The Denvair News The Denvair News

The Denvair News
August 2010 Vol. 36, Issue 10
A Member of the Corvair Society of America
Convention Warm-Up #1:
RMC Fall Autocross
It’s official: On Saturday, September 19,
RMC will attempt to conduct our first club
autocross since Steve Goodman gave up
Brylcreem. You are cordially invited to attend and participate in this historic event!
For those of you who think “autocross”
is a heavy necklace ornament worn by
rappers when they drive their Escalades,
let’s try a fresh definition: It’s actually a
timed precision driving event with low to
medium speeds.
The RMC Fall Autocross is a true multi-purpose event, with a whole bevy of hopedfor outcomes:
What: RMC Fall Autocross
• Street mufflers are required - no open
Where: Rock Canyon High School,
5810 McArthur Ranch Road, in Littleton.
• Race tires are not allowed, unless you
exhausts;
have a pure race (not street-legal) vehicle.
1. First and foremost, we want to have a
good time!
When: Sunday, September 19. Plan to
arrive at Rock Canyon HS for tech around
8:00am, Driver’s Meeting at 9:00am.
2. The course will be set up at Rock Canyon High School, where we are currently
scheduled to host the 2011 Convention
autocross.
Cost: $10.00 for driver one, $8.00 each
for subsequent drivers. Note that you can
let as many people as you can personally
tolerate drive your car!
3. That means we’ll get a “track preview”
for an RMC edge in 2011.
What You Bring: A Corvair with any
propulsion, or a vehicle powered by
a Corvair engine. A picnic lunch and
non-alcoholic beverages are also recommended. Caveats:
This is a great opportunity to get out and
play with our Corvairs! Don’t be hung up
on winning FTD (fastest time of the day),
come out and enjoy a chance to engage
in quick precision driving without worrying about Da Man taking offense. For
your investment, you’ll get at least 4 runs
and it is absolutely guaranteed you will
learn something you didn’t know about
yourself and your Corvair.
4. It also give RMC a chance to evaluate
the course and venue – if we don’t like it,
we’ll have a chance to move.
5. It’s an excellent “How’s my Corvair
running?” test. You get to lean on the
car a little harder than normal, but under
controlled circumstances with assistance
standing by.
• Helmets are required, some loaners will
6. Last but certainly not least, you’ll get
to experience your Corvair’s reactions
when pushed near (or perhaps beyond)
the limits. Do you really know if the tail
comes around? Do the brakes lock? It’s a
super opportunity to find the car’s limits in
a parking lot instead of during rush hour
on Colfax...
• Your car must have decent tires, shocks,
Final details are still being worked out, but
things are shaping up like this:
be available, bring an extra to share if
you have any;
• Drivers must have a current valid
driver’s license;
• In the event of a dispute, the Event
Chairman’s decision is final.
There are many details still to be finalized,
but don’t forget to reserve this date on
your calendar! Check the September issue
of the Denvair News for the entry form
and class information. See you there!
and hold brake pressure. This is not a
good place to bring a newly-acquired
yard-art clunker that leaks oil badly;
t
Even !
t
Aler
Dale Wilshire Memorial Picnic
RMC and PPCC are invited to the eastern
plains burg of Franktown. Drag out the Corvair and check the details on Page 5.
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
Monthly Meeting
We encourage your participation! Please forward stories,
RMC holds meetings the 1st Friday of each month at our host
ideas, jokes, recipes, and/or photos to the Editor. Content
dealership, Burt Chevrolet, 5200 South Broadway in Englemust be received by the 15th of the month prior to the dewood. Join us at 7:00 PM in the upstairs meeting room.
sired publication month. Electronic files are mucho preferred.
RMC Officers
Classified Ads
President: John Dawson
Individual RMC member ads are free. Classified ads are [email protected]
ited to 25 words, and may include a photo. All ads will run
for three issues. Non-members may advertise for $10.00.
Vice President: Ed Halpin
halpinem@
Please submit ads to the Editor, with payment due in adcomcast.net303.619-0080
vance to the Treasurer. Please make checks out to RMC.
