The December 2019 newsletter - Text Version
Updated 02-Dec-2019 ==== Copyright (c) 2019 Corvairs of New Mexico
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December 2019 / VOLUME 45 / NUMBER 12 / ISSUE 531
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First Place, Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, 2005 & 2012
Third Place, Tony Fiore Memorial Chapter Newsletter Award, 2010
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EDITOR Jim Pittman
NEXT MEETING Regular Meeting: December 7th at 10:00 AM
Highland Senior Center, 131 Monroe NE Albuquerque NM 87108
CNM Christmas Party: Saturday December 14th at 1:00 PM
Copper Canyon Cafe - 5455 Gibson Blvd SE -- 505-266-6318
THIS MONTH:
President's Message .................................... Dave Allin
Dues Due ..................................... Membership Committee
November Meeting Minutes ............................ Steve Gongora
November Board Meeting Cancelled ........................ The Board
My First Encounter with a Corvair ..................... Lube Lubert
Birthdays & Anniversaries ...................... Sunshine Committee
Treasury Report ..................................... Steve Gongora
Rare V-8 in a Corvair - Paul Saino - Kyle Smith Hagerty.com/videos
Crown Manufacturing V-8 Conversion "Corv-8" ...........Crown Letter
Calendar of Coming Events ...................... Board of Directors
December: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 Years Ago .......... Club Historian
Index of all articles from the 2019 Enchanted Corvairs Newsletter
COVER: License Plate Map at Highland Senior Center
COVER: Collection of Classic Oil Cans at 2017 Jay Hertz Garage Tour
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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/
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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 DECEMBER 2019
DUE LAST MONTH ================= INACTIVE DATE
2019.11 Rita & Steve Gongora 25-DEC-2019
DUE THIS MONTH ================== INACTIVE DATE
2019.12 David Huntoon 25-JAN-2020
DUE NEXT MONTH ================= INACTIVE DATE
2020.01 Elizabeth & Mark Domzalski 25-FEB-2020
2020.01 Cheryl & Ed Halpin 25-FEB-2020
DUE FEBRUARY 2020 ==================== INACTIVE DATE
2020.02 Barbara & Gordon Johnson 25-MAR-2020
2020.02 Fred Riggs II 25-MAR-2020
2020.02 Larry Yoffee 25-MAR-2020
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
2019.09 Valerie Nye & Joel Yelich 25-OCT-2019
2019.10 Alan Gold 25-NOV-2019
2019.10 Sylvia & Ray Trujillo 25-NOV-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 26-Nov-2018 we have 41 active family memberships.
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PRESIDENT'S LETTER
Dave Allin
As I write this it is late November, which means it's almost time for parties
and celebrating the most important event of the year -- Tri-State 2020. Sure,
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's are all pretty big deals, but nothing
like Tri-State. This is going to be the best Tri-State in years, so fire up your
Corvair and get busy. Many hands make light work, so we need everyone in the
club to pitch in with the preparations. It will be worth it.
One of the most useful things you can be doing right now in the Christmas
shopping season is gathering items for Vickie and Heula to put in the
registration bags and use as raffle prizes. A good source for such items is
Harbor Freight. Their ads always feature discount coupons and coupons for free
stuff, and you can get a lot of useful tools and equipment for a very low price.
If you are a crafty person, you can be making Corvair-themed items. Kay is
making a quilt, and I will be building a model of a Yenko Stinger to go on the
silent auction table. On eBay I found Corvair Christmas ornaments. The more
stuff we can give away or raffle, the more successful our event will be.
On an unrelated issue, I once again spent a lot of money fixing something that
wasn't really broken, with dubious results. The rubber around the vent windows
on my Monza had been baked by the sun and was cracked and hard, making it
difficult to open and close them. So I ordered replacement rubber from Clark's,
which was more expensive that I expected. I thought about installing the rubber
myself, but after studying the problem, decided it might be beyond my
capabilities. A friend recommended a tiny, run-down upholstery shop that said
they could do it in a few hours. It turned out to be a three-day job, and having
visited the shop while they were working on it, I saw just how complicated and
difficult it was, so I was glad I had not attempted it myself. When they were
finished, it looked good, and they charged me less than they could have, but
when I tried the vent windows, I was disappointed. While they were easier to
open than before, they were harder to close. The shop suggested letting the
rubber settle for a few weeks, and if it didn't improve, I could bring the car
back for adjustments.
After three weeks the windows are a little easier to close, but I still have to
get out of the car and push the window closed with my fingers. The problem, as I
see it, is the design of the window itself. It is hinged in the middle, so that
when you close it, the lower front edge of the window rides up on the rubber
seal, pushing the upper back edge of the window to the rear, where it catches on
the window frame. I had this same problem with the old, original window rubber,
so I can't really blame the new rubber or the installation. It's just a problem
I will have to live with. Fortunately, the kick-panel vents work extremely well
for ventilation, so the vent windows are really kind of superfluous. Maybe
that's why the 1967 Camaro had vent windows, but the 1968 Camaro did not. For
me, though, the fact remains that I'm out almost $400 and all I have to show for
it is nicer rubber, but no real improvement in function. Oh, well.
-- Dave Allin
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Meeting Notes -- November 2, 2019
Steve Gongora
Meeting brought to order by President David Allin who gathered reports by each
officer.
