The February 2023 newsletter - Text Version Updated 30-Jan-2023 = Copyright (c) 2023 Corvairs of New Mexico ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== February 2023 / VOLUME 49 / NUMBER 2 / ISSUE 569 ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== First Place, Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, 2005 & 2012 Third Place, Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, 2010 EDITOR Jim Pittman NEXT MEETING: Regular Meeting: Saturday February 4th, 10:00AM Highland Senior Center 131 Monroe St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 THIS MONTH: Dues Due Dates .......................... Membership Committee Milestone ........................................ Jim Pittman Care and Feeding Booklet ......................... Jim Pittman Photos from a Recent Meeting ........................ Pat Hall Treasury Report ................................ Steve Gongora Loadside Rescue ........................ Pat Hall & Tarmo Sutt Differential Gears Explained ....... Corsa West of Los Angeles Calendar of Coming Events ................. Board of Directors Birthdays & Anniversaries ...................... Heula Pittman February Issues, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 Years Ago .. Club Historian President's Letter ............................ Gregory Nelson The Start of our New Year .................... Brenda Stickler Dual Purpose Trunk Light ................... Vegas Vairs, 2017 COVER: Plaque for the Editor shown at the 2022 Christmas party Bottom: Is this New York's "skinnest" skyscraper? +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ OFFICERS and VOLUNTEERS President Greg Nelson 505-400-8670 fesedu @ comcast.net Vice-President Brenda Stickler 505-856-6993 tounce66 @ msn.com Secretary Lupe Arellanes 505-515-9897 ispeakmedicare505 @ gmail.com Treasurer Steve Gongora 505-220-7401 stevegongora @ msn.com Newsletter Jim Pittman 505-275-2195 jimp @ unm.edu Birthdays Heula Pittman 505-275-2195 heula @ q.com Past President Pat Hall 505-620-5574 patandvickiehall @ q.com Past President Dave Allin 505-410-9668 dnjallin @ gmail.com Past President David Huntoon 505-281-9616 corvair66 @ aol.com MEETING: Regular Meeting - Saturday February 4th, 2023 at 10:00 AM Highland Senior Center, 131 Monroe St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 INTERNET: CORSA's home page www.corvair.org/ CNM's newsletters www.unm.edu/~jimp/ New Mexico Council of Car Clubs www.nmcarcouncil.com/ ............................................................................. SCHEDULE CNM: 12 months = $25.00 or 26 months = $ 50.00 OF CORSA: 12 months = $45.00 or 26 months = $ 90.00 DUES CNM & CORSA: 12 months = $70.00 or 26 months = $140.00 ............................................................................. DUES DUE DATES February 2023 DUE LAST MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE 2023.01 ======== NONE ======== 25-FEB-2023 DUE THIS MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE 2023.02 ======== NONE ======== 25-MAR-2023 DUE NEXT MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE 2023.03 Fred & Brenda Edeskuty 25-APR-2023 2023.03 Barbara & Gordon Johnson 25-APR-2023 2023.03 Connie & Robert McBreen 25-APR-2023 2023.03 Kelli & Mark Morgan 25-APR-2023 DUE APRIL =========================== INACTIVE DATE 2023.04 Deborah & John Dinsdale 25-MAY-2023 2023.04 Terry Hall 25-MAY-2023 2023.04 Heula & Jim Pittman 25-MAY-2023 INACTIVE ============================ INACTIVE DATE 2022.02 Linda Soukup & Tony Berbig 25-MAR-2022 2022.07 Mike R Hughes 25-AUG-2022 2022.11 Anne Wiker 25-DEC-2022 Send your Dues to: CNM Treasurer -- Steve Gongora 8419 Palo Duro NE Albuquerque, NM 87111 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 29-Jan-2023 we have 41 active family memberships. +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ MILESTONE Jim Pittman I had not intended to write yet another story about my career as newsletter editor. I have written about it several times before, most recently, March 2022 which marked the start of my forty-fifth year as editor. But then Steve called me up. "Are you planning to go to the Christmas Party?" he asked. "No, we are not planning to go," I replied, "What with being afraid of covid and our old age aches and pains and hating to drive in insane traffic, we just don't go anywhere any more." Steve said, "Okay, well, I can bring some things over later." And sure enough, a few days after the party, here comes the famous House of Covers van, parking out front, and here is Steve, at the door, carrying boxes. There was a large flat box with an amazing colorful plaque with photos from years gone by, and with written tributes from members. And there was a large plastic bag with a club jacket. Steve had me try the jacket on and model it for photos. In a