The October 2018 newsletter - Text Version Updated 25-Sep-2018 = Copyright (c) 2018 Corvairs of New Mexico ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== OCTOBER 2018 / VOLUME 44 / NUMBER 10 / ISSUE # 517 ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== 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 Regular Meeting: October 3rd, 2018 at 5:30 PM GALLES CHEVROLET, 2801 University Blvd NE (Candelaria & University) THIS MONTH Remembering Richard Finch .......................... Jim Pittman Dues Due Dates ............................ Membership Committee September Regular Meeting ........................ Anne Mae Gold September Board Meeting .......................... Anne Mae Gold Road Rally / Econorun in East Mountains .......... David Huntoon Treasury Report .................................... Robert Gold Report on the State Fair Car Show ................ David Huntoon State Fair Photos by ............... Vickie Hall & David Huntoon State Fair Award-Winning Quilt .................. Sally Williams Birthdays & Anniversaries ................... Sunshine Committee Great Western Fan Belt Toss & Swap Meet . San Diego Corvair Club Memories of Richard Finch (1936-2018) .............. Jim Pittman Four CNM Newsletter Articles ................... Richard F Finch Calendar of Coming Events ................... Board of Directors October Issues, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 Years Ago ..... Club Historian COVER The State Fair Car Show Crew Pose Before Driving In Richard Finch at the Club's 2004 Christmas Lunch ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== OFFICERS and VOLUNTEERS President Lube Lubert 505-256-9331 dirtlube gmail.com Vice President Art Gold 505-620-7434 rollerart gmail.com Secretary Anne Mae Gold 505-268-6878 annemae.528 gmail.com Treasurer Robert Gold 505-268-6878 beisbol30 msn.com Car Council Robert Gold 505-268-6878 beisbol30 msn.com Membership David Huntoon 505-281-9616 corvair66 aol.com Merchandise Vickie Hall 505-865-5574 patandvickiehall q.com Sunshine Heula Pittman 505-865-5574 heula q.com Newsletter Jim Pittman 505-275-2195 jimp unm.edu Old Route 66 David Huntoon 505-281-9616 corvair66 aol.com Past President Ray Trujillo 505-814-8373 ray bpsabq.com Past President Pat Hall 505-620-5574 patandvickiehall q.com Past President John Wiker 505-239-3311 wikerj63 yahoo.com MEETINGS First Wednesday of each Month at 5:30 PM GALLES CHEVROLET, 2801 University Blvd NE (Candelaria & University) INTERNET CORSA's home page www.corvair.org/ CNM's newsletters www.unm.edu/~jimp/ Steve Gongora's page www.corvair.org/chapters/chapter871/ Larry Yoffee's home page www.corsaturbo180usa.com/ New Mexico Council of Car Clubs www.nmcarcouncil.com/ ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== 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 OCTOBER 2018 DUE LAST MONTH ================== INACTIVE DATE 2018.09 Tracey & John McMahan 25-OCT-2018 DUE THIS MONTH ================== INACTIVE DATE 2018.10 Debra & Jon Anderson 25-NOV-2018 2018.10 Lilly & Ray Gonzales 25-NOV-2018 2018.10 Lee & Bill Reider 25-NOV-2018 2018.10 Sylvia & Ray Trujillo 25-NOV-2018 DUE NEXT MONTH ================= INACTIVE DATE 2018.11 Linda & Dick Cochran 25-DEC-2018 2018.11 Fred & Brenda Edeskuty 25-DEC-2018 2018.11 Leslie & Kevin Sullivan 25-DEC-2018 DUE DECEMBER 2018 ============== INACTIVE DATE 2018.12 Linda & Anthony Berbig 25-JAN-2019 2018.12 David Huntoon 25-JAN-2019 2018.12 Heula & Jim Pittman 25-JAN-2019 INACTIVE ======================== INACTIVE DATE 2017.01 Nancy & Russ McDuffie 25-FEB-2017 2017.02 Victor Sanchez 25-MAR-2017 2017.08 Kathryn & Douglas Gadomski 25-SEP-2017 2017.10 Carl Clasmeyer 25-NOV-2017 2017.10 Mary Lou & Mark Martinek 25-NOV-2017 2018.02 Lilian & Timothy Shortle 25-MAR-2018 2018.08 David Hutchinson 25-SEP-2018 As of 25-SEP-2018 we have 45 active family memberships. Send your Dues to: CNM Treasurer c/o Robert Gold 1301 Valencia NE Albuquerque, NM 87110 Past due memberships will become INACTIVE after a one-month grace period. The Club will mail in your National Dues when you renew, if you send us the renewal form from your CORSA Communique! ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== Recent New Members: ==================== 2018-May-04 Maggie & Bob Kitts [ bkittszia @ gmail.com ] and Lesha Kitts 1604 Narcisa Ct NW Los Ranchos NM 87107 CORVETTE CLUB 1962 Corvan 505-507-2001 ==================== 2018-Apr-16 David & Janice Allin [ dnjallin @ comcast.net ] 6116 Thicket St. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120 505-410-9668 ==================== 2018-Jan-14 Mike Butler == The Ascent == newsletter for one year 1 Roebling Way Covington, KY 41011 859-640-5128 ==================== 2017-Oct-12 Lilly & Ray Gonzales [ ray.gonzales.worksched @ gmail.com ] 1646 16th Ave, Rio Rancho, NM 87124 505-463-1831 ==================== 2017-Aug-07 David Hutchinson [ idc.certify @ yahoo.com ] 901 15th Street NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104 505-307-9710 ==================== 2017-Jul-28 Jenny & Phil Finch [ finchbook @ gmail.com ] 16709 Hassalo Street, Portland, OR 97230 541-662-0987 ==================== 2017-Feb-11 Natalie Robison [ alaska58 @ hotmail.com ] P. O. Box 303, San Antonio, NM 87832 405-830-3002 ==================== ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== JIM CANNON'S AUSTIN-HEALEY 100-6 AND RICHARD FINCH'S SAAB-POWERED D SPORTS RACER Jim Pittman In 1968 Richard was putting together a sports-racer with fiberglass body. He designed and welded the tube frame, adapted a Fiat front suspension and fabricated the multi-link rear suspension. The engine and transaxle were from a Saab car and featured a three-cylinder two-cycle engine and four forward speeds. The engine was extensively ported for more power. I volunteered to help with some of the chores. Richard tested the completed car on a long flat stretch of little used blacktop in the desert near the northern boundry of Holloman AFB. The last third of 1968 was a busy racing time. We towed the racer to Phoenix on October 12th where Richard had to tackle carburetor problems. On the 19th we went to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Fellow club member Jim Cannon was there racing his Austin-Healey. On November 22nd we went to races at Riverside, California and November 30th found us back at Phoenix where we met Doug Roe. I don't recall that the sleek blue "12D" race car was ever particularly successful. On October 28th I orded a new-in-a-crate 140-HP engine for my Corvair, we tweaked it a bit and had it installed and running by January 19th, 1969. I left Holloman AFB on March 3rd in my "new" Corvair, headed for California. The Corvair ran perfectly. I eventually settled down in Albuquerque for graduate school. Richard eventually moved back to California. I don't know what happened to his sports-racer. ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== September Meeting 2018.09.05 Anne Mae Gold Meeting time: 7:05 - 8:20 PM Members in attendance: 13 Officer Reports * President (Lube) Brought his Florence Merchants' Car Show T-shirt. TA Corvair was on the front. * VP (Art) Ran the meeting. He is happy to be be back. * Secretary (Anne Mae) Spoke to a representative of the Office of Senior Affairs. She verified the rumors that we have heard. From here on out, all people using a senior center or multi-generational center must be a member. If price is an issue, then that individual needs to fill in an application and speak to the site manager. They have ultimate control. * Treasurer (Robert) Current balance is $6,856.18 Robert paid for the Boydston Award and the check has cleared. Committee Reports * Editor (Jim) The newsletter deadline is Friday 9:00 PM, September 21. Jim apologized for forgetting to include Robert's article on the State Fair Car Show. Discussion was held on the CORSA Communique and how the quality appears to have gone down. Larry Blair commented that people probably are not sending the Communique editor enough material to be published. Jim said he felt that people were moving from email to Facebook and asked Dave Huntoon about the CNM Facebook page. Dave says that Facebook is a gateway to other car groups. Unlike email, it is a two-way street, somewhat like a billboard. When things you have indicated you are interested in are published, you are notified. An update on Bill Reider : He has not yet returned home from the assisted living facility. * Car Council (Robert) The State Fair Car Show is Sunday September 16. The Swap Meet in Los Lunas is Friday - Saturday - Sunday, September 28-30. Most of the sites have been sold. Various CNM members have volunteered to help out. Elections for the Car Council are coming up. * Membership (Dave) Nothing to report. He routinely puts information for our upcoming events on Facebook. The last Old Route 66 Cleanup was a great success. The next Cleanup will be on Saturday October 6 at 8:30 AM. * Merchandise/Sunshine Committee (Vickie & Heula) There have been no sales this past month. Vickie bought some safety vests and gave them to Dave for the Old Route 66 Cleanup. She shared a bit of trivia... Elvis bought Priscilla a convertible to drive to school. It was a Corvair convertible! Old/New Business * Bingo-Silent Auction Night is still set for Manzano Mesa Senior Center (Elizabeth & Southern SE) on Friday November 9. Please contact John Wiker with what you will contribute to the event. Attendees still need to bring a pot luck meal and/or dessert. * The State Fair Car Show will be on Sunday September 16. Meet in the parking lot on the southwest corner of Central and San Pedro SE at or before 7:00 AM for group photos. We will drive in as a group around 7:15 AM. This is your chance to get into the Fair for free! * Meeting Location : Due to the membership requirement, we need to find a new meeting site. Copper Canyon Restaurant on Gibson has a room that we can use as a meeting place. Word has it, the food is good and cheap. Galles Chevrolet (University and Candelaria) also has a conference room that we could use. We would have to start between 5:30 and 6:00 PM, but we would have to be out by 7:00 PM. Both of these locations are on the ground floor, no stairs or elevators. Robert made a motion to move our meeting times to 6:00 PM; it was seconded by David Allin. John Wiker stated that we should decide on a new meeting place tonight and we should not try a place with the intention of moving elsewhere later. After discussion, all members present voted to have our meetings at Galles Chevrolet, first Wednesdays, starting at 5:30 PM. Therefore, the October meeting will be at Galles. John will confirm this with his contact at Galles. * Nominations for new officers and committee members. Voting will occur at the October Membership meeting. * So far the following people are running for election next month: President ........ Art Gold Vice-President . John Wiker Secretary: .. Anne Mae Gold Treasurer: .... Robert Gold No one has come forward to run for nor resign from the Committee positions. If you are willing to serve and would like to run for a position, please nominate yourself at the October meeting, which will also be when elections are held. * Hurley Wilvert funeral service: Dave shared that there were about 10 members of our club at the service. The church was very full. Nicholas Wilvert and a friend of Hurley's from Kawasaki gave eulogies. He will be greatly missed. * Pat Hall offers to hold a TUNA, Garage Tour or Tech Talk. Please let him know what you would be interested in learning about. He would like for the club to get back to having these events. * Saturday October 13: Road Rally. Meet at the Shell gas station in Cedar Crest (Frost Road and Old North 14) and the rally will feature an econorun. The event is not limited to Corvairs, so come out for a pleasant Saturday drive. ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== September Board Meeting - 2018.09.19 - Anne Mae Gold Present: Anne Mae, Robert, Art, Jim, Dave, Lube Officer Reports * President (Lube) Lube missed the State Fair because he was attending a train event in Santa Fe. * VP (Art) Art says he is feeling better, he is now attending Occupational Therapy. His Corvair is doing better and no longer clicking. * Secretary (Anne Mae) Plans for our Christmas Party: I visited Copper Canyon restaurant. I suggest the Board look at the menu and give their opinion. Is this where we want to have Christmas dinner? * Treasurer (Robert) $6,856.81 is our current balance. Committee Reports * Editor (Gentleman Jim) Friday, 9/21 at 9:00 PM is the newsletter deadline. Jim got an envelope from the San Diego Corvair Club in California. It is full of tickets for the Great Western Fan Belt Toss. We are to sell them at $5 each. There are two types of tickets. Money is due by October 15. You can pay for them online, too. Robert took the tickets to sell