Updated 26-Feb-2021 = Copyright (c) 2021 Corvairs of New Mexico
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PREVIEW OF NEXT MONTH'S NEWSLETTER
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FEBRUARY 2020 / VOLUME 46 / NUMBER 2 / ISSUE # 533
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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
NEXT MEETING Regular Meeting: Saturday February 1st, 10:00 AM
Highland Senior Center, 131 Monroe NE Albuquerque NM 87108
THIS MONTH
President's Message ................................. Dave Allin
February Dues Due Dates ................... Membership Committee
January Regular Meeting Minutes ....................... Kay Sutt
January Board Meeting Minutes .................... Steve Gongora
Birthdays & Anniversaries ................. Membership Committee
Photos from the January Meeting .................... Jim Pittman
Tri-State Tasks ..................................... Dave Allin
Getting Started with Corvairs ......................... Pat Hall
Dark Intrigue (September 25, 1959) .................. Tom Martin
Rampside at Baird-Jackson Auction ................... Tarmo Sutt
Treasury Report .................................. Steve Gongora
Calendar of Coming Events ................... Board of Directors
February Issues, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 Years Ago .... Club Historian
Ike Meissner Award Nomination Form .. Deadline: February Meeting
COVER: Pat Hall and his 1965 Corsa Coupe at January Meeting
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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NEW MEMBERS:
Josie & Leroy Alderete Own a 1965 Coupe
Lupe & Jim Arellanes Own a 1964 Convertible
Diane & Tony Lawler Own a 1964 Spyder, a 1967 Convt and a 1963 Rampside
WELCOME TO THE CLUB!
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DUES DUE DATES FEBRUARY 2020
DUE LAST MONTH ===================== INACTIVE DATE
2020.01 Elizabeth & Mark Domzalski 25-FEB-2020
DUE THIS MONTH ===================== 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
DUE NEXT MONTH ===================== INACTIVE DATE
2020.03 Kelli & Mark Morgan 25-APR-2020
2020.03 Natalie Robison 25-APR-2020
2020.03 Emma & LeRoy Rogers 25-APR-2020
DUE APRIL 2020 ===================== INACTIVE DATE
2020.04 Terry Hall 25-MAY-2020
2020.04 Conner Siddell 25-MAY-2020
2020.04 William Darcy 25-MAY-2020
2020.04 Deborah & John Dinsdale 25-MAY-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
2019.10 Alan Gold 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 23-Jan-2020 we have 41 active family memberships.
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PRESIDENT'S LETTER
Dave Allin
The first year for the Corvair was 1960, which was sixty years ago. When it was
introduced, it was totally unlike anything else produced in the US. While other
manufacturers produced "compact cars" that were just smaller, cheaper versions
of their regular cars, Chevy brought to market a totally different car with
European influence. While the Corvair was only built for ten years, it is still
one of the most popular collector cars in the country, as is evidenced by this
club. Do you know anyone in the Ford Falcon Club, or the Plymouth Valiant Club?
I'd guess not. There is just something about a Corvair that makes it special.
That is why the upcoming Tri-State is such an important and appealing event.
Your Board of Directors and Tri-State committee have been working tirelessly to
make this the best Tri-State in years. If you have never been to the Marriott
Pyramid, stop by, or go online, and see the beautiful accommodations, the giant
atrium, and the tree-shaded parking lot where we will have our car show. We
recently met with the staff and arranged a wonderful banquet, and our guest
speaker will be astronaut Harrison Schmitt. We have some terrific raffle prizes
lined up, and a tour to Sandia Crest, along with hot-air balloons.
I am also pleased to see that attendance at our regular meetings is increasing,
a sure sign of an enthusiastic and growing membership. Be sure to come to our
meeting February 1, where we will discuss our club birthday party and collect
your ballots for the Ike Meissner Award.
Dave Allin
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GENERAL MEETING MINUTES OF 01/04/2020
Kay Sutt
The meeting was called to order by President Dave Allin at 10:15 at the Highland
Senior Center located at 131 Monroe Street, NE. Twenty members were present at
the meeting. No guests were present.
