The August 2019 newsletter - Text Version
Updated 29-Jul-2019 ==== Copyright (c) 2019 Corvairs of New Mexico
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August 2019 / VOLUME 45 / NUMBER 8 / ISSUE 527
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First Place, Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, 2005 & 2012
Third Place, Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, 2010
EDITOR Jim Pittman
MEETING Regular Meeting: Saturday August 3rd, 2019, 10:00 AM
Highland Senior Center, 131 Monroe NE Albuquerque NM 87108
THIS MONTH
President's Letter ................................. Dave Allin
Dues Due Dates ........................... Membership Committee
July Regular Meeting ................................. Kay Sutt
July Board Meeting ................................... Kay Sutt
Classic Car Appreciation Day ...................... Vickie Hall
Birthdays & Anniversaries ............................ Sunshine
Thoughts on Corvair Design ......................... Dave Allin
Positive Approach to Caster ............. Brent Covey VAIR-IETY
It's a Test ....................................... Jim Pittman
Treasury Report ................................. Steve Gongora
Calendar of Coming Events .................. Board of Directors
August: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 Years Ago ........ Club Historian
COVER: Vickie shows off her pink Alamosa Tri-State T-Shirt
LeRoy, Lloyd, Tony, Joel, David, Larry, Bob, Fred, Lesha
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OFFICERS and VOLUNTEERS
President Dave Allin 505-410-9668 dnjallin comcast.net
Vice President David Huntoon 505-281-9616 corvair66 aol.com
Co-secretary Linda Soukup 763-226-0707 studeboytony gmail.com
Co-secretary Kay Sutt 505-471-1153 tarmo juno.com
Treasurer Steve Gongora 505-220-7401 stevegongora msn.com
Car Council Dave Allin 505-410-9668 dnjallin comcast.net
Membership David Huntoon 505-281-9616 corvair66 aol.com
Merchandise Vickie Hall 505-865-5574 patandvickiehall q.com
Sunshine Heula Pittman 505-275-2195 heula q.com
Newsletter Jim Pittman 505-275-2195 jimp unm.edu
Old Route 66 David Huntoon 505-281-9616 corvair66 aol.com
Past President Ray Trujillo 505-814-8373 rtrujilloabq505 gmail.com
Past President Pat Hall 505-620-5574 patandvickiehall q.com
Past Vice-Pres Tarmo Sutt 505-690-2046 tarmo juno.com
MEETINGS: First Saturday of each Month at 10:00 AM
Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe 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
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DUES DUE DATES AUGUST 2019
DUE LAST MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2019.07 ======= NONE =======
DUE THIS MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2019.08 Kathy & Larry Blair 25-SEP-2019
2019.08 Anne & Geoffrey Johnson 25-SEP-2019
DUE NEXT MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2019.09 Tracey & John McMahan 25-OCT-2019
2019.09 Valerie Nye & Joel Yelich 25-OCT-2019
DUE OCTOBER 2019 ==================== INACTIVE DATE
2019.10 Debra & Jon Anderson 25-NOV-2019
2019.10 Jenny & Phil Finch 25-NOV-2019
2019.10 Alan Gold 25-NOV-2019
2019.10 Vickie & Pat Hall 25-NOV-2019
2019.10 Curtis L Shimp 25-NOV-2019
2019.10 Sylvia & Ray Trujillo 25-NOV-2019
INACTIVE ============================ INACTIVE DATE
2019.01 Carolyn & Dan Palmer 25-FEB-2019
2019.02 Mike Butler 25-MAR-2019
2019.03 Brenda Wilvert 25-APR-2019
2019.06 Brenda Stickler 25-JUL-2019
Send your Dues to:
CNM Treasurer -- Steve Gongora, House of Covers
115 Richmond NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
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 27-Jul-2018 we have 41 active family memberships.
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PRESIDENT'S LETTER
Dave Allin
Summer's here, and my car's overheating. Actually, it began having problems in
May, on the drive up to Alamosa. While the gauge on my Corsa dash, added by a
previous owner, shows the temperature to be normal, under extreme conditions the
temperature light will come on. As other club members have explained to me, the
sensor for the gauge is on the left bank of cylinders, and the sensor for the
light is on the right bank, and that may explain the discrepancy in the
readings. Thus began my search for an easy solution to the problem.
First, in Alamosa, David Huntoon and Tarmo Sutt worked on the doors in the lower
shrouds that control the airflow, thinking one of them was not opening properly.
Unfortunately, that was not the problem. Next I purchased a laser digital
thermometer so I could actually measure the temperature of each bank, and found
that the right bank was indeed getting much hotter than the left. The consensus
among club members was that something had been sucked in through the fan and was
blocking the airflow around the cylinders. In the hopes that I could find that
object without a major disassembly of the engine, I bought an endoscope and
pushed the little camera in through the spark-plug holes to look around. There
was nothing to be seen.
