After buying this a year ago as a project but just now getting it back on the road, I can finally answer the question about just how unsafe the Corvair really is.
As an owner of a 57 Chevy, I never really noticed what a huge difference in design and technology that there was in three short years. It’s kind of amazing when you really think about it. PS a mechanic who works for $25 an hour? Hold on tight to that guy
Hwy myt friend, thanks for the visit and for checking out the Corvair video. And you're so right about the tech leap from the '57 to the Corvair. And finding a Corvair expert at $25 per hour is the only reason I got this car. Otherwise I would have been way, way over my head.
So many and significant were the improvements through the fifties and early sixties, that I frankly, consider everything built before 1955 an automobile prototype. You have to start somewhere.
My first car was a 1964 Corvair Monza. Black with all red interior and automatic transmission. I was actually 15 when I bought it for $200.00 in 1975. Drove it a couple years. The only problem I had was an oil burning smell anytime I used the heater. At the time I didn't know it was due to oil seeping into the pushrod tubes because the original gaskets were worn out. I would have enjoyed the car a lot more as one could imagine.
Nice car, and I love the unrestored look. It's something you can drive because you're not afraid to get it scratched up. I'd give it a wash and a polish and fix the headliner and just enjoy it for a while. The little shifter with its rotating window and big parking brake lever are weird. I love the huge frunk on Corvairs, Tesla can't come close. Everyone wants a Mustang or a Beetle, these are definitely overlooked. These didn't deserve their bad reputation. The early-model suspension setup was very similar to the Beetle but with more power the swing axle handling quirks became more apparent. GM specified different pressure for the front and back wheels to compensate for the quirks but service station attendants would fill them equally, exacerbating the handling issue. By the time GM fixed the suspension for the late model it was too late, the damage to its reputation had been done. GM did the GM thing and killed it as soon as they got it right. They were competitive cars at the time and still drive nicely today.
@@hullinger Thanks for keeping it going. One of the rare American cars that Europe respected for its engineering, although American and European cars are/were driven on different roads, in different ways, so the market will always be different.
From 1965 until the end of production, the Chevy Corvair was one of the best handling cars on the road - so good they dominated slalom racing for awhile. They were also successfully used for track racing. And there I nothing quirky about them, but rather more like an affordable Porsche with an indestructible engine. I had a '65 and a '66. Loved them!
Certainly agree the 4 joint 1965+ cars were great drivers! You did have to adjust for the balance of a rear engine car, as Porsche drivers did. I drove my 140 HP on very curvy mountain roads, and it was different uphill vs. downhill. Uphill it would oversteer under power, but downhill it was incredible handling.
Since I had an older sister, my brother and I were relegated to riding in the backseat of one of these. Mom had the four-door model, and I doubt she got an engine upgrade. But she still swears it was the best car she ever had! Thank you for the memories.
It's great to see another Corvair fan showing your Monza! You can add a camber compensator spring on the rear suspension and a front stabilizer bar to improve the handling, those became standard in 1964. I own a 1966 Monza 4 door hardtop with factory air conditioning and an automatic transmission, I've worked on it "one piece at a time" and now it drives like new! What could be better than a car that handles like a Corvette, looks like a miniature Impala, gets gas mileage like a Nova, and can be bought on the cheap? There's no contest here! Enjoy your Monza, you've done a wonderful thing bringing her back to life!
Great comment and thanks so much for sharing about the handling improvements. I appreciate that. It's cool too that you have a probably my favorite body style, the 4 door hardtop, with A/C too. Awesome stuff. Thanks man.
Adding the camber compensator means installing a '64 differential, the bottom is machined differently, and then changing to much lighter coil springs. It's a little bit more complicated than just putting a spring underneath. I did it to my 1962 spyder, but that required changing the differential and the rear lower control arms
I bought a new 64 Spyder in 63. It was black with black interior. I liked it a lot and won my only drag strip trophy in 64. I turned 88 mph with a 15.9 et. That was good enough to win "I" stock class. Sticker price on my car was right at 2, 800 dollars. On Ralph Nader and his comments on the dangers of the Corvair. If the owner did not look at the owners manual or allowed someone else to put air in the tires he would likely not get the recommended 15psig in the front and 25pisg in the rear (which compensated for the read engine configuration and weight distribution), and that could make the car more unstable when cornering. My 64 also had some factory changes intended to improve the cornering ability.......... .
