If there’s one thing Sandy Lucas loves, it’s riding down the street, top down, in the 1962 Corvair Monza Spyder she and husband Pat own.
The car is a thing of beauty. Turbo charged, four speed, shiny chrome where chrome should be shiny, flawless leather interior and pristine metal emblems: Anyone would love to see it in their driveway.
Unless, of course, it’s summer because this car does not have air conditioning.
“I like (riding in the car) a lot; when it’s not real hot out, I do.” Sandy said.
Still, despite the recent heat wave and the intense sun, the Lucases will be showing off their mechanical baby at the 38th Annual Chevy Showdown, All GM Car Show, a friendly competition/car show hosted by the Classic Chevy Club of Tucson. The event is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at the Desert Diamond Casino, 1100 W. Pima Mine Road, Sahuarita.
One of the unique aspects of a Corvair besides the fact that consumer watchdog Ralph Nader incorrectly labeled the Corvair as “unsafe at any speed.” Don’t forget to check out the engine, which is situated where the trunk should be. The trunk is actually in the front.
“We call it a frunk,” Pat said. “It’s a front trunk.”
This is the largest GM car show in Arizona, according to club president Frank Pella. He also has a Corvair.
The show is open to all GM cars and trucks manufactured in or before 1996.
First and second place plaques will be awarded to the winners in 25 different classes. Best of Show will receive a trophy, with an attached Katsina figure and $200 cash award. Vehicles of club members are not being judged. A dash plaque will be included for each car show registration of $30.
There will also be the annual Chevy Showdown raffle and Desert Diamond Casino will host a lunch menu outside in the car show area.
Classic Chevy Club of Tucson is a non-profit social club so most of the proceeds from both the raffle and car registration will benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Southern Arizona, and Therapeutic Riding of Tucson (TROT). It is the club’s goal to donate $2,000 from the show. Over the last seven years, the club has donated a total of $14,000 to Tucson charities.
The Marana couple bought the car in 2002 or so from Northern California. It came out of the factory a maroon color, was repainted an attention-getting bright red and then Pat decided to redo it again.
“I picked the color out to be desert-friendly,” Pat said.
Now the car is tan.
Pat also redid the interior in leather with all the tucks and buttons, put on a new canvas convertible top, fixed the rusted parts, ripped out the old carpet and replaced it with new wool carpeting, new gauges, all new wiring and lighting, all new brakes and suspension. He added a stereo, but the stock AM radio still works.
However, the rack the car sports is actually a Corvette rack.
Pat said he took his time restoring the car.
“For years and years and years,” Sandy said.
“I took my time doing everything properly, knowing that I didn’t want to have to work on it all the time to enjoy it,” Pat said. “That takes the fun out of it.”
Besides the Chevy Showdown, find the Lucases out in the mornings tooling around in their Corvair.
“We go out most Sunday mornings,” he added. “We’ll go out and cruise Sandario, get some breakfast. Yeah, it’s a blast.”
Wherever they go in it, the car is popular.
“Everybody loves this car,” Pat said. “Tucson is a wonderful car town. It’s got a great car culture to it. It’s tough in the summer time but we have nine months of really special, beautiful weather.”