Corvairs

[squonk 41,072]

OK @tunahead72 When I was looking for an old car to putz around with I saw an ad for a 67 Corvair. This was 1990 so there wasn't much internet sites to use so I bought a swap sheet and found the ad. it was like an hour away. dude wanted $100. I take my B-I-L with me and find the car. Outside isn't horrible interior is mint. Open the engine lid and there is a crapload of empty oil bottles in there. I start it up to drive it around the parking lot. My B-I-L decides to try the heater and starts grabbing the knob. I yell NOOOOO but it's too late. The inside of the car fills up with oil smoke! When we get the car home I counted like 42 empty bottles in the engine bay. Had the 110 HP "Turbo-Air" with Powerglide and 2 carbs. I had to keep a hammer under the seat to beat on the LH carb every once and a while for flooding. 

Edited July 19, 2020 by squonk

[Cvans 1,009]

My first car was a 61 Corvair Monza. My cousin had a 63 and boy did we have fun with those cars. Mine a 3spd and his a 4spd. There wasn't a lick of difference between the two in a race as he had to shift one more time. We slid those cars every way but out and never rolled one. The one like you had had much better suspension and was a lot nicer looking. in my opinion. Nader had a chip on his shoulder and was out to make a name for himself.

[SylvanLakeWH 25,537]

52 minutes ago, squonk said:

inside of the car fills up with oil smoke! When we get the car home I counted like 42 empty bottles in the engine bay. Had the 110 HP "Turbo-Air" with Powerglide and 2 carbs. 

 

Can’t recall... what was the miles per quart rating on those? 

 

Neighbor had a friend over yesterday who drove a nicely restored one... no puff when he started it... 

[JAinVA 4,619]

Learned to drive in the late 60s in a 65 Corvair that dad bought new. He ordered that car when the 65s came out and it took months to get it because of a UAW strike.All of 85HP and a powerglide to boot.Shifter on the dash.Oil in the heater ducts and a tendency to eat fan belts.One of last Corvairs I ever saw was in a junk yard sitting on 55 gallon drums.We opened the door and saw the floor pan folded up like an accordian pinned up against the back seat.Head on into a phone pole at speed.

Edited July 19, 2020 by JAinVA

[squonk 41,072]

5 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

 

Can’t recall... what was the miles per quart rating on those? 

 

Neighbor had a friend over yesterday who drove a nicely restored one... no puff when he started it... 

The pushrod tubes leaked. I replaced them with viton seals and didn't use a drop after that. Automatics needed another gear. At 60 I think it was turning about 3500 RPM. Thing would get up and go! 

[varosd 1,185]

Dad had a Corvair, prior to that a MG Mark II 1952

i came along in 63 as the third kid and both were sold

he got a 2 door Impala. Wish to say it had a 409 but not

we then had the two door behemoth Cadillac Fleetwood, then a 73 Caprice 

he had a 72 Nova with six in a row, 3 speed on the tree to commute down the Merrit Parkway

[8ntruck 6,998]

Some interesting Corvairs I've run across:

 

A '68 with the Corv8 conversion.  This put a small block Chevy where the back seat once was.

 

Bill Porterfield's sleeper that had a 455 Olds Toranado drive train - and still had a back seat.

 

One I saw at several Buick GS Nationals that was basically a Corvair body set on a Buick Regal chassis with a 455 up front.

 

When I was in Junior high, one of my friends brothers had a '63 or '64 turbo charged Spyder.  He had a bunch of trophies from the local drag strip to co with it.

Edited July 19, 2020 by 8ntruck

[ZXT 2,401]

I have a 63 Corvair, Monza 900 Spyder Turbo 4 speed. Been parked since '68. It belonged to the mother of the guy I bought it from. She was a school teacher and bought it new. After Unsafe at Any Speed came out in '65, she rarely drove it and finally parked it for good in '68. It has just under 50k miles on it.  The turbo has been robbed off of it, and I really haven't done much to it at all since I brought it home. Obviously needs a full resto.

 

It was the first car I bought with my own money. This was in 2006; I was 9 y/o at the time. I was walking around at a swap meet a few rows over from where we set up every year and I had $300 in my pocket. I saw the car for $275, offered $150 and got it for $200. Paid the man and then went and told my dad LOL. 

[bc.gold 3,403]

Had a 66 Corvair 4 speed manual four carburettor engine 140 horse, fun car to drive later on had the 180 hp turbo spyder. IMO the 4 carb engine would have beat it off  the line.

[JoeM 7,873]

Corvairs....one of Chevrolet's first attempts at throw away cars. Took a few years to swing that back around. 

[JAinVA 4,619]

They are all throw away cars even now.How many here can say they have owned the same car for over forty years.I can but it is a truck.

Edited July 19, 2020 by JAinVA

[bc.gold 3,403]

1 hour ago, ZXT said:

Paid the man and then went and told my dad LOL

 

Buyers remorse.

[Achto 27,565]

I had a friend that had a Corvair car, don't remember what model. Being a lil different, I've always wanted a Corvair side ramp pick up. This post made me go looking for pic's of the trucks and I happened to find this very cool picture.

 

How cool would it be to drive your Horse into your pic up from the side??

 

It's too bad that the Corvair Testudo never made production. It was a very cool looking sports car that in my opinion resembled a Jaguar.

[8ntruck 6,998]

Actually, the handling problems of the first generation Corvairs weren't that bad as long as the rear tires were well cared for and kept at the proper pressure.  Things went flaky when the pressure dropped below a critical point.

