March 2016 Volume 41 Issue 3 The President s Corner Many thanks to Anne and Nolan Grant for hosting the February Meeting of Corvair Atlanta, where we had a great meal and got a chance to visit with Corvair Atlanta members. Prior to the monthly meeting we also had a Board of Directors meeting for the Club, which I felt was very productive. SpringFest 2016 will be next month (April) and I am remiss for not reminding everyone to register early and make their motel reservations in last Month's Connecting Rod. Always being "A Day Late and A Dollar Short", I just made reservations yesterday and still have not registered. I have heard the Best Western is sold out of rooms at the Corvair Rate and Country Inn & Suites only had two rooms left at the Corvair Rate. In this edition of the Connecting Rod you will find the SpringFest registration form and details regarding the motels in Helen which still have rooms available. We are expecting good attendance and I am looking forward to seeing many Corvair Atlanta members and Corvair enthusiasts in Helen this year. SpringFest 2016 will be on Friday, 22- April, and Saturday, 23-April. Other sections of this Connecting Rod should provide links to the SpringFest 2016 website, where detailed information is provided. Hope to see you there! - Tom At the March 2015 CAI meeting, it was decided that we would pick ONE car show each month for club members to gather, IF THEY SO WISH. No shows are scheduled for March.
Meeting Minutes The Corvair Atlanta Club Meeting was held at Nolan and Anne Grant's place in Cumming, GA on Saturday, February 20th. The meeting began at 1 PM after a hearty lunch of soups, sandwiches and cookies. In attendance were: Tom Rabb Wayne Whitmire Lanny Milbrandt Jack Allison Bill and Jeannette Rudolph Wanda Cook Al and Paula Hilderbrand Kelly Parker Robert and Mikey Birkinbine Keith and Sharon Burkingstock Tom Constantine Dan Terry Nolan and Anne Grant Our President, Tom Constantine, led the meeting. Tom thanked Nolan and Anne for a great Lunch! There was a cheer from the crowd... Tom began with announcing Georgia's Motoring Festival, the Atlanta Motorama sponsored by Summit Racing to be held on April 16-17 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Anyone interested in going please let Tom, Al or Nolan know by March 10 as we need to Register as a club and so that those going can be sure to meet there. It is a good chance to promote the club. For more info check out the website AtlantaMotorama.com. This will be the club show for March. It was mentioned that we have 9 less members this year than last year. Any ideas on getting new members will be welcomed. Wearables were discussed,i.e., how to order Club jackets, t-shirts, golf shirts etc.. Tom is going to call the Lively's and see about how we can keep an inventory of wearables. More info on that to come later. Wayne Whitmire mentioned that the Old Friends Car Club in Gainesville will be having a car show at the Old Train location in Gainesville on May 21st. It would be a great time to show some Corvairs. Al Hilderbrand said he renewed the Club's Corporate License Registration. There are 87 people currently registered to attend Springfest in Helen, GA on April 22nd and 23rd. Keith and Sharon Burkingstock and Al and Paula Hilderbrand have done a good job arranging the Rally. It is a good course and will take about 1.5 hours to drive. This year the Rally is free for those who participate. A reminder to those coming to Springfest is the ladies bring 2 desserts in disposable containers, the guys bring 1 large bag of Ruffle potato chips and each family bring a 12 pack of brand name diet drinks. Be sure to reserve your motel/hotel room for Springfest before they run out! Nolan Grant CAI Secretary 2
Calendars Recurring Events Date / Time First Sunday of each month 8am-11am Saturdays: March 7, April 4, May 9, June 6, July 4, August 1, September 5, October 3, November 7, December 5 Vendor set-up 7am, gates open to the public at 8:30 Description Caffine and Octane Perimeter Mall 4400 Ashford-Dunwoody Rd Dunwoody, GA 30046 http://www.caffeineandoctane.com/ North East Georgia Swap Meet Atlanta Dragway Commerce, GA http://georgiaswapmeet.com/ Date / Time Scheduled Events Description 3
