This page contains material from the March 2005 newsletter.
Updated 30-Jan-2007 =-= Copyright (c) 2007 Corvairs of New Mexico.
EDITOR: Jim Pittman
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday 2 March 2005 at 7:30 PM
Galles Chevrolet, Lomas & University
THIS MONTH:
Dues Due Membership Chair
February Meeting Notes Chuck Vertrees
February Board Meeting Chuck Vertrees
Sunshine Committee Heula Pittman
Door Prizes! Sunshine Committee
President's Letter David Huntoon
How it all Started Walter Huntoon
Calendar of Coming Events Everybody
Anniversary Dinner Plans Heula Pittman
Tri-State 2005 in Ouray Steve Goodman
For Sale, Wanted or Free Everybody
Car Council Report Robert Gold
Seven Years Ago Jim Pittman
Tour: Travertine Marble Works Jim Pittman
Boydston Award Nomination Form the Committee
COVER: Our Vice-President Got Married! Sunday, 13 Feb 2005
=CNM=
One day, a mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, chemical engineer, and
computer engineer were driving down the street in the same car when it broke
down.
The mechanical engineer said, "I think a rod broke."
The chemical engineer said, "The way it sputtered at the end, I think it's not
getting enough gas."
The electrical engineer said, "I think there was a spark and something's wrong
with the electrical system."
All turned to the computer engineer and said, "What do you think?"
The computer engineer said, "I think we should all get out and then get back in."
=CNM=
DUES EXPIRED OR DUE OR APPROACHING DUE:
EXPIRED: Carl Johnson 2005-Feb
THIS MONTH: Doug Gadomski 2005-Mar
Mike Hacker 2005-Mar
Geoffrey Johnson 2005-Mar
DUE SOON: Ruth Boydston 2005-Apr
Terry Price 2005-Apr
Jerry Goffe 2005-May
Hurley Wilvert 2005-May
Gordon Johnson 2005-Jun
Mary Lou Martinek 2005-Jun
Mark L Morgan 2005-Jun
If your membership is due or has expired, please send your dues to:
Wendell Walker, CNM Treasurer,
301 Utah Meadow, Rio Rancho, NM 87124
Note: the Club will mail in your National dues when you renew,
but only if you send us the renewal form from CORSA Communique!
=CNM=
FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Chuck Vertrees
THE MEETING WAS CALLED to order on 2/2/05 at Galles Chevrolet at 19:36. All
officers were present. There were 22 members present. There were no new members
or guests to introduce. The minutes of the last meeting were approved as
printed. The members that were responsible for the last set of minutes commented
that they were glad to see the Secretary (that's me) back from his extended
vacation. I said I would probably ask for a raise at the next board meeting. Ha!
Treasurer Wendell Walker reported that CNM had $881.04 in the checking account
and $1,931.86 in the GMAC Fund for a total of $2,812.90
Heula Pittman of the Sunshine Committee reported on the results of her search
for a site for the Anniversary Dinner/Banquet. It was decided to have it at Papa
Felipe's at 9800 Manual NE, this is behind the Walgreen's at Eubank and Manual.
on March 26th at 18:00. Their space can seat and serve up to 60 people.
The dinners will cost $11.97, which includes tax and gratuity. There will be a
children's menu but we don't know what the charge will be. Entrees available
will be Enchiladas (2 beef or chicken, Burritos (beef, chicken or Carne
Adovada), Tacos (2 beef or chicken), Flautas (2 beef or chicken topped with
Guacamole and Sour Cream), or Stuffed Sopaipilla (beef or Chicken. All dinners
come with chips and salsa, sopaipillas and 2 side dishes. All non-alcoholic
beverages are also included. Alcoholic drinks are available, but that is up to
the individual.
The committee can also get a decorated cake if the board would so desire. Heula
needs to be told what to do about the cake. Those planning on attending will
need to sign up by the March meeting so that we can let Papa Feline's know about
what the attendance will be.
The Meissner award will be presented at the dinner. The awards committee will
meet after the March meeting. The last two recipients were Anne Mae Gold in 2003
and Larry Blair in 2004.
Upcoming events include the Bosque trip this month and the breakfast at
Kokopelli on the 19th. March events other than the dinner include the "Route 66"
cleanup on the 5th and the breakfast on the 19th. In April we are planning a car
show at the Sonic at 8:30 on the 23rd. This would include a breakfast.
