The July 2017 newsletter - Text Version
Updated 27-Jun-2017 ==== Copyright (c) 2017 Corvairs of New Mexico
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JULY 2017 / VOLUME 43 / NUMBER 7 / ISSUE #502
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Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, First Place, 2005
Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, Third Place, 2010
Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, First Place, 2012
EDITOR: Jim Pittman
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday July 5th, 2017 at 7:00 PM
North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, Wyoming & Carmel NE
THIS MONTH:
President's Message ............................ John Wiker
Tribute to Terry ............................... John Wiker
Dues Due Dates ....................... Membership Committee
No meeting in June .......................... Anne Mae Gold
June Board Meeting .......................... Anne Mae Gold
Birthdays & Anniversaries ............ Membership Committee
The Pretender - A Tale of Ralph Nader ......... Robert Gold
The Story of the Lost Parade .................. Robert Gold
Treasury Report ............................... Robert Gold
Tri-State Car Show at Taos, N.M. .............. Lube Lubert
Rocky Mountain Region Train Show .............. Lube Lubert
Love at 10,567th Sight ........................ Jim Pittman
Calendar of Coming Events .............. Board of Directors
July Issues, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 Years Ago ... Club Historian
COVER: Terry Price proudly salutes Kay Sutt's Record-setting Quilt
The Hospitality Table was only one feature of the Tri-State
Report on the Taos Tri State ............. maybe next month
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OFFICERS and VOLUNTEERS
President John Wiker 505-899-3076 wikerj63 yahoo.com
Vice President Lube Lubert 505-256-9331 dirtlube2 gmail.com
Secretary Anne Mae Gold 505-268-6878 beisbol30 msn.com
Treasurer Robert Gold 505-268-6878 beisbol30 msn.com
Car Council Robert Gold 505-268-6878 beisbol30 msn.com
Merchandise Vickie Hall 505-865-5574 patandvickiehall q.com
Membership Larry Yoffee 505-321-5909 corsa180 gmail.com
Newsletter Jim Pittman 505-275-2195 jimp unm.edu
Old Route 66 Lube Lubert 505-256-9331 williamlubert gmail.com
Past President Pat Hall 505-620-5574 patandvickiehall q.com
Past President David Huntoon 505-281-9616 corvair66 aol.com
Past President Ray Trujillo 505-814-8373 ray bpsabq.com
Past VP Tarmo Sutt 505-690-2046 tarmo juno.com
MEETINGS: First Wednesday of each Month at 7:00 PM
North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, Wyoming & Carmel NE
INTERNET: CORSA's home page: http://www.corvair.org
CNM's newsletters: http://www.unm.edu/~jimp
Steve Gongora's page: http://www.corvair.org/chapters/chapter871
Larry Yoffee's home page: http://www.corsaturbo180usa.com/
New Mexico Council of Car Clubs: http://www.nmcarcouncil.com/
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DUES: CNM: 12 months = $25.00 -or- 26 months = $ 50.00
CORSA: 12 months = $45.00 -or- 26 months = $ 90.00
CNM & CORSA: 12 months = $70.00 -or- 26 months = $140.00
DUES DUE DATES JULY 2017
DUE LAST MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2017.06 Kathy & Larry Blair 25-JUL-2017
2017.06 Anne & Geoffrey Johnson 25-JUL-2017
DUE THIS MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2017.07 Carol & Larry Haynes 25-AUG-2017
2017.07 Valerie Nye & Joel Yelich 25-AUG-2017
DUE NEXT MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2017.08 Kathryn & Douglas Gadomski 25-SEP-2017
2017.08 Alan Gold 25-SEP-2017
2017.08 Vickie & Pat Hall 25-SEP-2017
2017.08 Curtis L Shimp 25-SEP-2017
DUE SEPTEMBER 2017 ================== INACTIVE DATE
2017.09 Rita & Steve Gongora 25-OCT-2017
2017.09 Tracey & John McMahan 25-OCT-2017
INACTIVE ============================ INACTIVE DATE
2017.01 Nancy & Russ McDuffie 25-FEB-2017
2017.01 Brenda & Hurley Wilvert 25-FEB-2017
2017.02 Victor Sanchez 25-MAR-2017
Send your Dues to:
CNM Treasurer
c/o Robert Gold
1301 Valencia NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Past due memberships become inactive after a one-month grace period.
The Club will mail in your National Dues if you send us the renewal
form from your Communique.
As of 25-JUNE-2017 we have 44 active family memberships.
