New to Corvairs - where should I start?

[ponyguru]

Hello! I'm just a school teacher and I recently bought a Corvair from a neighbor on a whim. I just loved the way it looked and the way it ran. I was hoping you guys could recommend me where to start learning about and working on my new project. I already have the 1961 shop manual and the 1964 supplement.

I do also have a few questions from the time I have spent reading up already!

• The car is a 1964 Corvair Monza (900?). However, It seems to have a Late model 140 motor in it? Is this a good thing and what do I need to watch out for?
• It has a 2 speed powerglide. The previous owner said that he put a new vacuum modulator on it recently. Is there anything I need to do/ look out for immediately? When I check the trans fluid with the motor running for 5~ minutes it barely shows on the stick. Should I add more fluid and which fluid (Dexron IV?)?

Sorry that I have so many questions, but I figured this would be about the best place to ask! Thank you for any responses.

P.S. A video of it running:

[Scott H]

Congrats on the Corvair!
The 140 is a great upgrade.
The 140's are more prone to dropping valve seats. After driving it let it idle for a minute or two before shutting it off. It will cool the motor and help to prevent dropping valve seats.
I would add some fluid if its showing low.

[bbodie52]

Welcome, "just a school teacher", to the Corvair Forum!



Where are you located, and what grade level/subject matter do you teach?

Knowledge about you, your Corvair, your mechanical experience and skills, your goals for your Corvair, and your location can often help us to provide more-useful answers to your questions that are targeted specifically to your mechanical skills and knowledge, and to your location.

You seem to have chosen the best of the best Early Model (1960-1964) Corvairs to start out with! The 1964 model year is the result of several years of refinement that includes improved suspension and handling. The improvements in the 1964 engine were significant, and included improved fan belt reliability due to the lightweight magnesium cooling fan that reduced stress on the belt as the engine crankshaft operating speed changed. The automatic choke design improved considerably in 1962, an effective Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system was added in 1963 and refined in 1964, and the engine displacement was increased in 1964 from 145 CI to 164 CI. All of the improvements are still present in the 4-carburetor 140hp engine that was introduced n 1965, plus the switch to an alternator with that model year improved the charging system. Horsepower increased in that engine from the two-carburetor 110 hp engine to a 140hp rating — brought on by the two added carburetors with a progressive throttle linkage, larger valves and ports in the cylinder heads, and a dual muffler exhaust system.


1964 Corvair — Unique Rear Suspension Transverse Leaf Spring



1964 Corvair — Front Anti Sway Bar Standard on all Passenger Car Models

140 hp vs. 110 hp...

• Same high-performance camshaft on both 140 hp and 110 hp engines. Low performance camshaft in the 95 hp engine.
• Same 164 Cubic Inch displacement with same bore and stroke on all 1964-1969 engines.
• Stronger, nitrided crankshaft on the 140 hp and 180 hp turbocharged engines. (Nitriding is a heat treating process that diffuses nitrogen into the surface of a metal to create a case-hardened surface).
• On the 140 hp engine, a 4x1 carburetor arrangement, with two primary and 2 secondary 1-barrel carburetors, connected with a progressive linkage to open the secondary carburetors as you approach full throttle. (Equivalent to a 4 barrel carburetor on the 140 hp engine, vs. a 2 barrel carburetor (2x1) on the 110 hp and 95 hp engine).
• Dual muffler, dual exhaust with larger exhaust ports and larger exhaust manifolds on the 140 hp engine. Single exhaust on the 110 hp and 95 hp engine.
• 9.0:1 Compression Ratio in both 140 hp and 110 hp engines. 8.0:1 CR on the 95 hp engine.

140 hp Heads...

It's all about better breathing at full throttle at the high RPM ranges. At lower RPM the big valves and dual exhaust don't make much difference, and the secondary carburetors are not open for business.


110 hp Heads...

The 1961Corvair Shop Manual — although not particularly well-written — was the base-manual for all 1961-1964 Corvairs. The annual supplement included significant improvements in the wiring schematics and technical details in the targeted model year. You will need the 1965 Corvair Chassis Shop Manual to cover the specifics of the 140 hp engine and carburetors, and the alternator-based charging system. I have uploaded the 1965 Corvair shop manual and the very useful Assembly Manual for you to download, to add to your technical reference library. The link below will take you to a section for accessing manual and technical reference downloads, Corvair parts suppliers, etc.