Secretary: Linae Schakel
linaes@
Business Advertising
earthlink.net
303 660-0914
Commercial advertisers are welcome. The following per-issue
Treasurer: John Dinsdale
rates apply:
[email protected]
Business card size – $2.50
¼ page – $5.00 Historian: Steve Goodman
½ page – $10.00
[email protected]
Full page – $20.00
Newsletter Editor: Eric Schakel
eschakel@
RMC Merchandise
earthlink.net303.660.0914
Past event t-shirts, RMC name badges and other merchandise
are available. Please contact Earl Nelson for a current list of Auditor/Trustee: John Drage
[email protected]
goodies.
RMC Mailing Address
Correspondence, ads, & articles may be snail-mailed to:
RMC
PO Box 27058
Lakewood, CO 80227-0058
Web Site: www.rockymountaincorsa.com
Activities Director: Earl Nelson
[email protected]
Auditor/Trustee: Rob Brereton
[email protected]
Membership Chair: Paul Seyforth
[email protected]
In memory of Andy Keller
RMC lost a good and loyal friend in July. With great sadness we learned that on Tuesday,
July 13th, Andy Keller succumbed to recently diagnosed cancer. He was 68 years old.
All RMC members will recall Andy’s long time activity with the club, and he was also
very active with Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing, both as a corner marshal and as a racer.
He participated in a multitude of events in one capacity or another, and also contributed
as author of many articles and technical tips. Andy’s presence and his drive-to-the-trackand-race-it Porsche 912 will be sorely missed.
He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Anne. Andy’s family requests memorial contributions to Friends of the Longmont Museum, Friends of the Longmont Library or the
Longmont Symphony Orchestra.
Denvair News - August 2010 - Page 2
President’s Letter
Recharge
Vacations are a great way to recharge the personal “batteries”
in our lives. You have an opportunity to get away from the dayto-day grind and get to see different scenery and do different
things. Unless you’ve overdone it, you return to work refreshed,
relaxed, and recharged - raring for action, ready to tackle the
most difficult of issues with renewed energy. Well, at least that’s
the whole idea.
In reality, that works only up to a point. For some of us it’s a
month, others a week; sometimes, it could be for only a couple
of hours before that warm glow (and I’m not talking about that
suntan!) and the relaxed feeling fades away and reality creeps
back in and smacks us upside the head. Anyways, without work,
we wouldn’t be able to afford or appreciate our vacations.
Karen and I took a week off to go to Steamboat Springs starting
the weekend of the 30th annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo. We attended the balloon launch/rodeo both mornings and the weather
was absolutely perfect for this event. On Saturday we stood in
the midst of the activity while crews filled up the balloons and
got them upright and off into the air. On Sunday we stood off to
the side to get a more panoramic view of the action. On both
days, at least 32 balloons were launched.
Since this was a “rodeo” the balloon pilots were supposed to
demonstrate their skills of maneuvering their aircraft. One of the
tasks was a touch-and-go water landing in the reservoir next to
the launch field. Another was to drop a beanbag at a pre-determined point several miles north along US-40, near town. The last
was to make it back to the launch field, hopefully by air. These
tasks are not very easy, as the pilots are at the mercy of ambient
temperature, prevailing winds, and changes to either.
All in all, only a couple of balloons made it back to the launch
site by air, and that was only on Sunday. The rest came back all
folded up in the back of the carrier vehicle. We were impressed
at the efficiency of the crews in launching and deflating and
packing their craft into the vehicles. We all know that any hobby
has a price associated with it.
Well, Corvairs are probably an inexpensive hobby compared to
hot air ballooning. The cost of the balloon and basket alone is
enormous, plus if you’re a pilot, you need to get FAA licensed, requiring training. Then there’s the vehicle and trailer (if so desired)
and all the associated paraphernalia to boot. There’s repairs and
upkeep and the propane needed to keep the balloon aloft. On
top of that, you’ve got to have a bunch of friends and relatives
to assist (and I’m sure there’s a cost associated with that as well)
and most of all you gotta love the sport. In reflection, it’s not that
much different than CORSA and our hobby after all. Obviously,
we had a great time and plan to attend again, probably even as
early as next year.
In mid-August Karen and I will visit Ormond Beach, FL and hope
to relax along the Atlantic coast. From the mountains to the seashore, you gotta love the USA.
Happy motoring,
John
!
RMC Cor vair Happenings
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• Saturday, August 7, 2010 —
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Denvair News - August 2010 - Page 3
RMC Meeting Minutes — July 2, 2010
The RMC meeting was called to order by President John
Dawson at 7:07pm with 31 in attendance.
