Corvair project

[rockpickerforever]

I told y'all a couple years ago my dad wanted me to take his '63 Corvair, get it running, then either sell it or keep it.  He bought it new in 1963, drove it many years, then parked it in the garage (where it sat for 19 or 20 years) and bought himself a BMW around the time he retired.  I took some photos of it before it came out of the garage, but it was covered with so much stuff (a horizontal surface, ya know?) that you could not even see the car.

This is the first pic of it out of the garage in almost 20 years, photo taken August 2014.  Dad's second BMW behind it.

Loading it onto a tow truck to bring it home.

At its new residence.

Wheel cylinder.  This is what sitting will do to a car.  Replaced master and wheel cylinders, flexible brake lines to the wheel cylinders.

New battery, drained old gas out of tank, fixed leaking sending unit in gas tank, oil change, pulled plugs, shot some oil in cylinders, turned over by hand for a bit to lubricate cylinders, then cranked with coil wire off for a while. Rehooked the coil, primed the carbs with gas, and it didn't take long to fire off. Had some lifter clatter for a little bit, and smoked some, but nothing major needed to be done to it.

Four photos taken at a local park.

The Michellin tires needed air before coming out of the garage, but stayed up once filled.  They held air and had decent tread, but as old as they were, I wouldn't drive it any farther than just around the neighborhood.   I had some new tires shipped to me, had them mounted, brought them home and installed them so that's no longer a worry.  But there are some rubber suspension bushings that need replacing.  I drive it up to the store sometimes, but have not driven it on the freeway, or very far from home. 

It is a four speed manual, and the tranny makes noise in all gears but fourth (1:1, or straight through), and the throwout bearing chatters a little when the clutch is pushed in.  The rear axle bearings also rumble.  I already know of about a dozen other little things that could stand to be replaced, were money no object, or, if I wished to keep it for myself.  It is fun to drive, and a real looker, but the way traffic has gotten around here lately, I need something with more safety features than just a lap belt! 

So dragging my feet, working on it iust a little bit here and there, trying to put just elbow grease into it, and not bunches of $$$.   Right now, I have the door panel off the inside of the driver's door, trying to get the dang thing to be able to lock.  I hate to say it, but were someone to steal it, the insurance would probably pay me more for it than what I would get selling it!  (I'm kidding, I would not defraud the insurance company!) 

For someone with the time and inclination, this is a perfect project car.

On another note, I've been trying to get our trailer ready for the desert.  Yesterday, our truck felt like it was not getting enough love and attention, so decided not to start in the morning.  Mrrockpicker took the day off work so we could get it taken care of.  Had the alternator replaced, and a new battery installed.  No, I do not work on the truck, it is too new (and it is 13 years old)!  Can't even recognize what half the stuff under the hood is.  Guess I'm old school...  Mentioned to my dad recently that if someone sets off an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) weapon, and everyone else's vehicles are disabled, the Corvair would keep on running!!  No new-fangled computer operated crap!  Ha!

So there ya go...

[captbob]

Beautiful classic car and nice you can work on it.

I hear ya though... if it doesn't have a carburetor and distributor I can't work on 'em anymore.

All this electronic brain and stuff that you need a computer to diagnose is beyond what I wanted to keep up with.

An old EMP proof truck is high on my want list.

[zarguy]

Jean, The first car I bought & attempted to restore was a '62 (I think) Corvair. Same color as yours. I rebuilt the engine & carbs. On the way to the DMV to register it, I burned up the differential. I thought it was full. Stupid me. I eventually sold it for about what I put into it, but never really drove it.
Lynn

[liz]

That's a beauty.

[Fossilman]

Old school,gotta love it!!! Nice car,to bad it always has to be the $$$ that puts the pickle on things!
I like the Original "black" Cali. license plate too...(The last of the best)Hard to come by...
It should sell easy,they lasted forever!!!

[jamesp]

That car is in fine shape. Originals in that shape in high demand. Engine compartment great too.

That car would make me stop and take a long look. If you replaced all the stuff messed up in it you would have an easy to work on head turner.
Use it for the get around car.

1963 is a long time ago. Would probably be worrisome, the seals and other stuff that does not do well w/age.
Collectors will pay very good money for it.

[johnjsgems]

I had a 62 when I was in WA in the Air Force. The guy I bought it from was leaving the state the next day and sold it for $50. It ran but the oil pressure sending unit was squirting oil. A friend helped me tow it home using drag chute cord. I replaced the sending unit and changed the oil. Big mistake using detergent oil. Every seal and gasket started leaking. I rebuilt the engine and replaced clutch (it had a 3 speed manual) and drove it for a year and a half until I got out. I debated taking it home but it was a long trip and car worth a whole $350 by then. Great car for driving in the snow. It would go anywhere unless the snow was really deep. Never put snow tires or chains on. I had a 61 Corvair van briefly later. Some guy that sold at swap meets practically begged me to sell it to him. He offered me twice what I had in it and then complained when engine blew a week later. I told him I didn't want to sell it in the first place.

