So what's the deal?

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toytron
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So what's the deal?

Post by toytron »

Ok so this might be a stupid question or maybe not.
What is the big deal about where the car was assembled? I mean why is Willow Run all the rage to have had your car built at? Did they assemble the cars better? Did they put in gold plated parts? Is it strictly a numbers game? Does it make the car more enjoyable to drive?

Maybe somebody could enlighten me as to why a vehicle with the same options built at let's say Los Angeles is not as desirable as the same car built at Willow Run.

Just asking. Not trying to stir the pot.[emoji451]

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Re: So what's the deal?

Post by 66vairguy »

And here I always thought Los Angeles cars were more desirable. A lot of them resided in better climates and tend to have less rust problems now.
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Re: So what's the deal?

Post by davemotohead »

LA cars are better, Canada cars are more rare, Willow run cars are the Norm.
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Re: So what's the deal?

Post by azdave »

I would call it a more a matter of pride (that some people prefer one build location over the other) but for instance, a Canadian built Corsa 180 is much more rare than the same from Willow Run and collectors think that is special and worth more. Some Corvairs were assembled in Sweden too and of course FC's in St Louis. I don't really care where it was built because it is far more important what happened during the rest of its life.
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Re: So what's the deal?

Post by Ragtop Man »

The others here all nailed it . LA , well Van Nuys really , has been more desirable from my observations because of rust as one stated but also there were fewer of them I believe. I just passed on a nice LA 4 door not far from me although it had been completely changed color wise. It's still listed on the Panama City CL but he also has it on the LA CL. I'm not sure where you heard Willow Run is all the rage . How did you get that idea ?
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Re: So what's the deal?

Post by toytron »

I have read it on at least one of the forums. I don't have the comment(s) in front of me but it has stuck in my mind. I wondered that because I have seen breakdown numbers before too.

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Re: So what's the deal?

Post by 64powerglide »

I have a friend who has been a car salesman all his life, he's now 73. He moved the New Smyrna Beach Florida 30 years ago & he told me never buy a Florida car or any place close to the ocean. He said the cars there rust from the inside out. :dontknow:
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Re: So what's the deal?

Post by bbodie52 »

:woo: :dontknow:
I suppose if you live in a New England state near the coast, or in New York, New Jersey, etc. near the ocean you can enjoy a certain peace of mind knowing that your classic car is probably rotting equally from the inside and the outside from exposure to ocean air salt as well as road salt in the winter! The West Coast states seem to have less problem with snow along the Pacific coastline, so living along the Pacific coast would bring more body rot from the inside out. We could choose to live in the desert and avoid the whole decay and death by salt issue, while our car interior decays at an accelerated rate because of heat and sunshine. Or you can live in Kansas or some other central portion of the country and only have to worry about golf ball sized hail damage, tornado damage, or something like that.

And then there's always the hidden fear that your classic car may have migrated to different points of the compass over the decades. But such movement might promote symmetry and decay in a more balanced way — maybe even a coat of P A T I N A! ::-): And then there is the damage caused by owners who park their cars outdoors, instead of providing a nice garage to live in. But if you live in snow country and park your car at night in a heated garage, that may accelerate road salt damage as the frozen slush that is attached to your car from driving it melts overnight and activates the salt!

Ultimately, the manufacturer's plant location code on the body tag and VIN presupposes the worst possible treatment by previous owners in hostile environments, without taking into account positive treatment by owners who regularly bathe their cars, keep them garaged and stored in the winter to prevent exposure to road salt, or live in the desert and keep them undercover to prevent sun damage.

I would guess that owner attitude and good practices in maintaining the cars over the years has a much greater impact than the manufacturer production location. The production code location is only one very small factor in a large stack of other factors that must be carefully evaluated when buying a used classic Corvair. The biggest hazards would seem to be excessive enthusiasm for owning a classic car that leaves the buyer seeing the world through "rose colored glasses" :cool: during the purchase process, coupled with an unrealistic overdose of "I can fix that" when taking on the purchase of a "garage queen" that may end up depressing the owner and then sitting for decades in a garage, barn, or field when the owner loses interest and tries to forget the whole thing! One of the best cures and preventative measures for avoiding such problems may very well be asking for multiple third-party opinions of prospective purchases from CORSA and Corvair Forum Corvair aficionados to try to dampen the emotional cloud that can cause Corvair buyers to be saddled with an overwhelming and costly restoration project that is beyond their capabilities!

:angry: :whoa: :eek: :doh:
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Re: So what's the deal?

Post by Gearfinger »

I can speak a bit about Florida cars. Spent the '80's in Palm Beach County as an auto tech. Coastal FLA cars rot from everywhere salt air touches. Inland cars rot from upper horizontal surfaces down, tops, cowls, top of door and fender, hood and trunk lid and seal channels.

But you can work on brakes and exhaust without a torch or needing to replace everything you touch...
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