Proud new owner of a....'63 Corvair?!?!

There was a guy in the 70's where I lived that put 327 in the back seat. I was a sleeper at the sunday afternoon abandon airport drags. Wish I had pics of it.

 

That explains the '61 grille--according to the trim tag, it's a '61 car.

 

I forgot the other problem with headers is that you lose the ability to heat the car the factory way (engine heat)... and that explains your aftermarket heater. I've never seen one like that before. I have a gas heater from a '60 that I'm going to hook up if it's in sound condition.

Sealing is another problem with headers, but there are ways to do it right. Lots of info on the Corvair forum, and the Finch book.

It looks like the PO used the wrong spark plugs, wrong fuel, or the timing was way off. These engines are sensitive to timing changes and fuel. The 110 really should be run on higher octane fuel. The guy who I bought mine from ran it on farm/tractor fuel, and I got the timing off a little and ended up with a chewed up, holey piston. 110 heads are not hard to find. I see them on ebay all the time. I think they weigh about 27lbs each

 

A 110 hp engine is probably the best for all around performance without the hassle of 4 carbs and dropping valve seat issues of the 140 hp 4 carb engines.
95 hp engines are like a 283 sbc - they run forever with little problem.
The turbo engines (earlies are 150 hp, later are 180 hp) don't make that hp until the boost comes in in high gear and hi revs.
You should be able to find a 110 head easily or an entire engine. I sold a running 33,000 mile 110 with the PG trans for $200 in 2004. I don't think the price is much higher now.

 

Interesting....the papers say '63. Looks like Ive got some checking to do.

Is premium enough to run in these?

 

yes, from what I've read anyway. Nothing crazy, just not low grade fuel, 87 octane, etc.

 

Could be too that this one came with a gas heater. Look in the front trunk for evidence.

 

My wife's daily driver is the '61 Lakewood wagon that we bought through the classifieds here. Kick ass little car.
Had a 140hp in it, and dropped a seat a couple months ago and I've gotten stalled on swapping in a new engine.
It's been dropped, and handles pretty well, but it still needs sway bars... there's one particular curve I tend to take fast, and the car always gives a little doo-lolly in the middle of that turn--you can feel the rear-engine's characteristics for pushing and lifting through a hard corner.
I want to upgrade the brakes, but it's difficult on a '61, because the master cylinder is part of the actual brake pedal assembly. It's under the dash, and an integral part of the pedal's pivot. Later models put the master on the firewall.

I picked up a gas heater for it... It draws fuel out of the gas tank and burns it, a fan forces the heat into the passenger compartment, while an exhaust pipe ducts the fumes through a hole in the trunk floor.

'70-'73 Camaro bucket seats fit the car perfectly. Don't know if they're a bolt-in, but they are damn comfortable and don't look out of place.

The shrouds around the engine and the rubber seal are NOT optional... you MUST run them, or you'll over heat the engine. Since you aren't running the stock heater system, there is a round port on the forward edge of the passenger side of the engine's shroud. Normally, there's a bellows that goes to the big rectangular hole on the firewall. If you're not running the stock heater, that bellows won't be needed. Make sure you make a cover for the port on the shroud--otherwise you'll overheat the Number 5 cylinder head because the air from the fan will deflect through the hole instead of going past the cylinder head, so you'll overheat that head... and drop a valve seat like ours did.

-Brad

 

I just sold a 63 Monza 900 that was my daily since about 2005. Fun little cars. mine was 102 horse, 4speed. Mine ran fine on crappy CA 87 gas, and usually pulled about 25 mpg.

Devin

 

Somebody needs to 'slap' Ralph Nader, these are cool little cars. American VW Ghia....

 

Congratulations. It looks like a '61.

 

Corvair Spyder dash and standard dash. Yours is close to the Spyder, but I;ve never seen one like the one in your car.