Treasury Report: Steve Gongora reports $7,016.99 reporting income by membership
and T-Shirts. Expense by Jim Pittman for newsletter had not been submitted by
meeting time and income from selling Corvair Care & Feeding Books (a total of
$10.00) was not included.
Merchandise: Vickie Hall sold two Corvair Books as mentioned above. Vickie also
asked that all members try to collect free offers from Harbor Freight and donate
the items to the club to help build up supplies for the Tri-State and the
Sunshine Committee.
Tri-State 2020 Items:
Guest Speaker: Larry Blair has written a letter to Astronaut and former Senator
Harrison Schmitt inviting him to be a guest speaker at our Tri-State being held
in Albuquerque in 2020. He will be checking his schedule and getting back with
us.
Award Categories for the Tri-State were open for discussion. Should we go with
the standard categories - Early/Late Open/Closed - Hard Luck - Specialty such
as V8, Fitch, Yenko?
Mailing Lists: Updated mailing lists from the Colorado clubs are being sent to
CNM for better communication between the clubs for general and Tri-State
updates.
Corvair Models: Dave Allin found Corvair cutout models on EBAY for about $5.00
each. He thought they would be good for door prizes at the Tri-State.
Newsletter: Jim Pittman gave a cost accounting of printing the newsletter after
the recent price increase. At present we have 43 members with approximately 32
to 33 newsletters being mailed each month. At present costs, membership dues
cover printing and mailing the newsletter. Other club income includes that from
auctions, 50/50 raffles, book sales, etc. With our current healthy bank balance,
it was voted to continue as we have been to mail out newsletters despite the
increased cost until such a time when it is a more serious issue with the funds.
Club Library: David Huntoon talked about his collection of literary newsletters,
CORSA publications, etc. They take up a considerable amount of his garage space.
Does anyone have the space to take over the collection?
Newsletter Deadline: Jim Pittman gave out the deadline for the December issue as
Friday November 29th but the deadline for the January issue will be Wednesday
December 18th because our printer will be closed for the holiday week.
Donated Corvair Items: Ed Gilpin donated a box of Corvair parts and other
itemsto CNM. Ed's father was a former member of the club. A pristine limited CNM
license plate was among the items.
Handcrafted Corvair Items: John Mattern, a Corvair owner and former CNM member,
created framed art containing pictures of a Corvair. He gave out raffle tickets
and many CNM members got to take them home to light up their home or Corvair
working space. John has been driving his 1964 Corvair for some forty-three years
and almost 120,000 miles. Sylvan Zuercher worked on the engine years ago. John
was the musical director for Eisenhower Middle School until his retirement.
CORSA 2020 Convention: Dave Allin brought up the topic of the 2020 convention in
San Diego. Asked if anyone was going and if anyone knew the area concerning RV
parking and the like.
Car Council Activities
The recent Swap Meet was discussed. There were some minor glitches. The vendors
were pleased. Some of the issues concerned that there wasn't enough people to
handle the demands of the people waiting get to their vendor's spot. Vendors
started showing up at 8:00 AM and the starting time was 10:00 AM. The vendors
had to be dealt with because of the potential hazard of cars waiting on the
highway. Total loss to the Car Council amounted to $300.00
Jaime Saavedra wants the Car Council to consider donating a Mechanics Toolbox
complete with tools to a deserving student getting started in the automotive
field (value appx. $1500 to $1700). The possible way to win would be to write an
essay. This can be put to a vote by the Car Council by the active clubs.
The Car Council was reaching out to CNM for ideas for the next Collector Car
Appreciation Day for 2020. Think about it and bring your ideas for the coming
meetings.
There is a Veterans' Day Car Show on Sunday November 10 at Freddy's 10201
Central NE. Setup time is from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Show starts promptly at
10:00 AM. Starts with National Anthem. In lieu of an entry fee, please donate
elementary school age supplies for a neighborhood elementary school. Award to be
given at 3:00 PM and there will be door prizes and 50/50 drawing. Manager will
raffle off a 26" Freddy's Bike.
Larry Blair invited members to the Veterans' Day ceremonies on Monday November
11 at the Veterans' Memorial at Louisiana and Gibson. Speakers include Major
Kelly and the active commander of the base, Col. Miller. Music is from 10:30 AM
to 11:00 AM. There will be a swearing in ceremony for new recruits at 12:00
noon. This usually gets a rousing applause from the people attending. A great
way for them to start their military career. There will be a lunch afterwards at
Cervantes Restaurant at San Pedro and Gibson.
Lube Lubert announce a model train show on November 23 and 24 at the Balloon
Fiesta Park.
Vickie Hall won the 50/50 raffle = $14.00 - club received $7.00
Vickie stated that CORSA purchased the Corvair Museum. There is more information
on the CORSA website about the museum.
Larry Blair gave a short talk on the early model turn signal switches. Check the
integrity of the connections of any part before you install it. Make sure the
wires won't slip out as you connect it otherwise you won't get proper contact of
the terminals.
Meeting adjourned at 11:20 AM.
Attending: Leroy Alderete, Dave Allin, Larry Blair, Fred Edeskuty, Rita Gongora,
Steve Gongora, Pat Hall, Vickie Hall, David Huntoon, Gordon Johnson, Lube
Lubert, Jim Pittman, and Guest: John Mattern
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Board Meeting for 11/20/2019 Cancelled.
