<VV> Jan 2009 Car & Driver

[Michael Cobb]

>From Car & Driver January 2009 Issue:
Page 96

Best Ancient Car
I purchased this 1965 Corvair Monza with 86,000 miles on it for $350 from a used-car lot in Tacoma, Washington, back in 1973.  Been driving it ever since.  Presently, it just rolled over 700,000 miles.  It has been driven as far east as Chicago and as far south as LA.  It just came back from Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho, on a month's vacation.  For the past 23 years, it's made the 40 mile run every workday between Puyallup and Seattle.

In 35 years, I have gone through two driver's seat covers, one front carpet, and a half dozen windshields.  The only nonstock items are an electronic ignition and an AM/FM radio.  It's a mechanics' car, and I was Chevy factory trained on Corvairs.  It has a 110-hp engine with a Powerglide transmission.  Engines are good for about 100K miles, transmissions last 300K miles, and the differential has gone the distance.

Presently, engine No. 6 has 50K miles left on it.  Don't make them like they used to!

Mike Gamble
Puyallup, Washington.