separate envelope were quotes from the plaque, printed on a series of cards and I read these essays with humility and pleasure. The plaque immediately found a place of honor on the north wall of the living room. So now I had mixed feelings. I was sad that I had not been able to be at the party (after all, I could have gone) where club members had intended to present this tribute in person. And I was happy and grateful that club members had put together a lasting memento of their appreciation for my efforts. I keep telling everyone how lucky our club has been over many years to have so many people with many talents who work together to make the club such a great experience for so many of us. I keep telling people that it's the little guy in the back of my head who deserves the credit for doing the newsletter editing job. I keep telling people that it's just luck that I somehow have the talent and the experiences and the interests to edit our newsletter, month after month and year after year. Why do I do it? Because I think a well-made newsletter is a great contribution to the club. And yes, I am always grateful for the help from those in the club who support the newsletter with articles and photos. Thanks to all of you. Editing the newsletter is, I suppose, one small way to partly pay back all the wonderful people who have been in our club and with whom we have all been privileged to interact over such a long time. We have remarked before about how the club is much like a family. I thank all of you, as we should all thank those long gone and those still here, for being such a wonderful family. Care & Feeding Booklet BILL REIDER'S YELLOW BOOKLET "The Care & Feeding of Your Corvair" has been a constant companion to the club since 1991. Bill imagined a handy reference for all sorts of Corvair information, some simple, some obscure, to help out our new members. Bill put the original together on his Apple /// computer, using now long forgotten software. He moved the project to a Mac, produced a few more updates, and somewhere along the way the text files were translated into Word files and the illustrations into JPG files. Every new member got a copy, we sold copies to old members and sold copies at Tri-States. Clark's bought copies to sell in their catalog. Over the years there was a need for more revisions and some of us helped. The last revision was the 10th printing in 2019. At the time I said I would not work on yet another update, but here I am, working on the 11th printing. I hope to be able to get it printed during the next few weeks. Bill Reider and, in a way, his classic Apple /// will live on in our little yellow book! +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ PHOTOS ... ... at a recent CNM meeting, with a Corvair video of historic interest. +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ TREASURY REPORT FOR 12-22-2022 to 01-27-2023 =============================================== DATE CHECK# AMOUNT PAYEE DESCRIPTION BALANCE = $ 4,966.01 ========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================== ========== 2022.12.27 2573 -$ 85.49 J.Pittman Newsletter printing JAN 2023 -$ 56.46 $ 4,910.55 2022.12.27 J.Pittman 29 Stamps @.84 each -$ 24.36 $ 4,886.19 2022.12.27 J.Pittman 29 Envelopes @ .161 each -$ 4.67 $ 4,881.52 2023.01.07 2574 -$ 118.72 S.Gongora CNM Jacket Reimbursement -$ 118.72 $ 4,762.80 2023.01.07 2575 -$ 24.00 B.Stickler CNM Christmas Cake -$ 24.00 $ 4,738.80 2023.01.17 2576 -$ 10.00 NM State Annual Corporation Report 2022 -$ 10.00 $ 4,728.80 2023.01.17 4352 +$ 25.00 Dues D.Huntoon 12 m CNM +$ 25.00 $ 4,753.80 2023.01.25 8899 +$ 140.00 Dues T.Lawler 26 m CNM,CORSA +$ 140.00 $ 4,893.80 2023.01.22 2577 -$ 90.00 CORSA T.Lawler 26 m CORSA -$ 90.00 $ 4,803.80 2023.01.25 2578 -$ 35.00 CORSA CORSA Annual Chapter Fee 2023 -$ 35.00 $ 4,768.80 ========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================== ========== 2023.02 FEB NEWSLETTER ============================================ BALANCE = $ 4,768.80 ========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================== ========== +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ LOADSIDE RESCUE by Pat Hall & Tarmo Sutt Someone emailed to the club that a Corvair truck was in a neighbor's back yard and he had been asked to help get rid of it. I gave the information to Pat Hall who immediately made the phone call. Before long Pat was driving his "slider" truck to Roswell, accompanied by Tarmo, to check it out. They found the "truck" to be a Loadside, the most rare Corvair! All the glass was broken but everything else seemed to be there. It was free, to anyone who would haul it away. Pat and Tarmo hauled it away. Tarmo sent these photos. It was a long drive to Roswell and back, but with good weather they got back to Los Lunas