Next Meeting - Thursday Feb 1 st 7:00PM - Black Bear Diner Hwy 680

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1 The Official Publication of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Corvair Society of America --- Chapter 947 Dedicated to the enjoyment, history and preservation of the Chevrolet Corvair produced from 1960 through This unique, rear-engined, air-cooled automobile WEB grabs as much attention today as it did 50 years ago! VOLUME 294 FEBRUARY 2018 Look for us on the Web! Letter From the Editor 3. Minutes of the Last Meeting 3. Treasurers Report 4.. Coming Events 4.. SFBA Corsa Meeting Schedule Aracely Cafe Treasure Island Map & Directions 6.. How I got Interested In Corvairs 7.. SFBA Club T-Shirts Are In! SFBA Corsa Dues 9. Corvair Classifieds The First Bay Vairea Get Together Is Near! Next Meeting - Thursday Feb 1 st 7:00PM - Black Bear Diner Hwy 680 at Sycamore SFBA Valley Corsa -February 2018 Rd in Danville page 1

2 Letter From the Editor I hope you were able to attend our last meeting. We had nine members this time. A far cry from the three that showed up in November or fifteen in October. It's. either feast or famine. As shown on this month's cover, Josh has setup an informal Corvair Bay Vairea Get Togethers where those that are interested can show up and can talk Corvairs and cars in general over a cup of coffee. This one is scheduled for January 28th 8 AM at Aracely Café on Treasure Island. I am planning on going but I can't stay long. It's our anniversary and we will be heading out of town. This should be a lot of fun. See map on page 5. At the last meeting Seth said that Lon Wall (of Corvair Underground) is getting out of the Corvair parts business. He has been cutting back over the past few years and now it looks like he will be closing. So if you want anything (like a belt tensioner he caries the best) get it now rather than later. I guess it's my turn to chime in on How I Got Interested in Corvairs. I wrote this article some time ago but was saving it for the time I needed filler and no one else sent me their story. We have now heard from five people but we have many more members than that. Each one of you has an interesting story to tell, so let's hear it. Just me (or snail mail if you prefer) your thoughts on this for inclusion in the newsletter. You will find the newsletter a lot more interesting if various people contribute material. Just a reminder that Club dues for 2018 are due now. If your membership is not up until the middle of the year or so, consider renewing early. Just pro-rate the dues at $2 per month. The Club benefits when all the dues come in at the same time. It just makes it easier to plan the years events. See the blurb on page 8. Current SFBA Corsa Officers President Joshua Deitcher, 375 Harris Ave, Rodeo CA (510) Vice-President Harry Kypreos, 7840 Creekside Dr, Dublin, CA HKypreos@epicor.com Secretary Treasurer Membership Library Newsletter Clark Calkins, 1907 Alvarado Ave., Walnut Creek, CA (925) CaCalkins@astound.net Paul Lacey, Blackberry Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA (408) pdmlacey@gmail.com Committees Harry Kypreos (address above) Dave Newell, 1481 Hamrick Lane, Hayward, CA (510) Clark Calkins (address above) Editor At Large Tony Richards Advertising Internet Web Paul Lacey (address above) CaCalkins@astound.net For those that receive the newsletter by mail, the due date is printed on the label. And for those that receive the newsletter via (which is hopefully most of you) and you don't recall your due date, just contact Harry or myself and we will gladly look it up for you. (see Letter... on page 10) On The Cover: The first Bay Vairea Get Together is right at hand. Come on out for cofee and talk Corvairs (or cars in general). There is even a flee market this same day and who doesn t like flee markets? All that good stuff you don t need but have to have! The Spyder Web is published twelve times a year by SFBA Corsa, Chapter 947 of the Corvair Society Of America (CORSA). The group meets monthly on the first Thursday at 7:00 PM at Black Bear Diner on Sycamore Valley Rd in Danville except for special occasions. Membership costs $25/yr (membership in CORSA, $38/yr, is encouraged). An associate membership (newsletter only) is avialable for $15/yr. Memberships begin on January 1 of each year (first year is prorated). Advertising space in the Spyder Web is available for $50/yr (1/4 page), $75/yr (1/2 page), and $100/yr (full page). Business card size ads are $25/yr but do not include a subscription to the newsletter. All material should be sent to the editor (address above) or ed to CaCalkins@astound.net. Material must be received at least two weeks prior to the next meeting date. USE OF MATERIAL: Written permission from the Editor is required for all original material for any use other than reprinting in a Chartered CORSA Chapter newsletter. Permission must be sought in advance for material reprinted herein. page 2 SFBA Corsa -February 2018