[Pat]

Jean, you are amazing!

In the early 1960's, we has a Corvair convertible. Pretty cute!

[mohs]

dumb question
but it air cooled right?
no radiator...

[quartz]

Nice car, surprising to see one in that condition. Always liked them, nice size and fun to drive. And, it has WING WINDOWS.

[Rockoonz]

@mr.mohs they are air cooled.
My former Bro in law had a Monza convertible he loaned to me when my car got totalled by a drunk driver, fun to drive but not a good NW kind of car with the old school ragtop.

[spiritstone]

Can I have your address? lol Sweet.

[bsky4463]

Sweet project, just remember...

[bsky4463]

[mohs]

jumping girls & hot air
the simple joyous life
mostly

[Rockoonz]

Mr. Nader sure did make a wad of cash from that fiasco.
When tested independently the Ford Falcon was found to roll over just as easily in the same circumstances,
but then, Ford contributed to Ralphs organization and GM refused to.

[rockpickerforever]

Thanks everyone for the comments.  Lynn, that's a pity about the one you owned.  At least it fried before you paid the DMV to transfer the title!  Mike, both the '63 and my '64 had the original black plates.  For a time, I was driving a '69 Ford Country Squire 9 passenger station wagon (with 429 CID engine, wow!) that also had the black plates.  Before I got rid of that car, the rear plate fell off?  was removed by someone?  and I had to get new plates all around.  It eventually ended up going to the junkyard, through the state buyback program to get the old cars off the street.  Got more money than I could have sold it for.  That was a nice car, very heavy, though.  Didn't need a radio (although it had a good sound system), you could watch the needle of the gas gauge drop for entertainment.  High compression, premium gas.  But I digress...

Thank you, James.  Corvairs are notorious oil leakers.  The O-rings on the pushrod tubes break down with the heat over time, and tend to leak.  Six cylinders (yes, air cooled, mohs.  No radiator.), so twelve valves, twelve push rods and tubes, times two ends - 24 O-rings that can leak!  Same as a Volkswagen or old Porsche, but six cylinders instead of four.

I drove it to Home Depot a few weeks ago.  Talked to a guy that liked the look of it.  He was from Russia (the other St Pete. lol), and probably had never seen one before.  I told him I would be selling it, and he was interested.  He wondered if parts were still available for it, I told him about Clark's Corvair Parts in Shelburne Falls, MA.  They have molds for making many of the parts.  I've spent a bit of money with them over the years, but very happy with them.  Anyway, he said he was looking for a new project, so he took my number and said her would do some research.  I've not heard back from him.  But that may be because he wanted a car with air conditioning!  I'm not sure, but I think there may have been that available, either from Chevy or an aftermarket company.  Not sure.

Larry, those wing windows were the easiest way to break into them!  In my '64, I kept a wad of folded up paper underneath the lever to hold the dang thing tight.  I hated the whistle it made if it wasn't all the way closed.

Aware of Nader and the negativity surrounding Corvairs, Andy.  I never felt "unsafe" while driving my '64. That was the first year they had a transverse leafspring across the differential, going to each rear axle. It limited the "tucking" that could cause a rollover if you took a turn too fast. 1961 - 1963 did not have it. Then in 1965, they went to the larger body style. Never had one of those later models, so don't know anything about their suspension.

The earliest models, when taking a turn too fast, the outer wheel on the curve would grab, and the inner one would slide towards it, putting a bow into the suspension. It would reach a critical point where it would break free and "hop" sideways, is what I would call it. Experienced it once in the '61 Lakewood wagon my dad owned. Guess as long as you were aware of the possibility of that happening, and you just took it easy, not a problem.  You could abuse a Mustang, but these you had to baby a little bit.

Although the photos of it look okay/good (60 MPH paint job, lol!), it needs new paint, new dash and interior, carpeting, a bunch of little stuff.  (That stuff all adds up!)  Twenty years ago, my dad had a local guy paint it.  He stripped it (supposedly) down to bare metal, before repainting it the original color.  The paint didn't "fit" and so is not smooth on the primer.  I have to wonder if that bad paint job my dad paid good money for is part of the reason he lost interest in it? It would've broke my heart.

Again, thanks for all the comments and stories.  Will try to keep this updated.  Jean

[Fossilman]

429 CID engine!!! I can see that in a 1970 Mach I Mustang.............Put a 5 sp tranny behind it..Than just drive between gas stations-LMAO....

[mohs]

yeah I was going to say that it look similar to the Ford Falcon

what do they call that engine style ?
a flat head 6?

carful not to stick your hand in the running fan
I wonder how many mechanics had a loose socket go flying?
does the air blow out or down into the engine ?

I imagine down into the engine
is it the original fan bearings?

its interesting project Jean
I never really studied one....

[bsky4463]

rockpickerforever  --- my kind a car...i too am unsafe at any speed, at least in my head - ha...  enjoy the ride.
I had a '61 dodge lancer, of the same ilk. first car i ever owned.  i found out why they only made that car for one year.   cheers