Our focus now is the Tri-State, which involves more than just the board. At our
December meeting we will work on Tri-State and arrange regular meetings of the
committee. -- Dave
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Happy Birthday Wishes to December CNM'ers:
Jimmy Arellanes
Dick Cochran
Sara Gold
Maggie Kitts
Diane Tweedy Lawyer
Lube Lubert
Fred Riggs II
Natalie Robison
Elisa Yoffee
Happy Anniversary Wishes to December CNMers:
Elizabeth & Mark Domzalski
Barbara & Gordon Johnson
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MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH A CORVAIR
Harry C. Lubert
While growing up in Chicago, Illinois, mom got a job at the bakery next door to
the apartment we lived in. The lady at the bakery purchased a 1965 Corvair
two-door coupe, white exterior, blue interior, 110 engine, automatic
transmission. I remember mom saying the heater did not put out any heat in the
winter. I don't know if the lady had another Corvair before she got her late
model Corvair. Back then I didn't know much about Corvairs. I'm sure she bought
it used, not new. I don't remember how long she kept it. Jim had some questions
about my story.
Did you ever get to drive it? Yes, in a parking lot behind the store that
repaired television sets.
Did she park it on the street, or in a driveway, or in a garage? She parked it
on a side street, west of the bakery.
Did you learn to drive in this Corvair? No. A classmate in high school had a
1959 Dodge Coronet four-door sedan. It had a flat head six with 3-speed on the
column. It had a long piece of 2x4 lumber to hold up the front seat. Parking
lots by the Lake Michigan beach were empty during winter months so it was safe
to practice. That's where I learned to drive.
Did you see other Corvairs in your neighborhood? No, but sometimes I'd see the
bakery lady driving her Corvair.
What kind of car did your family have? We had a 1954 Plymouth Savoy, four-door
sedan. The engine was a flat head six with 3-speed on the column.
How did the heater in this car work in Chicago winters? Not very good. Mom gave
my brother Bill and me a car blanket. I don't remember if the heat made it into
the back seat to us. In June 1967 we all moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Why did your family move to Albuquerque? Our mom had a sister, Cecilia, living
here. She needed help repairing things in her Tri-plex. She found a house for us
to rent in Albuquerque. Eventually we bought the house, and I am still living in
it now. Also, mom thought the V.A. Hospital in Albuquerque would be better for
our dad. He was in a Navy hospital in Downy, Illinois and it wasn't very good
for him. We would ride the North Shore Line to Downy, Illinois to visit dad
there. Then we'd ride the North Shore Line back to Chicago. Much easier than
driving. When we moved to Albuquerque we rode the Santa Fe Super Chief from
Chicago and it took twenty-four hours to get here.
What did you think of living here after living in Chicago? Not as cold, no wind
off Lake Michigan. But not as green here as in Chicago.
You said you enlisted in the Army. Were you about to be drafted? Yes. On October
16, 1968, I enlisted in the Army for three years. I got my draft notice the day
before. Why the Army instead of the Navy or Air Force? I don't remember but
perhaps my test scores were not high enough for the Navy or Air Force.
Where was your basic training? Fort Ord, California for eight weeks.
How did you get to basic training? There were about ten of us guys and they flew
us on a commercial jet from Albuquerque, N.M. to somewhere in California. A bus
picked us up at the airport and took us to Fort Ord which was near San
Francisco. After basic training I came home for Christmas Holiday. Then I took
the Santa Fe Super Chief from Albuquerque, N.M. to Colorado Springs, Colorado. I
rode a city bus to Fort Carson, Colorado. I reported for duty on January 3rd,
1969. I was a mechanic and was assigned to work on a Commander's track vehicle.
When I opened up the engine compartment, there was a Corvair engine, gasoline
type. I can't remember if we ever got it running. There may have been two of
these vehicles on the post.
What was it for, and what other vehicle served this purpose? It was intended for
the Commander to use during our bivouacs. Also a Ford Jeep vehicle for the same.
You got orders for Viet Nam while you were at Fort Carson? Yes. What did you
think of going to Viet Nam? I knew I was getting the orders pretty soon. I would
be a mechanic while I was there. In August 1970 I got the orders.
How did you get to Viet Nam? The Army flew us on a commercial jet to Da Nang,
then we flew on a C-123 propeller engine plane to Chu-Lai. That was one hour
south of Da Nang. I was in 661 Ordnance Company, Chu-Lia, Viet Nam. I served one
year over there. That's when I got started with heavy equipment such as Cat D7
Dozers, Cranes, and Rough Terrain Forklifts.
Were you ever in combat or in danger from the enemy? Yes, I was with another
fellow riding in a Dodge 3/4 Truck, to go get fuel for the truck. At the fueling
place, there was smoke coming up from the ground. My friend said we'd better get
out of there. The enemy Charlie was sending back our rockets that they stole
from us. My mom heard on the car radio that Chu-Lai, Viet Nam got bombed. She
contacted a retired Army nurse who knew the Commander of the U.S. Air Force base
at Kirtland AFB at that time. My Commander said I should call my mom on MARS
radio, to tell her I was all right. MARS radio is where you go to a place with a
short wave radio and they send out a call for a ham operator near where you want
to call. When the ham operator answers, they make a local phone call and patch
you through. So you are making a long-distance call but it is by radio so
there's no long-distance phone charge. But, you can only talk one way at a time.
