Thread: Corvairs anyone?

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I am working in Sturbridge Massachusetts for a couple days and I discovered that the Corvair Owners & Restorers Assn (CORSA), is having a meet here in town and right behind my hotel at the fairgrounds!

While I'm not a huge fan of Corvairs, it's still an old car that maintains a certain level of mystique if you will. I have driven a couple in the past and didn't think they were as bad as some would have you believe.

Since I was unaware of the meet, I didn't bring a camera.. But there's a hundred or more of all the different models. Cars, vans, pickups, campers.. very impressive. Even a Gold Wing Honda "repowered" with a Corvair motor. Kinda guiney looking but "inventive" at the least.

It was hot walking around them in the sun but everyone that was there with their car was extremely friendly and I must've spent an extra hour out there chatting with folks and having a ball! Nice bunch of folks!

Originally Posted by 34_40

I am working in Sturbridge Massachusetts for a couple days and I discovered that the Corvair Owners & Restorers Assn (CORSA), is having a meet here in town and right behind my hotel at the fairgrounds!

While I'm not a huge fan of Corvairs, it's still an old car that maintains a certain level of mystique if you will. I have driven a couple in the past and didn't think they were as bad as some would have you believe.

Since I was unaware of the meet, I didn't bring a camera.. But there's a hundred or more of all the different models. Cars, vans, pickups, campers.. very impressive. Even a Gold Wing Honda "repowered" with a Corvair motor. Kinda guiney looking but "inventive" at the least.

It was hot walking around them in the sun but everyone that was there with their car was extremely friendly and I must've spent an extra hour out there chatting with folks and having a ball! Nice bunch of folks!

A 'Vair is on my list to own. I'd prefer an early model, but the later 1's are cool too. I came close to buying a clean '63 for $1,500, but the owner had started to tear it apart for paint by the time I inquired. I didn't want to have to put a car back togther, and ended up with The Beetle.. The car was faded red but he had started priming it, but it was rust free with a 3spd and a decent interior.

Yeah, by the time they got to the '65/'66 models they had the suspension issues addressed, but the inertia of Ralph Nader's "Unsafe At Any Speed" book was too much to overcome. The '65/66 Corsa's were very cool vehicles! Drop a small block in the back seat.......

Neat cars!!!! I had a '63 for awhile, ran nice and super good mileage. Really was a good handling car with the rear engine, the weight distribution had to of been close to 50/50!

I never really cared for them until my buddy bought a 66 with a "Spider" engine in it if I remember correctly. That car was neater than crap. It would flat get it. It really surprised me!

I try to take a camera every place I go---There's an MG show going on down the road that I'll try to get some pics later(tonite or tomorrow)

my granddad loved them cars he owned many .mom had a 65 .i still like to get one . crown sold a kit to put a bbc in the back seat . one of them cars with alum 540 cid now that is a back seat driver. when i was a kid there were many around spinders were neat knew a guy what had a turbo corvair. first paying body job was working for a guy that had some .man ..that was 33years go man time flys

On this particular job I can't even carry my phone on-site 'cause of the picture taking capability! So I left the real camera home as I usually have a small one just in case.

I really liked the lines of the 66.

And the one that surprised me the most was a camper called an Ultra. it used a 140 motor and chevy 2 front suspension. Looks like a sausage on wheels!LOL.. A retired fella and his wife travel around the country showing it! I got caught up with the wife chatting about cats of all things, they have 3 that travel with them! Just great people and I had a good time!

the 66? there was a show car that they made into a gto i think base off a 66 and70 gto ? the front cross over in the corvair was bolt in as well as alot of the 30s and up to 50s .i knew a guy with a 37 chevy with a corvair front end with 70 A body spindes so it had disc s brakes

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

my granddad loved them cars he owned many .mom had a 65 .i still like to get one . crown sold a kit to put a bbc in the back seat . one of them cars with alum 540 cid now that is a back seat driver. when i was a kid there were many around spinders were neat knew a guy what had a turbo corvair. first paying body job was working for a guy that had some .man ..that was 33years go man time flys

The crown kit flip the trans axle and used a special input shaft with a adapter.A 327 was about all that could handle and some 350's was just too much.

Maybe the way to do a BBC would be using a Tornado tranny.

V8 Vair Kit

Originally Posted by 1gary

The crown kit flip the trans axle and used a special input shaft with a adapter.A 327 was about all that could handle and some 350's was just too much.

Maybe the way to do a BBC would be using a Tornado tranny.

there are many ways to go on the trans axle now days . i would just use the body shell the rest would not be stock but i never will do one .i do not have the time or money i seen a bbc in a book 30 years ago i was sold. like the ideal of the mid engine bbc poor mans super car wonder how air likes that body past 160mph

I do kind of remember a stretched vair body as a funny car in the early days of funnies.

When I was in the Navy, a buddy got a '60 4 door in '61 and we ran the wheels off of it. Narrowly avoided disaster a few times when a pump jock ina station in some out of the way town would start removing the oil filler with a water hose in his hand. My Bride had a '62 Monza coupe when we go hitched, and I just couldn't leave it alone; put bigger barrels on it, a solid lifter cam, re worked the heads with bigger valves , and built a four carb setup. It ran quite well, and was quick for a "Vair", but it also developed a penchant for oil leaks from the pushrod tube seals, and the oil cooler, and cooling problems. My Bride was always complaining about her car's "dirty pants" - the oil and dirt collecting on the rear grille below the bumper. It was a pretty neat little car, and I learned how to fix it's glitches in fair fashion, but it finally got to be a pain in tush, my Bride got disenchanted with it (I had ruined her nice little "Tomato Can" - it was red), and we finally sold it. Over the years I have offered to get her another one, but she has always declined the offer.

Went to school with a guy that had a Corvair convertible. Jacked it in the middle one time to change a tire and the door never opened again..

I had my '63 ragtop sideways on clean asphault, at about 40-50MPH, and it handled just fine. :-) It impressed those girls too!

Unfortunately, Nader had already put so much distrust in the public's mind, that they had to try to refine them to save the model. Obviously they could not bring the sales back up, and they disappeared. The later ones were a work of art!!! {:-)