3 Minutes of the Last Meeting Jan 4, 2018 The meeting was called to order around 8:00 by President Josh Deitcher. We had 9 members and no guests this evening. Tony was even able to join us for the meeting. Daniel said he was going to drive a Corvair here but shortly after starting the trip a red light came on the dash so he just turned around and went home. He ended up driving another car. Now he has some work to do when he gets home. Treasury Report: Paul reported the bank balance was around $3200 after membership renewals and expenses. Membership: Harry reported we have no new members. Several members have already renewed and more so did this evening. Old Business: The Holiday Dinner last month was reasonably successful. Most thought the food and service were very good but the seating arrangements were lacking. We only had 11 people show up so we could only a small part of the room. People at the other tables were a bit noisy making it hard to hear some of the conversations going on. We will see if we can improve on this next year. Josh brought more T-shirts for those that ordered some. New Business: Our meeting schedule was discussed. Clark put together a tentative schedule (see page 4) that included two Tech Sessions, our annual Picnic, and Holiday dinner. But all dates are tentative at this point. For Tech Sessions, topics are needed. Harry proposed a topic of replacing push rod tube O-rings. He would like to see what he would be getting into if he would do this. Similar to the last Tech Session where Seth demonstrated replacing the Pitman Arm Bushing by having the components out in the open where it was easy to see and understand the procedure. This would be a very good topic if we could get an engine that was out in the open (maybe sitting in the back of a pickup) where we could all see just what was going on. For most people, replacing O-ring seals requires raising the car and crawling underneath to get access to the bolts holding everything together. Seth mentioned that, if at all possible, you should use a lift. This makes the job much easier and saves your back. Events: Seth just got back from PRI in Indianapolis (a trade show for companies that make race car parts). He went to talk with several vendors he deals with and to see if there are any new or interesting parts that can be used on Corvairs. Josh has setup a Corvair get-together for January 28 at a coffee shop on Treasure Island. Just an informal gathering Treasurers Report February 2018 Paul Lacey Checking Acct. Cash/Checks Beginning Balance $ $00.00 Income Membership renewals Expenses Newsletter (Jan) ($50.00)(*) to talk Corvairs or cars in general. There will also be a flee market in the area for those interested (and who wouldn't be?). Seth also mentioned that there are several cars & coffee events in the area for cars in general (check car magazines like Drive). We could show up at one of these and I am sure the Corvairs would draw some interest and maybe even generate some converts. Certainly worth a try. Josh mentioned that Clark's was have a 10% off sale. A notice was just sent out via so if you are on their list you should have received it. This year the Concours d'lemons event schedule for California lists Sonoma Race way on March 24th as well as August 25th in Monterey. The events are free to the spectators (no mention of parking costs however). See their web site ( lemons.com/concours-d-lemons/) for more details. Swap & Sell: Clark brought some late model Corvair bumpers that Marlene is trying to get rid of. The bumper (see Minutes... on page 8) Ending Balance $ $00.00 (*) Expenses have not been turned in. Bank balance still shows $ SFBA Corsa -February 2018 page 3