Eventually I got my ETS orders to come home. I was discharged from the Army as I
left Viet Nam. I did not reenlist. Back in Albuquerque I joined the Army
Reserves in February, 1974. I joined the New Mexico Air National Guard in
February, 1983. I retired from both of these in December 1996.
Did the Corvair you knew about in Chicago influence your buying a Corvair at a
later time? Maybe. When I was about thirteen I got interested in models and had
two model Corvairs. I painted them turquoise. My first Corvair was bought from
Hubert Stark in Albuquerque. He had many different cars. My mom and my brother
Bill met Hubert Stark at the Flea Market at the State Fair Parking Lot. Mom knew
I liked a 1963 Chevy Corvette coupe. She said Hubert had a 1963 Corvette coupe
for sale. My brother Bill said, No, what he had was a 1963 Chevy Corvair 4-door
sedan with automatic transmission. That's how I got my Corvair 4-door sedan. We
brought the car home with my mom in her 1964 Chevy Biscayne station wagon
driving in front of me and my brother Bill in his 1964 Chevy Biscayne 2-door
sedan driving behind me. And I still have the Corvair sedan and just bought a
Greenbrier.
That's all, Lube.
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NOTE: CORRECTION TO OCTOBER 2019 REPORT:
DATE CHECK# AMOUNT PAYEE DESCRIPTION BALANCE = $6,697.67 $6,697.67
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2019.09.06 2355 -$ 48.63 J.Pittman Newsletter Printing SEP 2019 -$ 26.62 $6,671.05
2019.09.06 -$ J.Pittman Newsletter Postage 31 x $0.71 -$ 22.01 $6,649.04
2019.09.11 $ 50.00 Dues C.Shimp 26 m CNM $ 50.00 $6,699.04
2019.09.16 2356 -$ 35.00 CORSA CORSA Annual Chapter Fee -$ 35.00 $6,664.04
2019.09.19 +$ 50.00 Dues J.McMahan 26 m CNM $ 50.00 $6,714.04
2019.09.11 +$ 11.00 Deposit 50/50 for September "Raffle" $ 11.00 $6,725.04
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER CORRECTED ======================================== $6,725.04 $6,725.04
========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= =========
2019.10.05 2357 -$ 50.05 J.Pittman Newsletter Printing OCT 2019 -$ 26.62 $6,698.42
2019.10.05 -$ J.Pittman Newsletter Postage 33 x $0.71 -$ 23.43 $6,674.99
2019.10.05 2358 -$ 100.00 V.Hall Sunshine Committee expenses -$ 100.00 $6,574.99
2019.10.09 $ 35.00 Sale CARE & FEEDING Books (7) $ 35.00 $6,609.99
2019.10.09 $ 50.00 Dues Geoff Johnson 26 m CNM $ 50.00 $6,659.99
2019.10.09 $ 50.00 Dues J.Arellanes 26 m CNM $ 50.00 $6,709.99
2019.10.09 $ 50.00 Dues L.Alderete 26 m CNM $ 50.00 $6,759.99
2019.10.09 $ 50.00 Dues L.Blair 26 m CNM $ 50.00 $6,809.99
2019.10.09 $ 50.00 Dues P.Hall 26 m CNM $ 50.00 $6,859.99
NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER CORRECTED ======================================= $6,859.99 $6,859.99
========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= =========
TREASURY REPORT FOR 10-28-2019 to 11-xx-2019
DATE CHECK# AMOUNT PAYEE DESCRIPTION BALANCE = $6,859.99 $6,859.99
========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= =========
2019.10.22 $ 25.00 Dues T.Lawler 12 m CNM $ 25.00 $6,884.99
2019.10.31 $ 25.00 Dues J.Anderson 12 m CNM $ 25.00 $6,909.99
2019.10.31 $ 50.00 Dues P.Finch 26 m CNM $ 50.00 $6,959.99
2019.10.31 $ 16.00 S.Gongora CNM Shirts $ 16.00 $6,975.99
2019.10.31 $ 16.00 S.Gongora CNM Shirts $ 16.00 $6,991.99
2019.10.31 $ 25.00 Dues R.Cochran 12 m CNM $ 25.00 $7,016.99
2019.10.31 $ 45.00 Dues R.Cochran 12 m CNM $ 45.00 $7,061.99
2019.11.01 2359 -$ 45.00 CORSA R.Cochran 12 m CORSA -$ 45.00 $7,016.99
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2019.12.01 DEC NEWSLETTER ========================================== $7,016.99 $7,016.99
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This story originally appeared on Hagerty.com/articles-videos
Reprinted by permission.
How a rare, experimental, aluminum V-8 from the Duntov era
found its way into a Corvair
by Kyle Smith
The small-block Chevrolet was still in its infancy when Zora Arkus-Duntov
thought to ditch the iron casting and go to a more weight-conscious aluminum
construction. These V-8 engines are pieces of small-block history, cast in 1959
for the Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle (CERV) project that became the
first seed of the mid-engine Corvette. Officially unveiled in 1960, CERV I was a
testbed--an open-wheel, mid-engine chassis that helped shape Chevy performance
and the Corvette for years to come.
Strangely enough, an authentic GM aluminum small-block from this era now lives
in the back of a Corvair, of all things. How does that even happen, you might be
wondering? I hunkered down and performed some detective work to find out.
