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What are the pros and cons of the corvairs??

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by automatic, Apr 15, 2009.

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  1. automatic
    Joined: Dec 24, 2008
    Posts: 7

    automatic
    Member

    I've never really given them a second look all these years,however, I found a pretty cheap one sitting in a barn. Its a 1962 Load/ramp side truck, it seems quite clean and rust free. I've always heard horror stories about an aluminum block,air cooling and zero power. Does anyone know about these, good,bad or ugly?? Thought it could be a neat addition to shop. thanks in advance
     
  2. 61TBird
    Joined: Mar 16, 2008
    Posts: 2,640

    61TBird
    Member

  3. Aquaroscoe
    Joined: Apr 13, 2006
    Posts: 315

    Aquaroscoe
    Member

    Pro: Unique

    Con: Ralph Nader. Unsafe at any speed
     
  4. Mazooma1
    Joined: Jun 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,598

    Mazooma1
    Member

    Pro: they quit making them
    Con: they made them
     

  5. Ralph Nader !!! >>>>.
     
  6. revkev6
    Joined: Jun 13, 2006
    Posts: 3,352

    revkev6
    Member
    from ma


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  7. GothboY
    Joined: Feb 12, 2007
    Posts: 214

    GothboY
    Member
    from SoCal

    Its kinda like "that 6 of one and a half dozen of the other" thing.

    Pros: They're weird looking and unique.
    Cons: They're weird looking and unique.

    If you like the looks of it then slap a "good" motor in it and drive it for a shop truck. Especially if its cheap enough... Cheap is always a good factor...
    -GothY-
     
  8. ardunpinto
    Joined: Dec 12, 2007
    Posts: 173

    ardunpinto
    Member
    from WACO tx

    When done right they run like a top. Ive had two and would go anywhere in them. The last one I sold went iowa and the guy drove it home from texas. Just be sure to keep it full of antifreeze!
     
  9. my father had several Greenbriars years ago and hauled a lot of stuff around with them. if you get the mechanics checked over (brakes, belts , etc) i see no reason why the Rampside wouldn't be a great shop truck/parts hauler
     
  10. 57JoeFoMoPar
    Joined: Sep 14, 2004
    Posts: 6,138

    57JoeFoMoPar
    Member

    I think the con is pretty much that they're Corvairs
     
  11. duste01
    Joined: Nov 5, 2006
    Posts: 1,213

    duste01
    Member

    That was the beginning of the end for the convertible for many years....THANKS RALPH!

    Dad always told me to be kind to my webfooted friends, for a duck might be someones mother. "and Bob's your uncle"
     
  12. Mac_55
    Joined: Mar 10, 2008
    Posts: 688

    Mac_55
    Member

    I stopped in at a gas station the other day , Was talking to someone about putting a headliner in my 55 and before i left the cashier " an old fella" asked me if i wanted a corvair ? I said sure and laughed , then he gave me directions to an abandoned barn about 12 miles from me , told me to go load it and swing by his house and he would have the title waiting on me . When i get there to look at it , it is a 1964 monza spyder with a factory turbo on it lol. Everything is there and he said it ran good but pulled it in that barn and shut it off in 1999. Its rusty and the floor pans are shot but he said it ran good . I figure ill drag it home for swapping fodder.
     
  13. Flathead26T
    Joined: Dec 4, 2008
    Posts: 316

    Flathead26T
    Member

    hahahaha!!! thats a good one.

    got any pics of it??

    if it is cheap and you like it buy it.
     
  14. HEATHEN
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 8,558

    HEATHEN
    Member
    from SIDNEY, NY

    Ever own one?
     
  15. Little Wing
    Joined: Nov 25, 2005
    Posts: 7,505

    Little Wing
    Member
    from Northeast

    Heat in the winter only bad thing I can think of,,they def have a cool look..

    PS and make for great field cars
     
  16. 57JoeFoMoPar
    Joined: Sep 14, 2004
    Posts: 6,138

    57JoeFoMoPar
    Member

    Nope, nor do I care to. If I wanted something with a flat 4, I'd buy a VW.
     
  17. Truckedup
    Joined: Jul 25, 2006
    Posts: 4,661

    Truckedup
    Member

    A corvair has 6 cylinders not four.I owned a few 66 Corvairs back in the mid 1970's They handled pretty damn good compared to the sloppy barges of that era.They were also very rugged from my experience,I beat the shit out of the 4 carb Corsa I had and nothing broke.Of course you have to properly fix the oil leaks:D
     
  18. 35 Woodie
    Joined: Jan 20, 2006
    Posts: 194

    35 Woodie
    Member

    I had a 63 Monza with factory a/c. Fun to drive. Sold it to a Navy Chief in 1974 with orders to Navy base at Gitmo in Cuba. I'll bet that car is on the streets of Havana today!
     
  19. CShroom
    Joined: Mar 25, 2009
    Posts: 127

    CShroom
    Member

    I kept and obsessed over Corvairs for many years. Still do, actually.

    Good points.

