1960 corvair sedan

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Highmyster
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 4:54 am

1960 corvair sedan

Post by Highmyster »

Hello all,
New to the forum and just thought I would share my 1960 corvair sedan. It’s all original with only 30k miles on it. Howerever I don’t know anything about these cars. The list I was told that needed done is the new master cycling installed, brake lines installed and fuel lines installed. My question is I have everything but fuel lines. Is it better/ cheaper to buy a roll from auto store and run them my self or is there a place I can buy new ones?
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joelsplace
Posts: 1950
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:51 pm
Location: Northlake, TX

Re: 1960 corvair sedan

Post by joelsplace »

You were told that by someone that inspected the lines or just by someone because it is old?
If it is just because of the age you may only need to replace the four rubber brake lines and the two short rubber fuel lines. I've never had to replace the metal brake lines or fuel lines unless they were damaged by someone else working on it. People in the rust belt have to replace lines fairly often from what I've heard.
157 Corvairs, 5 Ultravans and counting
Northlake, TX
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doug6423
Posts: 393
Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2019 10:57 am

Re: 1960 corvair sedan

Post by doug6423 »

What Joel said. Bought my first Corvair a couple of years ago and it had sat for a couple of decades. Ran cleaner through the metal lines and replaced the rubber lines.


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65 Monza
Cincinnati, OH
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bbodie52
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Re: 1960 corvair sedan

Post by bbodie52 »

:wave: :welcome2: Welcome to the Corvair Forum!

See the Clark's Corvair Parts MAIN INDEX listing for "lines" (fuel and brake). Just click on the link below and type in the word "lines". You will get a listing of all pages applicable to

:link: http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/search.cgi

Also...

Exact! Pre-BENT Car Brake Line Sets

:link: http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... w_page=149

Brake fluid is hygroscopic, and since water accumulation in the brake fluid can lower the boiling point of the fluid and possibly cause brake fade during heavy braking, the brake fluid should also be flushed and replaced. Clark's recommends flushing and replacing the brake fluid every 2-3 years to reduce water contamination. The aging fluid in those brake lines probably has a high percentage of water in them. The water content can cause corrosion inside of the steel lines, decay in the flexible brake hoses, rust and corrosion damage in the wheel and master cylinders, etc.

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:link: http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... w_page=144

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:link: http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... w_page=143

I would not worry too much about the gasoline lines rusting out... especially since Clark's indicates that replacing the steel lines is difficult. You should check the condition of the short rubber fuel lines near the fuel tank and adjacent to the starter motor (before the fuel line enters the engine compartment). The mechanical fuel pump MUST be able to form a vacuum in that line to pull the gas all the way from the tank outlet to the pump inlet. A cracked or damaged rubber line at either end will prevent a vacuum from forming, and will starve the fuel pump for gasoline (like trying to drink through a straw that is split or cracked on the side). Clark's lists pre-bent long fuel lines on page 68 http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... ow_page=68, but the list appears to only support 1961-1969 Corvairs. I am not sure what the difference would be for 1960 Corvairs, so if yo are interested you might choose to contact Clark's directly and ask them.

The 1960 Corvair was somewhat unique in the ten-year production of the Chevrolet Corvair. It had a number of unique parts, including the starter motor, carburetor/choke design, distributor, 140 Cubic Inch engine displacement (145 CID from 1961-1963, 164 CID from 1964-1969). Many redesigns and refinements occurred in the 1961 and 1962 model year. The 1960-1961 brake master cylinder was also unique, with a significant design change in 1962 and a dual master cylinder introduced in 1967. My impression is that the 1960 Corvair was released in 1959 into production before the design engineers were quite finished with it. They continued to engineer significant refinements into the Corvair in 1961-1962. The unique air cooled rear engine design perhaps made some of that inevitable.

1960 Caveman Corvair

:link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/181262738554861

:dontknow: I would like to encourage you to expand on your post and tell us more about yourself, as well as about your Corvair. Your personal assessment of your mechanical skills and abilities would help a lot. Members of the Corvair Forum love to be helpful in assisting other Corvair owners with technical support and advice, but it helps if we have some understanding of your technical background and mechanical abilities, your Corvair-related knowledge, etc. Helping us to know more about you, your Corvair, and you plans for your Corvair will help us to write comments to you that are tailored to your needs and experience. Knowing where you live also helps, as your location may suggest some possibilities or solutions. Detailed photographs of your Corvair, including interior, trunk, and engine compartment would be great!

The link below will provide you with a list of useful websites that are Corvair-related. Some of the links will lead you to an extensive technical library that will allow you to download shop manuals and other technical references in Adobe Reader (.pdf) format at no cost. There is also a link that will help you to locate nearby CORSA (Corvair Society of America) club chapters. While the Corvair Forum can be very helpful as you work on your Corvair, having local friends and contacts in your region who are knowledgeable about the Corvair can also be very helpful. These family-friendly CORSA club chapters often offer picnics, group scenic drives, technical training and assistance, car shows, and competition events that can greatly enhance your enjoyment of Corvair ownership. You will also find a list of essential Corvair parts suppliers.

Common and Useful Corvair Websites

:link: viewtopic.php?f=225&t=6007

Image

Image SHOW ME CORVAIR CLUB - St Louis, MO :link: http://www.showmecorvairclub.org/

Image HEART OF AMERICA CORVAIR OWNERS - Belton, MO :link: http://www.hacoa.org/
The purpose of Heart of America Corvair Owners Association (HACOA) is the preservation and restoration of all the Corvair vehicles produced by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors between the years 1960-1969.

We strive to bring together in a social organization all persons who are interested in our common goal.

For this reason we accept those persons who own and/or operate a Corvair, Corvair bodied or Corvair powered automobiles, as well as those individuals who have an interest in becoming a Corvair owner.

Meeting Info
Meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month, except for December. All regular meetings are held at Paul And Jack's Tavern in North Kansas City, except for the June "Meeting in the Park" which is held at SAR-KO-PAR Trails Park in Lenexa.
:welcome:
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
Highmyster
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 4:54 am

Re: 1960 corvair sedan

Post by Highmyster »

I have a mechanical background just not with these cars, I didn’t even know what it was until I bought it. I recently had my shop look at it and we got it running, sounds like a lifter is pretty loud but maybe it will quite down after oil change and drive? Currently it need a brake rebuild on the front, apparently he was in the process of doing so but didn’t. The corvair is cool, inside looks brand new, I’m just worried more of the engine noise then anything else. I’m ordering a brake rebuild kit and all new ball joints etc. once we get brakes on we are putting it on the lift to inspect the fuel lines, but it did fire right up so that’s a plus.
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