For context, I am a Corvair enthusiast who has long-lusted after building a
Crown Manufacturing V-8 car. Even during the height of its production, Crown was
a small outfit in Costa Mesa, California, which only built parts for mad
scientist Corvair enthusiasts. Crown Manufacturing is now largely defunct after
being sold to fellow performance parts manufacturer Otto in the 1970s, and then
finally to Clarks Corvair in Massachusetts in 1991.
The Crown V-8 conversion entails tossing out the air-cooled flat-six out along
with the backseat and placing a small-block Chevrolet V-8 just inches behind the
driver's right elbow. Even a fairly lazy small-block easily eclipses the maximum
180 horsepower offered in the stock Corvair, so the swap made sense for those
looking to make a street sweeper sleeper in an era where turbocharger tech was
primitive and support for the offbeat Corvair engine was slim.
These conversions are not uncommon, but while perusing my favorite
Corvair-focused online forum, I watched a video where a guy named Paul Siano
walked around his red 1966 Corvair and made a casual reference the engine in
it--an aluminum-block 283. From 1959.
I scoffed, thinking it was just bluster. Then it stuck with me. Ate at me.
Nobody was correcting him in the comments. I had to know if the engine block in
this 'Vair was for real.
The value of scrap
Siano is from Michigan, though he currently resides in Florida. His 1966 Corvair
has been a part of his life since he purchased it new on the showroom floor. It
was adequate for his daily driving, but when he rode in a friend's Crown V-8
conversion, there was no going back. He started the conversion on his red Corsa
in the early 1970s, with a 327-cu-in V-8 taking up residence in the back seat.
The 327 wiped a lobe on the camshaft, making way for a 302 sourced from a Camaro
Z/28. Still, the greatest engine was yet to come, and it would come from an
unexpected place. He had friends who made more than a little cash by picking
over the scrapyards in the surrounding area and buying parts and pieces from the
piles of metal headed for the smelter. When one of those friends came up with an
aluminum 283, Siano bought it from them for his Corvair.
"I have seen a lot of things that some people don't think exists," said Siano
told me over the phone. "Being in the Detroit area during that time, there was
all kinds of stuff that the manufacturers sent to scrap for one reason or
another. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
Paul doesn't recall the exact year he purchased the bare engine block, and he
didn't do anything with it right away. In fact, it was nearly 35 years later
when he built the engine up for installation in the red coupe, still unaware of
the engine's history. Once it was finished, he dropped it into the Corvair and
drove it around to some local car shows. It wasn't until a discussion at one of
those meetups in 2015 that Siano learned that his Corvair's alloy heart might be
something more than just an engine.
A Corvette connection
Zora Arkus-Duntov had a knack for forward thinking and experimentation. In CERV
I's lifespan from 1959 to 1964, Duntov tried out seven powertrains, ranging from
a twin-turbocharged V-8 to an all-aluminum 283 V-8, the latter of which was the
first engine in the chassis. GM Heritage Collection indicates that the first
aluminum small-block in the CERV I had 350 horsepower, which matched the
engine's 350-pound weight. The engine block, cylinder heads, water pump, starter
body, flywheel and pressure plate were all composed of aluminum.
The GM Heritage Collection confirmed that the original aluminum engine from the
CERV I is no longer in company hands, although it couldn't say for sure that
Siano's engine was the real deal. These experimental engines were just
that--experiments. They weren't held sacred, which means GM wasn't fastidiously
tracking their whereabouts once their usefulness had expired.
Is the proof in the casting?
Still, it's hard to imagine something important as one of the first original
aluminum small-blocks had so easily found its way into the wild. To help paint a
picture, Paul kindly provided me with a photo of the casting on the side of the
block.
The raised GM casting in the aluminum, along with the ID number starting with 0-
matches up with the style of a known "off-the-books" project--the 1963 Chevrolet
big-block "Mystery Motor." That engine was built for racing, NASCAR to be
specific, but was also a testbed for advancements that would eventually work
their way to production engines. Screw-in rocker studs are one example.
One more intriguing detail--the block has ALCOA markings just below the casting
number. Paul was under the impression that the blocks were cast by Alcoa, which
is a leader in aluminum technology. I reached out to Alcoa to see if it had any
information regarding these old V-8s, and the company responded that it was more
likely that Alcoa supplied the material and GM cast the block. Using a
third-party's material to cast engine blocks is something GM has done in the
past, for example, with the infamous aluminum Vega engines.
The information is there, this engine is connected to the CERV I and Zora Arkus
Duntov's skunkworks of the late 1950s. At the same time, there is zero
definitive evidence that suggests this is the engine plucked from CERV I. Best
guess? This is a pup from the litter, but it ain't Balto.
The cost of history
After learning of the connections his 283 had to GM history in 2011, Paul
formulated a plan to remove it from the car and replace it with another
lightweight engine--a modern GM Bowtie aluminum block, which will up the
displacement to 350 cubic inches. He enjoys driving the car too much to have to
worry about damaging a piece of small-block history in his back seat. The swap
has yet to take place, but in the meantime Paul is being just a little more
careful with the engine.
Though he has listed the block for sale a few times in the past, Paul now plans
to hold onto it. "It is not an investment, but something that is just too neat
to let go of for now," he says.
