Projects Second project: Spyder Power/Double Trouble

I worked at Muncey Chev. in 1964 & fell in love with "Vairs". We called them "Fans". The dealership owners wife had a Turbo soft top. I washed it & got to drive it to their home. LOVED THOSE CARS.
Go 4 it !!

 

Firewall is solid and the trunk (frunk?) is intact from the bottom. there is a tree above it, and there was a very big storm recently, enough that there should still have been water if it leaked through the cowl. I have confidence that its fixable, especially with the condition of the rest of the metal.

 

Is that racoon poop everywhere or nuts stored by squirrels?

 

Even if you clean it up a little and flip it to a ‘vair enthusiast, a save is a save

 

I'm digging the very cool EELCO shifter boot. Hope it's still in good condition.

 

That boot is so weird, I will make sure to take very good care of itq

 

Never took a look at a Corvair shifter boot.
Definitely unique. Looks like a bell pepper LOL. I want one.
Is it original to the car? Couldn't find one on the internet.

 

I have no idea, It just looks very cool. Never seen another like it.

 

@1933_willys_77
said EELCO. (sp)?

 

My neighbor had one just like this, had to help him off load it and help get it running a few years ago. Very cool and unique car. It was a turbo-4speed convertible blue with white top. It took him over a year to flip it, I was surprised. Good luck

 

I was told by some buddies when considering buying a 63 Corvair that I better want to keep it. Anyway, I went against their advice and bought it anyway. It was a fun little car, but also hard to sell and not worth much. Pretty sure it was the only old car I have ever owned that I lost quite a bit of money on... I think I have owned my one and only Corvair.

 

Just remember to forget everything you know about wiring buildings, when working on car wiring. It's totally different.

Neat car. I guess up there, it's a nice solid beautiful old car. Down here, it's a rustbucket

Beware the problem of starting a second project when you already have one going on. Now you'll have two that won't ever get done. I think we recently had this discussion in another thread, and there are lots of older threads about unfinished projects.

 

The fairlane must be running, driving, stopping and cooling, ie, the car must reach 96k on the odo before I will work on the corvair.

 

When I pick it up, I plan on coming by after with a shovel, machete, and a tamper, so I can fix his yard for him after removing the car.

 

I say go for it. They are great little cars. Turbo 4 speed is a huge plus.

 

These are the 2 Corvair pages from my EELCO catalog

 

Typically I'd say no, I'm the poster child for too many projects and I'm not real big on Corvairs even though I've had a few.

That said, Turbo, 4 speed, factory tach, black on black with bucket seats, engine turns and has floors in it? That's a lot more tempting. If you were going to have one, that's the one to have. If it's dirt cheap, even if the car is junk, this one would part out. Those seats are basically the same seats that Impala SS and Nova SS used, only the full size cars had trim all the way over the top. They're worth pretty good money by themselves. So is the turbo engine setup and that tach dash. If you can buy this thing for $1000, even if it turns out to be completely garbage/unrestorable, you would not lose a dime if you parted it out. If it could be fixed, it would be a fun car.

If you can really afford it, you have space, and you're not going to dig into it until your '57 is on the road, and if the price is right, I'd say go for it. Finds like these are less and less common every day.

 

As far as I know you are a young guy (18???). That statement above will make a lot of us around here proud to have you with us......

 

There seems to be angle iron? Underneath the car, maybe some kind of undercarriage reinforcement?

Also, the car is completely bottomed out... definitely will need a shovel and multiple hydraulic jacks...

And lots of wood planks...

 

Back in 1966......working in a small town Chevrolet dealership during college. GMAC repossessed a red with white interior 1964 turbo Spyder. I bought it instantly. Pulled drivetrain to put oil seal in between engine/trans which was making clutch slip. I was an awesome little ride and FAST ! Had to sell it when I enlisted in the Navy a year later. As we always say.......wish I had it back. Have fun

 

There is quite a strong FB group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/corvair

 

Passenger side floor is rotten apparently, fixable though, also better pics of what looks to be a skid plate?
Will record when we get it out of the hole its in...

 

So, I take it you are an owner then? Did you get a good deal?

 

That angle iron stuff appears to be 'after market' additions.
r

 

I don't know what all that angle iron shit is underneath, but now I'm very curious about it.

 

I want to see more of the undercarriage before anything changes hands or moves further, just so i know if i can even get it out of the hole, im confident in it being solid now.

 

I don't think that angle iron was on while it was a driving car. I think it is someones poor attempt at a jig so they can cut the floor out and replace it. looks like to me welded to the back of floor pan someplace but up front under the crossmember I don't even think it is welded there at all? At least I cannot see it. Left it loose up front so they can pull it left or right on that square tubing when that time came to line it up? after they did that they just gave up and never touched it?

Or my other theory was it broke down and when they attempted to pick it up and it started buckling so they threw that homemade jig on so they could pick it up with a wrecker/ tractor with bucket without doing more damage to the car itself and moved it to this spot and dropped it with the makeshift item still on it?

It did keep the front from sinking in though for whatever reason that was added

car is low enough without extra angle iron hanging off the bottom to start with so I don't think it was on when it was moving under its own power. maybe I am totally barking up the wrong tree.

 

If I had the room to store it in a dry shed I'd jump on it like a chicken on a June bug.

 

The car seems solid other than the passenger side floor, toe panels are fine, trunk looks okay from underneath, im thinking someone tried to stick a "skid plate" on it to protect the gas tank... thats my theory anyway, ive stabbed around underneath with a screwdriver, gas tank seems either new, or in very good shape, plus no varnish smell at all and a relatively clean filler neck...