Corvair, turbo, air, engine family 140, 145, 164 

what about love/HEART

A swing axel is a type of independent suspension. GM changed the suspension geometry and components, but the Corvair was always independently suspended on all 4 wheels.

Corvairs were very common when I was young. One of my uncles owned a Corvair, and he liked it very much. He bought it to replace a Studebaker Lark. The people who had Corvairs seemed to like them. The rarest one I ever saw in the wild pulled into the VW/Volvo/Jaguar dealership I worked at in the 70s and 80s. One of our customers was a collector, and he stopped by one day in a red turbocharged Corvair to check on his Jaguar. (The same man also had a white Impala with a 409/425 horse engine.) Part of the Corvairs' problems were caused by dealers. A lot of Chevrolet mechanics didn't like working on Corvairs. The cars were also a hassle for parts too, because everything in the engines, drive lines and bodies was proprietary. Thank you for a nice video.

I have a 1966 Corvair Monza convertible ("open" in Corvair enthusiast parlance) with a 110 hp motor and 4-speed manual trans. Thanks for featuring the Corvair motor family today. WYR 1: Corvair Rampside Pickup. Side folds down to make a ramp, plus there's a tailgate. Bed is 9 feet long so it can hold a lot, but it is on 2 levels because of the rear engine. Pickups and vans were called the 95 series, which referred to the wheelbase. Also called FC/Forward Control, because the steering connections were ahead of the front suspension (also kinda hung the cab occupants out in front with no forward crush space).There was also a pickup without the rampside which didn't sell well because it sacrificed a bunch of the bed volume to create a flat load floor. Base trim from 1965 onward ("late" models vs. "early" 1960-64) was actually the 500; Monza was the mid trim and Corsa the top trim. WYR 2: Definitely the Yenko Stinger. Toodle-OO!

I had a 1965 Corvair Corsa 180-hp Turbocharged 2 Door Coupe in Glacier Gray. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Managed the handling characteristics competently. Never any drama. I wish that I still had it in my garage.

As an AF airman in 1965 with no money of course, stationed in Texas in 1965, I hitched a ride to Steakley Chevrolet in Waco to see the new cars. The Chevy Corvair redesign for 1965 was beautiful. I recall a lavender Monza on the showroom floor!

One of GM's best cars.

Loved the styling of the Spyders and Monzas. Handsome cars.

Hi Jay!: A SUPER engine episode! I can speak on Corvairs, because I had three at different times. The first was a 1962 Monza coupe with the 102 h.p. engine, powerglide and no floor!! Never got that one running! The second was a 1962 Corvair 700 which was one trim level below the Monza, but higher than the cheapie Corvair 500. Never did anything with that one either! But I DID have a 1964 Monza Coupe with the 110 h.p. 164 engine. I rebuilt the engine on that one and got to drive it before finally selling it. It was a NEAT car! It had the 4 speed on the floor, which was nice. One thing about the swing axle set up. Chevrolet did see the disadvantages on the Corvair and right before the big redesign for 1965, they put a single leaf spring that tied the two rear wheels together on the 1964 models, which was designed to alleviate that problem. Mine had that feature and was no problem. BUT on the early ones it is crucial to check your tires regularly and make sure the pressure is correct to factory standards. That makes them safer to drive. A big problem with those cars is that the heat (except for some earlier cars that had the optional gasoline heater) comes off the engine shrouds, and if you should have an exhaust leak out of the gaskets you can get carbon monoxide poisoning in the car which is, of course NOT a good thing! Modern owners usually have co detectors in the car to sound off if there is a problem. WYR#1 I want the 1961 WAGON! Always wanted one of those!! #2 was going to be the '64 'cause I had one! But that 1966 Corsa is SO SWEET!! The Ford Mustang was the major killer of the Corvair. More bang for the buck!

I GOING ON 71 YEARS OLD I HAVE OWNED ALL MODELS OF THESE CARS LOVE THEM

back in the 60s 70s and early '80s my father raced oval track. he built a a race car on a 72 Chevelle chassis with a 327 in it. He used a Corvair body they were cheap and so many of them around. They were short at each end and could get in and out of traffic better than most other cars. It was hugely successful. To this day I still have people talk to me about my dad a d e l a r d cormier's Corvair. Thanks for bringing back some great old memories.