Common and Useful Corvair Websites

Corvair Forum viewtopic.php?f=225&t=6007

If you have a need for Corvair wiring schematics, I have tried to provide some improvements over the base schematics found in the shop manuals...

CORVAIR COMBINED WIRING SCHEMATIC DIAGRAMS



viewtopic.php?t=12968

This section of the Corvair Forum contains numerous technical posts, including some exceptional videos by Larry Claypool covering carburetors, brake systems, and the Powerglide automatic transmission...

DIY - Explanations and Demonstrations

viewforum.php?f=225

[ponyguru]

Welcome, "just a school teacher", to the Corvair Forum!



Where are you located, and what grade level/subject matter do you teach?

Knowledge about you, your Corvair, your mechanical experience and skills, your goals for your Corvair, and your location can often help us to provide more-useful answers to your questions that are targeted specifically to your mechanical skills and knowledge, and to your location.

I'm from Middle Tennessee and I teach 7th graders English (although my degree is in history) - so I have a lot of patience for things that don't quite go right the first, second, or third time.

My mechanical knowledge is limited, but I have no problem learning as I go. I can change on some oil and swap a tire, but that is about the extent of my direct experience. I didn't even know what a Corvair was until about a week ago! I have been trying to read up more and more every day. That being said: my goal is to have a fun classic to put-put around town in. My overall plan to achieve this is to maintain the mechanical condition of my Corvair, get a new soft top on her, and (a long time down the road) get a new coat of paint.

Thank you for the thorough response! I always like a good diagram or manual and I will absolutely look them over more closely this afternoon.

[bbodie52]

I wrote the following material some years ago, and after considering your initial comments I feel that this information about Corvairs may be helpful to a new owner who has little experience with DIY maintenance or ownership of a classic Corvair.

My own experience with Corvairs began in 1961, when I was eight years old. We lived in San Jose, California at that time. My parents bought a new 1961 Corvair Monza coupe, and that was our family car for several years. In 1965 they traded up to a new 1965 Corvair Corsa convertible, with the same 140hp 4-carburetor engine that your Corvair is fitted with (four speed manual transmission).


Warren Bodie and son Brad at Edwards AFB Air Show in 1965 with our new 1965 Corvair Corsa convertible (140HP)

I learned to drive in that Corsa convertible, and began to learn how to maintain Corvairs by performing basic tasks on it, like oil changes, tune-ups, tire rotations, etc. I took my first driver's license test in that car, and during my high school summer vacation in 1969 my father purchased a baseline 1963 Corvair 500 coupe with a frozen engine and a Powerglide automatic transmission for me to learn on. He provided a garage to work in, funding support, an ample supply of hand tools, jack stands, shop manuals, etc. and I taught myself to remove the powertrain and disassembled/overhauled the engine successfully (only taking a break from the work involved to go into the house and watch Neil Armstrong walk on the Moon). After discovering that the automatic transmission was also faulty, I disassembled the transmission and rebuilt it successfully too. There were no local Corvair clubs, and no Internet or Corvair Forum was available at that time to guide me, but I took the time to learn by doing and following the shop manual procedures, and that knowledge helped to build my self-confidence and to develop some mechanical skills that continue to support me to this day!

There is much to consider, and the material below is something I wrote some years ago to try to help the first-time Corvair buyer. I hope you will find these comments to be useful...

As a teen and beginner, I gained some basic knowledge and understanding from a stack of Petersen's Publications books I had collected, read, and reread. (This series was published long ago (1960s-1970s) by Petersen Publishing Company, which was also associated with Hot Rod Magazine. With titles like Petersen's Basic Cams, Valves and Exhaust Systems, Petersen's Basic Ignition and Electrical Systems, and Petersen's Basic Carburetion and Fuel Systems, I found the knowledge and explanations they contained to be very helpful. Internet research opportunities were far in the future, so old-fashioned books and the Corvair Shop Manual were my only guide.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Hot+rod+maga ... nb_sb_noss

ebay https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=b ... c&_sacat=0



The material in those books is now somewhat dated because of the change to computer-controlled electronic fuel injection and other sophisticated technologies that have been introduced in the subsequent decades. But I do feel a Corvair owner or any classic car owner could benefit from the material in these books. Many of them are listed as available on Amazon.com (and from other sources like eBay). You might consider the possibility of reading through some of this material, the above links may help you to find them. The cost of these used books is low, and the investment in time that you might make in reading them may help you to develop a foundation of knowledge that will help you to leap ahead in your DIY maintenance efforts on your Corvair.

