<VV> 500's --> 'period cars' and 'product placement' ?

Charles Lee Chaz at ProperProPer.com
Mon May 10 03:10:58 EDT 2010


My particular favorite was the 1957 T-bird in and early "Andy Griffith Show" 
situated in rural Mayberry, NC, in the 50s.

The cars (all Fords) are interesting, but the most interesting was the 1957 
T-bird that idles past in the background, back and forth and back and forth, 
in several scenes.

I guess Ford was more interested in showing off their 'star' than they were 
concerned about appropriate product placement.

Maybe the Mayor of Mt Pilate (sp ?) was visiting that day ?  (He never 
stopped though, just drove back and forth through the whole show.)

I like Perry Mason for the same reason, but '57 Skyliners, '58 Edsels and 
T-Bird "horizontal juke boxes" and '59 Lincolns fit better in a show about 
lawyers than in Mayberry. At least their cop cars weren't Sunliners or 
Country Squires !

What shows had Chevy products where they 'placed' Corvairs ?  77 Sunset 
Strip ?

Makes me wonder where those cars are now ?

Charlie


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Corbin" <airvair at earthlink.net>
To: <bub049 at comcast.net>; <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 4:16 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> 500's


>I started the 500 thread because the 500's, 700's, and 4doors are the
> Rodney Dangerfield of the Corvair world. I merely stated the thinking of
> the vast majority of people in the car hobby.
>
> Pity the poor movie set decorator who has to round up vintage cars to
> decorate the set in a period piece movie. Most of the available cars are
> usually high-line, highly optioned cars. Certainly not what would have 
> been
> typically found crusing your average city streets. It's interesting
> watching such movies and noting all the vintage cars (usually in the
> background.) Usually fender skirts and continental kits abound. Where are
> all the pedestrian plain-Jane cars that were so common back then?
>
> It's like the listings in Hemmings. Take for instance one of my favorite
> cars, the '67 Chevelle 4door hardtop. Look in Hemmings and you'd think 
> that
> all the Chevelles they ever produced were 2door hardtops and convertibles,
> and mostly in SS396 trim. Occasionally a 4door wagon may pop up. But 
> almost
> never do 2door sedans, 4door sedans, or 4door hardtops ever show up. Even
> El Caminos are hard to find, and they're one of the more collectable
> models.
>
> Same goes for the Corvair. So where have all the 500's, 700's, and 4doors
> gone? They're really hard to find, because most of them were used up as
> beaters, stripped to save high-line cars, or customized beyond recognition
> (as a 500, etc.) After all, "nobody wants them", the prevailing thoughts
> go. I've heard people say "I strip out 4doors to save coupes." Heck, what
> we DON'T need are more coupes. They made three times as many coupes as
> 4doors. Yet it happens all the time. I've even had people come up to me
> (when I was showing my 4door) and say that they didn't know they made
> 4doors. I tell them "When they first started building them, that's ALL 
> they
> made!"
>
> People who show cars want a car that says "look at me." A 500 or a 4door,
> they think, will bore the public to tears. So the vast majority seek out
> high-line, highly-optioned coupes and convertables. Maybe everybody's
> missing something here. Maybe you can get attention with a 500 or a 4door,
> because (by now) people don't realize that they made such beasts.
> Certainly, you'd have little competition, amid a field overrun with
> high-line coupes and convertibles.
>
> Like wire wheel covers, for example. At one convention, I counted about 14
> cars in the stock classes. All but two had wires on them. Great looking
> bling. But why, when most Corvairs came with the stock, base issue wheel
> cover.
>
> I posted the initial thread just to point out the prevailing mentality,
> which I think is a shameful attitude. People think that everyone else 
> wants
> coupes. Well, not EVERYone does. I love 4doors. And some people want 
> 500's.
> Too bad so many people sacrifice the scarce to save the common.
>
> -Mark
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: <bub049 at comcast.net>
>> Subject: Re: <VV> 500's
>>
> Oh sure just as I'm about to latch on to a 60 "500" they are out of
> popularity, but wait some of you may know this car, it won the Cole award
> at the 91
> convention and is  Canadian built, body #236. Still mostly original. Not
> in
> my possession yet but soon, and yes it is a "stripper", and I love it for
> that. Ed in Fla"
>
> Ed,
>
> If any "500" is in your hands, it will be or become a beauty! I've seen
> your cars!
>
> As long as you are "coming out of the closet", I will also admit to having
> a 500. Mine is a "Little Old Lady" '63 coupe with 1 option: Powerglide. I
> bought it from her estate with 43,000 on the clock. Unfortunately, she
> didn't take very good care of it, hence it lurks in my pole barn until I
> get time to make her shine.
>
> I didn't mention my 500 before, because, like my loaded 62 Monza Sedan, I
> feel bad when IÂ hear that 500's are worthless or make good parts cars 
> just
> like early sedans are lesser than late sedans. You know what I mean.
> Anyhow, I congratulate your purchase of this '60 and can't wait to see
> pictures of it! You have great taste and supurb talent with making cars
> look awesome!
>
> Too old for a flame suit.
>
> Bob Johnston
> Frostbite Falls, MN
> CORSA since '72
>
>
>


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