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Technical Is this corvair a lost cause? (frame rust)

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by petebert, Aug 10, 2018.

  1. petebert
    Joined: Mar 24, 2007
    Posts: 290

    petebert
    Member

    My 16 year old daughter is interested in this Corvair, not as a daily, she has one of those. I initially thought it had some potential because the body and floor pan were so clean and they're asking $900. Being this is Michigan anything under $3000 is usually rusted out. Plus I'm not a body guy, I can do everything mechanical, body not so much so with a clean body for $900 I don't care if it runs.

    I crawled underneath and that seems a little concerning. And I'm not interested in trying to weld and restore the frame/unibody. Here's some pics, what do you think, pass on this one?

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    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  2. hrm2k
    Joined: Oct 2, 2007
    Posts: 4,839

    hrm2k
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Good Luck. I have a 65 Coupe that probably wasn't worth saving but I did it anyway...……...it wasn't this bad.
    The first under car pic. The main front clip is rotted bad. the crossbrace is a main beam and it is sketchy. You can see the front pans have already been replaced in one of the interior shots.
    IMHO, this is a heavy project with a lot of cutting and welding. Good News is just about all of the pieces are available .
    I would keep looking. You might want to see if there is a Corvair group in your area. They can be of great assistance helping find what you are looking for
     
  3. slim38
    Joined: Dec 27, 2015
    Posts: 619

    slim38
    Member
    from Sudan TX
    1. H.A.M.B. Chapel

    Run Forest, run!
     
    Ford52PU, e1956v, verde742 and 5 others like this.
  4. steinauge
    Joined: Feb 28, 2014
    Posts: 1,507

    steinauge
    Member
    from 1960

    You can fix anything if you want to bad enough.I dont think that one is worth fixing.
     
    55styleliner likes this.

  5. Kiwi 4d
    Joined: Sep 16, 2006
    Posts: 3,564

    Kiwi 4d
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    the sunny side looks Ok , but the underside looks like a disaster.
     
    Ford52PU likes this.
  6. You would have more time and money in it than if you had just found another one, maybe from a less salty climate. Remember, they are always worse than they look in the first impression.
     
  7. CAVEMAN_1960
    Joined: Dec 10, 2010
    Posts: 74

    CAVEMAN_1960
    Member
    from Michigan

    I pulled this Corvair out of a barn in nearby Southeast Michigan a few weeks ago. We were going to fix it up for a club member but decided not to due to the rust on the unibody. It was taken to it's current location off US 12 to act as a "sign" in front of a place of business, to sort of draw attention to the location. Guess it is working! It makes a great sign, but not such a great Corvair anymore.
     
    Hot Rod Grampa and swade41 like this.
  8. Nostrebor
    Joined: Jun 25, 2014
    Posts: 1,278

    Nostrebor
    Member

    I've owned 20 plus Corvairs, and I scrapped a bunch that were much better. Not worth it.

    If you dig around, you can still find solid ones.
     
    HiHelix likes this.
  9. CAVEMAN_1960
    Joined: Dec 10, 2010
    Posts: 74

    CAVEMAN_1960
    Member
    from Michigan

    Here is another similar Corvair sitting in my front yard for a photo op. Might be better to start with one in better shape so your 16 year old twins1.jpg doesn't run out of enthusiasm before the project is road worthy again.
     
    hrm2k and clunker like this.
  10. deathrowdave
    Joined: May 27, 2014
    Posts: 3,518

    deathrowdave
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from NKy

    Don’t chance someone getting hurt or worse , pass on that one . Save it for parts and look for another . I knew a guy years ago that had a few of them and hated them . Ralph Nader , if interested I may be able to get in touch with him .
     
  11. CAVEMAN_1960
    Joined: Dec 10, 2010
    Posts: 74

    CAVEMAN_1960
    Member
    from Michigan

    Even the Corvair that I bought from Ralph Nader isn't as rusty as this one... nv3.jpg
     
    Nailhead A-V8 likes this.
  12. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    Looks pretty sad......unless you have no other hobbies...have masochistic tendencies....and/or love a major challenge....I'd say pass on this car.

    Ray
     
    54vicky likes this.
  13. Hollywood-East
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 1,993

    Hollywood-East
    Member

    Definitely, No Bueno! That has Structural issues way deeper than you want to get into. An not being a welder, Would cost easily 2K or more if you could find someone these days to even do it IMO.. plus it's Your daughter, Definitely don't want her in a sketchy ride!
     
