Actual Greenbrien Camper at the Museum

Helping Brian into “retirement” mode

Prairie Capital Corvair Association

P.O. Box 954Springfield, Illinois 62705

The Flat SixDecember 2019

2019 Officers President -Brian Nicholson (217) 891-0808 Vice-President Larry Jahn (217) 283-7365Secretary-Tim Mahler (217) 793-3824 Treasurer-Glen Rittenhouse (309) 472-3882Membership-Chris Hall (217) 691-6529 Historian/InventoryFlatSix Editor Tim Mahler (217) 793-3824 Email P rairieCapital@corvair.org

Board of DirectorsChris Hall (2019) (217) 691-6529 Allen Monts (2020) (309) 243-7477Jim Collier (2019) (217) 875-5841 Jim Allen (2019) (309) 361-5351

From the Prez

Well it looks like my year as PCCA prez has come to an end. It's been a fun 2 years. All theexciting things we have planned for 2020 and the new team coming in to run PCCA in the coming yearwill make for a great 2020. Please keep your eyes open for all the info concerning the mini convention in2020. Special thanks to so many of you for helping with the museum move over the last couple weeks.

As we head into the holidays, please remember toenjoy your time and be safe. I'm pleased and look forward to2020 as a PCCA board member and to continue as theassistant CPF museum curator. I hope to be more help in thatarea in the coming year . Thank you to everyone for all thehelp and support this year. Brain

Calendar of Events - 2019 PCCA Home Page may be found at http://www.corvair.org/chapters/chapter627

Directions to Abe’s Hideout on Dirksen Parkway and Ash street in Springfield IL. Abe’s is just downthe road from the 2016 convention location (Crowne Plaza). Take exit 96B (the same exit, 96A, as for theRochester location) into Springfield, Turn LEFT at the first intersection, Dirksen Parkway. Abe’s Hideout is onthe right hand side. Note: the Stevenson drive exit works too, drive past the Crowne Plaza and Abe’s Hideout willbe on your left. The Christmas Party will be at Abe’s on SATURDAY, December 21 at 1:00PM.

Directions to the CPF Corvair Museum near Glenarm Illinois. Take exit 88 from I-55, from eitherdirection, head west – turn right if you are traveling south on I-55, left if traveling north. Follow the road as itcurves to the left, south. Go straight at the stop light (turning right takes you to Chatham). The Museum is 1.3miles from the stop light on the right hand side – just past the Double J campgrounds. The building was thelocation of Elite Classic Cars a few years ago.

Date Change – to a SaturdayDecember 21, 2019 PCCA Christmas Get Together – returning to the same location as 2018 - Abe’s

Hideout in Springfield IL – moved the day to Saturday 1PM for lunch, festivities. Gift exchange, Toys for Tots, Great fellowship.

PCCA will have the traditional gift exchange. Male gift for the gents, Gal gift for that ladies, $10suggested limit. Of Course, the gift exchange is optional. We just want everyone to come to the party.

Also optional is a gift donation for the Marines “Toys for Tots” collection. These gifts, toys, should beunwrapped, new toys. Dollar amount is up to you. They accept dollar donations too if that is your preference. Please Note: Toys-for-Tots collection last pick up date is December 20, a day before our meeting. Dropping toysoff in a collection box before the meeting is AOK. Toys may be still be picked up, but may be held until 2020.

January 11, 2020 - Saturday PCCA General Meeting 2:00-4:00 pm. Baoard meeting, officer transfer ofknowledge - 1:00pm. LOCATION: CPF Corvair Museum.

For more Corvair Events Check the calendar on the CORSA Web site: www.corvair.org

PCCA 2020 Calendar Following dates are yet to be determined – January meeting will help determine ifTuesday or Saturdays will be PCCA meeting dates for 2020 and perhaps beyond. Listing both for use asplaceholders to help with planning/scheduling. PCCA General Meeting Tuesdays February 18, 2020, March 17, 2020, April 21, 2020, May 19, 2020.PCCA General Meeting Saturdays February 8,2020, March 9, 2020, April 11, 2020, May 9, 2020.

