Current mood:	tired
Current music:	60's Rock N Roll!
Entry tags:	corvairs

Corvairs at Coeur d' Alene!

On my way home from work Friday I stopped at the local station and picked up the battery for "Tim," my Corvair Rampside Pickup.  I'd taken it up the day before to be charged up as it had been sitting in the rig for over a year and a half.  After putting the battery back in and making some initial adjustments to the carbs, I got in and turned the key.  Darned if it didn't fire off and run almost as if I'd had it running a few days ago.  To confess, it died after one cough, but upon hitting the key a second time it settled down and ran.  At first it was a bit rough sounding as having sat for nearly two years, a lot of the oil had drained down.  Once lubrication got spread around again, it ran as good as it ever has as of late.

Satisfied that it would run, and having remembered to put current tabs on it and insure current registration and insurance cards were on board, I did a quick drive around the block to see if it truly was in drivable condition.  Then it was time for a quick wash and a shower for myself before heading to Coeur d' Alene.  Friday night was "cruise night" for the CAR D' LANE car show, with several hundred older vehicles circling the down town area.  Because the Inland Northwest Corvair Club was hosting Econo-Run Northwest in conjunction with Car d' Lane, we had special access to one of our member's church's parking lot.  A great many of us just parked and watched the other cars "cruise."  In addition, that particular member had made arrangements for the church to provide a lasagna dinner for us and our fellow Corvair guests.

Saturday morning I was up early and once again on the road to Coeur d' Alene, this time for the actual car show.  Again, special arrangements had been made for all the Corvairs to be parked along the same section of street, regardless of whether or not we all arrived as one group.  Normally it's a matter of cars being parked as they arrive.  By the time all the Corvairs were in place, they lined both sides of the street for an entire block.  As a note, vehicles park for the car show in a reverse "angle" parking mode.  Instead of pulling in with the front of the vehicle angled at the curb, they are backed at an angle against the sidewalk.  A count revealed the presence of thirty-seven and a half Corvairs on display.  A "half?" you say.  Some one had made a trailer out of the nose and rear sections of one, so we "counted" it as half a car.

Once the car show ended in the late afternoon, those of the Corvair community eventually found their way to a member's house just outside of town.  He had volunteered to host the usual Saturday night awards ceremony and banquet.  As it was an outside meal, it was more picnic like in nature, with the "eats" being provided by a local well know catering outfit.

I spent a good portion of my day and early evening tabulating gas mileage results and peoples' choice votes.  We had gas mileages ranging from 15 or so mpg up to 36 mpg.  Many of the cars on display were superbly restored, maintained, waxed, polished, and detailed to perfection.  Others reflected their age and need for a little TLC.  Obviously those that were gussied up received the majority of the peoples' choice votes.

There was also a trip to visit an aviation/invention museum today.  I had originally intended to go, but by the time the barbeque was winding down last night, I realized that I just didn't have the "gas" to get up and be at it again.  One of our other members was thinking of going, so I gave her my ticket for the lunch.  In a way, I'd liked to have gone, as the museum sounded like an interesting place to visit.  But I could tell that I needed a good day of rest before going back to work Monday morning.  With all I had done over the past week to make ready for the event and to get "Tim" ready as well, I hadn't slept nearly as much as I should have, and the lack of sleep was catching up with me.  So I slept as late as I could this morning, fell asleep watching the Mariners early this afternoon, and fell asleep again early in the evening.  Once I finish this and a couple other tasks at the computer I'll go to bed and get a little more sleep before starting the work week once again.

Dave