<VV> professional repair

[Jay Pitchford]

Tony et al, another viewpoint on professional repair:

I am old enough (50) to have worked on my first Corvairs (65 & 66 Monza
coupes in '77), but quite frankly lacked the talent. My stepfather, who can
look at anything and fix it, was the family mechanic. Goodness knows he
tried to train me, but it was like making an opera singer out of Donald
Duck.

So now I'm back into Corvairs, because I love the design and uniqueness of
them. However, I will constantly need an 'experienced' Corvair mechanic to
help me keep my 65 Corsa 'vert on the road. I have the pocketbook to
(reasonably) support my habit, considering I bought mine to be a driver and
not a concours vehicle.

Consider this, however: Those coming up behind me in Corvair ownership -
those that will buy them from you or your heirs - largely bought their first
cars in an era when it was less and less possible to be a shade tree
mechanic. The skills so many VV'ers have are dwindling. There will be a
continuing need for experienced mechanics, unless a large number of Corvairs
fall into the hands of those specifically looking for a car that's pretty
easy to work on themselves.

That's not out of the realm of possibility, but I'd also bet that means the
value of the cars won't see the rise in value many hope for either. Shade
tree mechanics are a thrifty bunch. Part of the love of repairing something
yourself is the satisfaction of knowing you saved a bunch of cash!

Jay Pitchford
65 Corsa 'vert
Columbus OH


On Mon, Mar 1, 2010 at 12:00 AM, Tony Underwood <tony.underwood at cox.net>wrote:

> Ever since my first Corvair, anything that's ever been done to any of
> them, I did... Anything else, from body work/paint to engine overhauls to
> interior
> and upholstery work and suspension alignments, I did.   It's not
> because I was anything "professional".  It was because I am a
> cheapskate, simple as that.   I learned how to do anything that
> needed to be done and I did it.   Besides, if I do it myself there's
> nobody to blame or complain to if it's not done right.
>
>  It's kept my '60 4-door running as a daily (mostly) driver for a
> quarter century.   It's also still keeping the others going after
> many years.   There's not a lot to a Corvair I've not had apart and
> put back together... not because I'm a "pro" but because it costs too
> much to have someone else do it.    I work for cheap.
>
>
> tony..
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