In this issue: More on Fuel Pumps - by Smitty Smith TGIWMC by Steve Dunn Meeting Minutes and Activities Vintage Car Race by Smitty Smith AND MORE!

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Vincent Clark
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1 One of the advantages of being the Newsletter Editor is being able to publish pictures of my favorite car. In this shot, she is sporting her new set of trim rings. Thanks to John Gilliland who happened to find them among his parts stash. In this issue: More on Fuel Pumps - by Smitty Smith TGIWMC by Steve Dunn Meeting Minutes and Activities Vintage Car Race by Smitty Smith AND MORE!

PAGE 2 May 2016 THE SPYDERS BREATH GAZETTE Officers for 2016 President: Keith Klemm (240) 298-8629 kjklemm@hotmail.com Vice President: Steve Lepkowski (757) 581-3273 stevelski@cox.

com Historian: Smitty Smith (757) 468-2726 vairologist@cox.

2 PAGE 2 May 2016 THE SPYDERS BREATH GAZETTE Officers for 2016 President: Keith Klemm (240) kjklemm@hotmail.com Vice President: Steve Lepkowski (757) stevelski@cox.net Activities Chairman: Ed Hlusko (757) ehlusko@yahoo.com Secretary/Treasurer: Anne Davis (757) annie-bo@cox.net Newsletter Editor: Dean Zawacki (757) deanage5@hotmail.com Historian: Smitty Smith (757) vairologist@cox.net Phone Committee: Helen Smith Barbara Gilliland CORSA/CPF Board President Ken Hand Vice President Mike Hall Secretary Bryan Blackwell Treasurer Paul Sergeant Eastern Division Directors Bryan Blackwell bryan@skiblack.com Dean F. Gemberling pro@ihscomputers.com Karl Haaakon cityhawk@pobox.com John Nickel fivcent@tds.net Activities Schedule May 24 th - Club Social Azalea Inn, 2344 E. Little Creek Rd., Norfolk, 6:30 pm. (757) May 28 th Annual Picnic Munden Point Park, 2001 Pefley Lane, Virginia Beach Please bring a beverage and a side dish to share. Festivities to begin around 11:30am. June 14 th - TCC Business Meeting 7:00pm at Rick Hendrick Chevrolet on Virginia Beach Boulevard in Norfolk. Refreshments John McPherson All Members - Please make sure you pay your Dues If you have not yet paid - please send a $12.00 check, payable to TCC, to Anne 4220 Lindberg Place, Virginia Beach, VA Penny Chance Winners: We Need Your Articles! Publication Notice: To be a full member of The Tidewater Corvair Club (TCC), you must be a member in good standing of the Corvair Society of America (CORSA). Annual dues are $12.00 for TCC and $45.00 for CORSA. Due to insurance requirements, only paid member may participate in Club Events. The Spyder s Breath Gazette is a monthly publication, published and distributed by TCC, Inc. This publication is available for a donation of $10.00 annually. The Spyder s Breath Gazette reserves all rights with the following exceptions: Any material may be reproduced or reprinted by CORSA or any CORSA Chapter only for nonprofit purposes that benefit Corvair Enthusiasts. Any such reproduction must credit both the author and the Spyder s Breath Gazette. Rights for any other use must be requested in writing from The Tidewater Corvair Club. Correspondence should be sent to: Tidewater Corvair Club, Inc. Corvair Society of America 2901 Cardo Place P.O. Box 607 Virginia Beach, VA Lemont, IL

PAGE 3 May 2016 THE SPYDERS BREATH GAZETTE Fuel Pumps: The Saga Continues by Smitty Smith If nobody but me is interested in this subject I am sorry to bore you, but this fuel pump thing has bugged me

Since the Wagon is my do-it car I checked it over for the trip. Fixed a few questionable things and declared it to be as ready as could be expected.

3 PAGE 3 May 2016 THE SPYDERS BREATH GAZETTE Fuel Pumps: The Saga Continues by Smitty Smith If nobody but me is interested in this subject I am sorry to bore you, but this fuel pump thing has bugged me for a good 20 years and I am anxious to get on top of any seeming failures that may show up. Some of you know I went to the Jefferson 500 at the Summit Point race track. Since the Wagon is my do-it car I checked it over for the trip. Fixed a few questionable things and declared it to be as ready as could be expected. I had a pleasant trip up, but on arriving at the hotel I smelled fuel. Took a look at the fuel pump and the bottom diaphragm was wet. Got my trusty screwdriver and took a turn on all the parameter screws and assumed it was fixed. Wind was blowing, it was dark and cold, and I didn t want to hang around and look for trouble. Drove out to the track next morning and checked. Yep; wet again. The screws all needed a turn to tighten up. I know the diaphragms need a squish down time but this seemed to be a bit much so soon. morning it was leaking again. This seriously bothered me because I was in a position to be considered to have sucked in all my club friends to doing the pump rebuilds and now it seemed that the latest evolution was failing. So I tweaked the screws again and sat and watched with the engine running, checking with my finger under various fuel fittings and looking for wet. I soon realized that the Pipe fitting tube going from the tee to the pump was leaking where it screwed into the pump. It was leaking that little short trip from the pipe and running all the way around the diaphragm edge. So while I am taking care of that problem I get a call from Paul Whelan at the Vair Fair that the pump on Spike has failed, leaking fuel out the top vent. I trusted him to do a proper autopsy but I wanted more information. I am almost willing to bet that it was one of those rebuilds that had an extra bit of length of pushrod. That would cause the failure he described. I am beginning to believe that the pump shaft length is more critical than I thought, so as not to stress the diaphragms at their limit of travel. In any event, that is the first actual diaphragm failure of all the pumps we have rebuilt, and I hope the last. I now have a dimension for the shaft extension that may be as good as I will get. I would recommend that you shorten the rod a bit if yours seems a little long. Call me for a number or talk to me if you have concerns. That night took a run over to Leesburg and the Vair Fair to say hi to friends. The next

