<VV> sagging convertibles

[Tony Underwood]

At 12:26 hours 07/14/2004 -0400, mopar@jbcs2.net wrote:
>As far as saleability, a Convertible sells easiest, prices fluctuate
>depending on condition. If a Convertible needs a new top, figure value is
>minimal $700 less. A Corsa is desireable as it is the performance version
>and has more "spirited" drivability into it. Options do not mean as much as
>you might think. 
>Watch for body sag on convertibles, the narroweing of the door jambs.


Remember...  it's the widening of the door jambs in Vair ragtops that you
see when the body is starting to sag.    Corvair convertibles sag the
opposite way.   The rear of the car is heavier than the center passenger
area and the weight of the driveline causes the back half of the body to
droop, causing the channel between the door and rear fender to widen...
depending of course upon where the worst weakening of the unibody actually
occurs.   The majority of the basketcase Vair ragtops I've seen (which
still had drivelines in them) seemed to droop rearward.    


Of course one can get a good idea of how rigid a Vair ragtop body still is
by how badly your left arm gets pinched if you're longlegged and you push
the seat all the way back and then drape your left arm back across the
joint between the door and rear fender... such as what happens when backing
up and you twist around to the left to see where you're going... and roll
over some dips and bumps going in and out of a bumpy driveway.      Lates
tend to be worse than earlies.   My Corsa ragtop remains pretty stiff...
but the '66 Monza ragtop my brother used to have really needed some work on
the bottom.    



tony..