Vice President's Report: Dave Huntoon had no items to report.
Secretary's Report: The minutes, as published in the last newsletter, were
approved without being read in the meeting. Kay Sutt had no other items to
report.
Treasurer's Report: Steve Gongora reported the club had received no money since
the last meeting, and the only bills paid were to Jim Pittman for the January
newsletter and to Terry Price for the postcards. The balance in the account at
meeting time was $6,997.12.
Sunshine Committee Report: Vickie Hall presented her year-end report indicating
she has $70 in merchandise and $146.69 left in the committee's control. Her full
report was submitted to the club for review.
Old Business:
Lupe Arellanes presented the nearly completed logo for the upcoming 2020
Tri-State Rally. It is scheduled to be complete within a very short time for
inclusion in the registration forms and the website. It looks very good, and
thanks, Lupe (and your daughter), for your work)!
Lupe will prepare a preliminary proposed registration form for the Tri-State
within a few days, after obtaining instruction and information about events,
general timing, etc.
The Tri-State website is under construction, awaiting information from various
sources as it becomes available. The website, in its preliminary form, can be
accessed at tristatecorvairs.com.
Dave Allin has requested a meeting with the host hotel to finalize plans for the
banquet, but they have not responded yet with a meeting time. General discussion
among members indicated the lower priced sit-down meal is the preference of the
group.
Larry Blair indicated he would ask Harrison Schmitt if he has a favorite charity
where we could submit an honorarium in his name, since he will not charge for
his presentation.
The need to get advertising started immediately was emphasized. Dave Allin will
send the notice to CORSA for inclusion in the next publication. Hemmings News,
CABQ and the NM Council of Car Clubs publication will also be contacted. Vickie
indicated the Albuquerque Journal needs four weeks advance notice for
publication of public notices. Dave Huntoon will put a notice on his Facebook
site, CorvairsNM, regarding the Meet and registration/hotel details.
Rita Gongora volunteered to lead a Saturday afternoon tour to Tinkertown and
Sandia Crest during the Tri-State, and Brenda Stickler agreed to coordinate the
hospitality food offerings. She indicated Brenda Wilvert, who, along with her
husband Hurley, ramrodded this at the Taos Tri-State and indicated she is
willing to help with Tri-State, so Brenda Stickler will ask her if she will help
this year too. Anne Wiker has also indicated she will help with Tri-State, and
maybe we will find a third person to help with this.
Steve Gongora asked Mark Domzalski to MC the banquet, and Mark generously
agreed. Thanks, Mark. It will be good to see you!
New Business:
Jim Pittman said the newsletter deadline is Friday January 24th at 9:00 PM. He
handed out nomination forms with criteria for a nomination for the Meissner
Award at the meeting, and the form is to be published in the newsletter too.
Send completed nominations to Dave Huntoon at corvair66@aol.com, or call him at
505-363-0773. Past recipients Pat & Vickie Hall and Terry Price will make the
final selection from among those nominations, and the award will be presented at
the March Anniversary Party. Members are reminded everyone is open for
nomination/election, even if they have won the award before.
The Anniversary party will be a potluck this year, acknowledging John Wiker's
service. It will be held after the March General Meeting on March 7, 2020. Rita
Gongora will check to make sure we can hold the event at the Highland Senior
Center and let Jim Pittman know prior to publication of the newsletter.
Larry Blair needs 75-100 small traffic cones for a Funkhana he is planning for
later this year. This will be a fun event, with a driving course set up in a
large, open parking lot and a blindfolded driver taking directions from a
navigator to complete the course. It was suggested spouses were not ideal
partners for this event, to general and knowing laughter. If you have
suggestions where he may borrow these, contact Larry at blairylar@hotmail.com,
or 505-821-1386.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:15.