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
John Wiker
June 11 -- Well, another Tri-State has come and gone. Thanks to all our members
and their family members who put us over the top for the attendance award which
we will get soon. We beat out Rocky Mountain CORSA by about 5 slim points.
I want to take this opportunity to say thanks to all those who headed up the
many committees for the event. First, Brenda and Hurley Wilvert for the great
hospitality room that had enough goodies not only for registration but also
during the car show. Thanks to Vickie for preparing the great registration bags
and helping out at all phases of the event. Thanks to Pat Hall and Robert Gold
and Art Gold for the car show and background music and pictures. Elisa & Larry
Yoffee did a great job with the T-shirts that turned out to really be unique in
every way. Anne Mae Gold did a great job with the raffle and door prizes. Kay
Sutt did a great job of making another of her wonderful Corvair Quilts. Rita
Gongora came through with great center pieces. Can't remember if anyone from our
club got one but maybe Vickie did. Steve Gongora did a great job as MC. Ed
Halpin gave an excellent tribute to the Boydston award as an introduction to Ray
Trujillo. Finally, thanks to my wife Anne for helping keep me sane during the
long hours of registration along with some timely back rubs from Anne Mae.
Congratulations to Ray Trujillo who could not be present to receive the Boydston
Award in person due to a family emergency. Congrats also to Dave Huntoon who won
the fifty-fifty worth $182.50 as he sat in his room with a migraine.
I am writing this as we are on our way "back east" to visit family. We made the
first leg of our trip to Oklahoma City and visited the Murrah Federal Building
Bombing Memorial. Got some great pictures to show everyone who has not had a
chance to visit it in person. Tomorrow it's on to St. Louis, home of Robert's
favorite baseball team. If our plans work out we will be back in town in time to
attend the July 5th meeting. Lube, please put the agenda together. Once again,
thanks to all. See you at the July meeting.
June 12 -- For a break from driving today, we stopped in at the original Bass
Pro shop in Springfield, Missouri. Got some pictures inside that are unusual.
What do you think of having a slide show at one of our general meetings after we
get back and I have a chance to sort them? We have talked about adding something
different to our meetings. Maybe a "trip report" with photos would be a good
thing to do whenever members travel. By the way, Anne and I have our CNM shirts
and nametags with us. If the timing is right we may be able to spend some time
at Independence, Missouri at the CORSA Convention. If we do I'll be sure to
bring back pictures.
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TRIBUTE TO TERRY
John Wiker
As our club began looking ahead to hosting the 2017 Tri-State, the first order
of business was to find a volunteer to head up the effort and head the
committees. We were pleasantly surprised when one of our youngest and relatively
newest members volunteered. Our senior citizens breathed a big sigh of relief.
Terry began to visit different towns in northern NM to find a suitable site. He
did all this traveling and research on his own nickel, never charging the club
for any expense. With each visit he made an outstanding summary to the club
board members. We finally came up with two finalists, and Terry hit the road
again working in Pagosa Springs and Las Vegas to find the best site, again on
his own dime. When neither of these worked out, the board went with Taos as we
had hosted a very successful event there eight years earlier. To my knowledge,
Terry made at least four trips there to solidify the room for registration, the
breakfast at the hotel, the banquet, and the cruise through town. His last visit
was within a month of the event and at that time "all was well." Everything was
set. The caterer promised to hire extra staff for breakfast as well as the
banquet since we wanted to be served instead of waiting in a buffet line, hoping
that the people up front would leave some food for those in the back of the
line. We have all been on the wrong end many times I am sure.
Now it's the day of the event and time for the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey
used to say. The Prices, Yoffees, Golds, and Wikers went up early on Thursday to
set things up for the start of registration on Friday. When we saw Terry, he was
not a happy camper. The event coordinator for the hotel had given the beautiful,
well lighted and spacious room she had promised us to three other events
happening at the hotel. So, Terry got hold of one hotel employee and the rest of
us, and we converted a bar room that had been closed for months into our
registration, T-shirt sales and hospitality room. We cleared the cobwebs,
dusted, grabbed tables and chairs from anywhere they were not tied down and when
people showed up Friday morning, they had no clue as to the changes we made.
Friday morning came and with it another challenge. The hotel gave everyone free
breakfast if they stayed there and were part of the Corvair group. Everyone else
got 50 percent off. The place was packed at the opening time of 07:00 AM and it
took over an hour to get food because the owner failed to hire the extras she
promised Terry. Terry did a great job fending off the people and their
complaints in the registration line so my wife and I could keep things rolling
there.
