Prairie Capital Corvair Association. The Flat Six

Transcription

1 Prairie Capital Corvair Association P.O. Box 954 Springfield, Illinois The Flat Six November Officers President -Jim Allen (309) Vice-President Allen Monts (309) Secretary-Rhona Hall (217) Treasurer-Glen Rittenhouse (309) Membership-Chris Hall (217) Historian/Inventory Garry Biggs (217) FlatSix Editor Tim Mahler (217) Board of Directors Mike Hall (2017) (217) Dick Moon (2017) (309) Bud Laubach (2017) (309) Larry Jahn (2018) (217) From the President It will be November very soon. This year has flown by. Bernie and I enjoyed the Pontiac event very much. A good gathering of Corvairs, and good Corvair friends. I am writing this while at Jim Jr's in Mesa AZ. We got back from Palm Springs CA yesterday. I have wanted to attend the Great Western Fan Belt Toss for a long time. We are not getting any younger, and thought it was time. It was a great time. We were joined by PCCA members, Glen Rittenhouse and Mark and Linda Allen. It is a very large Corvair swap meet, a peoples choice Corvair show and a fan belt toss competition. Glen said he had never seen so many parts at one place. There were a lot of cars we had never seen before. And a few that we had. There were about 60 Corvairs on display. Cool White was parked next to Darth Vair. It is a 65 CP that Chuck Armor built a few years ago. Chuck has passed away, and I did not know where the car was. Now I know. The weather was perfect all weekend. I look forward to seeing everyone at the November meeting. Please remember the Christmas party in December. Jim Allen

2 Calendar of Events Meeting Location unless otherwise noted, PCCA meets at the Rochester Community Building located off Il Route 29 in Rochester Illinois. The community building is on the east end of Rochester at #1 Community Drive. PCCA Home Page may be found at November 11 PCCA Car Display and Chapter Meeting, Rochester Community Building 2-4:30pm Program: Shelby Berta will present the a program centered around pieces of her collection. Exactly what will be brought depends on a lot on the weather. Shelby did mention including a few items that would be of interest to the PCCA gentlemen (and the more rowdy ones in our group.) The editor always finds the stories behind the collection to be very interesting. Let s hope for sunny skies and calm winds. December 9 January 13 February 10 PCCA Annual Christmas Dinner - Toni s Café Auburn, IL rte 104 and I-55. Gift exchange, Toys for Tots, Great fellowship. Starts at 1:00 pm PCCA Board Meeting. Rochester Community Building 1:00-2:00pm PCCA Car Display and Chapter Meeting, Rochester Community Building 2-4:30pm PCCA Car Display and Chapter Meeting, Rochester Community Building 2-4:30pm July The Western Pennsylvania Corvair Club will host the 2018 CORSA International 2018 Corvair Convention in Pittsburgh, PA! Held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Greentree just west of downtown Pittsburgh. For more Corvair Events Check the calendar on the CORSA Web site: Upcoming events are now on the home page, left side. Click on Events to see other future events These dates are place holders second Saturday of the Month subject to change based on membership feedback and board approval. March 10 PCCA General Meeting April 14 PCCA General Meeting Board Meeting May 12 PCCA General Meeting June 09 PCCA General Meeting July 14 PCCA General Meeting Board Meeting August 13 PCCA General Meeting September 8 PCCA General Meeting October 13 PCCA General Meeting Board Meeting November 10 PCCA General Meeting December 8 PCCA General Meeting Annual Christmas Dinner, informal meeting, lots of fun Meeting Location, day of week. James Dunning Photo at Pontiac Tour The Rochester Community Building meeting room is a great location for PCCA at minimal costs. When PCCA first started meeting in Rochester, we met regularly every month and the library was great hosts. Today, a new activities hosted by the Library and others and PCCA less frequent (less reliable?) meetings at the Community Building has caused the monthly meeting date to be shifted a week. Are there other Options? 1) One suggestion was to meet on Sunday afternoons. Mustang club uses that option 2) Meet in a different location altogether? Lincoln, Pekin, Peoria? 3) Or Perhaps in Decatur, at the Chevrolet Hall of Fame Museum, the CPF museum location? PCCA Needs your Feed back. Meanwhile, PCCA will continue meeting, the second Saturday of every month at the Rochester Community Building. Except when we don t (grin). Christmas get together is at Toni s Cafe.