Robert Gold reported on the January Car Council meeting. There are usually three
big Car council events annually. These are the Museum car show in the late
spring, the swap meet in the fall and the annual picnic. Last year the picnic
did not happen because we lost our use of the Elks refuge. CNM has volunteered
to arrange the picnic this year in early August. It has been suggested that it
be held at El Morro National Monument, which is south of Grants. If you have not
been there, it is a very interesting area. An in depth report on the Car Council
is on our web page.
The Santa Fe car club is becoming more active lately and would like to start
having the annual Cochiti picnic again. I went to a few of the years ago and
they were fun. They are also talking about some overnight tours. Wendell and
Tarmo reported this.
Jim Pittman asked if anyone had seen the color edition of our newsletter! Look
on our web site. Also some members' newsletters have arrived in somewhat
tattered condition. Stick-on tabs were discussed, but we need more information
on whether it's worthwhile.
The meeting was adjourned at 20:20.
=CNM=
FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING NOTES
Chuck Vertrees
THE MEETING WAS CALLED to order on 2/16/05 at 17:11 at "House of Covers" and we
met in Jake's office. Present were Dave Huntoon, Jim and Heula Pittman, Mark
Domzalski, Anne Mae and Robert Gold, Sally Williams (nee Johnson), Wendell
Walker and Chuck Vertrees. There was no treasurer's report because Wendell is
having some problems with his new computer.
Mark announced that he and Elizabeth would be leaving for the Washington, D.C.
area next Thursday. Mark is going on what is basically TDY. They will be gone
for 4 or 5 months and will be missed.
The Meissner award is the big upcoming thing at this time. Sally has received
about 12 nominations. She will get with past winners and a determination will be
made in time for the Anniversary dinner on the 29th of March. Sylvan will make
the speech and presentation.
It was brought up that we should contact the Colorado clubs about any
nominations that they have for the Boydston award. This will be given at the
Tri-State. Dave will send e-mail and it will be in the newsletter.
It was brought up that it is also time to start thinking about the 2006
Tri-State, which will be our responsibility. Chama was suggested as a possible
spot. There now are a lot more places to stay in Chama than there were in past
years, and the distance would not be bad for everyone. Possibly Kay and Tarmo
might have some ideas, because they did quite a lot of checking in the North for
past Tri-States.
CNM will take care of setting up the Car Council picnic in August. Robert Gold
said that the paperwork for the State Fair car show has already been submitted.
Dave Huntoon now owns the library van. If possible we need a protected site,
inside or in a garage for storage of the van's contents. If you have such a
place please contact Dave.
Some time ago, Clark's Corvair Parts offered to send out a one-time mailing for
us touting CNM. I sent them a list of all the New Mexico and El Paso zip-code
numbers. They have 172 customers in those zip codes. We must supply the letter
and stamped envelopes with the letter, and they will address them and mail them.
(They do not provide their customer mailing list to anyone, including CORSA
clubs.) I have written the letter and Mark did a beautiful job of polishing it.
I will get the sample off to Clark's for their approval. All of the CNM members
will receive a mailing because there is no way they can sort our club members
from the non-CNM past order customers.
The meeting was adjourned at 17:57.
=CNM=
Happy Birthday to:
Walter Huntoon March 3
Kyle Stickler March 5
Julia Vertrees March 11
Hurley Wilvert March 11
Kim Patten March 24
Brenda Stickler March 25
Happy Anniversary to:
Anne Mae & Robert Gold March 13
CONGRATULATIONS to:
Our Vice President! Sally Johnson and Nathan Williams were married last
weekend. Love and best wishes go to this special couple, Mr. and Mrs. Nathan
Williams!! (See cover photo of Sally in Wendell's convertible.)
DOOR PRIZES DOOR PRIZES DOOR PRIZES
We need DOOR PRIZES for our Anniversary/Awards Dinner! We will accept just about
anything! Guys, check around through your garage "stuff" for car parts you would
like to donate. Ladies, maybe you have some kind of "artsy, craftsy" kind of
things. Or if you have some spare time, maybe you would like to put something
together or get rid of something you really don't need or want.
Please give your donations to any member of the Sunshine Committee or to Dave
Huntoon before the dinner. Or you can just bring your donations to the Dinner at
Papa Felipe's on Saturday, March 26, at 6:00 PM.
We thank you all for anything you can give us for this special occasion.
