The June 2020 newsletter - Text Version Updated 01-Jun-2020 ==== Copyright (c) 2020 Corvairs of New Mexico ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== June 2020 / VOLUME 46 / NUMBER 6 / ISSUE 537 ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== 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: June 6th at 10:00 AM Mariposa Basin Park - Taylor Ranch Rd. at Kachina St. THIS MONTH President's Message ................................... Dave Allin My First Corvair ...................................... Dave Allin Dues Due Dates .............................. Membership Committee May Meetings ........................... CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 Memorial Day Tribute to John Wiker and Bill Reider ........ Editor Birthdays & Anniversaries ................... Membership Committee Corvairs in the Time of Coronavirus ............... Other Chapters Funny Reflections on the Virus ................... Brenda Stickler Photos of Vickie's New Corvair ....................... Vickie Hall Help Identify an Albuquerque 1964 900 .............. David Huntoon Treasury Report .................................... Steve Gongora Reprints from 2000 - Report of the 2000 Tri-State ... Dennis Pleau Other News from Twenty Years Ago ..................... CNM Members Fifty Years Ago - Student Riots ...................... Jim Pittman Calendar of Coming Events ..................... Board of Directors June Issues, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 Years Ago ...... Club Historian COVER Corvairs gather at the Veterans' Memorial in Albuquerque Larry Blair conducted the ceremony of Tribute to Bill and John =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= 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 DUES DUE DATES JUNE 2020 DUE LAST MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE 2020.05 NONE 25-JUN-2020 DUE THIS MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE 2020.06 Lloyd Piatt 25-JUL-2020 2020.06 Art Gold 25-JUL-2020 DUE NEXT MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE 2020.07 Maggie & Bob Kitts 25-AUG-2020 2020.07 Sarah & Terry Price 25-AUG-2020 DUE AUG 2020 ======================== INACTIVE DATE 2020.08 NONE 25-JUN-2020 INACTIVE ============================ INACTIVE DATE 2020.02 Larry Yoffee 25-MAR-2020 2020.03 Natalie Robison 25-APR-2020 2020.04 Conner Siddell 25-MAY-2020 2020.04 William Darcy 25-MAY-2020 Send your Dues to: CNM Treasurer -- Steve Gongora -- c/o 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-May-2020 we have 40 active family memberships. =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= PRESIDENT'S LETTER Dave Allin Although restrictions are easing, the pandemic is still with us, limiting our ability to meet and socialize. As I write this, it is still unclear what will be open and what sort of congregating will be allowed in early June, but that doesn't mean we can't do anything. For our June meeting on the 6th, we will meet at Mariposa Basin Park in Taylor Ranch (see below for details). It has a huge parking area, so we can all park with a space between our cars. There is a sprawling picnic area with lots of shade trees, and there are public restrooms. We can sit six feet apart with our masks on and catch up on things. On Memorial Day many of us met at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial on south Louisiana. Larry Blair led a brief but solemn ceremony, and a bugler played taps, before the plaque honoring John Wiker and Bill Reider was unveiled by their widows. Larry had brought burritos, donuts, coffee, and soft drinks, so we could all stand around, six feet apart, with our masks on, and catch up with one another. Despite the unseasonably cool weather, we had a very nice time, and I want to thank Larry again for arranging it. I have sent out a flyer regarding our June meeting, but in case you missed it, here are the details and directions. To get to the Mariposa Basin Park, go west on Montano from Coors until you reach the first stoplight. Turn right onto Taylor Ranch Road and go one block to the next stoplight, which is Kachina Street. Turn left onto Kachina and go about a half block to turn right into the park. We will be on the west side of the park, in the shaded picnic area. Bring a lawn chair, because the grass is sometimes wet from the early morning watering. I will bring a table and an ice chest with cold drinks. We will set up in a wide circle, at least six feet apart, and everyone should wear a mask. We have a lot to discuss, so please try to attend. The meeting will start at 10:00 a.m., as usual. There is a Subway a block away, if you want to get sandwiches and picnic in the park afterward. I look forward to seeing you all again. ******** CORVAIRS AL FRESCO ******** Corvairs of New Mexico Monthly Meeting ******** 10:00 a.m., June 6, 2020 ******** ******** Mariposa Basin Park ******** Taylor Ranch Rd. at Kachina St. ******** ******** Directions: Drive West on Montano from Coors to the first stoplight ******** and turn right on Taylor Ranch Rd. Go one block and turn left at ******** the next stoplight onto Kachina St. A half block on the right is ******** the entrance to the park. Bring a lawn chair and a mask. There are ******** public restrooms at the park, and cold drinks will be provided. =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= My