<VV> VirtualVairs Digest, Vol 56, Issue 91

[James P. Rice]

Roy:  As a retired Engineering Tech Support type person at Caterpillar, I
understand!

I was working from material from 1966 and 1982.  You from personal contact
in 1985.  Very interesting info.  Thanks!

But how did he do it?!

So then, two things:
	1. Does anyone have pictures of Art's last configuration?  Or any of the
configurations between the 1966 HR article and the last configuration?  Or
other documentation?
	2.  There is very little info out there about this configuration and Art
Silva.  While he is still counted among the living, one or more some-bodies
need to collect his history from external sources, interview him and copy
and photos and documents he'll let you do.  This corner of Corvair history
needs to be collected and retained.  While important to only a fairly small
group of Corvair folk, it is still important.  Please, some knowledgeable
person in the area, go do it.  Soon! The V-8 Registry book I have is almost
all mid-engine cars.  As are all the period articles in car magazines.

On two other related points.
	1. Frank Gardner, the perpetrator of the Lola F-5000 based car from down
under, has departed this life as we know it. I tried to interview him via
e-mail a few years ago, and was told he was to ill at the time to
participate.
	2. I think I now know where Ian Richardson is, and hope to contact him in
the next few weeks.  Richardson raced a McLaren Can-Am based Corvair in
England in the early 70's.  Frank Gardner, in a Camaro, was one of his
competitors...

Historically Yours,
                   James Rice
                   CORSA member since mid-70's
                   Former Chairman of the Competition Committee
                   Member of original CPF Advisorary Committee
                   CORSA/CPF BoD member and CPF Liaison 1999-01
                   Occasional contributor to the Communique
                   PCG member

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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:15:30 +0000 (UTC)
From: rbuckridge at comcast.net
Subject: <VV> Art Silva and the 215 V8 air flow
To: Virtual Vairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Cc: ricebugg at mtco.com

James,

I usually make a post with the "as I remember" or something like that
because of the lab tech in me. Making the same post with a different voice,
say like an engineer would have been something like this;

Art Silva was a member of Bayshore Corvair and one heck of a character. He
saw everything from an engineering prospective. At one of the Bayshore
meetings, Art entered the meeting room and announced that new Corvettes were
"dead meat". Art had his V8 215 Olds Corvair with him that night, a light
green 65 Coupe with a huge dent in the right rear 1/4 panel just aft of the
door.

The year was 1985 and Bayshore as a club was headed to Lime Rock for the
NECC Time Trials. As usual we would caravan to Lime Rock as a group looking
out for each other. On the way up Art had over heating problems with the V8.
We stopped and he was in the process of ripping off the front air dam. He
had this huge front air dam blocking off all the air from entering the
underside of the car. As he explained to me, "The air dam is keeping the air
front the underside of the car and this is where?I take in cooling air for
the rear mounted radiator". He also told me that he blew the air up and out
through the rear air inlet grill.

Once the air dam was removed, we continued to Lime Rock without incident.
Art ran the car in the time trials, entered his car in the concours and
drove home without any over heating problems.

What I loved so much about his car was the fact it looked TOTALLY STOCK. It
had a full back seat, NO cutouts for cooling air and the ONLY thing you
noticed was the louvers in the tail panel which was also cut out so it could
be removed and that is how he slide?the motor in & out.

Art ran 15 X 8 Corvette wheels and brakes on all four corners of his car,
and with the rear louvers with removable tail panel, these?were the ONLY
changes he made to the body. If he didn't open the engine lid and you didn't
look under the car, you had NO WAY of knowing their was a V8 in the car.
Nice car.

The last I knew, Art is still living in New Tripoli, PA, but I haven't heard
from him in a very long time.

The stories of Art Silva are legendary in the Bayshore Corvair club, ask ANY
member from the 80's and each one will have a few to tell you.

Roy - Bayshore Corvair