<VV> Short Fall Carlisle Report

Bill Elliott corvair at fnader.com
Thu Oct 4 17:43:33 EDT 2007


I played hooky for a few hours this afternoon and went for a walk around 
Fall Carlisle. The weather was beautiful (unlike the typically cold and 
wet fall weather) and looks like it will stay that way throughout the 
show. So if you haven't been in a while, now is the time to go.

Not a lot to report from a Corvair angle. The blue '65 sedan was there 
again, still priced at $1850. I think this is the 6th show I've seen it at?

Outside Gate 1 (up the street towards Gate 2) was a decent looking '65 
convertible. Reported to be an "older restoration" in black/ burgundy 
interior... the paint left something to be desired and there were some 
disturbing rust bubbles behind the front wheels which would bear further 
investigation, but overall it looked like a possibility for a driver. 
Price was $6800 or so... soft I sensed.

Inside the most interesting non-Corvair but semi-Corvair related car 
that you never ever see was a very nice '78 Monza hatchback with the 
four horizontal headlamps, factory 305 and a 4 speed. You just never see 
these H bodies any more and never the combo of the sleek front end, V8, 
and manual trans. (This one looked stock outside, but had a full cage 
inside (along with a completely restored factory interior) and I suspect 
more than the stock 150hp 305 under the bonnet. Beautiful paint (blue 
met), nice trim, period alloys correctly restored... just a very nice 
car overall. If anything the professionally built cage 
detracted...that's how nice the car was otherwise.  Price was a 
tantalizing $5500 and it was drawing a crowd.I don't know why you don't 
see more of these attractive cars...

Not many Corvair parts on display for sale, but I can settle the old 
argument of what's worth more, 13" hubcaps (because they are more rare) 
or 14" hubcaps  (less rare, but fit more cars). Vendor (on row IH for 
anyone interested) had two NOS sets of mag hubcaps (my favorite 
hubcap)... a 13" set and a 14" set. 13's were priced at an awesome $200 
(I would have bought them at that but my only steel wheeled Corvair is 
running 14's) and the 14's at a  number more in line with what I've seen 
before... $800.

I did not go through the car corral carefully... just sort of grazed 
around the edges, so I may have missed some Corvairs there. But with the 
regular announcements for "recycled car corral" ticket holders to report 
for their space assignments, cars seemed to be moving much more quickly 
than years past.

Overall, I sensed a general softening of the extreme prices I've been 
seeing at shows lately. The Monza was one example, but today there were 
TWO nicely restored Ford rumble seat roadsters (one factory 4, one 
tastefully rodded), each under $20k. No way you could restore either car 
for that... the understated rod being a real bargain in my book.  Unlike 
a lot of shows lately where anything attractive was $30k or over, $20k 
would have given you your choice of several very nice and desirable 
cars... still makes you happy to be a Corvair guy where nice cars are 
but a fraction of even those lowish numbers...

I had planned to go back on Saturday morning... almost afraid to. If 
that Monza hasn't sold and the guy reduces the price again, I'll be in 
danger of "automotively wronging" my wife! ;-)

Bill


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