History
Bernie Pringle is the owner of this convertible. Currently it is the earliest car in the registry known to have survived!
Bernie related what he knew of the car's history:
"As far as I know, it was ordered by the Chevrolet dealer in downtown Calgary and was then taken as a driver by the dealer's wife. The car was later sold to Al Cutler, who did the original Crown conversion, after toasting the engine driving back from Edmonton to Calgary.
The car won a number of shows and was driven to Mexico and back. Al sold it to a friend of his and he sold it to me. It was written up in the CORSA magazine sometime in the early '70s; maybe 1972."
Information from the tags
Vehicle identification tag
- Vehicle ID number: 610767000163 (6 = 1966 model year, 10767 = model [Corsa convertible], 000163 = 163rd Corvair built in Oshawa that year)
Body tag
- Body number: 260074 (74th Corvair body built in Oshawa that year)
- Build build date: 08/09/65, first shift
- Paint: Regal Red (code R)
- Top: White (code 10)
- Trim: Red (code 740)
- Options: power top (code C06), turbocharger (code L87), 4-speed transmission (code M20)
Other codes
- Engine code: Unknown at this time (Original engine is gone)
- Transmission code: Unknown at this time
- Differential code: Unknown at this time
- Alternator code: Unknown at this time
- Starter code: Unknown at this time
- Distributor code: Unknown at this time
- Carburetor code: Unknown at this time
- Turbo serial number: Unknown at this time
- Voltage regulator code: Unknown at this time
- Ignition coil code: Unknown at this time
- Convertible top rear window: 765 (7 = July, 65 = 1965)
Build sheet information
Unknown at this time.
Information from GM Canada archives
The summary sheet verifies the information contained on the VIN tag and body tag and provides the original engine code. The summary also contains a few pieces of information not found anywhere else:
- Options (not found on body tag): Unknown at this time
- Production date: Unknown at this time
- Shipping date: Unknown at this time
- Delivered to dealer: Unknown at this time
Pictures
Early 1970s, with previous owner Al Cutler
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Bernie related, "If you look in old CORSA magazines from about 1972 or so, there is an article titled 'Al Cutler's mighty Corv-8' or something like that. I would like to get a copy of that article too. I think this picture was in this article."
1986, with new owner Bernie Pringle
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Bernie related, "I took this picture soon after I bought the car in 1986, on my first trip with it."
June 1999: California trip
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On the rooftop at the Lake Tahoe convention in 1999.
13 May 2002: Engine work
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Pulling the engine to get it ready for Corvairitis Treatment Day 2002.
03, 20, & 28 July and 06 August 2013: Complete restoration underway
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Bernie explained, "I hope to have the car ready for the CORSA convention in Tacoma in July, 2014. The body work is being done by Tim Kennedy at TKO Hot Rods and Customs. All of the finish was removed, including days of manually chipping out the undercoating."
23 August and 28 September 2013: Painting begins
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Bernie explained, "The project is waiting for me to take it home and start reinstalling mechanical components. Final paint will go on after the mechanical work is done."