<VV> Restoration - DIY is $atisfying (and a hello)

[Karl Haakonsen (cityhawk@pobox.com)]

I've been following this discussion with great interest and decided to jump in with my first post as a Virtual Vairs member. 



It's great to see such a lively, active email list of Corvair enthusiasts. As to the subject in discussion, like most things, I see both sides of the argument. 



Many years ago, I lived on a farm and had a fully-equipped shop with air compressor, paint setup, all manner of welders at my disposal. My last refurbishment (I couldn't call it a restoration) was a 1963 Chevy pickup truck that I did a fair amount of welding of sheet metal to repair rusted body parts and built a 283 engine from parts complete with Corvette high compression heads with the finned valve covers to boot. This was done in 1982 when I was about 20 years old. 



I currently live in the city with a short driveway (that has yet to be paved, but I hope to do that this fall), no garage or special equipment. I have a baby at home and another on the way, along with a full-time job as a nurse whereby I work nights and days in the same week to minimize childcare costs (e.g. my time is very limited). 



As such, there is a fair amount of work that I've decided that I just won't be able to do. 



I have had the car (1966 Monza convertible, 110/PG) for 20 years and it has been sitting in the dirt driveway, all this time -- I buy Clark's good car covers every few years when the old ones got too ratty. I bought the car near the end of my first marriage, then the marriage ended and the car became less relevant in my life. 20 years later, I am remarried with the aforementioned child and pending child, more settled in my life and have decided to finally take the project on while there is still enough car left to restore. 



The body is pretty rough, but I've seen worse. When I last checked, the basics were sound... most of the rust is from standing around rather than from road salt. The front and rear corners of the front fenders (especially the right one), the lower half of the left rear quarter panel (probably from the battery) which the previous owner patched with a Clark's fiberglass lower quarter panel, and some indeterminate damage to the right quarter panel since it has bondo on it. I did not store the engine properly when it last ran in 1993, so it is no-doubt seized up by now and needing overhaul. 



I intend to do the engine work myself (though will send the parts out for machining since I do not have the tools for that). I plan to do the gross body work (cutting out and patching the rusted areas, sandblasting paint and rust off of the car.... probably do the POR 15 treatement of the undercarriage. But I plan to send the car someplace to do the finish body work and the paint job since I don't have the garage to do it in (I plan to put up one of those canopy-tent style temporary garages to do the work and will do the engine work in my basement). 



I will get the satisfaction of doing a major part of the work myself, while saving the money from having all of it done elsewhere... but I lack the tools, the place and the time to do everything myself. 



Cheers, 

Karl (in Boston)