New to the scene!

[DeadHorse]

Hello everyone,
I am a new Corvair owner starting my first restoration. I am on the border of KS and MO and found a wonderful 1966 Monza with 58K original miles. I want to make this thing purr, look and drive like a champ. However, I am finding it difficult to find anyone that either k it's what a Corvair is or that can point me in the right direction. I am 47 so this car is older than I am. But it has already, in the bad shape it is in, made an impression on my 13 yr old so much that he wants to know if he gets it.

I want to restore this car to a point. Enter than new, if that is possible, so that it will be something I can pass down. And directions for a new Corvair enthusiast would be appreciated.



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[County98]

Welcome! I'm sure folks will chime in with some resources for you. Clark's Corvair is a great vendor for parts, and there are a few others I've heard are good, but never used. Shop manual and forums will be a great source of info as well. Have fun first and foremost!

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[66vairguy]

Welcome - See if there is a club in your area. Corvairs are fun and different. You'll need to find resources to get things fixed unless you're a good mechanic and have "old car" experience.

I had done a few old cars over the decades so things like wiring, body work, upholstery were just like any old car, BUT the transalxe and engine require folks who know how to work on them.

Yes you can make it like new - it only takes time and money - lots of it -LOL!.

One thing NOT to do is take a car all apart, unless you have the experience, time, money. Just stick to the little stuff that is within your skills so you can keep the car running and enjoy it.

First thing to do with ANY old car. Change ALL the fluids. The number one cause of transaxle failure is OLD lubricant. Have the brake system flushed and if there is a lot or rusty liquid that will imply you need new wheel cylinders, master cylinder, and possible brake lines.

The next thing almost any old original Corvair will need is new engine seals. They original pushrod seals were notorious for leaking (new ones are fine) and the oil pan gasket tends to need replacing every few years. The top cover leaks, but again new seals and a good sealer like Gasket Cinch or Permatex Hi-Tack fix that issue.

DO MAKE SURE THE GEN/FAN light works (turn on the key and check before starting the car). If it does not then a failed fan belt will result in a "toasted" engine in short order.

Oh! I noticed in you picture the battery appears to be sitting WITHOUT a hold down. When the engine lid is closed the lid "prop" runs right next to the battery. So in a sharp turn to the left the battery could tip and short the terminals on the prop strut and start a fire. More then one Corvair has caught on fire because of the battery shorting on the prop strut.

Good luck and have fun.

[bbodie52]

Welcome to the Corvair Forum!

I hope you will continue to find enjoyment in your ownership of your Corvair, and that your 13 year old will be inspired and will want to be your "partner" in your car's restoration. My parents introduced me to Corvairs in 1961, when I was 8 years old and they bought a new 1961 Monza coupe. By 1965 they purchased a new 1965 Corvair Corsa convertible, and in 1969 I taught myself to overhaul the engine and Powerglide transmission in a well-used and worn out 1963 Corvair 500 coupe that my Dad bought for me to play with. At age 64 my wife and I are still Corvair owners, with our tenth family Corvair -- a 1966 Corsa convertible. I hope your family will enjoy Corvair ownership as much as I have.

1965 photo of my father and me with the new family Corvair Corsa at Edwards AFB, California...


Our 1962 Corvair Monza at our wedding reception at Agoura, California in April, 1972...


The same 1965 Corvair convertible sporting a new paint job and convertible top at my USAF assignment at Hanscom AFB, MA in 1980 (just before we shipped the car to Ramstein AB, Germany for our next assignment)...


I'm guessing that your stated location "on the border of KS and MO" puts you somewhere near Kansas City. If that is correct there is a large, well-established Corvair club chapter in that area. CORSA (Corvair Society of America) has club chapters all over the USA. These Corvair clubs are family-friendly organizations that offer car shows, social events, technical training and assistance, competition events, scenic drives, etc. Heart of America Corvair Owners is based in Belton, MO.