Member Submissions A Corvair Embarrassing Moment (Nolan Grant) I had been on my new job in 1979 about 6 months. Things were looking up financially but we were still on a very tight budget. I defended my driving a Corvair to all my work colleagues, telling them what a great car it was. The real truth, which I was not going to admit, was I knew I wanted to buy something more reliable but couldn't afford it. One day I was driving home from work and some of my colleagues were following behind me. I had just crossed the railroad tracks in Florence, SC, and the engine motor mount nuts came out. The engine fell down on the pavement and I came to a screeching halt in front of my fellow workers. They naturally stopped to help but not before hysterically laughing at what had happened. To them it was close to unbelievable that the engine would just fall out like that, not to mention that I would continue to drive such an "unsafe car". Later that evening, I was able to jack up the engine, put in two nuts and drive away with no problem. My First Car (Tom Constantine): It was the Summer of 1978, the only one not spent in Summer School, and I wanted to rebuild a 6 cylinder automobile engine. Calling a friend from St. Aloysius, it seemed I had 2 options; an In-Line 6 from an old pick-up truck or an engine from a 1966 Corvair (700). Steven reasoned that the Corvair, the complete car for only 100 dollars, would be a drivable vehicle once the engine was rebuilt. I really wanted to rebuild the In-Line 6, but what would I do with it once rebuilt (for 100 dollars, the pick-up truck was not included, just the engine). The logical choice was made, and my first car was a Corvair. Men's three-piece suits made a "come back" in the 1970's and my father, those years before he retired, always wore one to work. Dad had a very flexible work schedule and I had arranged to get the Corvair one morning before work. We headed out US-42 towards Goshen, Kentucky to pick-up my first car. In the Parker family this Corvair had a reputation for having high oil consumption, in terms of miles per quart (of oil used). It was Mary Ann who drove the Corvair regularly, and she kept a case of oil in the engine compartment, adding a quart when the oil pressure light came on*. I cannot remember now if Steven told me this before, or after, I bought the car. We got to Goshen where I gave Steven's father a check for the Corvair. Dad followed me back to Louisville in his car, but by Prospect the Corvair filled with smoke and I stopped fearing it would catch on fire. Dad, being in the car that was NOT filled with smoke, told me it would make the trip home And that he would need a ride to work while he was at work, I would be washing all the oil off his '69 Sedan de Ville. I doubt if many of us today would wear a three piece suit to pick-up a Corvair. * As a footnote: Steven's father ran an Import Auto Service, which in Louisville, Kentucky during the 1970's meant that they serviced Volkswagen Beetles. Since Steven and all of his brothers worked in their fathers shop, it seems curious that none of them ever attempted to fix the oil leaks on their sister s Corvair. 4
SpringFest Website Have you seen the new SPRINGFEST Website? www.corvairspringfest.com More info than a person needs to know. Thanks to Dean Gemberling for all his hard work getting that ready for us. Upcoming Meeting Mar 19, 2015 Swapmeet/Meeting - Rudolph and Cook Inc. 240 Goode Rd, Conyers, GA Lunch Meeting. BYOC, Bring yer Parts and Stuff, FROM ATLANTA, I20 and I285...Take I20 East toward Augusta. Drive 15 miles to Exit 82 (GA20) to Conyers / Monroe. Turn Right onto GA20..Drive 2.5 miles on GA20 to Ralph Rd. Turn Right onto Ralph Rd.. Dive about 0.7 miles to Stanton Rd. Turn Left onto Stanton Rd..Drive about 0.5 mile to Goode Rd. Turn Right onto Goode Rd.. Drive about 0.8 miles, 240 is on the right. 5
Classified Ads Website submissions: Submitted on Friday, February 26, 2016 Suzanne Parzy (formerly Ocock) phone: 404-989-5022 email: miles.sp15@gmail.com I own a 1961 lakewood wagon, and am a former member. Now divorced owning a car I don't know how to maintain. I would like to sell it and would love to find out how to go about doing that to see if anyone in your club might be interested or know somebody who would. Thank you so much, 6
Classified Ads Commercial Advertising Rates Ad Size 1 Issue 6 Issues 12 Issues Business Card $5.00 $27.00 $50.00 ¼ Page $7.50 $42.00 $75.00 ½ Page $12.00 $60.00 $110.00 Advertising Policies Classified advertisements should be sent to the Newsletter Editor by e-mail or US Mail. Please type or print legibly if sending by US Mail. Classified advertising is always free to paid members of Corvair Atlanta, and $5 per listing for non-members. Corvairs and Corvair-related items will be listed for free at the discretion of Corvair Atlanta. Classified advertisements will typically run in no more than two issues. 7