Considering it's a hunk of history from one of the most iconic engine families
of all time, "neat" is a gross understatement. To think that this experimental
block ever lived inside a Corvair probably sounds a bit like hanging a da Vinci
in your drafty garage, but I think it's outstanding. Chevrolet went way out on a
limb with the Corvair, just as it did with the aluminum small-block. In a weird
way, it's a match made in heaven.
From: David Allin < dnjallin@comcast.net >
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at 5:34 PM
To: Tips < Tips@HAGERTY.com >
Subject: Corvair article
Recently you ran an article by Kyle Smith about Paul Siano and his V-8
Corvair. I am president of the Corvairs of New Mexico car club, and I
would like permission to reprint that article in our club newsletter.
How can I go about getting that permission?
David Allin
From: Eric Weiner < eweiner@HAGERTY.com >
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 6:41 AM
To: David Allin
Subject: Re: Corvair article
In that case it's fine to reprint the story.
In the online version: please include a link in a note at the top of
the story that this story originally appeared on Hagerty's website,
and provide a link back to Kyle's story. Obviously, please also give
credit to Kyle as the writer.
In the print version: Please make sure Kyle has byline credit, and
include a note at the top of the story that indicates this story
originally appeared on Hagerty.com/articles-videos
Eric Weiner
https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/11/14/how-rare-
experimental-aluminum-v-8-from-duntov-era-found-its-way-into-corvair
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============================================================================
| December 2019 | January 2020 | February 2020 |
| Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa |
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 |
| 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 | 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
| 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 | 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 | 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 |
| 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 | 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 | 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 |
| 29 30 31 | 26 27 28 29 30 31 | 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 |
============================================================================
SAT 07 DEC 10:00 AM --- Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
SAT 14 DEC 1:00 PM --- CNM CHRISTMAS PARTY -- COPPER CANYON RESTAURANT
Copper Canyon Restaurant, 5455 Gibson Blvd SE, Albuquerque 87108 505-266-6318.
Location is the corner of Gibson and Valencia, just across from the hospital.
WED 18 DEC 5:00 PM Board Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 18 DEC 9:00 PM Deadline for items for January 2020 newsletter EARLY!
THU 19 DEC >>>>> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING JANUARY NEWSLETTER <<<<<
WED 25 DEC [ NO CAR COUNCIL MEETING THIS MONTH ]
============================================================================
SAT 04 JAN 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 15 JAN 5:00 PM Board Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 22 JAN 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
FRI 24 JAN 9:00 PM Deadline for items for February 2020 newsletter
============================================================================
SAT 01 FEB 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 19 FEB 5:00 PM Board Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 26 FEB 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
FRI 28 FEB 9:00 PM Deadline for items for March 2020 newsletter
============================================================================
SAT 07 MAR 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
SUN 08 MAR 2:00 AM Set your clocks ahead to Daylight Time.
WED 18 MAR 5:00 PM Board Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 25 MAR 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
FRI 27 MAR 9:00 PM Deadline for items for April 2020 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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Thank You Thank You Thank You!
Special thanks to Curt Shimp for his generous cash donation to the
Sunshine Committee for use in Registration Bags for the 2020 Tri-State!
Heula & Vickie
Thank You Thank You Thank You!
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SEVEN YEARS AGO [ DECEMBER 2019 VOL 45 Nr 12 ISSUE 531 ]
Jim Pittman
2012 V.38 Nr 12 #447
COVER: Ruth Boydston's Early Coupe. The Wikers and Halls delivered donated food
to the Belen food bank. Our November bingo party netted $97.20. Members were
invited to remove cars from Joel Nash's storage yard before the end of the year.
Steve Gongora told us of the spectacular garage tour to the "Taj Garage" in Los
Alamos. A tech article told how to upgrade your A/C from R-12 to R234A Freon.
Two pages held the index to all articles from 2012.
2005 V.31 Nr 12 #363
COVER: the House of Covers auction/potluck. The chairman of Exxon/Mobil chortled
at his company's record profit. We met at Galles Chevrolet. We gained new
members Pat & Vickie Hall, but lost Del Patten to a Washington, DC job. Wendell
reported $2954. President Ray Trujillo said it was the perfect time of year to
drive your Corvair on New Mexico's scenic roads. An article gave the history of
the Ultra Van. Richard Finch contributed an article on being retired and on his
Corvair restoration projects. His 1956 Monza sedan was now up to 400,000 miles.
Robert Gold told about the activities of the Car Council during the last year
plans for 2006. Walter Huntoon provided an article on driving the family from
Illinois to California in 1967 in their 1964 Powerglide-equipped Corvair sedan.
Sylvan Zuercher discussed the Tri-State events, especially the first two in 1976
and 1986. At the 1985 CORSA convention in Houston LeRoy Rogers and Steve Goodman
decided to replay the 1976 Montrose gathering, make it an annual event, and
rotate the responsibility for hosting the event among the three clubs. And so it
has happened every year since 1986.
1998 V.24 Nr 12 #279
COVER: many little Corvairs! A guest at our meeting was Larry Pleau, Dennis'
father. Our Western Director, Mark Domzalski, had lots of CORSA news. A
Festival of the Cranes was coming up. We planned a tour to Bosque del Apache.