Visitors
Kory & Gail Levin were first-time visitors. They have a ‘66
Monza coupe.
4 Dale Nielsen wasn’t so lucky, describing how his Corvair
arrived in Cedar Rapids on 4 wheels, and returned to his
home on two. Gary Hoffman was kind enough to tow him
back to Denver on a dolly after the engine developed a
phantom knock and sagging front coil springs.
Meeting Activity
Standard RMC Stuff
4 Treasurer John Dinsdale reported $3994.10 in the RMC
treasure cave. John also reported that he discovered folks
listed on the CORSA site as RMC members, of whom RMC
has no record. Paul Seyforth will investigate.
4 Steve Goodman pointed out errors in the June minutes:
Larry Brown’s car was a convertible, not sedan. Also, Earl
Nelson and Diane Schwartz were omitted from the Cedar
Rapids review. June meeting minutes were approved with
above amendments.
Old Business
4 Kevin Shipman sent a batch of embroidered DenVair
Eleven hats. Buy yours for $10.00!
4 Reminder, August 22 is the club picnic at Don Nelson's
Model A museum in Franktown. Larry Schubert agreed to
provide details for this issue.
4 Eric Schakel talked about what we had learned from the
Cedar Rapids Convention. The promo t-shirts were a hit! He
also talked about applying the information to our upcoming
2011 Convention. He suggested an autocross before the
convention at the Rock Canyon High School location as a
trial. Tentative dates are September 19 and October 17.
Linae Schakel will check availability with Douglas County
Schools.
4 John Drage reported that [did not get shop name] has a
quantity of new 185/80x13 tires for sale.
New Business
4 Laura Wilshire hauled in a stash of old Tri-State t-shirts,
$5 each. Call her for inventory and sizes.
4 Laura also described Steve’s “laying on of hands” (to the
Corvair) before the Cedar Rapids trip: He addressed a gas
smell from the dummy mechanical pump by tightening, and
the car was good to go. Unfortunately, on the return trip the
pump began leaking again. Laura and Joan stayed overnight in Nebraska, but the next morning purchased fuel hose
and clamps to build a bypass line after receiving on-phone
assistance from several RMC members. The car came home
under its’ own power. Good job!
4 Steve “Ask the Expert” showed items that failed – turbo
inlet hose, harmonic balancer, bell housing seal, dismantled
ball joint, cracked fuel hose. John Dawson added a broken
power glide input shaft to the display.
4 Gary Hoffman showed video clips of the Convention
Autocross event.
Wanted/Not-Wanted
4 Larry Yoder reported that Chuck Bush’s Corvair is for
sale. It’s a ‘65 Monza, needs carburetor work; Steve Goodman reports that someone called him about a dismantled
‘65, if anyone is interested; Terry Griffin advised that he had
a pile of old Communiques, a muffler for Clark’s Ultimate
Header, 2 seats with velour covers (black, reclining), all free
to good home. John Drage has valve covers for trade, and
Earl Nelson has a good mechanical fuel pump and 19611963 heads for sale or trade.
Refreshments: Snacks were provided by Lynn Yoder. A
schedule for snacks for the remainder of the year was set up,
as follows:
August – the Schakels
September – Linda Duncan
October – Howard Stewart
November – the Wilshires
December – Paul Seyforth
Door Prizes: Door prizes were provided by Paul Seyforth.
The first prize went to John Drage, second to John Dawson,
third to Ms. Brereton. Bonus fourth went to Laura Wilshire,
and last prize to Jonni Berkman.
50/50: A pool of $77.00 was collected. Eric Schakel
drew the winning ticket and took home $38, with $39 going
to RMC.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm.
Submitted by RMC Secretary,
Linae Schakel
How can you not like this
picture? If this van can
autocross, so can YOU!
Denvair News - August 2010 - Page 4
Dale Wilshire Memorial Picnic
22nd Annual Picnic & Swap Meet
When: Sunday, August 22. Starts at 11:00am rain or shine.
Where: The scenic Model A Compound of Don Nelson. Don worked his career in
the petroleum distribution business, and has lots of “gas station” nostalgia in addition
to his well-known Model A collection. Rumor has it there is plenty of parking and
that we will all be able to sit in the shade to eat.