Saturday brought another challenge. When I arrived early to set up for last
minute 50-50 sales, I just happened to count the tables and seats and we had
nowhere close to the 120 we needed. I contacted Terry and he got the only hotel
employee available and we brought in more tables. So many people came to the
banquet that we literally stole a few tables from the breakfast area. Again, the
caterer did not hire extra people as she promised and even though we were served
our food, it took just as long, if not longer, than a buffet would have taken.
Terry once again saved the day by having the MC move the program on to keep
people occupied and not notice what we were doing at the back of the hall to
seat the overflow.
Terry was a terrific organizer, planner and a master of covering up for the poor
execution by the people hired to make it work. Although there will always be
complaints at events like this, you have got to understand and realize there are
things that are beyond anyone's control. I made it my job to be at the desk as
people checked out and I would say the "great job" comments far outweighed the
complaints.
Terry, I am proud of the job you did, before and during the event. We who were
your committee chairs would gladly do it again for you. Hold your head high. Be
as proud of yourself as we are of you. I look forward to shaking your hand upon
my return to the area.
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NO JUNE MEMBERSHIP MEETING -- 2017.05.03
Anne Mae Gold
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JUNE BOARD MEETING MINUTES - 2017.06.21
Anne Mae Gold
Present: Lube Lubert, Robert Gold, Anne Mae Gold, Larry Yoffee, Dave Huntoon,
Terry Price, Jim Pittman
Called to order at 5:00 PM
Officer Reports
President: not present
Vice-President: Lube reminded us that the next Old Route 66 Cleanup will be July
8 at 8:00 AM. Vickie gave him a first aid kit to take out there. Lube had a
great time at both Taos and Durango where he went with his brother William for
the train show.
Secretary: nothing to report
Treasurer: $6,626.70 in the account. We made a profit on the Tri-State.... Yeah
Terry! There are some outstanding bills that still need to be reconciled.
Committee Reports
Car Council: Robert will miss the next meeting as he will be out of town. The
Museum Car show was a success. CNM had 11 cars there. In July they will be
having Car Appreciation Day. Rob will publicize that information when he gets
it. August 13 will be the All Clubs Picnic. Robert has volunteered to take money
at the gate. The club is responsible for paper goods.
Membership: Larry sent the owner of the T-Shirt company an email letting him
know that there was a mistake on the T-Shirt design. The owner contacted him
quickly and offered his apology. They have offered to reprint the T-Shirts,
offer us a credit, or for us to come up with a different idea. Robert suggested
that they give us the shirts at cost and refund the difference. Having a credit
is not an option because we have no idea how much of a credit it will be and we
have no idea if we will do more business with them. The board voted to ask that
they reimburse us at cost.
Editor: Newsletter deadline is Friday June 23 at 9:00 PM.
Jim said we had a query from Clark's about whether the "Care & Feeding of Your
Corvair" book is still available. Jim has asked Ray if he can reprint the book
as it was for the 2012 edition, and if so, whether it is possible to revise it
with updated information such as our meeting place, list of past presidents and
lists of award winners. Jim does not have the software to update the book. Jim
has 54 books in stock and Vickie has a few more. We could probably sell some of
the current version of the book to Clark's at $3.60 each. If we do, do we have
enough books left over for any future new members? Should we decide now as a
board, or wait until we have more information? Can we sell Clark's 40 instead of
50? Should we ask for more than $3.60 from Clark's? Jim will call Clark's and
talk to Sharon and find out how many they want or need and talk to Ray to get
answers on printing and updating. The board will wait for more information.
Merchandise: Vickie was not in attendance
Tri-State: Terry stated that everything that our club was in charge of was
great. The hotel service was dismal. They simply did not do everything as
promised. There weren't enough servers for either the breakfast service or the
banquet. The Taos police did not organize the parade well. The speaker was
wonderful, but some mentioned that more pictures would have been nice.
Old Business: Tri-State was very well attended. The speaker was very informative
and interesting.
New Business:
July 8 - Old Route 66 Cleanup 8:00 AM at the I-40 triangle.
August 18-21 - Gunnison Car Club Meet in Colorado.
August 5 - Ice Cream Social - Old Time Ice Cream Shoppe south of Tijeras.
August 13 - All Clubs Picnic at Oak Flats Picnic area.
September 17 - State Fair Car Show.