4 Jan 28 th Feb 1 st March 24 th April 8 th Aug 25 th Coming Events Bay Vairea Get Together, 8:00 AM Aracely Cafe, Treasure Island,CA. Come on out, grab a cup of coffee, share Corvair stories and stay for the Flea Market. Regular SFBA meeting, Black Bear Diner, 807 Camino Ramon, Danville,CA Concours d Lemons. Celebrating the Oddball, Mundane, and Truly Awful of the Automotive World! Sonoma Raceway. For more info, see Poppy Run, hosted by Corsa West.100 miles of 1960 back country roads with inspiring views. Concours d Lemons. Seaside, CA. For more info, see SFBA CORSA Meeting Schedule 2018 (Tentative) Thursday Jan 4, 7:00 PM Thursday Feb 1, 7:00 PM Thursday Mar 1, 7:00 PM Thursday Apr 5, 7:00 PM Saturday May 5, 10:00 AM Thursday Jun 7, 7:00 PM Thursday Jul 5, 7:00 PM Saturday Aug 4, 12:00PM Thursday Sept 6, 7:00 PM Saturday Oct 6, 10:00 AM Thursday Nov 8, 7:00 PM Saturday Dec 8, 7:00 PM Tech Session, location to be announced. SFBA/Valley Club Picnic at Quarry Lakes Park, Fremont, CA Tech Session, location to be announced. SFBA Holiday Dinner, location to be announced. page 4 SFBA Corsa -February 2018

5 Aracely Cafe Treasure Island Map & Directions If you are coming from the East Bay, take the Bay Bridge towards SF and take the Treasure Island/Yerba Buena Island offramp (exits from the right lane). Turn right on Macalla Blvd towards Treasure Island. Then right when this dead ends into Treasure Island Rd. If you can coming from San Francisco (at least there is no toll!), take the Treasure Island/Yerba Buena Island offramp (exits from the left lane!). This gets you right on Treasure Island Rd. Follow Treasure Island Rd (turns into Avenue of the Palms) as it turns right onto 9th St. Turn left on Avenue E. This dead ends into 13 th St. The cafe should be right in front (across from the soccer fields). I am not sure where the best parking spot is, you might have to search a bit. There is a large lot in back. On the map below, the Aracely Cafe is shown in read near the top. For automated directions, the address is th St, San Francisco, CA SFBA Corsa -February 2018 page 5