First Corvair Dave Allin Way back in 1965 I was a student at the University of Oklahoma, and I was driving a VW Beetle convertible. After purchasing the car, I had discovered that it had been rolled while the top was up, the frame was bent, and the car needed a valve job. At a small used car lot I spied a 1962 Monza coupe that looked nice, and the dealer failed to fully inspect the VW, just as I had. He took the VW in trade, and I took out a small loan to buy the Corvair. With its dark red paint and gold interior, it looked cool, and the four-speed on the floor was the ultimate setup in 1965. Of course, I had to modify it. First I installed dual exhaust, purchased from J. C. Whitney, and a wood-rim steering wheel from the same source. I had the driver seat upholstery repaired, and put in new carpeting. Because jet fighters and race cars did it, I painted the top of the dash flat black. I put wider tires on it, and bought a set of after- market wire-wheel hubcaps. A set of die-cut real wood veneer panels dressed up the dash, and matched the wooden gear shift knob. Wire mesh headlight covers gave it that rally look, and a white racing stripe made with vinyl tape completed the effect. When the clutch started slipping, I took it to the local Chevy dealer, where I discovered that the dealer didn't really want my business. Reluctantly they took the car in, replaced the clutch and the leaking rear/front main seal, and suggested that next time I needed work I should find some other shop. Fortunately, that was about the only problem I had with the car, at least for a while. I quickly discovered that the white racing stripe drew an inordinate amount of attention from the local police. After two warning citations, and a promise that a third warning would result in a fine (none of which were contestable in court), I removed the racing stripe and replaced it with a white tape pinstripe along the belt line. I had one accident in the car, not my fault, when an attractive young lady rear-ended me with her Rambler. Her insurance company paid for the repairs (done, for some reason, at the Ford dealership), which were minor, and I was satisfied. Six months later her insurance company contacted me and said they had concluded they were not, in fact, liable, and would not pay for the damage. Since it was already fixed, I just shrugged and threw the letter away. In the summer of 1967 a friend and I went camping in Colorado, stuffing the Corvair with a tent, sleeping bags, and other gear, and heading out for the mountains. First we went to Manitou Springs, above Colorado Springs, and then crossed the Continental Divide at Independence Pass to camp near Aspen (which was not yet the enclave of the rich and famous that it is now). On the return home to Norman, OK, I drove thirteen hours straight, mostly on two-lanes. The car never gave us a bit of trouble. Shortly after my return, however, I was stopped by the police because the glass-packs had become completely blown out and my car was rather loud. I ordered a new set of mufflers from J. C. Whitney, but when they arrived, the box was ripped and the crossover pipe was missing. Neither the shipping company nor J. C. Whitney would take responsibility, and in a fit of disgust I decided to simply sell the car, a decision I have regretted ever since. I drove to Oklahoma City to check out the recently introduced Toyota cars, but the only one they had in stock was out for a test drive. The dealer also carried Renault, and they had a new R-10 in the showroom, so I got in to check it out. It had the most comfortable seats I have ever encountered, so after a short test-drive and the dealer agreeing to add a radio and Michelin X tires, I bought it, the first new car I had ever known. A year later, when I was drafted and could no longer make the car payments, it was sold. But I knew, even then, that I wanted another Corvair. -- Dave Allin =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= Corvairs of New Mexico Memorial Day Tribute for Bill and John The newspapers are full of events cancelled because of Covid-19. Kathy Green of the Pikes Peak club said, "It seems that in the age of Covid-19 social distancing for 2020, Parades may be the new Car Shows." We have read of many occasions recently in which Classic cars have driven by as their owners celebrated graduations or honored our emergency workers or saluted those recovering from the illness. Driving your classic car is patriotic! In Albuquerque on Monday, Memorial Day, a group met at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial to celebrate two recently departed members of CNM, Bill Reider and John Wiker. Larry Blair organized the event and on the cool and breezy morning six Corvairs parked side-by-side near the west wall of the amphitheater. Masks and awareness of the seriousness of the threat of getting exposed to a possibly deadly virus made the reunion with old friends awkward to say the least. No handshaking! Keep your six-foot interval! Not easy to do. Still, we were glad to be able to renew old acquaintances and get news of their friends and families. At 9:00 AM Larry led us in the pledge of allegiance, then briefly outlined Bill Reider's accomplishments as a Boy Scout leader and John's tours of duty with high school ROTC. Larry read "the Soldier's Psalm" and then