Favorite Corvair Flopper? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Cliff
- Start date
TopFuel@Lions
Nitro Member
Doug Thorley's 67 Corvair.
Pete Seaton's Seaton's Shaker with the animal Terry Hedrick at the wheel.
Machine Gun Kelly
TopFuel@Lions
Pete Seaton's Seaton's Shaker with the animal Terry Hedrick at the wheel.
Machine Gun Kelly
TopFuel@Lions
TopFuel@Lions
Nitro Member
Agreed.
TopFuel@Lions
TopFuel@Lions
junglevsbrutus
Nitro Member
Cliff, it's VERY hard for me to choose one single Corvair. Even if I say my narrowest of favorites, the Doug's Headers Corvair, I can't decide between the '67 or the '68! The original's bronzy orange flake seemed to be a bit more pinkish than the '68 and I liked that. I also thought the silver headlights/bezels looked better than the black of the '68. However, the '68 had black dimension around the gold leaf marble lettering which made it read much better than the '67. The original had a rectangular lace pattern while the latter had a hexagonal design. Both looked good but I think I'd give the nod to the '68's hex pattern. Both had cobwebbing on all of the top surfaces. The '68 was an LSC flip-top and was campaigned by the old gasser duo of Dick Bourgeois & Earl Wade. Sometimes I like seeing that lettering and sometimes the blank doors (lace only) look better.
Here's a pic of each one. The '68 image was an L&M Photo Card that I bought at the goodies shack as a 13 yr. old fan!
My first r/u would be the '67-'68 Seaton's Super Shaker w/ Terry Hedrick at the wheel. This Jay Mangum photo is one of the few that I've seen that accurately reproduced the bright gloss orange. Most photos of the SSS show a duller, more yellowish orange. That orange-black-white scheme was already established as the Seaton look, much like the Ramchargers' trademark candy stripes on white or Garlits' black. Hedrick won a lot of races in those 2 years, besting a lot of Hemi-powered FCs!
My 2nd r/u is a Corvair that doesn't seem to get the historical attention it deserves. I'm talking about Roger Guzman's '68 "Assassination" w/ driver Art Ward. For one year only the Assin team (my abbreviation) stayed in SoCal from the late spring to early summer. They did well against SoCal's best. The team's high point was going to the '68 World Finals at Tulsa and nabbing the FC national record, a 7.58 when most were in the 7.7-7.8 range. There were a lot of wild paint fads in the late '60s and this Assin Corvair was the first time I ever saw what I call the "meandering line effect." The painters sprayed a base coat and then laid down 1/4" tape in overlapping rectangular shapes w/ rounded turns. Various colors were sprayed over the tape lines. When the tape was removed the resultant effect was, well...psychedelic! Larry Christopherson's '69 Nova also employed this trick w/ great success but the Assin Corvair was first. This first photo, taken at OCIR, was another L&M Photo Card that I bought as a young lad. The second was taken at Tulsa during the World Finals where Guzman-Ward made the amazing 7.58 record run. This was during the early period when NHRA national records could only be earned at designated national events or specific record run races (as Garlits did at Island Dragway in '64 for the first 200 MPH national record).
Finally, my honorable mention would be Ronnie Runyan's '68-'69 Blue Hell Corvair. The candy blue was beautiful! Runyan was part of trio of SoCal FC teams that moved to the Midwest in '69 or '70. Al Vander Woude was the second and Gordon Mineo was the third. All had great looking, strong running FCs and they were sorely missed once they relocated. This is a great example of SoCal fan Mike Ditty's excellent photography.
Here's a pic of each one. The '68 image was an L&M Photo Card that I bought at the goodies shack as a 13 yr. old fan!
My first r/u would be the '67-'68 Seaton's Super Shaker w/ Terry Hedrick at the wheel. This Jay Mangum photo is one of the few that I've seen that accurately reproduced the bright gloss orange. Most photos of the SSS show a duller, more yellowish orange. That orange-black-white scheme was already established as the Seaton look, much like the Ramchargers' trademark candy stripes on white or Garlits' black. Hedrick won a lot of races in those 2 years, besting a lot of Hemi-powered FCs!
My 2nd r/u is a Corvair that doesn't seem to get the historical attention it deserves. I'm talking about Roger Guzman's '68 "Assassination" w/ driver Art Ward. For one year only the Assin team (my abbreviation) stayed in SoCal from the late spring to early summer. They did well against SoCal's best. The team's high point was going to the '68 World Finals at Tulsa and nabbing the FC national record, a 7.58 when most were in the 7.7-7.8 range. There were a lot of wild paint fads in the late '60s and this Assin Corvair was the first time I ever saw what I call the "meandering line effect." The painters sprayed a base coat and then laid down 1/4" tape in overlapping rectangular shapes w/ rounded turns. Various colors were sprayed over the tape lines. When the tape was removed the resultant effect was, well...psychedelic! Larry Christopherson's '69 Nova also employed this trick w/ great success but the Assin Corvair was first. This first photo, taken at OCIR, was another L&M Photo Card that I bought as a young lad. The second was taken at Tulsa during the World Finals where Guzman-Ward made the amazing 7.58 record run. This was during the early period when NHRA national records could only be earned at designated national events or specific record run races (as Garlits did at Island Dragway in '64 for the first 200 MPH national record).
