Event Coverage The Corvair Adventure

My Sis had a red Corvair in high school {early 1960s}.
Mom got it for her,low $ model,no extras. I always had to buy or build my own cars,she was only 1 year behind me in school. So she had a boyfreind put a radio he had,in it for her. He was good at that she said,LOL.
Sis loaned me her car,so my buddy an I could go out to the everglaids with our 22's to kill some nasty wild beer cans. On getting back in the Corvair to go home after saving the world from those beer cans. Stew had a number of left over 22 shells we didn't use. He placed them all lined up neatly in to the slot between radio hanging under dash and the dash,just fit in the slot. About 1/2 way home Stew desides to turn on the radio,BAM BOOM BAM BOOM BOOM,smoke an crap flying all over inside the Corvair,WOW some one was shooting at us!!!!!. I got off to the side of road to check if we were dead,jumped out of car,Stew got out even faster. When it cleared out enough to see,the radio hanging by one bracket about 45* from dash! We did then find out after thinking about it a few min. that not only the radio was messed up but all the 22 shells were now used up an shell cases every were. Why?; Turns out my Sis's boy freind had put a pos.ground used radio in neg. ground Corvair by hooking it up with some plastic brackets 1/4 in. under the dash,that gap was no longer there with a line of 22 longs shells stuck in the gap,an smart as he was,no fuse ether. After Sis telling him what happen,he avoided me for over a month. The lit M80 going off in his cars glovebox,must of been a clue.

 

Someone else said make sure you have a couple extra belts with you. They were the weakest link in Chevy's design on these engines. They tend to fly off.

 

I was just thinking yesterday "has Jim started the run" and did I miss anything. I had a 64 Malibu with a 194 L6 that had the same oiling issue. It went on and on. You know how to keep it alive.

 

Fill it with straight 50 weight, tape over the gauges and go for it. Subscribed....

 

Here's a neat little trick, learned when a buddy got a Corvair when we were 16. On a snow covered road, at 35mph or so, if you click the PG lever up to (R)reverse, you're Corvair will do a perfectly executed 180 degree turn. Comes in right handy at times....

 

Wouldn't that be a story if someone broke into the car while it was parked overnight and stole the stereo system? I hope there are no major breakdowns, that should be fun.

 

Thanks for the tips and stories! Made it to Gila Bend, running fine. Planning to go by the Salton Sea. Never been there.

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Hi Jim.This looks like fun.I`ll saddle up and go along for the ride.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

What kind of Dynaco?

 

PAT4 preamp and stereo 120 amp. Solid state.

 

It has seen it's better days! Salton sea , that is.

Go getum , Squirrel.

Ben

 

Jim.I like your reel to reel tape recorder. I still have a tote of tapes with my dad and my grandmother and I talking and music on the other tapes. Just looking for a tape like your to hear them on again.Bruce.

 

Jim I had a car like your back in the 80s .I ran the day lights out of that thing going back and forth to work going on the interstates at 80 M.P.H. easy. I thought it was a great car till the oil pump went out on it. Bruce.

 

If anything the Edsel has been topped for being far the eff out.

 

I bought a set of those speakers in the Cu Chi PX in 1967. Ended up shipping them home and they worked great until I blew them up playing Iron Butterfly while I mowed the grass. The things were loud enough to be heard in the yard from the bedroom while mowing---for a while.

Gila Bend? Is Neto's Passtime bar on Murphy street still there?

 

Good luck Jim, I'll be following along.

 

Subscribed!


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Whaaaaaaaa??
Man, you are brave, bring a CASE of oil, fan belts (like others said ) and a Prayer Book.
A tow rope might be good.
Sounds insane and fun, I wish you much luck!
Ever hear from FalconGeorge? Just wondering.
May God help you!

 

An excellent adventure!
We rolled a red 4 door at a keg party one night in a field...nobody got hurt,

 

NOS Sound System! Pre-Bazooka, love it!

 

Ok Jim,I'm coming outta the closet and admitting I am a Corvair fan and t looks like you guys are well on your way to another cool road trip/adventure.

I'm subscribed,BTW,I use to have a set of speakers identical to the ones you have,I got them a K-Mart. HRP

 

Iced raced and rallied a Spyder when I lived in the U.P. of Michigan. Great cars. Nader was unsafe at any speed not the Corvair.

 

x2. My first car was a '64 Monza in '68. Sure wish I could have it back. I've had some pretty sweet cars in my time including a Corvette. The 'Vair would out corner all of them except the Vette. Nader; pffftttt.

Best wishes in your adventure. I'm jealous.

 

happy trails and lotsa luck your way....to the boths a youse's !

 

just drive on by - nothing good to see

 

We went a bit further west before we went north. A nice trip, cooled off when we got to the hills. Got to Tom's house in LA around 9pm. Car is doing fine.

 

Glad to learn you had no problems. How did the reel to reel work? I am now prepared to admit that I still have an Akai and a Teac reel deck. They still work and I have lots of music that I never seem to get around copying over to the hard drive.
Bob

 

Yep, me too although I have managed to get the really rare stuff onto CD. A Teac, Revox and a couple hundred 7" tapes...

 

So, you purposely left home in a car that has low oil pressure, and no telling what else wrong? Well Ok, but if it breaks down , don't blame it on being a Corvair ! P.S. If you don't over tighten it ( like so many people always did) you wont need spare belts.

 

This will be an interesting journey, just like your others. Watch the sunlight/heat on the tape player; the tapes get hot and stretch; guess what the music sounds like then? I had a 70 340 Dart with little room for the 8 track tape player everyone had at the time. So, I mounted mine to the rear shelf; everything was fine, until the tapes got hot and started stretching while being played. Had a friend in high school with a Corvair, and he sunk penny into it; new ;paint, wheels and tires, new interior, had the engine rebuilt and built; it was a fast car too. Have fun out there. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.