When I first got into classic cars I was in love with the Impala I bought and restored a 1968 Impala too close to factory specs I used to hear stories of how terrible the corvair was I really didn't know what the fuss was and one day three blocks from my house somebody was selling a corvair so I was very curious how terrible these cars drove like so I pretend like I was interested in buying his car just to drive it I drove it for a couple minutes and it blew my mind how fun it was compared to my Impala so I saved up money and I bought one for myself he was going to be my daily driver because the cost of gas it wasn't long that I found myself not driving the Impala anymore so I ended up selling it and I've been driving corvairs for over 20 years
I owned a 66 corvair the death trap fear is totally overblown! I drove that car hard and fast! Unsafe at any speed is complete BS! Except for losy heat system and defrost! Fun to drive!
I’m so old that I owned a red ‘64 Spyder as one of my first cars (cars were cheap, so we traded often way back then). I really enjoyed that car and it was quite reliable. I laughed though when I saw your spare fan belt. I got very good at replacing those quickly, even in the dark. Thanks for the memories. 👍
You had to use the right kind of fan belt. The cogged ones did not hold up, as they were too "floppy" to be stable. I think they were OEM Dayco belts. Never had a belt problem in two 110 HP and a 140 HP engine that got run hard.
bought one new in 1961 ( $1,800 ) like the car, but, you were lucky to get 50-60 thousand miles out of it. The biggest problem was in the push rod tubs. The O rings would crystallize from the heat and cause oil leaks. You would have to drop the engine to fix this problem . it was a real pain in butt because it happen after a few short miles. All in all it was a fun car and I would buy it again if they could fix that problem. 😊
I learned to drive on a 1965 white with red interior monza. Great little car in the snow, good gas mileage, and real dependable. Independant suspension and an air cooled 6 cylinder boxer engine, powerglide AT, it was ahead of its time. Ralph Nader killed the Corvair. I would buy today.
Had a Corsa and a Monza - loved 'em. The Monza I bought from my older brother - he installed heavy duty springs, & it had the full independent later suspension - it was our 'poor man's Porsche', handled like a cat - helped my practice w/my copy of Pierro Taruffi's "Technique of Motor Racing". The BEST car in mud & snow - I never got stuck when others did. The early swing axle did have problems - but not if you inflated your tires properly. Unlike some of my VW's, plenty of heat in the winter. Didn't have to worry so much about gas money like the V-8 boys. Miss those Corvairs...
For a car designed in the late 50s it's definitely aged very well in terms of the styling and funny enough Chevy's attempt at a small car was far better in that era than vehicles brought in the 70s which was understandably a dark period for cars in the states.
@@IKhanNot definately. We learned quickly how to yank cannisters off and how to port heads though. 😉 Oh but that Buick Grand national that came out in the 80's started a grand resurgence didn't it? I remember that car well. My old man bought one and it was clean AF. A V6 that would plant you into the seat.
As a young man in the late 60’s I had two Corvairs a 63 Monza with a four speed and a 1964 Turbo model. They were pretty worn out when I got them but still fun cars.
thanks Chris for putting this video together! remember my grandfather had a 63 always love playing in it when I was a kid, brings back so many memories!
Very cool relic from the 60's. keep it running, fix up the interior, the headliner and bulkhead first. Thanks for sharing! Just one thought on the stalling, Chevy carbs were notorious for vapor locking
I have a hunch that vapor lock might just be the problem with the stalling. When the car stalled at the DMV it was a pretty warm day and after getting the car towed home it fired right up with no issues.
@@hullinger I believe there was a service bulletin fix for that issue. If I remember correctly it involved installing some heat shields at the base of the carburetors and or installing some fuel line insulation in specific areas. And there is a one way vent in the gas cap which sometimes gave problems.