before dark. Now what to do with it? Pat says he thinks he has a windshield and side windows in his yard and says the engine turned over. Tarmo took the carbs to clean and rebuild. Can this become a classic restoration project? Pat and Tarmo think so. Stay tuned for more news! +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ Reprinted from WESTWIND, An Electronic Publication of Corsa West of Los Angeles P.O. Box 950023, Mission Hills, CA 91395 www.corsawest.com Effective December 12, 2022 THE DIFFERENTIAL GEARS EXPLAINED by Dan Drommerhausen and Bob Nichols While some readers know what a differential is, others do not. First a fundamental explanation and then an explanation of the differential and its gears. Limited slip and four satellite gears differentials will be discussed. The steel (or alloy) wheel and tire will be called the "wheel" herein. The vehicle engine turns and this rotation goes through a transmission and differential to transmit engine rotation at different ratios to the rear wheels via axles. In low gear about 10 or 11 engine rotations for every wheel rotation makes for easy starts. When in high gear about 3 to 4 engine turns for every wheel and tire rotation allow the car to cruise at highway speeds. The Transaxle -- The Corvair combines the transmission and differential into one unit (that can be unbolted from each other). The Transmission -- Either a manual selected gear box engaged via a clutch, or a fully automatic hydraulic unit was installed in the Corvair. The transmission's job is to allow different gear rations to be selected so the engine rotations per wheel rotation can be changed to allow the vehicle to start easily from a stop, but reduce engine rotations with respect to wheel rotations so the vehicle can travel at a higher road speed. The Axles -- The axle(s) connects the rear wheels to the differential. The Corvair has two axles, one on the driver's side, and one on the passenger side The Differential -- It consists of a ring and pinion gear that are designed to take engine rotation, via the transmission, and turn it 90 degrees to rotate the axles and wheels. The ring is connected to a differential case containing a set of side and satellite gears. The differential assembly allows the vehicle to make a turn when the inner and outer rear wheels travel at "different" distances, or arcs. The ring and pinion, differential case, and axle yokes are contained in the differential carrier the transmission bolts to. If both wheels and axles were connected without a differential, then each wheel would try to force the other to turn at the same rate in a turn. The result would be unbalanced forces negatively affecting handling and traction. During a turn the differential gears, via axles, allow the outer wheel to turn faster versus the inner wheel, but with equal force to each. In effect the differential side and satellite gears rotate to equalize the force to each wheel. This design is referred to as the "Open" differential and ensures either rear wheel cannot receive more force than the other. The design works well if both wheels have the same traction. If one wheel has less traction than the other a problem arises. The "slipping wheel problem." -- When one wheel loses traction it will slip and spin. This can happen on wet pavement, mud, snow, ice, or loose dirt. The force to the wheel with greater traction is reduced to about that of the low traction slipping wheel by the differential gears. This lack of force to the wheel with traction causes the car to accelerate poorly, if at all. There is an option to overcome this problem called a limited slip differential design that will be discussed here. Ring and Pinion Gears -- While the ring and pinion change transmission output rotation to the wheels by 90 degrees, they also operate at a ratio (typically in the 1960's at three or four input rotations from the transmission for every one rotation of the wheel). This came about during many years of early automotive design to minimize transmission gear size (and weight) and to allow a satisfactory sizing of the differential parts. Side and Satellite Gears - the differential case gears allow one axle to turn at a different rotation rate versus the other axle. A side gear connects to each axle. The satellite gears are on a shaft mounted in the case that is driven by the ring and pinion housing. The satellite gears allow equal force to be applied to each side gear and axle. NOTE: Different names are used for these gears. Side gear called: Sun or Drive bevel gear. Satellite gear called: Planetary, Spider, Pinion (not to be confused with the Ring and Pinion). Refer to following simplified diagrams that better illustrate how a differential works. A more detailed illustration is in the Corvair Chassis Shop Manual. The vehicle is