The July 2023 newsletter - Text Version
Updated 26-Jun-2023 = Copyright (c) 2023 Corvairs of New Mexico
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July 2023 / VOLUME 49 / NUMBER 7 / ISSUE 574
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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 July 1st at 10:00AM
Highland Senior Center, 131 Monroe St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108
THIS MONTH
President's Letter ........................ Gregory Nelson
Dues Due Dates ...................... Membership Committee
How Time Flies ........................... Brenda Stickler
Corvairs in Finland ........................... Tarmo Sutt
Two Petunias Among the Onions ................ Larry Blair
Treasury Report ............................ Steve Gongora
Birthdays & Anniversaries .................. Heula Pittman
Time to Change Motor Mounts? ............... Steve Gongora
Articles on Ultra Vans from 2007 ........... Richard Finch
Calendar of Coming Events ............. Board of Directors
July Issues, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 Years Ago .. Club Historian
COVER: Mike Stickler & Kevin Sullivan check out Ultra Vans
OFFICERS and VOLUNTEERS
President Greg Nelson 505-400-8670 fesedu @ comcast.net
Vice-President Brenda Stickler 505-856-6993 tounce66 @ msn.com
Secretary Lupe Arellanes 505-515-9897 ispeakmedicare505 @ gmail.com
Treasurer Steve Gongora 505-220-7401 stevegongora @ msn.com
Newsletter Jim Pittman 505-275-2195 jimp @ unm.edu
Birthdays Heula Pittman 505-275-2195 heula @ q.com
Past President Pat Hall 505-620-5574 patandvickiehall @ q.com
Past President Dave Allin 505-410-9668 dnjallin @ gmail.com
Past President David Huntoon 505-281-9616 corvair66 @ aol.com
MEETING: Regular Meeting - Saturday July 1st, 2023 at 10:00 AM
Highland Senior Center, 131 Monroe St 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 July 2023
DUE LAST MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2023.06 ======== NONE ======== 25-JUL-2023
DUE THIS MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2023.07 H. C. "Lube" Lubert 25-AUG-2023
2023.07 Lloyd Piatt 25-AUG-2023
DUE NEXT MONTH ====================== INACTIVE DATE
2023.08 Janice & David Allin 25-SEP-2023
2023.08 Katherine & Irv Brock 25-SEP-2023
2023.08 Katie & Clifton Trujillo 25-SEP-2023
DUE SEP ============================= INACTIVE DATE
2023.09 Troy Ward 25-OCT-2023
INACTIVE ============================ INACTIVE DATE
2022.02 Linda Soukup & Tony Berbig 25-MAR-2022
2022.07 Mike R Hughes 25-AUG-2022
2023.05 Emma & LeRoy Rogers 25-JUN-2023
Send your Dues to:
CNM Treasurer
Steve Gongora
8419 Palo Duro NE
Albuquerque, NM 87111
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 24-June-2023 we have 43 active family memberships.
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
GREG NELSON
Rats!
Unfortunately, our first meeting of the month is July 1st which means
newsletter articles were due Friday June 23rd. That means reports on our trip to
the Turquoise Museum (June 24) and a visit to Clifton Trujillo's (June 25) to
give his '62 (I think) an inspection overview prior to his AF Reserve deployment
(thank you for your service, Clifton) will have to be delayed until next month's
newsletter. There also will not be an update here from the NM Car Council.
But I can tell you that the Council's next big event will be the Collector Car
Appreciation Show on July 8th. Be sure to check out the flier on the Council
website for details: http://www.nmcarcouncil.com/
Cadillac and LaSalle News Paragraph
For those interested in non-Corvair but car-related news, the National
Cadillac & La Salle Convention was to be held June 20-24 in Albuquerque at the
Marriott Pyramid Hotel -- Hmmm, a popular spot for car conventions. The car
judging was done on the same day as our museum trip. If there are any unique
Cadillacs at the show you might see a picture or two in the August newsletter.
