<VV> Body Transplant

[Ron Guy]

Snip<<<
Is there anyone on the list who has taken a Corvair body (no power train, no
brakes, no suspension, no interior) and "inhabited" it with Corvair running
gear to create a whole Corvair?

Joe Potts
Unsnip<<<<<

Joe,   this is basically what has happened to the SEUM. I began the project
because I had acquired a '66 Monza from Okalahoma just to get the full set
of tinted glass to use on another project. After getting the car home and
cleaning it up I determined the glass was not good enough. (scratches etc.)
   The body had slight collision damage in the driver's side rear and a few
dings. Some pin holes on the driver's side floor board.
   The more I looked at it the more I came to believe it was salvageable. It
even had perfect galvanized rockers. No rust or debris buildup in the water
paths. Sooooo..... Having a high dollar project already underway (The Def
Stinger), and my Grandson showing an interest in the Corvairs, I decided to
start an ULTRA Monza project with it for him. I had engines, trannys,
interior etc. etc in my stash of Corvairs. 

Now the cost part.

Had I kept it an ULTRA Monza, I could have been on the road licensed for
about $3500.00. That's body repair and paint (Macco type), drive train from
a wrecked 66 I bought for $450.00. Good black interior from several cars I
have collected, and about $1500 to the major vendors for rubber and plastic
parts, carb rebuild kits, new brake parts etc, etc, etc.

I chose to go full strip down and restore. Top notch body work, top notch
paint. Upgrade the AC system and get it working, 95 amp alternator, dual
master cylinder, new wheel bearings, suspension parts, etc, etc, etc. Now
I'm looking at 8K or better by the time we are driving it. I got good deals
on the body work and paint. Could have easily been 10K to 12K invested.

Western cars advertised as rust free are not exactly. They are usually
cancer free but do require some work. The trade off is rubber, plastic and
glass is usually hammered from the hot sun. They are still better than the
rust buckets we see a lot of east of the Mississippi.

Hope this helps your thinking.

Ron Guy

PS....I had $550.00 in the car when I unloaded it in Rock Hill SC. That's
purchase price and the cost to go get it.