3 Editor: To the editor s delight, two stories were written about the Pontiac tour. Photos for Bill s story were by Shelby Berta, except for one by Bill Berta. Bill s story was also being sent to the National Magazine so has a general national style. Dick s story is more PCCA specific, and the photos accompany it are by Chuck Dunning s brother James. Corvair Cruise-in at Pontiac by Bill Berta Saturday, October 7, 2017, saw fifty Corvair enthusiasts with 21 Corvairs arrive at Pontiac, IL for a Corvair display/cruise in. Enthusiasts from PCCA, CCE, Circle City Corvairs and Iowa Corvair Enthusiasts made up the group. Pontiac has numerous attractions available including historic Route 66, historic homes, museums, and an interesting town square with an impressive courthouse. On the square was the Pontiac-Oakland Museum, which offered a tour for the Corvair attendees. After the cars were in place and everyone had a chance to mingle, take a walk downtown, observe the farmers market and view some of the many murals, it was time for a Historic Pontiac, Photo by Bill midmorning tour at the Pontiac-Oakland Museum. The tour was extensive and covered areas not always open to the usual tourist. It was very interesting seeing the cars, models, and memorabilia. Lunch was enjoyed by approximately forty of those attending at Edinger's Filling Station Restaurant, which rounded out the day's activities. All together a fun day was enjoyed by all with fair weather for most of the day. Our thanks go to Lyle Rigdon for setting this event up. This was a first time event that went very well. Unfortunately because of a serious health problem Lyle could not attend. Our thoughts and well wishes go to Lyle for a speedy and complete recovery. A photo taken in the parking lot of the Edinger s Restaurant, Indiana car owner. The mural was on the side of the restaurant s wall. Taken by Shelby These small vehicles were on street corners. All were decorated differently and this little tow truck caught my eye. Photo by Shelby 3 Neon sign inside the Pontiac-Oakland Museum. Shelby

4 Dick and Jim s Corvairs in front of a Route 66 mural. Photo by Shelby Mike at the Corvair parking lot with the Corvair feather. Shelby CORVAIRS AT PONTIAC ILLINOIS By Dick Moon, Photos by James Dunning The plan was for several nearby Corvair clubs to meet at Pontiac, Illinois Saturday, October 7th. The purpose was to generate some friendly conversations about Corvairs in general and for a look-see around the city of Pontiac, where there are several locations that might be of interest to car folks. And other interesting places if time allowed. By lunch time (more later) there were 21 Corvairs scattered around a city parking lot, as follows, by license plate count: 13 from Illinois (PCCA and Chicago area combined) 5 from Indiana 3 from Iowa No effort will be made to identify Corvair owners here. Let's simply say that, as usual for Corvair drive-ins, the cars (and a couple Rampsides) were all fine enough that most incidental (not infused with Corvair enthusiam) strollers would wonder where all these vehicles have been hiding. And there were a nice number of people strolling by that fit that description. The first organized activity was to go to the Pontiac Museum. Yes, it's in Pontiac, and yes, it features Pontiac automobiles. This nice museum displays Pontiacs of almost all types, as well as a couple of very nice Oakland automobiles, the forerunners to Pontiacs. I believe that name transition took place in Not just Pontiac cars are on display; there is a basement with various Pontiac parts and lots of petrobilia, and an upper level with more of the same. On the main floor there is a large library of Pontiac publications. Want to purchase something to help you remember Pontiacs? That's available too, in a gift shop. All in all a nice, mostly unhearalded museum. 4

5 Most everyone then went to a nice restaurant a short stroll away. By prior arrangement a good lunch was served from several options, at a set price for the entire lunch. Next door to the restaurant is a place where several Pontiacs and one old Oakland are stored, either awaiting restoration or in the process. Most of the lunchers also visited there. Unfortunately, while we were browsing the workplace, the rain, which had been threatening, arrived. That pretty much called a halt to group activities. Almost all Corvair folks drifted away, heading for home. Maybe we should add that there was a Farmer's Market that day on the grounds around the County Court House. Maybe some Corvair Club members had fresh vegetable soup in a day or so. And for those who found it, there is a great little bakery nearby that could be, and was, really enjoyed. To finish this, we should name the PCCA members who were in Pontiac for the meeting, last names only: Allen, Allen, Berta, Hall, Jahn, Laubach, Mont, Moon, Rittenhouse, and Seyller. Eighteen people in all; not all names were represented by a couple. A nice turnout. Shelby took some photos, her usual well-received contribution. Thanks. Maybe this activity will generate interest in more of the same in the future. Why not? 5

