The November 2017 newsletter - Text Version
Updated 24-Oct-2017 ==== Copyright (c) 2017 Corvairs of New Mexico
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NOVEMBER 2017 / VOLUME 43 / NUMBER 11 / ISSUE #506
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Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, First Place, 2005
Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, Third Place, 2010
Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, First Place, 2012
EDITOR: Jim Pittman
NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, November 1st, 2017 at 7:00 PM
North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, Wyoming & Carmel NE
THIS MONTH:
President's Message ................................ John Wiker
Dues Due Dates ........................... Membership Committee
October Regular Meeting .............................. Art Gold
October Board Meeting ................................ Art Gold
The Chevrolet Volt ................................ Jim Pittman
Balloon Fiesta Classic Car Show .................... John Wiker
Birthdays & Anniversaries ................ Membership Committee
It's Magic! Dent Removal .......................... Robert Gold
Twin Brother from Another Mother .................. Robert Gold
Two Winners - Economy Run ....................... David Huntoon
How to Win an Econorun ............................ Larry Blair
Treasury Report ................................... Robert Gold
Econorun in a Chevrolet Volt ...................... Joel Yelich
A Seat Resurrection ............................... Robert Gold
Limbo Rock - Car Council Board Meeting ............ Robert Gold
Calendar of Coming Events .................. Board of Directors
November Issues, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 Years Ago ... Club Historian
COVER Art Gold, Robert Gold, Art's Early Coupe, October 4th
LeRoy Rogers drives his Rampside to the October Meeting
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OFFICERS and VOLUNTEERS
President: John Wiker 505-239-3311 wikerj63 yahoo.com
Vice President: Lube Lubert 505-256-9331 dirtlube gmail.com
Secretary: Art Gold 505-620-7434 rollerart 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
Newsletter: Jim Pittman 505-275-2195 jimp unm.edu
Old Route 66: Lube Lubert 505-256-9331 dirtlube2 gmail.com
Past President: Ray Trujillo 505-814-8373 ray bpsabq.com
Past President: Pat Hall 505-620-5574 patandvickiehall q.com
Past Vice-Pres: Tarmo Sutt 505-690-2046 tarmo juno.com
MEETINGS First Wednesday of each Month at 7:00 PM
North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, Wyoming & Carmel NE
INTERNET CORSA's home page 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/
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DUES: CNM: 12 months = $25.00 -or- 26 months = $ 50.00
CORSA: 12 months = $45.00 -or- 26 months = $ 90.00
CNM & CORSA: 12 months = $70.00 -or- 26 months = $140.00
DUES DUE DATES NOVEMBER 2017
DUE LAST MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2017.10 Debra & Jon Anderson 25-NOV-2017
2017.10 Carl Clasmeyer 25-NOV-2017
2017.10 Mary Lou & Mark Martinek 25-NOV-2017
2017.10 Sylvia & Ray Trujillo 25-NOV-2017
DUE THIS MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2017.11 Elizabeth & Mark Domzalski 25-DEC-2017
2017.11 Cheryl & Ed Halpin 25-DEC-2017
2017.11 Leslie & Kevin Sullivan 25-DEC-2017
DUE NEXT MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2017.12 Linda & Anthony Berbig 25-JAN-2018
2017.12 David Huntoon 25-JAN-2018
2017.12 Fred Riggs II 25-JAN-2018
DUE JANUARY 2018 ==================== INACTIVE DATE
2018.01 Connie & Floyde Adams 25-FEB-2018
2018.01 Carolyn & Dan Palmer 25-FEB-2018
2018.01 Kay & Tarmo Sutt 25-FEB-2018
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
2017.09 Rita & Steve Gongora 25-OCT-2017
Send your Dues to:
CNM Treasurer
c/o Robert Gold
1301 Valencia NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Past due memberships become inactive after a one-month grace period.
The Club will mail in your National Dues if you send us the renewal
form from your Communique.
As of 25-OCT-2017 we have 47 active family memberships.
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
John Wiker
Well, another Balloon Fiesta is finally gone. Maybe I will get more than four
hours sleep now. I want to start out by thanking Dave Huntoon for pinch-hitting
for me at the Econ Run on Saturday the 14th. I sure wish I could have
participated instead of counting money, organizing tickets and making sure all
the ticket windows were manned both day and evening shifts. Dave's article will
fill you in on the results.
Our next social event is the always popular Bingo, Covered dish dinner and
silent auction at the House of Covers at 5:00 PM on Saturday the 4th of
November. Bring your treasures and those dollar bills for a fun-filled evening.
Don't forget to start collecting your donations for The Storehouse and bring
them to our Christmas lunch. Our Vice President, Lube Lubert will have more to
tell us about this event.
For those of you who could not attend October membership meeting, the officer
and committee chairs were nominated and approved. All posts stayed the same and
Dave Huntoon volunteered and was approved as the new Membership chair. Thank you
Dave for filling out the staff. One more thanks to Art Gold for filling in as
the secretary as his mother continues to recover from her surgery. See you at
the next meeting on the 1st of November or at the Bingo night. For now, good
night!!