June 17-20, 2020 CORSA Sanctioned Mini Convention to benefit the CPF and CPF Museum

2020: Mini Convention for CPF & CPF Museum Third weekend in June, 2020. A working committee has been formed and has met 3 times already. Contact Mike Hall if you want to

volunteer or be part of the committee - the more the merrier – and the easier the work is for each individual. Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Springfield Illinois. When: June 17-20, 2020Tentative Schedule : Wednesday - Welcome Party - Cruise-in at the Motor Heads restruarant - a old car

themed location with regularly scheduled cruise-ins. Local classics with Corvairs from the mini with great foodavailable in the restaurant. Thursday: Concours (late morning start) evening activity TBD, thinking Drive-inMovie. Friday - tour/road rally to Decatur to be part of a (Corvair) powered aircraft show then rally to theCorvair Musuem - Dinner at the Museum. Saturday - Car Display - maybe a Funkhana. Awards Banquet thatevening. Springfield hosted the 2016 CORSA international convention at this same location. Springfield isknown as the hometown of Abraham Lincoln with many historic sites related to him. PLUS, Historic RT66 runsthrough town and will be part of the mini-convention theme.

More information and details to come as they develop.

CPF Raffle 1966 CorvairThe Corvair Preservation Foundation is holding a raffle and the lucky winner will receive a

freshly-restored 1966 Corvair Monza Sport Coupe! The drawing for this car will be held May 15, 2020 in theGreat State of Minnesota, USA. MN Lic. #GA19-000002. You need not be present for the drawing. Theproceeds from the raffle will support the new Corvair Museum in Decatur, Illinois.

• 1966 Corvair Monza Sport Coupe.• 140 hp 4-carb Super Turbo-Aire

engine. Powerglide automatictransmission.

• Thoroughly reconditionedthroughout with new paint,

upholstery and many NOS parts• Ready to drive!

$10 per ticket – Helpsupport the CPF

Tickets available online at theCORSA web site –www.corvair.org Direct link is https://www.corvair.org/index.php/corvair-raffle There is also a paper version available.PCCA member and CPF President Mike Hall may also have tickets available.

Early Design ConceptsFrom Eva "Corvair Lady" McGuire CPF Historian and Publicist

Experimental full size clay model (XP-76Clay Model 90306) of a proposed Corvair designfrom Bill Mitchell's private photo collection(courtesy of the Benson Ford Research Library atThe Henry Ford Museum). Photographed onApril 6, 1957, by well known GM StylingPhotographer, Neil Madler. I spent many hoursand visits at this Library researching the Corvairand will be posting more of these unique Corvairphotos from various collections as well asvisiting more Automotive Research Librariesand GM archives. If anyone has any Corvairhistory information or photo you are looking for,let me know and I'll see what I can find at thesefacilities. It's a privilege to live in the state wherethe Corvair was created and have access to thisvaluable historical information.

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CPF Corvair Museum Moved

If you were wondering why the newsletter has allthis CPF stuff.... One, the Corvair Museum was movedin mid/late November to its new location in the formerElite Classic Cars building. And Two, Eva McGuireposts some very interesting photos and stories to theCorvair Preservation Foundation Facebook page. Sinceeditors are always looking for articles, Eva’s Corvairspecific content fits the bill very well. Below is a notefrom CPF (and CORSA) President Mike Hall and ablespokesperson (and CORSA/CPF Board member) Al Lacki. AND OH – THANK YOU ALL for helping with the move -Mike, Brian, Snady Myers, Rhona, Jim Allen, Lyle Rigdonand so many others. Pictures are from Mike Hall after theinitial move of vehicles and other artifacts from the oldlocation to the new.

Corvair Museum Move AnnouncementMike Hall, President Corvair Preservation Foundation

The Corvair Museum has moved to a new site onRoute 66, south of Springfield, Illinois. We will reopenthe Corvair Museum on December 1 at our new site at10041 Palm Road - a.k.a. Route 66 - in Glenarm, Illinois.

