<VV> CERAIC COATING OF ENGINE COMPONENTS

[Brandes, Guy]

I'm sending this out from a member of CCE as he is not on VV.  Any
comments or inquires I will forward to him and send his answers back.
 
Regards,
 
Guy Brandes
 
65 VAIR 140
 
 
 
 
Hi All
 
I understand some folks have been talking about ceramic engine coatings
for Corvairs.  I have a little experience with the subject, and, while I
am not on VV (I have neither the knowledge nor the time!), I have
friends who are, and they can contact me with questions (or forward new
information).
 
I first heard about engine coatings about 10-12 years ago, when I read
an article about them in SPORT AVIATION Magazine, the EAA's equivalent
of our Corsa Communique.  The author of that article owned a
powder-coating shop, had done a number of jobs for racers, and decided
to see what the results would be for a Continental six-cylinder aircraft
engine.  His plane, after the major overhaul of its engine (I believe it
was a Cessna 172, but my memory isn't what it used to be) had a VERY
significant improvement in climb, gallons-per-hour consumption, and HEAD
TEMPERATURE!
 
When my wife complained that I had three "fun cars", a '66 Corsa
convert, a '68 Monza coupe, and a '64 Monza convert, while she had to
make do with her (then new) '00 Xterra, I realized I had to make a
choice- either get her a "Smokey and the Bandit" T/A Firebird (she used
to have one) or get her her own Corvair (I was unwilling to turn my
CORSA into a Powerglide).  At least I knew how to work on a Corvair.
 
Full Disclosure Here:  Larry Claypool is, and has been, one of my
closest friends since 1971.  Prior to that, I barely knew a spark plug
from a spare tire!
 
I put out a call to my buddy, Fred Bachrodt, in Phoenix, AZ, letting him
know I was in the market for a late convert, preferably a PG car, but it
needed to be clean.  He called me back two weeks later- Tom Schrum was
selling his '69 Monza convert "project car", which he was going to get
to when he had the time.
 
I am well familiar with such "project cars"- my '68 coupe is one.
 
The '69 had a 140 engine and a 4-speed.  Conversion was necessary, but
that wasn't a problem- what the hell, it wasn't one of MY cars!
 
I had acquired a genuine 140HP Powerglide powertrain from a '66 Monza
parts car, so I pretty much had what I needed.  All it needed was a
little freshening.
 
Yeah.
 
Remember, this was the WIFE'S car.  Whereas I probably hold the
Chicagoland  Corvair Enthusiasts' record for dropped valve seats and
broken pistons, I knew that this would not be acceptable for my better
half.  Relationships are what you make of them.
 
Hearkening back to that SPORT AVIATION article, I decided that I was
going to spend the money (!) and make this the most reliable 140 PG I
could.
 
 
Guy Brandes
Loeber Motors, Inc.
Service Manager
GBRANDES at LOEBERMOTORS.COM
847-933-7740