1964 Monza
I purchased the Ultimate Dual muffler kit from Clark's a few months back
and finally found a mechanic to install it. I asked Keith Craig, who installed
my Clark's Ultimate Suspension Kit, if he was willing to give it a try. He
recommended Jim's "Route 66 Muffler Shop" on Central. I dropped the car off
early on June 19th (Juneteenth) and the mechanic, Chris Frey, said he'd try to
finish it by the end of the day. I told him no rush and the agreement was, if
they kept it overnight, they would store the vehicle inside. The shop is on
Central just west of San Mateo. The car was ready the next day at noon. The
owner, Jim, mentioned that they could not figure out how to use the muffler
mounting brackets that came with the kit but instead used their own brackets --
see the close-up picture. They did a great job and I love the way it looks and
sounds.
1963 Spyder
Taking the '64 to the shop was the perfect excuse to pull the 1963
Spyder into the garage. The first order of business is to replace the door
panels. So just like the '64 there is a lot of old putty to scrape away. I
bought new door papers, door panels and arm rests from Clark's. Keep it up and
that's how you rack up a tally of $11k spent on Corvairs. "It's a hobby. Not an
investment" as Larry Blair likes to say. I still haven't decided whether to
install the new stuff immediately or wait until I get the car painted.
Otherwise, the panels and paper will have to come right off. This will be one of
my first retirement tasks this January -- finding a good paint shop. To be more
specific: finding a good but modest paint shop that won't break my 401k.
Hahahaha.
One more paragraph.
Saw this red 1963 Convertible for sale in early June on my way home
from work. No name on the For Sale sign. But I was wondering if any club members
recognize it. It's not there anymore so hopefully it went to a good home.
Cheers Y'all
Gregory Nelson
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TWO LITTLE PETUNIAS IN AN ONION PATCH
BY LARRY BLAIR
Each year, the staff at La Vida Llena -- Albuquerque's only Life Care Retirement
Community -- sponsors a car show for the public and the residents of LVL.
The nice part is there is no entrance fee, participants get a free picnic lunch,
live music, a lot of appreciative elder citizens; and it only lasts three hours,
plus set-up time.
Featured this year was the Mustang Club [the Onions] and motorcycles [a gang, no
less] but, after the recent Red River shootout, the motorcycle guys cancelled.
Although Kathy and I had just moved into LVL, someone informed the organizer
that I had a connection to old cars. She called and I gave her the number for
the Car Council President, and faithful 'Vair guy, Bob Gold, who promptly put
out a call to the car clubs.
A bunch of nice cars showed up, including several sand rails [but no Corvair
engines in them]; the Mustangs; three beautiful Thunderbirds; and an assortment
of Chevys, Pontiacs, etc.
I brought out my 1964 Green "No Agua" convertible, and loyal Tarmo came down
from Santa Fe in his stunning teal-green 1965 Corsa coupe. The Thunderbirds even
invited him to display with them. Hence, the Petunias in an Onion Patch.
A Big Thanks to Bob Gold and Tarmo Sutt. Car guys really do help when needed!
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HOW TIME FLIES
BRENDA STICKLER
We have reached the half-way mark for 2023 and it seems to have gone by quickly.
Those who ventured to the 2023 Tri-State in Colorado came back with wonderful
stories and thought it was a very well planned, awesome Tri-State. Starting
July1st, we will have one year to be prepared to host our next Tri-State in Las
Vegas, NM. Lupe is our awesome leader, and let's each find our niche to help
her and her individual team members.
If you are one of the members who did not make it to the 2023 Salida Tri-State,
then you should be at the July Saturday meeting. There will be much shared and
we will get some hints of things we would like to incorporate into our future
Tri-States.
The reports on June's event may also be discussed at that meeting... we head out
tomorrow morning to the Turquoise Museum in Los Cerrilos. Thanks for all of
your support and suggestions. We do have a great time at our gatherings and
meetings. We hope to see you at our next meeting.