at the next General Meeting in October. * Membership (David) Nothing to report. * Car Council (Robert) Robert is missing tonight's Car Council meeting due to illness. Everyone at the Car Council is getting ready for the Swap Meet. * Merchandise/Sunshine (Vickie & Heula) Continuing as always. New / Old Business * Elections are to be held at the October meeting. We need to write up the final ballot. Do we want a printed ballot or vote by acclamation? We will list the people running on the agenda and voting will proceed from there. * Bingo Night / Silent Auction: Jim has published in the newsletter what John reported at the last meeting. As of now there is no change to that information. * Christmas Party: You can see the menu for Copper Canyon Restaurant at coppercanyoncafeabq.com. The board decided to go ahead and reserve the banquet room for Saturday December 8th from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and everyone will just order off the menu and pay for their meal individually. * Club activities for October, November, December SAT OCT 06 8:30 AM Last Old Route 66 cleanup of the year. Meet at the I-40 flyover triangle where I-40 crosses NM 333. SAT OCT 13 9:30 AM East Mountain Economy Run. Meet at the Shell station at Frost Road and NM North 14 to top off your tank and get directions. Look for Dave Huntoon. OCTOBER 26-28: Great Western Fan Belt Toss in Palm Springs, California. FRI NOV 09 5:00 PM Bingo/Silent Auction at Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, 501 Elizabeth St SE 87123 (505) 275-8731 SAT DEC 13 2:00 PM Christmas dinner. Probable site is Copper Canyon Cafe on Gibson SE. Anne Mae will confirm. * State Fair Car Show. Thirteen Corvairs were present. We filled in Robert on how well everything went since he wasn't present. * The 2020 Tri-State: Time to start planning because it will be CNM's turn to host the Tri-State. The Board endorses having it here in Albuquerque, 4 or 5 members could work together setting it up. There have been several suggestions and we could use some more: We could have a Saturday morning car show at a local park, contact people with food trucks to come set up at the site or have a pot luck picnic lunch. We could have Saturday evening free to pursue other activities. Possible activities are: driving to Santa Fe, attending an Isotopes game, visiting the Nuclear Museum, going shopping at Old Town, riding the Railrunner up to Santa Fe for dinner. Do we want to have the usual kind of banquet, or forgo it for any of the above activities instead? If we have a banquet, we will need suggestions. We will need volunteers! Adjourned by about 6:00 PM. ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== ROAD RALLY / ECONOMY RUN IN EAST MOUNTAINS David Huntoon, Rallymaster and Econorun Supervisor WHEN: Saturday October 13th starting at about 9:30 AM. WHERE: Meet at the Shell station at Frost Road on NM North 14. WHERE: Frost Road is about 6 miles north of I-40 on NM North 14. WHAT: The route is about 32 miles and 45 minutes at normal road speeds. * Start at Shell station on North 14 at Frost Road. * Record your car's odometer reading at start. (A=____________________ miles) * Top off fuel tank before leaving. ( 0.00 miles) * Proceed north on North 14 to State Highway 344. (10.02 miles * Turn Right and follow State 344 to Frost Road. (11.90 miles) * Turn Right on Frost Road, follow to return to Shell station. ( 9.60 miles) * Record your car's odometer reading at end. (B=____________________ miles) * Record gallons of fuel to fill tank. (G=__________________ gallons) * Calculate your gas mileage: (B - A) / G = ______________ miles per gallon. Bring your Corvair! Brand-X vehicles are okay too. This is just a Fun Run! Best fuel mileage will be honored by CNM members for years to come! Or, at least until we proceed to Cedar Crest for lunch. ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== ========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= TREASURY REPORT FOR 08-16-2018 to 09-21-2018 Robert Gold DATE CHECK# AMOUNT PAYEE DESCRIPTION BALANCE = $6,856.15 ========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= 2018.09.10 $ 50.00 Dues R.McBreen 26 m CNM $ 50.00 2018.09.12 2326 -$ 49.34 H.Pittman Newsletter Printing SEP 2018 -$ 26.62 2018.09.12 -$ H.Pittman Newsletter Postage 32 x $0.71 -$ 22.72 ========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= 2018.10.01 OCT NEWSLETTER ========================================== $6,856.81 ================================================================================ ====== If you have any concerns or questions about this report please ===== ====== contact Robert Gold at 505-268-6878 or email: beisbol30 msn.com ===== ================================================================================ ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== THE STATE FAIR CAR SHOW SUNDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2018 David Huntoon Attending: Robert Gold (in spirit) / Anne Mae Gold / Sarah Gold / Art Gold / Alan Gold / Michael La Grassa / Sally Williams / Dave Allin / Pat & Vickie Hall / John & Anne Wiker / Geoff & Anne Johnson / Bob McBreen / Tony Berbig & Linda / David Huntoon. A nice cool start on a shady tree lined street that became a pleasant clear and sunny afternoon. We had thirteen Corvairs show up and about 50 other GMs. All in all an impressive display. We had one no-show due to ... I will will let Tony explain. Kids, dogs, horses, rabbits, chickens, ducks and food! What could be a better way to spend a fall day? Pat and David Allin took a ride on the lift. What a sight. Thanks to all who showed up. Let's try for 20 cars next year. We have enough space. A nice show. Dave Allin won some awards for his five model cars he entered. One was a replica of his 1969 coupe. My Corvair Monza won Best of Show. Bob McBreen received a special recognition award for his work with the State Fair. Robert Gold was missing as he was battling a medical issue. Get well soon! Probably the first State Fair he has missed in decades. Anne Mae took over herding all the Corvairs and the people. Thanks Anne Mae and all others who made the day special. Your humble scribe, David ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== Photo from the New Mexico State Fair Tarmo Sutt TARMO: "As seen at the NM State Fair last Monday, a quilt by Sally Williams" JIM: "A remarkable purple quilt! How many will recognize 'Corvair' though?" TARMO: "Hard to say how many, but it was a great quilt!" ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== Happy Birthday Wishes to October CNM'ers: Erica Anderson - Jon Anderson - Dan Palmer - Terry Price - Bill Reider Anniversaries: (No October anniversaries) ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== 41st Annual Great Western Fan Belt Toss and Swap Meet Paul Bergstrom < corsacluboffice@gmail.com > Dear Fellow Western States Corvair Enthusiasts, The San Diego Club would like to invite you to the 41st Annual Great Western Fan Belt Toss and Swap Meet, in Palm Springs, CA on October 26-28. You can find details and registration form on our web site http://www.sandiegocorvair.com/ At Corvair Center Forum: http://corvaircenter.com/phorum/read.php?1,977378 or Facebook https://FaceBook.com/pages/biz/san-diego-corvair-club There will be all the usual fun with a car parade to the welcome party Friday night. New this year is a mini concourse on Saturday. Please contact Bruce St. Gean (760-942-0089 or email thestgeans0625@att.net ) if you would like to be trained or have a refresher on concourse judging. We are looking forward to seeing you. Packets were sent out September 1st to all Western clubs listed in the Corsa Communique. There are tickets for the grand prize raffle, the blue tickets: 1st. $1,000 to Clark's Corvair Parts, 2nd. $ 500 to California Corvairs, and 3rd. $ 500 to Rafee Corvair. In addition, a beautiful memory quilt is also being raffled, these are the white tickets. This quilt features t-shirts of past Fan Belt Toss's (see photo attached). Your members can purchase chances for either or both raffles from either the hard tickets from the packet or online at http://www.sandiegocorvair.com When you receive the packet, please return the entry stubs with payment by October 15th or bring to the toss. Winners do not have to be present. Payment can be a check or online payment. The online payment instructions are on the registration form. It would also be helpful if your members register before coming to the toss, again registration form is online. On Saturday at 2:00 PM there will be a meeting, at the toss for all who want to be involved in the 2020 CORSA convention in San Diego. We in the West are going to need many volunteers to put on an amazing California convention. There are many types of jobs and needs and all are welcome to help. Thanks for your help with the ticket and see you at the Toss! * Lorrie Tustison SDCC president 760-518-3599 * Jon Peters SDCC Board member 760-518-8946 * Paul Bergstrom * Executive Secretary * corsacluboffice@gmail.com Corvair Society of America (CORSA) P.O. Box 68, Maple Plain, MN 55359 630.403.5010 http://www.corvair.org ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== Richard Finch 1935-2018 Jim Pittman Former CNM member Richard Finch died on August 12, 2018. He was 83. For some seven years he had suffered the mental and physical decline of Alzheimer's. In his last years he was cared for by his brother Phil Finch in Portland, Oregon. I met Richard in 1967 when we were members of the Otero Sports Car Association in Alamogordo. He had a beautiful 1936 Ford pickup with a Chevy V-8 and was working on a Saab-powered sports-racer with a welded frame and fiberglass body. A photo of that car is on Page 2. Many CNM members met Richard in June 2000 when he and his wife Gayle moved to Tularosa, New Mexico and joined our club. They came to Albuquerque several times in their Corvair-powered Ultra Van. It was my privilege to assist Richard in dis-assembling, "tweaking" and assembling a brand-new Corvair 4-carb engine, a project that eventually led to the writing of his book, How to Keep Your Corvair Alive. I went with him to several races in New Mexico, Arizona and California in 1968 and 1969. The "blue-printed" 140-HP engine that he installed in my 1966 Corsa coupe, replacing the original 180-HP turbo engine, was a wonderfully successful project. The new engine provided 100,000 trouble-free miles with that car. Working with Richard was a lesson in tools, organization and cleanliness as well as General Motors engineering. He told me that a mark of a good mechanic was to be able to crawl under a car with exactly the right tools needed for the job at hand. His garage shop was always clean and tidy with a place for every tool and part. When we worked on my Corvair project his routine was: Get up at 5:00 AM, eat breakfast, then drive the company car, a 1965 Impala, at 90 miles an hour across White Sands to his job at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. After work drive back to his home in Alamogordo. Eat supper. Go to the garage and work on the project of the day. About midnight, knock off work, clean up, put all tools away. Go to bed. Richard told me he became a Corvair enthusiast after buying a new 1960 700 sedan. He owned several Corvairs over the years. Perhaps his favorite was a 1965 Monza sedan. He told me that he had traded in a Corvair for a new 1967 Buick station wagon specifically to tow race cars but was not particularly happy with it. One day driving the Buick he saw a Corvair in a used car lot. He stopped and bought the Corvair on the spot. After a few tweaks such as a 140-HP engine, Corsa dash and metallic brakes, he drove the car for many miles and many years. Richard's Keep Your Corvair Alive book was updated several times, and he wrote books on welding. Richard was a long-time CORSA member. He was proud of being an SAE engineer. Among his many accomplishments were building and racing go-karts, sports-racing cars and Yenko Stingers. He was a pilot and modified Corvair engines to use in home-built aircraft. Our members will remember Richard's visits to Albuquerque in his Ultra Van #443 and his visits to the EAA Fly-ins at Moriarty. Our Enchanted Corvairs newsletter published several articles by Richard Finch. Some were how-to-do: Lubricating spark plugs. Safely moving a Corvair. Rebuilding an original fuel pump. A home-made engine cart. Installing a Clark's air conditioner kit. Some were warnings: Electric fuel pump hazards. Mistakes made in overhauling engines. Some were just stories: An Ultravan Mountain Climb. Daily Driven Corvairs. Steve McQueen's Corvair Starter. Richard was truly one of a kind. ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== While he was an active CNM member, Richard Finch contributed some thirty or forty articles to the newsletter. Here are some of those articles. ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== NOV 2000 Spark Plug Lubricant Richard F Finch Corvair people and other owners of cars with aluminum cylinder heads would be interested to know that piston engine aircraft manufacturers such as Lycoming and Continental all advocate the use of graphite lubricant for spark plugs used in aluminum cylinder heads. Champion Spark Plug company makes a liquid based graphite spark plug thread lubricant that comes in a small bottle with an applicator brush inside that is a lot like a bottle of finger nail polish, except that the consistency of the liquid graphite in the bottle is like thin paint. This spark plug thread lubricant is intended to be applied each time spark plugs are removed and re-installed which is usually at 100 hour intervals in most piston engined aircraft Even the FAA recommends graphite thread lubricant as a prevention of galled or stripped threads in aircraft engines. The Champion Spark Plug Lubricant can be purchased at most local aircraft service centers and aircraft supply stores. To prevent thread galling from rough threads on new $1.50 apiece spark plugs, dress each new spark plug on a rotary motor wire brush to remove the manufacturing burrs. Even brand-new $30.00 apiece aircraft spark plugs have burrs on their threads. -- Richard Finch ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== APR 2001 Safety/tech Tip Richard F Finch I have always pushed my cars in and out of the garage when they are inoperative because of repairs in progress. Fortunately, my driveways have usually been rather flat and not sloping too much. But as I age beyond retirement age, I notice that pushing a Corvair into my garage is harder than it was when I was 30. And if I ever "lost" the car here in my Tularosa garage, it would end up atop my neighbor's prize 4 foot high hedge across the street, that is, if it did not hit a car or a kid on a bicycle in the street as it gets away from me. Most CORSA members remember reading about the fellow who attended the Daytona Beach National Convention safely, only to have his '65 Corvair get away from him and crash into his neighbor's house when he got out of it to kiss his wife when he returned home. I was the happy owner of a '84 Pontiac Fiero when I lived in Florida in 1984-88, but the car had a bad habit of not wanting to stay in first gear. It also had a non-operable parking brake. One evening after work, I pulled the Fiero into my nearly flat driveway , put it in 1st gear and went into the house. About two hours later, neighbor kids knocked on my front door and told me that my car had mysteriously rolled across the street and into my neighbor's yard across the street, stopping against a tall pine tree. To prevent similar dangerous situations while I restore my "NEW" '64 Monza, I have drilled two 7/8" diameter holes in the concrete floor about 3 feet in front of the car. I then inserted two lead anchors, epoxied them in with JB Weld and then installed a steel strap to the lead anchors in the floor with 3/8" grade 8 bolts. At the center of the front bumper, at the bracket where the license plate attaches, I installed another bracket that accepts a hook from a come-along. I can also attach my nylon tow rope to these two hooks as a safety cable. Now I can winch my car back into the garage after I have spent the day sanding and washing it. These simple safety measures should avoid a runaway car problem and they will save my back from strain from pushing the car uphill and into the garage. -- Richard Finch ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== AUG 2002 From Out Of The Past! Richard F Finch On our way to the CORSA National Convention in Flagstaff last month, we were tooling along in our Ultra Van, towing a half-size teardrop trailer, and Mark Domzalski pulled along side of us in a faded yellow 1966 Corsa Coupe. We were doing 65 mph, and after waving, Mark drove on by at the legal speed limit of 75 mph. As Mark pulled ahead of us, I noticed something very familiar about the Corsa he was driving. The tail pipe on the right side was smaller than a turbo, but it came out of a cut-out in the rear body sheet metal. Then I noticed that the left tail pipe came out of a matching cut-out in the left rear body sheet metal. And then I noticed a 1968 Camaro bow tie emblem on the engine cover lid where the turbo emblem usually goes. And I thought I could see three gauges on the dashboard just above the radio. And then it dawned on me. Mark was driving a Corvair that I had not seen since 1968! Almost 34 years ago! Mark was driving Jim Pittman's famous 1966 Corsa that Jim and I had modified in 1968 and 1969!! Jim and I had removed the often pesky 180 hp turbo engine and replaced it with a factory crate 140 hp engine which we blue-printed, balanced, and ported and polished. Most of the mods we made were per Bill Fisher's book "How to Hot Rod your Corvair Engine." And the mods worked well too. Jim proceeded to win the very next autocross he entered after we modified his Corsa coupe. Knowing that I could not catch the 1966 Corsa going up the mountain to Flagstaff, I decided to ask (at the convention) Mark about his reason for taking Jim's car to the Convention. Later at the Little America Hotel, I saw the car parked in the parking lot and walked over to it to confirm that it was indeed the same car that we had modified in the late 1960's, and what a memory refresher. Sure enough, I remembered all the modifications that Jim had done to the car at my house at 2506 Stanford Avenue, Alamogordo, New Mexico in 1968. Later at the convention, Mark explained that he had recently bought the Corsa from Jim and was planning to restore the body and paint in the near future. Little did Jim and I know in 1968 that one day a former CORSA President would be the owner of that very significant Corvair. -- Richard Finch ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== OCT 2001 Dummy of the Month Club Richard F Finch I hereby do make both an honest and humble application to be inducted into Del Patten's elite club of DUMMYS. I understand that making the same dumb mistake at least twice will assure the new applicant of consideration for Del's elite club. My first dumb mistake occurred in 1976 when I owned a 1963 Corvair 95 Van. Owning the Van was not the mistake. The Van had a "Super Turbo Air 102" horsepower car engine in it because the original owner had overheated the original engine. I also overheated the 102 horsepower engine before I discovered that the thermostat doors were trapped closed by the rear engine mount sheet metal. (Actually, that was a huge mistake too.) The 102 horsepower engine was running on 4 cylinders so I decided to pull out the car engine and replace it with a good running 1961 80 horsepower van engine with the dip stick in the rear. I did a really nice job of cleaning up the 80 horsepower van engine and installing it in the van. I transferred the carburetors and ignition system off the 102 horsepower engine. And guess what? The "new" 80 horse engine that had been running on all six cylinders suddenly would only run on 4 cylinders just like the car engine that I pulled out! Well... any dummy would immediately recognize that the reason both engines would only run on 4 cylinders had to be bad spark plug wires that I took off the first engine! Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, right Del? My second dumb mistake (only the second one in my entire life mind you) occurred when I began driving our 95 horsepower Ultra Van about three years ago. I did a very complete overhaul on the engine, including NOS pistons and cylinders, turned the crank .010" and all those good things. But the new engine would not start. No spark. So I rebuilt a used distributor of unknown origin. Now the engine started and ran just fine. We drove the Ultra Van with that 95 horsepower engine for over 17,000 miles. It ran good on the highway but it was always hard to start and it always died at stop signs. I rebuilt the 1969 carburetors 3 times and it changed very little. It did not ping going up hills and it got 16 to 18 mpg which is good for a 5,000 lb. Ultra Van. I checked the dwell several times to see how the points were wearing and it always came out at 30 degrees, so I ignored the distributor as a problem. But one day this past August, I found my timing light in a packing box (we just moved 18 months ago and we are still un-packing), and I checked the timing. It was 37 degrees at 3,000 rpm, but when it idled down like at a stop light or when it was being started, the timing went to 12 degrees but suddenly dropped to 2 degrees past TDC. Every time I revved it up and then let it idle, it would do the same thing. You are surely saying to yourself by now that it was DUMB of me to not check the timing the first day we drove it 3 years ago. I still feel very dumb for driving a 5,000 pound Corvair vehicle for 3 years with a bad distributor. Let this be a lesson to ALL who drive Corvairs. Your ignition system may be the real reason that your Corvair will not blow away Mustangs anymore! So, please, please mister Del, can I be admitted to your elite organization of DOMC members? But I have NEVER forgotten to put the oil filler cap back on a Corvair. That would be just too dumb for words. -- Richard F Finch ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== APR 2003 Historical Vehicles Plates Richard Finch When Gayle and I were at the local New Mexico Motor Vehicle Department, changing the title of our "new" 1961 Corvair Rampside from an Arizona title to a New Mexico title and into our names, we noticed a form to fill out to buy Historic Vehicle license plates. So, we decided to try getting one for our Rampside.... Here is what we found: * 1. Any vehicle that is 35 or more years old is elgible for Horseless Carriage plates. * 2. The cost of the plate is only $7.00 for 5 years, just $1.40 per year, (pretty cheap, huh?) * 3. The vehicle must only be used for car shows and/or educational purposes. (I suppose that when we haul trash to the city dump, we should educate the dump gate guard about the history of the Rampside!!) * 4. You send in the form, a xerox copy of the New Mexico title & the NM excise tax form, which is the license plate fee, and a personal or business check in the amount of $15.50. The check includes 5 years of license fees and the processing fee. * 5. Actually, we were told that if we pass out a small "info sheet" and a CORSA membership application to all who inquire about the Rampside, we are doing the agreed job of "educating" all those who ask questions about it. Our new plate came today, and it is the old style yellow one with: (1938*HC, Horseless Carriage, and New Mexico USA)... on the plate. Maybe the entire CNM club could get historic plates and make an impression at car shows. -- Richard F Finch ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== OCT 2001 Dummy of the Month Club Richard F Finch I hereby do make both an honest and humble application to be inducted into Del Patten's elite club of DUMMYS. I understand that making the same dumb mistake at least twice will assure the new applicant of consideration for Del's elite club. My first dumb mistake occurred in 1976 when I owned a 1963 Corvair 95 Van. Owning the Van was not the mistake. The Van had a "Super Turbo Air 102" horsepower car engine in it because the original owner had overheated the original engine. I also overheated the 102 horsepower engine before I discovered that the thermostat doors were trapped closed by the rear engine mount sheet metal. (Actually, that was a huge mistake too.) The 102 horsepower engine was running on 4 cylinders so I decided to pull out the car engine and replace it with a good running 1961 80 horsepower van engine with the dip stick in the rear. I did a really nice job of cleaning up the 80 horsepower van engine and installing it in the van. I transferred the carburetors and ignition system off the 102 horsepower engine. And guess what? The "new" 80 horse engine that had been running on all six cylinders suddenly would only run on 4 cylinders just like the car engine that I pulled out! Well... any dummy would immediately recognize that the reason both engines would only run on 4 cylinders had to be bad spark plug wires that I took off the first engine! Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, right Del? My second dumb mistake (only the second one in my entire life mind you) occurred when I began driving our 95 horsepower Ultra Van about three years ago. I did a very complete overhaul on the engine, including NOS pistons and cylinders, turned the crank .010" and all those good things. But the new engine would not start. No spark. So I rebuilt a used distributor of unknown origin. Now the engine started and ran just fine. We drove the Ultra Van with that 95 horsepower engine for over 17,000 miles. It ran good on the highway but it was always hard to start and it always died at stop signs. I rebuilt the 1969 carburetors 3 times and it changed very little. It did not ping going up hills and it got 16 to 18 mpg which is good for a 5,000 lb. Ultra Van. I checked the dwell several times to see how the points were wearing and it always came out at 30 degrees, so I ignored the distributor as a problem. But one day this past August, I found my timing light in a packing box (we just moved 18 months ago and we are still un-packing), and I checked the timing. It was 37 degrees at 3,000 rpm, but when it idled down like at a stop light or when it was being started, the timing went to 12 degrees but suddenly dropped to 2 degrees past TDC. Every time I revved it up and then let it idle, it would do the same thing. You are surely saying to yourself by now that it was DUMB of me to not check the timing the first day we drove it 3 years ago. I still feel very dumb for driving a 5,000 pound Corvair vehicle for 3 years with a bad distributor. Let this be a lesson to ALL who drive Corvairs. Your ignition system may be the real reason that your Corvair will not blow away Mustangs anymore! So, please, please mister Del, can I be admitted to your elite organization of DOMC members? But I have NEVER forgotten to put the oil filler cap back on a Corvair. That would be just too dumb for words. -- Richard F Finch ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== APR 2003 Historical Vehicles Plates Richard Finch When Gayle and I were at the local New Mexico Motor Vehicle Department, changing the title of our "new" 1961 Corvair Rampside from an Arizona title to a New Mexico title and into our names, we noticed a form to fill out to buy Historic Vehicle license plates. So, we decided to try getting one for our Rampside.... Here is what we found: * 1. Any vehicle that is 35 or more years old is elgible for Horseless Carriage plates. * 2. The cost of the plate is only $7.00 for 5 years, just $1.40 per year, (pretty cheap, huh?) * 3. The vehicle must only be used for car shows and/or educational purposes. (I suppose that when we haul trash to the city dump, we should educate the dump gate guard about the history of the Rampside!!) * 4. You send in the form, a xerox copy of the New Mexico title & the NM excise tax form, which is the license plate fee, and a personal or business check in the amount of $15.50. The check includes 5 years of license fees and the processing fee. * 5. Actually, we were told that if we pass out a small "info sheet" and a CORSA membership application to all who inquire about the Rampside, we are doing the agreed job of "educating" all those who ask questions about it. Our new plate came today, and it is the old style yellow one with: (1938*HC, Horseless Carriage, and New Mexico USA)... on the plate. Maybe the entire CNM club could get historic plates and make an impression at car shows. -- Richard F Finch ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== ================================================================================ CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS: ============================================================================ | October 2018 | November 2018 | December 2018 | | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | 1 2 3 | 1 | | 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 | 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | | 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 | 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 | 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 | | 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 | 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 | 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 | | 28 29 30 31 | 25 26 27 28 29 30 | 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 | | | | 30 31 | ============================================================================ WED 3 OCT 5:30 PM Meeting: GALLES CHEVROLET, 2801 University Blvd NE. at Candelaria & University, east of Candelaria & I-25. WED 3 OCT Remember, OUR 2018 ELECTION IS TONIGHT! SAT 6 OCT 8:30 AM Old Route 66 Cleanup. Meet at the NM 333 - I-40 Triangle. SAT 13 OCT 9:30 AM "ROAD RALLY" / "ECONOMY RUN" in east mountains. Start at Shell station on North 14 at Frost Road. WED 17 OCT 5:00 PM Board Meeting: the Gold Residence at 1301 Valencia NE. WED 24 OCT 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE FRI 26 OCT 9:00 PM Deadline for items for November 2018 newsletter FRI 26 OCT 2018 41st Great Western Fan Belt Toss ==== San Diego Corvair Club SAT 27 OCT Palm Springs, California === Sunrise Park === Hotel: 760-323-2775 SUN 28 OCT Host Hotel == Quality Inn, 1269 East Palm Canyon Palm Springs, CA ============================================================================ SUN 04 NOV 2:00 AM --- Set your clocks back an hour because the government stole an hour out of your life back in March. WED 07 NOV 5:30 PM Meeting: GALLES CHEVROLET, 2801 University Blvd NE. FRI 09 NOV 5:00 PM Bingo / Silent Auction / Potluck Night. Location: Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center - 501 Elizabeth St SE 87123 (South of Lomas SE and south of Southern SE. East of Eubank SE.) Bring dollar bills, friends, auction items, potluck items. WED 21 NOV 5:00 PM Board Meeting: the Gold Residence at 1301 Valencia NE. FRI 23 NOV 9:00 PM Deadline for items for December 2018 newsletter WED 28 NOV 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE ============================================================================ WED 5 DEC 5:30 PM Meeting: GALLES CHEVROLET, 2801 University Blvd NE. SAT 8 DEC 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM -- CHRISTMAS PARTY -- Copper Canyon Restaurant Location: Siesta Hills Shopping Center, 4 blocks E. of San Mateo SE Address: 5455 Gibson Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 (505) 266-6318 Between Palomas SE and Valencia SE WED 19 DEC 5:00 PM Board Meeting: the Gold Residence at 1301 Valencia NE. FRI 16 DEC 9:00 PM Deadline for items for January 2019 newsletter WED 00 DEC 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE ============================================================================ WED 00 JAN 5:30 PM Meeting: GALLES CHEVROLET, 2801 University Blvd NE. WED 16 JAN 5:00 PM Board Meeting: HIGHLAND SENIOR CENTER at 131 Monroe NE WED 23 JAN 