My mom had one of those including a '64 GTO. I still remember the smell and the feel of the upholstery (freezing cold at night). And I couldn't agree more about the wing vent. Man, looking at your car takes me back in time. Congrat's.
Pretty cool video.! It brought back fond memories.. I bought a brand new Corvair Monza in 1963. Mine was Ermine White with a red interior. I loved the ride!! I kept the spare in the front to sort of balance the weight distribution, plus I added "trombone" dual mufflers, what a neat sound!.. I always kept a little tool box in front, just I was always ready to quick change that fan belt when it broke! It only took a minute to replace.. Mine had a 4-speed gear box plus a 110 hp. engine.... Fun car, I sometimes wish I still had it........
Great video, Chris. I am with everyone who says “keep it the way it is and just have fun.” The more perfect and shiny it is, the more affraid you might be to take it outside and it might spoil the fun. I remember how surprised my girlfriend was when I thanked her for scratching our car I deeply love. I was relieved it wasn’t me and that it is no longer perfect and I can just drive it everywhere and just enjoy the drive:-)
I totally agree with you and thanks my friend. And yeah, once you get that first scratch, it's like you can now relax a bit and enjoy the car more. Thanks again!
My first car was a 1965 500 Cp. I currently still have a 1965 Corvair with only 15,000 miles. Great handling parts are readily available. The car was misunderstood, improper maintenance contributed to handling problems. Love it.
Great video Chris!! Love the corvair! My Dad had a 63 Monza and a 66 Monza convertible w/140 hp both of which were bought new. The 66 i got my license with in 1970. Man I loved that car! Always look forward to your videos!
Bought mine new in 64. Put 250,000 some miles on it. Two quirks of note. The rear mount could fail and drop the rear of the engine onto the road. Didn't hurt anything but savvy owners carried a coat hanger along with the fan belt to jury rig the engine and get it home. Also, the fuel pump would develop a leak internally and put gas into the crankcase. This resulted in severe oil burning which would go away and come back periodically as you drove. Always replace the fuel pump on any Corvair you adopt ( this could be your lean problem). Pluses that you may not know were that it always started in sub zero weather and could go anywhere in snow especially with rear tire chains or cables. One final note. If the engine does not want to start at some point , pull the distributor and get a rebuilt one. They wear and the points will not close. Thanks for the memories.
I like the Corvair quite a bit. When I was a teenager, you could literally pick these up for free by just hauling them home. There were camber compensator straps that were available to prevent the excessive positive camber jacking when cornering hard. These cars were specified to run low tire pressures to improve the ride. A help for the rolling under on the sidewalls was to run even higher pressures both front and rear. I ran 24 pounds in the front and 32 to 35 pounds in the rear. And I used radial tires. You can tune the handling with adjusting tire pressures. There is also a front stabilizer or roll bar you can install on the front which helps with the oversteer. I do not believe they came stock with your car. Your 101 hp engine was an option and it had a reputation for good mid range power and really helped when going up hills. The Corvair was initially designed for only offering the automatic transmission. The manual transmission was placed in the car shortly before release and they presented some engineering issues that gave them fits. There was a bucking and rattling issue when the throttle was released and the car changed from power to coasting. The problem was found on the 3 speed, was most prevalent on the 4 speed manual. It did not occur on the automatic equipped cars. They had a couple of last minute issues just before release. GM thoroughly tested the cars at the phoenix proving grounds to make sure they did not over heat. They did fine. But when they decided to run up to Flagstaff Az. They all quit when the got up in the higher elevation and cold temperatures. All the cars carburetors iced up. So they did an emergency design change to install car de-icees on the 1960 models. They then did a design change to solve that issue later. Another design change implemented just before production release was to change the cooling fan to metal. They were initially offering a plastic composite fan of some sort then discovered if battery acid spilled on it, the reaction between the battery acid and the cooling fan released a poisonous gas. I forget which one, but it was serious enough, they immediately removed the composite fan and replaced it with the metal one before production release. By the way. The performance goal was for the zero to 60 mph acceleration with the base 80hp/automatic engine was to match the 6 cylinder Chevrolet Biscayne time of approximately 19 seconds. Your 101 hp model beats that by quite a bit. My dad purchased a new 1962 red Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside pickup with the 4 speed transmission and the gasoline heater. That heater would really toast your feet! That truck was absolutely great off in the woods! He bought it to go hunting in. He loved to hunt. Me, not so much. But I enjoyed the ride along and camping. (I was just a grade school kid then.) that is when I got hooked on Corvairs.