Can you imagine trying to explain make and model to an insurance cubicle dweller with no understanding of what a Corvair is let alone how much it s worth?

4 PAGE 4 May 2016 THE SPYDERS BREATH GAZETTE Following the accident, I was thinking how fortunate I was that it wasn t my Corvair. They would have totaled it as well but replacement parts would not be so easy to find or repair. Can you imagine trying to explain make and model to an insurance cubicle dweller with no understanding of what a Corvair is let alone how much it s worth? This isn t actually Steve s car, but damage like this to a 14 year-old vehicle can cost more than the book value, causing the insurance bean counters to total it. T.G.I.W.M.C. (Thank God It Wasn t My Corvair) by Steve Dunn Recently, my 2002 Mazda Tribute was rear ended as I sat in traffic waiting for the light to change. I heard a loud noise and my rear window exploded into the car. A local college student hit a Nissan pickup that in turn hit me. The rear hatch was caved in, the taillights were crushed and the rear plastic bumper was damaged. The estimate for repairs came back at almost $4500 for a car valued at $ Totaled, they said. Ironically, I bought it back for $283. If more than 6 years old and 100,000 miles puts a vehicle on the short list, imagine what 50 years and more than 200,000 miles will do to the bottom line. Modern cars come with a multitude of conveniences and safety features that are much appreciated but they lack a certain something: sustainability, collectability, styling, personality, mojo? Throwaways; Plug and Play parts; just take your reimbursement and go pick out another one in a different color. Whatever it is, I m glad my 66 Corsa didn t find itself being valued by someone who has never experienced the joy of Corvair ownership. The result would be based solely on book value, not the investment of blood, sweat, tears and tons of cash to keep these collectable classics on the road one more year, no matter the cost! Happy Motoring! Think about that for a moment. Here we are working diligently to keep 50 year-old cars roadworthy, and a fender bender takes a well maintained 14 year-old car off the road so sad. Luckily, we have a Pick and Save Auto Parts yard nearby so replacement parts should be available for repairs.

PAGE 5 May 2016 THE SPYDERS BREATH GAZETTE Chuck Sadek s Stinger poses in front of the trailer at the Summit Point Vintage Car Race.

Jefferson 500 Vintage Car Race by Smitty Smith Got back from the Summit Point Vintage car race night before last, (May 15th) and I m finally starting to get over sore and exhausted.

Chuck s had some header bolts work loose and Bob Coffin had a plug get tired on his. Dave Edsinger s Stinger ran like a watch with only changes to rain tires and back again to spoil the fun.

5 PAGE 5 May 2016 THE SPYDERS BREATH GAZETTE Chuck Sadek s Stinger poses in front of the trailer at the Summit Point Vintage Car Race. Chuck Sadek s Stinger in the middle of the pack at the Summit Point Vintage Car Race. Jefferson 500 Vintage Car Race by Smitty Smith Got back from the Summit Point Vintage car race night before last, (May 15th) and I m finally starting to get over sore and exhausted. You wouldn t think watching a race would be hard unless you were playing pit crew for Chuck Sadek s Stinger. Chuck s car and the other two Stingers ran very well and with only very minor problems. Chuck s had some header bolts work loose and Bob Coffin had a plug get tired on his. Dave Edsinger s Stinger ran like a watch with only changes to rain tires and back again to spoil the fun. All four days the weather was changeable from one hour to the next. Rain, hot sun, high winds, cold down into the 40s. It was smart to keep a jacket within an arm s reach at all times. The races were made up of groups of cars with a similar top speed--sometimes only 6 or 8 cars and sometimes 40 cars or more. They will not allow a shabby looking car to race in that venue so most of the cars looked like show pieces. I put new batteries in my camera before I left and then left the camera at home. So, again I have let the club and the editor down. I tried pictures with my flip phone but could not see the screen when doing so. I got the tails of cars and a part of a hood and part of a car next to what I was trying to get. A couple of the cars I was especially interested in were a red and a black MG TD whose owners said they had been racing against each other for 15 years. The black one was being driven for the very first time on a track by the 17 year-old grandson of the original car owner and buyer. His dad seemed remarkably calm about the kid thrashing Grandpa s time machine a half hour at a time in the rain. A few 914 Porsche 6s were built which under the rules allows their owners to install 911 Porsche engines as was done back in the day. The rivalry between the 911 owners and

PAGE 6 May 2016 THE SPYDERS BREATH GAZETTE the 914 owners was obvious as they were blocking for each other and also opening doors for their team mates. They were very evenly matched.

