Anyone know anything about Corvairs?

[pookie]

I really should stop looking at Craigslist for cars. But I saw a 1964 Corvair coupe the other day and am now very curious about them.

I know they are air cooled, RWD, and cool looking cars. How are they to drive? Are they flat 4s or flat 6s? Anyone own/owned one? Are parts stupid hard to find on them like some other old cars? Were they Chevys attempt to compete with Porsche?

Thanks

[BobNovas]

what are you, stupid? They're unsafe at any speed!

[HoodPin]

I think they are cool, and making a come-back.

I recall my dad's friend had one, and I ended up riding on the rear parcel shelf, up against the glass, because the adults took up all the seats. :roll:

Some good info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvair

[APKhaos]

I really should stop looking at Craigslist for cars. But I saw a 1964 Corvair coupe the other day and am now very curious about them.

I know they are air cooled, RWD, and cool looking cars. How are they to drive? Are they flat 4s or flat 6s? Anyone own/owned one? Are parts stupid hard to find on them like some other old cars? Were they Chevys attempt to compete with Porsche?

Thanks

Talk to Richard Curtis. He's owned several, restored then, run them for many years. PM him here - Richard Curtis is his user name on Dorki

[Richard Curtis]

Thanks for the nice thoughts Tony, but in reality I never restored them. They were among my very first cars. We owned first a 1960 four door with gasoline heater and automatic transmission. Don't buy one of these; the gasoline heater had a bad habit of lighting off with a bang! but put out great heat. Next, we owned a 1962 black coupe, red interior, 4 speed that developed a habit of snapping pushrods. We woud go to a local junkyard and buy pushrods out of junked Corvairs and carry them in the boot along with the few tools it took to replace one. I once replaced one once while on a date on the side of the road. She was NOT impressed. As I remember, the cars got great fuel mileage but then, gasoline only cost about 20-22 cents a gallon in those days and you got Green Stamps to boot so mileage wasn't much of an issue. Other than breaking an engine mount once and having to do a clutch job, we really didn't have any other issues. I always thought they were fun cars and didn't go fast enough to bother worrying about suspension or handling issues. All were six cylinders, air cooled, easy to work on. You can still find them, though all the ones i've seen in recent years were already refurbished.

[Croc R]

what are you, stupid? They're unsafe at any speed!

My parents had a Corvair coupe in the early 60's. My performance driving in that car was limited, but it did not seem to be any more unsafe than, ahem, other rear engined cars.

[cmartin]

I really like the later version, looks cool coming and going. Seems like a cool car with lots of suspension upgrade bits available now, if you can find one that's not too rusty.

[Dr K]

Ah, the car that made Ralph Nader famous. He was actually more concerned about the "second collision" and getting car manufacturers to install seat belts and crushable dashboards, but the Corvair was better news. The first generation had an independent suspension, but the rear didn't have a universal at the wheel end of the axle, so they were purported to tuck the wheel under and roll. It happened a couple of times, but as Wikipedia notes, studies showed them to be no more dangerous than other cars of similar vintage. But I'd still recommend 1965-69 which had a better suspension. If you can find a Yenko "Stinger" (there are at least two around here that were at the Rockville Car Show 2 years ago) they are da bomb!

[RENN 951]

Here's a really sweet '68 I spotted in Ontario a couple years ago. My dad bought a '65 right when they first came out with the new design. There was a GM labor strike in late September 1964 which cut off production, so it was a couple months later before the '65's were on the street in any numbers. The car got LOTS of attention back then from people wondering what it was!

[JmuRiz]

I don't know any specifics about working on them, but my favorite dream Corvair is the Yenko Stinger.

[Dr K]

Well, there's one for sale - the description makes it sound like kind of a special car (as does the price :shock:), but due to safety issues it would be concours-only unless you wanted to lower its value. http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/chevrolet/corvair/1599075.html


Some have gone for less, but still a pricy buy: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130823/CARNEWS01/130829905 (not sure what it finally went for)

[Trak Ratt]

I've also owned a couple! '65 was the first of the IRS transaxles, 5 bolt wheels (Chevy SS wheels look real sharp), stock was 13" wheels for both. 6 cylinder engines, 2.4 ltr ('59 to '64) and 2.7 ltr. ('65 - '69) engines, w/one (90 hp), two (110) of 4 (140 hp) single barrel carbs. Also had a turbo model w/a single side draft carb (180 hp). IIRC intake manifolds were cast into the heads (1 head per side). which limited upgrades a lot. I read once that Porsche was called into do the design work but chain driven SOHC engines was not where GM wanted to go in the late fifties. Funny top mounted fan & corresponding belt arrangement that ensured lots of issues. Funy how the 911 engine in the early 60s looks so much like the GM boxer motor :p Like Porsche engines Corvairs leak oil from every part of the engine.