Finally, my honorable mention would be Ronnie Runyan's '68-'69 Blue Hell Corvair. The candy blue was beautiful! Runyan was part of trio of SoCal FC teams that moved to the Midwest in '69 or '70. Al Vander Woude was the second and Gordon Mineo was the third. All had great looking, strong running FCs and they were sorely missed once they relocated. This is a great example of SoCal fan Mike Ditty's excellent photography.
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OK, James, my fav would be Runyan's car, just cuz I like blue. BUT, the other cars are really, really nice. You have an artist perspective, which I don't have, and you see things I don't. I look at the photo and think, oh yeah, James said this car has a certain type of paint, etc. My hat is off to folks like you who can draw & paint and see designs in their head before they ever start. I've always had an appreciation for shapes & designs, which is what attracted me to drag racing way back when. I've always thought the big slicks & the type of car body & the paint and all that is what gives drag racing that "look". Back in 1961, no other form of motor sports had dragsters. You saw a dragster with a supercharged engine and wow, that thing must be fast. Always loved that. Even today, I love walking thru the pits just to look at the cars. Other forms of motor racing are cool, but drag racing is what I love the most.
TopFuel@Lions
Nitro Member
Maybeck's Screamin' Eagle ride was cool as well as "Machine Gun Kelly" Vair
Lot a folks don't remember when Del drove for Pete Seaton, that injected ride was wicked quick off the line.
Like I said earlier, Hedrick was such an abusive animal behind the wheel of the 67 ride. The 3 fall meets of many that year in So-Cal had the lead foot monster put on a show and beat up the rat engine's "supercharger" at Lions, Irwindale, and the County. He was so rough on that thing at the County's Ma. Meet in November. Of course that monster wheelie at Lions just wowed the crowd.
I cannot overstate the heel Hedrick put on the car.
Let us also not forget Hayden Proffit's wicked quick injected Vair.
TopFuel@Lions
Talladega Announcer...it's a supercharger Cliff......................lmao!
Lot a folks don't remember when Del drove for Pete Seaton, that injected ride was wicked quick off the line.
Like I said earlier, Hedrick was such an abusive animal behind the wheel of the 67 ride. The 3 fall meets of many that year in So-Cal had the lead foot monster put on a show and beat up the rat engine's "supercharger" at Lions, Irwindale, and the County. He was so rough on that thing at the County's Ma. Meet in November. Of course that monster wheelie at Lions just wowed the crowd.
I cannot overstate the heel Hedrick put on the car.
Let us also not forget Hayden Proffit's wicked quick injected Vair.
TopFuel@Lions
Talladega Announcer...it's a supercharger Cliff......................lmao!
junglevsbrutus
Nitro Member
Mark, I remember Del Heinelt driving Seaton's Corvair but I don't think it was the flip-top. He also drove the '66 Seaton Chevelle before taking reins of Pete's first Corvair. That was an AWB configuration and had a more stock appearing wheelbase. It began as injected-only. Del may have driven it once the blower was added but I've only seen pix of Jay Howell's name on the doors. Towards the end Hedrick's name was lettered, probably after Howell went to work at LSC. Then of course, Hedrick began to drive the LSC mid '67 Seaton's Super Shaker Corvair, the one we've been talking about.
As a little lettering aside, Seaton's earliest Shakers only read "Seaton's Shaker" on the doors. Even the unblown Corvair had the same lettering. Then once the blower was added the lettering was redone to include the black oval w/ "Super" inside. I always thought that was kinda funny cause it reminded me of household product packaging. You know, like Tide detergent adding an oval or bursting shape that said "Plus Clorox," an eye catching way of saying "new and improved" which in essence, the added supercharger was!
As a little lettering aside, Seaton's earliest Shakers only read "Seaton's Shaker" on the doors. Even the unblown Corvair had the same lettering. Then once the blower was added the lettering was redone to include the black oval w/ "Super" inside. I always thought that was kinda funny cause it reminded me of household product packaging. You know, like Tide detergent adding an oval or bursting shape that said "Plus Clorox," an eye catching way of saying "new and improved" which in essence, the added supercharger was!
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junglevsbrutus
Nitro Member
Cliff, that Corvair song was too much, like a high pitched bad version of Jan & Dean's "Drag City!"