The Corvairs are vintage 1960s technology and design — easy to learn and easy to maintain. I would say that learning to work on a Corvair is analogous to an experienced home DIY "shade tree" car mechanic learning to work on a motorcycle. The concepts and procedures are very similar, but the details and the way it is put together is a little different. With the Corvair engine (like a motorcycle) you are dealing with a lot of aluminum. The metal is soft when compared to steel and cast iron, so the use of a torque wrench, anti-seize compound and carefully avoiding cross-threading becomes more important. Also, (like some motorcycles) you are dealing with multiple carburetors so tuning procedures are a little different. The use of Corvair shop manuals and supplements, other technical guides, and information sources like the Corvair Forum, and perhaps joining a CORSA (Corvair Society of America) club chapter can help you to quickly learn about Corvairs. Information resources, like good Corvair parts suppliers, are plentiful if you know where to look. Suppliers like Clark's Corvair Parts have been well-respected and extremely supportive since 1973, and suppliers like that make Corvair ownership more practical and much-more possible. I taught myself how to remove a Corvair powertrain, overhaul the engine, and rebuild the Powerglide transmission during my summer vacation in 1969, when I was sixteen years old. I was working alone (my father had been transferred by Lockheed from northern California to southern California, and we had not yet moved to join him). I had a shop manual and a garage full of tools. There was no Internet, no Corvair Forum, no CORSA club — I was pretty-much on my own. Yet I learned and was successful (in 1972 that engine carried me and my new bride on our wedding day and on our honeymoon).

So you should be able to master working on Corvairs without too much trouble — except watch out for rust and body rot! The Corvair is of unibody construction, so most body repair involves cutting and welding. The doors, trunk lid (in the front) , and engine compartment lid (in the back) and maybe the gas filler door are the only bolt-on body components. Everything else is cut and weld, and the body serves as the main chassis frame. So unless you are a master body repair technician, you need to select your Corvair carefully and avoid excessive hidden rust or a "Bondo bucket". The door frame areas, fenders, floor pan, the bottom of the trunk, lower windshield and battery area often rust and rot.

What follows is an attempt at introducing new prospective Corvair Owners to Corvairs and some of the issues involved. Food for thought, before you take the plunge. This is a copy of something I wrote earlier, but I think it may be helpful in your quest for the "right" Corvair...

I will try to provide a quick summary of the 1960-1969 Corvair lineup, and will also try to provide some answers regarding the use of a Corvair as a "daily driver".

EARLY MODEL: 1960 - 1964 Corvairs were the first generation. Their body style emulated other Chevrolet body styles from the early 1960s. The rear suspension was a swing-axle design that was similar to the Volkswagen "Beetle". The 1960 model year was the only year with a 140 cubic inch engine, and there were some characteristics that were unique to that model year only. A number of refinements were implemented in the following year, including some restyling of the front end and an increase in displacement to 145 cubic inches (CI). A manual choke was used in 1961, and this was changed to an automatic choke design in 1962 that remained with the car through 1969. A turbocharged 150 hp Spyder was introduced in 1962, and the Spyder name remained with the turbocharged engine through 1964. In 1964 the engine displacement in all Corvair engines increased from 145 CI to 164 CI. There were also some suspension refinements, including a front anti-sway bar and a rear transverse leaf spring to improve handling in all 1964 Corvairs. Here are a few pictures of Early Model (EM) 1960-1964 Corvairs...

1964 Monza Convertible


1964 Corvair Engine Compartment

1963 Monza Coupe

1963 Monza Interior

1962 Lakewood Station Wagon

Corvair Rampside Truck

Corvair Greenbrier Van

Van/Truck Interior

LATE MODEL:The 1965 Corvair introduced a completely new body style, that was also seen later in similar styles in the Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. The drum brake size was increased, and the swing-axle rear suspension design used in EM Corvairs was abandoned. The new rear suspension was a design lifted from the Corvette Stingray.