Next I bought an anemometer to actually measure the airflow coming out of the
lower shrouds, and determined that the air speed out the left bank was twice
that of the right bank, confirming that airflow was indeed the problem. So I
jacked up the car, removed the right lower shroud, and hoped I would see
something useful. All I found was a small scrap of paper dangling from one of
the cylinder fins, but that may be a sign of what is causing the overheating. A
paper towel or something may have been sucked in, shredded, and filled in the
spaces between the cooling fins. Having eliminated all other possibilities, it
is now obvious that the only solution is to remove the top shroud and clean out
around the cylinder pots. Fortunately for me, Tarmo and David have volunteered
to help with this complicated task, as soon as we can find a time when all of us
will be available, since it looks to be an all-day job.
This is why I joined the club. It's not enough to just buy an old car and hope
it runs well. A person needs the support and wisdom of other owners, people who
have had similar experiences and learned the best ways to overcome them. And I
am fortunate to be in such a great Corvair club with knowledgeable people who
have mechanical skills I lack. Thank you, Corvairs of New Mexico, for being my
support group.
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GENERAL MEETING MINUTES OF 07/06/2019
Kay Sutt
The meeting was called to order by President Dave Allin at 10:15 A.M. at
Highland Senior Center with eighteen members in attendance.
Guest: Michael Bertrane, the Corvair Vagabond, will be working in NM for the
next several weeks and visited the club. Welcome Michael!
VP's Report: David Huntoon reported we have gained another new member, Lloyd
Piatt. Lloyd has attended the last few Tri-State meets with Tarmo, and he owned
Corvairs in the 1970's. Welcome, Lloyd!
Treasurer's Report: Steve Gongora reported after the most recent bank statement
was reconciled the account contains $6,869.15.
Newsletter Report: Jim Pittman reported the deadline for the next newsletter is
9 P.M. on Friday, 07/26/2019.
Merchandise Committee Report: Vickie reported no sales or other activity.
Secretaries' Reports: The minutes of the last meeting as published in the
newsletter were approved by the members present.
Old Business:
The "Care and Feeding..." manual is here! It has been published, and a copy will
be presented to new members for free. Copies are $5 for existing members.
Clark's Corvair Parts has been selling a few of these, and reprints can be made
available if they need more.
Steve Gongora reports there has been a request for lighter CNM jackets. He will
get a cost for these, and both jackets and t-shirts can be printed if others
want them. Let Steve know your needs.
New Business:
This is the first meeting since we learned of John Wiker's death. Several
members spoke about his funeral. About a dozen CNM members brought cars to honor
him, both at the church and at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe. John was an
active club member of CNM for many years and the recipient of both the Francis
Boydston and the Ike Meissner awards during those years. Also in attendance at
the funeral were numerous of John's students and military colleagues. John will
be missed.
David Huntoon will be responsible for getting name tags for new members.
The Club agreed to provide paper products for the All Clubs Picnic later this
summer.
The club will participate in the State Fair Car Show again this year, the same
as in years past.
Tarmo & Kay Sutt offered to lead a September "Aspencade Drive" to view the fall
foliage, with a route and date to be determined.
Tri-State Progress: The 2020 Tri-State meet in Albuquerque date has been
finalized for May 15-17, 2020 to coincide with the Albuquerque Museum Car Show
on Sunday the 18th. The contract for the hotel and the banquet have been signed.
The Marriott Pyramid just off I-25 at the north end of Albuquerque will be the
location.
Dave Allin gave a quick run-down of the hotel facilities for attendees. There
will be a suite near the lobby for registration, hospitality and silent auction
items; the hotel will allow us to bring in our own food/drinks. We have
guaranteed 40 rooms with the hotel at a cost of ~$112 per night, including
taxes. The hotel will honor that price for two days before and two days after
the meet for those who wish to spend some more time exploring Albuquerque and
the surrounding area. The banquet facilities are available to us, including a
stage and microphone/podium; audio/visual equipment will cost $400, or we can
provide our own. Several options are available regarding the meal, but best
estimate is the cost will be around $40 per person. Therefore, the cost to
attendees will be virtually the same as the Alamosa meet, costs will just be
distributed a bit differently between lodging and banquet.
The hotel will rope off a section of their large parking lot for our car
display, and they have a large area in the rear we can use to wash cars for the
show; the club will have to provide hoses and buckets. There are restaurant
facilities on-site as well as several other restaurants nearby. The hotel offers
some on-site security, and they will contact APD to ask for additional drive-by
surveillance for the event; the hotel can assist the club book additional
security from their provider at a cost of $25 per hour.
Dave Allin has scoped out two potential vacant lot sites nearby for tethered
balloon rides if people wish to participate. That event will have to be early,
usually around 7 to 9 A.M. to take advantage of the cooler air. Although there
is no charge for the rides, the balloonists do ask for donations (generally
around $10 p/p) to cover the cost of propane for the balloon's burners. One of
the sites is very close to the Hello Deli restaurant where there is a Cars and
Coffee event every Saturday morning, so attendees can drop in to watch the
impromptu show early Saturday morning of the meet. People who have attended this
event recently indicate it is a great show of local cars, both collectors and
exotics, and it generally runs from about 7 to 9 A.M. Of course, the Museum Car
Show will be the Sunday following the meet near Old Town; there are typically
over 400 cars at this show including collector, exotic and custom-built cars
from all eras.
