[V8Vairs] Recent purchase of V8Vair

[Lonnie M. Campbell]

I know what he meant - I have had quite a few Corvettes and Camaros and have
always felt the same way.  Not only that, in retrospect I myself felt guilty
undertaking some of the car projects in my past such as putting a straight
axle under a super nice original '55 Chevy DelRay, like I was taking
something away from the car.

Any Corvair fan, if they think about it, should understand that a Corvair is
a niche vehicle that appeals to only a certain defined and small group of
people.  That is evident from what a restored Corvair will bring when
compared to a restored Camaro.  To restore either takes about the same
amount of work, interior components about the same, takes about the same
labor and paint to refinish the exterior.  But when sale time comes, a
Corvair will bring 1/3 - 1/2 of what a similar Camaro will - if the seller
is lucky.  Supply and demand.  So taking a run of the mill Corvair of any
model and undertaking a V8 conversion does not detract from the car.  In
fact, it gives me the feeling that finally the car can live up to its
potential.

With a Corvair, it is also different in that at a big Corvair show (the last
one I attended was the CORSA Nationals in Asheville, NC) if you do a radical
mid-engine conversion, no one is offended!  People of all persuasions just
want to check it out.  Do a radical conversion to a Corvette and at a
Corvette show the gasps of the offended will suck the air out of the room!
I took a '73 non-AC Vette, back-halved it with a 9-inch Ford 4-link, 502
with a Richmond 5-spd, full cage, aluminum dash and interior and you would
think I had shot the Easter bunny!

Lastly, what is so great about a Crown-style or Kelmark conversion is
this....Let those who belittle the Corvairs laugh all they want, let's get
'em out on the road and a Corv-8 owner can show them what it means when they
say, "He who laughs last, laughs best!"

Lonnie  


-----Original Message-----
From: v8vairs-bounces at corvair.org [mailto:v8vairs-bounces at corvair.org] On
Behalf Of GnKHOFFMAN at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 10:01 PM
To: v8vairs at corvair.org
Subject: Re: [V8Vairs] Recent purchase of V8Vair

Sorry;  I hit the send key prior to finishing the last e-mail.   The story 
told at his funeral service was that Mikie had a long list of cars  before
this 
car.  Including Corvettes and Camaros;  but in the end he  really liked the 
Corvair.  He felt it was a car you could modify (without  guilt/criticism
you 
would get from the Vette and Camaro crowd), it was unique  when entered in
car 
shows, and you could drive it like it was meant to be  driven.  
 
When Mikie bought the car, I understand it was peptobismal purple or  pink.

That color had to go.  He originally painted it yellow with  white stripes, 
then decided it would look better with black stripes, so re-did  it.  He had
a 
friend who was a paint wholesaler for one of the major  brands, and who
would 
end up shooting the car.
 
Mikie told the story years ago (30 years or so?) about building another V8  
Corvair (Big Block ..... said the engine was so big the car was falling  
apart).  So he put a lot of thought into building this one.
 
I am glad the car is with a Corvair enthusiast now;  I wasn't  convinced the

last owner was big into the car.  I sure hope you enjoy  it.  No doubt Steve

will have more information for you.
 
Gary
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