<VV> Tools (Dear, Smitty)

[kenpepke at juno.com]

Over the years I have logged hundreds of thousands of miles on Corvairs new and old; drove them just like they were real cars, as well as many other makes.  I have bought, sight unseen, Corvairs from out of state and as far away as California and driven them back to Michigan.  Worst thing that happened to me on one of these trips with a Corvair was to have one of the rocker arm covers fall off [???] in Arizona.  Went back and picked it up ... screws were still in the cover holes ... put it back on with a crescent wrench and drove home.  There was a day when a couple of friends and I decided to go to the Daytona 500.  One of the guys had a 'pop-up' trailer so we went through the junkyard and selected a mostly complete Chrysler because it had a good trailer hitch.  Put a battery to it and blow up the tires, slap on a dealer plate and toss the screwdriver into the glove box ... gassed it up and go over to pickup the trailer,  headed for Florida!  Had a great time and returned the next week.  

I am one to do all my own diagnostics and repairs / rebuilds.  I do carry a small box of tools wherever I go but I have always considered the most important tool to be the screwdriver in the glove box.  Should one of these old cars do something really foolish like beak a major component, out comes the screwdriver, off come the plates ... Adios Amigo!  

Of course, the true value of that screwdriver is purely psychological!  Those old cars KNOW it is there and what it is for ... They know not to mess with me ,,, I got my first car when I was 14 and in 53 1/2 years of driving I have not had to leave even one :-)
Ken P   


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Taruffi57 at aol.com wrote:

Helluva story, Smitty.  
 
Let's start with the first breakdown.  The coil failure.  First  of all, I 
wouldn't have been able to diagnose it, and secondly, if I was lucky  enough 
to find someone who did, I would have somehow gotten one and changed  it.  
Second failure, I would have walked a few paces up the highway and  stuck 
out my thumb.  The Corvair would have been divorced.....  for  good.   Adios, 
I'm outta here.  So long.  In fact, I  actually did that with a red 
Greenbriar which broke it's diff. -- or was it  Powerglide.  Right in the heart of 
Orlando at a major intersection.
See sentence above.  I walked.  Called a known Corvair parts  purveyor and 
donated it.  That'll teach it to mess with ME.
 
You see, there are guys like you, who make this hobby great, and there are  
guys who only know how to put the key in the ignition and steer & brake, 
and  there are guys like me;  Car nuts who are basically parts changers.   
That means NOT failure diagnosticians.  I think our Category are the most  in 
numbers.  Sure we'd love to know what you know, but we're either too  lazy to 
do the research or we don't have anyone to advise/train us.   Actually, I'm 
doing a whole lot of things right now on my re-assembly of my  recently 
painted  '69 that I have never before undertaken.
 
So, I respect your vast mechanical/diagnostic knowledge and just hope that  
I haven't offended you to the point that if I break down at a Corvair 
Event, you  won't deny me temporary use of your knowledge and parts stash.  But 
if you  do, I'll just put in on my trailer and slink away back 
home........and hope it  hurts your feelings.
 
Joe Dunlap
Florida
  

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