It was suggested we make a special attempt to contact the Arizona Corvair club,
since this will be the closest the meet has been for them to drive for many
years.
A "Casual Thursday" dinner at El Pinto Restaurant was suggested as a way for
early arrivals to meet and catch up on events since the very successful Alamosa
meet.
Suggestions for a nationally-known speaker were discussed/reported earlier.
Larry Blair also suggested Albuquerque/NM have a strong connection with
America's space program, and there is a possibility of tapping several
astronauts who might be willing to speak and answer questions.
The committees are getting into action, and anyone who wishes to participate in
the planning and operation of the Albuquerque 2020 Tri-State meet should contact
Dave Allin, who has agreed to chair the event.
Terry Price urged CNM members to consider staying at the hotel the two nights of
the rally in order to take full advantage of the events and fun planned for the
meet.
Announcements
Bill Reider's car is listed for sale in the current CORSA Communique, so help
Bill and Lee out by sending any possible buyers you know their way. Note to
anyone outside Albuquerque that the area code in the ad is incorrect. Bill is
accepting visitors at his new address of 6809 Kentucky Court since travel has
become difficult for him.
Tarmo Sutt reported he won the trophy for '60-'69 cars at this year's Santa Fe
Fourth of July show on the Plaza. Seems like Corvairs are getting a lot of
attention these days!
The meeting was adjourned about 11:30.
Attending: Dave Allin; Tony Berbig; Larry Blair; Fred Edeskuty; Steve Gongora;
Pat Hall; Vickie Hall; David Huntoon; Gordon Johnson; Janet Johnson; Steve
Johnson; Bob Kitts; Lube Lubert; Jim Pittman; Terry Price; LeRoy Rogers; Linda
Soukup; Kay Sutt; Tarmo Sutt; Guest: Mike Bertran.
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BOARD MEETING MINUTES OF 07/17/2019
Kay Sutt
The meeting was called to order by President Dave Allin at 5:10 PM, with David
Huntoon, Vice President, Kay Sutt, Co-secretary and member Tarmo Sutt present.
VP David Huntoon reported the Old Route 66 cleanup took place, but with limited
club participation. No date for the next cleanup is set yet.
The next club general meeting is Saturday, August 3, 10:00 AM.
Elections for CNM officers takes place in October. President Dave will mention
at the next meeting the upcoming election and ask people to bring forward
nominations, or offers to serve, by the September meeting. The election will
then proceed at the October meeting, as normal.
It is time to start discussing the CNM Christmas Party. VP David Huntoon
suggested the Copper Canyon again, possibly the first Saturday in December (Dec.
7). This venue was successful for two luncheons last year. Since the restaurant
closes at 4:00, we will have to meet for a late lunch. David will check with the
restaurant regarding when arrangements need to be made.
The All-Car Council Club picnic is scheduled for Sunday, August 4. It was agreed
CNM would provide either paper plates or bottled water for the event, depending
on the Car Council's needs. Volunteers will be needed from about 8:30 AM until
cleanup in mid-afternoon for various duties. The picnic runs from about 11:00
until about 2:00.
VP David submitted a notice to CORSA for publication of John Wiker's passing.
There was discussion of an August CNM club activity. Suggestions included a club
picnic, a breakfast get-together, a day trip, the possibility of club
participation/attendance at the Santa Fe Cruise Night in August and another day
to diagnose President Dave's continuing engine overheating issue. It was agreed,
the options would be presented to the membership at the next meeting for
approval of their favorite.
Tri-State Meet 2020 was the source of the most discussion at the meeting.
President Dave has generated a sign-up sheet for duties which he will present at
next month's meeting for members to begin signing up. Tarmo found a person to
build and host the website. Some of you will remember Tami Moore from past
Tri-State meets. This is her primary business, and she has offered the club this
service gratis. Discussion indicates the website should be built, at least in a
skeletal form, by September/October, and we can flesh it out as committees
finish their work. Notice of the meet needs to go into CORSA as soon as we have
the website available to get people reserving hotel rooms and registering for
the meet. If we want to have games at the car show, we need to see if Pat and
Vickie Hall still have their game boards, and if anyone has suggestions for
other games. President Dave wants to have awards "better than a piece of paper"
for this meet, and some fun/surprising awards as well as the standard "best of"
categories.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:15 PM.
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FOR NEWSLETTER WITH ONLY ONE PICTURE!
Vickie Hall
We, in our yellow Corvair, Bill Darcy in his blue Corvair, Bill Darcy's
granddaughter Conner in her black Corvair and Lube Lubert in his classic truck
attended the National Collector Car Appreciation Day on July 13th at the Hub
City Brewing Rail Cafe at the Rail Runner Station in Belen, NM.
