<VV> Convention impressions

[levair at aol.com]

                                    Convention Impressions
   The convention was great---well done.
     My personal experience weren’t all perfect but that’s not the 
conventions’ fault.
    About a half hour from the Hotel the brakes started howling on the 
tow truck. I waited until Wednesday Morning to work on them in the 
relative coolness. I found that the front pads were about two thirds 
gone and the warning tab was on the thickest pad of course. The inside 
front pad was just touching metal to metal . I have to thank Scottie 
Allison for taking me to a parts store. The job was fairly easy if it 
wasn’t in Denver with heat and no air to breathe.
      I live in a condition of about 10% normal hydration. Tues 
afternoon I was to deliver a tech session on suspensions. Tues at 
breakfast, I had three juices and then three large Gatorades later. My 
lips were still sticking to my teeth and my voice was raspy for the 
tech session, but I perservered through.  I had a great response front 
the attendees at the session; with lots of questions, and lots of talk 
on other related Corvair subjects. Thanks to all for contributing.
      The wed tech was about Corvair oil choice and was interesting even 
though I had sat through it before at a performance workshop; doesn’t  
hurt to review.
       We usually have a sing along or a band of musicians at the 
conventions.  I usually bring a piano keyboard just in case, but not 
this time because a piano was assured. I did bring an amplifier and 
microphones. The supplied keyboard showed it’s electronic finicky side 
by playing for a short time and quitting. After several nice folks 
tried to help, I finally gave up to the wasted Thursday.
     Friday was autocross day at Bandimere Speedway about 2000 ft higher 
still. Tech was available Wednesday which meant we didn’t have  to be 
there quite so early Friday.
     The course had a little of everything; it had at least two or more 
drag racing straights, two slaloms and at least three large sweeping 
curves, plus elevation changes, and one reverse camber turn. Surely 
there was something for everyone.  Most everyone really enjoyed it. The 
finish was so fast that I was in third gear. I nearly ran over a 
spectator who went around the yellow tapes.
     It was a foregone conclusion that the 2000 pound 600 Horsepower , 
383 cid supercharged V8 vair would win overall---considering the 
straights—we just had to find out if it would be Harlan or Seth. It was 
Seth---congratulations. I was the fastest Corvair powered Corvair, but 
considerably behind the V8.
     The highlight of the autocross  for me was Michael’s Tracy who was 
driving my car. Michael made the mistake of telling Tracy that she 
couldn’t beat him even though he was driving a SM3 car. We had to wait 
for the car to cool down between heats so Tracy had to divide her runs 
between two heats. She was so excited that she could barely contain 
herself between heats. On her last run she picked up 1.3 seconds, which 
is a big percent of a 38 sec. run, which did beat Michael.  Tracy may 
have mentioned this to a FEW people!!!
      At the Saturday car show, people who came by always commented on 
Tracy’s car---as if it wasn’t even mine. I really enjoyed looking at 
the engineering in the modified cars; I especially liked the rear 
engine aluminum Buick V8.   I was really enjoying the  “oldies” music 
when the voting was being announced and really wasn’t paying  a lot of 
attention,  because race cars don’t usually get that many votes, when 
people started yelling at me to get up to announce stand.  I had just 
won “Best of Show”; that may be a first ever for a race car.  I was 
blown away; may thanks to all of the voters. Really, I only voted once!
       The above trophy certainly makes up for the poor physical 
condition of this old fellow after Denver. I lost 7 pound off of this 
already skinny 150 pound body due to the dehydration. I’ll just drink 
lots of Ensure this week and rest a lot.
      Pleasant memories win. Just visiting with my Corvair family is 
enough.

Warren