Attending: Leroy Alderete, Dave Allin, Lupe Arellanes, Tony Berbig, Larry Blair,
Robert Gold, Rita Gongora, Steve Gongora, Pat Hall, Vickie Hall, David Huntoon,
Geoff Johnson, Gordon Johnson, Steve Johnson, Bob Kitts, Jim Pittman, Terry
Price, Linda Soukup, Brenda Stickler, Kay Sutt
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BOARD MEETING MINUTES OF 01/15/2020
Steve Gongora
Banquet has been confirmed and reserved at the Highland Senior Center for the
CNM Anniversary on March 7th from 10 AM to 2 PM.
It was discussed to either have a Pot Luck or the main dish from Rudy's BBQ.
Paper goods provided by members. It will be voted on at the next meeting.
The rest of the board meeting was focused on the Tri-State event for 2020.
Curtis Shimp, our member from Silver City, NM tried to get a room and they
wanted to charge a $8.00 fee for parking and said the rate didn't apply to come
in early. Dave Allin was going to contact the Marriott to confirm our
agreements. They told us the $99.00 applies to three days prior and three days
after the event. We never discussed any parking fees.
The registration paperwork was discussed and thought is was best to spell out
the $40.00 included tax and gratuity. It was also thought it best to include the
Vegan plate and the special price for children under 10 years at $15.95.
The Hospitality/Registration room will be available on Friday. We will have a
table in the lobby for people wanting to register on Thursday night.
Our meet and greet will be at El Pinto. We would like to find out how many
people are interested in attending.
It is time for CNM members to get involved in the preparations for the
Tri-State. Please contact Dave Allin and other board members to put your
valuable talents for the club. We need help in all areas.
Hospitality, Snacks, Beverages, Coffee, Paper Goods. Banquet help for seating
and general guides and assistance. Car Show and Special Trips during the day
were some of the areas discussed. Robert Gold and Geoff Johnson are the main
people for the car show. We will be creating a sign-up sheet to be at the
meetings.
Mark Domzalski will be our Master of Ceremonies for the event.
The gifts and prizes were given thought as to how to announce the winners.
Silent auctions as opposed to tickets for each major gift was tossed around.
Tickets would provide the easiest way to keep track and sell. Drawings could be
held at specific times on Saturday and the winning numbers could be posted on a
white board. Gifts would be kept in the Hospitality/Registration room.
We will recognize all veterans and have our flag on display.
Advertisements for the event will be in CORSA, Corvair Center, Facebook, CNM
website, etc.
David Allin talked about the Balloon tethered site. The balloon will be anchored
to the chase vehicle and a donation is encouraged to help costs with the fuel.
Nearby is a Cars & Coffee at Hello Deli which is walking distance from the
hotel.
Rita and Steve Gongora have offered their home for future meetings to plan for
the Tri-State.
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TRI-STATE 2020 FEATURED SPEAKER, HARRISON "JACK" SCHMITT
Harrison "Jack" Schmitt is a native New Mexican born in the small village of
Santa Rita in southwestern New Mexico. He is best known as one of the small
group of men who have walked on the moon as a NASA astronaut. He was the first
NASA scientist-astronaut to enter space and walk on the moon in December, 1972,
as a member of Apollo 17. He was the second-to-last personn to step off the
moon, having completed his mission as a geologist for that mission. Jack Schmitt
also served in NASA as a scientist trainer for other Apollo astronauts chosen to
visit the moon, and he played an active role documenting the geologic finds from
the Apollo program and organizing NASA's Energy Program Office.
In 1975, Jack Schmitt resigned from NASA to run for the U.S. Senate, and he
served New Mexico in that capacity until 1982. Among his other duties during his
Senate tenure, he was chariman of the Science, Technology & Space Subcommittee.
Since leeaving the Senate Jack Schmitt has consulted on business, geology, space
and public policy, he was an adjunct professor of engineering physics at
University of Wisconsin-Madison and he has served on the NASA Advisory Council.
Jack Schmitt currently splits his time between Silver City, Albuquerque and
Minnesota.