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Regular October Meeting -- 2017.10.04
Art Gold
Minutes - approved.
President (John Wiker) Welcomed new members Ray and Lily Gonzales. Balloon
Fiesta is coming! Cal Clark may be coming to the fiesta. Brenda Stickler is
moving from her house in Corrales. By January, she needs experienced people
coming over to price the Corvair parts for a Corvair yard sale. Proceeds for the
sale would be split with the club 50/50. She would also like to have a garage
tour and potluck for the club before the sale.
Vice President (Lube Lubert) The Old Route 66 cleanup is cancelled this
Saturday. There is a conflict with a car show at a local church. Contact Bill
Darcy in Belen, 505-306-2551. Next cleanup will be next year.
Treasurer (Robert Gold) Current Balance $7,010.55. Tri-State did the club very
well.
Secretary (Art Gold) Subbing for Anne Mae Gold - Happily Anne Mae is doing very
well and is in awesome spirits.
Committee Reports
Membership - There is a need for a membership chairperson. Dave Huntoon
volunteered to take over this position.
Merchandise (Vickie Hall) sold one Care and Feeding book. The Storehouse (which
was our Christmas charity last year) contacted John. Vickie checked with them
and they will take anything except furniture. Money is fine also. Vickie will
take whatever we donate and deliver it to them.
Car Council (Robert Gold) Robert stated that there will be a balloon fiesta
classic car show on October 8th starting at 7:30 AM. It's all on the Car Council
website. The Swap Meet was a tremendous success, and it will be occurring next
year at the same place in Los Lunas. Robert wanted to acknowledge Pat Hall and
Lube Lubert for setting up the field. One more Car Council meeting this year,
then no more meetings until January. Robert is still Vice President and Website
editor.
Editor (Jim Pittman) It's a short month so deadline for newsletter is Friday
October 20th at 9:00 PM. We did not win CORSA's website award this year, what is
he doing wrong? Do you look for Corvair sightings in period movies? What about
that Farmer's Insurance commercial with Corvairs and engine fires?
New Business
Election - Nominations and installment of officers and committee chairpersons -
A vote approved the current officers staying on, apart from secretary. Secretary
will be Art Gold.
State Fair car show report by Robert Gold - Eighteen cars in attendance, Terry
Price's convertible won best of show. It was the 23rd year of the event.
Coming Events
OCT 7 Old Route 66 Cleanup - CANCELED
OCT 8 7:30 AM Balloon Fiesta Car Show - at Edith Railrunner Station
OCT 14 - Road Econo Run around the East Mountain Area - 33 miles
NOV 4 - Bingo/Auction/Potluck House of Covers - 5:00 PM
DEC 9 - Christmas Party - We are looking for a location. THE STOREHOUSE is our
charity.
Tech talk - John Wiker told about an oil leak. He and David were sure it was
pushrod tube O-rings, but investigation showed it was a valve cover gasket leak.
Much cheaper repair! "Make sure you know before you dig."
Tonight's 50/50 winner was ART GOLD.
With no further business ... we adjourned.
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Happy Birthday Wishes to CNM'ers born in November:
Anne Johnson
Jim Pittman
Ann Wiker
John Wiker
(There were no November Anniversaries.)
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October Board Meeting Minutes - 2017.10.18
Art Gold
President (John Wiker) Meeting called to order at 5:04 PM.
Vice President (Lube Lubert) Lube and Terry Price visited four locations for the
CNM Christmas Dinner. The four locations under consideration are:
* Mario's (1150 Menaul NE) at $10 per person
* Golden Corral (San Mateo NE north of McLeod NE)
* Furr's Buffet (Wyoming NE) at $7.99 per person
* Macaroni Grill (Winrock) at $19-$25 per person.
If you have a preference or a different suggestion, contact Lube. We will vote
on the location at the November meeting.
Everyone, please, begin to stock up your donations for The Storehouse. They
accept anything except furniture. They especially need food, especially baby
food. If there are items left over from the bingo night auction, they will be
donated.
Treasurer (Robert Gold) Current Balance $6928.12.
Secretary (Art Gold - subbing for Anne Mae Gold) Anne Mae is doing very well,
and in awesome spirits. Well enough to go back to school. Art Gold made a motion
to permanently cancel the Old Route 66 Cleanup due to lack of interest and due
to competition from other non-Corvair events. John Wiker stated that the motion
must be brought up to the general meeting before a decision can be made. Jim
Pittman stated that the cleanup began as a club action to give back to the
community, which was faithfully followed up by Ollie Scheflow and later Mike
Stickler and Lube Lubert. Jim assumed that Ollie used to call the members who
had volunteered. Jim also stated that this needs to be more organized with call
lists and specific dates for the cleanup. John stated to Lube that the dates for
the cleanup must be published for the coming year, and explicitly stated in the
minutes. Jim stated that with the same three to five people participating at
every cleanup, all other members were getting a free pass and this is not fair.
Continued lack of participation could contribute to the end of the club.
Committee Reports
Membership (Dave Huntoon) absent
Merchandise (Vickie Hall) absent
Car Council (Robert Gold) Robert Gold is attending the Car Council meeting.
Editor (Jim Pittman) The newsletter deadline is Friday, October 20th. Jim stated
that members were welcome to write articles for the newsletter.
Upcoming Events
* Bingo/Silent Auction/Potluck at House of Covers - 11/4/17 - 5:00 PM, bring
dollars for bingo cards and items for the silent auction.
* Christmas Party - Date is 12-9, (2-4 PM) looking for a location. The
Storehouse is the charity for this year. Vickie will collect and deliver the
donations.
Other suggestions
We should have another econorun/road rally in the middle of November (11th or
18th) - Dave Huntoon. Looking at two different routes. The one selected will not
be the same route as October.
Meeting adjourned at 5:54 PM
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The Chevrolet Volt
Jim Pittman
When GM announced the electric Chevrolet Volt in 2009, I was a skeptic. Who
would want a car with a heavy battery and an anemic gas engine? But as more
hybrid and electric cars came on the market and as I read more about the Volt, I
began to see it as a great idea. It's really all-electric in that the electric
motor always drives the car from battery power, and the gas engine only serves
to charge up the battery as needed. All the many advantages of an electric car,
but when you are out on the road and run out of juice, the gas engine kicks in
and you keep on going -- at least until your gasoline runs out. So a road trip
could be done with several hundred miles between fuel stops.
But as I began to admire the Volt I realized that I knew no one who had one and
the car magazines weren't writing articles on them.
So when I learned that Joel Yelich came to the econorun in his Volt, I asked him
to write an article about what it's like to own a Volt. He did just that. See
the article on Page 10. Thanks, Joel!
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Balloon Fiesta Car Show
John Wiker
It was a beautiful morning as I headed from Edgewood to the Road Runner station
at Edith. I arrived before 7:30 as the e-mail requested and turned in to park as
car number 23 of the eventual 130 that showed up. The first 120 were given
participation ribbons. All types and models were represented. There was an old
Studebaker but, sorry, no Avanti. There were two Corvairs, mine and Bob
McBreen's 1965 Convertible. He was about car # 115 so we did not have much
chance of joining each other on the field. I was at one end of the row and he
was at the other.
We were escorted into the field almost an hour and a half later than scheduled.
The launch of balloons was very slow on Sunday as the winds were so gentle that
most balloons hung around the field preventing the second wave from launching.
Until the second wave launched and cleared the field, we were stuck.
Then the host who was running this show really made some people unhappy. Instead
of leading those of us who were there first out of the parking lot first, he
brought out those who arrived last! Some who got out onto the field first
arrived over an hour or more later than those of us who were there on time. Bob
got lucky, me not so much. To make matters worse, by the time my row got onto
Edith, the first launch chase vehicles were coming back and blocking the
entrance to the field.
I know nothing can be done about Mother Nature, but it should not take an hour
to travel about a mile. What happened to the old phrase, first in, first out?
Frankly, I don't know if I will be able to enjoy this adventure again next year.
Especially since this year I was working at the Balloon Fiesta and had to be at
the Finance trailer at 3:00 PM.
Still, we had plenty of visitors to admire our classic cars and I had many
picture opportunities with kids and adults. There were many good comments about
keeping Corvairs alive. If I had a dollar for every time Ralph Nader was
mentioned, I could retire a fourth time.
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IT'S MAGIC! Dent Removal
Robert Gold
As I've traveled through life I've created a number of sayings to describe what
I've seen. My favorite is, "There is always one more thing to do." That one is
proven every day! Another one is what I say when someone pops off about how they
hate this or that. My response is, "It's not nice to hate!" You'd be surprised
how positive the responses I get. In today's world people seem receptive to
getting away from hating something. Usually just saying you dislike it does the
trick.
My problem is that I DO hate something with a passion. No, it's not political,
rather it has to do with cars. I HATE dents. I especially hate dents in my
Corvairs. Which brings me to why I'm writing this.
It seems some spiteful individual put a dent right in the middle of the top
front driver's fender of my beautiful, shiny, red Lakewood. That's the one
you've seen many times at various shows. That's the one with the groovy
pinstripes. That's the one that I pamper and keep it protected in my garage.
After seeing this imperfection and after my blood pressure had reached
near-normal, I had to decide what to do to correct the problem. I first realized
that homicide, though very satisfying, would not correct the problem. I also
knew that any attempt to fix and repaint the area wouldn't work since color
matching is very hard, and expensive, to do. Then it hit me... I've heard about
those guys who magically make dents go away without repair work. They refer to
this practice as paintless dent repair. It always sounded like voodoo to me, but
I was in quite a spot, and I was willing to give it a try.
My buddies at Morningstar Collision gave me the number of Oden over at Rt. 66
Dent Repair. They said he did great work, so with much trepidation I called and
arranged for him to come out and see what he could do. He told me on the phone
that older cars like ours are easier to do since Detroit actually used a lot of
metal in making them. He also said that the fact my paint hadn't been damaged
was critical to the success of the procedure. Whew... I was lucky there.
Oden said it was ok that I watch him perform his magic. He lugged out a big tool
box, various instruments that defy description, and a massive fluorescent light
mounted on a stand. His first move was heat the area and carefully use a pry
bar-type thing to coax the metal back in place. He told me he'd been doing this
since the late 1990's. He told me that hail is his friend, since that is why he
gets most of his work. In about 20 minutes, alternating between heat and prying,
the dent disappeared! I'm not saying it sorta went away, it was totally gone and
I challenge anyone to tell me where it had been. Surprisingly, the cost was
nominal for my single dent. I imagine the cost for a hail damaged car would be
much more. To me, the fact that he saved my precious Lakewood's paint job was
priceless.
So fellow CNM'ers -- "paintless dent repair" really works and keep it in mind if
some day one of those hated dents appears on your classic. -- Robert Gold
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Twin Brother from Another Mother
Robert Gold
I'm sure many of you CNM'ers are like me and enjoy car shows on TV. I figure if
I spent as many hours at a paying job as I have watching those shows my bank
account would really be bulging by now. Anyway, my problem has to to with the
current lot of car shows. It seems to me that the producers of those shows only
film about 5 new shows a year and then replay them 500 times. No lie... It's
gotten to the point that I know the sound tracks by heart.
Since the number of new shows are limited I'm left to figure out how to freshen
up my viewing experience. So let me tell you what I figured out. It all has to
do with ROKU and YouTube. ROKU is a device that you can use to allow your TV to
run computer apps. I'm talking about the new TVs with HDMI inputs, not one of
those 10 ton jobs you've had since the 1980's. YouTube is a website full of all
sort of digital content. I can't begin to describe all the things you can find
there. The important thing is that it contains a mountain of car shows.
My strategy centers around the fact that my memory is not as sharp as it used to
be. That means that I don't really remember episodes from say 10 to 20 years
ago. It turns out that those shows still live on in YouTube for free! All I had
to do is fire up my ROKU and bring up YouTube and there they are again.
OK, so you are now saying, "What the heck does all this have to do with the
title of this article?!" Well, I'm getting to that.
I've always enjoyed the show, My Classic Car. I can't believe that show has been
going on for more than 20 years. So as part of my plan I began watching the show
from season 1. So far I've gotten up to season 3 in 1998. One of the neat things
about the early shows is their segments on people who shaped the development of
cars in the 1950's and 1960's. They got to interview those guys, since they were
still around. It's really interesting to hear the GM designers talking about the
creation those iconic Chevys and Pontiacs. Sorry, I got off the real subject.
What I want to tell you about is something I learned from episode 12 in 1998.
The host, Dennis Gage, was at the National Falcon Show being held up in
Colorado. I need to point out here that I really enjoy telling people how the
Corvair was a truly 1960's car, running from 1960 until 1969. Peace and Love,
Baby. Well, as the guy being interviewed stated, the Ford Falcon was also
produced from 1960 until 1969. Our beloved cars have a twin! Too bad it's a
Ford, but as they say, you can't pick your relatives.
I just thought you'd like to know... Well gotta go -- so many episodes, so
little time. -- Robert Gold
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Two Winners
David Huntoon
The results are in for the "Balloon Fiesta Great Pumpkin" econo run! It was a
wonderful morning with clear skies, cool and calm. We had seven entrants (three
were Corvairs) and the overall winner is...
* Joel Yelich in his 2014 Chevrolet Volt. He used ............ zero gas.
(Joel's hybrid Chevrolet completed the course on battery alone. Impressive.)
Our leading Corvair was...
* Larry Blair in his 1964 140, 4-speed convertible with ...... 40.9 mpg.
Bringing up the middle of the pack were...
* Lube Lubert brought his 1969 Chevy pickup 350, asp for ..... 17.5 mpg.
* Pat Hall drove his 1966 140, 4-speed for ................... 26.9 mpg.
* Hurley Wilvert brought his Suzuki GSXS 750 for ............. 78.5 mpg.
* David Huntoon -- I took my 2009 Smart Car for .............. 55.6 mpg.
Lastly, I have to award the gas guzzler award to...
* Art Gold with his 1964 coupe 110, auto for ................. 21.1 mpg.
(Art had a small problem on fillup with a fuel leak, probably in the filler neck
rubber sleeve. I adjusted his gallons used to my best estimate as there was a
good size puddle on the ground under his car.)
All in all a good day. Let's do it again next year.
Thanks to all, David
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HOW TO WIN AN ECONORUN
Larry Blair
First, put big tires on the back, so you're always going downhill.
Second, make sure the wind is always at your back.
Third, carry a gallon can of gas. For ballast, of course.
Really, it started months ago with good work by Dave Langlois, who had the brake
shoes arced, then adjusted the brakes so there was no drag. The front wheel
bearings were also adjusted just right.
