<VV> Re:Keeping a crappy Corvair (LONG)

[Tareece at aol.com]

Mike,
    I understand your predictament completely. 
    Its been 41/2 years since my 65 vert has been outside. It spun a rear 
bearing on the way to a Christmas parade. (That was my fault, I hadn't chk'd the 
level since I had gotten it 3 years previous..stoopid, stoopid, stoopid)
   So I was going to just replace the Diff...and I figured while I was at it 
I'd replace the clutch and redo the sheetmetal and engine compartment. It took 
a long time to find a 65 diff close to me (thanks to W. in Va.)...that was 2 
months ago. 
    I was ready then to put the motor back in (and thoughts of a possible 
locked up clutch job still reverberate in my head due to the length of the time 
when it was done and now)... I looked underneath and decided to replace some of 
the rear suspension bushings and the u-joints...and...what the heck, I'll 
redo the brake lines/hoses too!
   The point is Mike, this comes with a 40 year old car...it would be like 
owning a 1930's car if we were in the 1970's...except that we do have a much 
higher probablity of finding replacement parts thanks to our numerous vendors...
  I honestly have had thoughts of selling my vert. and if the clutch job is 
bad, I might yet. But I was raised in the hobby, as my Dad and oldest brother 
were charter members that founded the Corsa/NC chapter and the local club in 
Winston-Salem and Asheville. There were many a night where my dad, middle 
brother and me were outside tearing out a engine at 11pm on a school 
night...Saturdays?? Are you kidding me??? They were for washing the running cars in the 
morning and continuing to work on "backup" cars that night...(I exaggerate---some)
  The Corvair is a great car-- properly rebuilt and maintained. You've 
happened into a relevation that has hit many a car fan.... Is the car experiance 
worth the neccesary effort in order to keep it running? 
    From my perspective, yes. Under some constraints...I am not one of these 
rich engineer types, and I'm not a trained mechanic.I have limited resources 
and an understanding wife.. I'm one of those bumbling idiots that work for a 
modest (if that) living that spends time in a hobby that is more and more, for 
the well off. At one point my vert was my daily transportation, but I'll have 
to reconsider that when she rises again from Club Red.
   I hope you can find what you need to stay in the hobby...And I feel your 
anguish at having a lemon handed you that someone obviously over-represented to 
you. 
   No car that is 40 years old will be perfect...not unless they are 8-10 
Grand...And for that, I'll buy a Camaro or a kick ass Mustang or even a mid 80's 
entry Vette (now about 6-7G's and have money left over for a crate 
engine)....But for 2000-2500, I can see buying a Vair....From a resale point of view, 
Corvairs will always have limited interest and will always be known as a 
"tinkerers car".. You gotta love them for what they represent--the ultimate anti-PC 
car ever made..a car that was designed as anti-conventional, a car that was 
leading edge... and a car that made legal history and created consumer protection 
litigation...
   
In a message dated 7/13/2005 10:03:31 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
virtualvairs-request at corvair.org writes:
OK, I need emotional help this time. Can the collective help convince me why 
I should keep my crappy old Corvair?

Todd Reece
65 Monza Convert
TnT's Corvair Parts <----webpage for NOS parts