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TRI-STATE TASKS
Dave Allin
Making the upcoming Tri-State event a success is a major goal of the club, and
it depends on everyone helping out. Last year people volunteered for various
tasks, but you may have forgotten what you volunteered for, or things may have
changed. Here's a list of activities and events and who we think is going to
help. If you see your name and can no longer help with that, let someone in the
committee know. Likewise, if you can help out for something that you aren't
currently down for, speak up.
Prior to the event:
Lupe Arellanes has developed a logo, a T-shirt design, and the registration
form. She has created an email address for more information. I have placed ads
in the Corsa Communique and in Hemmings Motor News. As the registration forms
come in, Lupe will use them to create name tags and car show window signs. The
checks will come to me. Lupe and I will develop a database to keep track of the
registrations so we can notify the hotel of the banquet numbers.
We will be creating gift baskets and banquet center-pieces. Rita is in charge of
the baskets, with help from Lesha. We need someone to volunteer to make the
centerpieces. Vickie and Heula have been working for months preparing
registration bags. The bags have been purchased and many items have been hand
made and/or purchased for these bags. A few more items are needed. Please
contact Vickie for a list. They will be filling the bags prior to the distribution
time on Thursday.
Thursday, May 14
We will set up a table in the lobby for early arrivals to check in and get
additional information. We will need a couple people to set up the table and man
it from perhaps noon until 6:00 pm. We will have a meet and greet at the El
Pinto restaurant for dinner that evening. We will need someone to coordinate
with the restaurant and perhaps lead a convoy over to it.
Friday, May 15
We have a suite on the first floor, not far from the hotel registration desk,
where we will set up our registration and reception area. This will also be the
location for our raffle prize display. We will have snacks and soft drinks. It
will be open from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm. We will need people prior to 3:00 to set
things up and arrange the raffle prizes, and bring in the snacks and drinks.
Once the room is open, we will need people to take registration, hand out gift
bags, sell raffle tickets, and answer questions. Currently I have the following
people down for the hospitality room: Anne Wiker, Brenda Stickler, Linda
Soukup, Rita Gongora, Lesha Kitts, Curtis Shimp, and myself. This will be a very
busy room, so if you can help out, please let us know.
Saturday, May 16
The hospitality room will open at 7:00 am. and remain open until noon. We will
need people to do the same tasks as on Friday. Let us know if you can do either
or both days.
I will coordinate the balloon rides and produce walking maps. We may need
someone to guide people to the location.
The Car Show will run from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. People should have their window
signs and ballots in their registration bags. The hotel will block off part of
the parking lot for our show. I currently have Tony and Linda down as arranging
the cars. We need someone to set up and run games, if we plan to have any. We
will also need someone to hand out minor prizes, both for the games and for
drawings. I have Linda and Lesha down, but I'm sure we will need others. Bob
Kitts has volunteered to take photos. Anne Wiker volunteered to count the
ballots. We will also need someone to pick the raffle winners and log them for
the presentation later. We will need people to clean up after the show. Bob
Kitts has volunteered to take photos.
At 1:00 Rita will lead a tour to Tinkertown and Sandia Crest. We will provide
brochures and maps for other ABQ attractions such as the Tram, various museums,
and Old Town. If there is sufficient interest, we may add a second tour to one
of those locations.
We will not have access to the banquet room until 5:00 pm., so we will need
several people to go in and set things up quickly. The hotel is providing the
A/V equipment and someone to set it up. They will also need to seat the guests
as they arrive. I believe Larry Blair will be coordinating with Harrison Schmitt
and escorting him to the banquet room. Schmitt will give his presentation at
6:00, and dinner will be served at the tables after he is done. Mark Domzalski
has volunteered to be our MC. After dinner he will present the car show awards
and the raffle winners. We will need someone to help hand out the awards and
prizes.
Sunday, May 17
We are inviting our guests to view or even participate in the Museum Car Show at
the Albuquerque Museum. Is there someone who would like to help people find the
show, and perhaps even lead a group over to participate?