I've always loved the look of all the model years of the Corvair. All the choices are cool, I'd go '61 two door and the Corsa is sweet, but the Yenko would be really cool! 😎

I have seen many Corvair YT vids, this is by far one of the most accurate and informative ones out there!! We have a 64 Monza Spyder convertible undergoing restoration! If I could pick a favorite, definitely a 1969 Monza convertible 110 4 speed, 521 verts made in 69, and I'll pass on 140s...valve seats anyone? LoL

Best in Depth documentary yet on the Corvair. Brings to life of how fantastic this machine was.

My first car…1966 Corsa 140hp. I was born in the early 60’s, so I remember seeing new ones on the road at the end of the decade. My dad liked them and Volkswagens because engine maintenance was pretty straightforward. So naturally at sixteen, it was a deliberate choice. My brother picked up a 65 Monza a year later. I would love to have that car back. Threw a lot of belts though. Usually carried a spare, except on that one first date 😅. Moved on to Volkswagens as hobby stock restoration projects. Still, Corvair’s are my first love.

When GM decided to drop the Corvair line, they ended the Corvair assembly line and converted it to manufacture Camaro's. The remainder of the Corvairs were hand assembled in a corner of the Camaro building. The Corvair line was intended to compete with similar sized European cars, like Volvo. The Corvairs were more powerful and roomy. The 1969 Corvair was most common in the the 500 series, which was the least powerful in Corvair history. I believe the only transmission you could get was a Powerglide or 3-speed manual. The best Covair to get was a 1965 Corsa. That was the last year they used a Muncie 4-speed in them. If the HP Corvairs weren't driven as originally intended, the 2 secondary carbs would plug up and when you floored it, the car would fall flat on it's face. Same thing with the turbo cars, the turbo wouldn't spin up. I have personally experienced both of these situations. Ralph Nader's book "Unsafe At Any Speed" was mostly about the Volkswagen Type II Transporter. Until they re-designed the Type II in the late-60's, they were scary to drive. I know, I had a lot of time behind the wheel of our shop truck, a 1957 Type II. One of the things which made it better to drive was they had put larger tires on the rear, which necessitated cutting out the wheel wells. LOL!

I always loved the second generation style. That was one sharp looking car- it still is... I couldn't have possibly even contemplate buying one when I got old enough because we were a ford family.

I had 34 Corvairs over the years. My main livelihood in the mid 70s was wrenching these iconic cars.

Hi Justin, good video! I am 63 years old. My grandmother (on my mother's side) had a 1964 Corvair 500 and my mother had a 1963 Corvair 700. We thought they where grate! Engine over top of the rear drive wheels and also air cooled, as was VW and Porsche. No need for snow tires and no need for engine coolant, water pump, radiator, thermostat or hoses, nope! To this day, most automobile news media will not publish any magazine profile(s) on the Corvair due to the fact that the Corvair received a bad reputation in regards to the 1965 book publication "Unsafe at Any Speed" by Ralph Nader. The term "pancake engine" is actually a figure of speech for a "flat engine" profile, I.e. Subaru, Corvair, and rear engine VW and Porsche engines. The technical American term is; "horizontally opposed" engine. The technical German term is; "boxer" engine because the horizontal movement of the pistons resembles the actions of a boxer's fists. Porsche and VW had four cylinder horizontally opposed way but before the Corvair did, but in the mean time, Porsche did not offer horizontally opposed six cylinder engine until the introduction of the Porsche 911 in the 1964 model year. The 1960 model year Corvair was the first horizontally opposed six cylinder that I know of, four years before the Porsche 911. The closest automobile to a Porsche 911 was/is a Chevrolet Corvair, by "GM" General Motors. I have researched the first 1960 big three compact economy cars; GM, "Chevrolet Corvair" Ford, Ford Falcon and Chrysler, Plymouth Valiant. Falcon and Valiant outsold Corvair immediately, but in the mean time, there was such a demand for the VW Beetle at the time, when you bought a Beetle, you could not choose what color you wanted, you took what the VW dealer gave you. In the mean time the Corvair was the closed economy car to the Beetle. Please reply. Dave...