Russ McDuffie played Taps. It was a solemn and sobering occasion for us. Ann Wiker and Lee Reider unveiled the commemorative tile, the newest in a long line of tiles celebrating military members that stretched around the amphitheater wall. A big thank-you to Larry Blair for organizing this event and a thank-you to Russ for his formal military tribute. I am sure all who came were as pleased as I was that they were able to attend. Photo by David Huntoon =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= Happy June Birthday Wishes to: Leroy Alderete Bianca Arellanes Bill Darcy Phil Finch Robert Gold Rita Gongora Tony Lawler Heula Pittman Jonathan Reider Sylvia Trujillo Happy June Anniversary Wishes to: Janice & Dave Allin Erica & Jon Anderson Heula & Jim Pittman Sarah & Terry Price =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= CORVAIRS IN A TIME OF CORONAVIRUS Steve Goodman PPCC: I hope everyone drove a Corvair today. May 14 1969 was when the last 1969 Corvair was produced. John Green PPCC: We drove our coupe to watch the fly over. Had the Lakewood out yesterday. Rick Beets PPCC: Drove my car yesterday. To the Trim Shop to get a new top installed. Not sure if it counts, but I did sit in SeeMore as we pulled him out of the trailer so Ken and Tony can get the inspections done tomorrow now that things are opening back up, and finally get it registered. Tony Lawler RMC: I drove my Corvair truck to Ricks. Rob Brereton RMC: It was a beautiful evening, and the 65 convertible and 62 coupe got quick washes to knock off the dust. I took the convertible out with no particular destination, since I didn't actually have to go anywhere today. I ran up and down a stretch of C-470 and portions of Broadway and University around home. I made sure to draw some fresh gas through the secondaries. 8^) Kathy Green PPCC: We are indeed living in an interesting time in history. For the first time I can remember in my life, many of the things we assumed would "always be there" have changed. Restaurants can only offer take-out or delivery, worship services are offered via YouTube or Vimeo or Facebook, going to the grocery store seems like you're taking your life in your hands, often only to find the shelves have emptied, visiting loved ones in retirement communities is off limits, schools are closed, many "non-essential" businesses are closed, we see our local and national leaders on TV every day providing updates. Indeed it is an interesting time. RMC Club News, April: This year has been a pretty tough one for RMC. The corona virus epidemic has really thrown all of us a curve. We have had to hunker down for the last 3 weeks (socially isolate) and now we are facing another 3 weeks of the same isolation. Casualties so far are the April 3rd RMC club meeting at John Elway Chevrolet and the School of Mines Edays car show. There may be more cancelations to follow. We hope not but stay tuned for more information to follow. Pete Koehler Detroit Area Corvair Club: Change of Plans. Not by my choice, but many of our best laid plans are changing. Later this month Ian Smith and I were planning our annual run down to Helen, Georgia to participate in the Corvair Springfest. This would have been the fourth year in a row for us, but last night I got word that the event was cancelled. Rats. The Springfest has always offered an early greeting to Spring and warmer weather for us Northerners. This past winter hasn't been too bad, but I still like the idea of finding spring-like weather and foliage a little sooner than we get up here in the Great Lake State. Lots of events and activities are being cancelled due to the current health alert. Michigan and Ohio schools closed after Friday the 13th and are scheduled to return to classes on the day of our April meeting in Waterford. Let's hope things get back to normal soon. At least in time for our Homecoming event in August? Not kidding here. There has been chatter on the 'Net that the CORSA International Convention in California is at risk. And that isn't until July. Prairie Capital Corvair Association, April: Wow, what a month March has been. With all the social distancing, it reminds me a lot of the ice storm that hit Springfield hard. I remember we were without power 21 days. That was before internet and cell phones, and was a time were we played a lot of board games and card games by a camping lantern. During the last two weeks, I have been amazed at seeing all the online learning tools, museum tours, and other venues, and haven't really had to step outside my door except to feed animals. Of course this has also been a good time for me to open windows and let in fresh air. I've made good progress going through some old boxes at the top of my closet. I hope that the quarantine will lift soon, and that everyone will be able to get out and about. I think the winter snow is behind us, and I hope everyone gets some sunshine. I'm looking forward to our meeting. See ya soon. Corsa West Of Los Angeles, Westwind, April: Do you have the Corona Virus Blues? Are you stuck at home? Is your world getting smaller? Do you need to get out without going out? Maybe your Corvair needs some loving. Here are some things to do. How about a good deep cleaning of the interior, a nice polish and wax or a through inspect. Organize the work bench and garage. Take on that project