<VV> UNCLE and AMT

[Robert Hawes]

A local fellow, Fred  Duvall, owned one of those here in Syracuse back  
in the 80s and early 90s. I didn't know it was Corvair powered! His  
was painted white with orange stripes...
Strangely enough I was in a "junk" shop in Oswego NY a few weeks back  
and saw the AMT model w/box and noticed the corvair boxer engine (the  
kit was built and partly disassembled).

Bob Hawes
65 Monza 140 PG

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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:54:09 -0500
From: "James P. Rice" <ricebugg at mtco.com>
Subject: <VV> UNCLE and AMT
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Message-ID: <DLEGKAFPLLKIDEFMDCGCAEHMCPAA.ricebugg at mtco.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

All: The UNCLE car, as noted, originally was the Piranha by Winfield,  
also
as noted.

Originally, the car was called the CRV. It was a thermoplastic  
experimental
car made out of Cycolac.  Came about because Borg Warner's Marbon  
Chemicals
Div wanted to showcase the material.  The CRV was introduced at the SAE
convention in Detroit in Jan 1965.  I was there.  I also saw the molds  
in a
local (north Detroit area) business I made deliveries to as a gopher  
for a
local tool & die shop I worked for at the time.

AMT bought the project, planning on getting into the 1:1 scale kit car
business.  It was to be run by Winfield out of his AZ location.  Body  
and
most of the chassis was fiberglass, with tube subframes.   
Unfortunately, as
AMT got into the business, the Corvair was in it's death spiral, and the
project died.

Between the two companies, best info is that less than 20 were made.
Incidentally, the first one was mid-engine and Sunbeam Imp powered.  I
suspect it was converted to Corvair power, as all the others were so
powered.

See the Jan 2004 Communique for write-ups about both cars, pages 10 &  
14.

If the car at the Toss is the one I believe it is, it has been  
campaigned in
left coast vintage races as a 2 liter 1960 creation.  BOGAS.  But it  
cracks
me up that someone has gotten it past the eyes of some very serious left
coast vintage racing sanctioning bodies.

A favor.  If the car shows up again at the Toss, would one of you take a
good set of pictures (3/4 front and 3/4 read opposite side, engine
compartment and cockpit, and suspension if visiable) and send them to  
me.
I'd like to add them to my files.  If non-digital, I'll pay  
development and
postage cost.  Thanks.

Historically Yours,
                   James Rice
                   CORSA member since mid-70's
                   Former Chairman of the Competition Committee
                   Member of original CPF Advisorary Committee
                   CORSA/CPF Bod member and CPF Liaison 1999-01
                   Occasional contributor to the Communique

Think outside the quadrilateral parallelogram.