A Message from the Convention Chairman

A Message from 2012 Convention Chairman Brian O'Neill:

The 2012 CORSA International Convention is fast approaching. Plans for a fun-filled event are set and the convention committee is looking forward to being your hosts. The Sturbridge Host Hotel is going all-out to make your stay enjoyable.

There is more than ample space for all our activities. The hotel, being both a hotel and a conference center, has a big parking lot with nighttime surveillance. We have only one small issue. The layout, while allowing more than ample parking, is not conducive to trailer parking. We want to offer an clear view of our cars particularly during Saturday's Car Display.

So we have made arrangements with Old Sturbridge Village, which is just across the street, for trailer parking. The grounds at Old Sturbridge Village are actively patrolled and trailers and tow rigs will be safe. But to make everyone's arrival go smoothly and to avoid traffic congestion we'll need folks at both the hotel and the Old Sturbridge Village parking area.

Two-hour shifts start at 2 PM on Tuesday and then 8 AM the other days. The last shift ends at 8 PM each day. We need your help. We have a great committee for the convention events but this manpower requirement is testing our limits.

I'm asking for your help because NECC events have always received great support in the past. If you can help let me know your availability and I'll reply with a proposed shift. Please contact me here. Thanks so much.

Don't Be Late!

UPDATE 7/4/12:  The deadline noted in the original post, below, has since passed.  The next registration deadline is the deadline for advance registrations.  If you are registering in advance your registration needs to reach the CORSA office before the close of business on Thursday, July 19.  If you can't get your registration into the CORSA office by then, register on-site at the convention in Sturbridge.  Thank you!

A deadline is approaching!

Early registration prices for the 2012 CORSA Convention in Sturbridge are valid for registrations received through this coming Friday, June 29.  After then, higher prices apply!

Registration is strong to this point and some events are very close to being sold out.  Don't risk being shut out, and don't lose the opportunity for the lower early registration prices.

Registration information is available on the convention web site here

and on the registration form included with your CORSA Communique.

Important Note About NOISE!

At the 2012 convention autocross, to take place at the Stafford Motor Speedway on Wednesday, July 25, strict noise restrictions will be in place.

Stafford Motor Speedway is an historic race track is located in what is today a residential area, and for this reason mufflers will be required for this event. The requirements are the same as those used for many years at the NECC’s time trial events at Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park: A maximum sound level of 88dB. This limit is easily attained by virtually every street-driven Corvair, and race cars can meet this limit with readily-available performance mufflers.

Don’t risk being unable to compete, make sure that your car is equipped with adequate mufflers.

From Sturbridge it is a short trip southwest on I-84 to reach Stafford Motor Speedway. The speedway is a half-mile paved oval with a smaller inner oval and several infield roads and pit lanes, all of which we will utilize for our event. The start/ finish gates and the lane changes are on the main straight right in front of the grandstands.

To help you prepare for this event and to speed your way through tech inspection, review the autocross rules that will be included in your packet from registration, or better yet, review them in advance right here on the CORSA website.

Trophies for the autocross will be awarded during the Lakeside Picnic at the Sturbridge Host Hotel on Thursday night.

Rampside is FINISHED!

Over the past several months we have been posting updates on Cal Clark’s restoration of his 1961 Rampside, and as of today, June 14, 2012, the restoration is complete and the Rampside is on the road!  Here’s the finished product:

All we can say is, WOW!

If you go back through this blog you can see photos of the truck from the time it was first disassembled last summer through the re-assembly process. Use the "Find an Entry" links in the right-hand column and select either "Cal Clark" or Clark’s Corvair Parts" to see the Rampside’s progress.

Oh, and here’s a shot taken in February of this year that we have not posted before.

Cal plans to have the truck at Sturbridge, where you can see it in person. We hope that you are bringing your Corvair to Sturbridge, too, whether yours is a beautiful restoration like Cal’s, a well-preserved original, or a work-in-progress.

Visit Clark's Corvair Parts!

