Need some help - South Central PA

Anything Corvair related
mdh157
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Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 6:44 pm

Need some help - South Central PA

Post by mdh157 »

Hello,

I'm in need of a bit of help. Anyone in the Harrisburg/Carlisle area of PA who owns a second gen Corvair who would be willing to let me sit in it and perhaps take me for a short ride (with you driving, of course)? I really like the Corvairs and would like to own a second gen Corsa 4 spd turbo but I tried to sit in a first gen one a while ago and had a hard time fitting in it. I need to find out if I can make this work before I move forward with my search.

There is a very nice 65 on the Pittsburgh cl but I wonder if it is a bit overpriced.......don't really know as I have not been into Corvairs before - I like 'em but have never owned or driven one.
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bbodie52
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Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by bbodie52 »

There are a number of CORSA (Corvair Society of America) club chapters in Pennsylvania. These clubs are family friendly and offer picnics, scenic group tours, regular meetings and technical training sessions, car shows, and competition events that you might enjoy. Contacting members would give you opportunities to learn more about these cars and to socialize with other Corvair enthusiasts. Here is one that is located in Central Pennsylvania. They host an annual Corvair Show in Hershey toward the end of the summer.

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:link: http://www.centralpacorvairclub.org/

CORSA (Corvair Society of America) Chapter Locator
Locating a local CORSA chapter near you can be very helpful, and attending meetings, parties, Corvair shows, etc. can greatly add to the enjoyment of your Corvair

NOTE: Information on the CORSA Chapter Locator is generally badly out of date. Names, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. are often inaccurate. Your best bet is to find the nearest club chapter on the list, and then use the chapter website link to move on to the club website. Contact information on the actual club website is often much-more accurate and up to date!
:link: https://www.corvair.org/index.php?optio ... crmSID=3_u
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
mdh157
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Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by mdh157 »

bbodie52 wrote:There are a number of CORSA (Corvair Society of America) club chapters in Pennsylvania. These clubs are family friendly and offer picnics, scenic group tours, regular meetings and technical training sessions, car shows, and competition events that you might enjoy. Contacting members would give you opportunities to learn more about these cars and to socialize with other Corvair enthusiasts. Here is one that is located in Central Pennsylvania. They host an annual Corvair Show in Hershey toward the end of the summer.
Hey, I retire from the military officially today so I should have more car time!
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bbodie52
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Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by bbodie52 »

:clap: Congratulations on your retirement! Were you stationed at Carlisle Barracks, Fort Indiantown Gap, or ??? I retired from active duty Air Force as an E-7 in 1996, after serving for 24 years. My final assignment was as an Air Force Technical Advisor (special duty assignment) with an Air National Guard combat communications unit at Fort Indiantown Gap. I lived in Central PA (Lebanon) from 1993 until 2009, working for Pennsy Supply as a computer technician and network administrator from 1996 until my wife and I relocated to North Carolina to assist my 85 year old father.

Do you plan on remaining in Central PA after your retirement? If you are searching for a Corvair, be careful in watching out for road salt damage (hidden body rot). It is one of the most destructive and costly obstacles to owning a Corvair. If you can extend your search to the south and west and are willing to transport a Corvair or travel to get it, you might find a wider range of offers. Local CORSA clubs may provide you with useful advice in your quest. You will have to establish a budget and price range to help us to help you in your search. If your search includes eBay and other sources around the country, CORSA and Corvair Forum members may be able to assist you by volunteering as a "third party" set of trained eyes to examine prospective candidates for you. We have even had members assist European members in buying and shipping Corvairs from the USA to England, Germany, Italy, etc.

The information in the following thread may be useful to you in helping you to narrow your focus and establish parameters for your Corvair search...

:link: viewtopic.php?f=84&t=9997&p=67936&hilit ... ion#p67936

Here are some additional sources you might check out...

