morly1963

who built the blue car? i'm trying to get up to speed here

19539

My Dad did, several years ago, he has also built a red one. Some guys hate his guts on this forum, and talk alot of crap, which isn't what this hobby was suppose to be. He doesn't connect with them anymore. I believe 4 or 5 Corvairs have been built by 3 different people.

If you want to talk to him PM me and I'll give you his number.

csherman

Brett Henderson built the molds and panels for Rogers car. The trunk on Rogers car opens from the rear - as the mold would not allow for the trunk to open up normally. Brett since has remade his molds, allowing the trunk to open normally and raised the roof line to better align with was built by GM in the 50's - Brett is currently making a car for Mike Terry to replicate the Corvair as best and as accurate as possible.

csherman

Hmmm not so fast.....Why are the photos soooooo close up - where did the photos come from? - post photos the source of these photos, book? or other.....these photos are too close and not sure they are of the same car.......sorry....not proved yet....

groovyjay

Thanks for the forensic evidence. I'm going to hold my surprise a little longer. Can we please see the pics of the red car roger build? I just can't get enough of these cars and looking for motivation to keep my Corvair funds going.

vettebuyer6369

Pending review

savewave

I'm not as familiar with the background as some of you, but this strikes me as being round two (or more) of a pissin' match between two rival restorers who are non-supporting vendors at Corvetteforum and their friends, customers or supporters.

You are welcome to discuss early Corvettes, their restoration and history but must do so without hostility or personal attacks.

If your post is missing in this thread, it is because you were in conflict with site rules. There may be some remaining posts that borderline qualify for removal.

scopeli

I think you did the right thing in removing the posts, and in addition I believe post #7 needs to be removed.

savewave

Missed that one.

scopeli

better, but what you deleted is still in the new #7

19539

The car already built was built back in 2008 and no molds were used on the car except the ones built by my Dad. He built it and took it to Carlisle as car 198 of 1954 to show John Kennedy. Here he is pictured with the car.

John meant alot to Dad and many others.

19539

On Dad's car number 2151 as he refers to it and it is EX129 with documentation it is coming along very well. He has the paint on it and is putting it back together. He still has to get some of the chrome replated, but it looks very nice. Here is a picture of some historic value that some early corvette enthusiast will enjoy.

Notice the ES129 3 on the windshield.

66jack

am i mistaken the ES129 looks like a 'convertible' not a motorama car...

19539

You are absolutely correct and a little wrong. Car 3, 8,and 9 were given to engineering to do prototype work. They were not given to the public and had unusual things done to them. 129 was a styling car, but was an early 53 body, that is why it has deck and trunk hinges like this. It is also a one piece body under it which makes it one of the first 15 bodies made.

It use to be thought that the 55 motorama car was a 54 and Noland Adams even wrote this in his book. Upon closer examination and alot of reasearch we now know it differently. Car 2151 is a convertible, but has a trunk much like that of the Corvair and 2 different hoods, one with a scoope and one without. (It was actually pictured like that back in early 54.

groovyjay

EX129 was an facelift exercise that was started after the Christmas holidays in 53 and completed early March 54. Different hood, mesh grill, fake fender louvers and corvairish trunk were some of the visible changes.

Loren Smith

Neat stuff, thanks for sharing. For the History Buff in me, which 53 # is your best guess the body originally came from, if it was one of the first 15? It would make sense that Chevy moved the bodies around here and there from the frames of the first few cars, as done on #2 and #3, and the body of 2151 came from one of these early cars. Also, what is the VIN on the frame, tag and title? I'm guessing your title and VIN plate says EX129, if it is anything like EX87 and EX122:

Tyler Townsley

You are also a little right and a little wrong. EX129 is not ES129 3. Before you make any more assertions on the 1953 cars I recommend you wait and read Ken Kayser's book on the 1953s. He has done extensive research at the Tech Center and traced all the early cars from the start until they were destroyed or sold etc.

What is the VIN # of the 2151 car your father is talking about?
The first 15 cars were not 'one piece bodies' the only 'one piece bodies' refer to the 4 cars built by Fisher Body of which 1 burned, one was retained by FB and 2 became Motorama cars. Ken also addresses the fate of those cars and the real story of EX122.

Tyler

SebringBill

What Tyler said...

19539

Interesting, where can I buy his book, I would love to see what he says about my dad's car, maybe he talks about it in the book and maybe he has pictures of it.

Loren Smith

http://www.tachometerpress.com/bookdetail.asp?book=72

Required reading - an amazing reference! I doesn't deal just with fuel injection stuff, it tells the whole story, much of it never discussed elsewhere before.