My first "favorite car" was my Aunt's '65. Was devastated when she sold it to her mechanic for $500 before I had my license. I'm also fascinated by the Corvair Stinger...the rare racing version of Corvairs. One of the coolest logos for a car of that era.
Excellent video. Many friends had these when I was back in H.S. during the mid- to late sixties. My friend Jack M. did have an engine fall out on the highway in one of the three he owned, because he hadn’t maintained the car properly. I’m currently driving an bare bones, 1988 Volvo 240 wagon DL w/ roll up windows & I know exactly what you’re talking about when you say “fun to drive”. Keep these videos comin’! Great job!
I have 3 240's in my collection at the moment, and you're right. They're just fun. They're all in fine working (and looking) order. Can't explain it. But... the Corvair has always been on my "want" list. Might have to pull the trigger and "get it out of my system" . :)
My dad used to own to corvairs and he loved both of them. I remember he would mention when you drive them in the snow, the car would have planned traction because of its design while other cars would be sliding all over the place.
Back in the 60s I club raced a bunch of these, 110HP and a 65 turbo rag top. Hill climbs, rally's, frozen lake and gymkhana, Classed in A Sedan against Triumphs, V8 Nova's, a 442, Austin Healy's, pickups, all kinds of stuff. Won many trophies from "Slow Time of Day" to many 1st places. Loved it. Drove it back and forth between TX and MN many times and never a problem.
My Uncle George gave me a 1964 four door Covair when i was 13 yo. That's why i been driving since i was 13. My parents would go out visiting and i would cruise the roads mainly at night. When i did drive legally. Me and friend would pop the trunk fill it with cans of Bud and ice park and Party. Back in the 70's
What a great car, beautiful video, can't wait to get my 1963 Monza Spider on the road, probably I will have a similar to do list. Thank you for sharing your interesting experience.
Thanks for posting. My parents had one identical to this except it was white with a red interior. It could go through snow like nothing else could at that time.
When I was young, my dad had a 63 corvair spider. He traded it in for the new 65 corvair corsa, 4 speed ,4 carburetors ,once had it up to 125 mph, When I was 17 ,I had a 64 corvair 95 ... 3 speed on the floor. My brother in law had a 63 , convertible ,, 4 speed , black with a white racing stripe ,,, we all enjoyed them ,and never had problems with them. The good old days.
I had a '63 convertible and I loved it. The only real problems I had were that (1) I needed to keep a spare fan belt at all times, and (2) keep away from mechanics that had no idea about aluminum blocks, they would over tighten and strip all bolts causing multiple oil leaks from the valve covers and other places. It wasn't much good in an Indiana winter either. That was ultimately what made me trade it.
I had a new 1963 Corvair Mazda, 4 speed w/seat belts. When I had it at about 10,000 miles, it began having issues with leaning out similar to your issues and it turned out to be worn seals on the carborator power pistons. One nice thing was that when it happened in traffic, I could get out of trafic using 1st gear and the starter motor. The other and only other issue I had was upon filling the gas tank … if left parked in the hot sun, the gas would heat up, expand and begin flowing out the gas cap. I still enjoyed it so well that in the year I had it, I put 22,000+ miles on it. The following year I traded up to a 1964 Corvair Spyder with 155hp and an exhaust driven blower. The only difficulty I had wth it was my led foot, the clutch, and the poor construction of the seat covers. The blower became prominent as I would cross 55mph with my led foot. The clutch was a 10 inch size, and had to be replaced prior to my wife and I travelling from Iowa to Florida and back. The replacement clutch was in the correct box but in actuality was 10 1/2" size. It broke as we began coming home. At that time, dealerships wouldn't recognize warranties from anywhere other than the original dealer so we drove home having to stop by stopping the engine, starting the engine in 1st gear and hard gear shifting through the other gears. We had a difficult time explaing the damage to our dealer at home until they discovered their mistaken clutch and then we ended up with a completely new transmission. Still was one of the best cars I've ever owned❗🤗
I always liked them, especially the styling of the “new models”…the 2nd generation. I almost had one for my first car. I understand Chevy fixed that oversteer issue, but by that time Nader had killed them off.