Sunshine Committee
Anne Mae Gold, Kim Patten, Brenda Stickler, Wendell Walker
Heula Pittman, 275-2195
=CNM=
PRESIDENT'S LETTER
David Huntoon
Not a whole lot to report on recently. The selection process for the Meissner
award is going forward. We have received 15 returned nomination forms, either
those passed out at the last meeting or from the form in the last newsletter.
Thanks to those who submitted nominations.
Our very own vice president, Sally Johnson, is now Mrs. Williams. She was
married Sunday the 13th at the Biological Park, downtown off Central Ave. There
was an entourage of Corvair convertibles, four in all, to drive the bride and
bridesmaids to the ceremony. Del and I were recruited to handle the driving
along with Geoff and one of the groomsmen. We safely arrived even though I was
slightly dizzy and disoriented following Geoff through his tour of the downtown
area. Certainly places I have never seen before. Anyhow, all went well. I am
sure I did not break more than three traffic laws. The ceremony had the giant
aquarium tank window as a background, definitely a colorful touch. So, best of
luck to Sally and husband Nathan.
Another event that directly affects our Corvair family concerns our own Mr.
Domzalski. For those who have not heard, Mark and Elizabeth will be leaving at
the end of February for the Washington DC area. This is a work related temporary
duty thing likely to last 4 or 5 months. I know we will all wish Mark and
Elizabeth good luck. May they enjoy the change of scenery, and let us know how
things are going from time to time.
Our first Route 66 cleanup for this year is coming up on March 5 at 9:00 am. For
some unexplainable reason, I enjoy it. A sign up sheet will be circulated at the
next meeting. If you can not make the next meeting, just show up March 5 one
mile east of Tramway and Central on old Route 66. Another date to keep in mind
is March 26 for the anniversary/award dinner at Papa Felipe's. A sign up sheet
for this will also be circulated at the next meeting. See you then. -- Dave
=CNM=
HOW IT ALL STARTED!
Walter Huntoon
Back in 1961, my family and I were looking for a new car to replace our 1955 tan
and white Ford 4 door sedan. Of course, a new car wasn't in the budget, so we
began checking out the used car lots. As we were driving by the local Buick
dealership one day, we spotted something that looked a little different. We
quickly turned in to take a closer look. And so started a love affair with
Corvairs. After a test drive, we were hooked and immediately bought this 1961
Monza, saddle tan with buckskin interior.
Eager to show it off, we decided to visit my parents who had recently moved to
Florida. So the four of us, my wife, daughter, youngest son, and I ( nobody can
remember why my oldest son and now current president of CNM did not come with
us) piled in and start down US 41. Near Evansville, Indiana the right rear axle
bearing gave out. We stopped at a local Chevy dealer for repairs and half an
hour and $35 later we were back on our way.
We kept that car until 1964 when we purchased a Palomar red 4 door! But that's
another story.
-- Walter Huntoon / Illinois chapter of CNM
=CNM=
Two Corvairs and two Brand-Xs at the CNM breakfast at Kokopelli's north of Cedar
Crest. (Another Corvair and another Brand-X arrived a few minutes later but
managed to evade the photographer.)
=CNM=
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C O R V A I R S o f N E W M E X I C O C O M I N G E V E N T S
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| March | April | May |
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| 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 | 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 | 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 |
| 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 | 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 | 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 |
| 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 | 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 | 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 |
| 27 28 29 30 31 : : | 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 | 29 30 31 : : : : |
| | | |
============================================================================
Wed 2 Mar 7:30 PM Regular Meeting - GALLES CHEVROLET 1601 Lomas NE
Sat 5 Mar 9:00 AM Route 66 Clean-Up - Oliver Scheflow
Sat 12 Mar 1:00-4:00 CNM Ladies - Ruth Boydston's - Call Anne Mae at 268-6878
Wed 16 Mar 5:00 PM Board Meeting - House of Covers
Sat 19 Mar 8:30 AM CNM Breakfast - TBA
Sat 19 Mar 10:30 AM Car Project at Ray Trujillo's place. H:839-7436 W:266-4011
Fri 25 Mar 9:00 PM Newsletter Deadline - Jim Pittman
Sat 26 Mar 6:00 PM CNM Birthday Party - IKE MEISSNER AWARD
Papa Felipe's Mexican Restaurant -
9800 Menaul NE (just east of Eubank) - Sunshine Committee
... Apr ....... Dealers' Show - Convention Center - TBA
Wed 6 Apr 7:30 PM Regular Meeting - GALLES CHEVROLET 1601 Lomas NE
Wed 6 Apr ....... Deadline for nominations for the 2005 BOYDSTON AWARD
Sat 9 Apr 1:00 PM CNM Ladies - TBA
Wed 20 Apr 5:00 PM Board Meeting - House of Covers
Fri 22 Apr 9:00 PM Newsletter Deadline - Jim Pittman
Sat 23 Apr 8:30 AM Show'n'Shine Car Show. Sonic at Juan Tabo next to Lowe's
CNM Breakfast will happen at the show. Contact Robert Gold
Sat 23 Apr 10:30 AM Car Project at Ray Trujillo's place. H:839-7436 W:266-4011
... May ....... Isotopes Ball Game - more later.