Chevrolet should’ve kept the Corvair Corsa Turbo going as a competitor to the 9/11. Rear-engined, air cooled turbocharged 2+2 Grand Touring Coupé. Maybe even offer the Monza as a roadster with folding hard top in place of the rear seats.

Thanks, love covairs

My first car was a ten-year-old 1962 Corvair Monza. After it was stolen while I was in high school I got a 1963. Two years after that it went to my brother and two years after that it went to our youngest. 2 years later on next door neighbor bought it for his daughter. My choices would be the Lakewood station wagon and The Greenbrier van.

I always loved the look of the 65-69 corvairs, I never liked the 60-64s. They looked like grandma cars to me. When I was a kid back in the 70s, the teenage kid that lived across the street from me use to drive his Corvair around in the fields behind my house because he was too young to get a license. One day it died out there and he just left it out there. Me and my friends use to play on it and other older kids from the neighborhood vandalized it. I still remember the color, it was a mint green color. It was a 65-69 body style. That's why I like corvairs, it brings back memories for me.

One major engine flaw that was known mostly to us serious Corvair engine builders & mechanics was the poorly designed vertical pushrod driven fuel pump where if the diaphragm failed the pump would then siphon-leak gasoline directly into the crankcase oil which if not immediately discovered would completely destroy the engine… that’s why these pumps would often be replaced with either in-tank or out electric fuel pumps especially by owners that tracked their cars.

Love this channel please keep up the great work and research. P.S. longer videos would be nice.

The second series was a really great car but by the time it debuted their reputation was already ruined

I had a 1965 Corsa 4 Speed loved it was a blast to drive.

Neat I was a Corvair fan. My brother got one and it always had cloud of oil vapor rising from the vent over the engine. I was told the first Corvair engines so closely copied Porsche that Porsche forced modifications that contributed to the oil consumption problems.

This was a great overview of the Corvair, Jay. Thank you for doing it.

WYR: 61 pickup, those things are incredibly versatile. Then the Stinger - what a car! The engine choices are so varied, and crossed over, I’ve never really been able to keep them straight in my head. Corvette engines options, by comparison, are quite easy. Thank you as always ~ Chuck

Did you know some company in the mid-west made a motorhome with a Corvair engine. I've seen pictures of one such vehicle in a wrecking yard, somewhere.

Cool video! My dad had a 1966 model 500. Three speed manual bare bones, no radio, dog dish hubcaps. Entry level second generation Corvair.

First choice the 61 Lakewood wagon for the rarity the second the 64 Monza Spyder coupe, not loosing sleep on the Porche pronounciation but you pronounced it correctly. Another great episode. If you haven't already pull up the name Pontiac Pathfinder, and there are pictures of proposed trim versions of the Corvair body to be sold by Pontiac and Oldsmobile divisions which they wisely rejected. GM one upped VW with this engine.

We had 2 corvairs in the 70s. One rarely mentioned oddity was the heater. The first year had a gasoline heater, which wasn't as dangerous as it sounds. Later they ducted the heated air from the engine shroud. The bad part was, they leaked a little oil after a few years, and the car heater smelled like burning oil. We kept a window partly down in winter.

I love corvairs.and hate Ralph Nader.

Thank you Jay for pronouncing Porsche correctly! Just got home from Illinois Locked the front door oh boy Got to sit down, take a rest on the Porsche Petrol fumes start kickin in Purdy soon I’m singing Doo doo doo looking at my red Porsche 😊

Great video, Jay, factual and detailed. I owned several Corvairs back in the day. My first car was a '64 Monza Spyder, and my last Corvair was a Corsa Turbo, with three others in between. The second generation Corvair was the best handling car of its era, and the '64 was a very roadable car with an aftermarket anti-sway bar installed. I really appreciate the work you put into all of your videos and the way you treat your audience as a car lovers' community. Andy