  14. petebert
    Joined: Mar 24, 2007
    Posts: 290

    petebert
    Member

    Ha, how about that, another member is the one that pulled this car. We'll pass on this one. We're not dead set on Corvairs. It's more so that she's getting into older cars and just saw this one. I didn't even bother to look at it much initially. But she came running over saying I wouldn't believe how cheap it was. So I went and looked and was pretty surprised when I couldn't see through the fenders and floorboards. Went back later for a 2nd look and that's when I crawled underneath.
     
  15. CAVEMAN_1960
    Joined: Dec 10, 2010
    Posts: 74

    CAVEMAN_1960
    Member
    from Michigan

    There is a Corvair club meeting at the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum this coming Sunday at 1 o'clock. Stop by and meet some local Corvair enthusiasts!
     
  16. It’s great she wants an old car. Maybe lend her a couple thousand and get her into a 4 door Rambler or Falcon.


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  17. petebert
    Joined: Mar 24, 2007
    Posts: 290

    petebert
    Member

    clunker likes this.
  18. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,245

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    There's a Corvair up the road from me in Monroe. It doesn't look hateful but it's been there a while. If you like I'll stop and shag a number and pic for ya. Its dark blue with smoothies on it. Don't know the price, never stopped to check it out.
     
  19. choptop40
    Joined: Dec 23, 2009
    Posts: 5,113

    choptop40
    Member

    Looks good for a chassis swap front engine deal...
     
    Peanut 1959 and LOST ANGEL like this.

  20. [​IMG]

    That’s exactly the kind of car that I was thinking about. Looks clean. Probably solid frame. Nice strait six makes it less expensive than a V-8. Simpler than the Corvair to work on. Parts readily available. Great car to learn on. Looks like it’s on the road now, probably has a lot of new parts and maintenance.

    It sounds like (I could be wrong here) that she’s not looking specifically for a Corvair, she just would like a cool old car and happened to spot the Corvair (sub-$1000 cars can be enticing)

    She might easily be turned off to the whole thing if she buys a car she can’t even drive and needs a ton of work.

    I live in xtra rust territory too. When I finished reading your post, I went on my local CL just to see what was there out of curiosity and saw this:
    [​IMG]
    I would buy something like this for my kid. In fact when the time comes I probably will. Not suggesting you buy a car out of state, just an example.



    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
    Hnstray likes this.
  21. Good parts car.
     
  22. adam401
    Joined: Dec 27, 2007
    Posts: 2,856

    adam401
    Member

    I have driving age kids also. Father to father if you r not going to weld it up that car is unsafe to put your daughter in. With a little hunting you'll find the right car. Good luck
     
  23. 55styleliner
    Joined: May 11, 2015
    Posts: 563

    55styleliner
    Member

    I have a fairly solid 1964 Corvair Monza Turbo Convertible project I will be selling soon. Texas car. Minor floor rust but complete. $3,500
     
    48fordnut likes this.
  24. petebert
    Joined: Mar 24, 2007
    Posts: 290

    petebert
    Member

    I've actually been very casually browsing for a 63 or 64 Fairlane, as in I keep my eye on the ads but had no intent to purchase one yet. Would probably be easy to sell the wife on it now that my daughter is interested.
     
    clunker likes this.
  25. choptop40
    Joined: Dec 23, 2009
    Posts: 5,113

    choptop40
    Member

    Monza ragtop turbo...Wowzwers...
     
  26. Corvairs are nearly worthless as it is, a couple here landed in the you-pick and other than the steering boxes and a steering wheel nobody even wanted any parts. I snagged a column thinking a hot rod guy might want it and that took literally years to sell.

    It shouldn't be hard to find a better one that's not expensive.
     
  27. MMMMM..Crunchy.
     
  28. petebert
    Joined: Mar 24, 2007
    Posts: 290

    petebert
    Member

    I never got around to looking at that Fairlane. Was a little more tempted when the price dropped to $2800. Apparently other people were too because it sold the same day.

    Anyone know about this Falcon near Dayton? I'm actually going to be in the Dayton area a little this week and thought about checking it out. https://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/d/1965-ford-falcon-futura/6658471513.html
     
  29. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,709

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    I stay away from ads without a pic or just a single pic like that, too many scammers will snag a pic off the web and post it as their own and not even have a car.
    You missed a deal on that Fairlane from the pics.
     
  30. verde742
    Joined: Aug 11, 2010
    Posts: 6,267

    verde742
    Member

    Had lots of Corvairs, never had ONE that bad.....pass
     

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