I always worry about Craig's List. The quality of the information contained on their websites is often poor. The security and safety offered by eBay is not perfect, but far-better than Craig's List. I've even heard of several murders on the news where buyers and sellers are brought together, with an initial lead via Craig's List, only to have one murdered by the other! (The two I heard about involved a classic Ford Mustang in the Atlanta area, and a late model Nissan 350Z in which a Missouri student was murdered by a "buyer" during his lunch break! http://jalopnik.com/police-man-charged- ... 1702804264 And it is not just car buyers and sellers. Craig's List has been used to lure many victims — just Google "craig's list buyer killed" and you will be amazed!

So eBay is one possibility. There are several specialized used car dealers who focus on finding and selling classic cars. Many are in very good condition. You pay a little more for this "finder's fee", but many of these dealers focus on classic car enthusiasts and the dealers value their reputations. In fact, my current 1966 Corsa convertible was initially spotted on eBay, and I bought it from a Florida classic car dealer in Lakeland, Florida. I took a Greyhound bus from Atlanta, closed the deal in Florida, and drove the car home (571 miles) without any problem in 2012. As with all classic Corvairs, the buyer must be cautious. Sometimes CORSA club members or Corvair Forum members will assist potential buyers by acting as a "third party" to examine local Corvairs that were initially located on eBay. Several Corvair buyers in England and Italy bought their Corvairs in this way with the assistance of Corvair enthusiasts in the USA who helped them (since there was no practical way for the prospective buyer to personally examine the Corvairs before closing the deal and shipping the cars to Europe).

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CORVAIRS FOR SALE
:link: http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/pages.c ... =buyorsell

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Just Listed!
:link: http://www.corvair.org/index.php?option ... Itemid=575

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Chevrolet Corvair for Sale
:link: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/car ... et/corvair

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Classifieds for Classic Chevrolet Corvair
:link: http://classiccars.com/listings/find/al ... et/corvair

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:link: http://www.oldride.com/classic_cars/che ... rvair.html

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Corvairs for Sale
:link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Corvairs ... 7975069947

Even a :google: :search: for "Corvairs for Sale" will produce many leads.
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
mdh157
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Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by mdh157 »

I spent most of my time stationed at the Gap. Also, I was a guardsman (M-day), not a full timer. 27 years spent with a mix of Army and Air Force. We have made Carlisle our home and intend to stay here, I have abt 8.5 years until I can retire from my full-time job. Do you remember which combat comm unit you were with to finish your career?
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bbodie52
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Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by bbodie52 »

Image The Air National Guard unit was the 271st Combat Communications Squadron at Fort Indiantown Gap. My active duty unit was the 1816th Reserve Advisor Squadron, which had its headquarters at Langley AFB, VA, which managed ANG advisors throughout the USA. This was my second tour of duty with the 1816th. My first was from 1983-1988 in California when I supported the 147th Combat Communications Squadron at Van Nuys ANG Base. They have since relocated to an ANG facility near San Diego (Miramar NAS). I went to Osan Air Base, Korea when I left the 147th in Van Nuys, and then to Bergstrom AFB, Texas, served in Desert Shield at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and when Bergstrom AFB (Austin, Texas) closed I served one more tour as an AF Advisor at Fort Indiantown Gap before retiring in 1996.
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
mdh157
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 6:44 pm

Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by mdh157 »

that's what I thought.........I was in the 203rd Weather Flight, the 271st is also part of the 193rd RSG. you left a few years before I transferred to the 203rd.

What do you think of this car:

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/ctd/5097027132.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the top doesn't go down, but......

Interesting to hear you had a good experience with a Lakeland dealer. My wife's aunt/uncle live there and there are 2 dealers who are thought to be very shady businessmen.........one is LASH, I forget the other one. They both deal on Ebay, sometimes the cars look pretty nice, sometimes they are a pig with lipstick (or seem to be).
Last edited by mdh157 on Wed Jul 01, 2015 4:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
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subdude17349
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Location: South Central PA

Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by subdude17349 »

I'm an hour south. You're welcome to come take a ride in my 65 turbo vert.