Wed 4 May 7:30 PM Regular Meeting - GALLES CHEVROLET 1601 Lomas NE
Wed 18 May 5:00 PM Board Meeting - House of Covers
Fri 20 May 9:00 PM Newsletter Deadline - Jim Pittman
Fri-Sun 20-22 May Tri-State Meet - Ouray, Colorado - Rocky Mountain CORSA
Sat 21 May ....... Tri-State Banquet and Francis Boydston Award - Ouray, CO
Jun 27 - Jul 01 Cedar Rapids, Iowa - mini-convention - more later.
Jul 25 - Jul 30 CORSA International Convention - Portland, Oregon
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Anniversary Dinner - March 26, 2005
Sunshine Committee
Heula Pittman
Our 31st CNM Anniversary Banquet/Awards Dinner will be held this year at Papa
Felipe's Restaurant at 9800 Menaul NE at 6:00 PM. This is the night the Ike
Meissner award will be presented. The Sunshine Committee will consult on the
menu choices and have that information available at the March meeting. Donations
for door prizes can be given to any Sunshine Committee member or to President
Dave.
Mark your calendars for this special date. We hope to have a good turn out.
=CNM=
From: Steve Goodman (rearengine.steve AT worldnet DOT att DOT net)
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 6:36 AM
Subject: RE: Tri-state motel info
Hello all: Below is the info for the motels in Ouray. The dates for the
TRI-STATE are:
Friday - Saturday - Sunday -- May 20-21-22.
HOST MOTEL: Victorian Inn 1.800.846.8729 $75.00/double per nite
Across the street: Box Canyon 1.800.327.5080 $75.00/double per nite
Each motel is saving 25 rooms. There are a couple more motels in the area just
in case.
All will be the same price.
Obviously, mention 'CORVAIR' when calling. Don't delay in making your
reservation, a number
of Salt Lake City folks are planning on attending also so the rooms should fill
up quickly.
Email Steve if you need more info: rearengine.steve AT worldnet DOT att DOT net
See you all there.
Regards, Steve
=CNM=
* * * * * * * * * * * * FOR SALE, TRADE OR WANTED * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FOR SALE: 1964 Corvair 4-door sedan. Needs windshield, tires, paint. Red with
red interior. Engine starts, but smokes (blow-by?) and needs
overhaul. Has title and was last registered in 1978. The car is
in Bernalillo. Call Anthony Salas, 505-867-0883
FREE PARTS CARS: Pictures available, email geoffj@unm.edu
Geoff Johnson 720-1484
FREE: 1963 Corvair Convertible. Mostly disassembled. Fair amount of rust, floor
boards are good, has no body sag, it could be saved. 80hp 4-speed
Powertrain is in place. Has title.
FREE: 1964 Corvair Monza Coupe. Fairly straight body with little rust. Has all
windows. PG, has early crankcase in place, needs new engine.
No title.
FOR SALE: 1967 Monza 4-door sedan, low miles, factory air, 110-HP, automatic.