About Us 2015 Meeting Schedule http://corvairatlanta.org/calendar-date Date January 9, 2016 February 20, 2016 March 19, 2016 April 22-23, 2016 May 21, 2016 June 18, 2016 July 12-16, 2016 August 20, 2016 September 17, 2016 October 22, 2016 November 19, 2015 December 11, 2015 Location and Details SpringFest Planning Meeting @ Clay Grant s house Nolan and Anne Grant s house, Cumming, GA Spring swap meet at Rudulph s house, Conyers, GA (lunch provided) SpringFest (no regular meeting) Earl and Lindy Lively s house in Watkinsville, GA (open) CORSA Convention, Springfield, IL Burkingstock s house, Fayetteville, GA Joint club picnic Indian Springs Park, Forsyth, GA (lunch provided) Perry Fair and Maggie Valley (no regular meeting) Election meeting at Hilderbrand s house, Dawsonville, GA (lunch provided) Christmas party (location TBD) Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are at 1pm and lunch is NOT provided. Lunch meetings begin at 12pm. Guests are always encouraged to bring their own chairs. President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Director Director Director Editor The Drive Train Tom Constantine (corvair_1965_monza@yahoo.com) Robert Birkinbine (dabirk@comcast.net) Nolan Grant (nolan@grantphoto.com) Al Hilderbrand (hilderbrandal@aol.com) Bill Rudolph (vairbilly@aol.com) Tom Rabb (tomrabb@att.net) Jack Allison (l5two@aol.com) John O Harra (john.oharra@live.com) http://corvairatlanta.org 8
SPRINGFEST 2016 Registration Form Hosted by Corvair Atlanta, Heart of Georgia Corvairs, and Queen City Corvair Club April 22-23, 2016 in Helen, Georgia Name:. Spouse:. Address:. Phone:. City:. State:. Zip:. Club Affiliation: Email:. Any young children in your group:. You must be registered to take part in any event. Registration Fee: $15 per person or $30 per Family*/ Friday through Sunday (pre-registered)$ $20 per person or $35 per Family* / Friday through Sunday (On-site) $ $8 per person or $16 per Family*/ Saturday only (pre-registration) $ $10 per person or $20 per Family* / Saturday only (On-site registration) $ * Family = 2 adults and their children under 18 Vendor Fee: $10 per table inside / $12 per outside space $ Valve Cover Racing: $5 per racer $ Rally (no charge) : We do need a head count (yes or no) Slow Drags (no charge): We do need a head count (yes or no) Autocross: $15 per driver with show registration $ (limit to 4 timed runs, Corvair only) Corvairs Display: $4 per car (Displayed cars that are not in Concours or People s Choice) $ (Non-judged cars) $5 per car (On-site registration) permission to park in City lot $ Concours: $12 per car (Show Division) (pre-registration) $ $15 per car (Show Division) (On-site registration) $ $8 per car (People s Choice) (pre-registration) $ $10 per car (People s Choice) (On-site registration) $ T-Shirt: Mens Size Womens Size # shirts x $20 per shirt $ Awards Banquet & Dinner Buffet (Saturday night) $15 per Adult (pre-registration) $ $18 per Adult (On-site registration) $ $6 per Child under 12 $ Total amount enclosed Pre-registration deadline: Tuesday, April 7, 2016. Please make checks payable to Springfest. Concours Information: (Early means 1960 1964, Late means 1965 1969) $ Vehicle description: Year: Color: Model: Check all that apply: Early Closed Early Open Late Closed Late Open Forward Control 4-Door class (includes Lakewoods) Specialty-modified Senior class Ultravan Show Division (Concours) People s Choice If you are coming in on Thursday and wish to join us for dinner, we will be at the Western Sizzler at 6:30 pm. Check here if you wish to attend this dinner Liability Clause: Entrants and participants by execution of this form release and hold harmless Corvair Atlanta Inc. (Members and Officers), Heart of Georgia Corvairs (Members and Officers), Queen City Corvair Club (Members and Officers) and anyone else connected with the management or presentation of this show, from any and all known damages, injuries, losses, judgments, and/or claims from any causes whatsoever that may be suffered by any entrant or participant to his or her personal property (including family members or friends). Signature of Registered Guest Signature of Registered Guest Mail this form to: SPRINGFEST 2016, c/o Lillian Law 163 Laurelbrook Drive Leesburg, GA 31763