Keep those Vairs going - Brenda
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TREASURY REPORT FOR 05-29-2023 to 06-24-2023 ===============================================
DATE CHECK# AMOUNT PAYEE DESCRIPTION BALANCE = $ 4,529.97
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2023.05.30 1224 +$ 50.00 Dues M.Piper 26 m CNM +$ 50.00 $ 4,579.97
2023.06.06 2108 +$ 100.00 Deposit L. & S. Schubert TRI-STATE +$ 100.00 $ 4,679.97
2023.06.06 cash +$ 25.00 Dues D.Pierre 12 m CNM +$ 25.00 $ 4,704.97
2023.06.12 2890 -$ 94.38 J.Pittman Print 35 Newsletters JUN 2023 -$ 65.51 $ 4,639.46
2023.06.12 J.Pittman 28 Stamps @.84 each -$ 24.36 $ 4,615.10
2023.06.12 J.Pittman 28 Envelopes @ .161 each -$ 4.51 $ 4,610.59
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2023.07 JUL NEWSLETTER ============================================ BALANCE = $ 4,610.59
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Happy Birthday Wishes to July CNM'ers:
Debra Anderson
Larry Blair
Mark Domzalski
Terry Hall
Kelli Pogue Morgan
James Richardson
Tarmo Sutt
Kay Sutt
Cade Ward
Valerie Nye
Happy Anniversary Wishes to July CNM'ers:
Linda & Dick Cochran
Maggie & Bob Kitts
Kelli Pogue & Mark Morgan
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TRI-STATE NEWS
BY LUPE ARELLANES
City Selection: Las Vegas, New Mexico;
Dates: May 17th-18th-19th 2024;
Banquet Hotel: The El Fidel Hotel;
Accommodations: The Castaneda Hotel & The Plaza Hotel;
Car Show Hotel: The Castaneda Hotel.
The Castaneda Hotel, a historical Fred Harvey House, has 18 rooms
reserved for out-of-state attendees with a 2-night minimum. Overflow
attendees will be directed to the historic Plaza Hotel. Call for Reservations:
(505) 425-3591 for both hotels; mention "Corvair Tri-State" for our negotiated
15% discount; prices per night range from $84 to $143/night; payment collected
upon reservation.
Banquet/Show Cost: Early Bird Adult: $50,
Price Increase after March 1, 2024 is $65.
Seeking Silent Auction Donations. Members can bring items to any monthly
meeting. Asking for items valued at $20+. Rita & Steve Gongora will create
five large basket auction Items from donations and additionally purchased items.
Seeking T-Shirt Design Ideas. Send us your rough ideas whether it be a drawing
or a picture of other shirts. If your inspiration idea is selected, you will WIN
a FREE Shirt. Your winning inspiration will be forwarded to our graphic artist
to develop further.
Please email your ideas to: tristatecorvairs@gmail.com
Event Site: www.tristatecorvairs.com
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FINNS WITH A CORVAIR
BY TARMO SUTT
As I often do, I had taken my 1966 red Corsa convertible to the Santa Fe Plaza
for a car show and, as always happens, several people stopped by to look at it.
I noticed a couple of younger fellows looking and when some of the onlookers had
moved on, they came over to talk.
They told me they were from Finland. Not only that, they said, "We have a
Corvair!" They showed me a photo on their phone. It was a red-on-red 1965 Corsa
convertible very much like mine. They were fascinated with my car and said they
understood the engine and suspension, but not the carburetor. Their Corsa has a
140-HP 4-carb engine. They said, "We know Corvairs! There are three Corvairs in
Sweden, two in Finland!" I said, "My relatives were from Estonia." They were
astonished when I spoke Estonian to them. We found we could communicate very
well -- Estonian is quite similar to Finnish.
What are the chances! I think of all the events that had to happen just so as to
put me and my 1966 Corsa at that spot in Santa Fe at that particular moment in
time, and that two people from Finland would show up who somehow owned a
Corvair, and that I'd be able to talk to them!
Another incredible story from the Santa Fe Plaza! And such a right story for me
at this time in history. I have said before that taking my Corvairs to the Santa
Fe Plaza is like having a high school reunion, because eventually all my old
high school friends wander by. Here we had an international reunion -- people
who own Corvairs who otherwise would never have heard of each other. What an
experience! As my dad might have said, "Kuidas see niimoodi juhtuda sai!" How
could this happen this way?
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WHEN IS IT A GOOD TIME TO CHANGE MOTOR MOUNTS?
STEVE GONGORA
The access panel on a Corvair van has always brought a look of surprise to a
person who doesn't expect a vehicle to have a motor in the rear. I happened to
show an interested person the access to the engine compartment to my 1964 Corvan
and noticed my rear motor mount was completely shredded on the outside perimeter
of the washer. I was thinking to myself how could I have not seen this sooner?
