<VV> Bryan's Corvair updates

Bryan Blackwell bryan at skiblack.com
Wed Aug 10 18:45:10 EDT 2005


<Humor> WARNING:  This post has Corvair content.  If you didn't expect 
to find Corvair content, please delete. </Humor>

For those of you who don't have young kids, let me just say that 
although not much beats watching them play baseball, it sure is nice to 
get back to playing with cars :-)  Baseball season ran from about 
February to mid July, so it's been a while.

I got just a couple little things done on our Greenbrier last weekend, 
some maintenance mostly, but also two things that I've wanted for a 
bit.  First, one of those modern handy things is the cup holder.  Now 
I've seen a bunch of things, but I kind of wanted something "60's".  A 
little shopping at Target paid off - a 4" x 5" x 10" bathroom basket in 
chrome.  Got some SS bolts and chrome spacers - to space the basket 
away from the overhang of the dash - and we have a cup holder that will 
fit two 32 oz. cups but still sort of has that period look:

http://autoxer.skiblack.com/greenbrier/cupholder1.jpg

Second, for those of you with a Deluxe GB, there's a rear dome light 
that comes on with the rear doors.  Problem is, you can't turn it off 
for those times you're at a show.  I needed to replace the fuse holder 
anyway, so I added a switch on the positive side of the circuit (after 
the fuse).  Now I can turn the light off *and* on.  Simple things for 
simple minds :-)

Bigger progress was on the red Corsa - it *finally* came off the 
jackstands, the new front suspension is fully assembled, although I do 
still need to align it.  The down side is I still need to do something 
about the engine - which is why I bought the blue "parts" Corsa in the 
first place.

Speaking of the blue Corsa, it needs some attention as well.  During 
the baseball season I went to start it, and got this really nasty 
buzzing noise, a metal on metal sound.  A quick eyeballing showed 
nothing obvious, so I tried to start it again, and it was locked up.  
My fear, of course, is a dropped valve seat, but I'm hoping the starter 
didn't disengage, the sound it made was close to what I'd imagine if 
that was true.  I'll be jacking it up this weekend and looking.  If 
it's a valve seat then I have to think about my whole strategy for both 
cars.

My hope is that between the two I can get something together for the 
NECC Lime Rock event in September.  Have my fingers crossed.
--
Bryan Blackwell bryan at skiblack.com
http://autoxer.skiblack.com/
   Corvairs: '61 Lakewood, '64 Greenbrier, '65 Corsa, '66 Corsa
   '69 Road Runner, '97 Ford F-150, '99 Neon R/T
"Why do something if you're not going to obsess about it?"



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