6 It s been a while sense I borrowed from the Heart of America Corvair s Owners Association great VairCor newsletter. This article is from February 2016, by Mike Dawson. It seemed appropriate for the upcoming winter projects. The Preventive Maintenance Series by Mike Dawson Home Air Compressors I do not profess to be an expert at discussing air compressors but I will share some ideas and tips concerning air compressors I have owned. Compressors are wonderful additions to a home garage for blowing off garage floors, cleaning computer cabinets, airing up tires, house painting, etc., but mainly there are a myriad of air tools available. With extra hoses I have used air drills in my sheds, cutoff wheels on upstairs plumbing and have even gone next door and across the street to help neighbors. There are a wide range of compressor styles and brands; the first that I owned at home was a Sears roll-around single-stage 125 psi, 110 V with a 20 gallon tank. This type is great for being mobile. Plug it in anywhere and it will run many air tools that do not have a high consumption rate but it s not suitable for major bodywork, blast cabinets, heavy-duty air hammers, etc., as the duty cycle is limited and recovery time long. The current compressor I own is an Ingersoll Rand two stage 15.3 psi, 220 V with a 60 gallon vertical tank. It is also rated at 19.1 psi (normal top operating pressure). I wanted an 80-gallon tank but our previous garage space would not let it squeeze in. Fortunately this compressor does everything I currently want to do, including running a blast cabinet or a front yard sand blaster for extended periods. Since the compressor is located next to a blast cabinet (which leaks a little dust even with a vacuum) I added a Corvair late model air cleaner to supplement the tiny original filter that costs four times that of the Corvair filter.(pictured right). The compressor has a sight glass oil level, which is nice. Things to consider with a stationary compressor: Picking a style and size may be limited by your garage, but I would recommend as large as possible; your future activities may dictate that you wished that you had spent the additional money. My manual calls for 18 of clearance on the fan side for cooling, and you need that for belt maintenance. For a base I added plywood with some heavy-duty rubber attached for sound insulation against the concrete. Some of the new high tech designs may fit your needs, such as screw compressors, but I do not know of anybody to consult with who currently owns one in their home. Check this site for information on compressor types and brands: Go to Data Sheets and they also have a handbook from which you can download chapters. 6

7 A two-stage compressor has an inter-cooler between stages and will provide 175 psi. It is nice to have that available for the occasional heavy duty blowing or a tough Snap-On air hammer job but most tools should be regulated between psi. A two-stage runs at a speed well below the normal 1800 rpm of single stage compressors and should last longer. A single stage compressor is limited to 125 psi. Check before purchase on warranty, how and where the warranty work would be done, and the availability of parts. Checking parts availability on-line ahead of purchase might be a good idea, as well as checking the reviews. I m not sure how accurate reviews are anymore, so you might be better off just asking everybody who has a compressor what they ve experienced. Check the tank drain access. The drain will obviously be at the lowest point of the tank and you will have to do some plumbing to make it easy to do periodic drains due to our (Missouri s) high humidity. Check the electrical requirements; most 110V compressors just plug in. The 220V motors will wire direct so you will have to connect to your electrical panel. Or, if you are close to your electric clothes dryer, you can make a short extension cord with the correct adapter. Use the correct gauge of wire for the distance involved or you will have motor problems. It s a good idea to check the voltage at the motor after installation, there is a drop at start up and then a running voltage. I used an air line installation kit from Eastwood that was easy to use and was so much better than the iron pipe I used at our previous house. Just my experience, but I found that running the air line straight up to the ceiling from the tank, then across the garage ceiling to a dryer kept moisture in the line to a minimum. The dryer seldom needs to be emptied except for prolonged running in really humid weather. A final touch was a hose reel mounted on the ceiling after the dryer. These are some typical air consumption rates for (air) tools: Impact Wrench & Hammer 8-10 cfm Air Wrench 8-10 cfm Air Drills (HD) 10 cfm Cut Off Wheels 4-6 cfm Air Saws, Nibblers 5 cfm Dual Action Sander 15 cfm Blast Cabinet 15+ cfm Paint Guns 8-20 cfm Fan Belt Toss Specialty Car Winner 7 And it s engine

