<VV> Oldest Known Cave Corvair

[peter koehler]

Hi Group, Now we're talking about cool early model Corvair 
stuff instead of some of the "other" topics that I just 
delete due to lack of interest/Corvair content. Dave 
Newell is the master of production dates. He helped me 
learn all about this start up stuff way back when. So far 
back that I have forgotten most of it now! Sorry. Dave's 
book, "The (In) Complete Corvair History does a good job 
of describing what we have been talking about here. I know 
that my Canadian 500 sedan #236 was probably built the 2nd 
day of Canadian production at Oshawa. I have the info 
somewhere, but if one of our Canadian friends (Stan 
East??) could fill in the gap as to the actual 1st day of 
production that would be great. Another small issue with 
figuring the build date from Fisher Body tags; they didn't 
start stamping the month and week numbers on the tags 
until some time after at least the Willow Run start up on 
July 9, 1959. A final note: the earliest Coravirs were all 
4 door sedans from Willow Run. The first 500 or so had 
external horn slots in the panel below the front bumper on 
the driver's side. There were indentations for the same 
slots on the right hand side - but no slots. This set up 
worked poorly and the design was changed with the next 
shipment of steel and front panels. I've only seen two or 
three Corvairs with these slots. They are the Holy Grail 
for any true blue Caveman. Yes, of course I want one! The 
late Dr. Gerald Flynn of Dexter, Michigan had the earliest 
Corvair - a green 500 sedan with the external slots and 
serial # of 407. Hopefully his son, Bryce (a Corvair 
enthusiast in his own right) or a family member will make 
the trip to Buffalo with this fine automobile that was 
lovingly restored by Dr. Flynn and brought to many Corvair 
events in the Midwest over the years. Yes, I wanted to buy 
the car from him. He never said he wouldn't sell it - but 
he wanted $50k or no sale. I "let" him keep it. - Caveman 
Pete