In addition to being much less expensive for us tooperate, our new modern facility is expected to drawmany more visitors because of its close proximity topopular tourist destinations in the Springfield area.Attractions include the Abraham Lincoln PresidentialLibrary and Museum, Lincoln Home National HistoricSite, Lincoln's Tomb and War Memorial State Historicand more – all just minutes away.

The Springfield area is served byAllegiant, American and United Airlines withmultiple daily flights connecting to Chicago,Dallas / Fort Worth, and Punta Gorda Airport.

The museum’s new location also has thebenefit of being easily accessible from Interstate55 - the main corridor between Chicago, St.Louis and New Orleans.

Thanks to all who have visited. As wesaid when we started the Corvair Museum, it willbe ever changing!

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Larry Jahn’s Wagon

The Separation of Money - CORSA, CPF - ExplainedAl Lacki, CORSA Secretary

Although slightly off-topic, this is a good timeto point out that the Corvair Society of America(CORSA) and Corvair Preservation Foundation (CPF)are financially independent from each other. Lots ofCORSA members think a portion of their dues help todefray the cost of maintaining the Corvair Museum.But that's not the case.

While CORSA and CPF are joined at the hipadministratively, they have separate bank accounts andaccounting books. They file separate tax returns. The IRSisn't fond of corporations like CORSA transferring theirmoney to their 501(c)(3) affiliates because it smacks ofmoney laundering. We certainly don't want to get on theirradar by doing that! So, if you want to help the CPF (and theCorvair Museum), please donate directly to the CPF.

Here's another thing worth mentioning. Over the pastcouple of years, it may seem that we've been relying solely onCORSA members to support the CPF. And it's true that therehas been a lot of pleas to that effect. But we've also reachedout to organizations outside the Corvair community.

We put in applications for grants and sent sponsorshiprequest packages to more than 70 companies in the automotiveindustry, including parts suppliers, antique car insurancecompanies, the UAW, General Motors and more. I can share thecomplete list if you like. I can't say we've been successful in thatarea, but it was worth a shot.

You certainly don't need to be a member of CORSA tosupport the CPF. And you can be sure that your donations to theCPF won't be siphoned off to pay CORSA's bills. Again, I'd liketo point out that the two organizations are financiallyindependent from each other.

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Note: This article appeared long ago in the VairCor - I found it on the Heart of America Corvair Owners Association web siteunder Mike Dawson Technical articles. This one seems appropriate as I sit in my office chair with a sweater on and thefurnace going – mid November. It’s going to be a long winter. Thanks Mike Dawson. I really enjoy your articles.

The Preventive Maintenance Series Mike Dawson

Wintertime Corvair Heater Odors

I still remember picking up my brand new 1965 Corsa coupe in February of ’65 and turning onthe heater while on my way home from Van Chevrolet. There was a distinct smell to the heater, notunpleasant and different from my aging ’61 Monza with its smelly heater that I had traded in. The newCorsa heater had a combination of hot paint smell and hot metal which I grew to love each fall when theheater was turned on the first time. I still get that today from our cars and my wife says the same; it is afamiliar smell that leaves us satisfied that all is well maintenance wise. If an engine issue would cause achange in the heater we would know it instantly. When Sandy was driving my Corsa to work at Hick’sBrothers Chevrolet around 1970 with 100K miles on the car I noticed a burned oil smell in her hair whenshe came home one night: push rod tube seals.

Due to the nature of an air cooled engine operating at a higher temperature, the fact that theexhaust pipe exit is just outside the engine compartment and with all inside heated air coming from theengine compartment (Corvair heaters have no recirculation feature), the opportunity for one of the fivedifferent odors listed below to show up is significant. Maintenance of critical areas is obviously the keyto a great heater. Keep in mind that on initial startup in a garage or with a car parked next to you there isthe opportunity for exhaust gas to curl up and be sucked in the engine air intake. That effect can alsocome from a neighboring car’s exhaust at a traffic light.