There was a really good showing of vehicles. Lots more people than the Cafe
expected, so they had to call in another cook in order to keep up with the food
orders. The Cafe offered green chili cheeseburgers or brats, but the wait time
was long.
It looked like most everyone enjoyed seeing the variety of vehicles that showed
up. We Corvair enthusiasts certainly did!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES TO AUGUST CNM'ERS:
Geoffrey Johnson
Steve Johnson
Mark L Morgan
Sarah Price
Lee Reider
Larry Yoffee
HAPPY AUGUST ANNIVERSARIES TO:
Anne & Geoffrey Johnson
Sylvia & Ray Trujillo
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THOUGHTS ON CORVAIR DESIGN
Dave Allin
Recently I read a comment on-line that suggested that early Corvairs were the
"ugly ducklings" that grew into beautiful swans in 1965, but I felt that was
really unfair. I believe all Corvairs have their own unique style and beauty,
and the early cars were greatly admired for their styling at the time. And don't
just take my word for it; look at how many automotive designers around the world
copied the basic design theme.
The most direct copies of the early Corvair are the NSU Prinz from Germany and
the Soviet-made Zaparozhets. Both were small rear-engined cars with the same
belt-line ridge that circled the body, deviating from the Corvair design only in
the number of headlights and taillights. The Hillman Imp was a very similar
design as well, one that in 1967 led me to think I might buy one, which was sold
in the U.S. as the Sunbeam Imp. The Imp came and went in this country so quickly
that by the time I was ready to buy, it was no longer available. Reports of its
mechanical unreliability indicate I may have been lucky to have missed out.
The Simca 1000 and Renault R-8 also borrowed design elements from the early
Corvairs. The Simca applied them to a front-engined car, and the Renault
distinguished itself by the V-shaped crease in the hood, an odd feature that was
eliminated in the R-10, a virtually identical car with a bigger and flatter
nose. I actually bought a brand-new R-10 in 1968, and I loved it, despite the
fact that the silver paint quickly discolored with dark grey leopard spots. Then
there's the Citroen Ami, a typically bizarre French car that took the Corvair
design in extreme directions that pleased virtually no one.
The second generation of the VW Karman Ghia, never sold here in the States,
bears some resemblance to the early Corvair coupes, but the most successful car
that borrowed the theme was undoubtedly the BMW 1600, which later evolved into
the famous 2002tii. That car influenced all BMW cars for many years, and some
design elements continue through today.
The early Corvair was quite different from other American cars, with a definite
European influence, and that may have been off-putting for many Americans. The
Europeans, however, saw it as revolutionary, and quickly copied it. General
Motors, being more concerned with sales than prestige, went in a different
direction in 1965.
The rooflines of the early Corvairs, while borrowed from the GM big cars of
1960, lived on far past those designs in other GM makes. The flat roof of the
four-doors had appeared in 1959 on Cadillacs and other GM full-size cars, but
was phased out after 1961 for all but the Corvair, where it remained until 1965.
The shape of the two-door roof on Corvairs was almost identical to the "bubble
roof" on full-size GM coupes in 1960 and 1961, such as the Impala and Ventura.
Those full-size coupes are now the most prized cars of that era, but that
beautiful airy design was dropped for 1962, again, except for Corvair, which
continued with it until the final production coupe in 1969.
The Forward Control trucks and vans introduced by Corvair were quickly copied by
Ford and Dodge, so their design was clearly excellent. The Corvair FC's uneven
load floor, necessitated by the rear engine, did not compare well with the Ford
and Dodge, however, even though these two had the engine awkwardly placed
between the front seats.
As always, sales figures drove decision making. Thus the Corvair, including the
pickup with its innovative and labor-saving Rampside, had to give way to a more
conventional Chevy van.
For 1965 Chevy totally redesigned the Corvair, and took cues from the Stingray.
The pointed nose and the fender humps over the wheels totally changed the
Corvair's look, transforming it from a family car to a sporty car. It looked
beautiful then, and still does today.
The four-door, with its more contemporary roof line, looked just as good as the
coupe, and it was the only hardtop four door available in the compact class. The
design theme of the later Corvairs was shared by the 1965 Impala, and influenced
the 1967 Camaro, but was not extensively copied by the Europeans. True, some
late '60's Ferraris and Maseratis have similar lines, but those may have been
more influenced by the Stingray than the Corvair. The shape of the late
Corvairs, while not as unique as the early cars, has clearly stood the test of
time, and is generally regarded as one of the best-looking cars of the sixties.
To sum up, Corvairs were very different from their contemporaries, both in
engineering and in style, and remain unique to this day, which is why we love
them. There is nothing that looks or drives like a Corvair, which may explain
why it has one of the most extensive club networks in the nation.
Of the many ground-breaking cars that General Motors has introduced and then
abandoned (Pontiac Fiero, Saturn, Allante), Corvair remains the most admired and
collectible. People know a good thing when they see it.