Had a 64 convertible, had a 65 coupe. Both great cars and fun to drive. Rebuilt a number of engines on these when I had my own shop for more performance. These engines held up well, but had leaks at the pushrod tubes which could be cured with newer aftermarket seals. Saw a number of issues on ones worked on by people who didn't have a clue about air cooled. As to the swing axle "issues" a camber compensator was sold by EMPI and solved the issue. WYR? 1: Greenbriar. WYR? 2: I'd take the 64 and the 66. And I love air cooled, including my 73 911T Targa, bought new and basically still all stock PS. The correct pronunciation is as a two syllable word, like this: “Por-shuh”. The true German pronunciation. PPS> Keep your day job, give up the singing. PPS 2. You can still get parts from Clarkes Corvair parts - great service and nice people.

Mid-engine V 8 Chevy Corvair is bad ass. TD Atlanta

I like that comment, I love my corvair it was a neat car; I couldn't even kill it it ran really good. Ralph Nader was a Al Gore. He's as bad as a guy in the white house right now ☺️😂🤫

Thanks, nice work.

I'd take the Corvair wagon (because it's cool) and the Yenko Stage II Corvair because it is valuable. Just me being my odd self....another very informative video. Thank you Jay!

My late father once told me a story of a corvair convertible he had stashed in a shed. Condition unknown. His brother sold it for junk one day just to spite him.

My uncle bought the first one in 1961. The fan belt slipped and it caught fire in his garage. He threw it in neutral and rolled it out into his driveway.

My parents owned a 1964 Corvair. It was terrible. No power, exhaust fumes from the heater, a blown head gasket at 24000 miles. They traded it for a 1965 Dodge Coronet. that was a good car.

It was a car and engine of the future. Just not the future that happened.

I'm highly impressed with the accuracy of this video. Only a few minor mistakes. Sounds like you did a lot of research to make it. There is no question that the Mustang is what killed the Corvair. In fact, Ralph Nader actually prolonged the life by about 3 years because GM didn't want Ralphie to think he had won! It's nice to see a vid that is factually correct and not all hype or downplaying. Thank you! I've been a Corvair guy since 1969. Not even one minute has gone by since then that I haven't had a Corvair or Corvair powered vehicle.

I have to wonder if Chevrolet Powertrain Engineering built any experimental OHC versions. With tower shafts for the cams just to be weird.

I was driving and involved with performance cars in the 1960's. The book by Nader was the most influential part of the Corvair death at the time. I owned a 1966 Corsa Spider.

Wonderful car. Quite the departure from the normal GM stuff. Corvair pickup all the way. Dunno anyone who would turn down a Yenko Corvair.

I worked on VWs for almost 40 years. I had the chance to drive a VW bus converted to Corvair power once; it was amazing.

61 Corvair 66 Corsa Nader was an idiot. The Corvair was a decent car. The 65 and later Corvair is a really beautiful car. I always loved the body on those. Especially the convertibles. I once owned a sand rail. It was a 140 Corvair engine with a 4 runner intake manifold that fed the heads through a single 4 barrel Holley carb. The engine was mounted on a VW transaxle. The sand rail was a Chenowith lay down 2 seater frame. It was scary fast but handled the Yuma dunes or Glamis with ease. In fact you had to be careful as it had so much traction with paddle tires that it would wheelie and flip backwards. The only thing that stopped it from going all the way over was the engine hitting the ground. When you look at the Corvair it becomes very obvious how much of an impact the VW had on Chevrolet. As clearly the Corvair was intended to one up that.

I had a 64 Corvair Monza 4spd Coupe for a bit, was a fun and interesting car. Mine looked just like that 64 Spyder with the black on red.

