<VV> Early Rear Bearings

[Smitty]

> From: "Mike McCrae" <mmccrae6 at cox.net>
> > ...I just gotta? ask here....who in their right mind would embark upon a 
> > 12,000 mile trip in a Corvair.
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Smitty Says;  Mike nobody mentioned people in their right mind.  No body 
here but us Corvair nuts.  People have lots of "Things".  There are those 
who jump out of perfectly good airplanes and those who collect stamps.  My 
"thing" for many years was to drive a Corvair to every show I could afford 
to go to. California, Maine, Florida, Canada, all the same to me.  Only one 
time in all my years of Corvair ownership did I ever hit the road assuming 
all was well with the car mechanically because it looked nice and ran well. 
I paid dearly for that.  Now I do the best I can to make sure I won't have 
any problems, long before hitting the road.  I still do have problems from 
time to time.  A corvair engine is as durable as any made.  Same for the 
diff and tranny.  Other than that there are very few things that can leave 
you walking.  Rear wheel bearings are one.  I don't carry any spares that 
can be purchased at a FLAPS.  I do carry a road tested fuel pump and a new 
fan bearing pressed into a hub.  I don't carry an alternator because you can 
buy the makings to fix the Corvair one at a FLAPS.  I agree that there are 
lots of patched up and jury rigged Corvairs out running around that have not 
had in depth mechanical inspections in 20-30 years.  I wouldn't take off on 
an extended trip with one of them either
By the Way, I am thinking of passing the "long distance baton to Tim Shortle 
for his efforts in that regard.