<VV> in early country

[Timothy T Werner]

I am rebuilding my first early, a '61 ramp. (first 2 corvairs were
'65's).
I have the drivetrain out, and cleaning up the shrouds so I can move to
an engine I built a while back. I cannot figure out what the plan was by
chevy to seal the motor to the body. Are those staples through the sheet
metal and the fabric "skirt"?
Did Chevy borrow this idea from airplanes or something?
Can you replace it? it is all chewed up by mice and ruined by oil and
heat, just cleaning is not going to do it.
Tim
'65 'vert