you have been putting off. Do some research. Order parts and supplies online. Tell us about your project. Send us an email with a picture and your description and we will post it. See Corvair Corner for details. Central Oklahoma Corvair Association, April: As I sit here writing this the future is unclear as to when we can get things moving again. We certainly aren't going to do anything against what the experts are telling us to do. I'm in the group that some of you may be in as well, as for the virus being a real danger. I'm over 65, I have Asthma, I have Diabetes and heart issues, so I have to be careful and hope you all stay safe too! There will be no April meeting and for as May we will again wait and see. I know this "shelter in place" has gotten old quickly! I sure miss the weekly "Coffee at Ken's" get-togethers. I haven't done much with my Corvairs during this down time other than fire them up to check fluids and take them out for a short "shake down run." Group Corvair, National Capital Area, Bob Hall: I hope everyone is riding out the pandemic as safely as possible. The better we protect ourselves the more we protect our over worked health professionals. We have donated unused N95 masks and nitrile gloves to our local hospital and were surprised by how much they were appreciated by the staff. If you have any that you can donate give your local hospital or emergency service provider a call. You may have heard that the San Diego convention has been postponed until 2021. And we can still work on our Corvair projects, but maybe we should postpone the more potentially dangerous jobs. I've been sorting and cleaning my stash of ever more valuable Corvair parts now that Corvairs are getting more respect. So are Corvair owners. =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= Funny Reflections on the Virus -- Brenda Stickler ( tounce66 @ msn.com ) I don't think Americans have lost their sense of humor. Here are some thoughts along those lines. Some, funnier or punnier than others. I don't know how to go from Facebook to normal E-mails, but if I get actual cartoon funnies by E-mail, I can pass that on as well. E-Hugs - Brenda ** From: Kris L ** I used to spin toilet paper like I was on Wheel of Fortune. Now I turn it so slowly it's like I'm cracking a safe. ** Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half will come out with a drinking problem. ** I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator. ** I couldn't decide where to go for Easter; the living room or the bedroom. ** Try your jeans on every few days just to make sure they fit. (Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.) ** Homeschool Day 3: Students suspended for fighting. Teacher fired for drinking on the job. ** I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone. ** This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house and told my dog. We laughed a lot. ** After this quarantine, will the producers of My 600 Pound Life just find me or do I find them? ** Quarantine Day 5: Went to this restaurant called THE KITCHEN. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have no clue how this place is still in business. ** My body has absorbed so much soap and disinfectant lately that when I pee it cleans the toilet. ** Homeschool Day 6: One of these little monsters called in a bomb threat. ** I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear? ** I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to "Puerta Backyard-a" -- I'm getting tired of "Los Livingroom." ** Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun. ** Homeschool Day 8: One child just said "I hope I don't have the same teacher next year." ** Remember, better 6 feet apart than 6 feet under. =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= I just wanted to send you some pictures of My Car. Yes, a new classic car has joined our family. This car was a trade from Geoff Johnson. Geoff decided that he wanted one of our cars that is white with a purple interior. So we traded. We had been trying to sell that purple people eater, as we called it, but no one wanted it. My Corvair is a 1965 four door Monza, white with blue interior, 140 HP with air. YEA! It needs a little TLC but it runs great. Later, Vickie Vickie's "new" Corvair =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= TREASURY REPORT FOR 04-28-2020 to 05-xx-2020 DATE CHECK# AMOUNT PAYEE DESCRIPTION BALANCE = $6,687.93 ========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= ========= 2020.05.05 +$ 70.00 Deposit M.Morgan 12 m CNM $ 25.00 $6,712.93 2020.05.05 +$ Deposit M.Morgan 12 m CORSA $ 45.00 $6,757.93 2020.05.05 2390 -$ 70.00 CORSA M.Morgan 12 m CORSA -$ 45.00 $6,712.93 2020.05.14 +$ 25.00 Cash T.Hall 12 m CNM $ 25.00 $6,737.93 2020.05.27 $ 25.00 Dues J.Dinsdale 12 m CNM $ 25.00 $6,762.93 ========== ==== ========== =========== ========================================= ========= 2020.06.01 JUN NEWSLETTER ===================================================== $6,762.93 =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= Subject: Ex NM car From: David HUNTOON corvair66@aol.com Date: 2020=May=06 09:17:23 MDT To: Jim Pittman jimp@unm.edu Jim, Maybe for newsletter? Anybody know this car? 1964 Monza 900 with A/C. Recently purchased via Mecum auction by Mike in Seattle area. Papers in glovebox indicate purchased from Ed Blacks Chevrolet in March 1964 by Fred Gidson. Later owned by George Oyler from 1970s to 1990s still in NM. Later went to Utah. This was posted on Corvair Center and I mentioned would try to help. See no records of either gentleman in early CNM rosters. Thx, David =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY ................. Tri-State Meet Report Dennis Pleau Corvairs of New Mexico hosted the 2000 Tri-State meet in Albuquerque over the weekend. This event is rotated among Rocky Mountain CORSA (Denver, CO), Pikes Peak Corvair Club (Colorado Springs, CO) and CNM. It's usually a low key event held in the mountains of southern CO or northern NM. The normal schedule includes a rally or economy run or poker run, a parade and a car show/display. It's held in the "mud season" (after ski season but before Memorial day) when the little towns are hungry for business. (Hank, it keeps the banquet prices down). This year the New Mexico Council of Car Clubs who, in conjunction with the Albuquerque Museum, put on the largest car show in New Mexico, offered to make the Corvair the featured marque in honor to the 40th anniversary of its introduction. At last year's Tri-State meet we proposed and got agreement from the other clubs to have CNM host the 2000 Tri-State in the "big city" to take advantage of the NMCCC/Albuquerque Museum event, and the show was on. (Pikes Peak will take their turn next year.) Friday afternoon and evening was a time of checking in and socializing. Saturday morning was the photo rally put on by Del Patten and Chuck Vertrees in the scenic (if somewhat dry and brown) mountain areas east of the Sandias. Del says about twenty-three cars made the run and the winners were Ed and Jean Olwine. New CNM members Gayle and Richard Finch performed the route sweep. Everyone enjoyed driving through the somewhat out-of-the-ordinary scenery. Debbie and I weren't able to participate because we were doing the same thing as Bryan (the Dodgers played good but we don't keep score). Our president (Domzalski, not that clown) hosted a barbecue for everybody Saturday evening at Tiguex Park near Old Town, right across from the car show location. That evening some of us held flashlights while Steve Goodman helped out in an unscheduled tech session where emergency clutch cable, pulley and wiring repairs were performed. Sunday we were all up early for the museum show. All forty-three Corvairs were parked up front by the entrance to the museum. When it was all over Laura Wilshire was the big winner. Her red 1964 Spyder convertible (some of you know it as a Cole participant in the last few internationals) took home awards for third place 1960-1969 cars for the whole show, Car Council special award for best early Corvair, and first place balloting for best early open by the Corvair owners in attendance. Mark Domzalski took third in the 1954 to 2000 trucks as well as the Corvair balloting for best Forward Control with his 1962 Rampside. Walter Hundertmark took the Car Council special FC award with his 1964 Greenbrier. The Car Council special award for the best late Corvair went to Bill Woodman with his 1965 Monza coupe. The rest of the Corvair-owners-only awards went to Ben Benzel for his 1962 Monza coupe, Farrell and Dorothy Coy for their 1965 Monza convertible, Tarmo and Kay Sutt for their 1965 Corsa coupe and Steve and Rita Gongora for their 1961 Lakewood. Ben Benzel's Monza was also awarded best of show by the Corvair owners. Other awards at the museum show to Corvair owners were Best Club Display to Corvairs of New Mexico, and a Car Council Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Bill Reider. Long distance award went to Randy Kelly from Clinton, Utah. We ended the Tri-State with a banquet Sunday night. There were the usual door prizes and two lucky Coloradans won the woven tapestry and the Corvair quilt donated by Ilva Walker and Ruth Boydston. Tarmo Sutt presented the Francis Boydston Award to Sylvan Zuercher for his many years of perpetuating the Corvair hobby. After the banquet we said our goodbyes for another year and went our different ways, having enjoyed another fairly laid-back gathering of friends. The Tri-State will reconvene next year in Manitou Springs, Colorado, May 18-20th, 2001. Look for more information about this event from the Pikes Peak folks in the coming months. On a side note, Dennis, Debbie, Michael and Steven Pleau announced that we will be moving to Colorado Springs this summer. We have joined Pikes Peak Corvair Club, just in time to help out on the next Tri-State. -- Dennis Pleau =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY ................. Bill and Lee Reider Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary Several CNM members congregated at Glory Hall on Wednesday May 24th to help with a surprise wedding anniversary celebration. Many friends of Bill and Lee were there when they were escorted in, not knowing the real reason for the occasion. The party was a great success, not least because there was plenty of great food. Everyone made much of the pair, expressing their appreciation for their accomplishments over the years and making wishes for continued prosperity for another fifty years. At that point, did we hear Bill or Lee say, "Ohhhhh nooooo!" or was that just the wind outside? Anyway, a great party and a good