<VV> Well, I'm back..my review.

[Rick & Janet Norris]

> Ryan,
When I go to a Convention, and I've been to my share including the very 
first one I still have those feelings you described here. The cars are great 
but it's as much about the people we have come to call "family" as it is the 
cars. I too drool when I enter the vendor area and am overwhelmed buy the 
sight and smell of all those goodies! Life is good and I'm REALLY missing my 
annual shot of Corvair excitment.
I think I'll go downstairs and work on the 69.

Rick Norris
First President CORSA 1971
Email rickjanet at charter.net
Web Site http://webpages.charter.net/corvairalley
V8 Vairs Web Site http://www.v8vairs.com
> Well, my father and I just got back to Minneapolis
> from the Convention.  I suppose I'll try to do this in
> order, but you never know how it's gonna work.
>
> We got there about 11 on Thursday and I immediately
> walked in to see Mr. Warren LeVeque himself.  I just
> about cried....  Then he sat down at the piano and
> started playing jazz.  I was just giddy.
>
> We got our cool little badges with our little red
> stars on them (indicating we were participating in
> autocross) and proceeeded up to our room.
>
> The rooms were mazing.  DSL connections in the
> room...big TV's with web connections and other amazing
> things.  Ironing board, Iron...
>
> We came back down, and I walked in the vendor room to
> see Lon standing to one side...and Cal to the other.
> I couldn't close my mouth...all the parts, all the
> legends in the Corvair world.  I don't know if I could
> even TAKE going to the Portland convention.  I don't
> know that I could take seeing that many people I've
> heard of.
>
> Well, I bought a bunch of parts, of course...a whole
> bunch of dseals...T/O bearing...pilot bushing...whole
> bunch of stuff.
>
> I think about the time we walked in there, I started
> drooling, BTW.
>
> Well, I went outside...and there were some people
> looking for me.  i have THE hardest time remembering
> names...so I'm going to forget people and call them by
> their cars.  But I did meet Terry Kalp, who helped me
> out getting two carbs for my 110...he's a pretty nice
> guy.
>
> In fact, I think I'll take this small paragraph to
> mention that I've never been to any convention or
> anything like that where there were so many people
> that were just...nice...knowledgable.  great people.
>
> And as I'm walking around...I see Darth Vair. I was
> like...Giddy...I'm not kidding I felt dort of...funny
> inside...kind of like butterflies.  I was introduced
> to a whole bunch of people...many of which knew me,
> and came to introduce themselves to me with hands out
> and smiling faces.  Ringesletter...Ringenslt...shoot,
> I don't remember how to spell his last name...anyway,
> he's a real nice guy...says he reads my posts.
> hehe...he's got a real nice red Corsa...intercooler on
> the turbo...just ana amazing car.  He had some great
> times at the track.
>
> I went over to the cruise/car show last
> night...there's was about 40 vairs there all parked in
> a row...lots of real nice cars...real cool things.
> Including a 110 horsepower Motorcycle.  Hoowee!
>
> I got lost for a while on the way back to the
> hotel...but after turning the wrong way onto a one way
> by myself, and asking for some directions...I got back
> to the highway and made my way back to the hotel room.
>
> I did also help yesterday set up the autocross...with
> um...Bob Donahugh (Did I spell that right, Bob?) and
> Jim Dallas...Micheal Leveque...  and some others,
> whose names I will someday learn again.
>
> o, this morning was the autocorss.  If there was a
> tech inspection, I missed it(I'm kidding...there
> really WASN'T that much of a tech inspection.)  it was
> more or less a "here's the paper, look your car over
> for this, figure out your class and here's the shoe
> polish and you can paint it on your right side window"
>
> We got to the track ("Hawkeye Downs") and spent a
> while getting heats organized, and Warren L. led a bit
> of a driver meeting...and we got into our cars.  After
> intense searching, I was lended a helmet (by a guy I
> talked to A LOT the whole time I was there, and I
> don't think I ever learned his name.  It could have
> been Ray...it could be something completely different.
> it would be nice to know.)
>
> So...I was first heat, and my father was second heat.
> it was more of a lap race.  1/2 mile and then 1/4
> mile...  Warren's times in the Roe car were pretty
> amazing...I think I saw like 40.1 something from
> him...and the slowest time was like...61 or 63
> something.
>
> After all of the runs, and some spinouts...things like
> that...my dad's best time was 58.337, I believe, and
> my best time was 56.644.  not a bad time for a pretty
> much stock corvair all except for our 15 inch rims.
>
> It was wihtout any problems for us, except that we
> lost a little plastic center cap from a wheel, the
> starvation problem in the 110 needs to be fixed (this
> only happened autocrossing...but it needs to be fixed
> anyhow) and our air cleaner assembly came off on one
> side...but I ran it that way anyhow, and it was fine.
>
> So anyway...we JUST got back here...it was about a 6
> hour drive to New Brighton (suburb of St. Paul) and
> um...there might be more when I'm done but to sum this
> up.
>
> Corvairs rock.  I could not be into a more unique,
> fun, great driving vehicle with owners who are as nice
> and knowledgable as all of you are.  there are parts,
> there are genuinely nice people...and an amazing
> ammount of person to person support that it very cool.
>
> I'm WAY more in love with lates now.  Sorry early
> guys.  the wind noise in my dad's 64 gave me a
> headache, and his seats are too far forward.  and
> plus, I just like the look of a late better.
>
> Good stuff.  I hope to have my Corsa on the road in
> the next 2 months.
>
> Love ya guys,
> Ryan