Here's another Corvair song video. It's directly from Chevrolet advertising, a more jazzy tune. The second half of the video includes a special promo where the cast of Bewitched did a bit for a Corvair commercial.
But getting back to the song in your posted video....
I saw the artist name of the Newbeats and thought of the song "Friday On My Mind" which I loved as a kid. But then I realized I was mixing them up w/ the UK band the Easy Beats! So I did some research to learn the Newbeats were a Georgia-Louisiana trio and had 2 hits, both much better than "Tough Little Buggy" (the Corvair song). They were '64's "Bread and Butter" ("Ah, he likes bread and butter, she likes toast and jam...") and '65's "Run, Baby, Run (Back Into My Arms)." The first was a bouncy novelty song and the latter was a more harder driving song, probably their best.
Here's another Corvair song video. It's directly from Chevrolet advertising, a more jazzy tune. The second half of the video includes a special promo where the cast of Bewitched did a bit for a Corvair commercial.
I saw the artist name of the Newbeats and thought of the song "Friday On My Mind" which I loved as a kid. But then I realized I was mixing them up w/ the UK band the Easy Beats! So I did some research to learn the Newbeats were a Georgia-Louisiana trio and had 2 hits, both much better than "Tough Little Buggy" (the Corvair song). They were '64's "Bread and Butter" ("Ah, he likes bread and butter, she likes toast and jam...") and '65's "Run, Baby, Run (Back Into My Arms)." The first was a bouncy novelty song and the latter was a more harder driving song, probably their best.
OK, now I know why the name Easy Beats seemed familiar. I remember Bread & Butter cuz I actually loved fresh hot bread w/ butter. heh Also remember Run Baby Run. Well, ya gotta start out someplace, so the Corvair song was the start. I never remember hearing the Corvair song & was surprised to see it on You Tube. Sheesh, it's only 55 plus years ago....
junglevsbrutus
Nitro Member
Cliff, Lloyd Thaxton would agree w/ you about that bread and butter. 
Thanks for your art and design comments. Regarding the look of drag racing cars, this sport had a much bigger emphasis on looks and character than the other motorsports. The roundy round and road course sports were more about function than aesthetics. Hot rodding and customizing grew up together in the '50s so I guess it was inevitable that some of that cool custom paint would seep into drag racing. Gold leaf lettering, candies, flakes, pearls, cobwebbing, lace, etc. weren't seen very often in other motorsports. It just wasn't part of their culture. Perhaps their frequent car-to-car crashes had something to do w/ that. I believe they saw their racecars as a tool while drag racers tended to see them as a personal statement of pride and individuality. We seemed to polish, chrome and anodize the parts and pieces too!
Much of what I said slowly crept away as the decades got further and further away from the '70s. Of course, corporate sponsorship had much to do w/ that. And today w/ the wrap techniques there isn't much room for great looking cars. I have 2 brothers who are F1 fans so there are times when I get to watch those races on TV. In some ways a handful of their cars have now got the "cool look" we loved in the old days. They may be wraps but there's some neat stuff going on some of them. In the mean time too many NHRA cars seem to be either black or half black, particularly in TF.
In a related topic I feel the following has helped to decrease the interest in current day drag racing: 1. boring paint....2. loss of legendary names (we're down to 3)....3. 1000' racing which included a limit on ET and Top Speed....4. Today's kids being more into video games than seeing live action sports in person.
Thanks for your art and design comments. Regarding the look of drag racing cars, this sport had a much bigger emphasis on looks and character than the other motorsports. The roundy round and road course sports were more about function than aesthetics. Hot rodding and customizing grew up together in the '50s so I guess it was inevitable that some of that cool custom paint would seep into drag racing. Gold leaf lettering, candies, flakes, pearls, cobwebbing, lace, etc. weren't seen very often in other motorsports. It just wasn't part of their culture. Perhaps their frequent car-to-car crashes had something to do w/ that. I believe they saw their racecars as a tool while drag racers tended to see them as a personal statement of pride and individuality. We seemed to polish, chrome and anodize the parts and pieces too!
Much of what I said slowly crept away as the decades got further and further away from the '70s. Of course, corporate sponsorship had much to do w/ that. And today w/ the wrap techniques there isn't much room for great looking cars. I have 2 brothers who are F1 fans so there are times when I get to watch those races on TV. In some ways a handful of their cars have now got the "cool look" we loved in the old days. They may be wraps but there's some neat stuff going on some of them. In the mean time too many NHRA cars seem to be either black or half black, particularly in TF.
In a related topic I feel the following has helped to decrease the interest in current day drag racing: 1. boring paint....2. loss of legendary names (we're down to 3)....3. 1000' racing which included a limit on ET and Top Speed....4. Today's kids being more into video games than seeing live action sports in person.
