When I met Dick Shank and his wife, Eileen, polishing their Regal Red '65 convertible in the parking lot behind the host hotel, I struck up a conversation with them and suggested I'd like to photograph the car in a scenic environment. Dick mentioned Eileen had plans to shoot the car at the beach after the Concours event the following day. Perfect! We'd meet in the late afternoon and drive to the beach for a photo session.

I hadn't driven on Daytona Beach since my high school days in the late '60s, and returning to the hard-packed sand in such fine style was a treat. The ocean and beach doesn't change much over time, and because the Corvair was as fresh as the day it left the showroom, it was like taking a trip back in time!

Within moments of our arrival, two members of the beach patrol showed up to take a close look at the Shank's sweet looking '65. One of them had taken his driver education classes in a Corvair during the '60s, and for the next few minutes, the convertible sat in its glory as we all traded stories and learned about the process that rescued this car from a barn, where it had sat from 1973 until 1986, when the Shanks bought it for $150!

"It had mouse and rat dirt up level with the seats," Dick told me. "It had been hit hard in the back and we had to straighten and reinforce the car. It was a toss up whether to part it out or restore it. Mice had eaten all the rubber off the heater air control. The car's redeeming feature, though, was its rust free condition in critical areas like the base of the windshield, and the floor and trunk areas. It had evidently been undercoated when new. The engine was total junk, with the mains and rods gone. There was no glass, and only part of the top. We started restoring the car in 1989, and put it on the street in 1991. Since then, we have driven it 73,000 miles. It's been to Lake Placid, Dallas, Albuquerque, St. Louis, and Lake Tahoe conventions, and now, Daytona."

After restoring the original shape, dimensions, and structural integrity of the convertible, Dick went on to upgrade what originally was a Monza series car, by researching and collecting a full compliment of Corsa parts, including instrument cluster, shifter and boot, trim and emblems, etc. Only the original VIN plate remains to identify the car as a Monza. In all other respects, this is a Corsa, and a very nicely equipped one to boot. Check out the options!

The car's interior features a telescopic steering column with wood-grain steering wheel, cruise control, power top, deluxe seat belts, padded dash, original AM/FM radio and air-conditioning. The A/C installation is 1966 style, as we'll see on the following page.

Optional bumper guards, fuel filler door trim, door edge guards, and 14-inch Chevy rally wheels dress up the exterior. The 1966 chin spoiler adds stability and improves fuel economy at speed.