Anyway, it was time to order the parts from Clark's Corvair Parts and get this
handled. Our Corvair member and Forward Control expert Mark Domzalski was the
first person I texted to make sure I ordered the right parts. He sent me a
diagram of the assembly and told me what parts to order. Mark offered to help me
with the project.
The parts came in on a Friday and we had a CNM meeting on the next day. I talked
with Tarmo Sutt about my van and he said "Let's do it!" and after the meeting we
met at my house. Twenty minutes later the job was done! I called Mark to let him
know the job was done.
This is another example of how the club comes together for those in need. I
can't share all the times that club members have intervened, because there are
too many to mention. This is where CNM, as well as many other Corvair clubs,
shine. This is why CNM has lasted so long and its members are so dedicated.
Thank you CNM for being a solid institution since 1974.
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REPRINTED FROM ENCHANTED CORVAIRS -- AUGUST 2007
2007 NATIONAL ULTRA VAN RALLY, RUIDOSO, N.M.
RICHARD AND GAYLE FINCH
Every year in September, the Ultra Van club has a rally, or 5 day picnic, at
some pre-determined spot around the USA. The club tries to alternate between
sites East of the Continental Divide and West of same. This year the Rally was
held at the Circle B RV park in Ruidoso Downs, NM which is just across the
highway from the famed All American Futurity Horse Racing site east of the
village of Ruidoso. This was the 3rd time the club has held a rally at this same
location. At other times, the club has had rallies at Carrizozo, NM and Durango,
Colorado. In recent years the Annual Rally has been held in places such as
Amana, Iowa and Pella, Iowa.
For Gayle and me, this was the easiest Rally we have ever attended, since it was
only 50 miles or so up the mountain from our house here in Tularosa, NM. We
drove the short trip on Tuesday, September 4th and stayed for 3 nights. We
decided not to stay for the whole rally which usually ends on Sunday morning.
Gayle and I had prior plans to attend the Moriarty Air Show and Car Show so that
we could see all the folks from the EAA and from the CNM group and spend time
with them too.
When we arrived at the Circle B RV park, we were disappointed to see that there
were only 3 other Corvair Powered Ultra Vans in attendance at mid-morning the
first day of the event. One was from Kentucky, one was from Pennsylvania and one
was from Tularosa -- us. Later that day another Ultra Van from Idaho showed up,
having had engine problems which were eventually solved, and another one showed
up from Arizona, for a total of only 5 Corvair powered Ultra Vans in attendance
for the event.
Another really nice converted Ultra Van arrived from Florida. It had been
converted to Chrysler V-6 power with many of the donor car (van) things such as
the complete dash board and the full transaxle and rear axles taken from the
1990 Chrysler/Plymouth Grand Voyager Van. On the second day, a prototype
Oldsmobile V-8 powered factory unit, with Ultra Van name tags and Chevy step van
windshield, arrived towing a 1964 Corvair Monza Coupe.
I did get some flack for saying earlier that it seemed that there were somewhat
less than 12 to 18 active members in the Ultra Van club these days. Attendance
figures at the Rally seemed to bear out that fact. There were a total of 24
individuals at the height of the rally with about 5 individuals who attended not
being club members. That left only 9 or 10 couples who were dues paying members.
At a couple of the sessions, the incoming and past club presidents were heard to
express concern over the low attendance figures. I tried to suggest that the
club should consider re-opening membership to only RV's that were Corvair based
vehicles, since this is a CORSA club, and not some other brands of RVs, but that
idea does not sit well with those in high places.
At mid-morning we drove back down the hill to our house in Tularosa and picked
up our Siamese cat who had hidden out on us at the start of the Rally, and at
around 5:00 PM we gassed up again and began the 4 hour drive from Tularosa to
the Moriarty Airport. We had a very pleasant and smooth drive to the Airport and
arrived there at 9:20 PM and did not see a soul at the airport. We chocked the
wheels and proceeded to go to sleep. The next morning at daybreak I got up to
brew a pot of coffee and feed our two cats some tuna and I noticed tents under
airplanes with folks sleeping in them. They had flown in before we arrived and
had already set up camp. So, we were not as alone as we thought.