1. 1961 Pontiac
2. 1963 Stingray
3. 1965 Impala
4. 1967 Camaro
5. BMW 1600
6. Citroen Ami
7. Corvair Rampside
8. Dodge A-100
9. Ford Econoline
10. Hillman Imp
11. Karman Ghia
12. NSU Prinz
13. Renault R-8
14. Simca 1000
15. Zaparozhets
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CORVAIR OWNERS NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY THEIR
WHEELS TRACK DOWN THE ROAD WHILE HANDLING BUMPS AND CURVES.
THIS ARTICLE MAY HELP. IT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE JULY 2001
ENCHANTED CORVAIRS NEWSLETTER, AND WAS REPRINTED FROM
VAIR-IETY, THE PUGET SOUND CORVAIR CLUB'S NEWSLETTER.
POSITIVE APPROACH TO CASTER -- WESTERN CANADA CORSA
by Brent Covey
The late Corvair has a wider rear wheel track than the front track. The rear
axle is 1.5" wider than the front, and the wheelbase is nine feet long (108").
You need all four wheels 'toed-in' slightly, which means the front edges of all
four tires must point slightly at one another, by about 1/8" to 3/8" or so. This
is necessary for a couple reasons; not least of which is that the toe-in
compensates for the toe-out created from rolling drag on the tires as the car
drives along. Toe-in also adds substantial response and stability in small
amounts. Large amounts will wear tires faster, and make the car edgy in slippery
conditions, like ice and rain.
Also, on cars like Corvairs where the rear wheels can have toe set, they need
the rear wheels pointed to follow the front wheels. You don't want a situation
where you have proper toe-in on the rear tires, relative to each other, but they
are pointing slightly left or right as a team, and making the car go down the
road slightly sideways, which is called dog tracking.
On all four wheels, you want to set camber, which is the tipping in or out of
the top of the tires. A slight amount of positive camber is usually best for
normal driving, as it compensates for the side to side curvature of the road
crown, and it somewhat 'preloads' the tire carcass to increase response.
It also helps carry the weight on the tire treads in a central location, sort of
like the ball of your foot, which minimizes the amount of road shock that will
make its way back to the driver. In the old days, bias ply and bias belted tires
could be controlled a bit by extra camber also, they would pull the direction
they were tipped if a drivers side front tire was tipped out a little bit extra,
it would tend to pull the car towards the road crown, which helped keep the car
from needing correction on long straight highways by giving a slight lead to
left. Positive camber is the tires tipping outboard at the top of the sidewall,
like an ox cart. Negative camber is tipping inwards at the top, many Corvairs
and other cars you see with independent rear suspension have negative camber,
which can help cornering traction at very high speeds but wears tires rapidly on
the inside shoulder of the tread, and generally is undesirable. Zero camber is
what a solid axle has; the tires are absolutely square to the pavement.
There's a caster adjustment on the front tires as well. Caster is the distance
the tread of the tire follows the axis the spindles rotate around vertically.
The weight of the car and the drag of the wheels will create a force that helps
the steering self-center. This is done to enhance stability in straight ahead
driving, and large amounts of POSITIVE caster also help increase traction in
hard cornering as the tires will tip into a turn like a motorcycle and cancel
out some of the outward roll of the car body as the car corners. If you see a
Mercedes or BMW parked with the wheels turned sharply, you'll notice the tires
lean sharply into the turn direction. We'll want this, that's strong positive
caster.
When the car is being driven along the road, the motion of the suspension
changes these angles and their relative importance as the wheels move up and
down and turn, and these relationships are controlled in a way that encourages
good handling and preventing shock or strong feedback, like bump steer to the
driver. The settings we make at the curb with the car standing still are to a
large extent just poising the parts where their own mechanical action can take
over as the car is driven.
So here's where we're going. We want all four wheels very slightly tipped out at
the top, very slightly pointed together at the front edges, with lots of caster
(tips into turns) when the front tires are steered, and we have to accomplish
this while ensuring the steering wheel is pointed straight ahead when the car
is, and that the rear tires follow exactly in the track of the front.
To get these things all working together takes a little chasing around, as one
adjustment can affect the rest slightly, it's a relationship of angles we're
creating.
So, here's what to do;
Fill the gas tank, and load the car as it's usually operated, spare tire, jack,
tools etc. Park on a level floor. Make sure all the suspension parts can be
adjusted, which should be fine if you're recently rebuilt the suspension. Make
sure the tires are all inflated properly.
First we need the steering box on center, and adjusted.
Steering box adjustment is covered in the shop manual, and I won't go into it
here, but you will want the play removed about three turns on each side wheel to
relieve the pressure, and permit the big bracket to move freely left and right.
Now, sighting from the back, look across the sidewall and see if you can see the
FRONT tire on one side. If you can't, bump the bracket in slightly, and look
again. What we're trying to do, is just bring the front sidewall into view
across the 'horizon' formed across the sidewalls of the rear tire. By bumping
the bracket inwards (a heavy hammer on a 2"x4" block of wood held against the
bracket edge works good) or prying the bracket OUT with a long tool like a tire
iron gently against the body rail will permit you to bring the wheel into line
so the 'horizon' lines up right.
