<VV> Correct paint schemes for 1963

[Tony Underwood]

At 07:30 hours 10/19/2004 -0700, cwiland@zzz.com wrote:
>  It's been awhile since I think I read it in Dave 
>Newell's book but I painted my '63 Monza convertible's 
>engine area body color, based on the information he 
>presented narrowing the switch from body color to 
>semi-gloss black to around the second week of April 
>production.

This may well be true... but a LOT of '63 Vairs rolled out of the line
before then.   I'd wager the vast majority of '63s have body color engine
bays.   

> My car's build date (from the "cowl" tag on 
>the rear frame rail in engine bay) was actually incredibly 
>close to this date, so I likely could have colored it 
>either way.    

In any event, body color will get you those points in concourse.   

>I actually prefer the body color set against 
>the black engine shrouding so that was my choice. I'm 
>fairly certain all Spyders recieved the black.   

Nope.   I've had two of those Spyders and they both had body color engine
bays ('63s).  Likewise the '63 red Spyder that a friend and I pulled off a
mountain and was restored to outstanding condition and is now a concourse
winner.   It had a red engine bay and it was 100% original before it was
meticulously restored... still has a red engine bay.   Likewise, the '62
Spyder I had which also had a red engine bay.    Another guy in the local
chapter has a '62 Spyder, one owner, with a white engine bay, as did the
white '62 ragtop Spyder we got from the same mountain top as the red one.
Of ALL the '63 Corvairs I've owned and are currently in the local
chapter/club, they all have body color engine bays.   I'm not claiming that
very late production '63s didn't go to black (the '64 model year Vairs
did), just that the vast majority of the ones made earlier all had body
color engine bays, whether they were Spyders or not.    


>Then there 
>were the Canadian production cars which I haven't a clue 
>about!

I don't see many Canadian Vairs, but it's my understanding that all earlies
had body color engine bays.  



tony..