Call me and let's talk. -- Chuck Vertrees - 299-0744
FOR SALE: 1962 Wagon 700 -- Terry Price 872-0100
1967 Monza 2-door coupe, 110-HP, automatic. Great interior, good
condition. -- Terry Price 872-0100
FOR SALE: 1960 Monza. Older restoration. $3000.00
Call LeRoy Rogers at 505-294-0623, E-Mail 004873@comcast.net
FOR SALE: 1962 4 door Monza. 20,000 original miles. In excellent original
(unrestored) condition. Bought new in Albuquerque. I am second
owner. Original sales information. $3000.00
Call LeRoy Rogers at 505-294-0623, E-Mail 004873@comcast.net
FOR SALE: 1965 Corsa convertible. It is an average driver. A new top, top pads,
roof rails, and top of windshield rubber goes with the car. They
are not installed. $3000.00
Call LeRoy Rogers at 505-294-0623, E-Mail 004873@comcast.net
* * * * CNM ADS ARE FREE TO CNM MEMBERS, $5.00 TO NON-CNM MEMBERS * * * * * *
=CNM=
REPORT ON THE CAR COUNCIL MEETING - January 26, 2005
Robert Gold
I'm a car guy. That should not come as any surprise to anyone who knows me. As a
car guy I'm constantly looking over the myriad of new car models in order to
spot those true gems of design among all the basalt -- Sally -- notice my
reference to geology! Anyway, I mark the 2005 model year as one of the most
enjoyable.
This year there are two cars that are so beautiful that they take my breath away
every time I see them on the street. They both vied for Car of the Year honors.
The winner was the Chrysler 300 with a close second going to the Ford Mustang.
The designers of these cars got it right. They are distinctive and they work on
a lot of levels. I want both of them... however, I value my family more highly
so I guess I'll pass.
In contrast to these wonderful new cars is the attempt by GM to get in to the
"retro" game. They came out with a pickup (?) called the SSR. It is sorta cute.
It sorta looks like a 50's Chevy pickup... not a bad retro look... but it is
$50,000!!! That's the price of a new Corvette. What was GM thinking? I guess it
will come as no surprise that there currently exists a 300 day supply of the SSR
and production has been reduced.
Alas, it is a sad day when my favorite cars (aside from the Corvair) are made by
Ford and Chrysler. Let's have a moment of silence in memory of the Chevy car
designers of old who actually had a clue about inspiring the car public.
This all brings me to the topic of my column - the meeting of the Car Council.
I've mentioned several times in my ramblings that one of the reasons I enjoy the
Car Council meetings is that I get to see what the Old Car Garage is currently
working on. This month there was a car there that also took my breath away (I
sound like I need an oxygen tank...).
Again I'm going to talk about a product NOT made by GM. While I sat through the
hour plus meeting I got to gaze upon a late 30's Lincoln Zephyr. Wow... I knew
that the early Lincolns after Ford took over the company had style, but I had no
idea how nice they were. It is kinda ironic that the person who inspired this
design was Edsel Ford. To paraphrase President Ford, this car is a Lincoln not
an Edsel. A major design element of the car was the chrome encrusted dash with
gold accents. I don't know for sure, but I would think that the gold they used
was the real thing.
If you want to get a sense of what I looked at try the following web page. It
isn't the exact car, but it captures the lines.
http://www.hubcapcafe.com/ocs/pages01/linc3901.htm
You might wonder at this point why I haven't really said anything about the
actual Car Council meeting. This meeting was our first since last October, so I
guess we have to sort of start slow and build up some speed as we get in to the
new year. I have to say that as Car Council meetings go, this was sort of akin
to a purely business session sort of thing. We did talk about some upcoming
events, but most of the time was taken up by votes on various changes to the
council's bylaws. Since Corvairs of New Mexico is a member in good standing I
actually got to vote on these things. We decided to update the information sheet
that the council distributes at events. After all, we are in a new century.
One issue that has concerned CNM had to do with the Secretary maintaining
records of meeting attendance and volunteers. I'm hoping that in the future we
will get the recognition we deserve for our efforts at the Museum Car Show...
we'll see. Anyway, there were also votes on mailing lists, subscribers to the
Car Council newsletter, the council web page, mailing the newsletter and
including event flyers in the newsletter. So now you get the idea why I didn't
start right off with describing the meeting. I'll distribute a sheet with a more
detailed description of the issues at the next CNM meeting.
I'll be giving you a more indepth description of upcoming events in next month's
report. However, I want to comment on one event that will have a definite impact
on CNM. Last year I reported that Joyce Clement called me on the carpet for my
sarcastic wit about the demise of the Car Council picnic and the substitution of
a by-invitation-only buffet dinner. She suggested that CNM help in reviving the
picnic. I now want to thank the CNM Board and membership in agreeing that we
should take the lead in planning the picnic, which is tentatively scheduled for
August 7. I talked to the Clements at the meeting and offered our services. They
suggested that we have the picnic at the El Morro National Monument out near
Grants. That sounds like a great idea to me. I don't know much about the site,
but Anne Mae said that it is a pretty neat place. I looked up the monument on
the web and here is what I found out:
"El Morro National Monument is a large rock in western New Mexico. It was a
landmark that could be seen from great distances. It also became a place to
write inscriptions as people traveled from East to West and West to East. There
are writings from the early Spaniards to even soldiers from the Civil War who
were carrying supplies from the east to California and as they brought gold back
to help support the war."