If you are experiencing something other than mild hot paint and hot metal in your heater duringnormal driving, the following may be useful. These are each a unique smell that longtime Corvair folksshould be quick to recognize.

Raw Gasoline Smell. An initial brief startup smell is possible but if it persists during driving and at astop this is a warning. Check immediately for things like carburetor inlet nut leaks, fuel pump leaks, andrubber fuel line hose at the starter and heater hose, Engine compartment sparks are produced by starterbrushes, point system distributors, generator brushes, leaking plug wires, and static electricity at thebalancer. Any of which can ignite gasoline fumes from a hot engine. A leaking gas tank filler neck hosewill also get into the interior, but only for a short time after fill-up. Also remember that since Corvaircarburetors are vented to atmosphere, the fuel will evaporate into your garage from a hot engine after ithas been turned off.

Burned Oil Smell. This is usually the smell caused by leaking push rod tube seals that are just above theexhaust manifold, although a leaking front main seal on automatics can end up on the exhaust systemand into the engine compartment if you have less than perfect perimeter seals and grommets. A haze onthe inside of your windshield is an early indication of tube seal leaks (unless you over Armorall yourpadded dash).

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Leaking Crankcase Vapors. This is a pretty annoying smell, a step worse than burned oil. The vapor(ring blow-by and hot oil) can get into the heater very easily because the entire vent system is in theheater air intake, both under and above the top shroud. Plugged vents, leaking o-rings, broken grommets,brittle hoses or loose attachments are the culprits.

Exhaust Gas. Not only nasty smelling with the chokes on, it is dangerous because of CO even if thesmell seems to go away warmed up. If you suspect a leak, check the six exhaust packing with a hose toyour ear (engine running, belt off). Also check the two manifold to pipe packings and the exhaust systemparts and connections. A stethoscope with the metal tip removed works great for pinpointing a smallleak. Even a leak outside the engine compartment can get back in to the heater if you do not have perfectperimeter seals as noted above. If you have a Greenbrier, there is a distinct possibility that exhaust gascan enter the rear through leaking door seals; most noticeably when decelerating.

Leaking Head Gaskets. This is the worst smell of the bunch to me. This gas has much more unburnedhydrocarbons which make your eyes burn and clothes smell terrible. It will be worse at startup anddiminish as you drive; although it will still be dangerous because of the CO you cannot smell. Earlymodels came with copper head gaskets that would burn through and emit a spit, spit, spit sound as ittried to asphyxiate you. A loose head on any model will do the same thing except it will make a squeak,squeak, squeak noise as you accelerate. The noise is the combustion gas escaping and making the gasketact like a reed valve.

There are other possibilities; mouse nests (and cooked mice) give off a distinctive urine smell,leaks in lower shrouds let in splashed puddles containing mystery stuff that hits the manifolds,overcharging batteries, and loose belts all can get in your heater.

With all of the above issues a very real possibility as Corvairs aged, I wonder how the beancounters managed to convince management to drop the gas heater. I still have a letter I received fromGM in the early ‘70’s warning of exhaust leaks in my heater. Mr. Nader should have devoted a couple ofpages to this – but then he was not really interested in issues that were not headline producers with hisname on it.

And finally; how many timesover the years have you seenair fresheners hanging fromCorvair mirrors or heateroutlets?

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Prairie Capital Corvair Association (PCCA) Membership Form

March 1, 2019 thru February 28, 2020Type 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 $10.00. If applicable, the discount is $2.50.

Name _______________________________ Spouse/ 2nd Adult _______________________________

Street Address ________________________________________________________________________City, ST ZIP _________________________________________________________________________

Home Phone ____________________________ CORSA Membership ID _______________________Cell Phone(s) ____________________________ Spouse/ 2nd Adult ____________________________

e-Mail 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 / NReturn the completed form and dues to:Glen Rittenhouse, PCCA Treasurer 1804 Columbus Dr, Pekin IL 61554

Please make checks payable to Prairie Capital Corvair Association or PCCA

PCCA ELECTIONS for 2020The results are in.....drum roll please..... 19 Ballots were received....All voted for ....

