Automotive

Hi Cpt to be honest, I have no idea where or why I bought this Corvair

Jun 15, 2021,19:55 PM

I do know why I sold it though. I was backing out of my tight garage, and had left the top drawer of my rolling tool box open an inch or two. I was looking over my right shoulder (as one does in a left-drive car) and missed that fact. As I rolled backwards, the push button of the car's door handle hit the tool drawer, jamming the box against the garage wall and ripping out the button and pushing in the door. That's why in the video I was focusing on the driver's door to show the bad paint match from my repair. :-( I was mad because of this damage and the fact that it was throwing fan belts. So I sold it. The buy/sell details escape me but the REASON is clear in my memory.

Most memorable fan belt toss - out on the highway 50 miles from home and 15 miles from civilization. Luckily previous owner left 3-4 belts in the spare tire (which sits over the engine). That was my first clue to its chronic condition. Later refinements and aftermarket accessories would resolve the problem but not for me and not for this car.

Here is a period photo of the tool box, circa 1984 when my Volvo blew up (threw a rod while Wife was driving). The dent is visible, and you can see I was still having the bad habit of leaving that drawer open.

Here is a photo from 10 minutes ago when I opened the drawer (cured myself of the habit) to see if the door-button-dent was still there. It is.

I didn't learn my lesson because I went ahead and bought another Corvair a few years later. Bought it for $400 but since the ATM would only give me $300 I had to cut my friend Steve in to get the extra $100

The neighborhood didn't like the look of it, and gave us a few Hate Notes on the windscreen. So we treated it a cheap Tijuana Mexico paint job, complete with junkyard watchdog. I think that was $800

Which nearly got toasted 100 yards from the garage because the brakes didn't hold it on the hill going backwards

the very very very steep dirt hill -- another 50 feet and I would have been at the bottom of that TJ ravine. But I managed to swing it sideways and survived.

It became a workhorse, then parade car, etc.

Then it got messed up again in a minor fender bender, and had engine trouble and so forth.

But my pal pimped it up again

He sold it to someone in Oregon, and it soon appeared for sale again, and brought $15,000 on Bring A Trailer. The information is wrong because it was not corrosion free, nor was the powertrain "unmodified"). But someone bought it anyhow.

Cheers,

Cazalea

Hi Cpt to be honest, I have no idea where or why I bought this Corvair

Silent Automotive Movies from 1985, Directed, filmed, edited by Cazalea

What a beautiful car. And all those classic cars parked on the side streets. If only I could have one!

Awesome, what a treat!

Wow that’s a cool video Mike ...

Hi Cpt to be honest, I have no idea where or why I bought this Corvair

Thanks Mike ...

Thank you very much for the evocative video. (If they brought that car out again now, it'll sell like hot cakes.)

thanks for the trip back in time