1965 and 1966 Corvairs were nearly identical. In 1967-69 the top of the line Corsa was dropped, leaving the Monza and economy 500 until production was discontinued in the spring of 1969. During the 1967-69 production period, there were minor safety changes, such as a dual master brake cylinder in place of the single unit used in 1960-1966. Interior seats and trim changed somewhat, paralleling the items used in Camaros and some other GM products during that period.

All 1965-66 Corsas came with a standard 4-carburetor 140 hp engine, and an optional 180 hp turbocharged engine. The 140 hp engine remained optional in the rest of the lineup. Other engine options in the Monza and 500 were 110 hp and 95 hp dual carburetor engines. All engines could be had with a manual 4-speed or 3-speed transmission, or with a 2-speed Powerglide automatic (with the exception of the 1965-66 turbocharged 180 hp engine, which was available with the Corsa only, and only with a 4-speed manual transmission).

Air conditioning was a rare option, but can be found in the 1965-1967 lineup, and some of the EM Corvairs as well. The following link will provide you with some air conditioned Corvair background and history...
http://www.corvair.org/chapters/airvairs/

The brakes, front and rear suspension, transaxle and body were essentially identical in the Corsa, Monza, and 500. The primary differences in the cars were the instrument panel (the Corsa had more gauges), trim details, and the engine option.

The late model Corvairs were available in a 2-door Coupe, 2-door Convertible, and 4-door Sedan. In 1968, the four-door hardtop was discontinued, leaving three models—the 500 and Monza Hardtop Coupes and the Monza Convertible. Air conditioning was dropped as an option. The weight of the cars was very similar in all configurations.


1965 Corvair Corsa Coupe




1965 Corvair Corsa Convertible


1965 Corvair Monza 4-Door Sedan


Corsa Interior (Top) / Monza Interior (Bottom)


140 hp 164 CI 4x1 Carburetor Engine (1965-1969)





Corvairs can suffer from rust and body rot problems, especially in areas that use a lot of road salt in the wintertime. While you may be able to learn and successfully attack most mechanical issues as a DIY effort, body decay can be much-more difficult, time-consuming, intimidating, and expensive to correct. So look for hidden rust or rot problems that may have been covered up with plastic filler, and be cautious in your Corvair selection.

A Corvair can serve well as a daily driver. But I would recommend a backup car or other alternatives, since ANY breakdown can put the car out of service for days until replacement parts can be obtained (if needed). If you have the skills and ability to work on the car yourself, repairs can often be completed fairly quickly. But if you have to rely on professional mechanics, downtime can be long and possibly expensive — if you can find a good mechanic to do the work for you.

Here is something I wrote over a year ago — Brad's Admonition, or some words of advice — based on over 50 years of exposure to Corvair ownership — that I wrote to try to give new Corvair buyers some idea of the issues involved. I'm sure you have some idea already, but I also think this is worth considering...

Since you are new to Corvairs, I want to give you some information that I have written to other new prospective first-time Corvair owners. I have been involved with Corvairs since I was eight years old, when my parents bought our first Corvair – a brand new 1961 Monza 2-door coupe, white on red with a 4-speed transmission. I now own Corvair number ten, which I purchased in June 2012. (If you want to read a brief personal biography that outlines my family background and our experiences with Corvairs, go to CORVAIR FORUM > Introductions > New from Lake Chatuge North Carolina. viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4032 ) I want to encourage your enthusiasm in developing your plans to buy your first Corvair, but at the same time I want to help you to think through just what you are getting into. So please read and consider these comments below...

I have listened to many potential Corvair first-time owners. Many have no prior experience with owning any classic car, and many have never driven a Corvair at all, or have not driven one in decades. Some are motivated by childhood memories of a family Corvair. They typically describe the desire to locate a perfect, restored, ultra-clean example, and look to the Corvair Forum Corvair enthusiasts and aficionados to tell them what to do.