Getting There: Find your way to Franktown (from Castle Rock on CO86, or Parker
Road, CO83), then follow the directions from a retired engineer: Head east on Colorado 86 2.3 miles (from Franktown), turn left at E. Tanglewood Road. Desination
will be on right 0.6 miles - 8698 E. Tanglewood Road, Franktown.
What: Bring surplus new or used Corvair parts to sell or otherwise distribute, and
partake of grilled burgers and hot dogs with all the trimmings. There definitely will
be soda pop, coffee, and some side dishes. You’re encouraged to bring chips, dips,
salads or desserts to share, or any “specialty” side dish you choose.
Cost: Free if you drive your Corvair here from Alaska or Hawaii, or $4 per person/$12 per family if your drive originates in the Lower 48. In keeping with last year,
cheap disposable plates and standard eating tools will be provided at no extra cost!
Late News: There will be voting for People’s Choice! Larry might have done up a
trophy, so be sure to bring your Corvair, just in case.
Particulars: It will likely be a hot August day. Rain is possible this year, maybe with a
touch of hail just for the sake of variety, but statistically unlikely. Sunscreen is encouraged, as well as lawn chairs. Portable shade is always a safe option, and tables and/or
ground tarps are suggested for swappers.
8698 Tanglewood Road,
Franktown, 80116
Denvair News - August 2010 - Page 5
Doing It Right - An Update
Michael Brittan
Editor-at-Large
A year has passed since I documented the painstaking restoration of a 1965 Monza convertible in
Melbourne, Australia in the pages of this esteemed
newsletter. At the time I was able to photograph Carl
Kelsen’s car stripped to bare metal in the body shop.
Well, there is progress to report even though the
restoration is proceeding at a pace barely matching
the march of geological time. As the accompanying photographs show, the car has now returned to
Carl’s home garage where re-assembly awaits.
Keep an eye on this space. But don’t hold your
breath: Doing it right takes a while...
Above, just your basic from-scratch right-handdrive air-conditioned Monza with Corsa gauge
cluster and telescoping wheel. Looks just like a
GM factory option!
Below, Carl Kelsen’s 1965 Monza, fresh from the
paint shop in its stunning new black livery. Note
Carl’s eighties Cadillac Eldorado, also the subject
of a meticulous right-hand-drive conversion (but
that’s another story). As Crocodile Dundee might
have put it “Now that’s a paint job!”
Pick up and/
or drop off
parts at either
of these
shops - they
work together
to make your
life easier!
Denvair News - August 2010 - Page 6
Editorial Ramblings
Eric Schakel
Lost Art of the Tune-Up
Early in July, it suddenly dawned on me
that the maroon Corza wasn’t idling quite
right, and there was a nasty surge at part
throttle in second and third. “Dumb old
car”, I thought as it delivered me home in
a moderate fog of partially burned hydrocarbons.
ticulary if they’re not driven often enough
to keep things thoroughly lubricated.
I suspect all of us are a bit “ruint” by the
reliability of modern engine management
electronics. It’s not uncommon to go over
100K miles before changing plugs these
days, and points are becoming museum
relics. Unlike most of our daily drivers,
Corvairs need some regular attention, par-
linkages...
The classic “Plugs and Points” tune-up is
always interesting, as the wear in a CorThe reward for a tune-up is smooth driving. vair distributor at 40-plus years old adds
With the two banks inhaling approximate- an interesting variable. End play? What’s
that? Don’t forget to check the plug wires,
ly the same amount of air and fuel, the
surge has gone away and the idle mixture and get plugs with the right reach and
heat range.
no longer kills birds flying over the car. It
starts easier and runs better. Even Linae
Safely back at the Corvair Barn, I thought
I discovered on the Corza that the vacuum
I’d check the timing and carb synchroniza- notices the difference from the passenger
advance was not working right. It has a retion. Timing was around 8 degrees BTDC, seat: The car is simply more fun to drive!
built point plate, but the little silver vacuum
dwell measured a barely-sustainable 6
canister starts pulling in the advance at
Naturally, there is plenty of variability in
degrees, and I had more vacuum on the
defining “tune-up”. When I was young and roughly 11-12 inches of water. If you don’t
left bank than the right bank. “Stupid old
even more foolish, a tune-up was what you know what that means, and don’t have
car”, I muttered as I rummaged through my had to do that afternoon to make sure your a way to test it, you’re probably lucky –
spare parts inventory.