Dave replaced the pulled head stud last spring, and gave me back a car tuned to
specs, with all 4 carbs balanced. I've been getting about 22 MPG around town
since then.
As to the actual run, I put a little more air in the tires -- 34 rear and 24
front.
I coast down hills, with the clutch depressed, at idle. On a long hill on Frost
Road, I hit 55-60 MPH, a little over the limit; most other hills, I also
coasted, and when I do rev up to engage the clutch, I do it slowly to avoid
spritzing the carbs.
I drive like I have an egg [raw] between my foot and the accelerator pedal.
I try to time the lights so I roll through. When I do have to stop, then take
off ever so slowly, it irritates people behind me because I am doing the raw egg
thing. So I get some horns, some remarks about my lineage, and other drivers
pointing to the sky with their middle finger. I never did figure out what they
were pointing at.
It was a perfect New Mexico day. The drive had a good variety of conditions, but
might have been longer. Afterward, I had a very nice lunch at ROOTS in Tijeras,
a farm-to-table restaurant recommended by Huntoon.
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ECONORUN IN A VOLT
Joel Yelich
My wife Val and I attended this year's CNM EconoRun in a Chevrolet, but not our
Corvair due to a bad master cylinder. Our 2014 Chevrolet Volt carried four
adults in air-conditioned comfort through the route without burning any gas.
This particular Volt gets about 108 mpg although there are many ways to
calculate how much energy it uses. We bought it used in February 2016. Waiting
for the exact time when several factors pushed the price down was critical in
getting 64% off the original MSRP on a 19,000-mile car with every option. Oil
had plummeted to under $28 a barrel and few dealers wanted electric cars. Some
politicians and news outlets directly criticized the Volt and General Motors,
heavily creating a fog of bad information. (This reminds me a lot of another
Chevrolet model you might know.) So far we've had no mechanical problems and
little maintenance to do other than an oil change and tire rotations. The
odometer now reads 37,800 miles and we expect to do another oil change in a
year, plus perhaps replace the tires. Just prior to the EconoRun, Val commuted
to work for weeks using no gasoline, ultimately going 1,950 miles on 7 gallons
of gas plus electricity.
Common questions and answers, plus comments:
* How far can one go in our Volt on a single charge?
(about 40 miles on electric only, but unlimited by adding gas)
It varies by temperature, driving style and terrain, but we've gotten between
35-45 pure electric miles on a charge. The car is unlimited in actual range if
one discounts adding gas. Gasoline MPG is roughly 40 mpg, but can also vary a
lot just like any gas car. I'm sure Consumer Reports managed to get an extremely
low figure.
* How long does it take to fully charge the battery?
(10 hours at 120 volts or 3 hours at 240 volts)
Our original 120-volt charger that came with the car took at least 10 hours when
the car's battery was at zero miles. Our 240-volt charger, which cost ~$300
used, can fully charge the car in just over 3 hours.
* What kind of engine and battery does it have?
(111 kW electric and 1.4 liter 4 cyl gas)
When the battery is in need of help the car uses its 1.4-liter gas powered 4
cylinder engine that generates power via a 55 kW generator for the 111 kW motor
(149 hp) delivering 273 lb.ft (370 N.m) of torque. This design can be compared
to a diesel-electric locomotive where the diesel engines provide electricity for
the drive motors, but do not drive the traction wheels directly. It has a 16.5
kW.h lithium-ion battery.
* Why did you need an oil change if it's an electric car?
(the gas engine needs oil changes)
The Volt has both a gas engine and an electric engine. The gas engine needs
infrequent, but periodic maintenance. The onboard computer also monitors how
frequently the engine is run so it can start periodically to prevent problems
from sitting too long.
* How long will the battery last?
(10-20 years)
The battery life is expected to be over a decade, however some calculations have
the battery lasting much longer since the gas engine protects the battery from
being damaged by depletion. One calculation has the battery losing half its
capacity after 20+ years.
* What are the drawbacks to the Volt?
(it's a small car and it takes some work to buy one cheaply)
The infotainment system is complex as with many modern cars. The A-pillar and
C-pillars are wide requiring some extra attention. The rear seat is only two
passengers although the 2016 model has a small middle passenger seat. The
initial cost is much higher than a conventional car unless one gets a good deal
on a used model. However, that isn't so difficult to do -- email me. The car
requires premium gas because of the high compression engine. Very low
temperatures will cause the gas engine to run occasionally to protect the
battery, although this isn't much of a negative. The heater can use a lot of
power.
* Why did you pay so little for your Volt?
(gas is cheap and people dislike General Motors)
This was due to many factors although mainly because fuel is cheap and GM's
marketing for the Volt is poor. The Nissan Leaf has terrible residual resale
value and this tends to lower the value of all-electric powered vehicles despite
the Leaf being very different. All the dealers we visited had little
understanding of the car and had the batteries discharged relying on
gas/generator power for test drives. The Federal tax credit for electric
vehicles doesn't apply to used purchases, but that credit permanently lowers the
price. Neighboring states like Colorado have a massive state tax incentive that
drives down the price of new and thus used Volts. After test driving our car, we
immediately told the dealer that we had several options for vehicles and planned
to fly to Denver to get a car if they didn't meet our price.