At breakfast, which started at 6:00 am, we saw Jim and Heula drive up in their
1965 Monza coupe and they joined us for a breakfast of pancakes and sausage with
orange juice and coffee. I will let Jim fill in the rest of the day's events.
However, later that evening we were joined by fellow Ultra Van owners and
drivers, Dan Palmer and his wife who had driven to the air show from their home
that was just 15 or so miles from Moriarty. While our wives compared notes on
Ultra Van interior decoration, Dan and I spent about 30 minutes going over the
differences in our respective Ultra Vans. Dan and his wife had to leave to
attend the Glider club dinner and Gayle and I decided to rest up in our Ultra
Van after a busy week. We stayed another night at the airport, this time with
about 15 to 20 tent and RV campers around us. We woke on Sunday morning to
drizzling rain and decided to drive in to Moriarty to have an omelet for
breakfast. At the diner, we met a woman who had inherited a bunch of Corvair
parts in a divorce. She was eager to sell (give away?) these parts.
It seems that wherever we go, we always meet Corvair people. Not a bad thing!
Richard and Gayle
I just discovered that I may have sent the pictures in large size because it
took my high speed three minutes to send them. Photos in order:
1. Three of the Five Corvair powered Ultra Vans at the National Rally. The 2nd
unit from the right is the Chrysler V-6 powered unit from Florida.
2. The Chrysler V-6 engine fits very snugly under the bed of the Ultra Van from
Florida.
3. A "smiley face" adorns the V-6 powered unit from Florida.
4. Three Corvair mechanics and 4 onlookers help the owner get the valve rocker
arm back in place on the Idaho Ultra Van.
5. The " Annual Business Meeting" of the Ultra Van club was sparsely attended
too.
At the Experimental Aircraft Association Fly-In at Moriarty Airport,
September 8, 2007.
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Reprinted from Enchanted Corvairs -- April 2002
From Richard F Finch < finchbird @ juno.com >
Date: Wed, 06 Mar 2002 23:20:44 EST
To: Jim Pittman
Subject: Newsletter
Hi Jim, Here is another short article that I need to get off my mind.
SAVING YET ANOTHER CORVAIR VEHICLE
BY RICHARD FINCH ... TULAROSA, NM
Just as I was thinking that I might get the 1964 Monza convertible restored
pretty soon, I have to go out and buy another basket case Corvair vehicle
because it was too good a deal to pass up. CNM Newsletter readers might remember
that Gayle and I bought a basket case Monza Convertible from Dennis and Debbie
Pleau about 16 months ago and have already bought more parts for it than it cost
when it sold new in 1964.
But this time, I bought a vehicle that takes about ten times as long to restore
as a Monza. I bought a 1967 Corvair 140 hp powered Ultra Van to restore so my
youngest brother can have a Corvair Ultra Van just like ours. Phillip Finch, my
youngest brother, has been looking for a good deal on an Ultra Van since we
bought ours about four years ago. When this deal came up, right here in
Tularosa, NM, I called my brother and told him about it and of course he said
"Buy it," so I did. It even came with a spare 140 hp engine and a spare
Powerglide transmission. Just what every Corvair lover needs?
But when you restore a Corvair powered Ultra Van, the engine is the very most
insignificant part of the restoration. Ultra Vans have water systems. They
actually have FOUR water systems. One is the fresh water tank and the pressure
pump. System two is the city water system and the one-way valving. System three
is the gray water tank where all the not-so-dirty water is kept. System four is
the black water tank that is for storing the toilet flushes until you can drive
around somewhere and dump it safely and legally.
And Ultra Vans have THREE or more heating systems, not just one simple heater
like Corvair cars have. System one is the stock "fresh air" system that puts
engine heat in the cabin/coach like your Corvair car heater. System two is a
Coleman wall heater that runs off the 10 gallon propane tank that is under your
queen size bed. System three is your portable electric heater for chasing the
chill off your cheeks when you get up in the morning to make coffee.
And then there is the propane system. You have at least FOUR appliances to light
and check for leaks. System one is the afore-mentioned Coleman wall heater.