traveling in a straight ahead. Both axles have the same traction and rotate at the same speed. The green satellite gear (via the purple ring gear and differential case and shaft into the green satellite gear) does NOT rotate and connects to the side red and yellow side gears that rotate at the same speed as the ring gear to turn the rear wheels. The vehicle has one wheel turning faster than the other. The illustration shows how the green satellite gear rotates when the red side gear and axle shaft moves slower than the yellow side gear and axle shaft. The red axle has greater traction than the yellow axle and causes the green satellite gear to rotate with the yellow side gear and axle to equalize force to each side gear and axle. Images credit: The images were originally uploaded on en.wikipedia.org by user: Wapcaplet., CC BY-SA 3.0. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify the images under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. Limited slip differential -- Initially this design was meant to ensure that if one wheel had far less traction than the other a minimum force would still be transmitted to the axle with greater traction. The intent was to provide some traction on slippery surfaces, but they found great favor with racing folks and off- road enthusiasts to get a lot of engine power to BOTH wheels for greater traction. This resulted in more robust locking differential designs that were never used by the Corvair and will not be reviewed here. Corvair Positraction limited slip differential -- Chevrolet offered a limited slip differential called "Positraction" for the Corvair. It is a modification of the "open" differential gear system using friction plates (clutch) that bind each axle together via a preset torque (the Corvair shop manual specifies a minimum 50 ft.lbs. at the axle). The limited slip clutch connects both axles to the ring and pinion carrier to ensure a minimal force of 50 ft.lbs. is transmitted to the wheel with greater traction when the other wheel has less traction. Yes, this is a compromise of how the open differential works in a turn, but overcomes the slipping wheel problem when one wheel loses traction on a slippery surface. Most driving is straight ahead, that minimized clutch slipping and heat build-up that only occurs during vehicle turns or when one wheel in on a slippery surface. Corvair Positraction limited slip clutch -- Unlike some Chevrolet Positraction clutches that use a friction material on the clutch friction plates, the Corvair clutches are solid metal with no friction material attached. Some of the plates are curved and some are flat. The plates either connect to the differential ring case via four outer protrusions, or they have inner small protrusions that the axle side gear fits into. The plates are assembled (refer to Chassis Shop Manual) so they fit together under pressure and have friction between them. Refer to images. Curved clutch plate with outer protrusions to fit into ring gear differential case slots. Curved clutch plate with inner protrusions to fit onto side gear ridges. Flat clutch plate with outer protrusions to fit into ring gear differential case slots. Early vs. late Positraction -- The early design was an option on model years 1961-1964, then a more robust design was used for the option during model years 1965-1969. The early design case side cover has a history of occasionally failing. Chevrolet improved the design for the 1965 models. The most obvious difference is the early design was assembled with six bolts while the latter design was assembled with nine bolts. Refer to illustrations of good earlier carrier versus one that has failed. Early POSITRATION case side cover. Early failed POSITRATION case side cover fractured and separated. Corvair Positraction lubrication - Some limited slip differentials require lubrication additives for proper functioning of the clutches. The Corvair 1961 through 1965 model year shop manuals make no recommendations about adding Posi-traction lubricant additives to the gear oil. The Corvair 1966 and 1967 model year shop manual supplement states NOT to add limited slip additive to the gear oil as follows: On vehicles equipped with Positraction axles use the above mentioned lubricant (equivalent of GL-4 80W90 gear oil), as (adding) Special Positraction lube will cause hard shifting on standard transmissions in cold weather. Others have reported gear clash while shifting when limited slip differential lube was added. The 1969 shop manual supplement states: CAUTION: With Positraction rear axles use special Positraction lubricant. What to do? Dirty, worn, or improper lubricant will cause the clutch disks to overheat and wear during turns or when driving on slippery surfaces. The audible symptoms are "squealing" or noisy "chattering" when