Some photo history Pt. 1

Tonight, my brother-in-law helped me scan a few slides that were in a Ziploc that came with some of the original sales invoices, and maintenance records. The previous owner forgot the photo journal/ diary that the original owners kept when I picked the car up, but it should be arriving this weekend. Once I get it, I'll continue to scan the images and other whatnots to share. It's great getting to read and see about how much the original owners took pride in this Greenbrier, and used it as a tool for exploring. It seems to be the subject of what a majority of their photographs consist of.

Clearly it has been outfitted with various camper tops through the years, and I can say that I'm happy with what the current top is, for many reasons.

Maiden Voyage, by the numbers.

916 - miles Seattle > Portland > San Francisco [with a few sightseeing detours]
51.2 - gallons of fuel
17.89 - miles per gallon average
916 - miles w/ gas heater running
1/2 - quarts of oil I added
0 - amount of brake fluid needed

70 - MPH this rig likes to run
65 - MPH up gradual hills
55ish - MPH through the steeper grades
45 - MPH up the steepest grade

11 - number of thumbs up given
5 - number of thumbs up from men [older than me]
3 - number of those older men that asked if I had a spare fan belt

9 - number of VW campers I saw along the way
0 - number of Corvair campers I saw along the way

3 - number of “oh-shit” moments
2 - number of animals on the road that caused those “oh-shit” moments 1 and 3 [one deer, one coyote/ fox/ leopard type animal]
111 - approximate MPH speed the white R8 was going when passing me through Grant’s Pass that caused the 2nd “oh shit” moment

6 - number of spare parts I bought in case of a roadside break down. [fan belt, fuel pump, points, distributor, condenser, rotor]
0 - number of those parts I used
6 - number of inches of mechanics wire I used to reattached a loose curtain rod [only repair I had to make... and I found the screw this morning]

8 - number of times I played this album.
5 - number of times I played this album.
3 - number of times I played this album.

1.5 - number of VooDoo donuts I ate

1 - happy, lucky, and blessed man I am

5 - days until the wife, pup and I take it on our first family camping trip

A not so quick walking tour of the camper...

So we took a little afternoon trip out to Muir Woods, so Meg and Mater could experience the excellence of our new rig.

Here's a not-so-quick, quick walking tour of some of the features.

I'm still working on a summary of the trip to pick it up, and the 916 mile return trip, but in short, it was amazing. No mechanical problems what so ever. Ran like a top the whole way. Needless to say, we're in love.

A few photos from along the way SEA > PDX > SFO > WAD...

A quick photo slideshow from along the way.
Details, first 916 mile impressions, and the trip by the numbers to follow...

WAD = [wife approval drive]

And home. In route Pt 2.

  

I'll give a full wrap up once I rest this weary body for a night. But here's a few snapshots from day two. Best road trip I've had in a long time...

It's just great. In route Pt. 1

See the full gallery on Posterous

Seattle > Portland

And I'm off!

And so it begins...

My wife and I have been looking for a Greenbrier for a bit of time now, looking for a vehicle to explore our new surroundings and see about some things. I’ve been scouring every known search engine, jaxed, craiggers, Corvair car club classifieds, blogs, flickr and then some... then this little gem pops up [thanks to my buddy John G.] We’ve been looking for a solid, unmolested Greenbrier that I would convert to a ‘camper’, luckily we didn’t pull the trigger on any of them, as none of them were this solid, original, or have what I think will be as kindred of spirits as this one.

Per the seller's listing description on eBay:

"...there is a wonderful scrapbook included with this vehicle that tells the story of a couple who ordered this Corvair new and accessorized  it with a beautifully constructed camper interior to travel the northwest.  He was an architect and photographer and submitted his travel stories and photos (including the Greenbrier) for publication to travel magazines of the time. During its off season the Greenbrier was tucked away and cared for until the next summer. The scrapbook chronicles their story from young couple to grandparents, with the Greenbrier as their tried and trusty camper."

Ironically the history of this Greenbrier aligns similar to my wife and mine. Newlywed, new transplants to the west coast, travelers, me a recently licensed architect and builder. So, the first road trip will begin this coming Friday when I fly into Seattle for a pick up and head south 811 miles back to San Francisco. I haven’t seen the scrapbook/ journal yet, but my wife and I are looking forward to authoring a ‘volume 2’ to add to the photos and journal the original owners kept. This is our blog where you will find a lot of our adventures, but we will keep some of it non-digital too for the sake of continuing the original story.

Why a Corvair? They’ve been in my life since I was about 8, every make, model and type. My dad, a car guy, and his crew of car buddies exposed me to the beauty and spirit they possess. Some of the best lessons I’ve learned in life.

Once I get a bit more organized I’ll dedicate a post to a bit more history of how my fascination for cars all started, down to my very first car [if you can call it that] a ‘73 Series III Land Rover my dad bought from a sheep farmer in Ava, MO, and the parts donor we bought from a buffalo ranch around St. Louis, MO, and the 3 year restoration of it, them... it. After a 3 year restoration, I sold it 6 months later and bought a '65 Corsa coupe w/ a 140. Hands down the most fun and enjoyable car I've owned... more on it later.

In the mean time, this is only 4 long days away.

Cheers.
JM