Adjourned at 6:15 PM
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CNM Birthdays for July:
Debra Anderson
Larry Blair
Mark Domzalski
Carol Haynes
Larry Haynes
Kelli Pogue Morgan
Leslie Sullivan
Kay Sutt
Tarmo Sutt
Valerie Nye
CNM Anniversaries for July:
Linda & Dick Cochran
Kelli & Mark Morgan
Anne & John Wiker
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THE PRETENDER -- A Tale of Ralph Nader
Robert Gold
I have always been curious how I would be as a performer in front of a large
group of people. I know I "kill 'em" in a small group like our CNM Board, but
working a large crowd is another thing altogether.
I've gotten a vicarious glimpse of being on such a stage through a friend of
mine, Mark, who, after retiring as a Aerospace Engineer, took a chance at
stand-up comedy at the age of 60-plus. He sent me videos of two of his
appearances. I knew Mark was a funny guy, but his on-stage work was a pleasant
surprise. With that in mind I'd like to comment on the comedic entertainment we
were exposed to at the recent Tri-State banquet.
Julie Primm, aka Ralph Nader, has now performed before CNM twice, once at our
2016 Anniversary party and now at the 2017 Taos Tri-State. Since we paid her for
her performance I'm sure she won't mind if I provide her some feedback on her
efforts.
Getting back to the endeavors of my friend, Mark, I noticed several components
of his act and I'd like to structure my comments on three of these components:
1. The Room, 2. The Look, and 3. The Act.
Where you perform has a big impact on how your "schtick" is received. My friend
did his work at a small club in St. Louis in front of many of his friends. It
was obvious they were there to cheer him on. He responded with some really funny
bits and was able to get over any rough spots with their encouragement.
Turning to Julie, "The Room" for her was a sorta mixed bag at both her
performances. Some of the folks, like the Gongoras, were her friends, but on the
whole the audience was not familiar with her or her act before she came on
stage. This might have been the reason why the response was somewhat muted and
uneven. For the record, she did get some laughs, but not many. However, the
Gongoras seemed totally enthralled with her work.
Now I turn to Julie's strong point, "The Look." My friend Mark showed up in
street clothes, not really related to his act, which focused on being an
engineering nerd. I think he would have benefited from a few visuals to enhance
his act. I would have preferred to see him holding a sliderule and sporting a
plastic pocket protector. On the other hand, Julie had the look down pat. When
she stepped up you knew that some version of Ralph Nader was before you. "The
Look" was so good that she could have sold pictures of herself to the crowd so
they could have an autographed reminder of the night.
Finally, let's look at "The Act" provided to us by Ralph Nader. My thought is
that if you are going to be a comedic performer you should have funny things to
say. For semi-professionals the bar can pretty low and a few really funny bits
are all you need. Mark has been spot-on with his performances. He does a dandy
job with a bit of physical comedy, along with some quaint jokes and the
prerequisite smattering of four-letter words. In his case, Anne Mae and I found
ourselves honestly laughing very hard during his performance.
In contrast, I found Ralph Nader's physical presence to be a bit disturbing. The
energy of her performance seemed solely to be confined to moving rapidly from
place to place. Because of this I had trouble tracking her dialoge. Now,
concerning her jokes, it is obvious to me that she was aiming at someone other
than me. I just didn't understand the humor. Maybe it's my age or my cultural
background or my level of education, I just don't know. I do hope the others in
attendance better understood what was happening. I feel I must have failed in
some way at this element. Another aspect of her act that plainly suffered was
her timing. By encouraging the banquet attendees to gather around various
displays just before the keynote speaker, Joe Casey, began, this was just the
wrong thing to do at the wrong time, sorry Ralph. It took shouting to be quiet
to calm the crowd down to hear the speech.
I want to thank Julie for taking the time to entertain us. I hope when and if we
see her again her act will give us better reasons to laugh. I hope.
-- Robert Gold
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THE STORY OF THE LOST PARADE
2017 Tri-state Car Show
Robert Gold
I'm sure you have heard about the spectacle that was the Corvair parade at our
Ti-State meet this year in Taos. I'm writing this article to dispel the
falsehoods being spread on social media and to tell the true story of this
event.
The parade in question was planned as a prelude to the Saturday car show that
was to be held at the host Kachina Lodge. Pat Hall, show chairman, had devised a
plan to arrange the cars in the motel parking lot before handing the parade over
to the Taos Police, who were to lead us through town.
False Fact 1 - The cars were arranged in order by some obscure ancient Egyptian
formula to disorient the drivers. This is a patent lie. Pat Hall told me the
night before that the cars were to be arranged by tire inflation values. This
was to insure that high pressure would naturally follow low pressure.
