called to order by President John Dawson at 7:02pm.
34 members attended, plus one guest. The meeting adjourned at 8:25pm.
Old Business
✔ John Dinsdale reported a bank balance of $3557.80.
✔ Minutes were approved as written in the Denvair News.
Meeting Activity
✔ All attendees had been asked to think of their favorite
Corvair or Corvair-related stories. It would take multiple
pages to reiterate them, and would not capture the enthusiasm of the individuals.
Your editor would encourage each person who described his
or her Corvair adventure to put it into an e-mail - it would be
great to have a "Member's tales" section of the web site, or
use some of these in the Denvair News.
✔ Update on Convention 2011 autocross: Harlan Colburn
concluded the soccer field site was not big enough for our
autocross for safety reasons. He gave Eric Schakel local
SCCA contact information for the Dick's Sporting Goods
park as a fallback position.
✔ Christy Barden reminded us of the 1959 rollout of the
very first Corvair, and commented on the excellent articles
around the development that have been in recent issues of
the Communique. There was enthusiastic agreement, so
Christy whipped out his iPhone and called Corvair historian
Dave Newell to give him our congratulations. Dave didn't
answer, but we left a message.
✔ Steve Goodman agreed to contact several restaurants
regarding accommodating the 2009 RMC Christmas Party.
Bastien’s and Lone Star Steakhouse were mentioned.
✔ John Dawson talked about batteries, and mentioned a
good online source for Optima batteries: www.1st-optimabatteries.com
The Wings Over the Rockies and car club sites were rejected
for high cost.
John also read an interesting story about a lady who filled
her Corvair’s radiator with water. Yes, you are correct...
✔ Lynn Yoder announced a sign-up sheet for refreshments to
avoid duplication or “oops” moments.
Odds and Ends
New Business
✔ Ed Halpin reported that the new RMC web site has been
updated with some of the photos provided, but would like to
receive many more club-related Corvair pictures. See www.
rockymountaincorsa.com for examples.
✔ Our guest was Cliff (didn’t catch last name), who has a
1963 Monza. Welcome!
Coming Events
✔ Steve Goodman gave a recap of the Fall Tour, with 9
Corvairs making the trip, including 6 from RMC. The Pikes
Peak club web site has photos.
✔ The final Golden Super Cruise will fall on Saturday, October 3. Check out www.goldensupercruise.com.
✔ October 23-25, Great Western Fan Belt Toss, Palm
Springs. Info in Communique.
✔ Steve reminded everyone about the upcoming New
Year’s drive to Estes Park.
✔ Steve reported Gar Anderson has a one-owner 1966
Corsa 140 for sale, blue with blue. Contact Steve for info
✔ John Dinsdale is looking for a door handle. (our secretary didn’t specify - this can cause marital discord... Ed)
✔ Eric Schakel has 1965/66 black buckets for free. Someone needs these, right?
Refreshments: Multiple people brought refreshments,
hence the Lynn Yoder sign up sheet. Thanks!
Door Prizes: The Breretons provided prizes. Natalie
Brereton was fortunate enough to win the first, followed by
John Drage, Steve Goodman, and Paul Seyforth.
50/50: $70 was collected. Bud Duncan covered his gas
money, winning $35, with the other half to RMC.
Submitted by Linae Schakel, RMC Secretary
Rocky Mountain Corsa extends our sympathy to Velma Brown and family for the loss of Larry, her husband of 65 years,
on October 23, 2009. Donations may be sent to Shriners Hospitals for Children, 800-241-GIFT
Denvair News - November 2009 - Page 4
literally took your new Detroit wonder
from showroom to dragstrip and put
the pedal to the metal!
Drag racing transformed North American auto industry in the 1960s. Almost
overnight automobile magazines
sprang into being to conduct road
tests, a key element of which was acceleration performance. Zero-to-sixty
and quarter-mile times were often the
first thing a young man flipped through
as he dreamed of the ride he would
own one day. Of course, these same
magazines were often the first to tout
the products of the growing performance industry. Bolt on a set of headers, and improve your quarter-mile performance by three-tenths. Or, remove
your air cleaner to pick up a tenth on
the top end. The 265/283 Chevrolet
small-block quickly replaced the Ford
flathead V8 as the rodder’s choice,
and Ford responded with a lightweight
iron overhead valve V8 of their own.
