Ron Spreeuw’s 1966 Chevrolet Corvair has appeared on the covers of numerous car magazines. Spreeuw did all the work on the classic sports car and made it into more than a restoration. The history of the Corvair, built between 1960 and 1969, is one of controversy. The debunked issue of the vehicle’s handling and General Motors’ ethics were famously brought into question in consumer advocate Ralph Nader’s book Unsafe At Any Speed. The Corvair is also notable for being the only North American-built car with a rear-mounted engine. In 1966, about 240 Chevrolet Corvair convertibles were made in Canada. Spreeuw’s has timelessness in its engineering and design with technology added to enhance its performance.
How did you become owner of the car?
I found it here in Powell River. I was looking for a mid-1960s Chevy convertible with a V8 and a four-speed. I got three out of four. It has a six-cylinder in there. As soon as I saw it, I bought it, took it home and thought, “Oh man, I have the Yugo of Chevys.”
How much work have you put into it?
I spent two and a half years welding on it. It was in really bad shape. It took five years for me to get it originally on the road. I took it off the road in 2005 and put it back on the road in 2010. And, of course, you never quit working on them. You're always tinkering and doing something to them. But that original build took five years.
What is the technology you have added?
I put airbags on it, fuel injection, airbag suspension underneath, air pump onboard, air tank underneath the seat and solenoids above the transmission.
What is its value today?
I bought it for $3,000. I've had it appraised at $40,000, but I have $48,000 in receipts into it, plus all of my time. So it's worth way more than that to me. My daughter has dibs on it in my will.