the vehicle is in a turn. If this happens the consensus is to add a limited slip additive. Once the clutch packs are silent during a turn, change the gear lube without an using an additive. It is suggested that Posi-traction equipped Corvair, should have the transaxle lubricant changed every 10,000 miles, more often if the car is raced, to prevent damage to the clutch plates. This may seem overly cautious, but transaxle lubricant is less costly versus rebuilding a differential clutch pack. The FOUR satellite gear modification -- The Corvair differential design used two satellite gears. The purpose of adding two additional satellite gears is to reduce force on individual satellite gear teeth that could cause them to fail. Either the open or limited slip differential can be modified to four satellite gears. The Corvair differential has an undeserved reputation for satellite gear failures. A common cause of satellite gear failure is worn out lubricant causing gear, shaft, and thrust washer wear. Another cause is aggressive driving, like engaging the clutch rapidly at high engine RPM. If you are going to drive your Corvair aggressively, or race it, then modifying the differential from two to four satellite gears is warranted. Refer to the following illustration showing four satellite gear installation. Adding two extra satellite gears requires: * Two additional satellite gears * Two additional satellite gear thrust washers * A block to hold the two additional satellite gear shafts * Two additional satellite gear shafts * Machining the differential case Over the years there have been several four satellite gear modifications offered for the Corvair differential. Not all are the same. For best function and reliability, the following features are recommended: * Prevent case wear by satellite gear shaft rotation. The main satellite gear shaft is anchored by a split pin (see illustration). To prevent rotation of the added satellite gear shafts they should be machined to fit the curvature of the original satellite gear shaft or anchored by another method. See illustration. * The differential case should be machined, in a manner like the original satellite gears and thrust washers, to hold the additional satellite gears thrust washers. * Worn or damaged satellite gears should be replaced with new or re-manufactured (examined for fractures and typically re-coated). Two satellite gear differential (stock) Four satellite gear differential (modified) * * * * * * * * NOTE: When my 1966 Corvair was new, I noticed that occasionally, when turning at low speed, there would be a "moaning" sound from the rear of the car. It was more noticeable when cold, and this was in Alaska so it got pretty cold! I don't remember when I learned that the transaxle was supposed to have a special positraction additive, but I added it. I was worried about its effect on the transmission, but I don't remember blaming the additive for any shifting problems. As the car aged the moaning sounds eventually went away. In fact, I'm not sure I could ever tell whether the limited slip Positraction actually worked. -- Jim +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ ============================================================================ | February 2023 | March 2023 | April 2023 | | 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 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 | | 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | | 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 | 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 | 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 | | 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 | 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 | 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 | | 26 27 28 | 26 27 28 29 30 31 | 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 | | | | 30 | ============================================================================ SAT 04 FEB 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center 131 Monroe St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 Phone: (505) 767-5210 WED 15 FEB 7:00 PM Board Meeting via Zoom SAT 18 FEB 12:00 noon WHEELS MUSEUM VISIT - Concert is at 11:00 AM WED 22 FEB 7:00 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING - FOURTH WEDNESDAYS Manzano Mesa Senior center - 501 Elizabeth St SE FRI 24 FEB 9:00 PM Deadline for items for the March newsletter MON 27 FEB ******* TARGET FOR PRINTING, MAILING MARCH NEWSLETTER << ============================================================================ SAT 04 MAR 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center 131 Monroe St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 Phone: (505) 767-5210 SAT 11 MAR ???? AM First "Old Route 66 Cleanup" of the