The great American horsepower race
was on!
The Corvair came to life just as the
heady years of automotive performance began to (ahem!) accelerate.
It was a rational car for an era that
was rapidly becoming irrational. The
Corvair represented efficiency and
European sophistication in an affordable package. Compared to the
Year
1959
1960
1961
1961
1962
1963
1963
1963
1963
1964
1964
1964
1965
1965
1965
1966
1967
1968
1970
2003
2009
2009
Car
Chevy Impala
Corvair
Corvair
Corvair
Dodge Ramcharger (Coronet)
Corvette
Monza Spyder
Chevy Impala
Ford Galaxie 500
Ford Mustang HP
Monza Convertible
Pontiac GTO
Dodge Dart GT
Corsa
Corsa
Plymouth Barracuda
Camaro SS
Monza
Plymouth Hemi Cuda
Honda Odyssey minivan
Chevy Malibu
Corvette ZR1
standard Detroit “family car” of the
early years, the light Corvairs were
capable of keeping up with the heavy
family sedans, particularly those with
the common inline six cylinder engines.
But as the V8 engines captured more
and more market share in the early
sixties, the Corvairs fell behind. In
spite of displacement increases from
the paltry 140 cubic inches engines
of 1960 to 164 in 1964, the Corvairs
lost their competitive edge in stop-light
Grand Prix races. Turbo-superchargers
were cool and kept the technical interest high, and the 140 4-carb heads
were impressive eye candy, but neither
provided the oomph! needed to keep
the Corvair competitive in the acceleration-crazed marketplace.
By the time the 1964 Ford Mustang
(with a rousing 271 HP available from
the k-motor 289 option) hit the streets,
the die was cast: Chevy was already
developing the Camaro, which would
ultimately replace the Corvair in the
youth market.
The table below lists 0-60 and Quarter
times for many Corvair models, as well
as other cars of the era. Of interest is
the fact that cars often varied widely in
performance as a result of driver skills
or state of tune. Remember, these were
the days of point ignitions and adjustable carburetion.
Engine
348
140
145
145
413
327
145
409
406
289
164
389
273
164
164
273
350
164
426
214
217
375
HP
250
80
98
Paxton
410
360 FI
150
409
410
271
110
348
235
180
est 350
235
295
140
425
240
252
638
0-60
10.7
19.5
13.5
7.8
5.3
5.9
11.7
6.3
7
7.5
14
5.7
8.2
10.9
5.9
9.1
7.8
11.4
6.9
8.5
6.7
3.3
Quarter
18.5
21.7
19.8
16.5
13.75
14.9
18.5
14.9
15.3
15.7
19.5
14.1
16.9
18.1
13.4
17.6
16.1
18.0
13.7
16.4
15.0
11.4
Denvair News - November 2009 - Page 5
Car songs were a sign of the times,
with even the Corvair memorialized in
Corvair Baby by Paul Revere and
the Raiders. There was more hype than
reality, of course: For instance, by the
time the Beach Boys saved up enough
change for a 409, some merciful soul
probably alerted them to the fact that
the W-engines were dogs. And had
they read any of the road tests, they
would never have sung Shut Down,
where a fuelie Vette whipped up on a
413 Ramcharger. Never happened,
the cross-ram equipped Dodge would
have walked away from almost any
fabled fast cars of the sixties, and certainly would have spanked the Vette. A
genuine 13 second car was a seriously
fast ride in the day, and it was rare to
get beat with a 14 second car.
Just for grins, glance down to the bottom of the list, you’ll see that momma’s
2003 Honda minivan would have been
a competitive quarter miler versus the
1967 Camaro SS, while a new Chevy
Malibu 6 cylinder would have given
the fuelie Vette all it could handle.
And of course, the new ZR1 Corvette
would have trailered anything but a
fuel dragster or a funny car, and it will
go 100,000 miles without a tuneup.
