<VV> 'Corvair'- really?

Mon Aug 6 20:02:57 EDT 2012

Oh, don't get me wrong Bob. I'm not a fan of those little Euroboxes at all. I was just trying to figure the motivation for someone doing all this modification, trying to whittle essentially a Greenbrier, from a regular Corvair. They must have thought that a 
production Greenbrier was still too big, or truck-like.

But, I do recognise the overall design input that the European stuff was having on the future of car design at that time.

Mel
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bob and Carol 
  To: Mel Francis ; Charles Fregeau 
  Cc: virtualvairs at corvair.org 
  Sent: Monday, August 06, 2012 6:33 PM
  Subject: Re: <VV> 'Corvair'- really?

  Mel,   I've driven those 60's Euroboxes.  Never underestimate the benefit of being able to accelerate UP a hill with a load--like a GreenbriEr.:) 
  Bob

  Sent from my Samsung Epic™ 4G 

  Mel Francis <mfrancis at wi.rr.com> wrote:

  Ha! Good observation, Charles!

  But even cars like those Fiat mini-busses influenced automotive design, to 
  the point that individuals started hacking their own versions together, as 
  they saw the usefulness of a family car that would be basically all 
  interior, with no hood out in front, or long tail behind. GM had already 
  reacted and devised the Greenbriar, but for them, it was still too big and 
  truck-like, compared to a real, European econo-box.

  Mel
  Oconomowoc, WI

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "Charles Fregeau" <n5hsr at sprynet.com>
  To: "'Mel Francis'" <mfrancis at wi.rr.com>; "'Matt Nall'" <patiomatt at aol.com>
  Cc: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
  Sent: Monday, August 06, 2012 4:29 PM
  Subject: RE: <VV> 'Corvair'- really?

  > Hmmm, looks like a Fiat Multiplia got sent through the line at Willow Run. 
  > .
  > . . . <g>.
  >
  > Charles Fregeau
  >
  >
  > -----Original Message-----
  > From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
  > [mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of Mel Francis
  > Sent: Monday, August 06, 2012 11:27 AM
  > To: Matt Nall
  > Cc: virtualvairs at corvair.org
  > Subject: Re: <VV> 'Corvair'- really?
  >
  > Sure, this is a Corvair! As Matt says, it's a homebuilt concept vehicle,
  > based on an EM Corvair and the evidence suggests that it might have
  > originally been a 2-door coupe, since the doors are longer than a wagon
  > would have had.
  >
  > The builder has added an entire windshield and roof section well ahead of
  > the original location, which allows a new driver's seat to be added on the
  > centerline, well ahead of the original front seat. This would then allow 
  > the
  > driver's legs to be where the original gas tank was. They repeated the 
  > same
  > process at the rear, using the rear window with the extended roof peak 
  > from
  > a 4-door. You can see the gas filler at the right rear and it probably
  > filled a small tank somewhere in that area, hopefully, not too close to 
  > the
  > engine!
  >
  > Entire front fender sections from a '63 Pontiac have been added to the 
  > nose.
  >
  > It bears the name F U T U R A across the rear panel, which was strange,
  > since the '62 Falcon Futura model was already in existence.
  >
  > It's one of several concepts that came into existence during the '60s and
  > early '70s, like the Brubaker Box, which foretold the desire for the
  > alternate form of family car we have all come to accept, the mini-van. As 
  > a
  > designer/builder myself, I kinda like it, for it's overall vision and a 
  > peek
  > into the motoring future that awaited us all, back in the '60s.
  >
  > If I had the extra cash, I'd buy it, refine a few details and drag it 
  > around
  > to Corvair events, as an interesting piece of home-built design 
  > projection,
  > from that period. As a driver sitting in that centered seat, you might 
  > find
  > yourself in a difficult position though, whenever you pull up to a 
  > take-out
  > window at a fast food place or drive-through banking lane!
  >
  > Mel Francis,
  > Monza SS replica
  >
  > ----- Original Message -----
  > From: "Matt Nall" <patiomatt at aol.com>
  > To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
  > Sent: Monday, August 06, 2012 10:25 AM
  > Subject: Re: <VV> 'Corvair'- really?
  >
  >
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >> Anyone have any idea what this really is?
  >>
  >> http://www.strangeracer.com/content/item/184046.html
  >>
  >> I see a few parts and piece that MAY be Corvair, but....
  >>
  >> CJ Wilson
  >> _____________
  >>
  >> ==========================================================
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>  It's a mid '60's homebuilt.  There's a write up on it somewhere on the
  >> web..
  >>
  >>
  >> It doesn't have a "name"  so it's hard to find.
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >> Matt Nall
  >> Charleston, Oregon
  >> http://tinyurl.com/The-Patio
  >> http://tinyurl.com/Matts-Tech-Pages
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>
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