Transaxles came in a 2 speed auto (cute little handle on dash to shift), and a 3 and 4 speed. Factory gearing was limited but I'd also heard they used stock GM gear sets. All the trans were available in swing axels and IRS versions. The hot setup was to use the shifter from the 3 speed on the 4 speed to shorten the shift pattern a lot!! Wider track and lower center of gravity made the pre '65 swing axels more stable than early bugs. But You could still come close to touching the wheels out back on BIG jumps, and they at the extreme would "jack and unload" just like beetles! Problem seems to be the higher position of the pinion gear caused by the rear engine.

Drum brakes right up to end though I'm pretty sure disk were available in '69 on front and easy upgrade for earlier cars using factory parts. Unequal A arms on front w/coils out back. Cable clutch, auto trans linkage.

Cars came in coupe, 4 door, wagon, bus and pickup. IIRC wagon, bus and pickup were only available to '64. Buses were even more fun than VWs but none of the Corvair had any real protection in a front end collision. several different trim levels too with I believe "Monza" was the top one. Spider = turbo

On a trip to SC w/my future ex-wife our '62 coupe blew an oil pressure sender on '95 right outside Emporia VA. I stuck a twig in the hole in the remaining rubber part I found on the side of the road and limped it to a Chevy dealer. Standard $5 GM sender got us back on the road. On the way home w/her driving the passenger front seat fell through the floor near Md House and the battery cracked! Limped it home to PA. A new battery, some plywood and it made the trip to VA when I changed jobs a few weeks late.


Biggest problems where rust, oil leaks, and fan belts. Plus in the late '50s and early '60 GM like most US manufacturers thought small car meant cheap construction.

[Puffinator]

I had a '64 convertible and I restored a '66 turbo convertible which I ended up selling to a museum in Indianapolis. Also converted 2 VW campers to Corvair power. They were awesome. Wish I still had the '62 camper with the 110hp Corvair. Buy it!

[cmartin]

My pop has the itch again for a Corvair. Anyone put a new top on one? I found Clarks parts and am reading up, any other must read sites?

[Goggles Paesano]

My friend had a convertible back in the late 80's. we were going to Loch Raven reservoir on Satyr Hill Rd. He took a left a little too fast, slid off the bench seat and was laying on the floor by my feet, but still holding the wheel (and doing about 30). Dangerous, but we were laughing like crazy. Ahhhhh, the invincibility of youth.

[jbailey930]

I've seen a few locally
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/397/18966247029_aacfbb95e6.jpg

[B r i a n]

A guy who lives across the street has one and belongs to the local Corvair Club (had a gathering at his house).
He went through the car with me one morning at the Holin Hall Cars and coffee - very neat interesting car - I liked it a lot.
There were a couple "safety mods/upgrades" I remember him mentioning - fuel pump and ignition systems.
Go for it.

[D.C.]

There is a local corvair club that still meets on a regular basis. If interested I can get you contact information.

[cmartin]

Thanks all, good info.

I found some club info, https://www.corvair.org/ , and am weeding through for info.

New to this I'm still learning value, models... interesting. Since this is for my dad I am trying to workout with him a reasonable budget, seems it always starts there. One car I found was way too much of a project, dad doesnt have a garage so that means I'm storage until its streetable.

[Trak Ratt]

Rebuilding engines are very similar to Porsche/VW. Probably falling right between the 2 in difficulty. Head w/intrigue intake manifold makes hot rodding more difficult. New tech gaskets prolly lessons leaks.

I figure values would be:
Late model (IRS) Turbo convertible, then coupes, then conv. or coupes w/4 speeds, then 4 doors
Pretty much same for earlier cars.
Transaxles are pretty stout w/IIRC standard 4 speed and 3 speed chev gears
On early cars (swing axles) the base models don't have chrome window frams.
Short shift kit is easy as 3 speed shifter ball and equals nice tight pattern,

These were cheep cars back when "compact car" meant cheep. So rust is a problem everywhere. But especially floors front and middle.

BTW late model cars use mostly mid size suspention bits like 5 lug wheel wheels. so upgrades are a lot easier.
Same for earlier cars

I've driven these at stupid speeds and the swing axels ones drive like VW/356s at the limit. And just like those really benefit from anti jacking devices. Late model cars are just plain sweet. All are light in front and tend to "float" above 80 MPH. Just like our '71 Targa does.

I still consider the late model Corvair (any model) are some of the nicest looking cars to come out Detroit... ever!

[Dr K]

Add in [i]front[i/] of TR's model preference a "Yenko Stinger" - there are a few around, usually 1-2 at the Rockville Car Show every year.

[HoodPin]

I've seen a few locally
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/397/18966247029_aacfbb95e6.jpg

Back in my 80's SCCA racing days, there was a Corvair racing at Summit Point, that had painted on its flat belly pan "NADER WAS RIGHT", just in case he ever rolled the car. :lol: