<VV> protecting Corvair worth

[airvair at earthlink.net]

I'm sure everyone has some kind of opinion on this subject. Here's my take
on it.

First, Corvettes benefit from having the (in)famous gas tank sheet, which
tells what the car had on it from the factory. They also have (as I
understand) other information sources, all of which makes most Corvettes
easy to tell what an individual car had from the factory. 

By contrast, all the factory records on US-destined Corvairs are gone. The
only thing even resembling a list of options is the body tag info, which
Kent Sullivan and others have been working on for years. Even then, the
'68-9 cars don't have that info on them. Add to this the fact that you can
get new body tags made to order via vendors who regularly advertise in
places like Hemmings. The net result is that only partial information is
decipherable, and even then, that isn't a sure thing. This is one reason
why I (and most of the Corvair world) don't get off on this kind of thing.

Second, consider this. What if you had a strictly parts car with a
super-rare option. For an example, I'm going to use my own '67 Monza 4door
and the stereo tape system. There were only 125 cars built with this
option, just about the rarest option for that year. I have two identical
cars, one a parts car (actually my project car, but that's a long story in
itself) and the other a very original, low miles car. The parts car has the
tape player in it, the original doesn't. I can do one of three things:

Senerio 1) Scrap the parts car WITH the tape player, because  there are
simply no other cars around that need their tape players replaced or
upgraded. Thus the tape system is junk.

Senerio 2) Salvage the tape system, and sit it on the shelf, but for the
same reasons as #1.

Senerio 3) Install it in my original car, in the same manner (as best I can
duplicate) as the factory did.

Note that in #1 not only is the tape player system is lost, but the method
of installation AND its usage as a functioning 3-D example of this system
is lost as well.

In #2, the system is saved, only to become a dust collector on a shelf. The
method of installation and its usage is still lost.

Only in #3 is not only the system saved, but also its installation AND
usage as well.

Now consider who is really preserving automotive history. The Corvette guy,
who can only do #1 or #2, or me, who does #3.

To me, it's obvious. The first two actually DESTROY history. So THAT is why
I chose to do #3 on my original car. It and the parts car have the same
interior color and body style, so I was able to move the speakers and rear
riser without even applying a single drop of paint. I will point out that
even though my car has the original window sticker still on it, I have
salvaged the tape system BECAUSE it's a super-rare option, and it is as the
factory would have done. The car is, in my words, an "enhanced original,"
preserving not only the original car, but also some very original and RARE
options. History is preserved!

Corvette- type people who hold the "factory-only" ideology are, in the long
run, actually doing more harm than good, and not getting the full enjoyment
from their vehicles in the bargain. In my opinion they have missed the boat.

-Mark

> [Original Message]
> From: Eric S. Eberhard <flash at vicsmba.com>
> Subject: <VV> protecting Corvair worth, was: arrogance WAS telecolumn
>
> To some degree I agree with this post very much.  Certainly adding 
> dealer options only adds to the value.  There is no way to determine 
> which dealer options came with a car.  Sometimes the car is purchased 
> with them, sometimes they were added after purchase.  I like the 
> clocks, tissue dispensers, parking brake alarms, trunk and hood 
> lights, and gas heaters (dealer option in 62) -- so I put them 
> in.  As to adding factory options, it is a bit trickier.  A car is 
> worth more with the original invoice -- and if you have that, it 
> should stay like that (if protecting value is all you care 
> about).   If not, then many factory options that cannot be deciphered 
> from the body plates are pretty much fair game.  Changing color, 
> putting a different engine, changing from PG to stick, etc. are more 
> problematic.  I agree that in the Corvair world it has traditionally 
> not cared much about these things.  But times are changing -- 
> non-Corvair people are spending larger dollars on Corvairs than 
> people thought possible 10 years ago, and they do look for 
> originality.  Of course, if you are just enjoying the car for 
> yourself ... do whatever you like! But it is not snobbery or 
> arrogance to keep a car stock.  I keep two of mine bone-stock as far 
> as factory options go. Just an opinion. Eric
>
> >Subject: Re: <VV> protecting Corvair worth, was: arrogance WAS
> >         telecolumn
> >
> >There is where you are flat out wrong. Adding accessories to a Corvair
> >never hurts the value of it (unless the job is totally botched, of
course),
> >because the Corvair hobby is not as snooty as that segment of the
Corvette
> >hobby who insist that a car HAS to be in as-built condition. That segment
> >is where I and virtually all other Corvair owners and enthusiasts part
ways
> >with those snobs.
> >
> >Fact is, adding (factory/dealer-installed) accessories only INCREASES the
> >value of Corvairs. So adding a tele column to a Corvair that didn't have
it
> >from the factory adds value to the car.
> >
> >Second, changing steering columns is not rocket science. It's as easy as
> >unbolting the old and bolting in the new. I've done it many times. No
> >safety issues are involved whatsoever, when done with the right parts.
And
> >since there is so virtually NO variation in Corvair steering columns, as
> >long as the parts are interchangable, getting the "wrong" part or
> >installing something wrong is all but impossible.
> >
> >The problem is that Corvette people, by buying up Corvair parts, are
> >denying Corvair people the ability to upgrade their cars and improve the
> >value of them. And it's not like Corvettes are hurting for the inability
to
> >create reproduction  parts. Lord knows, they have far better abilities
for
> >getting parts reproduced (spelled MONEY) than we do. So why don't they
just
> >let loose of some of their moldy money and get the parts they need
> >reproduced, instead of robbing their poorer cousins?
> >
> >-Mark
>
> Eric S. Eberhard
> (928) 567-3727          Voice
> (928) 567-6122          Fax
> (928) 301-7537                           Cell
>