My favorite episode yet, Jay! My first car was a '64 Monza Spyder convertible and I've owned five different models over the years, including two turbo Corsas. I do want to disagree with one point you made - consumer demand didn't kill the Corsa, Ed Cole killed it. Why? Because although sales were competitive with sporty models from the other Big Three makers, the Corvair engine and drivetrain were significantly more expensive to make than the boring straight sixes from Ford and Chrysler and the profit margin on the Corvair was the lowest in the GM line. That's not good unless model sales are overwhelmingly higher than the competition, and that wasn't the case here. Cole only wanted one enthusiast car in the GM lineup, and it also started with the letters "Corv". It could command a much higher pricetag and by the time they got the fiberglass tech down, it was almost as cheap to build as the Corvair. By 1969 the American fervor with sports cars was dying down, and Cole thought it better focusing on ill-handling muscle cars in the base Chevy ranges. GM engineers never got a chance to work on some of the models weak points, which included the oil seals, O-ring valve seals, and attachment spots to the monocoque shell for the suspension. My 1967 turbo was one of the best handling cars I've ever owned and was no slouch in a straight line either. Like many other owners, I LOVED this car and joined Corvair clubs and groups until I had to adapt to more family-oriented vehicles. I still have a warm spot for the 'Vairs and may buy one to restore someday. Thanks for bringing it to the What It's Like community! Andy

65-66 I think they had a Corvair 500 below the Monza??

For WYR I'd pick the '61 Greenbrier and the '66 Corsa Turbo especially if it's a convertible. Thank you for covering the Corvair engine. This car was much maligned, undeservedly so, and a ton of misinformation was bandied about regarding its safety.

the wagon and the corsa!

As a kid in the 60's/70's, my dad had a Corvair. It was a cheap car as he had 5 kids when he bought it and 7 by the time he finished law school. Loved the drive every summer weekend to Corona Del Mar beach (Newport Beach). We'd go up Jamboree Road at a good incline. Us kids would turn around as the car would loudly backfire, and we would scream in delight as fire shot out the back of the car. He donated the car to a church auction where it sold for $50 bucks.

Heart -What About Love? Lakewood and Stinger.

I would rather.. Greenbrier Van and Yenko Stinger. The 1965 and 1966 DID include the economy "500" model along with the Monza and Corsa. The transaxle and rear suspension shared many parts with the 1961 - 1963 Pontiac Tempest.

I had a 64 & 66...the only issue I ever had was leaking valve covers...64 was a Spyder and 66 was a Corsa...

Thanks! Comprehensive illustration of this unique car.

A high school friend of mine had a used early Corvair convertible with 4-speed manual, maybe a '62 or '63. I remember it threw the fan belt a few times. On one occasion, while taking a flat curve out in the country, the rear end swung out and we did a couple of 360's, no doubt because of the early rear swing axle configuration. The car was reliable, the only reason he got rid of it was some pushrod tubes started leaking .

IMHO the biggest issue I have with corvairs is that GM knew they had a fairly unstable car and they knowingly marketed this unsafe car to young drivers. I don't think they should be banned from doing so but I do believe we all should own our actions

61 Greenbriar 66 Corsa Turbo (My Dad had one that my oldest brother wrecked. Was repaired, might still be out there, who knows.)

How do you upload so many videos every week? (I've watched every one) You've been working on this a looong time before you actually got started. This is a very interesting channel with basically zero competition. Good move.

Chevy Corvairs were many years of their time. GM ultimately replaced it in 1970 with the Chevy Vega, which was inferior to the Corvair on so many levels....

I have a 64 Spyder Convertable, love it, a most advanced innovative car but public don't get it.

I'd pick the '66 Corsa to cruise around in. Driving the Stinger would be fun, but cause too many hotshots wanting to race all the time.

Van, Yenko...Naw, but really, I'd want one with an LS in it.....

Maybe the next level of engine evolution will be some sort of laser based ignition system that doesn't go into nuclear levels, it seems like something someone could or has anyone tried? Have a wonderful day and great video! 🍻🌎♥️🎶🕺

1961 Corvair Lakewood wagon. 1964 Corvair Spyder

Greenbrier truck and Yanko Stinger.

Corvair was an affordable comfortable rear engined car that got good mpg compared to other contemporary Chevrolets. Both the VW and Corvair had the rear suspension that could allow rear oversteer. Chevrolet corrected it with what at the time was called an “anti sway bar”. Another Corvair advantage was a real heater. If you lived in the north and drove in the extreme cold you needed an ice scraper to remove windshield icing from the inside of the windshield.