We have been Corvair people for decades, and I don't agree that Nader killed them--10 years is a long run (how many cars designed in the '50s made it in to the '70's, for example)...AND...the new smog laws were coming in the late '60s. It's nearly impossible to clean up an air cooled engine, so they quit.
@@williamgregory6684 Disagree. GM itself killed the Corvair. Built the first ones on the cheap and never really got serious about upgrading. By the later years, American cars were growing again and the demand for smaller cars faded.
I got a 63 base model in 1968. The back windows didn't open and the seats were designed to stick to you and scald you in summer. But even the smallest engine had 2 single barrel carbs, it had 3 on the floor and was fast. I loved that car.
my mom had a ‘62 Monza coupe. car died at only 188 miles due to a tech leaving a 3/4 inch socket wrench in the transmission. GM warranty replaced it for free. car problem again at 28K when valves burned on long interstate trip. car got a steady 14 mpg on premium gas and always smelled of burning oil.
The first Corvair was a major influence on European car styling in the early 1960s. The most notable was the Fiat 1500, virtually a copy of the Corvair sedan on a smaller scale. Also a fine car.
Loved the memories. My dad gave one to me when I was maybe 13 or 14. Drove around the yard. Lost the brakes one time and jumped out of it while it was moving backwards. My mom jumped in and it ran into some grape vines my dad had then. Stopped the car though. I think that one was a 64 or 65. It had the overhang over the rear window. I always called it the cousin to the VW.
I think the car got a Raw deal and Ralph was Wrong, I personally like the 65-69 years very sleek looking. I hope you continue fixing yours up she's a nice car. Thank you for sharing.
My mother had a 1960 (first year) Corvair, an economy model, white with gray interior. There wasn't a plastic package tray behind the back seat, but a small storage area. My younger brother who was 6-years-old at the time hide in that small space when my mother (unbeknownst that my brother was in the car with her) went to the store, and while driving to the store my brother revealed himself, coming out of the storage area. My mother was startled, but then got a big laugh out of it. I took my driver's license test in 1964 in that Corvair, and my mother would let me drive the car to High School until I bought my own car some months later. Today, I could see myself driving an early year Corvair for local driving.
I've had daily driver EM corvairs almost since started driving! The big thing about "handling" with those is there is a huge difference between the original 1960, the Monza's and the Spyder (turbo). The Spyder was the best handling of the bunch, as it was sort of intended for more aggressive driving... it came with stiffer spring rates, 1 1/2 to 2 degrees negative camber on the rear wheels, and a front anti sway bar. I have driven all three and its amazing how much more planted the Spyders feel compared to the others. Another thing that really improves the handling a lot is to use modern radial tires... One modification you would do well to think about sooner rather than later is to use a dual master cylinder. Clarks Corvairs has a kit to make this really simple easy conversion.
Yes, adding some rear negative camber helps rear drive swing axle cars. The factory tires on early models were cheap 2-ply sidewall, which mushed out in hard turns. Radial tires were considered expensive "foreign" tires in the 1960s. GM was going for a cheap selling price, and not the best car. The Chevy dealers were also very inept with the Corvair. As soon as my mom's 1963 came off mandatory dealer warrantee service, I took over it's maintenance.
@@loboheeler I read that recommended tyre pressures were very low too, which could allow tyres to roll off the rims at which point the rim would dig in, catapulting the car over it's axle.
After being discharged from the US Navy in 1965 I bought a 1962 Corvair for $800 from a dealer in Fall River, Massachusetts. I loved the car. Driving first to Pennsylvania then Cincinnati, Ohio then a long road trip to Anaheim, California pulling a 5' X 8' U-Haul trailer. Because I never owned my own car before and not having any mechanical experience the trip was anything but uneventful but that's another story. All in all the car was a joy to drive and I highly recommend anyone interested to get one. Seriously, I loved my Corvair. P.S. As a side note: I pulled the Corvair with the loaded U-Haul trailer OVER the Rocky Mountains. and it was the 600 Model. Little engine, no guts but it did it all the same.