System two is the 5 to 7 gallon hot water heater that is mounted under the sink
and accessible from the outside of the coach. System three is the three burner
cook stove top and the thermostatically controlled baking and broiling oven. And
system four is the Swedish made propane powered refrigerator that actually can
make ice cubes.
And then Ultra Vans have not one but two batteries. One is for "dry" camping out
in the boondocks and the other battery is for starting the engine after you have
been out in the boondocks for a week or so, using the first battery until it
does not have enough "juice" in it to get you started.
And we also have not one but two gas tanks. The first tank contains about 25
gallons and when you accidentally run out of gas out in the boondocks, we have a
reserve tank that holds about five more gallons to get you to the nearest gas
station. And the reserve tank is activated by a little knob and cable just like
our hood latches were operated with back in the days before 1960. (You know,
Before Corvairs, or B. C. as some people say.)
And supporting all the furniture and people is a plywood floor. Yes, I said
PLYWOOD, and in the case of the bargain deal we got, the floor was factory made
out of 3/8ths indoor grade plywood which had de-laminated many years ago. See,
when the wife shampoos the carpet in your Ultra Van, the plywood floor gets wet
and comes apart!!! And when you drive through deep water puddles, the bottom of
the indoor grade plywood floor de-laminates some more too. Next year we are
going to replace the plywood floor in our newly purchased Ultra Van. But not
this year. Because we are about to run out of energy!
And in case you never noticed, there is a lot more sheet metal and fiberglass to
sand and prime and paint when you are doing an Ultra Van. About ten times more I
would say. But the tires, there are not any more tires on an Ultra Van than on a
Monza. Just four. Thank goodness for small miracles.
But the thing that I like most about our Ultra Van is that when I get sleepy on
long trips, I don't have to scrunch up in the passenger's seat to take a nap as
I do when we are driving our Corsa or our Monza. We have Queen-sized beds in
Ultra Vans.
As soon as I get my brother's Ultra Van s/n 294 ready, I am going to drive it to
Omaha, NE where he is working for four months at Children's Hospital. He will
live in it while there and then drive it back to his home in Medford, OR. And
yes, he did come here to Tularosa for ten days to help me work on it and get it
ready to travel and live in. So, when somebody tells you that they bought a
Corvair Ultra Van and restored it, give them credit for saving/restoring about
ten Corvair Monzas!! That is how much work there is in just one Ultra Van
restoration. -- R.F.
P.S. I am really anxious to get back to work on the 1964 Monza convertible
restoration.
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CORVAIR TRAVELS AND AIRPLANES
RICHARD FINCH
Gayle and I and our two cats took a major trip in our three-ton Corvair (Ultra
Van) this summer. The trip was equal to nearly 1/3rd of the way around the
world! and we did it with only one set of points and condenser plus one fuel
pump kit. Every summer we drive the Corvair Ultra Van to Oshkosh, Wisconsin and
I spend about 2 weeks in working for the EAA during the annual fly-in.
This year was different. First we drove to Chama, NM then to Colorado to 10,000'
elevation, then we drove back home to install a generator in the closet so that
we can have 110 volt roof air conditioning for the hot trip across the USA in
July and August. It is a good thing that we had the generator on the trip
because on our way to Oshkosh, we encountered 111 degree temps in Nebraska.
After we did the EAA Airshow, (at which I turned 70 and retired from active
money-making), and then after the show, we drove about 70 miles over to
Manitowoc, Wisconsin and put ourselves and the Ultra Van on the ferry and sailed
across Lake Michigan to Ludington, Michigan where we visited with a family who
also own an Ultra Van. Then we drove into Canada and stopped for four days at
Niagara Falls. The next leg of the trip was to the Finger Lakes area of New York
(beautiful area) and then on down into Pennsylvania where we then visited with
another family who own another Ultra Van and who live on a beautiful old farm
with a restored old farm house.