year. Maybe 9:00 AM ? WED 15 MAR 7:00 PM Board Meeting via Zoom SAT 18 MAR x:xx xx Tentative date for our 49th Anniversary Party WED 22 MAR 7:00 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING - FOURTH WEDNESDAYS Manzano Mesa Senior center - 501 Elizabeth St SE FRI 24 MAR 9:00 PM Deadline for items for the April newsletter MON 27 MAR ******* TARGET FOR PRINTING, MAILING APRIL NEWSLETTER << ============================================================================ SAT 01 APR 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center 131 Monroe St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 Phone: (505) 767-5210 WED 19 APR 7:00 PM Board Meeting via Zoom WED 26 APR 7:00 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING - FOURTH WEDNESDAYS Manzano Mesa Senior center - 501 Elizabeth St SE FRI 28 APR 9:00 PM Deadline for items for the May newsletter MON 01 MAY ******* TARGET FOR PRINTING, MAILING MAY NEWSLETTER << ============================================================================ SAT 06 MAY 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center WED 17 MAY 7:00 PM Board Meeting via Zoom XXX xx MAY xx:xx AM NMCCC / ALBUQUERQUE MUSEUM Car Show WED 24 MAY 7:00 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING FRI 26 MAY 9:00 PM Deadline for items for the June newsletter MON 29 MAY ******* TARGET FOR PRINTING, MAILING JUNE NEWSLETTER << ============================================================================ See the New Mexico Council of Car Clubs Web Site for more "NMCCC" activities ======================== http://www.nmcarcouncil.com/ ====================== SUGGESTION: A visit to the new WEATHER LAB at the Balloon Museum SUGGESTION: A visit to the Soaring Museum in Moriarty SUGGESTION: Activities with other clubs such as VMCCA +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ Happy Birthday Wishes to February CNM'ers: Phillip Brock Bob Kitts Anthony Shortle Happy Anniversary Wishes to February CNM'ers: Rita & Steve Gongora Diane Tweedy & Tony Lawler +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ SEVEN YEARS AGO [ FEBRUARY 2023 VOL 49 Nr 2 ISSUE 569 ] Jim Pittman 2016 Vol 42 Nr 2 #485 The yellow Wiker Monza at a Saturday Morning Club Breakfast at Sergio's Bakery. President Ray Trujillo said we'd be visiting the Unser Racing Museum in February. New Members were Victor & Belinda Sanchez. Robert Gold told about the new web page for the Car Council. From the Denvair News: Eric Schakel told what happens when a transmission gear fails at 75 miles per hour. Jim told how he used to warm up the 1966 turbo Corsa at 40 below in Fairbanks, Alaska. We included a Nomination Form for the 2016 Meissner Award. 2009 Vol 35 Nr 2 #401 Larry Hickerson's awesome Rampside. VP Pat told about a new member, Bill Darcy, owner of 5 Corvairs. Our bank balance was $3,511. Rafee Corvair in Wister, OK was a dealer in Corvair parts; try 918-753-2486. Corvair Underground, a long-time parts dealer, was closing. Tarmo told us of a 1928 Lincoln in Santa Fe, for sale for a mere $110,000. Our anniversary celebration was planned for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. We needed nominations for the Ike Meissner Award. We needed more tech sessions at meetings. Brenda reported on planning for the Taos Tri-State. Kim Patten planned our next breakfast. Heula presented Part 2 of the series "Can You Identify This Member?" and Steve Goodman gave us tips on winter maintaining and driving our Corvairs. Photos: Corvairs at Jimmy's Cafe; Tarmo's new 180-HP engine for the red convertible. Tech tips: in 1996 Bill Reider told how to take care of your steering box, Mark Domzalski outlined an FC transaxle swap, and Bill and Mark discussed speedometers. 2002 Vol 28 Nr 2 #317 The cover: an early coupe. Cartoon Billiken was job hunting. It was hard due to the collapse of Boeing and the dot-com bubble. We were investigating a better investment than our money market account. Bill recommended GMAC. Corvair Ladies planned the ever-popular progressive dinner, a garage tour to the Doll Museum and Dave Langlois' shop and a tour to Bosque del Apache. The April tune-up opportunity was at Old Car Garage. The award committee's report to the board was covered. President Robert Gold reported on the tour to Bosque del Apache, including a ride in a big white school bus. A Greenbrier van was seen in a recent Hollywood movie. Mark Martinek reported on the January Car Council meeting. There were many tourist opportunities near Grand Junction, Colorado at the 2002 Tri-State Event. Jim reported on the state of CNM's web presence: Steve posted many photos, club history and recent news on the club's "official" CORSA web site. Jim posted current and back issues of the CNM newsletter on his web site. There seemed to be little interest in the web sites because