CORVAIR CONVENTION AUTOCROSS REPORT

2007

Wednesday morning I was hard at it changing out the leaking oil filter adapter for a stock one procured from the outside vendors.

The evening before we visited the local Pep Boys store for some cleaning supplies and my wife ask if I was going to buy an oil filter too. I said they would not have one for a Corvair but I decided to ask anyway. After explaining to the young girl at the counter what a Corvair was she punched some keys and said they had two filters in stock. I said let me see one still not believing it would be for a Corvair. I bought one.

After installing the adapter and new filter I fired it up and no leaks were found. In the mean time I had also changed the race wheels out to the street Ansen Sprints with new BFG ultra high performance summer tires which I wanted to test in the autocross.  

Thursday was autocross time. I hauled out to the Gibraltar Trade Center in Mt. Clemons (thank you Tom-Tom!), the designated site which was a large bumpy and gravel strewn parking lot. Some asphalt, some concrete and some unidentifiable materials. After I unloaded (Momma doesn't come to autocrosses because they are boring to her) the car and fired it up I was happy to see no leaks.

I made my three timed runs with the second one bring my best. On my third run I got in the marbles and wiped out some cones. It was damned greasy out there but we all ran under the same conditions. My assessment of the BFG Hi-Po street tires will require more testing but so far I like them.

One thing among many I noticed is that no matter where you were in the area the automotive industry had its mark on everything. It is THE Motor City.

Rick