time was had by all. =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY ................. From the Driver's Seat President Hurley Wilvert The Tri-State has come and gone. Once again our membership has done an excellent job of organizing an event where everyone can have fun. Even the weather cooperated and everyone I talked to had a good time. As a bonus, CNM won an award for Best Club Display at the Museum Car Show. I want to thank everyone who helped organize this event and all the people who participated. A special thanks goes out to Debbie Pleau who was the core organizer and Mark Domzalski who furnished the food for the barbecue. Thanks also goes out to Chuck Vertrees and Del Patten who organized the photo rally; to Dennis Pleau, Jerry Goffe and David Patten who helped cook at the barbecue; to Mark Martinek, Bill Reider and Jerry Goffe who helped organize the Museum Car Show; and to Mary Lou Martinek, Sylvan Zuercher, Jim Pittman, and Debbie and Ron Deck who helped run registration. Thanks also goes out to Ruth Boydston and Ilva Walker who furnished the special raffle prizes. I know there are others who helped out that I have failed to mention. I thank all of you for your help. I want to also thank all the participants who took their time to drive here for this event and to make it so enjoyable for everyone. I trust all of you had a great time in Albuquerque and that you all made it home safely. The willingness of our members to work so hard to make these events a success and the desire for our members and others who love the Corvair to participate in these events are what makes them all such an enjoyable experience. Next up is the CNM ladies get-together at my house on June 10th. After that will be the State Fair Show in July, organized by Robert Gold. See you there. =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY ................. New members -by- Sylvan Zuercher Joining CNM are Richard & Gayle Finch of Tularosa, New Mexico. Richard has been a Corvair owner since buying new a 1960 700 sedan. He is author of the book, HOW TO KEEP YOUR CORVAIR ALIVE, which several of our members have used as a reference for their Corvair work. Gayle and Richard have moved back to New Mexico after spending many years in California and other places. Richard is a long-time CORSA member. Ask Jim to tell you about Richard's race car projects when they both lived in Alamogordo in the late 1960s. =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= IT WAS FIFTY YEARS AGO TODAY ................. Fifty Years Ago at UNM Jim Pittman Today, Sunday May 10, 2020, there was an article in the Albuquerque Journal about the student riots at UNM in 1970. It brought back memories. On Friday morning, May 8, 1970 I drove my 1966 Corvair to the university. There were student riots going on around the country, students had been killed by soldiers of the National Guard at Kent State in Ohio and the usually quiet and indifferent University of New Mexico was a turmoil of agitation, with escalating protests against the Viet Nam War and the recent invasion of Cambodia. I was a graduate student and even though classes were interrupted I needed to go to the lab every day to feed the rats in our Motivation of Behavior class. Cheryl, Michael and I were partners in a lab project, doing some kind of crazy study about motivation using rats for subjects -- I no longer remember anything about it. But those rats were live animals and had to be fed and watered every day. Cheryl and I agreed to take the weekend chore while Michael went on a trip somewhere. Cheryl and I met at the lab building near the west side of campus and did the experimental data collection, whatever it was, then gave food and water to the twenty or so lab rats as we had been doing all semester. When we were finished Cheryl said, Let's go over to the Student Union to see what's going on. We knew something was happening because we had been listening to the student FM station on the radio. We walked east toward the SUB and the closer we got, the more people there were, and the more signs of excitement, agitation, anger and frustration we saw and heard. Students had occupied the Student Union building and refused orders by the police to leave. At that time the situation was somewhat stalemated, but it was unstable because there had been news reports that the governor had threatened to call out the National Guard and no one knew what the occupying students would do. As we approached the SUB from the direction of Zimmerman Library we could see a crowd at the north side of the building, but yelling and chanting of slogans seemed to be coming mostly from the east entrance to the building where we couldn't see. We probably would have continued around to the east side where the action seemed to be, but as we approached we saw military trucks arriving at a large practice playing field to the south of the building. We saw uniformed troops -- carrying rifles -- getting off the trucks. We stopped at the edge of the crowd at the north side and did not immediately procede around to the east side. Presently there was a great increase in the noise from the east side. The crowd near us immediately begin to move around the corner of the building toward the hubbub -- and then immediately began to move back. We fell back with the crowd and were pretty