<VV> Restoration Costs

[Mark Durham]

I agree, I plan to have 20K + in my 62 coupe when it is all done.
Aside from the fun value of driving the car, which I love, and love to
show it off to interested people, its still a good investment. I could
not go buy a new car as much fun to drive as my 62 coupe for the same
money. And, I am the type of person who has the skills and likes to do
the work myself. I do not consider these higher prices an issue. I
think the Corvair is coming into its own in the collectable
marketplace!

The last convertible car has significance in and of itself that places
that car in its own category, price wise. My hat is off to the
collector who bought it. I would love to have it, but would not keep
it and barely drive it. Although my 62 does not see wet weather, I do
drive it 1500 miles a year when I can. So, my car will end up a nice
seasonal driver.

I just did a proper overhaul of my engine; actually I converted it
from a 62 102 to a 64 110. So, I modified the block to accept the 8409
turned crank, got .030 pistons on rebuilt and balanced rods, bored 64
.030 cylinders, a 270 Isky Cam, new lifters, Roller Rockers, Custom
lenght push rods, Clark's finned valve covers, new oil pump and of
course all new bearings, plus new crank and cam gear. Then since my
engine was first run with only 69K (one might ask why I overhauled a
69K engine, it was rust pits and three flat cam lobes), all valve
seats looked like new, the guides were within new limits, and so I
replaced all the valves with Clark's Tuftrided SS valves,and did some
port work in the intakes. I also converted to a 78 amp alternator
system, added the harmonic balancer, and replaced most high strenght
bolts and nuts as needed.

It was a fun winter project, and I enjoy the differences in
performance going from 145 to 164 Cubic inches. The engine now has
about 150 miles on it and is running well.

Next, will be the interior.

Mark Durham

On Wed, Jul 6, 2011 at 11:23 AM, Dave Keillor <dkeillor at tconcepts.com> wrote:
> Mike, how right you are.  I paid Gary Funkhouser $6,500 (not including
> SafeGuard) for basically the engine you described.  Body work and paint
> from another shop was $21K for an essentially rust free car (they never
> are as rust free as they appear).  Add to that everything else from
> suspension to interior and Allen's price will pale by comparison -- and
> except for engine, paint, and interior I'm doing the work myself).  But,
> it's something I always wanted to do since I was a kid -- rebuild a car
> the way *I* wanted to do it.  (It will be a driver.)
>
> Dave Keillor
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
> [mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of Mike McCrae
> Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 12:57 PM
> To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
> Subject: Re: <VV> VirtualVairs Digest, Vol 78, Issue 18... Re:
> lastconvertible; ;
>
> No one seems to comprehend the cost of restoration these days. Just the
> engine alone can go $6,000 if you do it right. Right means complete head
>
> overhauls with guides and seats, magged and turned crank, new forged
> pistons, rings , bearings, resized and balanced rods, new cam, new cam
> gears, new pushrods and lifters, bored and honed cylinders, all new
> gaskets
> and seals (viton), powder coated parts,....on and on....go on look up
> the
> prices....they scare me and I build the engines. After this you can
> start on
> the rest of the car.
>
> Mike McCrae
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