you won’t be tempted to go through six
car would get you to and from your destidistributors to find one that works, only to
nation successfully. All of my high school
When the distributor cap came off, I
end up putting a golf tee in the vacuum
friends could set points, adjust idle and
discovered that the rubbing block on the
line and leaving the canister open.
timing, and change their own plugs.
breaker point set was no longer present –
it had literally rubbed away. A quick check The simplest tune-up takes place when all
Awareness of vacuum break pull-in is
of my old car maintenance spreadsheet
evidence of “tune-up gone wild”. Combine
of the mechanical wear points are adshowed that the last time I had performed
justed to be back within the manufacturer’s that with a dial-back timing light and a
tune-up work on the car was in the summer specification range. Corvairs, particularly
Uni-Syn gauge, and the tune-up is elevated
of 2007. “Idiot” I grumbled, as it dawned the vast majority of those with two or more to a new plateau of lunacy.
on me that I was fortunate that the car had carburetors a couple of feet apart, have a The good news is, there are still people
run as well as it had, getting me home in
lot of mechanical wear points. And, sorry
among us who play with this stuff. The bad
spite of my neglect.
to say, GM didn’t exactly build jewel-like
news is, they still have to if they want their
Corvairs to run well.
No, just a few minutes with the arcane
Personally, I like the involvement. Just
carb synchronization procedure can pay
don’t ask me about my vacuum canister,
big dividends in driveability when applied please...
properly. Particularly if you check to make
sure the throttle butterflies are actually vertical when the gas pedal is floored!
Stuff For Sale
Scooter For Sale: [Okay, it ain’t a Corvair, but it’s odd enough to appeal to this august
group... Ed] 2008 Aprilia Scooter, asking $3,100 (paid $3,700). Has about 350 miles on
it and it has been in my garage since I bought it.
Dee Dee Reilley 303-564-8486; e-mail: [email protected]
Car For Sale: 1962 Monza Spyder Coupe. Original, complete and ready for restoration.
Honduras Maroon with black interior. Very straight and stored indoors for many years.
$1200.
Jim Reich 303-257-3733; e-mail: [email protected]
1960 Monza Hubcaps For Sale: Original, set of 4, not show but very good condition. $100
Erica Propst 303-985-5332
Car Wanted: Seeking early model Sedan “donor body” that is “interior complete” and rust
free with good glass to house a 1963 4 speed 102hp drive train. 1964 preferred, but any
sedan from 61-64 will be considered.
Josh Miller 720-254-4165 - please leave message if no answer; e-mail: [email protected]
Denvair News - August 2010 - Page 7
Due Dues Reminder
August
July
Terry Griffith
Tim Shortle
Ray & Bauw Klomp
Robert & Carolyn Thiessen
Jim Riley
Howard Steward
Ron Taylor
Clark's Corvair Parts
®
Clark's has been your supplier for quality repros
for the past 37 years.
This year, we expect to reproduce even more parts
for your Corvair.
June
Gone Next Month...
Dave & Brenna Olwine Jim & Jackie Arnold
Jean Olwine
The Brereton Family
Michelle Broyles
For fast turnaround, make
Melissa Daluz
your check payable to RMC
Teresa Phillips
and mail it to: RMC, c/o John
Dinsdale, 3240 Billings St.,
Aurora, CO 80011-2231
Never in life has your humble editor owned a clean engine. This is a clean engine
with immaculate details, the car is a nice blue, and I’m willing to bet anyone a banana
split that this car doesn’t motor down a dirt road at 60MPH to get home...
See the Supplement for the following:
VARIOUS NEW FC ITEMS
1964 TRIM
TURBO PARTS
STAINLESS GAS TANK SENDERS
LATE MODEL STEERING
COLUMN
PARTS
650 Page 2007-2012 Catalog
USA - $6 CANADA - $9.95 Most Other Countries - $12.95
Clark’s Corvair Parts®
400 Mohawk Trail, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
413-625-9776
www.corvair.com
FAX: 413-625-8498
email: [email protected]
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
Name(s):
Street Address:
City, State, Zip:
E-mail Address:
Telephone Info:
Corvairs in your life:
Referring Member (if applicable):