Yes, that's cool.....maybe not to everyones tastes here, but if you score it, I'm sure you could work with it and make something cool from it. A daily coolmobile? If these are rare in the states, imagine how rare they are elsewhere...... Stuff all of them downunder.....NZ that is.
Regardless of Ralph Nader's feelings about them, they really aren't a bad little car. I owned5 of them at one time, ranging from 1961 to 64. Paid between $ 25 and $200 for them.......drove one as my daily driver and used the other 4 to keep it alive. During the mid 70's gas crunch, when you were limited to certain days to buy gas, I installed a second Corvair fuel tank on top of the one already in the front. Had a selector switch and would pull up to the pump and put in two tankfulls before they knew what I was doing. My daily was a Spider convertible and I really liked it a lot. Don
I f you think they are kool ....they must be kool. If i think they are not kool ....they really are'nt kool. I've got one , Ralphy-boy did'nt think they were kool either, even with a electric annt. Mine is the Spy..der..
Holy crap! If you didn't watch this..do it. This car sports a (mid-engine) 1959 ALUMINUM 283 with mechanical injection & a 4-speed!
...or a homely girl with a great body, both are sometimes very rewarding. Driving a Corvair is actually a lot like that, most of the critics of Corvairs formed their opinion from that idiot Ralph Nader and have never even sat in one! Mr. Nader did his besrt to kill the North American Auto industry we all love.
I don't think they are cool, but my opinion does not matter. As far as what you can do to help? I saw one this year with a 327 mid ship, that made it a little more cool.
Different strokes eh? When you face reality, and realise that the entire old car hobby is going to be legislated out of existence in the next 20 years or so because it's a thorn in the side of people in power who like things to be nice and linear.....you just can't afford to be too blinkered about marques and models. They are all worthy and many are works of art.......embrace them all, because sometime in the not too distant future they will be squeezed off the road and your shed/ mancave/ workshop, will become a museum. You don't need me to tell you that shit is already going in this direction.
I like them, takes little to make a "cool" daily driver. Purchased this one over 10 years ago for $500.00, added Cragars, lowered it, two engine rebuilds, added a handful of horsepower and still going strong
I think they're really cool and fun to drive. There are a few threads on here with pictures of customized ones. I have a '63 Monza with a rebuilt '66 110hp motor and 4 speed manual for sale if you're interested. My wife is no longer interested in it and I have too many projects.
Yeah, 60-61. Suspension was improved in the 62-63 models, improved a lot in 64, and a LOT in 65-69 models. The real problem was people not knowing how to drive them and tehy tended to oversteer. The wheels tucking under in cornering is a MYTH. That appears to be a problem when the car is on a lift, but it's not a problem in real driving. FWIW, Nader FAKED his data to get attention for his book. He later admitted it AFTER the NTSB tested his claims and found the early Corvairs to be very safe, but this all happened after Chevy killed the Corvair.
I absolutely dig'em! About once a year I get a wild hair to look for one......then the wife gives it a little off the top! Then I just wait a year..........repeat cycle.
Nothin' wrong with a Corvair! My good friend has a '63 Monza 900 sedan...low mileage car, one owner....paid $50 for it in 1990.
Why are you asking us? If you like it, its plenty cool, thats what its all about (NOT the Hokey Pokey!) But they did make a career for Ralph Nader ("Unsafe at Any Speed") I took a used turbo model on a test drive back in the 70s & wrecked it, no lie
Corvairs are definitely cool. And on the value scale, they are near the top. I don't quite get the V8 conversion ideas, though. They can go plenty fast with a turbo, like in some of the Monza (?) models. And they were designed to use light air-cooled engines. I wouldn't try to put a heavy water-cooled one in it. Just enjoy what it is.
I think so, If the vw guys can run straight pipes, I would have them on my 'vair. Aircooled rear engined little American car? I think it's cool. It would be real cool riding around all low, with open exhaust, bangin gears, maybe flat black? I don't mean like a RR with the black but it does make some cars look mean.
I started this a couple years ago. But now there are so many "gassers" out there I have sorta lost interest.
Those gas heaters were outright dangerous. They put out barely any heat but plenty of carbon monoxide so you had to keep your windows rolled down so you didn't pass out! Kind of defeated the purpose.......still I like them. Not Hamb cool maybe but cool in their own wierd way.
My dad had one in high school. He said it was tons of fun for getting around but preferred the hot rods that he and his brothers would build. He said though that after trading it in for a GTO it's not on his list of cars he wishes he could have back. With all that being said, there is a shiny yellow convertible here in town that looks pretty damn cool.
Very cool, especially road race style (Yenko Stinger) with a super charger or turbo they can turn some decent HP. Go for it!!! Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
Loved the body styles but HATED working on them.......couldn't stop the oil leaks to save my life (Clutches sucked too).
Am I the only one who thinks its funny that O'Toole is calling someone a tool? Just to clear the air I like when they look like the one in post 82. Ralph Nader doesn't know shit, he is a politician. They are all stupid!
fyi if you need to know how to remove a corvair steering box here is a very good instructional video. http://youtu.be/TQkQcJEeJ9c