few of our members had internet access, or maybe it was just TOO SLOW. 1995 Vol 21 Nr 2 #233 Cover: a 1965 8/10 Cord. The replica car was front-wheel-drive, powered by a Corvair engine, with a body of Royalite plastic. According to Road & Track, only 30 were ever sold -- a rare Corvair-powered vehicle indeed. The "8/10" name of the replica car comes from its size: eight tenths scale compared to the original 1936 Cord 810. The innovative Cord was powered by a Lycoming aircraft V-8 engine and had disappearing headlights. The 1929 Cord L-29 was the first front-wheel-drive car sold in America. President Larry ran our meeting. Planning continued for our Tri-State "Red River Rendezvous II" and our 1996 CORSA Convention in Albuquerque. At our board meeting we asked for more tech tips and set dollar rates for "For Sale" ads by non-members. We discussed programs for meetings and proposed to set up registries for tool loans, patterns, free parts and advice. We hoped these registries would pump new life into the under-used CNM Library Van. A third edition of the "Care and Feeding" booklet was under way. Bill Reider contributed an article on rebuilding a differential, and drawings of special tools were included. Chuck Vertrees reported on the use of Milk of Magnesia to treat bolts that would be exposed to high temperatures. Finally, a tech tip liberated from another newsletter told us all we needed to know about installing a 1963 padded dash. 1988 Vol 14 Nr 2 #149 Mark Morgan's cover drawing showed a rear-engine Renault with 180-hp. We learned we had $464 to spend. Dale Housley found a source of club jackets at $30 each. Our guest speaker was from MADD and reported on that organization's efforts to curb drinking while driving. At the board meeting we proposed a dues increase (postage rates were going up) and LeRoy listed items to be auctioned in February. We planned a garage tour to see the facilities of LeRoy Rogers, Butch Uher and Bob Philips. Your editor reviewed THE RECKONING by David Halberstam and highly recommended it to car buffs. It was a study of Ford and Nissan as car companies with very different philosophies, failures and successes. 1981 Vol 7 Nr 2 # 65 The cover featured the now-familiar CNM dragon and his friends jumping into Noah's Ark - but the ark looked like a Rampside. George Morin brought in two pressure plates to let us see why one was acceptable and the other was not. Robin DeVore brought in samples of carpets, one by Clark's and one by American Corvair. Bill Reider showed us how to rebuild starters. A tech tip discussed the effects of dirt in the carburetor float bowl and how to deal with it. +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ FROM THE PRESIDENT Greg Nelson February Program We'll finish the John Glenn CORSA video and check the prices from the January Mecum Auction. Especially the one that stated $143,000 in restoration costs. How Much? I had a brief discussion with Larry Blair after we watched Part 1 of the John Glenn Restoration video and we wondered how much $$ was spent to restore his Corvair. That got me wondering: "How much have I spent?" I tallied the receipts from most of my 1964 Monza binder and the total, to date, is $9,125. Hmmm. That's not too bad. Next, I'll take a look at the binder for the 1963 Spyder. It won't be that high but I'm sure it'll catch up pretty quickly. 1964 Monza After completing the door panels the next job to tackle is trunk rust. I have three tools to choose from: an Eastwood Surface Conditioning Tool, a Craftsman multi-tool and a Harbor Freight mini-belt sander. I can manage about 15-20 minutes of sanding even with gardening knee pads. The cement floor is a killer on the knees. And if I stay down there too long it's a bit of a struggle getting back up. That's due to 30 years or so of fencing -- the sport, not the wood/metal border around the property. I also wear eye and ear protection. I use a 16 galloon Craftsman wet/dry vacuum to help keep the rust-dust floating around the garage to a minimum. To reduce the dust, I use the canister filter, a high-efficiency vacuum bag and a folded filter over the vacuum exhaust port. Field Trip Several of us are planning a field trip to Las Vegas, NM during the President's Day weekend. Lupe and Jim have been doing some initial scouting and contacting the local hotels. I think we've come to the conclusion that Las Vegas will be the site for the 2024 Tri-State and now the hard logistical details need to be ironed out. And speaking of Tri-State don't forget to register for this year's event on the Pikes Peak club's web page. I've already registered online. Rescued by Wonder Woman! Small world! Look who I found at the Albuquerque Comic Con. Lupe and Jim also attended the event on Saturday, and we managed to cross paths despite the large crowd. (This