False Fact 2 - A group of former Ringling Brothers Circus clowns had donned
police uniforms in order to misdirect the procession. As proof, it was said that
a large number of police officers arrived at the lodge in a single car prior to
the parade and that the parade was held up as they exited the car. Though the
actions of those directing the parade would seem consistent with this story,
this too is NOT true. The truth is that a group of actual Taos police officers,
who had flunked out of clown school, were on duty at the time of the event. They
were supplemented by a crack platoon from the Animal Control Unit, known as the
Blue Birds of Happiness. Their motto: "Animal Control is for the Birds."
And finally, False Fact 3 - The route through town, when viewed from space, was
an arrow pointing to the remains of Jimmy Hoffa. This too is a lie! The shape
was actually a complex maze originally devised for the movie "Animal House."
Anyone watching the movie would clearly see the resemblance to the parade route.
As a result of the aforementioned circumstances, the parade degenerated into a
chaotic mess. At one point along the route, the leading cars in the parade
passed a contingent of Corvairs traveling in the opposite direction. Alas, this
contingent was never to be seen again. It is in honor of these lost souls that
this article has been titled, "The Lost Parade." I was quite impressed with the
touching memorial service held for them at the conclusion of the car show.
I hope this clears things up. For all of us who were there, and survived, this
procession will not soon be forgotten.
-- Robert Gold
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Several photos from the Tri-State are scattered through the newsletter.
Thanks to Robert Gold, Steve Gongora, Tarmo Sutt, Vickie Hall, John Wiker,
Lube Lubert and Elisa Yoffee.
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TREASURY REPORT FOR 05-18-2017 to 06-22-2017 Robert Gold
DATE CHECK# AMOUNT PAYEE DESCRIPTION BALANCE = $4,576.66
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2017.05.31 2284 -$ 100.00 R.Gold Cash for Tri-State -$ 100.00
2017.06.05 $ 500.00 Deposit Tri-State Quilt Auction $ 500.00
2017.06.05 2287 -$ 150.00 Dunie Garcia Tri-State Sound System -$ 150.00
2017.06.05 2288 -$ 694.70 Joe Casey Tri-State Keynote Speaker -$ 694.70
2017.06.05 2285 -$ 64.51 H.Pittman Newsletter Printing JUN 2017 -$ 35.95
2017.06.05 -$ H.Pittman Newsletter Postage 42 x $0.68 -$ 28.56
2017.06.05 2286 -$ 104.03 D.Huntoon Tri-State Plaque -$ 104.03
2017.06.05 2283 -$1,590.37 Graphic C. Tri-State T-Shirts -$1,590.37
2017.06.06 $1,946.15 Deposit Tri-State T-Shirts -$1,946.15
2017.06.07 $4,175.50 Deposit Tri-State Registration/Raffles $4,175.50
2017.06.09 2289 -$1,778.00 Blue Mount. Tri-State Banquet -$1,778.00
2017.06.20 2290 -$ 45.00 CORSA J.Wiker 12 m CORSA -$ 45.00
2017.06.20 2282 -$ 45.00 CORSA C.Johnson 12 m CORSA -$ 45.00
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2017.07.01 JUL NEWSLETTER ========================================== $6,626.70
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TRI-STATE CAR SHOW AT TAOS, N.M.
Lube Lubert
Why didn't my "Great White Hope" Corvair make it to the Tri-State at Taos?
At home Wednesday 31 May 2017, after making a run in the Corvair to the post
office and to Worldwide Automotive where I checked on Bill's car for another
engine, I went into the house. Then I decided to check the idler bearing. I
found it was warm. I checked the blower fan bearing and it was so hot you could
burn your fingers on it, very hot! Better not drive the Corvair until I can
replace the fan bearing.
That is why I brought my 1969 Chevy Stepside Truck to the Tri-State. I did have
some problems with the truck on 1 June 2017, Thursday. No power, black smoke
from the left rear tail pipe, and backfiring through the carburetor. I thought
this might be caused by the Startron fuel treatment I poured into the gas tank.
With this stuff in the gas tank you can store your vehicle up to 2 years with no
gas deterioration.
I am writing this article in the Caboose Motel, Durango, Colorado. Bill and I
attended the Rocky Mountain Region Train Show this weekend.