6 How I Got Interested in Corvairs - Clark Calkins It s a long story and my memory is not what it use to be. But as best I can remember when I was a senior in High School, myself and a couple of buddies were to drive down to UC Irvine from Burbank to take a math test. I don t recall the reason we were to take the test (possibly a HS math contest) or the test results (probably because I didn't do well), but I still recall one of the problems that stumped me at the time. The question was prove the series 7, 67, 667,.. when squared results in 49, 4489, , Now why I remember this and so little else is beyond me. Anyway, one of my buddies, Henry Breer, just got a new 64 Spyder convertible (a graduation gift from his grandmother) and volunteered to drive us down to Irvine on a Saturday. I still remember motoring down Hwy 5 on a warm, sunny California morning with the top down, what a neat car that was! Since then I had always wanted one. Henry, some years later got into Deloreans and was big in the national Delorean Club I believe. Years later after getting out of college I moved up to Walnut Creek and started work as an engineer for GE. At the time I had a 64 Chevelle, 327, 4 speed which was a nice car. Pretty fast too. In college I would take it to Fontana to drag race. Got a trophy or two also. Loved to beat Mustangs! After moving to northern CA I picked up a 71 El Camino which, for some reason, I also wanted. A 350, 4 speed. Looked nice but a real dog. I didn t keep this too long. In the back of my head I was still looking for a turbo charged Corvair convertible. I kept checking the newspaper (that was how you bought cars back then!) but didn t find what I was looking for. As it happened a girl I knew, Gail Mcnamara had red 64 Monza and one day she was driving down Hwy 680 around Danville when a rear axle bearing failed. The car spun out of control as the bearing is what holds the axle in place on early Corvairs. She ended up in the center divide. Fortunately she was not hurt but the car was badly damaged. She was on here way to pick up her sister's baby to watch for the afternoon and this event shook her up a lot. The thought scarred her that the baby could have been in the car and seat belts were just an option in those days and car seats were not generally used. She didn t want to get back in the car again. The car was towed to a repair shop right there on Hartz Ave. I talked with the owner who said the lady doesn't want the car and he was going to offer her $75 for it and part it out. I talked to Gail and she agreed to sell it to me for $75 because I would fix it up. I had the car towed to a friends house in San Ramon where I could work on it. I spent a few months getting the suspension rebuilt (in those days you could find any parts you needed in most any junk yard). I liked this car but it was not a Spyder. At this same time an acquaintance at work, Ron Barbee was also into Corvairs (and probably still is). Ron sold me a turbo motor for $50 or so. I replaced the 110 with the turbo and added a Spyder dash and all of the Spyder trim I could find and painted the car a metallic blue. A year or so later as was talking with Gail and she wanted to drive her old Corvair again. She took it around the block a few times and on returning said it seemed a lot peppier than she remembered (I didn't say anything). By this time I had sold my Chevelle and was driving the Corvair exclusively.. Over then next 10 or so years I had other cars, but I always liked the Corvair the best. When my mother gave me her old 63 Chevy II I switched to driving that and the Corvair just sat in the garage until my wife wanted to keep her car there and mine was relegated to the driveway or the street. One day this lady (Dorothy McCray) who lived a few blocks away stopped by and said that her Corvair wanted to say hi to mine. Dorothy was an interesting lady and the Corvair was her only car. She proceeded to tell me about this Corvair club that met in Orinda at the library and I should check it out. I went to one meeting but wasn t impressed. Everybody was busy talking amongst themselves and paid no attention to this guest that didn t know anyone. There were lots of Corvairs in the parking lot to look at but that was all and I didn t bother to go back. But a year or so later I ran into Dorothy at the post office one evening and she convinced me to give it another try. This time it was a lot different. As it happened, it was a Pot Luck night and everyone was very friendly and I was able to talk with several members and had an enjoyable time. There was even a guest speaker (yes, back then the Club did have guest speakers every now and then) and the subject was quite interesting. Something about a Corvair/ Porsche project. Called a Corvarrea I believe. Anyway I enjoyed myself so much that I joined that evening and have been coming ever since. In 2003 we bought a house in Hidden Valley Lake, a development near Clearlake, as a vacation home. I keep the Corvair up there so it can stay in the garage (it doesn't like the rain) until I get around to working on it. I have been meaning to work on it for 10+ years now. About 11 years ago I did drive it down to our Annual Picnic at Quarry Lakes Park (see the October 2006 Spyder Web) just to prove to everybody that I really do have a Corvair! Most had never seen it since the Orinda library days. page 6 SFBA Corsa -February 2018