is a large crowd for Albuquerque. San Diego and Denver Comic Cons are over 120,000 attendees.) I actually managed to keep under budget. Which I'm sure I'll spend on Corvair parts. March Birthday Party Next month we'll celebrate CNM's 49th anniversary. I mentioned we would meet on the 4th Saturday, at a place TBD, but I would propose we meet the third Saturday in March (18th). We can discuss why and vote at the February or March meetings. Not Trash Month Yet The second Saturday in March will be our first pickup of the year although I hear that our mile section looks pretty clean. That just means it's still too cold to throw trash out the window or pull over, eat dinner and dump the packaging on the roadside. Uhhh. Did I say that out loud? Oops. Senior Center Membership Hmmm. Don't forget at the January meeting the staff of the Senior Center mentioned that everyone needs to be a member of the rec center. It's 'only' $20/year and is good for all the city recreational facilities. So please consider joining. Cheers Y'all -- See ya at the February Meeting Gregory Nelson -- CNM President +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ THE START OF OUR CNM NEW YEAR Brenda Stickler We had fun at our last meeting, deciding what events held the most interest for our car club members for 2023. We are starting with one that has been on our wish list for a year or so. In February there is a great interest in going to the Wheels Museum at 1100 2nd Street SW. Not only does it have a collection of unique vehicles -- but also has some old objects of interest, mostly themed around transportation. We have that event scheduled for Saturday, February 18th at 10:00 AM. There is also a Concert that will take place mid-day at that museum on Thursday, February 16, from 11:00 AM until Noon. Cost is $10.00. The second item our board has been working on is the 49th Anniversary celebration for Corvairs of New Mexico in March. I am still working out arrangements with a restaurant to host us. We are trying for Saturday March 25th. We'll have the correct date and time soon. Lupe Arellanes is the leader for our Tri-State in New Mexico, scheduled for next year. If you know what committee you would like to assist with, do let her know so she can compile a list of Tri-State 2024 committee members. A primary decision: Where to hold the Tri-State. New Mexico locations in the past include Raton, Red River, Chama, Taos and Las Vegas. We are leaning toward Las Vegas. Help us decide! Where would you like to go? Your Club Board of Directors is looking forward to another great year with our members. Thanks for your support. +=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+======+ +======+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+ Reprinted from: VEGAS VAIRS -- "VISION" -- DECEMBER 2017 -- PAGE 8 "LET THERE BE LIGHT" Harry in Las Vegas, Nevada A Quick Dual Purpose Trunk Light (Especially For Late Models) Howdy. Just thought I'd pass along a quick method of mounting a cheap light in your late model trunk. See the accompanying image for inspiration. The battery operated light pictured is a staple item carried by Harbor Freight stores and probably many other chain retail outlets as well. The push button control lets you select either a spot or flood light beam. There's a handy built in hang hook that allows you to make mistakes with both hands free! Also, there's a magnet on the back of the unit that enables you attach it wherever on any steel surface. Inside the trunk on late model 'Vairs you'll find the three mounting screws from the chrome Corvair name plate on the driver's side nose shielded with black rubber covers. The aforementioned light nestles perfectly upon these rubber sleeves and is held in place by the magnet. On flood setting it will really illuminate all the trunk junk that should really be cleaned out! And, of course, you can always remove it and use it as a flashlight. I keep an additional light affixed inside the engine compartment. I can't remember, but there must be handy locations to install this unit in early model 'Vairs as well. Harbor Freight (I own no stock) sells these lights outright but usually includes them at no charge with a minimum purchase. I'm suggesting battery powered lumens here as an alternate method for hard wired brightness since I previously melted my engine compartment electrical loom whilst attempting to install a really large light in my engine bay. Hey, it wuz made in China and was manufactured to use a POSITIVE GROUND! Live and learn (sometimes) -- I'm just say'in. -- Keep that dipstick clean, Harry in Sin City VISION is a publication of VEGAS VAIRS - Chapter 891 of CORSA P.O. Box 621925, Las Vegas, NV. 89162-1925 ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== 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=