Back on the horse (Or vair?)

[happystang]

I'm back! With more questions.

The '65 Monza I had purchased a while back ended up having a VIN for a '65 Corsa. The car itself was actually a '68 500. Go figure.

Returned it to the seller, I want none of the mixed up VIN business!

So this time I'd like to get this checked out in advance.

It's a '63 Spyder (windshield says '64...) convertible with a four speed. (Yay stick shift!)

Top is in excellent condition, interior is all original but looking tired. Seems to run very well, but the paint has some cracks and chips in it. 10-15 footer? Still plenty shiny though. Couldn't find any rust or accident damage on it either.

What's the going price for these? And what does the Vin say? Anything particular I should look out for? He's asking $9500 which I think is a tad high.


Oh and after I returned the frankenvair I picked up a '69 Mustang convertible that had sat in a field. (FOR 20 YEARS!)

First picture is corvair number one :p

[bbodie52]

Welcome Back!!

I thought your experiences with the unscrupulous San Jose dealer and the "Frankenvair" had scared you away for good. I'm glad to see that you will persevere. Hopefully your effort this time will prove to be successful.

Your legacy is the discovery of the hidden VIN in Early and Late Model Corvairs. Before the discrepancies in your first Corvair surfaced I didn't even know about the hidden VIN stampings on Corvairs!

Congratulations on the 1969 Mustang. How long have you had it, and how is it running?

The 1964 sign on the window is incorrect, as you pointed out. The 1962-1963 engine was 145 Cubic Inches, while the 1964 engine had a displacement of 164 CI. The turbocharger in 1964 remained unchanged, however, so the horsepower rating remained 150 HP for 1962-1964 Spyders, in spite of the displacement increase in 1964. The 1964 engine also had a magnesium cast cooling fan blower, while the 1962-1963 engine had a cooling fan fabricated from steel sheet metal components. The 1964 engine had a harmonic balancer on the crankshaft, while the earlier 1962-1963 engine had a steel riveted pulley. The engine serial number suffix code for all 1962-1964 150 HP turbocharged engines was "YR".

In my original posts I recommended a local Corvair Mechanic in San Jose and suggested that you might benefit by having him evaluate your prospective Corvair purchase. That advice still applies, especially with a turbo Corvair Spyder. The turbocharged engine can be a little more difficult to maintain, tune, and operate, so having an experienced Corvair Mechanic give it a once-over might reveal issues you were unaware of. Hopefully he will give it a clean bill of health, but a sick Carter carburetor or a tired turbo can add hidden costs, and any problems that might be identified by a professional mechanic might help with determining a final agreed-upon selling price. His shop location has changed.

Mel's Vairmart
Mel Raven
1443 Laurelwood Road
Santa Clara California
Phone: (408) 267-8164
Fax: (408) 267-8164



Corvair Engine rebuilding.
Complete Corvair repair shop.
Shop Rate - $95.00 /Hour

Call Mel Raven for all your Corvair work
http://www.vairmart.com/

Contacting the local CORSA club chapter and joining them is also still recommended...

CORSA Chapter Locator - Silicon Valley CORSA

Chapter ID: 951
Organization Name: Silicon Valley CORSA
Street Address (Primary): P.O. Box 2792, Santa Clara, CA 95055
President: William Sweet 3258 Sagewood Ln, San Jose, CA 95132, (408) 262-4170
Vice President: Finn Halbo 1598 Altschul Ave, Menlo Park, CA 94025, (650) 854-5751
Secretary: William Sanders 2523 Fernwood Ave, San Jose, CA 95117, (408) 296-5880
Treasurer: Ken Lawyer 1133 Longshore Dr, San Jose, CA 95128, (408) 292-0210
Newsletter Editor: Hal Rupert
Newsletter Name: The Rear View
Website: [Hard to believe they don't have a website IN THE SILICON VALLEY!]
Email (Primary): silicon_valley@corvair.org
NOTE: These names were obtained from the CORSA Chapter Locator. I added the individual addresses and phone numbers to try to help you contact them, using http://www.switchboard.com/ Hopefully this contact information is accurate, but it IS unverified!

