New corvair...new member

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1949chevy
Posts: 277
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 7:34 pm

New corvair...new member

Post by 1949chevy »

Hi all....I have been on this site learning all I could about corvairs. About a month ago, I decided I need another project to keep my feeble mind going...why corvair? I don't know. I learned a lot in a short time though and purchased a 1966 monza 2 dr hardtop...110 with power glide. I found the car on craigslist in Alabama. It was very cheap and I decided to call on it...I was told it was a solid car...it was for sure...I was told after I bought it that it had 44,788 miles showing...and I believe that to be true also. Anyway, I took a chance and bought the car site unseen. I had done that once and was told it was solid...yep..it was...solid rust....but it turned out to be a great car when I got thru with it....its the photo of the blue 51 ford which to my regret was sold to finance my 49 chevy fleetline. I have built 3 cars from the ground up including one off frame...all nice cars...I build all the engines, all wiring, all the body work, most of the interior assembly, install the subframes and all axles..suspensions, glass, rubber, etc and on the red 49 chevy I even painted it.

Back to the corvair...so when it showed up... it as late and rainy and dark...but I was not so pleased as I had seen some dents and scrapes that were never mentioned and it certainly was a faded red. The good part, it rolled into the basement. The next day after I took a little better look...it was a very nice solid car and even still has paint on the floorboards...top and bottom...the only rust is around the windshield.

I ordered some engine and brake parts from Napa and began my " lets see if it runs like the sellar said it would". After I rebuilt the MC and all wheel cylinders, carbs, distributor, plugs, and a good cleaning and then called my old 87 year old chevy mechanic and said...come on over and lets hear this corvair "kackle" hopefully as he says. He bottle feed the car and varrooommm...had to put 2 qts of trans oil in it...and not only did it run....it moved and shifted gears...I have new rubber and suspension parts coming to get the car road ready and they should be here tomorrow. Being I live in the mtns of NC, we are suppose to get a little snow sat...good day to put it together.

So, I will quit yaking....and show some photos of the cars I built and the corvette I have had 42 years and love dearly, and my 49 chevy and finally my 66 corvair....the 51 ford and 55 f100 have been sold.

The red 49 was taken this past sunday...out looking at the leave change...and yes...I do love blue!!!

If I can help others on this site I will and I am sure I will have some wall I will run into and need info from you.

Jimmy in Asheville NC.
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Duff
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 4:59 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: New corvair...new member

Post by Duff »

Welcome and by the looks of your other cars, you'll soon have a great looking Corvair.
User avatar
DT-VAIR
Posts: 251
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:42 pm
Location: Woodstock, IL

Re: New corvair...new member

Post by DT-VAIR »

Hey Jimmy! Glad to see you finally were able to pick up a car! I wish ya luck with your new adventure. In talking with you and seeing the cars you've worked with I'm sure this will turn out to be another great looking car! Also happy to hear your mechanic was able to help out a little and get his hands dirty a bit. I'm sure it must have been a good time for him. Have a good one!

Tony
1st one - 65 Monza Vert with power top and 110 with a 4 spd. Was a bit dilapidated but fun, 2nd was a 1965 Corvair Monza Convertible. PG - 1960 or 61 or 63 80 hp engine - we think...
1949chevy
Posts: 277
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 7:34 pm

Re: New corvair...new member

Post by 1949chevy »

DT-VAIR wrote:Hey Jimmy! Glad to see you finally were able to pick up a car! I wish ya luck with your new adventure. In talking with you and seeing the cars you've worked with I'm sure this will turn out to be another great looking car! Also happy to hear your mechanic was able to help out a little and get his hands dirty a bit. I'm sure it must have been a good time for him. Have a good one!

Tony
Hey Tony....good to hear from you. Did you ever get your oil checker fixed? I finally gave Arthur back his tool....he has been using it as a shotgun barrel cleaning rod...he has a 1800's one that I love and he knows it....about a couple of weeks ago, I told him I would like for him to will me his Snap-0n flex handle 3/8 drive...he looked at me straight in the eyes...reached down on his tool bench....picked it up and said " you have officially been willed this wrench"...I about died...looked it up and it goes for about $80.00. Scared to say anything about his shotgun...afraid he will give that to me too. While he was here, I needed to check the tightness on one of the bolts before we started it...he said " a flex handle here would be ideal" and that is what I used. He just smiled.

I am really pleased with this car so far....it has problems don't get me wrong...its not a perfect car but it even still has the original insulation over the engine and insulation on the sides...hard to believe that there is red paint where the carpet is worn out and you can see red overspray underneath on the floors..and NO rust.

While my other cars are really nice...all but the corvette was not at one time. The 49 I drove for nearly 2 years before starting on it. So, that said, it may be a few years if ever, that the corvair gets a good going over. It has lots of small dents and good garage scrap and bang on the pass side. The f100 truck was something else but pretty solid...the 51 ford when you opened the door, it fell down to the ground. I practially rebuilt the blue 51 ford...no rockers, no floors, no pillars to hold the doors, fenders full of holes at the bottom, you could see into the trunk with the lid shut...etc.

Okay...watching that Florida state and Louisville game...love it...Louisville eating forida alive right now...21 to 7.

Will post some before's of the truck and the red 49....the truck was a base coat clear...it was one nice truck...went to NJ somewhere. The 49 as I saw it for the first time in ringold, ga before I bought it.

Okay...Tony again...nice to hear from you.
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1949chevy
Posts: 277
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 7:34 pm

Re: New corvair...new member

Post by 1949chevy »

Duff wrote:Welcome and by the looks of your other cars, you'll soon have a great looking Corvair.

Hey Duff...thanks for the compliment and the reply. I will drive the car for a while first then make a decision on striping the car and painting it...right now, after 5 1/2 years of agony with the red 49...I am in no hurry to do anything for a while....but the car is worth it...the only rust I have found is in the rear window channel.

Check out my reply to Tony...you can see some befores...Hagerty says my 49 is a lead sled almost...needs lake pipes they say.

Thanks again...Jimmy in nc
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