<VV> Reply... Subject: 64 Wagon

[airvair at earthlink.net]

Of course, Smitty's '64 wagon, my '69 Corsa, and the eventual LM wagon are
all customs, as opposed to strictly stock cars. But there are custom cars
that are obvious customs, and there are custom cars that look like, well,
stock cars. The latter (as in the cases of my two cars) are meant to be
"what-if" or "concept" cars. They are not intended to look like your
typical custom car, like Smitty's car does. They are meant to appear
"stock" by projecting the thought of "what if the factory were to have
offered such a model", and they do so by the use as many stock components
as possible.

With a LM wagon, there will of necessity be a considerable amount of
bodywork, yet even that will attempt to project a visual "factory-designed
and built" appearance. The only way this will be possible is to keep as
much of it truely as stock as possible, including upholstery and paint
colors and schemes. In effect mimic what the factory WOULD have done had it
offered such a model.

With the '69 Corsa, the only thing that was done was the swapping/adding of
stock parts. "Custom" car? With all stock parts? That's stretching the term
"custom", don't you think? And as strange as it seems, such a car could (if
done to perfection) fit in the "street stock" concours class, due to the
"update/backdate" rule. But that's a whole 'nother subject. One that has
made the purists absolutely livid.

-Mark


> [Original Message]
> From: <jvhroberts at aol.com>
> Subject: Re: <VV> Reply... Subject: 64 Wagon
>
>  The difference between a 69 Corsa and an LM wagon is huge. For a 69
Corsa, there's not a lot to imagine or guess at. Given that there's
precious little difference between a 66 Monza and a 69 Monza, just figure a
66 Corsa and a 69 Corsa would be equally different, which ain't much! 
>
> The wagon, however, has no other basis to work from, so, FAR more
imagination and creation will be involved. 
>
> John Roberts
>  
> -----Original Message-----
> From: AeroNed at aol.com
> Subject: Re: <VV> Reply... Subject: 64 Wagon
>
> I'm sure Mark's LM wagon will be just as "stock" as his '69 Corsa.
Seriously, I don't see how anyone  can 
> consider any of those cars as anything more than 100% customs, not that  
> there's anything wrong with that.
>  
> Ned
>  
> In a message dated 11/27/2009 4:03:24 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
> airvair at earthlink.net writes:
>
> Well  Bill, you could also say that I had a '69 Corsa. But then, the
purists
> have  had a hissy fit over that one for decades. The difference is that my
> '69  Corsa was pure stock. No custom paint job, no custom upholstery,  no
> aftermarket fender skirts (and fender skirts were ALWAYS aftermarket on  a
> Corvair - never "factory stock" by any means.) It was as pure stock as 
you
> could get, even down to the laquer paint color.
>
> While the  factory DID offer tutone paint, they NEVER broke it up like
> what's on  Smitty's car, and without a doubt wouldn't ever have done so
> (unless maybe  you were buying a phone company car, or the like.) Nor did
> they offer  upholstery on Corvairs that matched the kind of fabric and
> assembly  variation that Smitty's car has. Regardless, any way you slice
it,
> is  certainly more gaudy than any Corvair the factory ever built in any
> large  quantity. And it looks like the custom car that it is. You of
anyone
> should  know that it isn't "stock" enough to be called that.
>
> And in the vein of  the '69 Corsa, my LM wagon will be closer to stock
than
> Smitty's car,  guaranteed. It'll have the stock paint layout, stock
> upholstery pattern,  even a more stock overall look. So the fact that they
> didn't build that  body style that year is irrelevant. What IS the point
is
> that sooner or  later one WILL exist. It exists now, just that the
bodywork
> isn't completed  yet. Would you say a car that hasn't had the restoration
> bodywork completed  doesn't exist?
>
> And in case you doubt that I don't admire Smitty for his  efforts at a
> custom EM, think again. Anyone who has rebuilt/restored a car  has my
> admiration. He's done a great job, and I especially admire his  driving it
> all over creation. But I'm calling a spade a spade, and calling  Smitty's
> car exactly what it is, a custom car. No disrespect intended  whatsoever.
>
> Get over it.
>
> -Mark
>
>
> > [Original  Message]
> > From: Bill Hubbell <whubbell at cox.net>
> > Subject:  RE: <VV> Reply... Subject: 64 Wagon
> >
> > Mark is making an  absurd argument.  First of all, no matter what Mark 
> does
> > to  "imagineer" a Late Model station wagon, it will always be a more
> >  fictional vehicle than Smitty's "64" wagon for the following  reasons:
> >
> > 1. GM actually did make EM wagons and Smitty's wagon  body is pure
stock 
> in
> > that regard; Mark's won't be by any  stretch.
> >
> > 2. GM actually did offer two-tone paint for EM  vehicles, and, although
> > Smitty's colors are not Factory Stock, who is  to say that they would
not
> > have been if a '64 wagon had been  made?  It was also possible to get
> > 'custom' paint jobs from the  factory, and I suspect that had wagons
been
> > available in 1964 this  would have been a probable choice.
> >
> > 3. There actually were some  EM Corvairs (1961) that came with
cloth/vinyl
> > seats (much like  Smitty's wagon, although, again, not in that color).
> >
> > 4. Wheel  skirts were already an option for EM sedans and coupes.  It is
> >  probable that they would have been available for wagons had they been  
> made
> > beyond 1962, so the fact that a '64 wagon would have them is  perfectly
> > plausible.
> >
> > Bottom line, Mark, Smitty's '64  wagon IS a reality (and has been ever
> since
> > it was built in  1989).  For 20 years it has been plying the highways
and
> > byways  of this great country, logging over 300,000 miles (most of which
> >  pulling a trailer or some other such thing) and generally showing  the
> world
> > exactly how BIG a mistake GM made by NOT making more of  them.  It has 
> been
> > an ambassador of Goodwill for ALL Corvairs for  longer than many VV 
> readers
> > have even OWNED a Corvair.  It's  value to our Corvair community has
been
> > validated by awards too many  to count, including Senior Class Concours,
> > numerous 1st place  Autocross awards, etc.  It has earned our RESPECT
and
> >  ADMIRATION.
> >
> > Live with it.
> >
> >  Bill