The next leg of the trip was into Massachusetts where we had an appointment to
meet with Cal Clark and officially shake hands on his take over of my book "How
to Keep Your Corvair Alive." Cal will now be the official publisher of that book
that I wrote over thirty years ago. That was a great visit and I highly
recommend that any Corvair owner should drive up to Shelburne Falls,
Massachusetts to see the really neat little town there, and do the annual, once
a year car show at Clark's. Unfortunately, I hit the wrong delete button and
lost all my pictures of Clark's employees laying on the parking lot, looking
under our Ultra Van! Cal even donated three sets of points and condensers to the
trip.
After that very memorable visit, we headed on up the East Coast, through Maine,
New Brunswick and into Prince Edward Island, Canada. Gayle has always been a fan
of the Green Gables books, so we stayed at a KOA Kampgrounds for five days and
ate lots of lobsters while we took in all the "Anne" sights and the really
pretty farms and all the far Eastern scenery. (It was kinda scary to be in a
foreign country where they had no Corvairs!)
We trundled our way back home by way of Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas,
Oklahoma, and of course Texas and into New Mexico. Our odometer showed 7,890
miles as we parked in front of our house after the trip. We were gone a total of
48 days. The 110 HP engine, Powerglide trans and differential were running just
great as we arrived home and in fact we also did a two night camp-out at White
Sands this past week-end.
During that long trip, I made the decision to buy a Zenith Kit Plane and put a
Corvair engine in it. We will drive the Ultra Van to Missouri in December and
pick up the kit. I will be able to fly the 2-place, 138 mph airplane with only a
driver's license. I will tell you more as the days go by.
Richard & Gayle Finch
Long-time CNM member Kevin Sullivan sent this photo of their Ultra Van with its
new Florida license plate. Kevin says it is his first "custom" license plate and
as you can see, it is very Corvair-appropriate.
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SAT 01 JUL 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center
131 Monroe St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 Phone: (505) 767-5210
TUE 04 JUL Early! Fourth of July on the Plaza in Santa Fe -- Classic Car Display
THU 08 JUL 8:00 AM WHEELS MUSEUM == NMCCC Collector Car Appreciation Day
1100 Second Street SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
WED 19 JUL 7:00 PM Board Meeting via Zoom
WED 26 JUL 7:00 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING - FOURTH WEDNESDAYS
Manzano Mesa Senior center - 501 Elizabeth St SE
FRI 28 JUL 9:00 PM Deadline for items for the August newsletter
MON 31 JUL ******* TARGET FOR PRINTING, MAILING AUGUST NEWSLETTER <<
============================================================================
SAT 05 AUG 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center
131 Monroe St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 Phone: (505) 767-5210
SUN 13 AUG xxxxxxxx NMCCC Picnic - Location, Time to be announced
WED 16 AUG 7:00 PM Board Meeting via Zoom
WED 23 AUG 7:00 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING - FOURTH WEDNESDAYS
Manzano Mesa Senior center - 501 Elizabeth St SE
FRI 25 AUG 9:00 PM Deadline for items for the September newsletter
MON 28 AUG ******* TARGET FOR PRINTING, MAILING SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER <<
============================================================================
SAT 02 SEP 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center
131 Monroe St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 Phone: (505) 767-5210
WED 20 SEP 7:00 PM Board Meeting via Zoom
SUN 24 SEP xxxxxxx NMCCC - The traditional Swap Meet will be replaced with a
low-key car show & cruise with food and music. Stay tuned.