The first thing I think that needs to be done is to try to set-aside the usual emotion-based enthusiasm that any car buyer might feel when visiting a dealer and gazing with emotional eagerness at the vast array of new cars displayed in the showroom, on the car lot, and in factory brochures and advertisements. There is an extreme difference between owning a 50+ year-old Chevrolet that was likely engineered, designed and built with pre-planned obsolescence in mind — a car that GM only envisioned having a life-span of ten years or so. Many of the potential Corvair buyers are captivated with the exciting idea of owning something different — something not normally seen on the road — something that your neighbor will not buy! Certainly that is the case with a Corvair, but owning a Corvair and enjoying that ownership demands a certain dose of reality before you "buy-in". Many are unprepared for the maintenance and upkeep demands of a Corvair. "Where can I find a good Corvair mechanic?" is a common question — often displaying an inability or unwillingness to do some mechanical work and maintain that car yourself. Yet qualified Corvair mechanics can be distant, expensive, inconvenient, and all-too rare. At a time when finding even a spark plug, fan belt, or oil filter for a Corvair often means an Internet or mail-order purchase, finding local support may be unlikely or impossible. Even searching automobile junk yards will often not help, because these cars are so rare and infrequently found that they have all but disappeared from the scrap yards too. Even locating and buying a used part is a mail-order proposition. And even if you spend $15,000-$20,000 for a fully-restored Corvair in mint condition, it still comes "as-is", with no warranty and little in the way of a local support system — far different than what most car buyers are used to expecting! These are the realities of owning an older classic car.

Corvairs are popular and affordable classic cars, and enjoy a good infrastructure of maintenance supporters, owner's clubs, and parts suppliers — and that REALLY helps! But I suspect that most happy Corvair owners are something of "shade-tree mechanics" and hobbyists who are prepared to deal with the risks and problems related to Corvair ownership. It requires a long-term commitment and a dose of reality to happily own a classic Corvair. The "first date" infatuation with the attractiveness and uniqueness of a Corvair will not sustain you in a long-term relationship with a Corvair. It is far-better to have a realistic idea of just what you are getting into before you "take the plunge" and buy your dream car.

A cautious, knowledgeable and educated search for your dream Corvair is a great start, and a careful and realistic analysis of your own mechanical talents, skills and abilities is also useful. If you plan to have a mechanic do most of the work for you, the availability of a Corvair-skilled mechanic and the associated costs involved must be taken into account in your financial planning to own a Corvair.

I try to not be too negative, but I have worked with others who came to realize that Corvair ownership was more than they could handle. I just feel that new prospective Corvair owners come here to this forum to learn from others who have more experience, and we are not doing them any favors by "candy coating" the issues involved. If they pass the "sanity check" and still want to pursue buying a Corvair, then GREAT! This Forum and perhaps some local Corvair club members can potentially help them pursue that dream. But it should be a realistic dream, and not a frustrating "nightmare" experience. Better to make a clear-headed, informed decision early in the game!

I hope that these comments are useful to you. I know I get "long-winded", but I also know you are trying to make an important decision, and I hope all of these comments will help you.

A Corvair can serve well as a daily driver. But I would recommend a backup car or other alternatives, since ANY breakdown can put the car out of service for days until replacement parts can be obtained (if needed). If you have the skills and ability to work on the car yourself, repairs can often be completed fairly quickly. But if you have to rely on professional mechanics, downtime can be long and possibly expensive — if you can find a good mechanic to do the work for you.

[Rick4130]

Brad A.K.A “The Information Firehose”


Don’t get me wrong, he’s got tons of insight ready to drop at any moment! :)

[bbodie52]

...My mechanical knowledge is limited, but I have no problem learning as I go. I can change on some oil and swap a tire, but that is about the extent of my direct experience. I didn't even know what a Corvair was until about a week ago! I have been trying to read up more and more every day. That being said: my goal is to have a fun classic to put-put around town in. My overall plan to achieve this is to maintain the mechanical condition of my Corvair, get a new soft top on her, and (a long time down the road) get a new coat of paint...

I only wrote these comments one time, but felt that copying them here would provide some basic Corvair development history, and also to comment on the approach I found helpful as a beginner to learn and develop mechanical skills to support a DIY approach to support owning and driving a classic Corvair.

[66vairguy]

The 140HP engine was used in the LM (65-69) cars, but it is a popular conversion to put one in a EM car (60-64). The 140HP with a powerglide was a different engine vs. the 140HP used with a manual transmission. First I'd get the block number and distributor number to figure out which version of the 140HP is in your car.

