just some punk kid from jersey.

[wrong generation]

not much to say about me i'm just some 20somthing year old punk kid from jersey. lol

to make a long story short. a friend and i just got our hands on a couple of late 60s corvairs for free. neither car has moved sense we are assuming the early 80s and will need alot of work to get them back on the street. hense why i'm here lol. iv restored a bunch of camaro's firebirds and mustangs and what not but never a corvair before so here to learn.

i know people are going to ask for pictures but don't have any decent one's atm and won't until i actually get the cars from their current resting place but for the basic info on them.

car 1. 67 corvair 500 110 engine 3speed trans. green exterior white interior bench seat car.
car 2. 69 corvair monza 110 engine 2speed powerglide. multi colored exterior (not real sure what color it use to be) white interior bucket seat car.

thats really all i know about them. but like i said im hear to learn so if there is anything u guys can tell me from that little bit of info that would be awesome. as for now its time for more googling and forum searching so i can find out where to get patch panels and everything else we will need to bring these two cars back to life.

[bbodie52]

Welcome to the Corvair Forum!

You are right about a need for detailed pictures. The old adage "A picture is worth a thousand words" really takes on new significance with regard to effective communications about Corvairs via the Internet! If you can include a close-up picture of each VIN tag (next to the battery in the engine compartment) and the body tag (riveted to the engine compartment sub-frame near the distributor) we can decode them for you to tell you more about each car's origins.

Considering years of exposure to the elements and an existance in New Jersey road salt, your primary initial consideration must be rust, body rot and corrosion. Unlike the other cars you mentioned, the Corvair is all unibody construction, so fenders and other body parts are not easily removed. The body is the frame, so serious body rot can make the car unsafe and perhaps unrestorable. Before you commit serious money to either car, you need to do a careful evaluation of any rust areas in the door frames, at the base of the windshield, within the fenders, in the floor pan, etc. One or both cars may be nothing more than parts cars if they suffer from severe decay. Body repair requires cutting and welding skills to repair, and good used body panels may be somewhat difficult to obtain. The mechanical aspects of the Corvair are relatively easy to master, and Corvair parts suppliers like Clark's Corvair Parts have decades of experience coupled with good reputations. They do a great job or supplying what you need for engine and powertrain, brakes and suspension, electrical systems, and interior restoraton. Mechanically, Corvairs are survivors. But the body can be a big weakness — especially in snow country where road salt can eat away all of the life in a Corvair. You may be able to restore both cars, or you may be in a 1 + 1 = 1 situation, or both cars may be organ donors. If you lack experience in bodywork, you may want to start by towing them to a good body shop for a professional evaluation and to obtain an estimate to see what you really have there.

The following Corvair Forum link can provide you with a list of useful websites that should be helpful as a Corvair owner...

Common and Useful Corvair Websites

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

[flat6_musik]

Hey welcome to the forum, WrongG. Interesting cars you've got. 3-speed sticks and bench seats in a '67.......makes you wonder who was the original owners and how were they used......like grocery-getters or whatever. If you've restored other American classics, you'll see quite a few differences (many of which will make you scratch your head a few seconds, like clutch cable/linkage) over your usual front engine cars, but corvairs are basically pretty simple.

Hope to see some pics soon!

[MBlaster1]

Welcome, you came to the right place for info the guys on this forum are the best when it comes to knowledge on vairs.

[wrong generation]

both cars are completely restoreable. they have the usual rust one would expect but nothing crazy. body work isn't hard its something you kinda get use to doing when it comes to older cars. it kinda does suck that i can't unbolt fenders but its just like doing the rears on a bunch of cars a quarter panel is a quarter panel lol.

couple questions i have. what rear gear ratio's would each car have ? i know what corvair's came with but not with what combo's

also and this is just random curiousity i know my camaro is an f-body my chevelle is an A-body but what platform was the corvair given ??

[bbodie52]

Axle ratios and differential codes are shown below on the Clark's Corvair Parts online catalog page...
http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... graygo.y=0


http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/200 ... ture8.html

TRANSAXLE
Like the first-generation Pontiac Tempest of 1961-63, the Corvair used a rear-mounted transaxle that combined the transmission and the differential. The standard transmission in the Corsa was a Corvair-specific three-speed manual, but an overwhelming majority of buyers bought the optional four-speed manual. In 1965, this fully synchronized floor-shift unit was the same Corvair-specific transmission as used in 1964 models, which used ratios of (first) 3.20:1, (second) 2.18:1, (third) 1.44:1 and (fourth) 1:1.