Perhaps these are the good old days
after all!
Source
Speed Age
Road & Track
Motor Trend
Motor Trend Paxton Supercharger
Car Life
A Corvair can be
Road & Track
boosted to very
Car & Driver
rimpressive perfo
Motor Trend
the
as
,
els
lev
e
manc
Car Life
reports
ted
gh
hli
hig
d
re
Motor Trend
is the
suggest. Boost
Car Life
r’s
ce
ra
ag
Corvair dr
Road & Track
!
nd
frie
best
Car & Driver
Motor Trend
Car Life
Keosababian 140 turbo
Car & Driver
Car & Driver
Car & Driver
Motor Trend
Honda Motors
Edmunds.com
Road & Track
Oily Warning System
Eric Schakel
The two most common Corvair oil problems are very simple:
long enough to thoroughly warm the
engine and the oil is very beneficial.
1. Not enough oil
Our carbureted Corvairs have chokes
in varying conditions of maintenance.
Carbureted cars all experience gas
vapor in the upper cylinders, which
washes into the engine oil. Over time,
the lubricating ability of the oil is compromised. This isn’t negotiable – if you
press the gas pedal to start your car
or accelerate, gas will be in your oil!
Just for grins, take a quick sniff of the
dipstick next time you check the oil – if
it smells like gas, it’s contaminated.
For reliable ongoing operation, our
Corvair engines require a reasonable
quantity of appropriately formulated
clean oil, continuously pumped within a
specified pressure range to the bearings, lifters, and rockers. It’s a pretty
impressive system and requires remarkably little maintenance.
Your Corvair was designed nearly half
a century ago when “reasonable” oil
consumption and leaks were a normal
part of the ownership experience. The
oil level drops from usage. It’s a fact of
life. If the oil light glows or the engine
clatters after going around a corner,
you are probably low on oil.
The oil in your Corvair does not simply
lay about in the pan – it is instead
constantly in circulation, drawing in
heat as it forms minutely thin films in
bearing spaces, and giving off heat as
it is collected and recirculated through
the oil cooler and pressure passages.
Anything that interrupts this process is
bad. Very bad.
Checking the oil regularly and topping
it off as needed is the best thing you
can do to ensure an adequate supply of
Water vapor from the atmosphere also
oil to your Corvair’s engine.
gets into the oil – think of those humid
2. Contaminated oil
mornings when dew settles on your car.
Few of us drive our Corvairs every day. Again, a long drive will evaporate the
Some never drive them, instead starting moisture, while a short idle will not.
them for a few minutes once a month.
Finally, your oil gets dirty. Contrary to
That’s too bad, because driving a car
new car practice, where sophisticated
sensors calculate oil life, your Corvair
relies on you! Change the oil and
filter regularly. In theory, the oil carries
suspended particulates to the oil filter,
ous
None of the fam
where they are removed. In actual
rs
ca
Corvair drag race
practice, the filter may be bypassed by
.
es
gin
have Corvair en
cold oil, or the heavy cold oil may not
be
it
uld
Hmmm - co
be warmed enough to be lured from the
h
inc
bic
cu
the 164
Cord
nooks and crannies of the engine.
an
nt
me
ce
displa
line?
vair-specific drive
Activity Cogitation
Warm oil will carry the particulates
out while keeping the pressure in line.
Again, operate your Corvair for long
periods of time to keep the oil healthy,
and if you don’t make the distance
intervals, change the oil and filter frequently anyway!
WHAT: Red Rocks Park/Amphitheater
WHAT: Denver Zoo
WHAT: Denver Downtown Aquarium
WHAT: Elitch Gardens
WHAT: Denver Botanic Gardens
WHAT: Water World
What: Rambler Ranch
WHAT: Lakeside Amusement Park
Where: somewhere near Denver; 303.646.9063
WHAT: Denver Firefighter’s Museum
WHAT: Colorado State Capitol
Why: This is a private museum started by a guy named Terry, and he features
WHAT: 16th Street Mall
mostly (yes!) Ramblers, AMC, and Nash autos. How can Corvair people not idenWHAT: U.S. Mint
tify with this story? He got hooked, and now has 360-plus cars - Terry is doing
WHAT: Molly Brown House
what we’d do if our wives would let us. Note that it is NOT a public venue, but
Earlier What: Rambler Ranch
requires an arranged visit by the club. Still, Terry has already sent us his invitation
Earlier What: Wings Over the Rockies
for the 2011 Corsa convention.