Try to make sure the bracket stays square in the body and doesn't get cocked to
one side or the other. When you feel you have the wheel in line, tighten two of
the four bolts to hold the adjustment and roll the car gently back and forth a
couple feet by hand to settle it and recheck. Do the same on the opposite rear
wheel, and lock its adjustment. Because the rear wheels are spaced slightly
wider than the fronts, by aiming them to point at the front tires, they will be
slightly toed in, and aimed in a way that they follow directly behind the front
wheels. In a perfect world, you'd have 0.34" total toe-in, which is about 5/16"
toe-in. This is perfect.
Now, go to the front end of the car, and loosen the tie rod clamps. Front wheel
toe-in is adjusted the same way, look across the 'horizon' formed across the
front tire sidewalls at the rear tires until you can just detect the rear
sidewalls at their widest point. It's VERY important that the steering wheel/box
remain in the dead centered position, which is why we tied it down, and put the
tape on the rim to see if it has moved. Make corrections as you go if need be.
Adjust both front tie rods so you get the tires lined pointed at the rears and
the box still 'on center.'
After this, you'll have 5/16" toe-in at the front, and at the rear, correct
camber and no dog tracking, with a centered steering wheel. This is not complete
yet however, this is just preliminary. But it is VERY accurate.
Caster is next, on the front wheels. If you are using larger than stock tires,
you'll be limited in how much caster you can get away with. Caster is adjusted
by lengthening the diagonal rod between the lower control arm, and the
crossmember. You want to back the rear nut off and tighten the front one to
INCREASE positive caster, and the reverse to decrease (make more negative) the
positive caster. As caster increases, it moves the tire forwards in the car body
(wheel opening) so, wide tires may get too close at extremes of adjustment.
The rearward nut on the strut rod used to adjust caster is a lock nut, but the
front one is a regular nut in most cases. Loosen the back one off first, it's
the tight one. Back the locknut out of the way a few turns. Get in the car, and
turn the front wheels to either side one turn exactly, and get the wheel pointed
straight up with the tape at the top. Go to the side that the wheels are turned
towards. Measure camber again, you should discover the tire is tipped outboard
slightly. If it isn't, lengthen the strut rod (back the nuts toward the rear) on
the side you're working on until the tire tips out about 1/4" at the top. Take
the slack up in the nuts when you have a fairly good tip out. Repeat the process
on the other side, and recheck camber with the wheels pointed straight ahead,
and make any minor corrections needed. Be sure to roll the car back and forth a
short distance to settle it out between adjustments occasionally. Check the rear
toe again, and if it's still correct (should be) secure the control arm brackets
tightly to the car body. Then WITHOUT JACKING THE CAR UP tighten up the four
slide adjustment small strut rod brackets at the transaxle crossmember, so they
are secure. This is awkward, but necessary. They MUST be tightened as a last
step, and with the weight on the car wheels. Recheck front toe by sighting again
at the rear wheels with the wheel centered. It should be close or perfect.
Tighten the clamps on the tie rods.
Now it's time for a short test ride.
Take the car for a ride on a good level straight road about 40 mph and see if it
has any pulling to one side or the other, and that the steering wheel is
centered when the car is driven in a straight line. If it pulls to one side, it
means you need either more caster on the side it pulls towards, or less on the
side it pulls away from. Usually it's best to add caster from the preliminary
adjustment. If the car drifts or pulls RIGHT as example, you will want to back
the nuts towards the rear of the LEFT caster rod until it feels neutral. You may
also move the nuts towards the front on the right side instead. Experiment until
the car feels absolutely neutral to drive, no drift or pull to either side. Lock
the locknuts on the caster rods securely, and that's done.
If the steering wheel isn't *quite* centered, you may adjust it by finely
adjusting the tie rods to steer the tires in the direction the wheel points
during straight-ahead driving. As example, if you need to steer slightly right
to drive straight ahead, toeing the right front wheel out slightly and toeing in
the left front wheel the exactly same amount will correct the steering wheel to
straight ahead if done equally on each side, without affecting toe-in.
When you're quite certain you have everything lined up satisfactorily, and the
car drives perfectly, double check that things are even and the toe/camber
hasn't shifted and that all the fasteners affected are tight and snug, and
you're done.
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IT'S A TEST
Jim Pittman
How many of us have wondered why, if we humans are the peak of creation, endowed
with unsurpassed intelligence, dexterity, language, reading, writing, books,
libraries, history, technology, art, literature, philosophy, government and
laws, we find ourselves living in a world that is so thoroughly messed up? We
supposedly live in an enlightened civilization, but on every side there is
ignorance, superstition, crime, incompetence, pollution, depletion of resources,
global warming -- the list goes on.
I think it's a test.