* What does it cost to charge the car?
(half the cost of gasoline)
This varies widely, but my rough calculation when we first bought the car
including all charges was $1 per 35 miles. Our neighbor with a large
photovoltaic solar panel array thinks we should charge from the sun, but this
would be extremely expensive in initial cost and eventual tax lightning by Santa
Fe County on property improvements. We'll recover our additional cost of buying
the Volt versus a Cruze for example in less than five years. You can't do this
when buying a new Volt since the price is so high versus used.
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A SEAT RESURRECTION
Robert Gold
All CNM'ers know that we have among us the owners of House of Covers, one of the
preeminent upholstery shops in town, Rita and Steve Gongora. My story could well
involve the magic performed by the House of Covers staff, but alas, this tale is
about a smaller shop owned by Jim and Jerry Tanny. These two brothers have been
stitching upholstery for over 40 years and recently they performed a
transformation on a seat for me that I feel compelled to share with all of you.
The story begins with the fact that recently I talked fellow CNM'er, Bob
McBreen, into selling me back a car that I sold him 'way back in 1989. That's
some 28 years, but who's counting? That car is special to me because it is my
first Corvair EVER. I bought it in 1982 from the guy who owned Dave Langlois'
shop before Dave owned it.
Once I got the 1966 Monza back I decided to transform it into a different kind
of Corvair from the one I created in 1982. Back then I was mesmerized by the
power and style of a Corsa, so that's what I turned the Monza into. I installed
a 140 engine, a four-speed, and of course a Corsa dash. Turn the clock up 35
years and I now wanted to go the other way. My vision encompassed a 95 hp
engine, a powerglide, a Monza-type dash, and the pearl of the change, a bench
seat.
In case you don't know it, Corvair bench seats aren't very common. Even if you
located one somewhere out of town, the shipping would be crazy. So with my
fingers crossed I looked around for a local one. Wonder of wonders, I located
one. Dave Langlois, of all people, had one that was sitting in a junked out 1966
Corvair 500. The problem was that the seat had been sitting out in the weather
since Ralph Nader was learning to write. What I got from Dave was a bunch of
rusty springs that had the general appearance of a bench seat. That's when the
Tanny brothers came to the rescue.
I'm not going into a description of what they did. As they say, a picture is
worth a thousand words, so take a look at the before and after pictures and try
to tell me they didn't resurrect that seat. I thank them. More important, my
newly configured Monza thanks them!
-- Robert Gold
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LIMBO ROCK -- CAR COUNCIL BOARD MEETING
Robert Gold
The notice for this board meeting was a bit vague. I was informed that it would
focus on the swap meet. I was hoping there would be info on the fate of the 2018
event. I was even hoping there would be an announcement about how the event was
now secure and would take place in the way it had in the past. Alas, this was
not the case.
When we convened at Mario's on 4th Street I came to understand that most of the
time would be spent talking about the 2017 effort and eating dinner. Since 7:00
pm is a bit late for me for dinner, I already had eaten before I arrived, so I
watched as most of the Board gobbled down various Mario treats. Anyway,
concerning the 2017 Swap Meet, revenues were down a bit due to the reduced area
that we were given to use. Because of the reduced revenues we also reduced how
much we will donate to the Village of Los Lunas from $1500 to $1000. I
personally hope the Village gets the message about what happens when they reduce
their support of our event.
My hope for the Village understanding most anything was quickly dashed when
Joyce Clements gave her report about plans for next year. My interpretation of
what she said is that we shouldn't get our hopes up about that event. If we are
allowed to go forward, it will probably be in a smaller area than even this
year. What's more, we probably won't know anything firm until as late as next
May. It looks like we'll be held in limbo for quite a while by the Village folks
before they make a decision. Also on the depressing side, Joyce let it be known
that under no circumstances will she be heading up the event. Her era has come
to an end.
For the 2018 event, the "canary in the coal mine" will be how the Village
responds to the 66 Rodders Swap Meet that is held in May. If they get shown the
door, we will probably be not far behind. I'm glad I wasn't eating, because all
that news left a truly bad taste in my mouth. So it's looking like this is the
end of a nice relationship, however, we'll need to wait 'til next year to know
for sure.
That was the crux of the meeting. Before I left Marios the Board was given the
following dates for next year's Council events:
May 20, 2018 - Museum Car Show
August 12, 2018 - All Clubs Picnic
September 28-30, 2018 - Swap Meet
Oh yes, one more thing. It turns out that next week's regular meeting will mark
the 40th Anniversary of the Car Council. We'll be serving cake to commemorate
that milestone.