8 RECAP OF MEETING PRAIRIE CAPITAL CORVAIR ASSOCIATION Saturday, October 21, 2017 Eleven members of the chapter were present at the meeting, held at the Rochester Community Building. Officers In attendance were Vice President Alan Monts; and Secretary Rhona Hall. Treasurer Glen Rittenhouse was not present. However, he provided a report. Also in attendance were Dick and Neta Moon, Brian and Sue Seyller, Jim and Beulah Collier, Bill and Shelby Berta and Tim Mahler. President Jim Allen was attending the Great Western Fanbelt Toss in Califorina. Allen read the treasurer s report for this month to the members present. The Secreatary s report was printed in the FlatSix. A motion was made to accept the two reports and seconded. Motion passed. There was no old business to discuss. New business: Tim Mahler asked for volunteers to run for officers specifically President and Secretary. Plus two board positions were still needed to be slated. Jim Collier volunteered to run for the board. No other volunteers raised their hands. A discussion on the Meeting location was held next. This month s meeting was a week late because of scheduling conflicts with the library planned activities. Alternative Jim Collier s 65 Maroon coupe locations were not forthcoming but some discussion was held about were PCCA members resided - North towards Peoria vs around the Springfield area. Tim Mahler asked if the Chevrolet Hall of Fame Museum could be a viable alternative. Rhona Hall indicated a room could be available at little to no cost to PCCA. Travel time may be an issue as for most PCCA members, this location would be farther and less convenient, further off the interstate, than the current location. No other business to discuss, the meeting was closed and the 50/50 drawing was held. Jim Collier won. Respectfully recapped by the Editor because of the short deadline for the Newsletter. Cars And Parts for Sale FOR SALE: (February 2017 Newsletter) 1963 Corvair Monza Conv. / Power Top - all new mechanical parts and new seal kit on top / Factory A/C with replacement compressor /engine overhauled by Jim Allen /extra set of tires with rims /red body & interior / $15,500..Rob Preston For Sale (non Corvair; May 2017) :Completely rebuilt heads for a Buick 225 V-6. May fit others. Everything new, still in shrink wrap from the machine shop. The heads were from a 1965 Buick Special. Will include the carburetor, intake manifold, cam shaft, and exhaust manifolds with y-pipe Tim Mahler s 66 coupe, with Fitch top with purchase of heads. Looking to get $550 for them, which is what I have just in the machine shop work. If you are interested, make us an offer! Lyle Rigdon Auction News Raleigh Classic, June 23-24, 2017, Raleigh NC as reported in the OCW September 7, Corvair Monza 2dr coupe condition 2 $6,300 PCCA is again on Facebook as a group...actually, I think PCCA was there all along, and the editor duplicated a past group. Just the one again. Facebook, group name Prairie Capital Corvair Association. I will try to post upcoming events there as I remember. Not a very good FB user, but I try. 8

9 PCCA ELECTIONS for 2017 Please return this ballot via to the editor, mail to the Clubs PO box or bring to the November meeting. Write-in votes are accepted. Circle the candidate of your choice. President Brian Nicholson Other Vice-President Allen Monts Other Treasurer Glen Rittenhouse Other Secretary Tim Mahler Other Board of directors - 1 year term (vote for 2) Jim Collier Chris Hall 2 year term (vote for 1) Jim Allen Other Other Prairie Capital Corvair Association (PCCA) Membership Form March 1, 2017 thru February 28, 2018 Type of Membership Individual $17 Family $20 (2 adults at one address plus children under 18) Apply a $5 discount for receiving the electronic version of the newsletter and other correspondence. If joining after August 31, dues are: Individual $8.50, Family $ If applicable, the discount is $2.50. Name Spouse/ 2nd Adult Street Address City, ST ZIP Home Phone Cell Phone(s) CORSA Membership ID Spouse/ 2nd Adult Address(es) Spouse/ 2nd Adult Cars, Corvair and other Other interests PCCA strongly encourages membership in CORSA. Do you want/need information about CORSA? Y / N Return the completed form and dues to:glen Rittenhouse, PCCA Treasurer 1804 Columbus Dr, Pekin IL OR to PCCA Treasurer P.O. Box 954 Springfield, IL

10 Prairie Capital Corvair Association P.O. Box 954 Springfield, IL 62705