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE FRI 25 JAN 9:00 PM Deadline for items for February 2019 newsletter ============================================================================ See the New Mexico Council of Car Clubs Web Site for more "NMCCC" activities ======================== http://www.nmcarcouncil.com/ ====================== ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== SEVEN YEARS AGO [ OCTOBER 2018 VOL 44 Nr 10 ISSUE 517 ] Jim Pittman 7 YEARS AGO : 2011 Vol 37 Nr 10 # 433 COVER: At the Fair and the Balloon Fiesta. Since it was already too late in the year to go to Ruth's place in the Pecos, we planned a picnic at the Elena Gallegos site in the foothills. Jim remembered where he was on 11/22/1963. Lots of photos from the State Fair show. Vickie & Pat remembered their three-week vacation back east. 14 YEARS AGO : 2004 - VOL 30 - Nr. 10 - # 349 On the cover, Mary Lou & Mark Martinek were leaving for Vancouver, Washington so we organized a farewell dinner. Red Badgett from San Diego was a guest. Wendell reported $2618. We planned an Aspencade. We looked forward to the swap meet and the balloon fiesta. Mark's "Rebuilt & Restored" column reviewed the year's accomplishments. The state fair car show had rain but ten Corvairs showed up and they all looked great in the diffuse light! A card from Ben Benzel thanked us for selecting him for the 2004 Francis Boydston Award. Tech tips from Steve Goodman included lubricating those lower door hinges and clutch and brake pulley cables. Steve told about a person who brought in a newly acquired Spyder that just didn't have Spyder power. Turns out the impeller and turbine had been removed! Another way to get cheated buying a used car. Heula provided an article on Mary Lou & Mark and their contributions to the club. Larry Blair described how worn splines on an axle shaft left him stranded, why that happened, and how he fixed the problem. And finally, we reprinted an article by Dennis Pleau from the Pikes Peak club describing his trip to Kansas for a Corvair gathering. Wow! This newsletter had 16 pages! 21 YEARS AGO : 1997 - VOL 23 - Nr. 10 - # 265 On the cover, a photo of Francis Boydston in his element: working on a Corvair engine. In the words of Rita Gongora, "This past month we have the sad news to announce the passing away of Francis Boydston. Our condolences go out to Ruth and the rest of the Boydston family. Francis was one of the founding members and every member probably carries a piece of him in his or her car. The Club sure has grown since its small beginnings back in 1974. Thank you Francis for your energy to start something that continues to grow strong each year." As some of us go, others arrive: Jon and Debbie Anderson announced the arrival of a new CNM member, Jamie Marie. Debbie and Jamie were doing fine. President Mark Domzalski ran our meeting. Paul Campbell was no longer with the Journal-Tribune, but was now with Don Ray Advertising. Possibly he could arrange a billboard tour? Treasurer Wendell said the treasury had $7874. Bill Reider's Car Council report noted that the picnic was well attended. There was news about the city's zoning plans to start hauling away "junk" cars. We discussed whether the Car Council could do anything about it. Elections were coming up; who would run? Were we going to plan a Fall Tour this year? Our Ike Meissner award was mentioned and it was suggested that we consider an award in honor of Francis Boydston. After the meeting Bill Reider presented a video showing the fabrication of small specialty parts in a factory near Detroit. Mark's President's letter thanked members of the club for letting him serve two terms and for supporting the club and CORSA, especially all the support that made our "Vairs in the Air" convention such a success. Jim Pittman told the "Saint Francis of Corvair" story. Sylvan Zuercher remembered how Francis helped him debug the distributor on his first engine rebuild job. Tech tips included: A good way to bleed the brakes in your FC; cleaning and lubing moving parts like throttle pivot and door hinges; greasing the fan pulley bearings; noises associated with an about-to-fail rear wheel bearing. 28 YEARS AGO : 1990 - VOL 16 - Nr. 10 - # 181 On the cover: a pair of identical twins enjoyed their identical early convertibles with identical dates. Guests Debbie & Dennis Pleau became members before the end of the meeting. Sylvan handed out Otto Parts catalogs. Tom Martin resigned as vice-president and left the Club. Tarmo Sutt and Bill Lawless planned our Aspencade. LeRoy Rogers previewed the October trip to Trinity Site and Bosque del Apache. A reprint by Devon Francis from the January 1960 Popular Mechanics told of 10,000 miles in a Corvair. He got 22.6 miles per gallon, used up three quarts of oil, and had to get help to replace a broken fan belt. The fan belt failed because it had been adjusted too tight. What true Corvair owner would ever do such a thing? 35 YEARS AGO : 1983 - VOL 09 - Nr. 10 - # 097 The cover showed a van rigged for rally wars with at least six powerful driving lights. We had $494 in the bank. LeRoy showed slides from his trip to the Seattle CORSA Convention. Five pages of the Newsletter were devoted to "The Corvair Story - A Case History" by Frank J. Winchell, the story of litigation against General Motors over the alleged lack of safety of the Corvair. 42 YEARS AGO : 1976 - VOL 02 - Nr. 10 - # 020 Our regular meeting room at Ed Black's was not available so we moved our meeting to House of Covers. We continued to look for ways to raise money. Terry Gray reported on our second Winrock Car Show and nine photos accompanied the article. Members who showed their cars or contributed to the show included Bob Hoppenrath, Jim McCain, Jim Giblin, Francis Boydston, Terry Gray, Mike Stickler, Bob and Dave Langlois, Jim Pittman, Jim Godlevski and Andy Ciupryk. One passerby said "Gee, I didn't know they were making Corvairs again." We thought the Winrock Show would be an annual event, but there was only one more, in 1979. ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== 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. The newsletter is composed using Apple computers. Software includes Mac OS-X, AppleWorks, Photoshop CS, GraphicConverter, BBEdit and InDesign CS. If you care, ask for more details. When I'm 64, I'll get by with a little help from my friends. ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== =END=