Image

Jim
Same car, same barn. Add 20 years and way too much money....
Image
mdh157
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Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by mdh157 »

oh boy..............when do you have time? Let me know and we'll figure it out as my work sched meshes with it......and thanks!
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subdude17349
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Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by subdude17349 »

I'll PM you my email address.
Same car, same barn. Add 20 years and way too much money....
Image
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bbodie52
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Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by bbodie52 »

I personally had no trouble with Lash, and was well-treated. I took a bus from Atlanta to their dealership, picked up the car on a Saturday, and drove it back to North Carolina without incident. They post each ad on eBay with dozens of high-quality photographs that are very detailed, and from every angle, including the underside of the car. eBay has many procedures and rules in-place to protect the seller, the buyer, and eBay's reputation. If Lash had a bad reputation with past customers they would likely be blacklisted on eBay, but they are not. As with any classic car sale, the buyer must be cautious and being knowledgeable about the car under consideration is very important. In any case, I personally have no complaints about Lash.

There are few safeties or consumer protections in place with Craig's list.

The Corvair in the pictures appears to be very-well restored. All colors are original and everything appears to be stock and in good condition. The body tag matches the 1965 Corsa turbo. The location of the dealer in Pittsburgh might suggest exposure to road salt and potential hidden body decay or plastic body filler, so be cautious. See if the dealer has any maintenance or restoration receipts, documentation, etc. Dealer is about 17 miles south of Pittsburgh.

If the car checks out, the price seems to be fair.

:link: http://www.elizabethautosalesinc.com/

:link: http://www.elizabethautosalesinc.com/19 ... 367991.veh
1965 Corsa Coupe.jpg
Elizabeth Auto Sales is not your typical automotive dealership. From the moment you step onto our lot, you will notice that we have paid great attention to detail in creating an atmosphere that is welcoming and comfortable. We are dedicated to enhancing every aspect of the customer experience, from your initial visit to long after you have purchased the car of your dreams.

We have carefully acquired one of the finest selections of pre-owned vehicles. Each auto is carefully inspected and serviced to ensure that it meets our highest standards. We are pleased to offer our clientele the best vehicles available at the very best prices. We also provide top caliber mechanical service at exceptionally reasonable rates. You will find that the overall quality and value you receive is the best around.

Elizabeth Auto Sales is family owned and operated. We pride ourselves on building long lasting relationships based on trust, loyalty and respect. We are passionate about our business and about life and we believe that shines through in everything we do. We invite you to come explore the variety of automobiles we have thoughtfully selected for our inventory. We look forward to you becoming the next valued member of the Elizabeth Auto Sales family.
From what I can see online, this car has great potential. I would be on the phone with the dealer ASAP, and if you are satisfied with their answers you may want to arrange a drive out to this dealer! If you can contact a local CORSA club chapter and perhaps snag one or two experienced members to join you to check this car out, so much the better. If I were in the market and had the cash, I would give this car SERIOUS consideration and would probably be camping on their doorstep.!
Attachments
1965-Chevrolet-Corvair Corsa Turbo.pdf
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Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
mdh157
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Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by mdh157 »

well from what I found it may be going up for auction on July 17 or 18 at the Central PA Auto Auction. which is abt 2 hours northwest of me. I cannot act just yet, still need to make sure I can fit in one and now this work sched is going to hold me up from doing much of anything until July 16th or so.
mdh157
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Re: Need some help - South Central PA

Post by mdh157 »

I wanted to push out a special thank you to subdude17349 (Jim). I visited him today and got some tips on him on what to look for when buying a vair, rode in and even drove his '65 corsa ragtop. I fit in there just fine. This def helped make my mind up, I have another car for sale and once that is done I will look for a 65-66 Corsa non-turbo convertible.

Thanks again Jim.

- Mark
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