-- Lube
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION TRAIN SHOW
Lube Lubert
8 June 2017, Thursday afternoon was Registration & Contest.
9 June 2017, Friday, slide shows.
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Steelmaking #1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM Making Scenery
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Mining, Shop & Yard tour
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Home Layouts
Mr Duane Danielson of the Northern Pacific & Great Northern Railway. He
couldn't operate his O-Scale Layout, because his Digital Command Control went
out. It took him twelve years to build it. He has a huge log cabin house.
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Home Layouts
A man started building a massive HO train layout but he didn't finish it
because he passed away last year. Other HO train members are finishing for him,
and operating trains. A long process awaits them.
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Home Layouts
The last train was a large working train (steam locomotive) that the
owner rides on and operatives on his 4 acres. North of Durango, Colorado on
Highway 550. He has a remake freight house collection of Gear Harvey stuff, old
lanterns and other items. Sorry I didn't take my camera.
10 June 2017, Saturday: Bill and I didn't go on the train ride on the D&SNGRR
Activities.
That's All -- Lube.
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LOVE AT TEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVENTH SIGHT
Jim Pittman
Probably most of us have owned something that we realize we no longer need and
that we really should part company with. But it is so special, so unique, so
significant to our life that we just can't part with it. I owned at least two
such things: one was a home computer and one was a Corvair.
The home computer was my Apple II Plus, purchased in April 1980. How can I
describe to a non-computer nerd how this device changed my life. Most relevant
to my job as editor of this newsletter is that I used the Apple II and its NEC
Spinwriter to edit and print the May 1980 issue of this newsletter, and the
newsletter has been edited and printed by computer every month since. The Apple
II Plus gave way to an Apple IIgs and then to a series of Macintosh computers. I
wouldn't last as newsletter editor without my interest in computing and my
ability to easily make minor changes to the basic skeleton of the newsletter
every month. The skeleton is complex, the result of uncounted hours of keyboard
work, though spread out over months and years. Computer power makes each month's
enhancement to the skeleton fun and easy. If you like the look and feel of our
newsletter, you can credit it to my interest in personal computers.
And, in a roundabout way, the 1980 Apple II led to getting a job at a computing
center and to a career at a university that lasted nearly thirty years. I had a
front row seat to watch computers change from being something only major
organizations could own, to becoming common home devices, to becoming technology
that runs our entire society. Now we use powerful computers every day (think of
your smartphone) and we are all immersed, every second of every day, in
communication and control networks that we do not control. Think Fuel Injection.
Automatic Braking. Remote Door Openers. Google. Facebook. The expanding Internet
of Things.
The Corvair was a 1966 Corsa coupe with a turbo engine. Not my first Corvair
from May 1966, this one was a used car in great shape that I flew to Las Vegas
to buy based on a Road & Track magazine advertisement. This was in April 1974,
just as "Corvairs of New Mexico" was being dreamed up by Pete Colburn and Mark
Morgan and was being nurtured to life by Francis Boydston and Dale Housley.
Years earlier I had become unhappy with the turbo engine in my first Corvair and
replaced it with the Finch-modified 140, but now I allowed myself to be seduced
by the Road & Track ad into getting another turbo Corvair. It did not take many
weeks of unsatisfactory driving to realize my mistake. The car got less and less
road time and finally settled into a parking spot under poplar trees, towels
draped over the dash and seats to protect them from the sun.
I had no business owning a Corvair that I didn't drive (my 1966 yellow Corsa
coupe and my 1965 red Corsa convertible were driven pretty much every day) and I
knew I should sell it. But just when I'd make up my mind that the car had to go,
I'd go out and lift the engine lid and gaze on the chrome parts, the air
cleaner, the turbo shield, the crossover pipe -- and I'd think how rare 1966
turbo Corvairs were -- and I'd shut the engine lid and put off getting rid of
the car for another few days or weeks or months.
I never got rid of the Apple II and now it sits on a table gathering dust and
never gets turned on. It does not do anything I need to do, but it is the
physical artifact that helped magnify my mind and changed my life and lighted my
way to a terrific career, and I just can't throw it out.
But, I finally did get rid of the Corvair. In a moment of strength (or maybe it
was weakness) I got Francis to take it off my hands. Soon it went to someone who
took out a few dents and painted the car to make it a dazzling object of beauty.
After I sold it I found I was much relieved and I never regretted letting it go.