Whether it is a test devised by a supreme being or just the blind result of
evolution, it is still a test. The experiment asks, can we intelligent beings
control our world and make it better, or will our intelligence, technology and
greed combine to destroy our world along with ourselves?
We don't have the results just yet, but it looks to me like the answer to the
question, "Can humans progress toward a better world?" is simply "No."
Examples abound. Just look:
* Dysfunctional government.
* Continuing crime.
* Continuing wars.
* Deterioration of roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
* Pollution of the planet by cheap plastic trash.
* Depletion of wild environments and natural resources.
* Global warming which is quickly making the planet uninhabitable.
* Unwillingness or inability of governments to do anything about these problems.
During July many of us celebrated one of the most profound wonders of our
civilization: the landing of the first men on the moon, fifty years ago.
Some have asserted this was the most complex project ever undertaken by mankind
in our five thousand years of history.
If there was the need to accomplish such a project today, is there any nation or
group of nations that we could believe would be able to do it?
Fifty years ago the concept was to travel through 239,000 miles of space and
make a soft landing on the the moon, undertake explorations, then return safely
home. Thousands of people worked together through a decade to do this, and
millions of people around the world watched television coverage of the landing
and return in awe and admiration.
Today the concept is, to curb our degradation of the earth by technology,
thoughtlessness and greed in time to prevent the destruction of our world as an
inhabitable planet.
Can we do this? Or will history blindly continue as it has been going for five
thousand years until we reach the planet's tipping point and we all boil in our
own smog?
Well, I already said my last goodbye (See Enchanted Corvairs, April 2016) and my
answer is, No, we won't do it.
But the example of the Apollo program fifty years ago says, Yes, we can do it.
Only if enough of us can agree, soon enough, that we want to.
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========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= =========
TREASURY REPORT FOR 06-26-2018 to 07-10-2019
DATE CHECK# AMOUNT PAYEE DESCRIPTION BALANCE = $6,819.15 $6,819.15
========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= =========
2019.07.03 $ 50.00 Dues R.Gold 26 m CNM $ 50.00 $6,869.15
2019.07.06 $ 23.00 Deposit 50/50 for July "Raffle" $ 23.00 $6,892.15
2019.07.06 $ 25.00 Dues T.Price 12 m CNM $ 25.00 $6,917.15
2019.07.06 $ 25.00 Dues N.Robison 12 m CNM $ 25.00 $6,942.15
2019.07.06 2351 -$ 120.95 J.Pittman Newsletter Printing JUL 2019 -$ 26.62 $6,915.53
2019.07.06 -$ J.Pittman Newsletter Postage 32 x $0.71 -$ 22.72 $6,892.81
2019.07.06 -$ J.Pittman Envelopes for newsletters -$ 71.61 $6,821.20
2019.07.06 2352 -$ 52.50 T.Price Postcard expenses -$ 35.00 $6,768.70
========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= =========
2019.08.01 AUG NEWSLETTER ========================================== $6,768.70 $6,768.70
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| August 2019 | September 2019 | October 2019 |
| Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa |
| 1 2 3 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 | 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
| 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 | 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 | 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 |
| 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 | 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 | 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 |
| 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 | 29 30 | 27 28 29 30 31 |
| | | |
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SAT 03 AUG 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
SUN 04 AUG ........ ALL-CLUBS PICNIC - Oak Flat south of Tijeras on NM 337
WED 21 AUG 5:00 PM Board Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 28 AUG 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
FRI 30 AUG 9:00 PM Deadline for items for September 2019 newsletter
============================================================================
SAT 07 SEP 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
SAT 07 SEP 10:00 AM Nominations for election of officers due at today's meeting
SUN 15 SEP 7:00 AM New Mexico State Fair Car Show
WED 18 SEP 5:00 PM Board Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 25 SEP 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
FRI 27 SEP ...... NMCCC 41st ANNUAL SWAP MEET
SAT 28 SEP ...... Isleta -- Resort -- Casino -- 11000 Broadway SE, 87105
SUN 29 SEP ...... NMCCC 41st ANNUAL SWAP MEET
FRI 27 SEP 9:00 PM Deadline for items for October 2019 newsletter
============================================================================
SAT 05 OCT 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
SAT 05 OCT 10:00 AM ELECTION OF OFFICERS
SAT 05 OCT 10:00 AM Planning needs to be underway for CNM Christmas Party
WED 16 OCT 5:00 PM Board Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 23 OCT 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
FRI 25 OCT 9:00 PM Deadline for items for November 2019 newsletter
FRI-SUN OCT 25-27 - "2019 Great Western Fan Belt Toss and Swap Meet"
Travelodge by Wyndham - 1269 S Palm Canyon Drive,
Palm Springs, California 92264
Call direct 1-760-507-4431 and mention "FAN BELT TOSS"
============================================================================
SAT 02 NOV 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
SUN 03 NOV 2:00 AM - Set your clocks back an hour to "real time."