 

I had a '73 Triumph Spitfire when I was in college.  That had swing axle suspension like the 1st gen Corvair.  Yup. it had plenty of tailing throttle oversteer.  Came in handy sometimes, once you got a handle on when it was going to happen.  When you felt the inside rear corner of the car start to rise in a corner, ALL of the control inputs needed to be very gentle to keep the rear end from stepping out suddenly.

[troutbum70 857]

I have not made 40 years yet having my pickup, but I now have had it 32 years. Its a 1988 ford ranger XLT 4 wheel drive and I purchased it new,. If I live long enough I will exceed 40 years having owned it.

[JAinVA 4,619]

I believe that is called driving.No traction control,anti lock or computer braking.I took my driving test in a 65 Corvair but I learned to drive in a 66 Ford F100 with drum brakes.Hard braking and the rear came around and you never knew which way.It always depended on which front self adjuster was at the end of it's cycle.

[The Tuul Crib 7,336]

The corvair is or was the begining of 

the comaro. Early 67

[squonk 41,072]

16 hours ago, varosd said:

Dad had a Corvair, prior to that a MG Mark II 1952

i came along in 63 as the third kid and both were sold

he got a 2 door Impala. Wish to say it had a 409 but not

we then had the two door behemoth Cadillac Fleetwood, then a 73 Caprice 

he had a 72 Nova with six in a row, 3 speed on the tree to commute down the Merrit Parkway

Your Dad was a glutton for punishment. A MG with the ghost of Joseph Lucas living in it, a Corvair and then you! 

[Stormin 9,981]

12 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

I had a '73 Triumph Spitfire when I was in college.  

 

We had a '75 Spitfire 1500 up to a few years ago. Great little car. Ok to get into, but getting out began to be something else.

 

38 minutes ago, squonk said:

Your Dad was a glutton for punishment. A MG with the ghost of Joseph Lucas living in it, a Corvair and then you! 

 

Nowt' wrong with the Prince of Darkness. You just had to know the right rituals.

[tunahead72 2,412]

Thanks for starting this thread @squonk...  I know some wise guy here on the forum pushed you to get it going, hope there's no hard feelings. 

 

I've liked Corvairs for a very long time.  My first up close and personal encounter with one came during my childhood one summer when my family went to visit my mom's family in Massachusetts.  My favorite aunt had just bought an early model Corvair that was fascinating to me (all her cars were fascinating to me, she had a Peugeot and a Studebaker with venetian blinds before the Corvair, and I ended up with her VW Bug after she and her mom passed away).

 

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I honestly can't remember if her Corvair was a hardtop or a convertible.  I do remember that it was a cool looking car, and a lot of fun to ride in, and it never felt unsafe, at any speed, just fun.  I wish I had photos, but I'm almost certain I don't.

 

I also remember that my aunt did most of her own maintenance on this car, and taught me many lessons about maintaining a vehicle that stick with me to this day ("change the oil often" and "keep it lubed" come to mind right away).  She also taught me how to properly wax her car, which was a lot of work but more fun than I ever imagined it could be.

 

--------

 

The only Corvair I actually owned came much later, in my early 30's.  I'll tell you about that one later, and I should be able to find some photos to go along with the story.

 

If I get my courage up, I may also tell you about a slightly wild period of my teenage years, part of which involved a Corvair. 

 

[Lee1977 6,656]

One of my friends had a Corvair,  I believe was a 66. He had it out on some dirt roads to show his girl friend how it handled. I kind of spoiled his game when I got behind him with a 64 Ford pickup.

[bc.gold 3,403]

3 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

One of my friends had a Corvair,  I believe was a 66. He had it out on some dirt roads to show his girl friend how it handled. I kind of spoiled his game when I got behind him with a 64 Ford pickup.

 

64 ford pick up the last of the solid front axle on leafs, bet that handled well.

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2020 by bcgold

[Lee1977 6,656]

5 minutes ago, bcgold said:

 

64 ford pick up the last of the solid front axle on leafs, bet that handled well.

 

 

 

It handled great had a lot of fun with that truck. It was Black with the red interior chrome bumpers and grill deluxe trim . I ordered it with heavy duty clutch 370 locking rear. It was a great Stop Light Dragging.

It didn't matter what they had if  hey didn't jump the light I could stay in front of them to 60 MPH. The rear stock tires lasted 8000 miles. I put a set of  820 x 15 recapped stock car tires from Towel City Recapping.

They were on a set of Lincolin rims and set in like stock tires.

[bc.gold 3,403]

49 minutes ago, Lee1977 said:

It handled great had a lot of fun with that truck. It was Black with the red interior chrome bumpers and grill deluxe trim . I ordered it with heavy duty clutch 370 locking rear. It was a great Stop Light Dragging.

It didn't matter what they had if  hey didn't jump the light I could stay in front of them to 60 MPH. The rear stock tires lasted 8000 miles. I put a set of  820 x 15 recapped stock car tires from Towel City Recapping.

They were on a set of Lincolin rims and set in like stock tires.

 

I had the same truck 2WD posi with the 292 Y block, three on the tree, with 16 inch tires, white with red interior and plenty of chrome.

 

Loved that truck.

 

The Corvairs were fun, the 140 Hp four carburettor engine sucked a valve seat, and the turbo charged 180 Hp was pretty tame in city traffic, on the highway you could get that turbo to spool up to take advantage of those horses.

 

Not a car recommended for Canada's harsh winters.

Edited July 20, 2020 by bcgold

[Cvans 1,009]

On 7/19/2020 at 6:06 PM, TractorJunkie said:

Corvairs....one of Chevrolet's first attempts at throw away cars. Took a few years to swing that back around. 

I think the Vega was the second attempt and didn't fair any better. Chevette was #3?