Moved from the Corvair Center

[Alphasud]

Hello again,

I was pretty active on the Corvair forum a couple years ago but I became frustrated with the site. I know I’m late to the party so I just wanted to say hi. I still have my 65 Corsa but it’s been in the body shop for 3 years now. I was at the body shop a few weeks back and he is finally getting close to paint. So it will be nice to finally have it come home later this summer.

Last summer a friend of a friend who lives in Calgary found a 61 Lakewood Canada build and after some back and forth discussion I met him at the Idaho Canada border and money changed hands. Absolutely thrilled to have a wagon. Mechanically went through the car to make it a semi reliable daily and I have enjoyed driving this car through the winter. Don’t worry I have been careful and where I live we don’t salt the country backroads. I even installed a gas heater which really comes in handy.

[Lane66Monza]

Welcome to the more active and friendliest Vair forum. Better late than never leaving the other forum to get here. You will find that the info is always flowing here from willing to help members. Just like it used to be over at the other forum. I already have 400 posts in the 18 months I have been here. And no eye strain from the colors the other forum is displayed in.

We have had a couple members go back, since some changes were made over there and a few are doing duplication of efforts posting on both forums. But I am only posting on this forum about my Vairs and helping forum members here.

Ps: I have gone back to the other forum (lane66m) to post corrections to documents I posted there previously. It is always best to clean up bad info, no matter where it is posted.

[jimbrandberg]

A 65 Corsa and a 61 Lakewood is a nice combination to have. The story of passing it over the border is interesting.
I have my own 66 Corvair at the body shop being painted Silver one of these days real soon... I was thinking Green in the 70s and Aztec Bronze in the 90s... What color are you going with? Convertible or coupe? 140 or 180?
What color is the Lakewood? 500 or 700? PG or Manual? 80 HP or...?

I left the other place and came over here a few years ago and it's been great.

Recently the other place has stated a new direction so I've been active over there again to show support of that. CORSA has a mixed Board so the new reformers need to be able to show the old stalwarts that their efforts can be successful. It may be a slow process so I'm not holding my breath.

I never really wanted to be in two places but I'm so grateful and happy here that I've been keeping up with both every day. I don't belong to the black hole for time that is Facebook so I can rationalize the time factor okay.
I've been ebbing and flowing with working on Corvairs for more than 50 years now but I still enjoy learning new things reading here all the time. I'm pretty much done with other rabbit trails now so it's Corvairs to infinity and beyond.

[Alphasud]

The 65 was painted mist blue. I’m sticking with a light blue metallic but it’s slightly different but still crosses over to a Chevrolet color. But what I am changing is the interior color. Plant to go with red seats, door panels but keep the dash and headliner black. I have seen that color combo on some classic Porsche and Italian cars. I like my red interior colors. The Lakewood might become black with the factory 700 cloth interior in red as well. A black car with a red interior is a favorite as well.

[66vairguy]

The 65 was painted mist blue. I’m sticking with a light blue metallic but it’s slightly different but still crosses over to a Chevrolet color. But what I am changing is the interior color. Plant to go with red seats, door panels but keep the dash and headliner black. I have seen that color combo on some classic Porsche and Italian cars. I like my red interior colors. The Lakewood might become black with the factory 700 cloth interior in red as well. A black car with a red interior is a favorite as well.

Do some research on the paint. Today most shops doing modern cars have gone to water based base with urethane clear coat. That said about 5 years back the solvent base and two part urethane paints made a comeback for limited use on customs and hobby cars. They even meet California's tough emissions rules and work well if you have the right equipment and skill. The 65 metallic Chevy colors were great, then in 66 most of the colors were darker shades. I've had good luck using a solvent base metallic and covering with a clear gloss two part urethane. You can wet sand/polish the clear coat so it looks just like the old acrylic lacquer paint. You can NOT get a good 60'S metallic look with water based or single part urethane.

I like the light blue metallic and red interior that was popular in Europe. Odd that GM had a management ban on using red interiors in metallic blue or metallic silver cars back then. The one that I like is metallic silver with a red interior, but somebody in GM would not allow it.

Enjoy you car.

[caraholic4life]

WELCOME to the forum, I hope you like it here. I completely understand why the move was made.

Don't completely give up on the CCF.
It may take a while to get it back to what it was before CORSA got involved.

Unfortunately the individual that "volunteered" to run the site had no clue to what the forum was about even though he had been a member for years and averaged less than one post a year during that time.

Once he was in place, rather than having the decency or courtesy to introduce himself, he barged in like a bull in a china shop making changes that essentially destroyed the friendly family atmosphere with his "My way or the Highway" attitude. Yes, one individual can in fact effectively destroy what took years to build.

Now that this individual has been voted off the CORSA BoD (and others that blindly supported his actions), it left room for individuals that actually have an understanding of the community and have the participants best interests in mind.
As many of us are aware, there is room for improvement...

Unfortunately there are some BoD members left that are doing anything and everything they can to prevent positive change as they apparently feel that there are no issues to resolve.
With some luck, some or all of those individuals will lose the upcoming elections when their terms come up for voting in the coming year or so.....

It is my hope that the CCF can regain what has been lost in the past year or so and the community can once again benefit from both forums equally going forward.

[66vairguy]

While I am no fan of the "person who shall not be mentioned". It is time to let all the grudges go regarding the CCF fiasco as it has little to do with helping folks with their Corvairs, or this forum. Water under the bridge.

Compared to a lot of forums, folks here have been unusually courteous and helpful, with a "do you own thing" attitude. Hopefully it will stay that way for sometime.

[Alphasud]

That is what I heard about this forum. I like nice and courteous. It’s how I was raised and I get tired of the ego battles. If I have something to offer I try my best to base it on factual information.

[Frank DuVal]

It is time to let all the grudges go regarding the CCF fiasco as it has little to do with helping folks with their Corvairs, or this forum. Water under the bridge.

It will never be water under the bridge for me! It was a real sad day when it happened. It will take years to recover. Much bad was done to CORSA. We must learn from the mistakes made, so as to avoid them in the future! Sweeping them under the rug means they will be repeated. I am a proponent of CORSA !!!!! Been a member since 1977.

I'm here to help others! And of course get my own questions answered, it's a two way street.

[Lane66Monza]

x2 with Frank.