I recall the PowerGlide automatic was upgraded on the 1964 models because of the increase in engine size in 1964, so that should be fine. Note there has been a lot of talk about a "special" PowerGlide for just the 140HP engines, but now folks figured out that is not true. The governor was revised to allow the 1-2 shift to happen at a higher RPM. For years it was thought the torque converter was special, but it IS NOT.

A nice care, enjoy.

[bbodie52]

There are three CORSA club chapters in Tennessee. Perhaps one of these would provide face to face contact with like-minded Corvair enthusiasts that would be helpful...


Music City Corvair Club

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/groups/1565129816881887/
Email: MusicCityCorvair@gmail.com
September 17th Meeting will be at the Sportsman's Grille, 1640 Westgate Circle, Brentwood, TN 37027 - 3:00 pm
Old Newsletter

Feb Newsletter.pdf

HOT AIR NEWS Feb 20, 2018

(516.17 KiB) Downloaded 30 times

Lists several contacts, phone numbers, and email addresses. Their Facebook site is not too informative, but perhaps this old newsletter will provide a valid contact!

Choo Choo Corvairs Chattanooga, TN
https://choochoocorvairs.com/
https://choochoocorvairs.webs.com/
Email: choochoocorvair@gmail.com



Knoxville Area Corvair Club
Maryville, TN

http://www.knoxareacorvairclub.com
Email: amysolomanmohr@gmail.com

[ponyguru]

I only wrote these comments one time, but felt that copying them here would provide some basic Corvair development history, and also to comment on the approach I found helpful as a beginner to learn and develop mechanical skills to support a DIY approach to support owning and driving a classic Corvair.

Your information has been abundantly helpful! I will certainly be picking up some petersen's books off of ebay at my earliest convenience. These cars seen to have a wealth of knowledge surrounding them which I am very happy to absorb. Everything about my corvair, so far, has been significantly easier to learn about and understand than my daily (a base model 01 Mercedes).

...First I'd get the block number and distributor number to figure out which version of the 140HP is in your car.

I will certainly check this out when I have some time this evening. Should the block information be somewhere near the distributor cap?

Music City Corvair Club
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/groups/1565129816881887/
Email: MusicCityCorvair@gmail.com
September 17th Meeting will be at the Sportsman's Grille, 1640 Westgate Circle, Brentwood, TN 37027 - 3:00 pm
Old Newsletter

Feb Newsletter.pdf

I will definitely try to get in touch with the Nashville group. I'm a younger guy, but I always like meeting more "experienced" gentlemen. Hopefully I can learn a thing or three from them!

P.S. Thank you all for your helpful responses. I have been a member of many online communities and forums and I have never received such a comprehensive welcome!

[bbodie52]

Example:

The block number is T1116YN.

T1116YN

T = Tonawanda, New York (GM Tonawanda Engine Plant)
http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/comp ... wanda.html
1116 = Engine manufacturing date (month and date). November 16th. (If it is the original engine, probably 11/16/1962)
"YN" is from 1962-1964 (No year is included in the date stamp, unfortunately).
YN
1961: 98hp — 145 CID (Cubic Inch Displacement), 9:1 Compression Ratio, with Manual Transmission — Corvair 500, 700 and 900 Monza only.
1962-1963: 102hp — 145 CID (Cubic Inch Displacement), 9:1 Compression Ratio, with Manual Transmission — Corvair 500, 700 and 900 Monza only.
1964: 110hp — 164 CID (Cubic Inch Displacement), 9:1 Compression Ratio, with Manual Transmission — Corvair 500, 700 and 900 Monza only.


The engine serial number location remains the same, as shown below...




Many of the serial number suffix code letters overlap multiple production years. Since the engine production month and date does not provide a year, it is sometimes difficult to be sure of the specific engine configuration. The cylinder head casting number, as shown below, will often help with "zeroing in" on the actual engine configuration and production year.

However, on the inside of the driver door is a GM tag with a 9 digit number which is listed as the VIN number on the car's ownership.

SAMPLE 1963 VIN TAG...





SAMPLE 1963 CORVAIR BODY TAG (Inside engine compartment)...



If you will provide a picture of your body tag, I will decode it for you.

[66vairguy]

Brad posted some great information.

It is true the best way to determine what engine you have is to look at the block, head(s), distributor number. Even then you come across "frakenengines" made up using parts from different engines.