That's all for now. I don't know if I made the right decision to skip our CNM
Board meeting for this, but there you have it. -- Robert Gold
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TREASURY REPORT FOR 09-20-2017 to 10-16-2017 Robert Gold
DATE CHECK# AMOUNT PAYEE DESCRIPTION BALANCE = $7,010.55
========== ==== ========== =========== =========================================
2017.10.03 2298 -$ 200.00 H.Wilvert Tri-State Expenses -$ 200.00
2017.10.03 +$ Dues R.Cochran 12 m CNM & CORSA $ 70.00
2017.07.15 +$ Dues H.Wilvert 26 m CNM $ 50.00
2017.10.03 +$ Dues L.Haynes 12 m CNM $ 25.00
2017.10.03 +$ Dues L.Yoffee 26 m CNM $ 50.00
2017.10.06 2301 -$ 58.80 J.Wiker Econorun Plaque -$ 58.80
2017.08.03 2302 -$ 123.63 H.Pittman Newsletter Printing SEP 2017 -$ 31.18
2017.08.03 -$ H.Pittman Newsletter Postage 41 x $0.68 -$ 27.88
2017.08.03 -$ H.Pittman Newsletter Printing OCT 2017 -$ 36.01
2017.08.03 -$ H.Pittman Newsletter Postage 42 x $0.68 -$ 28.56
2017.10.13 +$ 105.00 Dues J.McMahan 12 m CNM $ 25.00
2017.10.13 +$ Dues R.Gonzales 12 m CNM $ 25.00
2017.10.13 +$ Dues Alan Gold 26 m CNM $ 50.00
2017.10.13 +$ Merchandise Merchandise $ 5.00
========== ==== ========== =========== =========================================
2017.11.01 NOV NEWSLETTER ========================================== $6,928.12
================================================================================
====== If you have any concerns or questions about this report please =====
====== contact Robert Gold at 505-268-6878 or email: beisbol30 msn.com =====
================================================================================
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============================================================================
| November 2017 | December 2017 | January 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 | 1 2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
| 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 | 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 |
| 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 | 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 | 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
| 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 | 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 | 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 |
| 26 27 28 29 30 | 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 | 28 29 30 31 |
| | 31 | |
============================================================================
WED 01 NOV 7:00 PM Meeting: NORTH DOMINGO BACA MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER,
at Wyoming & Carmel, north of Wyoming & Paseo del Norte NE.
After the meeting, we may go to "JASON'S DELI" at 5920 Holly Ave. NE.
SAT 04 NOV 5:00 PM Auction / Bingo / Potluck at HOUSE OF COVERS
SUN 05 NOV 2:00 AM --- Set your clocks forward an hour because the
government stole an hour out of your life back in March.
WED 15 NOV 5:00 PM Board Meeting: HIGHLAND SENIOR CENTER at 131 Monroe NE
FRI 24 NOV 9:00 PM Deadline for items for December newsletter
============================================================================
WED 06 DEC 7:00 PM Meeting: NORTH DOMINGO BACA MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER.
SAT 09 DEC ....... Christmas Party / Dinner / Celebration!
WED 20 DEC 5:00 PM Board Meeting: HIGHLAND SENIOR CENTER at 131 Monroe NE
FRI 22 DEC 9:00 PM Deadline for items for January 2018 newsletter
============================================================================
WED 03 JAN 7:00 PM Meeting: NORTH DOMINGO BACA MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER.
WED 17 JAN 5:00 PM Board Meeting: HIGHLAND SENIOR CENTER at 131 Monroe NE
WED 24 JAN 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
FRI 26 JAN 9:00 PM Deadline for items for February newsletter
============================================================================
WED 07 FEB 7:00 PM Meeting: NORTH DOMINGO BACA MULTIGENERATIONAL CENTER.
WED 21 FEB 5:00 PM Board Meeting: HIGHLAND SENIOR CENTER at 131 Monroe NE
FRI 23 FEB 9:00 PM Deadline for items for March newsletter
WED 28 FEB 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
============================================================================
See the New Mexico Council of Car Clubs Web Site for more "NMCCC" activities
======================== http://www.nmcarcouncil.com/ ======================
PHOTO: Waiting to drive onto the field, October 2010.
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SEVEN YEARS AGO [ NOVEMBER 2017 VOL 43 Nr 11 ISSUE 506 ]
Jim Pittman
2010 Vol 36 Nr11 # 422
COVER: Waiting to drive into the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. We published obits
for Robert Garrecht and Julia Vertrees. October elections: David Huntoon,
President; Ray Trujillo, VP; Robert Gold, Treasurer; Art Gold, Secretary. A new
member was David Franck and his 1964 coupe. For our Christmas party we would be
collecting items for The Safe House. Brenda Stickler was at work planning the
2011 Red River Tri-State. We discussed changes to the Ike Meissner Award. Heula
reported on a wonderful drive-in to the Balloon Fiesta with other classic cars.
Richard Finch told how to build an engine removal cart. A tech tip from
Corvanatics discussed steering adjustments.