    Unique styling
    Decent reliability

    Bad points

    Can be tough to locate some of the more unique parts.
    Oil leaks.

    Now the oil leaks are easily fixed, you just have to know the right things to do. Avoid RTV, it's your enemy. Use cork valve cover gaskets, and viton pushrod seals. DON"T overtorque the bolts!

    There are a few vendors that are worth their salt. Lon's Corvair Underground and Clark's are two of the major suppliers. But there are plenty of small part houses that can help.

    Now on to the handling thing. Early model Corvairs have a strange feel to them. Not like a beetle, and definitely not like a standard American sedan of the time. But I have spanked some ricers through the passes in a '62 that was dropped about 2". And I have made the rear kick up and get squirrely too. It just takes times to learn the abilities and weaknesses. Like any car really.

    The heat can leave a lot to be desired, but it is no worse really than a beetle.

    A set of stinger type exhausts on one sounds bad ass!

    If you really are set up with a Spyder, I would have the turbo gone through. They had a chincy carbon seal in them. And the Carter was prone to leaking, some people put them away and replace them with modern carbs. But they can be updated to work better.

    They aren't speed demons, but you can get them up to a ton and I always had a blast driving them.

    YMMV

    Edit: I forgot to mention, the belt throwing rumor is utter bullshit. They only only toss belts when they are not properly adjusted. Do not try adjust them the same way you do a standard engine. Tighten the belt until you can just barely move the Gennie/Alt pulley with a finger. You want some resistance, not a lot. Too much tension will cause them to flip from the twist, just like not enough. I went through a lot of belts before I got that lesson. And then ran the same belt for years until it died of natural causes.
     
  20. Mac_55
    Joined: Mar 10, 2008
    Posts: 688

    Mac_55
    Member

    SUre am and thanks for the tips . Im gonna trailer it home on saturday and ill get some pictures of it then.
     
  21. toledobill
    Joined: Apr 9, 2003
    Posts: 369

    toledobill
    Member

    I'm one of the dumb-asses that flipped one (a '60) back in 1961 or 1962. I never sued GM, because I knew it was MY fault, not the swing-arm rear suspension. The later models went to a fully-independent IRS design, but only a drunk or a clueless dweeb would have ever managed to flip the earlier design. (Hint -- I don't consider myself a clueless dweeb, but I may have been chemically impaired when I misjudged that curve and where the driver's side rear wheel would catch the curb).
    Bottom line -- I'd buy a convertible today if it was priced right and it had at least 10.000 miles before the inevitible rebuild/valve job to stop the oil blowout out the rear that challenged the Exxon Valdez for environmental damage.

    The cars -- absolutely great. The engines -- good enough before the valves go south and the oil bath begins.
     
  22. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    Ralph was way wrong... fucker didn't even have a drivers license.


    LMAO... now that's funny....
     
  23. Ice man
    Joined: Mar 12, 2008
    Posts: 983

    Ice man
    Member

    I bought a 63 Van in the day and used it as a HVAC service truck. Baught it for $40.00, cause no one wanted it. Drove the wheels of of it. Than baught a 64 Van and did the same. It had doors on both sides, and had a factory Hi pro engine, 4 carb engine with only 2 carbs, very few were sold. If that body is in the condition you say it is, you got a winner, buy it. Contact the Corvair Club and ask them. Ramp sides are very hard to find. The engines are very tough, they use them in ultra lights with some changes to make them air worthy. Not for drag racing, but will get down the road and will turn lots of heads. Iceman
     
  24. Ghost28
    Joined: Nov 23, 2008
    Posts: 3,200

    Ghost28
    Member

    [ Of course you have to properly fix the oil leaks:D[/QUOTE]


    Ya think that's why they called them road oilers? Never owned one but had fun in quite a few coupes, and convertibles...ghost
     
  25. man sure glad a educated gentleman, who obviously knows Exactly what he is talking about chimed in =)

    do your research buddy and try not to be so closed minded.... ive had my corvair for over 12 years and i drive it every day
     
  26. Abomination
    Joined: Oct 5, 2006
    Posts: 6,719

    Abomination
    Member

    Convertible or Club Coupe?

    ~Jason

     
  27. What he said for sure.
     
  28. slefain
    Joined: Apr 6, 2009
    Posts: 229

    slefain
    Member
    from Atlanta

    I have this sick desire to own all of the GM experiments in unibody drivetrains from the early 60s. I have a '61 F-85 (front engine/trans), now I need a Tempest (front engine/rear trans) and a Corvair (rear engine/trans). I know I'm not right in the head.
     
  29. metalshapes
    Joined: Nov 18, 2002
    Posts: 11,138

    metalshapes
    Member

    I saw a nice one with a mid engine SBC at a Swapmeet a couple of weeks ago.

    Good thing I'm broke.

    I could see that thing with Webers, 180 exhaust, and big wheels & Flares like this one.

    Corvair C 002.jpg
     
  30. Abomination
    Joined: Oct 5, 2006
    Posts: 6,719

    Abomination
    Member

    Fuckin' A, brother!!!!!

    ~Jason

     
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