7 SFBA Club T-Shirts Are In! - Josh Hello fellow SFBA CORSA members. After taking the reins of president in April, it came to my attention through conversations with our club and with members of other clubs that we were being under-represented with SFBA CORSA related merchandise. I have found with different organizations that I have belonged to that there is a real sense of pride in wearing something bearing the logo of the organization that you belong to. With this in mind, it was time to put the rubber to road and make some moves. I started the process by getting club patches made. With some luck, I was quickly able to secure a number of very high quality patches that have been a hit! I have even sold these patches to other Corvair people and even a couple of VW (!) people. The adhesive on the back works really well. Don t believe me? Ask Clark! Based on the strong interest in the patches, I had some high quality vinyl die cut club decals produced. These look as great on your toolbox as they do on your Corvair. The next step was getting club T-shirts made. I printed up a number of various designs and we put it to a silent vote at the June meeting. Getting a design agreed upon was easy. Finding a printer to take the job was hard. The first group of printers that were contacted either couldn t do it, wouldn t do it or wanted a fortune to do it. Fast forward about two months and fifty s/ phone calls. I was able to secure a local printer who was easy to work with and very fair in price. As a result, we are currently in the process of having t-shirts made. See below for photos of the T-Shirt. LM Corvair script across the front and the club logo on the back. These shirts should be ready before the October meeting, so I should have them with me then. I did a limited print run to gauge interest, so if you want to buy a limited edition first print T-shirt, come out to the Oct club meeting at Black Bear diner in Danville with $16 and stay for the eats and meeting. If you are unable to attend, send me an (vondeitch@gmail.com) and we will figure out a way to get you one. Decals ($4) and patches ($6) are still available, as well. All profits off of these items go to the club, so it is a win/win. I hope to see you and your Corvair at the next meeting! Here is a breakdown of price for each item. Patches: $6.00 (free shipping) Decals: $4.00 (free shipping) T-Shirts: M-XL $ XL $17.00 ($23 if shipping) SFBA Corsa -February 2018 page 7

8 Minutes... guards alone are worth the price and these bumpers are in very good shape. Phil is interested and will take a look. Josh brought T-shirts for those interested. Phil said I think my wife wants me to have one for Christmas. As good a reason as any! Speaking of parts for sale, Paul said he has lots of Corvair parts that are either free or almost free. Daniel also said that he has accumulated lots of various Corvair parts and engines. So if you need something it's worth checking with these folks first. Tech: Harry said he was very pleased with how his steering turned out after the last Tech Session. He said what had prompted the work was when he and carol were on a drive to Sonic Burger (an annual event for him) and along Hwy 580 near Tracy he was cut off by a bus and when he turned the wheel to move over, the Corvair barely moved! A bit shaken by this, he nursed the car home. In the garage he had Carol turn the wheel while he watched the linkage. That's when he found the Pitman Arm Bushing was almost gone! Josh is looking to get a '63 Corvair to put his 140 in. He is saving it from a scrapper so it will need lots of work. First thing will be a windshield. Daniel said he one (or 10) so Josh will check this out first. Otherwise they are available new. Josh put a dual master cylinder on his '64 Corvair. He used Clark's kit. Instructions weren't bad. He bought new hoses and lines but didn't change the front lines as that would have required the gas tank being removed. Save this for another time. Seth said that used 3/16 lines while used 1/4 so adapters are required to use the '67 dual master cylinder setup. This is why Clark's asked for the year of the car you are working on. Two years ago Josh & Chris were at an event in southern California and when just starting home they noticed a gas smell. Quickly pulling into a 7/ 11 parking lot Chris opened the lid and saw gas spewing out the fuel pump vent hole!. Luckily they got the engine turned off before a fire started!. Chang- ing the pump only took a few minutes (you always travel with a spare, don't you?) and they were on their way in short order. Daniel's newest Corvair is a '66 with a 250 ci V-8 Cadillac engine, front wheel drive (in the back). He picked it up outside Bakersfield. Nice workmanship. Tried to get the engine running (his 15 minute rule) but no luck yet. He is also working on a Corvair with rear engine damage. Seth mentioned that besides the obvious rear engine damage, the front of the engine should be checked. The force goes through to the front engine mounts so check front of the motor and bell housing, etc. Meeting adjourned about 8:40 and we moved out to the parking lot to look at T-shirts and bumpers. Respectively submitted, Clark Calkins, secretary 2018 SFBA Corsa Dues SFBA dues are due now. We have a good start on membership renewals already. Let's hope it continues. As you know SFBA Corsa tries to keep everyone on the same dues schedule (the first of every year). It helps us plan the expenses for the coming year. For those that join in the middle of the year, you can help us out by renewing early. Just pro-rate the dues at $2/month. Here is the list of people I have that have paid through Clark Calkins Paul Dalforno Joshua Deitcher Seth Emerson Jim Frazin Don Houghton Harry Kypreos John Polacchi Daniel Smith Grover Wright The following people have paid their dues through at least part of They can wait until their due date or pay early and pro-rate the dues. Or of cource they could pay for the rest of this year and next! Lane Davidson - Due 9/8/2018 Richard Hall - Due 8/3/2018 Tony Matheson - Due 6/1/2018 Adam McPhillips - Due 9/27/2018 Bernard Ross - Due 7/18/2018 SFBA Corsa dues are $25/yr if you are also a member of CORSA, the national Corvair Club. Dues are $30/yr if you are not a CORSA member as the Club has to pay a bit extra for these folks. If you think this list is in error, please let us know. Both Harry and I keep the membership list and we reconcile differences periodically (and we have been known to make mistakes). page 8 SFBA Corsa -February 2018

