On arrival at Chuckster's house, he introduced me to his wife, Liz, and his son, Robby. The famous southern hospitality we've all heard about is not exaggerated! We exchanged some small talk, grabbed some drinks and headed for the garage, ready to prep the cars for the trip to Helen.

When morning came, I was a little nervous about taking charge of Madeira. As I slid behind the wheel, I noticed the odometer read just under 3,000 miles! Now how often does a fellow get to drive a 34 year old Corvair that hasn't even been properly broken in yet?

Four carburetors, dual exhaust, 4-speed stick. This was just like the Corsa I used to drive in 1965. Clutch in, and with the stick in the neutral position for safety, I cracked the throttle a couple of times to set the choke and prime the primaries. When I turned the key it burst to life instantly and settled into a fast idle. I grinned and glanced over at da Chuckster, now behind the wheel of Darth in the next bay, ready to fire his Corsa. Bar-rooooooom! Darth is louder than Madeira, due to a custom, tuned exhaust system.

We let the two cars warm up a little, then kicked the chokes down and slowly backed out of the garage with the characteristic lop of the 140 engines resonating off the walls.

The Corvair clutch, a cable activated diaphragm unit, was as light as I remembered it. The well adjusted, short throw shifter engaged the gears positively and effortlessly, and driving through morning traffic was pure pleasure. Once we reached the Interstate, Chuck led a spirited ride to Helen and I settled in, enjoying the responsive nature of the 140. Later, as we approached Helen in the well handling pair of Corvairs, I thought about how amazing life can be. As Chuck would remark a couple of nights later, all this was happening because of the Internet.

Enough, rambling! Helen awaits!  

The first photo opportunity was a great one! A Show Class turbo-charged, 1962 Monza Spyder club coupe owned by Andy Pearce of Augusta, GA. Shod with meaty B.F. Goodrich radial T/A tires, the car is described by Andy as "a strong runner, and VERY red!"

I didn't have a chance to ask Andy why an Augusta car was wearing Rhode Island plates. Taking into account the distance between Rhode Island and Georgia, however, might offer a clue to how he figured out the little coupe is a "strong runner."

A little later in the day, the coupe had moved, affording a picture from this angle. 1962 was the first year for the turbo-charged, 150 horsepower, Corvair Monza Spyder. The large diameter turbo exhaust pipe told the world this was not your 80 horsepower grocery getter.