One of the nice things about Corvairs is many folks are not concerned about originality and like to tinker. However some parts swaps are not done well and lead to problems. Not being negative, just best to do your research to determine what you have. Many things can be corrected, if you have skills it is less expensive vs. paying a shop.

I have bought Corvairs that had a number of issues, but I knew what the problems were and paid for the cars accordingly. I NEVER misrepresent a car I sell.

A solid body 64 convertible with a well installed 140HP engine is desirable even if not original. Keep a log of things you find or fix and if you ever sell the car let the buyer know. You'll sleep better and possibly avoid a nasty court appearance.

[ponyguru]

If you will provide a picture of your body tag, I will decode it for you.

I have my body tag, but I think I might need to do some degreasing to see my engine's numbers. I'm going to top her off on fluids and try and drive her about a mile to a gas station. I've ran her up and down my driveway a few times and she seems to go forward, backward, and stop without much fuss - hopefully she can carry me there and back!

I have bought Corvairs that had a number of issues, but I knew what the problems were and paid for the cars accordingly. I NEVER misrepresent a car I sell.

A solid body 64 convertible with a well installed 140HP engine is desirable even if not original. Keep a log of things you find or fix and if you ever sell the car let the buyer know. You'll sleep better and possibly avoid a nasty court appearance.

My neighbor who sold it to me didn't know too much about its history before he bought it other than it had mostly sat in a garage until 04. Since then I've seen the car sitting in his garage for a lot of my childhood and all of my adulthood - That is what really drew me to it enough to buy it from him. I hope to create a good list of records on what I do with it - it has made selling every other vehicle I have owned much easier and more profitable. That being said, I do not plan to sell this car in the foreseeable future.

[66vairguy]

If you are lucky the gas tank was dry. Often the old gas ends up turning into a syrup like mess that has bee reported by othera on forums to cause the valves to seize in the guides!!!! This results in some expensive engine damage.

I'd would NOT run the car on gasoline added to the tank until you pull the hose off the fuel sender and drain the tank to see how much crude is in it.

Tanks can be cleaned out, but often they are rusty inside. Folks have tried using sealers and today's fuel seem to cause the sealers to peel off the inside of the tank after a year or so --- at least that what folks that have used it say. Often installing a new gas tank and sender is the easiest way to go.

[ponyguru]

If you are lucky the gas tank was dry. Often the old gas ends up turning into a syrup like mess that has bee reported by othera on forums to cause the valves to seize in the guides!!!! This results in some expensive engine damage.

I'd would NOT run the car on gasoline added to the tank until you pull the hose off the fuel sender and drain the tank to see how much crude is in it.

Tanks can be cleaned out, but often they are rusty inside. Folks have tried using sealers and today's fuel seem to cause the sealers to peel off the inside of the tank after a year or so --- at least that what folks that have used it say. Often installing a new gas tank and sender is the easiest way to go.

The gentleman who sold it to me had it driven it around the neighborhood many times before I bought it. Afaik - the gas in it is good. That being said, this is certainly prudent.

Well, I went on my journey to to the gas station about a mile down the road. It ran awesome to the gas station. I filled her up about 10 gallons and then it stalled on me trying to pull out of the station. I pushed her over to the side and tried to reckon what was wrong. I came up with nothing and turned the key over 3~ minutes later and she started right up. . . only to choke and die after perhaps 10-15 seconds. I smelled gasoline very strongly from the engine compartment and thought to let it sit for about 10-12 minutes. After that, she started right up and took me all the way home. . .At which point she stalled in my driveway. With all that being said, that was some of the most fun I have had in a long time. I think I will drain at least some of the tank to see what is settled at the bottom, but does anyone else have any other ideas for what to check? She again starts up and runs fine after being home for a bit.

P.S. 2 people told me that I have a nice car. That made me feel cool - even if one of my coworkers spotted me while I was stalled out a few minutes later.

P.P.S I have had it running a fair number of times prior to this, I drove it home about 1/2 mile when I bought it and have had it running / moving a few times since then. It was almost on empty when I bought it and I had added a couple of gallons of 93 gas myself a few days ago.

[Scott H]

Check for crack/leaks in any of the rubber fuel lines. Check the one behind the driver rear wheel.