Features Coolvairs Lets See Them

Had a Spyder convertable. At least it should have been convertable. I never once put the top up the whole time I owned it. Getting out of school in the afternoon and shoveling 3 inches of snow out of it before going home was kinda a pain but hey, it was a convertable Didn't see many of those up here. That and the "Supercharged" 185 F-85 I replaced it with were the sum total of my "Sports Car" era. After them everything was big V8 and fast as I could make it.

 

Here's one I pirated pics from Kevin at Hackers paradise's site. Not HAMB friendly, but I thought it was very cool this way. And it was an original, ridicously low milage car to boot. I think it's in Michigan now??

 

I was rolling down Flamingo blvd. in Vegas one night when I was working up there about five or six years ago, when the red one from the previous post along with a light yellow one rolled up next to me. Big wheels not withstanding, that thing is bitchin'! I've wanted one ever since. A good friend of mine got a red sixty-two earlier thisyear thats been lowered and scalloped, so driving that a bit is as close as I've gotten so far.Soon though....

 

There is an ultra-nice Yellow Corvair Wagon that parks down by where I work. it looks totally stock. I'll have to get a pic of it.

Ax

 

this ones not cool

 

I have a bunch of parts on ebay right now, including a cut down blower fan that's supposed to be good for a 15-20hp gain without any loss to cooling. Let me know if any of you Corvair fans need anything. I never thought anyone on the HAMB would want Corvair stuff (except steering boxes!), so I didn't list it here

 

Hellfish, What's that dark stain on the pavement under the rearend of your red 63?

 

Miss my '63 Spyder.. what a fun lil' car.. Lowered, heaver shocks and springs, striped out 45-mm Weber, split the bumpers H/D oil cooler ...Little dude really ran after I got the Weber dialed in ...

Had more people ask or know what the car was than all the other old cars I have owned.. My Dad had one or my uncle or the neighbor.. Tuner kids were blown away that Chevy made a rear engine car.... Fun Fun fun...

 

I sorta missed the oil pan a little when I was draining the oil.

PureHell, I love your 'vair, especially the split rear bumper!

I started painting my 110hp in preparation for putting it in my 63. Gold metallic pearl, although the pics don't quite capture that

 

I have a corvair beater shop van,and some people think its cool. I just drove it 4,922 miles in July hitting up shows and taking over 8,000 pics

When the wife bought it for me for my birthday


after I messed it up lol

 

if you let down both sides they make a killer bike jump! goota say catching the other side just a little really ruined your day as a daredevil!

 

I have seen Corvair motors with an aftermarket electric fan shroud and redone brackets for the generator. Kinda 'cool' idea.
I've had a few, still have a '65 Corsa turbo convertible rusting away in the back yard.

 

Here's a nice dutch wagon:

 

heres rashys

 

am I crazy or does anybody else almost see the shape of a 1967 camaro never noticed it before.

 

Yeah, many feel that the Camaro borrowed heavily from the Corvair, especially considering that body style exited in 1965... before the '67 Camaro. Likewise, there was a '54 Corvair concept that looked a LOT like the first Corvette, and a later concept that predated the new 60s Corvette

 

Trad27, you and i see the same shape. The cab is alittle forward and the tail is alittle longer but very much the same. I even thought of using a 67 RS headlight and grill in this one but changed my mind

 

Great thread, I always liked the later years. I also can see a glimpse of the Camaro, not just now, noticed it long ago.

 

Me too, that's why I always wanted to see an early model 'Vair turned into a '60 or '61 "Camaro". SS-409, anyone?

-Dave

 

I actually just got a 67 coupe also and that is what I was thinking the whole time. It's a cool looking car and very muscle-carish except for that six cylinder engine! A crown conversion would be nice.

Good catch Leon

 

Corvair is the only car the US Government declared "Safe" after several years of testing!kind of like the Ford explorer thing the issue with early Corvairs was caused by Tire shop and garages refusing to believe the tire pressure ratings posted by GM you need to run a 10 pound difference between front and rear tire pressures with the fronts lighter by the time Naders book came out the Corvair had been completely redesigned to the late model 65-69 styling with totally new suspension.Corvairs are my OT car of choice and they have had their own following since new and most "restorers" of Corvairs aren't as finicky about you showing up to an event with non origional parts on your car Visit the Corvair Forum if you like these cars.For those that can make it Theres an all vair show this saturday in Ct. get the details by visiting Ct.Corsa on the web.

 

Somebody stole 2 of your cylinders!Corvairs only came with boxer type 6 cylinders from the factory!

 

Yup been saying this for years Camaro killed Corvair NOT Nader!

 

like old Harleys that's how a Corvair marks its territory!

 

Put the big V8 in the middle then it handles like its on rails!and if done with the right parts you still have the back seat inplace but ya gotta have really damn short legs.One of our vair club members owns what he calls a Torvair Olds Toranado power package in the rear the car looks damn close to stock from outside.

 

Most likely a "Crown V8 conversion"
Clarks Corvair
Shelburn Falls Mass.

 

Sorry for the multiple posts guys I don't know how to put them all in one yet ended up PMing some of you but I guess I have a huge soft spot for vairs!I have 3 shareing time with my 27 T build one just might be getting a 460 Ford and C6 I got sitting here since its a normal old salt zone car with no bottom anyway and I want to play on the strip a bit

 

Why are they off topic? The first generation (60-64) fits the age parameters of the HAMB. They were just economy cars of the 60s, like Falcons and Nova/Chevy IIs. They're just usually ignored due to the negative hype.

 

Spyder. Only Spyders had turbos (at least in the 61-64 models), and they came in 2 door and convertible bodies. I don't think there were hardtopped early models.

1964 showed a dramatic improvement, with some even better improvements along with a major body design change in 1965.

From what I've read, the main reason for the bad rap was improperly inflated tires and not being used to driving a rear engine car. In other words, driver error!

 

I have owned a couple of Corvairs, I have a soft spot for the early models. (Still looking for a cheap runner. Anyone around the IE?) But driving one of them is not like driving a front engine car.

But once you have it down, you can make some people downright squeamish in the twisties. I have blown away plenty of fart can Hondas in some patches of road. Not because they were faster, but because I could toss mine around better than they could.

I like old muscle, and classic iron, but there is something so out of left field about the Corvair that I can't help but dig them.

And wrt to the fan belt. Most of those things flipped off from either being too loose, or too tight. It took quite a few strandings to really get the procedure down, and once I did, I never flipped another belt.