Give Me a Dollar to Buy This Corvair

"dustin_driver" (dustin-driver) 01/13/2015 at 21:01 • Filed to: None

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We're a throwaway culture. We're enamored by the new and shiny, by useless stuff packed with useless features. Old, well-made things have no value, get no respect. They're outdated. They're useless. This is what we've been trained to believe. But they're not. They're brilliant, functional, useful, beautiful, elegant, historical. Like this Corvair. Which I need $5,000 to buy. Please. Pretty please with cherries on top.

I've been a fan of the Corvair for ages. It's different, a wild experiment in GM's long history. Rear engined, air-cooled flat six, independently sprung. It was a bizarre car for America, an alien among the front-engined, straight six and V8 natives. It was gorgeous, especially the second generation Corvair, which was a stunning and lithe and curvaceous cruiser among overdone, befinned, chrome-dipped behemoths. It's amazing.

Somehow, despite the ravages of time and society's propensity to crush old cars into powder, a beautiful all-original 1967 Corvair has survived in my town. And it's for sale for just $5,000.

I drove it today, despite the fact that I don't have an extra $5,000 in my bank account. Because I'm a glutton for punishment, because I like flirting with stuff I can't have. Because I'm a sentimental bastard with a soft spot for stunning old things. Because I love the smell of burning oil and old vinyl upholstery. Because I'm irresponsible and driven by passion.

It was glorious. Despite it's age, it's drum brakes, it's lack of power steering—it's lack of more than two gears for chrissakes—it was wonderful. Smooth and composed and powerful. Sporty and elegant. A fantastic driving car, a perfectly styled piece of rolling artwork. It confidently sits among many other wonders on the peak of humanity's mechanical achievements, a perfect combination of design and functionality. I'm in love.

Which is why I'm asking you for a dollar. If just 5,000 of you give me a dollar, I'll buy this Corvair. I'll keep it in my garage (I'll boot my daily driver to the curb). I'll buff it and wax it and replace it's rubber door seals and fix the kinda rusty rocker panels and one day rebuild the engine with nothing but hand tools and determination. I'll drive it all the time, take my kid to school in it, park it downtown so everyone can gaze upon it and realize how we've gone wrong, how today's cars are just boring appliances devoid of style. I'll even put a few folding chairs in it's frunk so I can sit around in the sweltering heat of August car shows and answer the questions of curious gear heads to be. I'll do right by her.

In return for your support, I'll document every repair, every restoration, every loving caress from an old terrycloth towel. I'll post pictures and podcasts and videos here on Opposite Lock for your viewing pleasure. I'll let a single drop of oil drip onto a handcrafted postcard and I'll send that postcard to you so you can take a whiff of history, bask in the insane innovation of GM's golden years.

I'll run a Kickstarter campaign tomorrow. Really. I just need your support.

Thank you.

Makoyouidiot > dustin_driver 01/13/2015 at 23:47

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Second gen Corvairs are sweet as fuck. But I would search around for a manual, if it were me. Preferably in cream white or blue. Also, turbo. With some tasteful modern rims.

dustin_driver > Makoyouidiot 01/14/2015 at 00:26

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Actually, I was really impressed with and surprised by the Powerglide. Great transmission, really. And it seemed to fit with the overall feel of the car. But, yeah, a four on the floor would be sweet. Modern rims? Naw, love the hubcaps.