<VV> Coil Heater

[Jim Simpson]

Padgett -- if it's any consolation, my '66 Corsa turbo engine has a 
"coil heater" hole just as you describe.

The car is a November '65 production unit, built in the Willow Run 
assembly plant.  The hole was there from new -- the sheet metal on 
the engine is the original although it has been repainted.  I don't 
have an definitive information on what it's for but my guess is that 
it's actually for cooling the coil.  While I don't know how much 
mixing goes on in the cooling air paths, however, based upon it's 
position, the air getting to that hole would not have passed through 
the cylinder fins or heads and is probably fairly cool.  I should 
stick a thermometer in the air stream and find out.

It's possible that this hole was made in anticipation of using an 
external ballast resistor mounted with the coil instead of the 
in-the-wiring harness resistor wire they did use.

Jim Simpson, Group Corvair, 66 Corsa turbo