I guess that is all I have for this month. Hopefully, in my next report I'll
have more positive things to say about GM. -- Robert Gold
=CNM=
SEVEN YEARS AGO - March 1998
Volume 24 - Number 3
Jim Pittman
The cover concept car was called "F-44" and was drawn by Mark Morgan. At our
meeting we had all officers present and we had $7347 in the bank. The board
discussed investment strategies for our bank account. The Car Council planned
the Museum car show. We planned our Tri-State for Lake City, Colorado. A tour of
the AT&T Museum was coming up. Dennis offered to tell all about the correct
weights for the various Corvair distributors.
Dennis wrote that he really enjoyed one of the perks of being president: getting
all the newsletters from other clubs. He read about a proposal in the San Diego
club's newsletter to make meetings more fun so people would be more likely to
want to attend. Could we start something similar?
Tech tips this month included a blurb on synchronizing carbs, good lubricants
for transaxles, how to calibrate your 1962 Spyder tachometer, and a great
article by Sylvan Zuercher on shifter repair. This one deserves to be reprinted
someday!
Fourteen Years Ago
March 1991
Volume 17 - Number 3
The cover said "17 Years" and illustrated the leaf spring on a 1964 Corvair. At
the February meeting we had $416 in checking and $229 in savings for a total of
$645. The Car Council was trying to get a bill passed to have historical license
plates for old cars. Bill Reider, Sylvan Zuercher and Will Davis were working on
the new member packet. Plans included an "All Chevy" Show, the June 1992
Tri-State Meet, a garage tour, a visit to Sandia Shadows winery, a trip to the
VLA, an econo-run, the Christmas party, a member questionnaire, a car show in
Las Vegas and the Fourth of July event in Santa Fe. Was this going to be a busy
year? President Steve Gongora reported on our garage tour to Mr. Joiner's.
On the occasion of our seventeenth anniversary we had thoughts from four
founding members: Dale Housley, Francis Boydston, Carl Johnson and Jim Pittman.
We all thought we had made significant achievements: helping to start the
Tri-State Meet, having New Mexico stay a leader in Corvair daily drivers,
getting more people interested in Corvairs, and having a Club where all kinds of
Corvair owners with diverse interests co-exist, cooperate and help each other
enjoy our hobby. It continues today. Tech tips included how to remove stuck
carburetor jets, how to remove objects that fell into the intake manifold, and
where to get some really spiffy sports car seats for your Corvair.
Twenty-one Years Ago
March 1984
Volume 10 - Number 3
In 1984 we had a special 10th Anniversary Cover and an article on how we came so
far, so fast. Bill Reider's monthly column told about distributors and presented
a table of specifications for 1960-1969 Corvair distributors. George Morin told
us how to build a drive train cradle and included drawings and dimensions. There
was a tech tip on the various kinds of brake fluid; some kinds you do NOT want
to use in your Corvair.
Twenty-eight Years Ago - February/March 1977 - Volume 3 - Number 2
This issue had to serve for two months. The excellent article by Ike Meissner on
autocrossing your Corvair was well worth re-reading, as was the tip on torqueing
Corvair heads by Richard Finch. The article by C. Nicol of South Coast CORSA on
using a spring-loaded Vega clutch disc in your Corvair required a note by Ike
that the tip wouldn't work on late models unless the crank bolts were ground
down 1/8 inch. I wonder if any CNM members have ever used a Vega clutch in a
Corvair? If so, tell us about it, please.
=CNM=
TRIP TO NEW MEXICO TRAVERTINE MARBLE FABRICATORS
(from the May 1995 CNM newsletter)
Jim Pittman
The weatherman promised us good weather for Saturday April 22 so Heula and I
planned to take the "new" car (1990 Civic) and drive in air-conditioned comfort
rather than suffer with one of the old clunkers. But when it was time for the
warm Saturday sun to come up, all we could see was cold, white, wet, fluffy
stuff coming down. What better car to drive through warm wet snow, I thought,
than a 1966 Corvair Corsa. But I knew from the Corsa's last trip that its
battery was on its last ergs. That's okay, I can swap the battery for the one
that has been sitting in the garage in the '66 Monza since 1991, the one I have
trickle charged every weekend for four years so when the '66 Monza was finally
painted and running again I wouldn't have to buy a new battery.