Oh, by the way, that big number in the title represents the number of days I
have owned my last Corvair, a 1965 Monza coupe. That's the number of mornings
that I have seen it parked in my back yard since 1988, a potential (and, for
many years, an actual) ride to somewhere. The amount of time I have been a
Corvair owner adds up to some 18,664 days. I had many years and thousands of
mostly happy miles driving Corvairs (and some frustrations and some hard work
along the way) but those days are gone. Still, I just can't feel happy about
parting with my last Corvair. In so many ways, buying a Corvair changed my life,
mostly for the better, and led to a 39-year career as Editor of this wonderful
newsletter. So, the Monza sits in the back yard, admired by the occasional
visitor, but seldom driven. How long can this go on? I don't know. We'll see.
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| July 2017 | August 2017 | September 2017 |
| Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa |
| 1 | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 |
| 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 | 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
| 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 | 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 | 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 |
| 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 | 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 | 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 |
| 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 | 27 28 29 30 31 | 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 |
| 30 31 | | |
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TUE 04 JUL -- CAR SHOW ON THE PLAZA - SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO - COME EARLY!
Pancake Breakfast -- Fabulous Classic Cars -- Great Opportunity!
WED 05 JUL 7:00 PM Meeting: NORTH DOMINGO BACA MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER,
at Wyoming & Carmel, north of Wyoming & Paseo del Norte NE.
After the meeting, we may go to "JASON'S DELI" at 5920 Holly Ave. NE.
SAT 08 JUL 8:00 AM -- Old Route 66 Cleanup -- meet at I-40 / NM 333 Triangle
SAT 15 JUL 9:30 AM Collector Car Appreciation Day == www.nmcarcouncil.com
WED 19 JUL 5:00 PM Board Meeting: HIGHLAND SENIOR CENTER at 131 Monroe NE
FRI 21 JUL 9:00 PM Deadline for items for August newsletter
WED 26 JUL 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
============================================================================
WED 02 AUG 7:00 PM Meeting: NORTH DOMINGO BACA MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER
SAT 05 AUG ....... Caravan to Olde Tyme Ice Cream Shop - south of Tijeras
SUN 13 AUG NMCCC All Clubs Picnic - Oak Flat Recreation Area, Highway 337
(Route 14), Tijeras www.nmcarcouncil.com or joyce@nmcarcouncil.com
WED 16 AUG 5:00 PM Board Meeting: HIGHLAND SENIOR CENTER at 131 Monroe NE
WED 23 AUG 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
FRI 25 AUG 9:00 PM Deadline for items for September newsletter
============================================================================
WED 06 SEP 7:00 PM Meeting: NORTH DOMINGO BACA MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER
SUN 17 SEP State Fair Car Show --- CHECK ON DATE AND TIME!
SAT xx SEP Concours du Soleil - Albuquerque - andy@albuquerquefoundation.org
SUN xx SEP Concours du Soleil - Albuquerque - andy@albuquerquefoundation.org
WED 20 SEP 5:00 PM Board Meeting: HIGHLAND SENIOR CENTER at 131 Monroe NE
FRI 22 SEP 9:00 PM Deadline for items for October newsletter
FRI 22 SEP NMCCC / Los Lunas 39th Annual Auto Swap Meet
SAT 23 SEP Morris Field, Los Lunas, New Mexico
SUN 24 SEP Highway 314 & Morris Rd, Los Lunas
WED 27 SEP 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
============================================================================
MON 02 OCT DRIVE YOUR CORVAIR DAY --- FIRST RETAIL SALE OF CORVAIRS, 1959
MON 02 OCT CORVAIR HERITAGE DAY (Corvair's official birthday)
WED 04 OCT 7:00 PM Meeting: NORTH DOMINGO BACA MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER
SUN 08 OCT EARLY! Classic Cars Drive on the Balloon Fiesta Field -- CHECK DATE
WED 18 OCT 5:00 PM Board Meeting: HIGHLAND SENIOR CENTER at 131 Monroe NE
FRI 20 OCT 9:00 PM Deadline for items for November newsletter
WED 25 OCT 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
============================================================================
See the New Mexico Council of Car Clubs Web Site for more "NMCCC" activities
======================== http://www.nmcarcouncil.com/ ======================
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SEVEN YEARS AGO [ JULY 2017 VOL 43 Nr 7 ISSUE 502 ]
Jim Pittman
2010 Vol 36 Nr 7 # 418
Cover: the former Library Van with Robert, David & Art. President Pat Hall met
Hal & Linda Rupert of the Silicon Valley Corvair Club in Edgewood. Lube found a
ten-dollar bill on the Old Route 66 cleanup. Sylvan welcomed new members Steve &
Enrique Sanchez who have a 1965 convertible. Brenda told us of plans for the
2011 Tri-State to be held in Red River. Wendell Walker told of attending two car
shows in two states during a single week. His 1971 Challenger took him to
Flagstaff, Amtrak brought him back to Albuquerque and his 1964 Monza convertible
took him to Canon City, Colorado. All this with a little help from Bill Sullivan
and Kim Patten. A couple or three pages of Tri-State photos finished up this
issue.