Jon Anderson reported on our lunch at Embudo Station on the banks of the Rio
Grande. Dennis saw Clayborne Souza and Richard Finch at the Fanbelt Toss. Dennis
was appointed chair of Virtual Vairs. Tech tips this issue from the VV group
included: Finding TDC with a balloon attached to the No. 1 spark plug hole;
Towing a Corvair the "flat towing" way; Keeping your engine cool without getting
an aluminum oil pan; Finding good oil filters; The best method for adjusting
valves; Looking for someone still using vapor injectors; Choosing tire sizes;
Misinformation in the Unsafe at Any Speed book. Wendell bought a 1964
convertible and planned improvements. Someone suggested that we should set up a
CNM home page in the Internet. Finally, it took a page and a half to index all
the material from the newsletter during 1998.
1991 V.17 Nr 12 #195
COVER: Many Christmas trees. Two new members were Kevin Olley and Robert
Beasley. We reviewed Christmas dinner plans and our Tri-State Meet next May.
Milton Sanchez announced that Ken Johns had taken over Ed Black's Chevrolet and
renamed it Casa Chevrolet. Ken Johns wanted to continue the popular "All Chevy
Show" and would continue to sponsor CNM. We raised our dues to $15.00 a year
effective January 1992 because of increases in newsletter expenses. President
Steve Gongora praised Ed Black Chevrolet for sponsoring our Club for so many
years. We had a comprehensive financial report from treasurer Wendell Walker.
Tech tips told us how to get into a locked trunk without damage, how to change
those thermostats and how to keep your rear end (i.e., transmission and
differential housings) clean and new-looking.
1984 V.10 Nr 12 #111
COVER: a do-it-yourself puzzle, somewhat like a crude stained-glass window.
Color the triangles one color and the rectangles a contrasting color to get a
holiday message. President Boydston ran our meeting. Jerry Goffe showed slides
from his recent trip to Britain. Did he find right-hand-drive corvairs? Maybe
not. LeRoy Rogers reported on our flea market which raised $75 for the treasury.
LeRoy told us that our next meeting would include a video, "The Methodical Man,"
about a person deciding to buy a new Corvair. Jim Pittman provided an article
purporting to tell exactly how to write an article for the Newsletter. Bill
Reider's column described ignition systems, how they work and how to keep them
in tip-top shape. Finally, the issue wrapped up with our 1984 newsletter index.
1977 -- There was no newsletter for December.
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ENCHANTED CORVAIRS NEWSLETTER INDEX FOR 2019
JAN President's Message ............................... Dave Allin
December Regular Meeting ............. Kay Sutt & Linda Soukup
December Board Meeting ................. No meeting this month
Alternate Meeting Place ............................ Committee
Report on Christmas Party ........................... Kay Sutt
List of Suggested Club Events .................... Larry Blair
Interim Treasury Report ............................... Editor
Member List December 2018 ............... Membership Committee
Photos from the Christmas Party ............ Club Photographer
COVER: Christmas Corvair Conference at Copper Canyon Cafe
COVER President Dave Allin .. and .. Robert McBreen's Rampside
FEB President's Message ............................... Dave Allin
January Regular Meeting ............................. Kay Sutt
Summary of Survey Results ....................... Linda Soukup
January Board Meeting .......................... Steve Gongora
Treasury Report ................................ Steve Gongora
CNM's Charity for 2018 ........................... Vickie Hall
Cost-Accounting Newsletter Production ............ Jim Pittman
So, What's Up With the Tri-State This Year? ........ Ed Halpin
Alamosa Tri-State Registration Form Pikes Peak .. Corvair Club
Nomination Form for Ike Meissner Award ...... Awards Committee
COVER Tarmo's 1966 Corsa Turbo at Christmas with a "Santa Car"
COVER Dave's 1969 Monza Coupe at our January Meeting
MAR President's Letter ................................ Dave Allin
February Regular Meeting ............................ Kay Sutt
February Board Meeting .............................. Kay Sutt
Flywheel/Pressure Plate .......................... Larry Blair
Favorite Tools: Remove Wipers ........ Bob Hall, GROUP CORVAIR
National Museum of Nuclear Science & Technology ... John Wiker
Tri-State Questions and Answers .................... Ed Halpin
Treasury Report ................................ Steve Gongora
COVER Club's Visit to the "Atomic Museum" February 9th
COVER Thanks to John Wiker for most of the photos
APR President's Letter ................................ Dave Allin
March Regular Meeting ........................... Linda Soukup
March Board Meeting ............................ Steve Gongora
CNM's 45th Anniversary Celebration ............. Heula Pittman
Recipients of the Ike Meissner Award ............... Historian
Amelia Island Report .............................. Dave Allin
Admiration of Tucker ....... Vair Views - Show Me Corvair Club
Which Cars Do You Remember ........ Submitted by Steve Gongora
February in New Mexico .............. Submitted by Vickie Hall
Treasury Report ................................ Steve Gongora
Road Test: Ford GT: A Fable .... Breezy Pittman & Windy Walker
COVER: Dave Allin's 1969 Monza at our February Board Meeting
Right: David Huntoon's 1963 Monza Convertible at a Meeting
MAY President's Letter ................................ Dave Allin
April Regular Meeting ............................... Kay Sutt