President Sandy MyersVice-President Lawrence Jahn Treasurer Jim AllenSecretary Tim Mahler

Board of Directors One Year Term Mike Hall

Glen RittenhouseTwo Year Term Brian Nicholson

PCCA Questionnaire – Meeting Location, Day of Week, Time of Day.

Preliminary results from the latest PCCA Survey has suggested PCCA return to Saturdaymeetings. The results also suggest meeting at the new CPF Corvair Museum location near Glenarm. PCCA board and General meeting for JANUARY will be the 2nd Saturday of the month at the CorvairMuseum. A general discussion of the meeting location, time, day of week is expected to be held. If youhaven’t returned your survey, PLEASE send it to Secretary Tim Mahler before or at the January meeting.

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Minutes of the General Meeting - November 19, 2019 PRAIRIE CAPITAL CORVAIR ASSOCIATION

President Brian Nicholson opened the meeting around 6:30pm. The Secretary report was printed in the Flat Six. The Treasurer report was given by Secretary Tim

Mahler from the report sent to him by Treasurer Glen Rittenhouse. Glen was a late scratch from the meeting.Club expenses were $59.40 for newsletter and State registration fee for non-profits. Revenue included $17 fromthe 50/50 and an additional $17 donated back to PCCA from the 50/50 winner Carlene Curry. Ending checkingbalance was $3,987.64, $5 in savings, $125 cash for a final total balance of $4,117.64. Treasurer’s report wasapproved by those present.Old Business: Brian reported on the planned Mini Convention to be held in Springfield next June. The draftschedule includes a welcome party/cruise-in at the Motor Heads restaurant on Wednesday night. Additionalrestaurants are located nearby. Thursday will be a CORSA Sanctioned Concours starting late morning. Eveingingactivity may include a parade past Cozydog to the Drive Movie location. Friday will be a road rally to Decaturwhere the Corvair powered air plane group will be meeting. This will be followed by stage two of the rally to theCorvair Museum where we hope o provide dinner. Saturday will feature the Corvair Display and a funkhana. Aquestion about using the Corvair Limo for shuttle rides to/from the museum was raised. Illinois Insurance lawswill likely prohibit that from happening. A question from the floor about whether the mini profits would need tobe split with CORSA was to be researched. (Post Meeting note: The CORSA Policy book indicates that profitsfrom a mini are not split, it’s a Chapter event with CORSA sanctioning vs a CORSA event hosted by a chapter orchapters.)

Museum move from Decatur to Glenarm is nearly complete (at the time of the meeting). Many thanks toall those who helped over the weekend including those who traveled from afar - Peoria and further north (LyleRigdon helped at least one day).

PCCA Elections – the ballots were tallied by Secretary Tim Mahler. 19 ballots were received including 3at the meeting. All ballots supported the list slate on the ballot. President - Sandy Myers; Vice President - LarryJahn, Treasurer - Jim Allen, Secretary - Tim Mahler; one year board positions - Mike Hall and Glen Rittenhouse;2 year position - Brian Nicholson.Allen Monts is serving his secondyear on the board.

Brian mentioned that he iswanting to digitized some of themuseum items - specifically some ofthe 35mm films. This would allowthe museum visitors to have aninteractive experience withouthaving to rely on museum staff toload a 35mm projector (not tomention saving the old film fromdamage).

Tim provided the group witha synopsis of the PCCAquestionnaire to date. Returning toSaturday was outpacing Tuesdaysand meeting at the Corvair Museumwas ahead of Godfathers andRochester.New Business: There was no newbusiness presented.

Meeting adjoined 7:05pm. Attendance: 9 members. There wasno 50/50 drawing - no tickets.

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Prairie CapitalCorvair AssociationP.O. Box 954Springfield, IL 62705