The Corvair was one of the best rear engine cars ever built in America. Not many people realize the front suspension, ball joints ,tie rod ends, and many other parts were shared with full sized Chevy's. The only problem with Corvair was not many mechanics were open to learning how the Corvair was designed, and willing to learn the new techniques that were required to service and repair these cars. I serviced and owned a few of these cars, both as a Mechanic and later on as a collector, the quality was there, strong, reliable cars if you were smart enough to learn, at the time, New Tech. Ralph Nader was only part of the demise of the Corvair, complete ignorance on the part of set in there ways mechanics and DYI'ERS whom had no clue how these cars worked.
I bought my first new car in 1964. My choices were the Corvair, Falcon and Dart. The Dart looked sleeker, so I went for it. A few months later, the 1964 1/2 Mustang came out, and I kicked myself for not waiting longer to buy a new car. But the Dart was superior in every way (escept for the sporty look of the Mustang.) When it came to handling, head room, leg room, trunk space, the Dart kicked the others butts.
I've always liked repaired and now collect corvairs, because they were dirt cheap. And I became the Corvair repair expert, because nobody else would touch the
For 3 years, my grandmother had a 1964 Corvair that she bought new. Hers had a large well behind the back seat which I can remember looking into from outside.
I remember my dad having one of these when I was a kid. He painted it outside with a brush, roller and regular oil based paint, black cause that was the original color. After the paint dried he put two coats of clear shellac over it. The car looked good most of the summer until the sun baked the clear coat causing it to crack and peel. By next summer the car had pretty much become a piece of yard art, and not a real pretty one either.
My mother had a 64 Monza. It was her first car after graduation from college. She loved it because it was sporty! We had it in the family for 20 years…Great little car…
My wife and I love Corvairs! My wife drives a '65 Monza, I had a '64 Greenbrier van, and now a '63 Rampside truck. Love these things. I have an air cooled 911 and find the Corvairs just as much fun due to the diversity of cars that were built. Put together correctly, and you essentially have a first gen 911 with American styling...and we all know how air cooled 911 pricing has been going the past few years. You can still get these for a total bargain
Great comment and thanks for sharing. You've certainly got yourself a cool collection of air cooled however I'm really partial to those crazy cool FC Corvairs!
I gotta add my Corvair story. In 1965 I was at a Navy school in south Georgia, bought a 62 convertible 4 speed, thought it was a really cool car even tho it was yellow and guys thought it was sort of a chick car but the girls did love to ride in it. I got assigned to a ship in Pearl Harbor, drove the Corvair to California where the Navy shipped it to Honolulu for me. What a great beach car. I’d put the top up only when it rained. The space between the front wheels in the "trunk" was sorta a "well" you could throw a case of cold ones in and toss ice on top, the well had a drain plug. In spite of its diminutive size it was possible to have amorous encounters, tho front seats was all we ever tried. Back seat was a little small. When I got out of the Navy in late 1967 I sold the car to a shipmate. He never bothered to re-register the car and for a year or so I was getting notices about unpaid parking tickets. I think if I went back to Hawaii they probably still have me on a "wanted list"🙂. It’d be nice to know the ultimate fate of the car but in that salt and sea environment I guess it’s long since been reduced to a pile of rust. GM cars in those days all rusted a lot, one of the early designs of planned obsolescence. BTW my first purchase back on the mainland was a 67 Camaro SS 350 convertible… don’t recall if it was a 5 speed or 4 speed. Of course like everybody says I wish I still had both those cars…. It was all family sedans and minivans after I got married. I did get a Miata after I retired but it wasn’t the same. And of course the wife wasn’t interested in any games in the car by that time anyway!
My mother's close friend had one, it was white with red interior. She named it "Snowflake". I thought it was cool like she was. She had a pet skunk. Miss you Mrs Atwood!
