<VV> CORSA membership (rant)

[Karl Haakonsen (cityhawk@pobox.com)]

This continued argument never fails to baffle me. 
I am involved with a group of people that are working to form a new club for Saturn enthusiasts (another car orphaned and abandoned by GM). While there is plenty of support online from a few forums and websites for people wishing to maintain and repair their Saturns, all of this information is ephemeral. There's no guarantee that it's going to be here tomorrow. There is no central repository for information, memorabilia or history. There is no official organization lobbying to ensure the availability of reproduction parts once the available supply of junkyard parts dwindles. No organization that can serve as the mouthpiece to counter all the popular misinformation about the car and its history (and I've seen a proliferation of inaccurate information about Saturn, though not as damning as that of the Corvair). 
  
There is no Saturn preservation foundation or museum (even a transient one like the Corvair "museum"). There is no permanent institution to maintain historic records with the continuity of the people who volunteer to run the institution who are committed to maintaining and preserving history. There is no annual Saturn Convention with all that that entails -- the shows, concours, parts vendors, autocross, road rally and all that. There are the beginnings of local meets that may evolve into the kinds of events that our local Corvair clubs have, but nothing of the scope of our annual Conventions. There is no membership directory listing friendly Saturn owners across the country who could be of assistance should I be stranded during a long drive. Not yet, at least. 
  
There is a small, but enthusiastic number of people going working on establishing an international club who understand what's at stake and what will all be lost in the coming years if we don't act now to establish an enduring institution to " satisfy the common needs of individuals interested in the preservation, restoration, and operation of Saturn automobiles . The club's long range goal is to promote reproduction of parts and render technical assistance to increase our members' enjoyment of Saturn cars , and to further the general public's appreciation of the cars . The club also seeks to collect and preserve historic data and Saturn memorabilia for research and public access ." Some of you may recognize parts of that mission statement since I lifted much of it from CORSA's mission statement. 
  
This comparison reminds me of how, in America we can have national elections where less than a third of the eligible voters show up, claiming that it's inconvenient or the weather is bad or they don't like the choices or some crap like that and meanwhile, in other countries, some people literally give their lives for the right to vote, while in other countries dictatorships still exist and people have little hope of choosing their elected leaders. (and please let's not discuss politics, I'm just illustrating a non-partisan point). 
  
Corvair people don't know how lucky we are to have an organization like CORSA. That there is an obscure, orphan car that many of us can use as daily drivers because there is a readily available supply of reproduction parts for it in spite of the car's being abandoned by its parent, as well as a permanent home for technical information which is readily available, all for about the price of a tank of gas. 
  
There is nobody in the Corvair universe with less disposable income than me at the present time. After an unexpected job loss a couple of years ago at the worst possible time in my life, I have lost all of my cash reserves and available credit and while I am now gainfully employed, I am trying ever so slowly to dig out from the mess I've been in. My restoration project sometimes languishes for months while I wait for the money to buy the next part or tool for my project.  If someone has less avbailable resources than me, they'd be living in their Corvair. Yet I faithfully pay the measly $45 dues to support all that CORSA does for me and for the thousands of other people who own Corvairs. If that's too much one can spend $37 if they don't need the print magazine.  I just don't get it. #smh 
  
End of rant. 
  
Karl in Boston 
CORSA Eastern Director 
Bay State Corvairs 
Stock Corvair Group 
Corvanatics 
1966 Monza convertible 110/PG project car