In an attempt to integrate some Corvair parts stock with those of light-duty "regular" Chevrolets like the Chevy II and Chevelle, their Saginaw 4-speed became the Corvair's optional manual transmission in 1966. This unit offered more ultimate torque capacity than the previous unit, and their ratios were 3.11:1, 2.20:1, 1.47:1 and 1:1 in first through fourth gears, respectively. The standard final drive ratio in all turbocharged Corvairs was 3.55:1, which kept the revs up and allowed the turbo to spool more quickly. While a 3.27:1 ratio was factory option in other Corvairs, it was not offered in turbo Corsas; this hasn't stopped Corsa drivers who want to lower the highway revs from retrofitting the taller gearing. "The transaxle's weakest links are the spider (pinion) gears," Larry says. "They were perfectly adequate for the stock power and tires, but if you give the rear more grip and load the transmission, you can run into problems." Kits that raise the number of gears from two to four are available.

The GM Heritage Center Specifications documents contain many of the details, gear set ratios, and specs you might want. I have attached GM Heritage Center data for both 1967 and 1969 Corvairs.

[Skrain]

Welcome to the Forum! There are LOTS of friendly, helpful folks here that will help you get the gruesome twosome back on the road!
(Plus a couple of old cranks, as well!)
A really good bit of advice is to go ahead and order the Clark's catalog, plus the supplements. Not only are they a great source for parts, but there is a LOT of helpful information and tips as well.

[wingnutandme]

also and this is just random curiousity i know my camaro is an f-body my chevelle is an A-body but what platform was the corvair given ??

According to Wikipedia (usually pretty close to correct), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GM_platforms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" those body designations didn't start until 2000. This table in their listing shows Corvairs as Y and Z bodies.

Hope this helps.

[wrong generation]

finally got the 69 corvair here. and after going thru it. my land lord who owns the shop where i work on and store my projects. pretty much told me to part it out and crush it. so looks like this project may never get off the ground and one more car will be lost.

[Skrain]

Post some pictures, so you can get a second, third, and maybe more opinions!

[91blaze]

Post up some pictures man. Most people are too quick to junk something these days unfortunately, so don't be down.

[wrong generation]

finally was able to have some time by my self where i could take pix.


corvair from the front.


rear angle of the corvair.


drivers fender front


drivers fender rear.


drivers fender rear


drivers door jam


passenger fender front


passenger fender rear


passenger fender rear


drivers quarter panel rear


passenger quarter panel front


battery tray

all the above rust i was told was not an issue and easily fixable. the pix below is where the land lord told me to junk it once he seen them. yet i still think they aren't an issue.

front floor pan.


rear floor pan

o and apon some digging around in the car i think it might be a 68 instead of a 69 although the guy i got it from said it was a 69.

[64powerglide]

As the dog said when he sat on some sandpaper, RUFF!!!!!!! Pull the drive train & anything else you might make a buck on. Rear bumper, tail lights, window glass, stainless trim, rims, engine lid, trunk lid, instrument panel, radio ect.. You never know when someone is looking something then s#*t can the rest.

[91blaze]

I guess it depends on what you want to do. Your car is in the same condition as my parts car so it may be best to part it. If you have a welder and a lot of time on your hands it may be feasible but you're gonna spend more fixing this than you would to part this and buy a different one. Assuming you can sell most of the parts, you could make enough to buy one in much better condition.

[bbodie52]

Since all late model Corvair body shells are essentially the same, you might be better-off looking for a clean shell and then merging components from this car into another car with a more-solid body. This one looks really too far gone to give it serious consideration. On many cars owners would obtain and transplant fenders and other components, but in this case it looks like this car needs a complete body transplant.

[wrong generation]

the top of the car and frame structure under the car are nice and solid. iv punched and or kicked the car in several spots as hard as i could and can't dent it let alone go thru it.

unless im totally mistaken. i could call clark and get every patch panel this car needs sent to me ????

my main issue as far as getting a solid shell. is i know a camaro or mustang in the same shape that this corvair is in will run me $4000-5000. so id hate to see what a complete rust free solid car would cost. and although i know it would be easier to start with somthing solid. easy isnt always the best or most rewarding route.