I put the charger on the Monza's battery while I braved the snow and wind to
remove the bad battery from the Corsa and clean up the battery compartment and
the terminal cables. I even topped up the "new" battery with distilled water.
Then I installed the now-fully-charged battery in the Corsa and hooked up the
cables. Turn the key. Ugggg.g.g.g..g..g....g...... Must have got at least
thirteen flywheel teeth to go past the Bendix before it expired.
Well, since the "new" battery has turned out to be bad, there's nothing to do
except to charge up the "bad" battery and put it back in the Corsa and use it
one more time. It was oily and covered with acid. I used baking soda, a wire
brush, a garden hose and a shop rag to clean it up, topped up the cells with
distilled water, put it on the charger and went in the house to thaw. Finally, I
put the battery back in the Corsa, hooked up the cables and turned the key. You
guessed it, all I got was Ugggg.g.g.g..g..g... maybe moving four or five fewer
flywheel teeth than the other one managed.
Okay, that means we'll take the '65 Monza. Sure is nice to have a backup Corvair
in good condition.
We got to the starting point not-quite-late and found Sylvan Zuercher, Bill &
Marian McClellan, Del Patten, Chuck & Julia Vertrees, Debbie & Dennis Pleau and
Steve & Rita Gongora; Carl Johnson & children showed up later. There were four
Corvairs and three Brand X's. We headed out and Sylvan led us down the freeway
with his cruise control set on 60 (at least, that's what he said, but it felt
more like 85 to me). In no time at all we were roaring (the '65 Monza has LOTS
of wind noise) down I-25, slaloming around the detours where the highway
department is working on bridges and slippy-sliding through the snowy spots.
We arrived at the Marble works in a combination of snow and fog. We were about
20 minutes early (thanks to Sylvan's cruise control) and no one was waiting to
greet us... but whoever heard of a CNM crew being early for ANYTHING before?
Soon enough, Jim Lardner started our tour. He said that this was the biggest
marble processing plant in the country and told us they got marble and limestone
from all over (they don't do granite), in addition to getting their own
Travertine marble from their quarry some thirty miles to the west. We gawked at
the slabs, blocks, shards and irregular chunks of marble littering the yard.
Jim explained the giant marble-cutting saw which had some 27 huge diamond-edged
saw blades which they would spend all day setting up, then run all night (when
electricity is cheaper) making 28 or so thin slabs out of a 25-ton hunk of raw
marble. The massive Italian-made machine was impressive just sitting there. We
thought seriously about driving all the way back to Belen some night just to
watch it run -- that would be a sight.
Continuing through the plant, we saw a giant horizontal jigsaw with a saw blade
made of wire with diamond rings strung on it like beads on a necklace; it was
used to saw slices off huge chunks of rock. We saw a giant roller machine with
several stages of polishers to give an ultra shine to slabs of marble. We saw
big machines being set up to turn out 12-by-12 marble tiles by the thousands.
And leaning everywhere were slices of marble of various colors and textures.
Some had the neatest fossil shells clearly visible.
Outside behind the plant the snow was melting and dripping and steaming from an
ample supply of mud and from a small mountain of marble dust (refuse from the
saws and polishers) and a slightly smaller mountain of broken marble pieces.
We all were astounded to learn that they considered these pieces of marble to be
junk and we were welcome to haul off as much of it as we wanted. We all turned
into instant prospectors and soon looked like the monkey with his fist in the
jar -- laden down with more than we could carry but unwilling to toss any of it
back on the pile.
Soon our tour ended and we felt we had seen more than we would have believed
about processing marble into table tops, floor tiles and fireplaces.
We headed down the hill in search of our lunch break. The sky was blue and full
of fluffy white clouds and it was turning into a gorgeous day. At Pete's Cafe on
First Street we had excellent New Mexican food and had plenty of time to discuss
many Corvair topics as well as recapitulate the marble works tour.
We certainly enjoyed our April CNM excursion and learned a lot about a unique
New Mexico industry. Thanks to Jim Lardner for his enthusiastic tour of his
facility, and thanks to Sylvan for organizing another memorable CNM event.