There was a lovely little Alfa sedan in a pit across from ours that got off track and after bashing both ends in against a wall proceeded to roll several times.

of control about half the time, blasting through puddles at speed and hardly slowing for the turns.

6 PAGE 6 May 2016 THE SPYDERS BREATH GAZETTE the 914 owners was obvious as they were blocking for each other and also opening doors for their team mates. They were very evenly matched. The races were not without incident as a couple of cars left the track and got upside down. There was a lovely little Alfa sedan in a pit across from ours that got off track and after bashing both ends in against a wall proceeded to roll several times. When the wrecker brought it in the only thing you could say about it was that it still had 4 wheels, and rolled well enough to get it in the trailer. of control about half the time, blasting through puddles at speed and hardly slowing for the turns. I would have bet anybody a hundred bucks that they couldn t make it through the weekend without one of them exploring the bean field. So in spite of enjoying the event, the dozens of trips back and forth to the grid and up the viewing tower and back to the pits and the quarter mile walk to go through the pits, just about wore me out and made me hurt all over. I d do it again tomorrow. Although they didn t race there were two Model T racers there this year. One was the boat tail I had seen before and there was also a Hi-Boy Roadster with a canvas top. Both cars had full race equipment, including Rajo overhead valve conversions and modern carburetors. Bob Coffin s Yenko Stinger. All the Corvairs gave a very good account of themselves throughout the race, and finished with only minor problems. TCC May Birthdays Dave Edsinger s Stinger in front of the Yenko Stinger 50 th Anniversary Banner created by Dave s wife. The best racing of the weekend was provided by a BMW 2002 and a Datsun 510. Every time they ran those two worked their way out of the pack and raced each other as they were pulling away. In the rain they were both out 5/29 - Ed Hlusko

7 PAGE 7 May 2016 THE SPYDERS BREATH GAZETTE May Minutes T.C.C. meeting of May 10, 2016 called to order by Vice President, Steve Lepkowski, at 7:07PM. Our President, Keith Klemm, has once again been sent out of town by the Navy. Terry Grandstaff brought in ball caps and logo patches that are offered for sale to members. Caps, with TCC embroidered logo, are $9.50 in tan or white. One size fits all. Logo patches, suitable for applying on jackets, are $5.00. Steve also had our tri-folds if anyone wanted some club advertising items to pass out. Discussion was on the table about 2017 being our year to host the annual Vair Fair. Bill Hubbell, who seemed to be the only club member going to Vair Fair this year, brought up his concern that our lack of attendance this year indicates a lack of interest for future events. It was suggested that he talk with some of the people involved in this year s event and the event of last year about possibly having a centrally located event cohosted by all three of the clubs in Virginia. This discussion was delayed until Bill returns from the event with additional information. Anne Davis reported that she and John would not be going this year and the Valve Cover Race Track had been picked up on the 7th by one of the Northern Virginia club members. Track will be returned to Anne s in the next couple of weeks. for the parade no one sent the usual mailings to us. So the picnic is on and Shelter #6 has been reserved for our use. Hope to get the grill going, Rob Graefe is in charge as grill master, about 11:30. Club is supplying hamburgers and hot dogs, Anne Davis the plates, etc. Please bring a dish to share, drinks for you and your guest and chairs for your seating pleasure. Locations for the Social on May 24th were Hot Rodders Café on Mt Pleasant Rd., Chesapeake; Mi Casita Mexican Restaurant near Lynnhaven Mall, Virginia Beach or Azalea Inn on E. Little Creek Rd., Norfolk. The pick was Azalea Inn and Pete Jacobsen will warn them we will be there at 6:30pm. Meeting adjourned at 7:47PM. Upcoming Activities 05/28/16: Pungo Strawberry Festival, Pungo. Assemble well before 9am at the Coast Guard entrance. Visit for an online listing of area activities. As Keith will be unavailable for most of the summer, an alternate location will be needed for the Planning Meeting in June. This will be discussed at the June Business Meeting. Also discussed were the upcoming Pungo Strawberry Festival and our annual picnic at Munden Point on Saturday, May 28th. The parade for the cars this year is not going to happen! In the past we were contacted about participation but due to a change in leadership

In this issue: February Tech Session TCC Facebook Page Meeting Minutes Upcoming Activities AND MORE!

EM owners! No cup holder? No problem! Simply hook the handle of your travel cup into the ash tray opening on your dash, and enjoy spill-free travel wherever you go! In this issue: February Tech Session