It may be obvious to many, since Clark’s Corvair Parts is located in Massachusetts, that Clark’s would be a convention sponsor. But what may not be as obvious is how great a cheerleader Cal Clark has been for this convention. He has been supportive of the plans from the very beginning, and Clark’s Corvair Parts has signed on sponsor of the convention’s Lakeside Picnic and as one of the sponsors of the convention’s hospitality room.

Clark’s Corvair Parts is the world’s largest Corvair parts supplier and is based in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. This is less than an hour and a half from the convention site, and Clark’s is opening the doors to all who wish to visit during convention week.

That’s right, on Tuesday, July 24, convention-goers can stop in for an Open House at Clark’s Corvair Parts, between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM. Clark’s is located on the Mohawk Trail (Route 2) in Shelburne Falls, a short distance east of town and very easy to find.

Tuesday, July 24, is the preferred day for this, because it is the day before the convention officially begins and so there are no direct scheduling conflicts. But, Cal Clark knows that not every convention visitor will be able to make it on that day, so Cal has said, "if you are not able to visit on Tuesday, we will welcome you during those hours any day that week." So between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM on any day, Monday, July 23, through Friday, July 27, convention-goers can visit Clark’s Corvair Parts.

This is a great opportunity for Corvair owners from other parts of the country who may otherwise never be in the area or be able to participate in the biennial Fall Classic at Clark's car show.  Clark's is not a "walk in" business and so opportunities to visit are few.

Of course, Clark's Corvair Parts will have a big display at the convention itself, so even if you can't make it to the Open House you can still see the latest products and get the best deals.  Whether you visit Clark's in Shelburne Falls or in Sturbridge, be sure to thank them for all they do to keep our Corvairs going!

A Tax Fact

In the 45 US states that collect sales taxes, collection efforts have increased in recent years, and vendors at the 2012 CORSA convention should be aware that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts expects you to collect and remit the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax on sales made at the convention. This applies to those selling either new or used merchandise.

The convention organizers have obtained a group vendor permit from the Town of Sturbridge, which enables CORSA to be host to both indoor and outdoor vendors during the convention. The convention organizers are covering the per-vendor permit fees from the registration monies, but each vendor is individually responsible for the collection and payment of State sales tax.

To learn more, visit the Massachusetts Department of Revenue web site here.

Support our Supporters!

Among the sponsors signed up for the Sturbridge convention are two local CORSA Chapters, the Bayshore Corvair Association from New Jersey and Connecticut CORSA from, you guessed it, Connecticut.

The Bayshore Corvair Association was formed in 1976 and is centered in the Ocean County area of New Jersey. For a relatively small club it has been very active through the years, even conducting its own high-speed track events at the Pocono Raceway. At Sturbridge the Bayshore Corvair Association is sponsoring both the Concours and the Road Rally.

Connecticut CORSA was founded in 1971 and by 1973 was renting the Lime Rock Park road course for a track event that would become the foundation for the Northeast Corvair Council’s very existence. For over 40 years Connecticut CORSA has been staging shows, swap meets, rallies and more. At Sturbridge the club is sponsoring the Car Display.


While at the convention, when you meet a member of either of these two Corvair clubs, be sure to thank them for their support!

The Revolutionary Corvair in Stained Glass

Greg Gorski, a member of one of the NECC member clubs, has reproduced several popular Corvair styles in stained glass, using the Tiffany copper foil method.  Each reproduction is hand made using a variety of semi-transparent and opalescent stained glass colors.  The finished size is 14” x 18” framed with the 2012 Convention logo adjacent to the vehicle.

Photos appear below.  Click any photo for an enlarged view.

Greg has four styles of Corvairs available, each in several colors of stained glass:  Early Model Coupe, Late Model Coupe, Greenbrier, and Rampside.  He has sold several already at $100 each, and once his current stock is depleted he will be taking orders for more, with delivery at Sturbridge.  Greg will be in Sturbridge on Friday, July 27th and Saturday, July 28th.

Interested?  To learn more, contact Greg here.