And next time you are in Belen, don't neglect to stop by Pete's Cafe and try
their great enchiladas.
=CNM=
THE FRANCIS BOYDSTON AWARD is presented annually to a Tri-State CORSA Chapter
member(s), in good standing who best exemplifies the influence, support, ideals,
and values that Francis embodied. This may be jointly awarded to members and
spouses or jointly to separate members if approved by the reviewing authority as
detailed below.
To commemorate the occasion, the recipient shall be awarded a plaque suitable
for prominent display. The award shall read:
====================================================================
St. Francis of Corvair
Francis Boydston Service Award
For
Outstanding Service and Contributions to
Corvairs of New Mexico
And
Perpetuation of the Corvair
AWARD RECIPIENT NAME
DATE
This award is bestowed in memory of
Francis Boydston, a CNM founder and friend.
====================================================================
In addition to the individual plaque, there shall be a traveling plaque that has
tags for the addition and date of each annual recipient(s). The cost of the
award and engraving shall be borne by CNM. Two months prior to the next
Tri-State meet, the CNM Vice President or an alternate appointed and designated
by the CNM President shall make arrangements and retrieve the traveling plaque
to be in CNM custody no less than five weeks prior to the next award
presentation.
The selection committee for the awards shall be comprised of three Tri-State
Chapter members appointed by the CNM President who will work with and report to
the CNM Vice President or the alternate appointed and designated by the CNM
President. Members appointed to serve from non-CNM Tri-State Chapters shall be
jointly appointed by that Chapter President and the CNM President. It is
recommended that at least two of the three members be immediate past award
recipients. It is preferable for the last three immediate recipients to serve
on the selection committee.
The CNM Vice-President, or designated alternate, shall achieve approval of the
award by concurrence with a quorum of the officers of CNM and Presidents of the
represented Tri-State Chapters.
Guidelines for consideration for the Francis Boydston Award shall, in no
particular priority, be:
1. Attend meetings and plan, coordinate or organize individual Tri-State Chapter
and/or Tri-State Meet activities or events
2. Share Corvair knowledge and expertise.
3. Encourage owners to preserve, maintain and share in the lore of the Corvair.
The presentation of the Francis Boydston Award shall be made at the annual
Tri-State Meet Banquet or at a time and place designated by a majority of the
Tri-State Chapter Presidents. The presentation shall be made by a CNM official,
approved by a majority of the Tri-State Chapter Presidents, and supported by a
representative of the recipient's Chapter.
The content of the oral award presentation shall be scripted in advance and have
achieved concurrence of the Francis Boydston Award Committee and the represented
Tri-State Chapter Presidents or alternates designated by the CNM President.
The oral award presentation and engraved plaque shall be prepared no later than
one month prior to the annual Tri-State Meet Banquet or the otherwise designated
time and place.
Francis Boydston Award
Nomination
This award is presented annually to a Tri-State CORSA Chapter member, in good
standing who best exemplifies the influence, support, ideals and values
exhibited by Francis Boydston with Tri-State Chapter members and other Corvair
enthusiasts.
This form is confidential. To avoid disappointment, do not divulge to or
otherwise advise the nominee
of this action.
This form shall be submitted to the CNM Vice President or an alternate appointed
and designated by
the CNM President.
This form will be distributed in the March issue of the Enchanted Corvairs
Newsletter and at the March Membership Meeting. Copies of the criteria and this
form will be mailed and/or e-mailed to the other Tri-State Newsletter Editors
and Presidents for publication and distribution to those chapters.
The DEADLINE for submission of this completed nomination form shall be NO LATER
THAN adjournment of the CNM April Membership Meeting. Any exceptions to this
deadline shall be made
by agreement between the CNM Vice President or the appointed alternate and the
CNM President.
To the Francis Boydston Award Committee:
It is a pleasure to submit the following Tri-State CORSA Chapter member(s) to be
considered for the Francis Boydston Award.
Name(s): ___________________________________
Address: ___________________________________
City, State and Zip: ___________________________________
Has been a Chapter member since: _______ Has been a CORSA member since: ______
Has served as a Chapter official, chair or leader: Y_ N_ Approximate years:____
Has promoted the Corvair and Corvair hobby: Y_ N_ Has helped other people: Y_ N_
Briefly describe the merits of this member and nomination: _____________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Date of this nomination: ______________
Author of this nomination: ___________________________________