MyStarCollectorCar has been chasing the owner of a very unconventional 1962 Corvair resto mod convertible for the past few years because it is now a one-of-a-kind match-up with an unusual donor vehicle.
The net result is a people-pleaser that attracts a ton of attention at car shows, including our attention.
Jim Sutherland
Unfortunately, we were unable to meet the Corvair’s owner the first time because the unique resto mod was at a large car show spread over a large area with over a thousand vintage vehicles at the event. The rule of thumb is the larger the show-the less likely owners will stick around their own vehicles, so we did not connect with the ’62 Corvair’s owner.
Fortunately, we spotted the Corvair when the owner attended an early summer show and followed him to his parking spot. Co-owners Gerry Cafreniere and his wife Lisa were happy to fill in the blanks about their unusual Corvair resto mod named “Hell rat” because of its appearance.
There were many surprising elements to their Corvair, including the platform for the car’s body panels, because the Corvair was mated with a 2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible and is basically an early 21st century car that got a very cool retro makeover with the Corvair panels.
One of the major differences between a stock 1962 Corvair and a 2004 Sebring is the Corvair left the factory with a modest air-cooled six-cylinder engine mounted in the rear while the Sebring had a water-cooled six-banger located in the front section of the car.
We guessed the resto mod Corvair sported a front engine before Gerry even opened the car’s one-piece hood and fenders to show us the Sebring foundation for his car.
The Corvair body panels had the appearance of stitches holding it together because of the rat rod vibe and suture pinstripings were generously applied to the Corvair’s exterior metal.
Gerry described the Corvair’s finish as a “combination of rust and paint”, but the car had a shiny clear-coat that really set off its overall look.
Gerry spotted the car on an online buy/sell web page a few years ago and watched it for about a week before he decided to buy it. Gerry admits he “wasn’t a Corvair guy -but just likes this car”–adding, “I can be an impulsive buyer”, then said to Lisa, “We gotta buy it”.
Lisa and Gerry are newlyweds this year and he clearly married the right bride because Lisa even drove the car home after they bought the ’62 Corvair. Incidentally, they live several hours away-and Lisa was still willing to drive it home.
Driving their offbeat resto mod combination convertible has always been a big part of Gerry and Lisa’s game plan so they have racked up over 17,000 kms (10,000 miles) in the Corvair over the past three years, including a honeymoon trip to the Great Falls, MT car show this year.
The newlyweds have encountered no problems during their road adventures and “get great gas mileage along the way”, according to Gerry.
Sounds like the right combination of car guy, car girl, and very cool Corvair resto mod to us here at MyStarCollectorCar.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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