<VV> re: Thomas/Roe archeology I

[Ed Connolly]

Hi Warren,
Thought it would be a good idea to post my answer, so the group can add to
the record. As you know, I bought the car from Doug in 1981 as a bare shell:
no mechanical or suspension components whatsoever, except the original rear
crossmember with aluminum mounting bushings, the 15-in. American Racing
(heavy!)magnesium wheels, and the fabricated rear motor mount. Doug told me
he had not raced it since 1971 or '72. An old friend of his who lived in NY
State delivered the shell from Arizona to New Jersey, where it was grit
blasted and cosmetically restored. I took a job in San Francisco in 1983,
and the restored shell was maneuvered into the middle of a Bekins van for
the cross-country move. I kept it in the garage at my first house in Palo
Alto, before renting space in a vintage-racing facility in Santa Clara.
While parts were accumulated, I intensively researched and documented the
fabulous history of the car, which you have and to which you are undoubtedly
adding the most-renown chapter yet. For example, you have the letter from
Paul Prior, who with Vince Piggins headed the GM factory racing program
during the 1960's, documenting the relationship with Bill Thomas who built
the car under contract with the program (it was constructed and raced by
Mike Jones, who worked for Bill). Mike has had a brilliant career, was a
fine host and was very kind to part with his collection of professional B&W
photos of the car in West Coast sedan races. BTW, Mike in the Corvair
out-qualified Jimmy Clark at a sedan race in Oregon, who was driving a
factory Lotus Cortina, but the Corvair broke a piston during the race. We
should tell the group that your car started life as the one and only Bill
Thomas racer, as pictured and described in How to Hotrod Corvair Engines and
dozens of magazines, including Hot Rod. Much of the publicity resulted from
the efforts of Betty Skelton, who was an executive on the Chevrolet account
at Campbell Ewald agency, as her letter documents.  The car has always been
a racer since new after Bill's wife drove it in stock form for two weeks.
Doug transferred from Rochester Div. to Prior's performance program in the
very early '60's, bought the car from Thomas circa 1964, and accelerated its
development on his own.  BTW, to my knowledge Doug prepared and raced three
early Corvairs: yours, his original white 1960 also pictured in the Fisher
book, and a blue off-road rally car I saw in his shop, which had a
retractable fifth wheel in case of a flat.  More in next email....

Ed Connolly
Wallkill, NY
'61 3-liter 140 turbo


From: virtualvairs-admin@corvair.org [mailto:virtualvairs-admin@corvair.org]
On Behalf Of Levair@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 2:10 PM
To: virtualvairs@corvair.org
Cc: fastvair@yahoogroups.com; Yenko108@hotmail.com; Ricebugg@mtco.com
Subject: <VV> Car archaeology

all,

I am about ready to present the Bill Thomas/Doug Roe 1960 competition
Corvair 
at the Feb 26 Performace workshop in Dayton, OH..
   I feel like an archaelogist digging up bones to find out things about
this 
car. Every new bone makes me wonder what this or that alteration meant. 
   To refresh your memory, the car was featured in March 1969 Hot Rod and in

the back of the Bill Fisher " How to Hot Rod Corvairs. It was also featured
in 
the Hugh MacInnes 'How to select and install Turbochargers.
   The Cactus Corvair club did an extensive restoration on this car for the 
1987 Montery Historics.
  I would appreciate any information or stories about this car even if you 
think that it is insignificant. I visitied with Doug Roe in Monterey in '87,
but 
was probably too awe struck to ask the right questions.
   I have extensive documentation and direct mechanical evidence(bones) . 
What I need is interesting anecdotes.
   I am especially interested in what happened (if anything) between 1972
and 
1986 and between 1988 and 2003. 
   My mechanical restoration ( I received it as a rolling shell)  will be to

the March 1969 Hot Rod articles plus absolutely necessary updates to make it

legal for the track. 
   Please help. Time is of the essence.
Warren LeVeque
4657 No. St. Rd 9
Anderson, In 46012
317/643-9290
Levair@aol.com
 _______________________________________________
This message was sent by the VirtualVairs mailing list, all copyrights are
the property
of the writer, please attribute properly. For help,
mailto:vv-help@corvair.org
This list sponsored by the Corvair Society of America,
http://www.corvair.org/
Post messages to: VirtualVairs@corvair.org
List info: http://www.vv.corvair.org/mailman/listinfo/virtualvairs 
 _______________________________________________