<VV> Re: Survey: How Many Made It Home? (long)

[Dale Dewald]

Let's see...there's quite a few...

1978: Purchased 1966 Corsa from a college student about 10 miles from home 
(Ludington, MI) No problems.  I eventually did a working restoration of 
this car and drove it about 90,000 miles before rust cancer ate some 
critical structural areas.  I still have the hulk.  Interestingly, my rust 
repaired areas held up to 6+ years of year-round Midwest salt and crud.
Score = Y

1986: Purchased 1965 500 sedan (w/ 35k miles, 110/PG, no radio) from little 
old lady in Florida while on vacation. Drove home 1100 miles to central IL 
with wife following in 66 Corsa.  Changed oil at 100 miles into trip. Only 
problem was howling positraction axle--found two different brand/size tires 
on rear.  Had oil change place swap tires--problem solved.
Score = Y (qualified)

1988: Purchased 1962 8-door Greenbrier. Drove from Springfield to 
Champaign, IL Started and ran well but engine got very hot.  Finally 
discovered cylinder deflectors missing--motor cooked pretty good.
Score = Y (qualified)

1990: Acquired from college student 1963 Greenbrier.  Most rust-free 
original FC I have ever seen but badly beat up, (I eventually plan to 
restore this one), '65 110 car engine/PG.  Had a mysterious "squeak" in 
engine but otherwise ran great.  I used this van for daily commuting for 
about a year then loaded it to the roof when we moved from IL to the Upper 
Peninsula of MI.  Drove for about a year here before the head gasket 
blew...awaiting restoration.
Score = Y +

1995: Purchased 1965 Corsa from seller on IL/WI border.  Wife did not want 
to drive separate on trip home so this one was trailered.
Score: none but would probably have been Y.

1997: Purchased 1964 Greenbrier through Communique in Sacramento, CA.  Flew 
out and drove home 2200+ miles in 3 days.  Engine was beginning to run a 
bit rough near end (points worn) but I pressed on regardless.  This 
Greenbrier was sold to Jim Forgey of CT in 2004.  He flew to Detroit and 
drove it home with only a minor throttle linkage problem (misadjustment).
Score = Y+ [me],  Y [Jim Forgey]

1999: Wife bought 1965 Monza at Detroit Homecoming. She it drove home 
following our '64 Greenbrier, 625 miles.  No problems at all.
Score = Y

2004: Purchased 1965 Greenbrier from Steve Laser.  Shipped by enclosed 
transport. Only drove 8 miles from D/O point to home (on a February 
evening; 13F), huge Burst-O-Fuzz from heater/defroster, but no mechanical 
problems.
Score = Y

Dale Dewald
Hancock, (UP) MI

At 12:44 PM 5/29/05 -0400, Joseph Potts wrote:
<snip>
>      Everybody think about the last Corvair they tried to drive home from
>the place where they acquired it (as JR did, and I tried to). Did the car
>make it back under its own power? Three possible answers: Y: yes - made it
>with no more attention than gas, oil, and air. N: switched to tow truck,
>flatbed, or other external source of power. S: sort of: the vehicle either
>broke down or appeared as though it would break down, requiring mechanical
>attention of one sort or another on the trip home.