Monza or Corsa

[66Vert]

I purchased a 1966 Corvair last weekend, advertised as a Corsa. The VIN showed it to be a Monza convertible (10567), but the badging, dash and RT engine are all Corsa. The seller assured me it was a Corsa, but he is very old and having memory problems.

The car was priced right and in great shape, so I bought it as a nice driver. Are there any known examples where the VIN says Monza but it is actually a Corsa? The car was an early build (one of the first 2500) and the engine has a January 14 build date.

Any insights would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[66vairguy]

There are online Vair sites that explain the VIN and body tag codes. If the VIN and body tag agree and say it's a Monza - then it was probably "Corsarized" as the term goes (adding Corsa equipment and trim). Not uncommon, nothing wrong or illegal, and at this time has a minor impact on value in my opinion. The only responsibility is for the owner to sell the car as such or possibly end up in court via a disgruntled buyer. That said it's possible your seller was unaware when he bought the car, or as you implied, is forgetful.

You can also locate the secret VIN on the front frame rail, I don't recall the exact location at the moment, to verify the VIN plate attached to the rear sill matches. If there is a conflict between any of the three I.D. locations you have a legal responsibility to declare it if you ever sell the car. I always verify VIN numbers before or shortly after a purchase. If anything is incorrect it needs to be dealt with by returning the car or having the DMV verify the car is not stolen.

I doubt you have a major issue, but you DO have a responsibility to make sure all is fine ASAP.

[b74eqcm]

How did you determine that the car was an early build? The engine and body build dates don't seem to match. 1966's were built starting in late August or early September 1965. Another indicator that you have a Monza that's been 'upgraded.'

[azdave]

I've never seen a VIN conflict like that which wasn't the result of someone upgrading a Monza with Corsa goodies. Plenty of owners have no idea they don't have a genuine Corsa. The hidden VIN only shows the manufacturing location and the last VIN digits. The hidden VIN does not show the model type but of course the hidden VIN should always match the tag next to the battery and the body tag info should correlate to the VIN tag and hidden VIN info too.

Check my LM hidden VIN pics here.
viewtopic.php?t=3000

[66Vert]

Thank you for all the info. b74eqcm's point on the build dates makes sense. I was thinking calendar vs. model year build dates.

I did check the "hidden" VIN numbers, and though the one on the passenger side was quite a bit further back behind the spring than in the pictures, it does match the VIN plate. So the car has been "Corsarized". Nice that someone went to that much effort, as I like the Corsa dash and 140hp engine of course.

Thanks again for the info. This is my first Corvair and I am really enjoying it.

[66vairguy]

That worked out well. Enjoy driving the car.