far away when we saw the soldiers coming around the corner of the building, rifles with bayonets at port arms. The crowd hastily fell back as the soldiers aligned near the north entrance to the building. A group of medical students calling themselves the "M.A.S.H. Unit" had organized themselves to be present at protests in case of injury, and many of them were on hand. Presently we saw some of them evacuating bleeding students from the east side of the SUB, headed for a First Aid area they had set up near the library. The people who were bayonetted or knocked down or trampled or otherwise injured were on the east side of the building so we did not see any of that happening. We only saw some of them being taken away by the M.A.S.H. students. (Later even before the crowd dispersed people went around spraying the blood trails on the pavement with some kind of clear laquer to preserve the blood patterns.) The National Guard soon had the building surrounded and the crowd of students had fallen back to a safe distance, incredulous or angered or cowed or scared. I was one of the scared and intimidated ones. For the moment we were far from any apparent danger or center of further protest and I didn't care to to go closer. With nothing happening at the moment Cheryl said she was going to go home and "get her combat jacket" and come back to see what the night's protests would bring. I had no wish to participate further and went back to the lab to get my Corvair and drive home. There I listened to the university radio station far into the night for news of the activity of the student protestors. During the coming days I drove in to the lab every day to gather data and take care of those rats. Other graduate students had research projects going on that they did not feel they could interrupt. Our lab was not near the center of the university and we could not see much activity, but at one point Chet, a graduate student working on his PhD thesis, actually phoned the campus police to complain about the smell of tear gas wafting into the lab from a confrontation somewhere nearby. We finished out the semester, finished our classes and got our grades and all went our separate ways to our summer activities. The University gradually settled down to its usual state of quiet indifference. This was the summer that I had a chance to drive my Corvair to Taos and go with a group of medical students on their rounds to provide routine medical attention at a series of hippie communes around Taos, and at one point four of us took the Corvair on a primitive road to the edge of the Taos gorge where we were nearly electrocuted by a summer thunderstorm. But that's a story for another day. =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= ============================================================================ | June 2020 | July 2020 | August 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 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 | | 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 | 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | | 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 | 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 | 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 | | 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 | 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 | 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 | | 28 29 30 | 26 27 28 29 30 31 | 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 | | | | 30 31 | ============================================================================ SAT 06 JUN 10:00 AM MEETING: MARIPOSA PARK, TAYLOR RANCH (See Page 2 for more) WED 17 JUN 5:00 PM Board Meeting: to be determined ... FRI 26 JUN 9:00 PM Deadline for items for July 2020 newsletter MON 29 JUN >> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING JULY NEWSLETTER << WED 24 JUN 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE ============================================================================ SAT 04 JUL 10:00 AM Meeting: to be determined ... >>> International CORSA Convention in San Diego <<< >>> CANCELLED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS <<< WED 15 JUL 5:00 PM Board Meeting: to be determined ... WED 22 JUL 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE FRI 24 JUL 9:00 PM Deadline for items for August 2020 newsletter MON 27 JUL >> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING AUGUST NEWSLETTER << ============================================================================ SAT 01 AUG 10:00 AM Meeting: to be determined ... WED 19 AUG 5:00 PM Board Meeting: to be determined ... WED 26 AUG 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE FRI 28 AUG 9:00 PM Deadline for items for September 2020 newsletter MON 31 AUG >> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER << ============================================================================ SAT 05 SEP 10:00 AM Meeting: to be determined ... WED 16 SEP 5:00 PM Board Meeting: to be determined ... WED 23 SEP 7:30 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING OLD CAR GARAGE 3232 GIRARD NE FRI 25 SEP 9:00 PM Deadline for items for October 2020 newsletter MON 28 SEP >> TARGET FOR PRINTING AND MAILING OCTOBER 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. ============================================================================ =-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-= SEVEN YEARS AGO [ JUNE 2020 VOL 46 Nr 6 ISSUE 537 ] Jim Pittman 2013 V.39 Nr 6 #453 COVER: Mike Stickler picked up trash on Old Route 66. President Wiker praised members for participation in recent events. Steve provided a photo showing that Bill Darcy was not hit by the railroad crossing arm. Robert Gold named five Corvairs at the Museum Car Show and praised Lube Lubert's "Great White Hope" sedan. Mike Dawson told about R-12, R-134A and R-1234yf rerigerants. 