2003 Vol 29 Nr 7 #334
Street scene at the Raton Tri-State. Ollie reported on this stellar event. Mark
Domzalski listed awards and statistics. We met at Galles Chevrolet. Sylvan
introduced new member Dwight Simmons who owned a 140-powered rail. Wendell said
we had $5,120. A campout at Ruth's Pecos cabin was announced. Tim McCool from
Plains Refrigeration spoke. Wendell reported that the July 4th car show on the
Plaza in Santa Fe was all set. An August picnic was set for the Elk's Refuge in
the mountains. What to do with the 58 T-shirts left over from Raton?
Registration forms were incomplete, so accurate attendance statistics were not
available. What can we do about new members who join, come to a meeting or two
and then disappear? President Robert praised Galles Chevrolet for diagnosing a
rough-running problem. He suggested we do something to enhance the Boydston
Award: let's open it to members of the Colorado clubs. A portfolio of photos
filled out this issue.
1996 Vol 22 Nr 7 #250
At the June meeting President Mark Domzalski discussed the convention and said
we had sold 2,664 raffle tickets; we had 153 pre-registrations for the Acoma
tour, 124 for the Santa Fe tour, 109 for the Turquoise Trail tour, 46 for the
concours, 59 for the rally and 58 for the econo-run. A stuffing party was
scheduled for the Saturday before the convention. Participation by CNM
membership has been outstanding. Bill Reider reported that there were about 480
cars at the Museum show. Sylvan received a letter written in German from his
friends in the Swiss Corvair Club. We tried to translate it. This year, to enter
a car in the Santa Fe July 4th car show, one had to be a member of the Santa Fe
club. Our August campout was on hold due to drought and fire danger. There were
tech tips on: Prevent overheating your engine; Convert to dual master cylinder;
A replacement refrigerant "FR-12" nearly identical to the old Freon R-12.
1989 Vol 15 Nr 7 #166
The cover showed our six-door Library Van at the Tri-State "Red River
Rendezvous" with more photos inside, but we needed better photo technology! Bill
Lawless reported on the event. The parade was mostly 1964 Corvairs with many
convertibles. Bill Reider told us about checking the distributor point plate and
told about how a conductive vacuum hose could cause an engine miss. LeRoy
reported on the Library Van, nearly done.
1982 Vol 8 Nr 7 # 82
The cover showed a 1935 Mercedez-Benz 500K/AK. A new member was Karl Elsner.
President Bill Reider gave a talk on carburetors inspired by Fisher's book and
gave us the first half of an article on his much-modified 1965 Monza sedan. His
goal was to update it to be the "Ultimate 1982" Corvair.
1975 Vol 1 Nr 7 # 7
The cover featured a V-8 Corvair. We planned a tech session to attract new
members and to help all our members keep their Corvairs in top condition. We
hoped to organize another car show at Winrock. Bill Reider of Car-Tune reported
that Viton O-rings were now readily available. A new member was LeRoy Rogers.
Jim provided six tech tips.
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Enchanted Corvairs Newsletter is published monthly by Corvairs of New Mexico,
chartered Chapter #871 of CORSA, the Corvair Society of America. Copyright by
the Authors and by Corvairs of New Mexico. Articles may be reprinted in any
CORSA publication as a service to CORSA members, provided credit to the Author
and this Newsletter is clearly stated. All opinions are those of the Author or
Editor and are not necessarily endorsed by Corvairs of New Mexico or CORSA.
Material for publication should reach the Editor by the 15th of the month. Send
material via e-mail ( jimp @ unm.edu ) or submit a readable manuscript. I prefer
ASCII TEXT, but MS Word or RTF are fine. Photographs are welcome. I still print
mailing labels with a 1989 Apple IIgs on a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet IIIp. The
newsletter is composed using Apple computers. Software includes OSX, AppleWorks,
Photoshop CS, GraphicConverter, BBEdit and InDesign CS. If you care, ask for
more details. Transportation: 1965 Corvair Monza, 1990 Honda Civic, 1996 Mazda
Miata and 2013 Honda Civic. When I'm 64, I'll get by with a little help from my
friends.
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=END=