At the February 1 club meeting, or by email to me, let us know if you are not
available for any task we have you down for, or add your name to help out in one
of the areas. We need all the help we can get, and "Many hands make light work."
Thank you.
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Getting Started With Corvairs
Pat Hall
I did not know Jim was going to put my picture in the newsletter with my yellow
1965 Corsa coupe. Then he asked me to tell how I got started with Corvairs.
Well, I'm going to try to answer that.
Now I am retired from the business of recycling but back in about 2005 when I
was doing a lot of recycling a friend set me up with a job. There was a building
with things to get rid of and inside there were two cars, both Corvairs. One was
a 1966 Corsa with a turbo and the other was a van. I got the stuff in the
building and I got the Corvairs. The van was pretty much gone but it was full of
parts. After saving the parts, I scrapped it. But the car was not in bad shape
and I decided to try to get it running. I did get it to run pretty well but I
never drove it. Someone came along who wanted to buy it so I sold it. That was
the first time I had paid much attention to Corvairs.
Jim told me he thought I was a "natural" mechanic and I said yes, that's what I
am. I got started learning about mechanical work when I was eight years old. My
dad never worked with machinery and when I was a kid he bought the other kids
bicycles. But he never bought me one. So I looked for bicycle parts to build my
own. I found some parts another boy was willing to sell me for two dollars. With
enough parts I put together a working bicycle. I rode that bicycle for a long
time. I even stripped off the old paint and repainted it. So I really started
learning about mechanical things with that bicycle. So after that I just kept
working with mechanical things all my life.
Then when I was in high school my dad had an old 1954 Chevy. Along the way it
developed a bad engine so he gave it to me. I tore the engine down and rebuilt
it. I did all the work myself, but I got a friend to help me set the timing. The
engine ran fine and that was my start working on cars. I worked on vehicles in
the Army too.
Which cars did I most like to work on, and which did I most dislike? I'd say the
old flathead Fords were the ones I liked the best. I never cared for foreign
cars. They just seemed too complicated and the way they were put together just
did not make sense to me. I really liked the 1940s and 1950s Fords and Chevys.
I mostly learned how to work on cars just by working on them. I never looked at
a manual or book, I just figured out how things worked by looking at them. Ever
since starting out on bicycles I just could tell how mechanical things were
built and how they were supposed to work, and how to fix whatever went wrong
with them. I did get a lot of tips from other mechanics, but basically I just
learned by doing.
After that Corsa turbo that I got to run I started keeping an eye out for
Corvairs to buy and take home. I'd salvage parts and junk the bad parts, and I'd
fix cars that were good enough to fix. Some I'd sell and some that I liked I
would drive for a while. I picked up a 1963 convertible Spyder in Chicago that I
heard about. I got a trailer to take to Chicago to bring it back. It turned out
to be in really good shape and I enjoyed driving it. I still have that car and
the only real work I ever had to do on it was get a new top. I found out about
the Corvair Club. Vickie and I took that car on a trip the Club made to Bosque
del Apache. That was in January 2006. We joined the club and we have enjoyed
being in the club and being around all the Corvair people ever since.
I met Bill Reider through the club and I bought a lot of Corvair parts from him.
I also learned a lot about Corvair engines from Bill. There was a time when he
was coming down to my place in Los Lunas to fix up a 1968 Corvair for his
grandson. We did a lot of work on that car and it was a good-running car. Bill
was an expert on engines and especially tune-ups.
That 1965 yellow Corsa on the cover of this newsletter, I got that car from a
person who was never in the club. It was in good shape and it is a good Corvair
to drive. We have taken this car on several trips including Tri-States and other
out-of-state trips. Now, I have a lot of Corvairs, some in better shape than
others, and I need to sell some of them. We actually drove this car to the
January meeting to show it to someone who was interested in buying it. But the
person was not able to attend the meeting. So the car was there and Terry wanted
pictures of it. So, that's how come I am on the cover with a yellow 1965 Corsa
coupe.