I will decode the body and VIN tags for you...

Here is a breakdown of the information on the body tag you provided...
BODY TAG INFO:

07A
Body Build Date: 07 = July, A = First Week
The first two digits are numbers 01 through 12, indicating the month of manufacture. The letter is A-E, indicating the week of the month. If the letter is an "A" it indicates the first week of the month.

STYLE 63-0967 BODY WR 38729
63 = 1963
Style 0967 = 09 = Monza, 67 = Convertible, WR = Willow Run, Michigan Production Sequence No: 38729
1963 Monza Convertible - 4 Passenger, Total Production: 7,472



TRIM 1-727
This 3 digit codes represents the interior color and seat type. An extra digit is included for 1963-64 convertibles for the top color.
1 = WHITE (Convertible Top Color Code)

RPO: 727 = WHITE (Interior Color)

PAINT 922-R
Interior: The 1962-63 Corvairs have an extra digit on the trim or paint section of the tag. WRN has the extra digit for interior paint on the Paint section.

R = White/Red (Interior Paint)

Exterior: 1962 through 1964 Corvairs use a three digit exterior paint code.
RPO: 922 = Ember Red
Lucite No: 4387LH Rinshed-Mason No: A1538R Ditzler No: DDL71336


ACC: 2C3C
The Letters are listed in groups. Letters following a number are in that group.
1st Group
None

2nd Group
C = RPO B70 - Padded dash

3rd Group
C = RPO L87 - Turbocharged Spyder option (Includes special ornaments and instrument cluster) RPO G95 is required (Rear Axle, 3.55:1)

4th Group
None

5th Group
None

1963 Chevrolet Corvair GM Heritage Center Specs.pdf

1963 Chevrolet Corvair GM Heritage Center Specs

(3.11 MiB) Downloaded 26 times

==========================================================================
VIN

VIN: 30967W292839

Your car is a 1963 Monza convertible.
It was the 192,839th Corvair built at Willow Run, Michigan that year.

Corvair VIN Decoding Detail — Early Car VIN Detail
(1960-1964)



You stated that the interior upholstery looked tired. Clark's Corvair Parts is very good at providing top quality interior upholstery, trim and carpeting for the do-it-yourselfer. See pages 261D - 275 for upholstery, and pages 296 - 303 for trim. There is 8 pages of carpet support (277 - 282).

http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... &page=261D

[happystang]

I don't recall seeing any turbo parts on it? Is it hidden somewhere or am I just blind lol.

[bbodie52]

It's a '63 Spyder (windshield says '64...) convertible with a four speed. (Yay stick shift!)...

...What's the going price for these? And what does the Vin say? Anything particular I should look out for? He's asking $9500 which I think is a tad high...

...I don't recall seeing any turbo parts on it? Is it hidden somewhere or am I just blind lol.

You did not post any pictures of the engine or instrument panel, but this car originated as a turbocharged Spyder. The only thing close to a 1964 model year is the late production date in early Summer 1963, but the 1964 Corvairs did not come out until a few months later.

If the engine has no turbocharger it could be a turbo engine with carburetors substituted -- in that case a low 8.0:1 compression ratio 145 CI engine (with a 102 hp camshaft) -- about 90 hp, or it could be a completely different engine from any model year. The engine serial number suffix code and cylinder head casting numbers usually tell the tale.

$9500 does seem way out of line for a non-turbo Spyder pretending to be a 1964 model year with a "tired interior". Is this the same used car dealer you went to before???

If you can get some engine pictures and engine numbers I can try to figure out what engine you have in that 1963 1/2 Spyder (Spydette).

[Phil Dally]

If you are a AAA member they will run the VIN for you.

Just call the member service line and talk to them.

They can verify all info and check for back fees or liens.

[Racerdoc]

$9,500?

I like that are cars are going up in value, no rust and no accidents is excellent, but 9,500 seems way high, no?