Owning a "Unique" Car.

What most people outside of my group of family and friends don't know, is that I own a 1968 Chevrolet Corvair. It was my dad's car. He built it as a race car in the 70's for mostly autocross, but for some track days too.

My dad parked this car back in the early 80's because he was having some mechanical issues and life got in the way of him repairing it. He has owned other Corvairs since and I have spent all my life around them. I have been to numerous car shows, I worked at a shop specifically for repairing them, and how I hadn't owned one up until recently is beyond me. Fast forward to 32 years later and I made the comment to my dad that I had been looking. He basically said that if I wanted the '68, I could have it. My arm didn't need much twisting and within a few months, the car was in my possession.

 But this isn't a story about the car itself. It's a story about owning the car, being associated with the group of people that own the same cars and dealing with the people who just don't get it. Like I've said, I've been around Corvairs my entire life. They have always been second nature to me. I spent several years working on them as a job and I know many people who own them.  So let me tell you about my feelings toward owning a "Unique" car. While the Corvair isn't the only orphaned or unique, but not necessarily rare car out there, most people that own other marques will probably understand where I'm coming from.

Being an owner of a unique car has it's trials and tribulations. Not only do you have to deal with trying to acquire parts, but just trying to figure things out in general. What aftermarket wheels fit? Does someone still make a factory tire size? Does someone still make spark plugs and oil filters? Is there anyone that still works on these cars? 

Corvairs are unique by nature because they were out of the realm of the typical American made car in the 1950's and 1960's. They however are not rare by any means. Over a million were built and there are probably a 1000+ still on the road. Unlike some cars, parts acquisition for the Corvair is actually pretty easy for most of the parts. There are a few suppliers out there and there are a few Corvair specific salvage yards that have stuff available. 

Aside from the general mechanical side of the ownership, you have to deal with some very ignorant people. If you are not aware, the Corvair was dealt with some controversy in the 1960's. There was a small design flaw in the rear suspension of the earlier models and there were some accidents caused from the rear suspension tucking under the car and causing a possible roll over. It's a lot to explain and I don't want to bore you to death with the details, but basically the NHTSA in 1972 found that the Corvair had no worse suspension issues than other rear-engined cars of the time. 

This however didn't stop the general public from being misinformed and not being educated on the subject, but you can't even escape the general automotive public. When you are out and about, you get a lot of comments like: "Don't these flip over?" or "I owned one years ago and it was the worst car I ever owned" or my favorite, "My Uncle's Cousin's Step Sister's Grandfather's Barber's Taxidermist had one and it always caught on fire". Sometimes the rouge gallery of the internet gets pretty bad as well with their comments. 

 Sometimes though, you can't even escape the negative comments from Corvair owners themselves.

Through most of the online brand specific communities, there is a lot of arm chair warriors that think that what they say needs to be heard. I have seen some really foul things get said to other owners because they have a car that's customized or isn't stock. I have seen people say things to other owners that have scared off people from seeking help. It really does suck sometimes. If you try to do something different, people get bent out of shape. You want to start a side business for your particular car to help out your fellow marque owner? Well you're going to get told that there is no money in doing it and they are going to be so negative, that you will decide it's not worth it. This is why I don't frequent the online forums very much anymore.

Picture Courtesy of Steve Morton

That being said, there are a lot of good comments and stories and they usually outweigh the bad. The Corvair is not much different than any other classic car, but it seems like Corvairs spark memories like no other car I have experienced. They were cheap enough new that many people bought them as their first car and many people remember riding around their parents Lakewood wagon or Greenbrier Van. People don't forget when it was their first car in High School or College. There is always that heartbreaking story of someone who sold their car right before they went off into the military. They seem to be never ending and that's not a bad thing, it's always good to know that something as ordinary as a car, can remind people of a good memory.

 I enjoy owning an orphaned marque. I have nothing against the Camaros and Mustangs of the world, but they just aren't my cup of tea, I always enjoy things that aren't mainstream. If you gave me a choice between A and B, I'm most likely going to look for Q.  The people are usually pretty awesome. They are helpful and you are usually guaranteed to find someone hoarding parts or lend you a hand when you are stuck in that rut of fixing your car. You find out quick that you're not the only one trying to preserve the past for future generations or want to see your car on the road.

Speaking of which, I need to get this damn car on the road.