WED 20 NOV 5:00 PM Board Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 27 NOV 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
FRI 29 NOV 9:00 PM Deadline for items for December 2019 newsletter
============================================================================
See the New Mexico Council of Car Clubs Web Site for more "NMCCC" activities
======================== http://www.nmcarcouncil.com/ ======================
SUGGESTION: A visit to the Telephone Museum on Fourth Street
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.
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SEVEN YEARS AGO [ AUGUST 2019 VOL 45 Nr 8 ISSUE 527 ]
Jim Pittman
2012 V.38 Nr 8 # 443
COVER: A Loadside with genuine patina. President John Wiker ran our meeting and
told about a delightful National Collector Car Appreciation weekend. Art Gold
provided minutes. Larry Yoffee was working on the Chama Tri-State for next year.
Steve Gongora was organizing a trip to Los Alamos. Robert Gold said, based on
the tribulations of the Car Council, do not ask to be a 501C3 (non-profit)
organization. Tarmo Sutt told about the wonderful Fourth of July classic car
show on the plaza in Santa Fe. Heula Pittman described the party we had for our
First Anniversary at North Domingo Baca. It had been a great meeting place in
many ways.
2005 V.31 Nr 8 # 359
COVER: Jim's 1966 turbo Corsa pauses by a lake in Canada before proceeding to
Alaska. A graph showed our treasury balance over the years. We had a new member,
Bud Moore. We were rich with $2,789. Car Council news: Geoff reported that the
NOMADS demanded that the Car Council pressure the City Council to stop laws that
punished cruising. The Car Council refused to sue the city, so the NOMADS walked
out. We planned a breakfast at Mi-Mi's, a trip to an Isotopes game, and
participation at the NMCCC picnic at El Morro. Some members supposedly didn't
attend meetings because we didn't have tech talks. President Dave therefore
asked for volunteers to give tech talks at meetings.
Our "For Sale" page was crammed with a list of old/new parts being released to
the public by Bill Reider as he retired from CAR-TUNE. We reprinted a children's
feature, 24 "Letters to God" which expressed a curious mix of naivete and
wisdom. A message announced the discovery of a new element called
"governmentium" which had 1 neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons
and 111 assistant deputy neutrons for an atomic mass of 312. Ollie reported on
the Old Route 66 clean-up which had a record 12 workers! Finally, Jim told about
buying a new Corsa turbo coupe in May 1966 and his adventures getting it to
Fairbanks, Alaska for a tour of duty with the Air Force.
1998 V.24 Nr 8 # 275
COVER: The flagpole crew posed for photos at the Boydston cabin in the Pecos
mountains. President Dennis ran our July meeting. Chuck was away so our editor
took notes. Monetary assets were $6652. Car Council news: no more swap meets at
the University since reservations were not honored. Officer candidates were
needed. The museum car show was a success. Santa Fe Fourth of July was coming
up. Picnic at the Elks' in August. State Fair car show in September. Tour to
Chimayo in October. Larry Blair reported on a visit to Holloman AFB. He saw
F-117 stealth fighters (how exactly do you do that) and German Luftwaffe planes
and pilots.
A long-time member who had not paid his CNM dues complained about being dropped
but refused to join CORSA. Clayborne and Karen were moving to California. Our
speaker was David Mick who told about his experience at GM during the late
forties.
Jerry Goffe reported on planting the flagpole at the Boydston cabin. It was an
experience and those who went enjoyed the day. This issue was full of tech tips:
what tools and parts to carry along on a trip, electronic ignition systems,
maintaining the carb crossover tube.
1991 V.17 Nr 8 # 191
COVER: "Trunks" illustrated by a Lakewood and three elephants. President Gongora
ran the meeting. We had $460 in the bank. We thanked Milton Sanchez for the
success of the All-Chevy Show at Ed Black's. We had a dinner meeting at
Charlie's Chili restaurant. We planned to go to Santa Fe for the July 4th car
show. We planned an econo-run, an auction and a show at the State Fair. Several
members planned a Corvair trip to Flagstaff in August. Francis Boydston chaired
a committee to pick a jacket patch design for next year's Tri-State at Las
Vegas, New Mexico.
1984 V.10 Nr 8 # 107
COVER: a 1966 Fitch Sprint. In place of a July meeting we all drove up through
San Ysidro and the Jemez Valley to Bandelier National Monument in a relaxed
econo-run. Norm Brand got best mileage in an automatic: 30.77 MPG, while George
Morin got the best with a manual: 30.02 MPG. LeRoy Rogers called for CNM members
to attend the Car Council picnic next month. Bill Reider reported on installing
two Holly 2-barrel carbs on a 110-HP engine using the Clark's kit. It didn't
exactly go well. Tips on transmission maintenance and wheel balancing completed
the issue.
1977 V.03 Nr 6 # 027
Our meeting attracted 31 members and guests. A KOB talk show was scheduled for
August. Francis worked to get affordable insurance for Corvair drivers. A letter
from Denmark thanked Francis for sending a part for a 1964 Corvair. The
gentleman said he loved his Monza convertible and told us there was a Corvair
club in Denmark.
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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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