<VV> Accurate numbers?

[Tony Underwood]

At 12:26 hours 12/12/2004 -0500, BobHelt@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 12/11/04 8:33:31 PM US Mountain Standard Time, 
>thebigwave@comcast.net writes:
>
>> Well after all the talk about which Corvair is rarer, I have decide to
post 
>> my
>> article about Corvair rarity on this list.
>
>HOW RARE IS IT? ( total US Corsa production = 46,319 ) 1965 - 66
>
>Well, Dave, I wonder just how accurate your numbers are since the first
one I 
>checked turns out to be incorrect.
>
>Actual US Corsa production = 39,116


There's a fellow in the local chapter with a really nice '66 turbo ragtop
who researched the stats and talked to a bunch of people and he said he had
it on good authority that fewer than 520 were built which makes it more
scarce than the '69 ragtop.    

I've also dug up other specs from various places which were supposed to be
accurate which stated that there were fewer than 520.   Myself, I don't
know.   I just copied down what I found.    Now I need to remember where I
put the stats...  


Still moot to me; I neither own a '66 turbo ragtop nor '69 ragtop nor any
other "rare" Corvairs unless my '60 4-door qualifies simply by having
survived to current day when it should/would have gone to the scrapyard
several times over if it hadn't been rescued along the way for one reason
or another.    Once was when it had been given to a student who needed
"cheap transport" when the car was gonna be "disposed of", otherwise.
When the "cheap transport" finally quit from lack of maintenance it was
slated to be sold as junk but got bought by a Vair parts vendor to be
parted out instead, primarily for the fresh headliner and gas heater...
nothing else in the car was of much interest because "It's nothing but a
'60 700 4-door and not worth anything."   

So, I after I spotted it behind his shop and looked it over, I bought it
mainly  "just because"... and fixed the burned valves and drove it.   Not
really rare, just remarkable for its having refused to die.    

Now:   

Is "rare" a term defining the scarcity of an item or is it a metaphor for
bragging rights?    


A survivor could be turned up, all original and solid and intact and in
great shape, low miles and optioned with all manner and sorts of stuff not
normally seen.   Does that make it rare?    Sure...  but does it make it
desirable?    What about the Goodyear Stinger?    Rare?    Sure...  but if
it's regarded as a '69 Coupe rather than a Stinger what happens to the rare
status?    Which car is more remarkable?   That Goodyear Stinger or the
green '69 ragtop with only a few hundred original miles on it?    As I
recall, the Stinger is a restoration.   That ragtop was not but it looked
like new.    

"Rare" tends to drift back and forth a bit, regarding exactly what it
means.   Too diverse...  I keep seeing sale ads for Vairs here and there
and most of them spout "Rare!".    Whenever somebody comments on one of the
Vairs (which happens often with a daily driver) it's usually including
"They're kinda rare, aren't they?"     

I usually say, "Not around my usual hang-outs, they aren't."     



To me, "rare" is what you see in cooking meat and I'd frankly rather have
mine medium or well done.   Sure, it's fun to count the numbers sometimes
but I'm not gonna be prompted to rush out and buy a low production model
specifically because it's low production.   I'd have to have it land in my
lap and offer other merits besides rarity before I'd find it interesting
enough to warrant my immediate attention.    There are already a lot of
"rare cars" out there.     



tony..