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It Was Twenty Years Ago Today -- February 2000
Dark Intrigue
Tom Martin
It was a quiet, moonless night in Albuquerque and our formless garb would make
us hard to spot. My watch showed 10:55. Gil, George, Jack and I had been briefed
in late afternoon and we met in the shadow of the building where the boss was
waiting. Frank was his name, I recall, but we knew him as "Pancho". The windows
were covered in brown paper when earlier in the day they revealed the venerable
interior of this old structure.
As this recollection forms in 1987, I feel a strange sensation. The Julian
period is a cycle of 7,980 years and this is based on a solar cycle of 28 years.
Therefore the days of the week repeat on the same dates only every 28 years!
What takes me back 28 years to Julian day number 2,436,836 -- September 24,
1959?
It was a Thursday night just like this year. George was usually very talkative,
but not tonight. Gil had a hat pulled low over his eyes. There was little
conversation as we five got into Pancho's car and drove the short distance.
Pancho stopped in the middle of the block near First and Iron Streets and we got
out. Four pairs of eyes followed him down the deserted street as he drove away.
Jack produced a set of keys and began trying them in the lock on the fence gate.
A second, a third, and finally the fourth key opened the large, formidable
padlock. The log chain fell to one side and we entered. I sensed the others had
done this before but this was my first time. I had only recently graduated from
college and joined this group. The eerie glow of light to the north was from the
Santa Fe train station and to the south I could see a solitary green light in
the train yard.
Suddenly, I noticed a group of men approach from our rear and follow our
footsteps through the gate and into the fenced enclosure. Gil nudged me and
laconically whispered, "They're Hickam's boys. They'll take care of the big
ones". A few more paces and Jack stopped and handed me a key and said, "This
one's yours. We'll see you back there". I tried the key in the lock and it
opened. I opened the door to a new 1960 Corvair 500 and slid behind the wheel.
Shift lever to "N", pump the accelerator pedal a couple times and with a turn of
the key the new engine started with a sound I'd never heard before -- a strong,
but muffled purr. My left hand found the knob for the headlights and just below
that, the black ratchet handle of the emergency brake. I shifted to "R" and
backed up and then to "D". I rolled out onto First and headed for the service
entrance of Galles-Groesbeeck Cheverolet on Copper Avenue, between Fifth and
Sixth. I could smell the newness of the black rubber floor mat and the fabric of
the seats. Yep, the radio worked and the steering felt nimble compared to the
big Impala I was used to driving.
Pancho was waiting with the service door open and in I went. The others were
quick to follow and the door closed behind us. One more shuttle of four from the
train yard and our night's work was done. Congratulations were in order as we
each acknowledged no one had seen us. The "make-ready" guys were at work and
mine was already washed. The dawn crew would ferry the full-sized cars and
everything would be ready for the debut of the 1960 model cars.
At 10:00 AM the following morning, Friday September 25, 1959, Julian day number
2,436,837, the four of us in dark blue suits tore the paper off the showroom
windows. To my surprise, I was looking into the eyes of about three dozen people
who eagerly awaited the unlocking of the doors. The Corvairs had been allotted
half of the showroom space and were easily the top attraction that day. No one
noticed that a heart beat a little faster inside one of those dark blue suits --
I had been the first to drive the All- New Chevrolet Corvair on the streets of
Albuquerque!
Editor's note: Back in January 2000 Ruth Boydston asked me to find the article
Tom Martin wrote about bringing the first Corvair to Galles-Groesbeeck
Chevrolet. This is it. We published it in the January 1988 issue of Enchanted
Corvairs Newsletter and in the February 2000 issue. Here it is again!