OMG, this brought back so many memories! A buddy of mine had a Corvair when I was high school in Rochester, NY., would have been 1972 or 73. I think it was in my Junior year. Whenever I road with him to school, we had to keep the windows open because of the exhaust coming into the cabin. This included when it snowing and something like 15 degrees outside! Still beat taking the bus. In my senior year, I had a 64 Valiant... thanks to salty roads and rust, it had no back floor, so I made one of plywood. Had to avoid puddles and slush or it was coming it... ahh, good times!
A real technological marvel that became a world-class car with the introduction of the 1965 (2nd-Gen) models. Its lousy safety reputation was undeserved, as a US government panel confirmed in 1973 - four years after Corvair production ended.
Yes, make sure it's a vented gas cap. And also install an electric fuel pump up front near the gas tank. This will help with vapor lock wich is more common with the gasoline blends we have now.
I disagree that its "vapor lock". Since it is random it sounds more like sediment clogging fuel lines or carb, especially since something is still going on with the gas gauge. I would not replace fuel pump with electric. The car is pristine original - no reason to start hacking it up.
My mother had a new 62 Monza it was very reliable, and I took my driving test in it drove it a lot. Back then the owners would put a bag of sand up front in the trunk to help the loose feel they had at HI way speed.
In the early sixties Porsche, Corvair and VW all had rear suspension (called swing axles at the time) that would tuck under during severe oversteer. After racing accidents, research and lawsuits, anti sway bars were installed on the rear suspension that mitigated the “tuck under” and lessened oversteer going into corners. One advantage Corvair had was 24mpg and great traction in the snow. If you lived in a state with a snowy winter you recall rear wheel drive cars having to have a 50 lb bag of rock salt in the trunk to reduce wheel spin on snowy days.
I grew up 7 houses down from Mrs. Nader, Ralph’s mother, in Winsted, CT. There was a guy that would drive a baby blue Corvair up and down Hillside Ave, whenever Ralph’s Porsche was parked outside his moms house. He would turn around at this old carriage house across the street from us, and you could hear the chestnuts pop under his tires, and that would be the signal for us kids to go out and wave at him as he made another round. We think he did it as a, “Hey Ralph, my car hasn’t killed me. So take that!” Mrs Nader was a sweet little Lebanese immigrant. She taught me how to make Lebanese bread. She absolutely hated GM for the smear attempt they pulled on her son.
That’s a solid example. From “my experience” there were a few flaws designed into the car. 1. When you feel your losing control in a turn do not let off the gas pedal or even touch the brakes. Power through that turn. 2. Correct shock absorbers. These make all the difference in limiting the travel of the rear swing axle. It makes the car almost flat in cornering at high speed. 3. Rust. The front cowl in the early model was sealed with tar. How they assembled the car allows water to seep into the trunk and into the front foot well. Take off the wiper blades, take off the louvered grille, flush it out and seal it up. The stalling issue on the engine if it involves the carbs is that the carbs do run cold. They will ice up. The engine heat is supposed to recirculate back to the intake. Which prevents carb icing. I’ve only had early models and most of them being the 1960 model. The 1960 had a single thermostat which I thought was a better version. The 61-69 used dual thermostats which trapped the hot air inside the tins which flowed the carbs through slots. When those thermostats fail all that hot air blows out and the carbs get only the cold air from whatever ambient air the car is driving through. My last Corvair I sold I had to pay attention the the minimalist electrical system as the wires were approaching 60+ years of age.
thank you for rescuing that old girl! Growing up a man 2 doors down from us had a blue rampside pickup and a matching sedan. He taught automotive technology at our local community college. My high school auto shop teacher also had a Corvair- a 1966 turbo corsa that was mint. I suppose this shows that if Master Level car guys like they can't be all bad lol
I had two. Zero 'odors' inside the cabin; zero rollover issues....I drove it as a crazy 16 yo and never had an issue with anything. One of the best handling cars I've ever owned. Plus, zero oil leaks.
I've only owned "Late" models. They were a blast to drive. If not for the pure pleasure of driving the machine itself, also for the thumbs up from many people I passed by. Nice review East Coast Classics.