2003 Vol29 Nr11 #338
Cover: our Library Van. Sylvan passed the torch to a new publisher, Heula, and
to a new membership chair, David. We met in the parking lot of the Saturn
dealership. Wendell reported $5,637.39. We appreciated Mark Martinek for his
work as Car Council representative as Robert Gold took over this job. Election
results: President, Mark Domzalski; VP, Sally Johnson; Secretary, Chuck
Vertrees; Treasurer, Wendell Walker. An Owl Cafe breakfast was coming up as was
a potluck at House of Covers. Rita reported plans for the Christmas dinner at
Kirtland AFB. Steve Goodman commented sloppy work on a Greenbrier. A second
muffler had been installed with a bracket that made it impossible to remove the
oil pan. There was also too much silicon RTV on a new oil pan gasket. Del Patten
took his purple Corsa to Provo, UT, Las Vegas, NV and Riverside, CA. Anne Mae
Gold said the "CNM Ladies" were still meeting. Robert Gold reported on the State
Fair, then gave us a terrific article on driving home from Bella Vista in a 1965
Corsa convertible -- with NO BRAKES.
1996 Vol 22 Nr11 #254
Driving past the end of NM 536 at the crest. A guest wanted to sell an inherited
Corvair. Treasurer Will reported $1,288. Sylvan introduced Paul Campbell who
bought a 1965 Monza and found a copy of "Care & Feeding" in the glove box. The
Old Town "Unfair" car show was a success. Bill Reider provided convention
details. Some 56 people worked on the convention. Bill and Debbie received many
expressions of thanks for the fine job we did. There was $15,583.40 in the
convention account with all bills paid. We sent $7,831.36 to CORSA, $1,000 to
the Corvair Preservation Society, $250 to the San Diego club's "ResQ-921"
project, and $250 to the Michelle Goffe Foundation.
Election: Mark Domzalski, President; Jon Anderson, VP; Charles Vertrees,
Secretary; Will Davis, Treasurer.
Our "Convention How-to" packet was nearly ready to send to CORSA. Larry Blair
announced a carburetor rebuild session to be directed by carbmeister Sylvan.
Rita previewed our Christmas party. Debbie said there were plenty of CNM
cookbooks for Christmas presents. Mark told us of an upcoming "Ethnic Potluck"
with German, Italian, Japanese, Cajun, Polish, English and Mexican dishes. Mark
told how to winterize a Rampside to keep cold air out. Mary Lou told about
having her convertible filmed by a Czech crew for Israeli television. Chuck told
the history of the forward control locomotives used by the Southern Pacific
railroad in the 1940s to climb steep grades in the Sierra Nevadas.
1989 Vol 15 Nr11 #110
A 1960 Corvair was the subject of a Road & Track road test. We had $678 in the
bank. LeRoy reported on a successful swap meet. Bob McBreen and William Denison
were new members. We planned a newsletter exchange with other chapters.
Twenty-five Ultra Vans were at the Balloon Fiesta this year. We elected Dale
Housley, Tom Martin, Brian Zolna and Charles Vertrees as our officers. Tom's
column, LA VENTANA, told about past president Bill Hector's Corvair career.
Bill's CARE & FEEDING column featured the new driving control computer in his
1967 sedan. Jim told about test driving the new 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Tech: a
cylinder head temperature sensor adapter and effective use of a voltmeter.
1982 Vol 8 Nr11 # 86
Robin DeVore reported $355 in the bank. No word from CORSA about our bid for a
convention. We elected LeRoy Rogers, George Morin, Chuck Hollingsworth and Bill
Hector. Guest Mike Wiener showed his collection of license plates. We wanted the
legislature to approve a special license plate for old cars. Tech: Fill your new
oil filter with oil before installing. What about oil additives? Cal Clark's way
to adjust valves. Jim described our recent trip to Trinity Site where we stood
on the site of the first atomic bomb.
1975 Vol 1 Nr10 # 10
Mark Morgan's "Cavalier" was a Corsa modified for handling and styling. How many
were made? Do any survive? At our last meeting we had 32 members and guests and
membership stood at 52. We hoped to become a fully chartered CORSA chapter.
Election: Sylvan Zuercher, Joel Nash, Steve Gongora - Secretary-treasurer was
one job then. Mark Morgan reviewed the new Chevrolet "Monza Spyder" and didn't
like it. This month's new members were Brian Ballou, Ralph DeBush, O.C. Love and
Fletch Miller.
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Enchanted Corvairs Newsletter is published monthly by Corvairs of New Mexico,
chartered Chapter #871 of CORSA, the Corvair Society of America. Copyright by
the Authors and by Corvairs of New Mexico. Articles may be reprinted in any
CORSA publication as a service to CORSA members, provided credit to the Author
and this Newsletter is clearly stated. All opinions are those of the Author or
Editor and are not necessarily endorsed by Corvairs of New Mexico or CORSA.
Material for publication should reach the Editor by the 15th of the month. Send
material via e-mail ( jimp @ unm.edu ) or submit a readable manuscript. I prefer
ASCII TEXT, but MS Word or RTF are fine. Photographs are welcome. 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.
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=END=