New to site but I am looking to buy a Corvair

[tymekiller]

Hello everyone! My wife and I have decided that we want to buy a Corvair as our next everyday driver. I have a few questions about the cars in general but I'm sure I can read around the site to find out as much information as I can. I'm pretty handy when it comes to working on cars.
I look forward to talking to you all.

Is there a chat box on this site?

[cad-kid]

Welcome! Any idea on what your ideal Corvair might be? (year, model, color, etc)

[Butcher&Vairs]

Welcome Tymekiller! good choice, Vairs are cool! I drive a 61 Rampside daily here at the farm, it's my mule....lot of fun.....Don't hesitate to post any question you might have, somebody will sure answer you. Have you decided on a year and model?? there are many Corvairs out there, good luck...I have a 1963 automatic, California car, for sale....pm me for more details...

[tymekiller]

I will need an automatic and I'm pretty open to every other possibility. I'd even be willing to take a 4-door. As for color, anything other than beige or brown would be nice. Honestly, I'm not concerned with color all that much, except I've never been a big fan of black or white... My wife wants ideally a red with white top 1964 model, but we're open to just about anything as long as it's a driver that I can drive while I work on the fiddly things. We don't have a lot of money to spend, so I'm not looking for anything too fancy, but it would be nice to get something worth restoring. I have better than average mechanical and electronic skills. I live in Texarkana, AR and I saw where one guy is based in central OK... That's not too many miles from me.... Thanks for all the quick responses!
I'm looking forward to becoming a part of the Corvair community.

[tymekiller]

Also, car MUST have heat & a/c

[Jimbo]

Welcome and you will like the corvair world no matter what you get.
and the people on here are great help. Jimbo

[Trip]

You were in good shape till you said AC!!!! Corvairs can be very economical to own if you do all your own work... that is how I get by.

Corvair heat is simple and easy to fix... often the problem is smells and smoke but usually just a few hours of replacing seals and you are good to go.

AC is a fairly rare and desirable option on Corvairs. You'll have to pay probably between $1,500 and $2,000 for a complete new setup, and probably pay at least that much or more on top of a typical price to get a Corvair that has it already installed. Corvairs (like most cars built before AC became common) ventilate very well and are really only bad when you are stuck in stop and go traffic in hot weather. I lived in Killeen, TX for a while so I know more or less what the weather down there was like. In fact my daily driver when I lived there (2000-2001) was a 68 Corvette convertible with no ac.

But Corvairs are reasonably priced and easy to work on.

[flat6_musik]

Welcome, Tymekiller! Glad to see you're up to the challenge of having a 'vair as a DD! Fortunately, early models seem to run fairly cheap, considering they're old classic cars.

I agree with Grymm here. A/C as a "must have" will extremely limit your available choices of cars AND bump your price range up a bit, not to mention that it'll probably be in a non-functioning condition when you get it and need to be fixed and recharged. How 'bout toss out a number on your MAXIMUM amount you'll spend and we can tell you what to expect, as far as if that's "do-able".

Isn't Scott still offering that EM (early model) with the A/C setup? I forgot if it's a stick or auto though......

[tymekiller]

I'm talking to my wife about the a/c....

[Trip]

Check out the past "Corvair of the Month" threads for lots of pictures to help whet your appetite and maybe help you choose a model.

What we call "EM's" or "Early Models" (the first generation Corvair) tend to be more affordable as many people prefer the looks and suspension the late models have. There is nothing at all wrong with EM's, in fact to some extent they can be nicer to drive than the lates because they've got a more rigid chassis and full frames around the windows. Also, contrary to popular belief, they can look pretty darned sweet with some custom wheels and tires! For the first 7 years I only liked lates myself, now I love them both equally and I've got some of each.

One quick note, it is best to avoid the 1960 (first year) Corvairs. They are unique beasts with many unique (therefore more expensive) parts and problems.

Look here for some sweet earlies viewtopic.php?f=80&t=1858

[reidmier]

Welcome! I'd suggest finding the CORSA chapter nearest to you. Give them a call or find out where they meet and get to know them asap. These will be your absolute best resources for both locating and maintaining a nice Corvair. With regard to the AC topic, the original 40-50 year old units aren't too efficient but there are modern after-market kits available from vendors like Clark's Corvair so you don't neccessarily need to find one that has the factory setup. Adding AC to a Corvair will set you back around $2-3K if you pay someone else to install it for you.

If you're planning on this being a daily driver, it would be best to find a car that is currently being driven regularly. Cars that sit for long periods of inactivity tend to require more work to get back on the road. Also keep in mind that these cars have no power steering, no power brakes, no airbags, no 25 mph bumpers and 40-50 year old seats with lap belts only. Corvair seats and lap belts are pretty comfortable and safe enough in most cases, but for an every day driver, you may want to consider shoulder belts and possibly different seats. Since you're in the midwest, you'll want to invest in good quality modern tires. You might even want to look for larger wheels since 13" tires are getting harder to find. The stock drum brakes on a Corvair do a fantastic job when they're in good condition, but they're only effective if you have decent traction. Corvairs don't weigh much, and have a rear weight bias so they feel "different" than most of the cars you'll have driven in the past. That difference is one of the Corvair's most endearing qualities IMO.

All this said, owning a Corvair as your daily driver can be very rewarding. They are a blast to drive and feel more nimble than most of today's front wheel drive slugs. You'll get lots of thumbs up and you'll get to hear how everyone you see "used to own one of those" or how brave you are for driving such an "unsafe" car (plenty of disinformation out there). You'll find that there is a very loyal community of fellow Corvair enthusiasts that are eager and willing help you find a Corvair that meets your needs. Locate your local CORSA chapter and make contact BEFORE you buy a car.

Looking forward to seeing you and your wife on the road soon!

[tymekiller]

I need to update everyone.
I am buying a 1960 Chevrolet Apache truck with the incredible 235 straight-6. They make dual and triple carb setups dripping with chrome for the 235.
I am going to have a very nice mid-life crisis.
Thank you all.

[tymekiller]

This is the engine in the truck I am buying:



$1,000 cause the guy is late paying his property taxes.

[flat6_musik]

That's the infamous "blue flame" or "stovebolt" six that came in the first 'vettes! The 'vettes actually had 3 YH Carters, IIRC.....I hope that baby has split pipes for that bad ass rappy sound!

[tymekiller]

Split pipes are gonna be one of my first additions

[tymekiller]

The 1960 Apache truck was a bust. The rust bugs had eaten holes in it. The entire body was trash and the frame is rusty. Looking for something again. Corvair related! WHat about that COrvair ... Van?