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10 Classifieds... Bill Thomas 4 carb heads (1 pr), angle port exhaust, all new parts $ R+L Rear Control Arms (1 pr) w/rebuilt axle bearings w/backing plate. $300 both. All New Engine parts from crank to heads for a 145 cu motor $650. Late 110 Rebuilt Motor, TRW STO pistons, long block no carbs, dist, alt $800. Letter.. Our next meeting will be at Black Bear Diner on February 1st at 7:00 PM. I or Josh will get there early to reserve a suitable spot in the back. Hope to see you and your Corvair at the next meeting!" page 10 SFBA Corsa -February 2018

11 Corvair Classifieds CORVAIRS FOR SALE '63 Corvair Monza Cvrt ( 62 Interior/ Trim, 64 Suspension). New '65 140, 4 carb Engine. New battery, custom exhaust, and Alternator. New powder coated cvrt top w/ canvas, disk brakes w/ new master cylinder. New Paint, 15" wheels, new trans and front/rear suspension. Still needs: lt/rt fender scratches, cvrt top trim/clips/seals, fuzzies, emblems, other minor issues ( for more info). Less than 500 miles on it since restore. Needs TLC. Contact Chuck & Sherry Jensen at sherry.jensen@att.net (9/17) 63 Monza convertible. PG/140hp engine. Minimal rust. Needs full restoration. $2,500/bo (415) (05/17) 65 Corsa Coupe. Turbo body with 140 motor. Original black paint, dropped valve seat, new seats & carpet, suspension upgrades. Asking $1450. Red Bluff area. Call Skip Polacchi (530) (04/17) CORVAIR PARTS FOR SALE Bumpers, Marlene had these bumpers for sale. There are only two left now. Both late model front. Asking $50 or $35 for one with slight dent. OBO. Contact Clark at (925) Walnut (Creek area. Can bring to meetings. CORVAIR PARTS WANTED 140 NOS GM Exhaust valves. Part # Need 1 or more.contact Ed Connolly (650) ( edconnolly@ earthlink.net) (10/17) CORVAIR PARTS FOR SALE Skip Polacchi has the following parts for sale. Parts are located in Red Bluff & Santa Rosa. Best to call evenings (530) Besides these listed parts Skip also has many more engine parts, heads, cams, cranks, posi, turbo. All new or rebuilt. F/C Turned brake drums (2) - $20 F/C Front door NOS L&R lock latch - $30 Corsa Communiqués + Quarterlies, $ Rear Air Grill (NOS) $ Read Air Grill, very good. $ Rear Axles with good bearings. $55 each 1964 Turbo Carb Kit, NOS major kit. $65 Early Bumper Guards, Reconditioned 4 complete sets. $180 per set Early Bumper Guards, used - very good, 4 complete sets. $100-$120 per set. (see Classifieds... page 8) SFBA Corsa -February 2018 page 11

12 SFBA CORSA 1907 Alvarado Ave Walnut Creek, CA FIRST CLASS To: Corvairs Bought & Sold - Always in Stock! page 12 SFBA Corsa -February 2018