My Elinor

’62 Monza GT

 

Chapter One:  The Chance Encounter

 

Hello to all CORSA members!  My name is Curtis Henken, Vice President of the Capital City Corvair Club in Madison, WI.  This is my story of a chance meeting with the infamous 1962 Monza GT Corvair.

 

I work as a Front Desk Agent at the Sheraton in Brookfield.  I arrived at work July 28th only to be greeted by 10 to 15 Chevrolet Vega Cosworths.  Unknown to me, it was their yearly convention and the Sheraton was the host hotel.  Trailer queen after trailer queen rolled in and I soon was bombarded with a list of over 190 guests checking in.  (not all with the Vega association)

 

Later that day an older guy comes up to the desk and asks a question about his room, he also mentions that he’s with the Vega Cosworth group.  He immediately decides that I am too young to know what a Vega is.  Well he didn’t know with whom he was dealing with!  I said to him, “It just so happens that I am the Vice President of the Madison Corvair club!”.  Taken back, his eyes grew huge and he yells, “I used to have a Corvair!!!”.  He grabs my hand and starts talking about the past.  Mean while there are about 7 to 10 guests witnessing this spectacle, not to mention my manager.

 

Soon I was trying to hurry the guy along, so as not to be yelled at later by my boss.  Just before he gets done telling me stories he lets out that GM is going to be delivering the first and second Vega ever produced from their collection, along with two others.  Of course any time you get to see a GM collection in your own back yard, you must to pay your respects.  This is where the story takes a huge detour!!!

 

It’s the next day, Friday July 29th.  The Vegas are still rolling in. Thirty to Thirty-five cars are expected to attend this year’s convention.  Meanwhile I’m on my daily room check to see if anyone on my list had checked out and had not notified the front desk (please do not do this if you stay in hotels, thanks).  I’m on the 6th floor in the stairwell, looking threw the window that overlooks the west side of the parking lot that has been reserved for the convention and the GM tent.  I expect to see four GM Vegas under the tent.  I glance down and immediately notice a strangely familiar front end poking out.  With a heart stopping, “NO WAY!!!”, I ran down stairs out into the parking lot, and there it was!!!  The fabled 1962 Monza GT Corvair!

 

I turn to the gentlemen sitting in front of the car and ask, “What is this doing here?” The man replies, “It was ordered by accident.” He then tried to go on about what it was, but I stopped him in mid-sentence and told him that I am the VP of the Corvair club in Madison, and that I knew what it was!  Needless to say he was as shocked as I was, but for totally different reasons.

 

We got to talking and he told me that there was 3 “Monzas” on the car list and he had checked the wrong one.  (oh darn!!!)  So I told him that there was also a Corvair club in Milwaukee, and both clubs would love to see it.  He replied, let me know when they get here and we’ll take it out for them.  Overjoyed, I returned to the front desk and e-mailed everyone I knew that may want to come out.

 

I bet you thought the story ends there, it’s doesn’t! 

 

I come back a few times to visit, the last time I was on my break.  They had already packed up the 3 Vegas and only had the GT sitting there.  What a chance!  Now I get to hear them drive it too!!!  Well, I would have been thrilled just to see it drive onto the trailer, but the guy from GM grabs me and says, “get in!”.  I exclaimed, “What? Who?, ME?!?!?”.   He replied, “Yes you, GET IN!”.  Blown away, I get myself together and hop in the passenger side.  (it’s funny, It has a bench seat)  Getting in I trip on the fire extinguisher bolted just before the seat on my side and pretty much fall gracefully into the car.  They lower the top and we are off!  I initially thought the driver was going to just drive it into the trailer, but he veers right and takes off down the parking lot!!!  At the end he almost loses it and I remark, “don’t drop a valve seat!”.  He laughs and we careen around the corner, eventually stopping at the back of the trailer.  I get out with the biggest grin ever, and the guys by the tent point and laugh.  I didn’t care, my Elinor just took me for a ride!

 

Once back at the tent the care-taker tells me that I need to come back tomorrow and get pictures of me in it so that all of you would believe me.  Shucks!  I have to come back!  You guys believe me, right?  If not, pictures are on the last page.

 

What will tomorrow bring???  More after this commercial break!

 

Chapter Two:  The Buzz of a Lifetime

 

Returning today, July 30th, I brought along a camera and my wife.  I was going to be sure that this would be documented for years to come.

 

We arrive at the Sheraton around 10:15am and greeted the group that I had met the day before.  All six cars were already under the tent and opened up.  We took pictures and stood around talking to the gang for about an hour or so.  The gentleman in charge of the convention, who also works for GM, told us that if we could stay around they could move the GT out from under the tent and we could take pictures in the sun light.  He went on to say that the Vega group was leaving for Lake Geneva to go auto crossing anyway.

 

Well one by one the Vegas rumbled off and soon they started putting away the five other cars that were brought.  Which included the Corvega, the first vega ever produced, the first Cosworth Vega, and the 2004 Sema Cobalt SS and Saturn Ion Red Line.  They left the GT for last. 

 

Mean while we met John Romppainen from the Milwaukee Corvair Club.  I had notified Ed Thompson, of the MCC, that the GT was in town and that night he announced it at their monthly meeting.  I was surprised that anyone was able to see it at such short notice, and was very glad to meet John.

 

Once the last of the five cars where on the truck the driver came over and said to me, “Okay Curtis, are you ready?”.  Naturally I thought, “SWEET! Another ride!”.  To my great surprise, he gets in the passenger side!!!  Initially I’m speechless and can’t believe what’s happening.  Then, once again, I gather myself and climb, no, force myself into the drivers seat.  Not much room for a 6’2” guy!  My right leg was crammed up against the steering wheel and the shifter pinned it from the other side.  Thank God I’m a skinny toothpick!

 

The first try starting the GT I forgot to take it out of gear, so I killed it!  Very embarrassing!  The next try it started right up!  Slowly I took it out from under the tent, around the corner and drove down the parking lot lane.  What a car!!!  So much power for a little car, and not enough brakes!  I made a total of two laps around the parking lot and parked it at the back of the trailer.  This time I took Elinor for a ride!  One that I will never forget!  That day I turned the odometer over from 4666 to 4667!  I can die happy!

 

That’s the end of my chance encounter with the fable 1962 Monza GT Corvair.  I hope you have enjoyed my story as much as I have writing it.  If you have any questions or would just like to contact me, you can reach me at the e-mail address below.

 

 

*Note to the 2007 Convention Michigan hosts.  I have an offer from the Manager of Special Vehicles Fleet to bring all of the GM Corvairs to the Convention.  Just let me know if you would like me to call him.  E-mail: webmaster@capitalcitycorvairs.com.

 

*Elinor refers to the movie “Gone in 60 seconds” in which Nicholas Cage’s character give the name Elinor to a 1967 Shelby GT 500.  In the movie the car becomes a Unicorn for his character that tries over and over to steal the car, but something always goes wrong.  The spelling of Elinor is taken from this movie.

 

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