Model A storage and starting on the Corvair's exhaust | Kyle's Garage - Episode 20 - Hagerty Media
This week has been a strange one for us residents of northern latitudes. The sun has burned bright all day, and the temperature has remained a positively balmy 75 degrees most days, all of which makes it easy to believe winter is never happening. But I’ve lived here in Northern Michigan long enough to know that winter comes sooner or later. Rather than stick my head in the sand, I am taking the time to move the Model A to storage while I can do it without the worry of coating the car in road salt while on the open trailer.
It’s the usual spring and fall dance with at least one of my cars. Load the trailer, drive to a friend’s barn, unload the car, run the engine up to temp, fogging oil, disconnect the battery, and tuck it away. While it was still in my garage I checked that the coolant was still good to below zero degrees, though the coupe likely not encounter temps that cold in its winter storage spot. Better safe than sorry.
The one thing I am neglecting this time around? Tires. These 40-year-old rubber bands are rock-hard and really not safe to be driving on currently, so I’ve already allocated budget for a fresh set of treads. Leaving this car sitting directly on the cold concrete is not something over which I am going to lose sleep. If I had a nice set of rubber on there, I would insulate them with some foam or carpet to prevent the concrete from pulling the oil and moisture out of the rubber.
With the Model A out, I have what could be considered “bonus space.” to work on other projects. The temporary herd thinning lets me narrow my focus a bit, and that means it is time to start chipping away at the Corvair again. The header fitment is one item that is best taken care of before the floor is a freezing cold area, so that is where I started. The exhaust on this car has been two different styles, and now I am switching to a third.
The IECO headers I am installing were ceramic coated by West Michigan Cerakote and are ready to install. The only problem is that I have never run them before, and thus need to fabricate the rest of the system. This is just a test fit to get an idea of what the bends will look like or if the piping will even work at all. Luckily, the confines under the car look to be space that will fit what I have planned in my head. To see what that looks like, you’ll have to tune in to a future episode of Kyle’s Garage. Be sure to subscribe to Hagerty’s YouTube channel and then go forth and work on your projects.