CORSA Chapter Locator - Heart of America Corvair Owners

Chapter ID: 640
Organization Name: Heart of America Corvair Owners
Street Address: 16001 Oakland Ave, Belton, MO
President: Mike Dawson, Email: mdawson1961@sbcglobal.net, Phone: (816) 322-4057
Vice President: Bill Bennett
Secretary: Linda Reece
Treasurer: Larry Sherwood
Newsletter Editors: Gary & Helen Moore
Newsletter Name: Vair Cor
Sample Newsletter:

HACOA VAIRCOR Newsletter - Jan 2017.pdf

HACOA VAIRCOR Newsletter - Jan 2017

(2.78 MiB) Downloaded 15 times

Website: http://www.HACOA.org
Email: mdawson1961@sbcglobal.net
Established: 04/07/1964

Incidentally, the 2017 CORSA International Convention this year will be held in Independence, MO on June 27 - July 1.

https://www.corvair.org/2017convention/

The link below should provide you with some useful Corvair-related Web links...
Common and Useful Corvair Websites
viewtopic.php?f=225&t=6007

I would like to encourage you to expand on your initial post and tell us more about yourself, your Corvair, and your goals for your Corvair. If you can describe your personal assessment of your mechanical skills and abilities, that would help a lot. Members of the Corvair Forum love to be helpful in assisting other Corvair owners with technical support and advice, but it helps a lot if we have some understanding of your technical background and mechanical abilities, Corvair-related knowledge, etc. Helping us to know more about you and your Corvair will help us to write comments to you that are tailored to your needs and experience. Pictures are great too, because pictures of your Corvair will help us to visualize where you are with your Corvair and its condition at the present time. Knowing your location is also useful, because knowing where you live can sometimes suggest possibilities to resolve some issues or problems.

[acarlson]

...So in a sharp turn to the left the battery could tip and short the terminals on the prop strut and start a fire. More then one Corvair has caught on fire because of the battery shorting on the prop strut.

Wow, that never occured to me !! I guess I should get a battery tiedown bracket...

Oh, and Deadhorse, Welcome to the forum !! You've come to the right place for technical help and information. Post more pictures as your renovation progresses...

Alec

[bbodie52]

...Wow, that never occured to me !! I guess I should get a battery tiedown bracket...

My personal preference is to install a plastic battery box like the one pictured below. The inexpensive plastic box can be bolted to the engine compartment and it completely isolates the battery, battery corrosive acid and battery electrical terminals to prevent engine compartment body damage and electrical shorts.



NOCO HM318BKS Group 24-31 Snap-Top Battery Box for Automotive, Marine, and RV Batteries
https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-HM318BKS-Sn ... attery+box

[DeadHorse]

Thanks for all the great info!! To start i am in Olathe, KS just outside of KC,MO. I am a mechanical engineer by degree I have been in the IT Security business for over 18 years though, which means my hobbies are my engineering outlet. I can figure out most things from woodworking to home electrical and plumbing. But cars are something I have never attempted. I fell in love with the Corvair Monza after looking for a car for my daughter and running across one in a sale add. Not the car I bought her though.
The car I found is straight with a almost perfect headliner and interior carpet. The rear quarter panels seem to be the places where rust has taken over, pictures below, and the seats are so dry rotted the sound like crumpling paper when you sit on them. The dash is not split and all the controls seem to work. I purchased new tail lights since those were broken. The guy I bought it from is a mechanic who rebuilds muscle cars and the like. He put in new brake lines, master cylinder, and fixed some wiring to get it street worthy. It definitely has an oil leak and smokes real good after shutting it off. The heater blower seems to be missing and those controls need some work.
I eventually want this to be a real head turner, although I really feel the 13 inch stock wheels need to go. I have already purchased the handbooks for wiring, shop etc. it is more how to get the rehab started and where to go for those parts and education. I would love for my son and I to learn how to maintain the motor at least since most mechanics I have talked to so far have never seen a corvair.
Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome and pointers. I am sure I will be asking more and more questions.


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[terribleted]

Clark's Corvair parts generally has reproduction steel rust repair sections for the lower 1/4 panels. They are a pretty good fit. Careful cutting and a little welding and the 1/4' will be almost as good as new. Check the battery box under the battery as well, again replacement steel has generally been available. Welcome to the family:)