SPRINGFEST 2016 Celebrating 32 Years of Corvairs in Helen HOSTED BY Corvair Atlanta, Heart of Georgia Corvair Club, and Queen City Corvair Club at The in Helen, Georgia April 22-23, 2016 Clark s will be attending selling parts and buying cores, first time ever at Springfest To our Corvair friends please pre-register, save money, help us plan and have a chance to win $35.00 Concours, people s choice, car display, tech session, ladies activities, rally, slow drags, 50/50, raffle for prizes. Valve cover races (Youth under 14 free) Hospitality party Friday night Friday Autocross, test and tune 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Autocross (must register for show and pay $15.00 entry fee) Car Show and a banquet prepared by our famous cooks on Saturday open at 8:30 a.m. Friday & 7:30 a.m. Saturday Motel information (Ask for Corvair club rates): available April 21-23 Helendorf River Inn: phone 1-706-878-2271 $168 ($208 for riverfront) for 2 nights (2 night minimum). Best Western: 1-706-878-2111, $69.00 ($89 for suites) per night Deluxe continental breakfast included. Super 8: phone 1-706-878-2191, $59 per night Country Inn and Suites: phone 1-706-878-9000, 2 Queen Beds $89.00 Make reservations by March 30, 2015 to get Corvair rate Check www.helengeorgialodging.com for other lodging This year you will be able to pre-order t-shirts. This will assure that you get your shirt even if you are late arriving. We will have some available on site. The men s shirt is a very nice old gold and the ladies is a very nice purple. Sizes: Men s Small to 3XL $20.00 Ladies Small to 3XL $20.00
We have planned a Rally this year, please pre-register so that we will have enough packets printed. Outside spaces are limited, each space will be 2 parking spaces ************************************************************* SPECIAL RAFFLE FOR A REBUILT 140 ENGINE BUILT BY RUSS THULEEN AND DONATED BY VULCAN CLUB REBUILD INCLUDES: NEW RINGS, BEARINGS, SEALS & GASKETS, HEADS REPAIRED BY MACHINE SHOP, AND WILL BE RUN FOR EVERYONE BEFORE THE DRAWING VULCAN CLUB WILL RECEIVE 50% OF PROCEEDS AND WILL BE DISBURSED TO THEIR FAVORITE CHARITY CHEMICAL CORPS REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATION. THEY STRIVE TO MAKE SURE EVERY VETERAN IN THE FIVE ALABAMA VETERANS HOMES GET CHRISTMAS. THERE IS FROM 150 TO 300 IN EACH HOME. TICKETS WILL BE $10.00 EACH OR 6 FOR $50.00 Note: Winner must arrange to get engine home ************************************************************* For those arriving on Thursday, I have reserved a large dining room at Western Sizzler for Thursday night at 6:30 pm. Event check-in is at the. Information: contact Lillian Law 1-229-883-4123 or 229-291-0567 lawjandl@aol.com Autocross information: contact Al Hilderbrand 678-807-8848 hilderbrandal@aol.com
Tentative Schedule of Events FRIDAY APRIL 22, 2016 Registration Vendors T-shirt Sales and Ticket Sales Car Coral & Car Clean Up Auto-X Set-Up/Car Inspection Test and Tune Autocross Concours Safety Inspection Line up Valve Cover Racers Cash Bar Hospitality Party Valve Cover Races 50/50 drawing Hospitality - After hours Visit Helen Merchants SATURDAY APRIL 23, 2016 Registration Car Clean Up Vendors Concours Safety Inspection Concours Participants Meeting Judges Meeting Concours Participants Choice Participants Choice Voting Staff & Judges only Lunch Participants Lunch Until food is gone $5.00 Slow Drags Rally Technical Session Ladies Activity Entertainment & Cash Bar Banquet and Awards Hospitality - After hours Car Coral Visit Helen Merchants Door Prizes & 50/50 Drawing Ticket and T-Shirt Sales 8:30 am - 7:00 pm 10:00 am - 6:00 pm 10:00 am - 7:00 pm 10:00 am - 6:00 pm 9:00 am - 10:00 am 10:00 am - 11:30 am 1:00 pm - until 2:30 pm - 6:00 pm 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm 6:00 pm 6:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:00 pm 10:00 pm All Day 7:30 am - 12:00 pm 7:00 am - 9:00 am 8:00 am - 5:00 pm 8:00 am - 9:00 pm 9:00 am - 9:15 am 9:15 am - 9:30 am 9:30 am - 1:30 pm 9:30 am - 1:30 pm 9:30 am - 12:30 pm 11:30 am - 12:30 pm 12:30 pm 1:45 pm 2:00 pm 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm 2:30 pm 6:00 pm (chips & dip) 7:00 pm -10:00 pm 10:00 pm All day All day All day All day Helendorf Parking Lot City Parking Lot - Small City Parking Lot - Large City Parking Lot - Large Helendorf Parking Lot Upstairs Best Western Best Western/Helendorf parking lots & Helendorf City Parking Lot - Small City Parking Lot - Small City Parking Lot - Small City Parking Lot - Small City Parking Lot Large City Parking Lot - Large City Parking Lot - Large City Parking Lot - Small Upstairs Best Western Helendorf Parking Lot SPRINGFEST 2017: APRIL 28th APRIL 29th