There was also a prototype: the 1962 Corvair Monza GT that looked surprisingly like the C3 'vette which came along later in 1968.

Not bad ⚡️

I will be 70 years old in 4 months so I had many friends who had a Corvair and always loved riding in them. Please do the Yenko stage 2 next.

Interesting perspective on why they stopped production. It makes sense to me, particularly the expensive to produce engine factor.

The little black Corvair.... or van.

Outstanding Video...bot a Camshaft has "Lobes" not "Globes."

I'm torn between 64 spider 🕷, and 65 corsair, all would be great 👍

we refer to them as 80,95,98,102,110,140,150,180 hp

Old GF. Had a monza turquoise conv .was a nice car may been a spider haha about fan belt on those never leave home without one 😅 as to nader thought he meant would burn up in your garage. Unsafe any speed

the van and the yenko for me

1 & 2: All of them. Never know when I might find someone looking to buy one.

Heart --What about love ?

Corsair was a good car, I had a 63 Monza naturally aspirated model. I loved that car. So, I would rather try a greenbrier van.

I am a solid Ford guy but I will admit the Corvair was a good car. What was the demographics of a Corvair buyet

Greenbrier 66 stage 2 Yenko

Jay…that’s DOU-SH-AAAAAAAAH.

66 stage 2 and Greenbriar

I'd pick the Greenbrier and the convertible for your poll. Thanks for another great video! I love Corvairs!

Duh…what does Leno have? The 1966 Yenko Stage II.

Corvair... nice. Chevy's widely misunderstood oddity. (BTW, Porsche... obviously a German word... the E is silent when spoken by Germans, therefore "Porsh" is the correct pronunciation... I agree, people who pronounce the E as an A are douches.) Yeah, Nader was also a douche, but he didn't kill the Corvair, despite his best efforts. I actually think the Corvair engines would have done well in the emissions era, being a small, lightweight 6 cylinder, but I guess we'll never know. They were intended to compete with the VW, but it didn't make a dent in VW sales, and you're right, most people wanted a conventional car with the engine up front, so they went with the Chevy II (nova) instead... That's why the Corvair was cancelled, it just wasn't that popular. I would rather... go with the regular 2 door Corvair in '61. The vans and wagons don't appeal to me. The 2nd choice is also easy, I'll take the Yenko, but that '64 Spyder sure is sexy... I might have figured out that song eventually, but I see someone already got it... oh, well...

Great video Very educational, but I would have liked to hear how the engine sounded 😩!!!

I would rather have a plain Corvair car. Ralph Nadar did sort of kill the Corvair because of all the bad talk about the Corvair in the 60's people were afraid to buy them and went to THe Ford Falcon, Plymouth Vailant, Dodge Lancer(later the Dart) NAd Cheverolet's own Chevy II. I owned a '63 Corvair Monza when I was sisteen and I drove WAY TOO FAST and never did I ever have any trrouble witht he handling. I like the '65-59 body style best, so I would lke the '66 Corsa Turbo. The black '64 shown looks like my old '63 I had when I was sisxteen. It was a black two door with red interior and a four speed.

I've always liked the little corvair, I almost got one but my uncle and grandpa convinced me not to they said it wasn't a safe car.

I would go for the Greenbrier van and the Corsa Spyder. The engine turned out to be considerably heavier than drawn, which caused problems, considering it was behind the rear axle line. The car's recommended tire pressures were almost absurdly low for the rears. (By the way, swing axles are independent rear suspension.) Chevrolet basically did with the Corvair versus the Volkswagen what it did with the stovebolt six versus the Model T Ford--it was similar, but slightly upmarket--bigger, with six cylinders versus four--intended to be a lot more (but similar) car for a little more money. Nader might actually have extended the Corvair's lifespan--GM may well have help on to it in a defensive reaction to Nader's attacks. Thanks for the details.

I like the yanko grew up wuth 61 lakewood fun car brother had 64 monza not sure if spider

Well if I should say I already have a wagon so I guess 😒 I pick the wagon my wagon is not a Lakewood