Earlier What: Golden Railroad Museum
Earlier What: Shelby American Museum
Web Site: www.ramblerranch.com
The hits keep on coming! In anticipation of the 2011 CORSA Convention, you
can make a significant contribution from the comfort of your home. Remember,
our guests will mostly be “furriners” and not familiar with all the sights and opportunities available along the Front Range. Another example is provided below:
Denvair News - November 2009 - Page 6
Editorial Ramblings
Eric Schakel
Weighty Matters
It’s no secret that fuel economy is a big
deal again. Our Corvairs were early
attempts to ward off the advances of economical cars from across the pond. In an
era when your typical 1957 Chevy with
the 283 V8 would pull down 14 mpg, the
20-plus mpg of a Corvair looked greener
than a championship golf course.
Of course, Detroit’s success at warding
off the imports is now a well-documented
failure, but fuel economy has continued
to climb in importance. These days, we
also have global warming to add to the
formula, and our cars are expected to
reduce overall “carbon footprint”.
Fortunately for Mother Earth, we have
Corvairs. Not only are they among the
most fuel-efficient of all collector cars,
Corvairs are “green” in ways a Toyota
Prius can only dream of. Consider these
Earth-friendly Corvair features:
1. They were built forty to fifty years ago,
when the skies were clear and the Chinese were throttled with Maoism. Corvair
carbon footprints have been amortized
over that entire time span!
2. Low-loss driveline design. With a rear
engine connected directly to an inline
transaxle, the power transfer is just about
as efficient as it gets - no wasted motion
in your Corvair.
And while I still think of the Corvair as a
“compact car”, it’s roughly a foot longer
than the Prius. That means the petite Prius’
extra weight is from the hybrid and safety
systems.
3. They’re built of stamped steel, cast
iron, and cast aluminum. Little plastic or
exotic content was used in a Corvair,
making them extremely simple to recycle.
It would be an interesting engineering
study to put contemporary engine management electronics on a Corvair. Throw
in an overdrive transmission, and the fuel
economy potential would be quite an
eye-opener.
4. Unit body design. The simple stamped
unit construction allowed the Corvair to
be rigid, but very light in comparison with
contemporaries. The Ford Falcon came
in around 350 pounds more, and didn’t
have the “crush” capability that made the
Corvair a survivable car in an accident.
5. Light weight equals efficiency. Today’s
safety regulations add cost, complexity,
and weight. Added weight saps acceleration without more more power, which
requires more fuel - it’s a vicious cycle.
The re-engineered 2010 Toyota Prius has
a curb weight of 3042 pounds. A 1965
Corvair Corsa with 180 turbo engine
has a curb weight of 2540 pounds.
On the other hand, you wouldn’t have the
air bags, side impact protection, rollover
protection, ABS brakes, power steering,
power windows, security locks, and other
features we take for granted today.
It’s kind of like your doctor says: Weight
matters. Unfortunately, because Chevy
produced a pretty efficient car back in the
sixties, the only way I’m going to dramatically reduce my Corvair’s weight is to
take 20 pounds off the driver...
Stuff For Sale
Car For Sale: 1962 Corvair MONZA 900 Convertible, “Roman” red/white. 110/4, “excellent condition” inside and out (Steve Goodman knows this car), 3 blade Chevy spinners
on wire wheel covers, proven show(s) winner. Asking $10,000.
Ted Jackson 970 778-1655; e-mail: [email protected]
Car For Sale: ’64 Monza convertible. Red, black interior. I’ve owned the car for 19 years.