2006 V.32 Nr 6 #369 COVER: Ray Trujillo ran our May meeting, Chuck Vertrees took notes, Wendell Walker reported $2,670, Robert Gold told about the Car Council. We planned for the Museum Car Show and the Montrose Tri-State. To go to Montrose take Highway 550 north from Durango to Silverton, go over Coal Bank pass at 10,640 feet, then down to Silverton and Ouray. Red Mountain pass is 11,018 feet. Continue to Montrose. Or, take Highway 160 West from Durango to Cortez. Take Highway 491 from Cortez to Dove Creek. Take Highway 141 to Highway 145. Take 145 to Placerville. Take 62 into Ridgeway and pick up Highway 550 into Montrose. Ray told about the great Corvair turnout at the Albuquerque Museum Car Show. He was impressed with Larry Hickerson's Rampside. He said that Hurley Wilvert would do a presentation on his experiences racing motorcycles. Richard Finch told about the devil rats that inhabited an engine he bought that had been stored for eons out in the country. The rats were successfully exorcised. 1999 V.25 Nr 6 #285 COVER: An earlier Albuquerque Museum Car Show. We met at Casa Chevrolet and Mark Domzalski ran our meeting since President Pleau was out of town. Many events were coming in May: the Museum show, the fall swap meet, an All-Clubs picnic, The Great American Race, other car shows, a group order for Clark's catalogs, and the Christmas party. Several digital photos from the Museum car show were in the newsletter. Ollie roganized a Route 66 clean-up on May Day. A good tachometer for Corvairs was manufactured by VDO. Finally, Sethracer (Seth Emerson) told by e-mail about the death of Bill Fisher, author of the first HP book, "How to Hotrod Corvair Engines." 1992 V.18 Nr 6 #201 COVER: A 1939 Ford. President Steve ran the meeting. CNM was sponsoring Michael Salis' 1935 Chevrolet in the Great American Race. We thanked Dennis & Debbie for a great rally, much of it through the streets of Rio Rancho. Clayborne asked for volunteers to help at the Las Vegas Tri-State. Steve reported on the Museum car show: a great collection of cars. Larry's Spyder "BUGEATR" took second place in Class E. Mark Morgan's Billiken tried without success to get New Mexican food at his local deli back east. Tech tips abounded this month. Do you know what a "Vega Plate" is? Roger Long (SDCC) told us. He also mentioned we should keep an eye out for vacuum leaks. Do you want a list of stuff to put in your Corvair "just in case" while out on the holiday road? Lew Rishel (SDCC) told us. Want to know a great way to clean oily parts? Jim Brossard (VAIR-IETY) suggested good ol' TIDE detergent and hot water. Do you want a quick list to things to do to your Corvair to go fast safely and still get better gas mileage? Ron from Central New York told us. (Higher tire pressures, good alignment, proper choke adjustment, front spoilers on '65s and earlier, a good tune-up, and finally, drive so as to keep off those brakes. Think about it.) How to clean those dirty door hinges? Orville Eliason (CORVAIR ASSISTANCE) told us. 1985 V.11 Nr 6 #117 COVER: A disassembled 1965 convertible. VP Clayborne ran the meeting. Sylvan counted up $487. We were doing a group purchase of halon fire extinguishers (I still have mine.) Sylvan reported on new members Greg Mewhinney, Kristin Boyd and Merton Grigsby. Bill McClellan's Gas Welding - Part 2 was our technical feature this month. Some of us drove up to Jemez Springs to visit Fred and Brenda Edeskuty and admire their house and wonderful garage. A note from San Francisco complained that while used motor oil was considered a hazardous substance, it was not easy to find a safe way to dispose of it. Bill Reider reported on a new AC electric fuel pump, part number EP-42, just right for Corvairs. 1978 V.4 Nr 5 #33 COVER: A 1965 Corsa turbo. We had 21 people at the May meeting. The Car Council planned a swap meet in October. New members were Leo Shaw, Clay Keen and Robert Lucas. One of our fondly remembered tech articles was in this issue: "I Can Fix Anything (Almost!)" by Ike Meissner in which he explained how he found a special use for a hex wrench. This month we had an article on the joys of taking the bus to work. Your editor, at least, must have been converted, because he's still doing it now. We borrowed tech tips from other CORSA publications: Larry Claypool told about clutch job shortcuts and Will Smith told about diagnosing battery problems. John North warned about the distress you may be in for if you mix-and-match early and late flywheels, pressure plates and clutch discs. ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== 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. ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== ======~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~=====~====== =END=