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Happy February Birthday Wishes to:
Bob Kitts
Happy February Anniversary Wishes to:
Rita & Steve Gongora
Diane & Tony Lawyer
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TREASURY REPORT FOR 12-19-2019 to 01-21-2020
DATE CHECK# AMOUNT PAYEE DESCRIPTION BALANCE = $6,997.12 $6,997.12
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2020.01.04 2363 -$ 72.51 J.Pittman Newsletter Printing JAN 2020 -$ 44.10 $6,953.02
2020.01.04 2363 -$ J.Pittman Newsletter Postage 33 x $0.70 -$ 23.10 $6,929.92
2020.01.04 2363 -$ J.Pittman Newsletter Envelopes (33) -$ 5.31 $6,924.61
2020.01.21 +$ 50.00 Dues J.Yelich 26 m CNM $ 50.00 $6,974.61
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2020.02.01 FEB NEWSLETTER ========================================== $6,974.61 $6,974.61
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| February 2020 | March 2020 | April 2020 |
| Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa | Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa |
| 1 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | 1 2 3 4 |
| 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 | 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 |
| 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 | 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 | 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 |
| 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 | 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 | 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 |
| 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 | 29 30 31 | 26 27 28 29 30 |
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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
MON 02 MAR >> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING MARCH NEWSLETTER <<
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SAT 07 MAR 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
SAT 07 MAR 10:00 - 2:00 PM -- Reserved for our Anniversary Party at Highland
SUN 08 MAR 2:00 AM Set your clocks ahead an hour because the government is
stealing an hour out of your life. No worries, we will get the hour
back after tolerating a one-hour jet lag experience in November.
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
MON 30 MAR >> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING APRIL NEWSLETTER <<
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SAT 04 APR 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 15 APR 5:00 PM Board Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 22 APR 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
FRI 24 APR 9:00 PM Deadline for items for May 2020 newsletter
MON 27 APR >> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING MAY NEWSLETTER <<
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SAT 02 MAY 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
MAY 15-16-17 ::: 36TH ANNUAL TRI-STATE CORVAIR MEET ::: CORVAIRS OF NEW MEXICO
Marriott Pyramid North : 5151 San Francisco Rd NE : Albuquerque : 505-821-3333
WED 20 MAY 5:00 PM Board Meeting: Highland Senior Center at 131 Monroe NE
WED 27 MAY 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE
FRI 29 MAY 9:00 PM Deadline for items for June 2020 newsletter
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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 [ FEBRUARY 2020 VOL 46 Nr 2 ISSUE 533 ]
Jim Pittman
2013 V.39 Nr 2 #449
The cover showed a full-color photo of a 1960 engine. President Wiker predicted
a good year ahead and we had suggestions for Saturday activities, sometimes more
than one, for every month. David Huntoon reported on an engine rebuild for the
Library Van, complete with detailed photos. Van Pershing of the Tucson club
described features of the original Corvair engine. It was revolutionary! Jim's
v.3 Newsletter CD was still available at only $15 each. Robert Gold recommended
Datsun 240-Z wheels for early Corvairs. John Dawson (Rocky Mountain) told how to
drive in snow. Harry Ransom (Vegas Vairs) told how to repair cracked plastic
choke pull-off units.
2006 V.32 Nr 2 #365
Cover: the only Corvair to show up for the Bosque del Apache tour belonged to
new members Pat & Vickie Hall. We were glad of Jerry Goffe's warm school bus.
There were many photos. A new member was Dan Palmer - Ultra Van and a guest was
Cary Hubbard - Greenbrier. Ollie said we would clean our mile of Old Route 66
four times a year. Jim said we could our newsletters in envelopes to avoid
mangling by the post office. President Ray Trujillo's column, "Mechanically
Un-Inclined", described the Bosque del Apache tour. Heula told about our club
breakfast at The Kettle, and told more about the Bosque trip. LeRoy Rogers
brought us up-to-date on preparations for the Tri-State coming up in Montrose,
Colorado. Sylvan reminded us of the value of close reading of the Care & Feeding
booklet that Bill Reider was continually updating. Sylvan Zuercher provided a
history of the Tri-State meets.
Tech tips included removing a pilot bushing and the pros and cons of synthetic
oil.
1999 V.25 Nr 2 #281
The cover asked if you could love two Corvairs more than one. Obviously, yes.