WED 27 SEP 7:00 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING - FOURTH WEDNESDAYS
Manzano Mesa Senior center - 501 Elizabeth St SE
FRI 29 SEP 9:00 PM Deadline for items for the October newsletter
MON 02 OCT ******* TARGET FOR PRINTING, MAILING OCTOBER NEWSLETTER <<
============================================================================
SAT 07 OCT 10:00 AM Meeting: Highland Senior Center
WED 18 OCT 7:00 PM Board Meeting via Zoom
WED 25 OCT 7:00 PM NEW MEXICO CAR COUNCIL MEETING - FOURTH WEDNESDAYS
FRI 27 OCT 9:00 PM Deadline for items for the November newsletter
MON 30 OCT ******* TARGET FOR PRINTING, MAILING NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER <<
============================================================================
SEVEN YEARS AGO [ JULY 2023 VOL 49 Nr 7 ISSUE 574 ] Jim Pittman
2016
Vol 42 Nr 7 #490
COVER: Pat Hall's early coupe with a new Bill Darcy paint job. VIN tags showed
PINs. President Ray Trujillo eloquently wrote about the boyhood pleasures of
attending a baseball game and announced that CNM would be attending a Dukes game
in August. A tech talk on carburetors, carb linkage and staked seats was
presented by Larry Blair and Terry Price. Vickie Hall thanked everyone who made
the trip down to the Halls' "southern home" for an April 30th BBQ. Robert Gold
told how he was treated very pleasantly at the county's Emissions Testing
Facility as he tried to get the El Camino that used to belong to Sylvan Zuercher
legally running again. John Wiker made yet another visit to a car show with his
yellow 1966 Monza, this time the Fathers' Day Show. The Montrose Tri-State was
further described by Terry Price and Vickie Hall, with Chris Kimberly of the
Pikes Peak club. Terry then previewed our Tri-State in 2017 in Taos. A few
photos rounded out this issue. Some of us would meet again in Santa Fe for the
July Fourth pancake breakfast and classic car show.
2009
Vol 35 Nr 7 #406
COVER: Pat Hall and an early convertible. Robert reported $6,011 in the bank.
Much of the issue was devoted to the Taos Tri-State. John Wiker wrote about
dealing with a Hollywood film event, more trouble than it was worth. Larry Blair
told about having to replace a frayed clutch cable.
2002
Vol 28 Nr 7 #322
COVER: Jim read about the Mazda MX-5 Miata in 1989, drove one in 1990, and
bought one in 2002. New members were Leslie & Kevin Sullivan, owners of an Ultra
Van. We met at Galles Chevrolet. Mark Martinek said the Car Council mostly
focused on the Los Lunas car show. We learned of a story about Wendy that
appeared in the Rio Rancho newspaper. We planned a weekend trip to Ruth's cabin
in the Pecos. The CORSA convention was set for Flagstaff. The Board talked about
a caravan to Flagstaff. Robert told of hitching a ride to Ruth's cabin in
Wendy's red Pantera. He asked members to send in their stories of "Corvair
Catastrophes" or interesting mishaps for the newsletter. Anne Mae let us know
that the Corvair Ladies group was still active. Finally, four pages told
everything you could possibly want to know about your editor's progress from a
1952 Ford into the world of sports cars. The 1966 turbocharged Corsa was one of
those sports cars.
1995
Vol 21 Nr 7 #238
COVER: a 13-star flag, made of Monza emblems and Greenbriers. President Larry
ran our meeting. Treasurer Will reported $1,296. Bill reported on Car Council
activities. Jerry said those who went to the Red River Tri-State missed a great
Albuquerque Museum Car Show. Corvair belt buckles were on order. Larry reported
that, with wheels removed from one of his Corvairs, he was busted by the city
for having a "junker" in his yard. Cars in the front must be in running
condition! Billiken and Bill the Cat drove 27 hours to New Mexico. We had
several tech tips from other clubs: Fuel Pumps, No Oil Pressure, Emergency Brake
Cable Removal, No Fuel or Spark, Water Hose for Corvairs, Pitfalls of O-Rings.
An article from an Iowa CORSA member told about working in an aluminum foundry
in the 1960's, casting Corvair engine parts.
1988
Vol 14 Nr 7 #154
COVER: a 1965 sedan. We had $596 in the bank. The museum car show was nice and
Larry's green 1964 convertible Spyder took first place. Jerry showed a video of
the trip to the Tri-State at Canon City. Tom Martin reported on the Tri-State.
LeRoy planned an auction for July. Sylvan announced he would be putting on an
Econo/fun Run to Las Vegas.
1981
Vol 7 Nr 7 # 70
COVER: The CNM dragon led a Fourth of July parade in a Corvair convertible. We
had a meeting under the stars at Ed Black's. LeRoy reported on a recent car
show, a recent auction, and a recent Los Alamos slalom. Robin DeVore told us
about TRW lifters that are just a smidge too long. You could set your valve lash
two turns past zero to compensate. Richard Twilley gave us a table of MPH vs RPM
for different tire sizes and axle ratios.
1974 (no newsletter) What we did at our fourth meeting has been lost to history.
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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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