It might be vapor locking on you which would cause it to die. I had several VW's and it wasn't a problem until it got up over about 90 degrees outside. Nice car. I've never owned one but would like to someday. My late Step Dad owned one way back when and he seemed to like it because he also liked VW's.
In 1963 my mom bought a new 63 Monza sedan, auto trans. Burgundy with black interior. My older brother got his license in 63 and drove it like it was his. In 65, he goes to college and I got my license and it was mine. In 1966 I flipped it and broke a telephone pole in half 13 feet in the air. The car was totaled with the driver's side roof pushed though the driver's seat. I was in the floor with my buddy (no seat belts) and didn't get a scratch. My buddy cut his arm crawling out and had 7 stitches. We were going over 100mph when we left the road. Tough car. My dad used the insurance money to buy a 1964 Monza coupe, 4 speed, white with blue interior (I questioned his wisdom on that one). In 1967, I was the last of a train of 5 cars that stopped suddenly. $600 damage to my Corvair, $1100 damage to my buddy's 66 Chevelle. Tough Car. My dad sold it when I went to college that year. Broke my heart. I had studded snow tires on these cars in the winter and only got stuck once when the snow was so deep it lifted the car off the road and no traction (unibody construction). I wish GM would build that car again with today's technology. WOW!!!
in 1970 wife worked at a dealer and needed a car to get around while I was in the service..boss sold her a 61 for $50...we even took it on our honeymoon when I got home..loved it..was a tank in the winter
Took my first license road test in a white, 1960 four door sedan. Had fun dragging with Falcons. No contest. Dad rolled it over down an embankment. He and some friends rolled back on it's wheels and drove it away.
I think getting that shop at $25 per hour is the only reason I got this Corvair. That was the 'secret sauce' on getting this thing back on the road again. There's no way I could have done it myself.
Only up to 1964, In 1965 the problem was solved. Yhe car was a Ferdinand Porshe design. He told GM to put a ujount on the rear axles. I had a 1965 Monza, I bought it in the early 80's with 30,150mi. Drove it all over the country, bought in
Another great video Chris and looked good with the springtime blue sky. Definitely a quirky car although maybe not quite as unique as your Corvair Greenbrier minivan. Very few Covairs in Australia, as they were never sold new over here. Those that are here would have been privately imported by collectors. Nice to see these types of videos on RU-vid. Otherwise, I only occasionally see these Corvairs in an old movie or on the closing credits of the TV show My Three Sons, which I have on DVD. Looks like Chevrolet was a major sponsor of the show in the first few seasons.
We had a 1965 4 door Corvair when I was younger. My Mother and I were on our way home with me driving for the first time with my license. We were broadsided by a car that ran stop sign on the passengers side. Neither my Mother nor myself were injured and was totally due to the independent suspension on the car. Witnesses said that the drivers side wheels took most of the brunt force, thankfully. If we would have had a regular car, things would have been different for both of us. My parents had the car fixed and we continued to drive the car until 1975 when my brother and I made a dune buggy out of it. Ralph Nader knew nothing about what he was talking about when he put the doom on the future of the Corvair.
I have the '64 Monza Convertible. Mine is red with a white top and interior. SO MUCH FUN! (and it is cheap and gets great gas mileage. 25 mpg) I bought it for my 50th BD (six years ago!)
Growing up, our family had a 64 Monza convertible (110 / 4sp), later on I had a 66 Corsa convertible (140 / 4sp). My Mom worked at a tire store and was given a free set of Michelin radials, it was funny seeing mechanics shake their heads when my five foot and a bit mom tried to tell them the tires weren't flat. ;-D
My dad purchased a 1963 navy blue Corvair in 1970 used for $200.00. He really liked the way the car handled. The only problem was that the two front wheels started to slant. It kept getting worse. Not being a mechanic, he got rid of it in 1971 for a 1965 AMC Rambler. Cream body with a dark green top.
Always liked the Corvair. Apparently, GM deleted an anti-rollbar from the suspension to reduce production costs, and this is why the handling was so wayward in certain circumstances. I imagine that if you fit one, the car will probably handle quite nicely.