April Board Meeting ..................... Cancelled This Month
Tuna Tech Session ................................ Terry Price
Photos from Tuna Tech Session .................... Vickie Hall
Collings Foundation Warbirds ..................... Jim Pittman
Engines, Engines Everywhere! .. Detroit Aircooler Pete Koehler
Florida Ultra Van ............................. Kevin Sullivan
Answers to Last Month's Puzzle ................. Steve Gongora
Treasury Report ................................ Steve Gongora
COVER ....... New member Conner and her grandfather Bill Darcy
JUN President's Letter ................................ Dave Allin
"See More" the Cutaway Corvair .................... Pikes Peak
May Regular Meeting ................................. Kay Sutt
May Board Meeting ................................... Kay Sutt
A Report on the TUNA .............................. John Wiker
Report on Failed Brakes ........................... John Wiker
One of Many Tri-State Stories ..................... John Wiker
Sara Gold and her Early Coupe ........ Albuquerque Museum Show
Alamosa Tri-State Statistics ....................... Ed Halpin
Alamosa Tri-State Photos ............. Tarmo Sutt & John Wiker
COVER ..... Sheriff's Award: the Car He would Most Likely Stop
JUL President's Letter ................................ Dave Allin
June Regular Meeting (Board Meeting Cancelled) .. Linda Soukup
John Wiker Obituary ...................... Albuquerque Journal
April 27th, 2002 ................................. Jim Pittman
March 2004 - What Might Have Been ................. John Wiker
January 2006 - My Enchanted Life .................. John Wiker
September 2006 - Car Club Picnic .................. John Wiker
July 2009 - Working With Hollywood ................ John Wiker
March 2016 - The Miracle of E-Mail ................ John Wiker
Ambassador for Corvairs of New Mexico .......... David Huntoon
Interment at Santa Fe National Cemetery .......... Terry Price
Club Breakfast at Hello Deli ..................... Jim Pittman
School and Friends ............................... Vickie Hall
Corvair Production Numbers ..................... David Huntoon
Treasury Report ................................ Steve Gongora
COVER: ......... John Wiker 1945-2019 - photo by Steve Gongora
COVER: ... March 10, 2018: John receives Club's Meissner Award
AUG Classic Car Appreciation Day ..................... Vickie Hall
Thoughts on Corvair Design ........................ Dave Allin
Positive Approach to Caster ............ Brent Covey VAIR-IETY
It's a Test ...................................... Jim Pittman
Treasury Report ................................ Steve Gongora
COVER: ... Vickie shows off her pink Alamosa Tri-State T-Shirt
SEP Michael Bertran and his 1964 Monza Convertible .. Linda Soukup
Corvairs at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance ...... Dave Allin
Bill Reider's 1965 silver-with-black-trim Corsa Coupe . Editor
State Fair Car Show Preview ...................... Robert Gold
Speeding on Eubank ............................... Jim Pittman
Driving in Yurp: The United Kingdom (Part 1) .. Mark L. Morgan
Looking Forward to the State Fair .............. Craig Vencill
Treasury Report ................................ Steve Gongora
COVER ....... "Corvair Vagabond" Mike Photographs CNM Corvairs
OCT President's Message ............................... Dave Allin
September Regular Meeting Minutes ................... Kay Sutt
The Existential Joy of Starting a Rebuilt Engine . Larry Blair
Title Transfer Nightmare, Chicago to England ..... David Neale
State Fair Photos ................. Dave Allin & David Huntoon
Mid-Engine: Cummings Diesel in Loadside ........... Tarmo Sutt
Pete Frailey "Song of the Old Corvair" Group Corvair Comments
Driving in Yurp: The United Kingdom (Part 2) .. Mark L. Morgan
COVER: .. Larry invites CNM Members to startup his rebuilt 140
NOV President's Message ............................... Dave Allin
October Regular Meeting Minutes ..................... Kay Sutt
October Board Meeting Cancelled .................... The Board
Fiasco (Oops, I mean, Fiesta) of Wheels .......... Larry Blair
Preparing Bill Reider's Corsa for shipping ........ Tarmo Sutt
Bill Darcy's Belen Car Show ...................... Vickie Hall
Steering Wheel for 1969 Monza ..................... Dave Allin
Thunk Thunk (March 1982 article) ............. Richard Twilley
Photo from a 1981 Aspencade ...................... Jim Pittman
Late Model Convertible Weights ... GROUP CORVAIR - Jim Simpson
Fuel Economy, 180-HP Turbo vs. 140-HP Four-carb .. Jim Pittman
COVER .... LeRoy Rogers, Leroy Alderete at the October meeting
COVER ..... Below: At an I-25 Rest Area on the way to Santa Fe
DEC President's Message ............................... Dave Allin
November Meeting Minutes ....................... Steve Gongora
November Board Meeting Cancelled ................... The Board
My First Encounter with a Corvair ................ Lube Lubert
Birthdays & Anniversaries ................. Sunshine Committee
Treasury Report ................................ Steve Gongora
Rare V-8 in a Corvair - Kyle Smith ........ Hagerty.com/videos
Crown Manufacturing V-8 Conversion "Corv-8" ......Crown Letter
Calendar of Coming Events ................. Board of Directors
December: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 Years Ago ..... Club Historian
Index of Articles from the 2019 Enchanted Corvairs Newsletter
COVER: ........... License Plate Map at Highland Senior Center
COVER: Collection of Classic Oil Cans at Jay Hertz Garage Tour
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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=