Excellent driver, mechanically well maintained, including clutch and suspension. Needs
bodywork (rust in the usual places), paint and interior to complete restoration. Has a 102
HP engine installed by Rear Engine Specialists, now with just a few thousand miles. $700
brake job in 2008. Carbs recently rebuilt by Rear Engine Specialists. Speedo serviced
to eliminate needle flutter. Convertible top is serviceable, but has a couple of small tears.
Plastic rear window should be replaced. Summer top-down driving as is, and restore the
body at your leisure. Asking $2,500.
Michael Brittan, home 303 756-8345; work 720 250-0619; email: [email protected]
Car For Sale: 1964 500 Coupe – PG. Owned 29 years, 2nd owner. All original except
exterior paint. 46K mile. Excellent condition, LEAKS NO OIL White w/turquoise interior.
New ww tires. Drive anywhere, $4,900.
Christy Barden 303 530-1288; e-mail: [email protected]. (Located in Boulder; contact Christy for digital pix or info)
Cars For Sale: 1962 Monza Spyder Coupe and 1963 Monza Convertible.
Both cars have been hibernating way too long in my garage. Time for someone else to
tackle the restoration. Very original and not rusted out. Any interest.....take a look.
Jim Reich 303 257-3733; email: [email protected]
Denvair News - November 2009 - Page 7
Due Dues Reminder
November
John & Karen Dawson
Tom Grippen
Jim Reich
Chuck Riblett
Jim Steinborn
Greg Zurla
October
Larry & Velma Brown
Earl Nelson
Dexter Norris
September
Gary Hoffman
Gone Next Month...Did you reme
mber to se
nd in your
payment? We su
re don’t want to los
e
anybody!
For fast turnaround, make your check payable to RMC and mail it to:
RMC, c/o John Dinsdale, 3240 Billings St., Aurora, CO 80011-2231
g, you may have noticed horseIf you read the article on drag racin
. Here’s a little-known fact: Back in
power ratings are all over the map
rs lied.
the Good Old Days, the manufacture
e engine” test methods devel“bar
use
to
ed
No, really, they all agre
Engineers as specified in SAE
oped by the Society of Automotive
allowed the engine to be tested
standards J245 and J1995. These
air cleaners, or exhaust systems.
without alternators, water pumps,
remotely like real life. Imagine
In other words, no parasitic drag, not
yep, that’s how they were tested
your Corvair without the fan drag SAE Gross ratings.
for HP ratings. Some people call them
es and early seventies
sixti
late
Again oddly, some engines in the
example, the L-88 Chevy
For
rs.
ture
ufac
were under-rated by the man
HP engine, but Chevy rated it at
427 was widely rumored to be a 500
and influence the racing classes.
425 to reduce regulatory pressure
y (and were being penalized
In 1972 the manufacturers felt guilt
new emission standards) and
for HP claims as they were fighting
was a “net” rating. Horsepower
h
whic
9,
changed over to SAE J134
with a gross rating of 390HP
numbers plunged: A 455 HO Pontiac
el year.
dropped to 315HP in a single mod
we tested the new 638 HP ZR1
Here’s another interesting tidbit: If
it would be a 700+ HP engine.
Corvette using the Gross method,
Nice!
Izzy Guiffe
You have a Corvair!
If you aren’t already a member, we invite you to join Rocky Mountain Corsa (RMC), a local chapter of the national Corvair
Society of America (CORSA). RMC is dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of Corvair automobiles.
We meet the first Friday evening of every month at Burt Chevrolet, 5200 S. Broadway, in Englewood. Meetings are held in
the upstairs training room, starting at 7:00pm.
There are a number of benefits from joining the group, including an annual show, monthly group events, a monthly local
newsletter, Denvair News, and Corvair Communique, an award-winning monthly magazine published by CORSA.
Whether you race, show, or just drive your Corvair, you’ll find others who share your interests.
Combined single/family membership to both RMC and CORSA costs just $68.00 per year. Dues can be mailed to RMC,
PO Box 27058, Lakewood, CO 80227-0058, or simply pay at the monthly meeting - we hope to hear from you soon!
Membership Application
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