President Pleau ran our meeting at Casa Chevrolet. LeRoy had taken over from
Bill McClellan the job of bringing the newsletter to Casa for mailing. Mark
Domzalski suggested that the club should get a better print of the January cover
photo and frame it for the archives. Guests included Lloyd Piatt, an old friend
of Tarmo's. Bill Nelson of Pennzoil/Quaker State gave us a good talk on the
current state of automobile lubricants.
Wendell reported $6,909.89 in our treasury. Our "Nike" investment was up for
renewal and there was brisk discussion about what to do with our money. We
decided that $5,000 should go into another investment fund, for better financial
flexibility.
LeRoy contacted Vic's Daily Cafe to schedule a dinner party to celebrate our
25th anniversary. We talked about a special Anniversary issue of the newsletter.
Remember the VMCCA's "Unfair Car Show" organized to spite the State Fair? Well,
it was to be no more - the turnout had gotten too low. We planned a garage tour
to Kim & Del Patten's place, with breakfast at Kokopelli's in Cedar Crest. Tech
tips included the pros and cons of solid valve lifters vs hydraulic lifters, the
value of an original Corvair A/C unit, and how to prevent your muffler rusting
out. Trivia questions from Virtual Vairs: Is there a 12-step program to help
Corvair nuts recover? Is there a Corvair Road or Corvair Lane or Corvair Street
anywhere?
1992 V.18 Nr 2 #197
Our cover featured a gaggle of late coupe silhouettes. Chuck Vertrees took
notes; Steve Gongora presided; Wendell Walker reported $958 in the bank. Wayne
Christgau was leaving Albuquerque, but not CNM, to live in Iowa. Plans for CNM's
Tri-State meet in Las Vegas, NM not NV, were discussed. We planned a garage tour
to see Bobby Unser's garage. Actually, we planned this several times and it
never happened.
President Steve told us he had secured guided tours of Montezuma Castle and Fort
Union at the Las Vegas Tri-State. He asked members to sponsor events for the
Club this year. Sylvan told us of a new publication "The Lone Racer" put out by
Rossie Morris and Sundance Automotive. It discussed Rossie's participation in
the Great American Race with his Model T race car, and Rossie thanked CNM for
our help with the 1992 race. In a technical vein, Francis Boydston told how to
really fix those pesky Powerglide cable leaks, and we lifted a short article
from another publication telling how to convert engine sizes from cubic inches
to liters. (Examples: a 1960 Corvair is 140 CI = 2.29 liters, a 1961 is 145 CI =
2.38 liters, and a 1964 is 164 CI = 2.69 liters. Modify your 1966 engine by
boring it to the maximum 3-9/16" while keeping the stroke stock at 2-15/16" and
you'd have 175.7 CI = 2.88 liters.)
1985 V.11 Nr 2 #113
The cover depicted three late coupes. Francis Boydston was president and Sylvan
said we has $385 in the bank. For our garage tour we were told we would see
Jerry Goffe's Aston-Martin. Did we? Francis suggested that we organize more
events with the White Sands Corvair Club in Alamogordo. Tech tips were off to a
good start with Part 1 of a series on welding by Bill McClellan. Jim Pittman
reported on installing Holley carbs (which Clark's called the ultimate Corvair
carburetor setup) on his 1966 Monza 110-HP 4-speed, with quite a few negative
comments to go with a few positive features. Finally, we listed all 54 CNM
members.
1978 V.4 Nr 1 #29
This was Jim's first issue as Editor of our Corvair club newsletter. Joel Nash
was our president and Steve Gongora took meeting notes. We appointed LeRoy
Rogers to represent CNM at the Car Council. An editorial outlined a short
history of the Corvair and our Club and suggested future developments in the
Corvair hobby and how we might influence them. Francis Boydston told how to
grind valves with an electric drill. And we thanked Ed Black's Chevrolet for
providing us with a comfortable and convenient meeting room every month.
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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 (c)
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.
When I'm 64, I'll get by with a little help from my friends.
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