Corvair mechanic needed in South FLA

[slickclyde]

Haven’t been on here in forever but spoke to Ken Hand up in Michigan and he recommended I post here to look for a vair mechanic. I have a 65 Corvair Corsa Turbo coupe that started making a whiny noise when shifting into 1st and reverse. I was told it’s most likely pilot bushing and possibly a clutch replacement. This started happening about 2 month ago. Before then it was driving flawlessly. Now I have yet another issue. 2 weeks ago I turned her on and heard a metal clanking noise. As I drove out of my garage I noticed she didn’t have much pull in her. So I pulled right back in. It’s suspected that I dropped a valve seat. I have already tried several classic shops in my area for years and they were completely incompetent. One shop manager even told me “ they just drive like crap it’s normal”. No it’s not. They can drive really damn well and it would have been if they knew wtf they were doing. Anyways I am really desperate to find a reputable Corvair mechanic that can properly diagnose and fix the current issues. My name is Ed you can p.m so I can give you my contact details or send me an email at edventure@protonmail.com Thank you guys for hearing me bitch but I’m just fed up with flushing money down the toilet with clueless mechanics in my area.

[bbodie52]

South Florida covers a lot of area, and could be interpreted as anything south and east of the Florida Panhandle.

So where in south Florida are you located?

I am aware of a reputable auto repair shop in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area that is knowledgeable about Corvairs...

I don't know if this will be helpful, but if you wish to hire a Corvair-experienced mechanic to assist with maintenance and repair of your Corvair in southwest-central Florida, this shop may be of use to you. Well-established shops with Corvair experience are rare. The expertise this shop has may help you to quickly identify the cause of your trouble, and could provide you with a cost and professional repair estimate. Some repairs are DIY projects, while others require professional equipment — such as wheel alignment equipment — that moves the repair beyond a DIY effort. I contacted a person that I know who lives in the Tampa/St. Petersburg Florida area. He drove a Corvair convertible regularly in that area, but considered his own mechanical skills to be inadequate. He gave this local shop a very good rating.

A phone call may answer your questions and confirm their Corvair expertise.

All my service is done at JB Import Automotive Service at 387 16th St. N., St. Petersburg FL 33705 phone# is (727) 823-5951 Talk to Jeff. He and his brother Mike are the owners and are extremely knowledgeable of Corvairs (and do the work themselves).

https://www.jbimportauto.com/




JB Import Automotive Repair is located at the corner of Fourth Avenue and 16th Street near I-375 entrance and exit ramps. This full-service repair shop specializes in both imported and antique vehicle performance and maintenance. JB Import Automotive employs experienced and certified technicians with knowledge of foreign vehicles: Toyota, Nissan, Audi, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin and more. Services provided include A/C installation and repair, engine diagnostics, tune-ups and wheel alignments. Customers may schedule an appointment in person, online or by phone.

387 16th St. N., St. Petersburg FL 33705
Phone: (727) 823-5951
Hours: Mon - Fri, 8:00am - 5pm; Sat, Sun, closed
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Payments accepted: American Express, Cash, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Associations/certifications: Automotive Service Excellence, Bosch Service
Parking: On-street: free
Auto repair services: Belts, Brakes, Engine performance & diagnostics, Exhaust, Fuel injection, Heating & Cooling, Inspections, Oil/lube/filter changes, Steering system, Suspension, Transmissions




Sarasota to JB Import Automotive Repair
50 min (37.7 mi) via US-301 N and I-275 N

https://www.corvair.org/index.php?optio ... crmSID=3_u

You might consider joining CORSA (Corvair Society of America) and seeking out the nearest local club chapter. Central Florida Corvair Club is only about 20 miles from Orlando. 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.



https://centralflacorvairclub.com/

Welcome to the Central Florida Corvairs (CFC) Club website. The CFC club is a charter member of the national organization, Corvair Society of America, and was founded in 1976. We currently have around 40 families as members where most have more than one Corvair. The purpose of the club is to provide mutual enjoyment for the members through the preservation and restoration of the unique Corvair automobile.

Our club has monthly meetings on the 3rd Tuesday of the month where we address the business of the club and establish the yearly calendar of events. We also have mid-months that allow our members to gather in a social setting to talk about our cars, eat good food, and sometimes challenge the members in car games. We also have an annual Corvair Affair where we all gather for a weekend of showing our cars, running a rally, participate in the valve cover races, provide tech sessions, and have great meals, and a 60s sock hop. We also publish a monthly newsletter titled the Temp Press. Our members feel like the CFC Club is an extension of family. So come join us for fun and fellowship centering around our Corvairs.

Eddie Meadows

President, CFC Club

[Bruins_Fan]

South Florida covers a lot of area, and could be interpreted as anything south and east of the Florida Panhandle.

Not really. When someone in FL says South Florida they mean the 3 counties covering Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami/Dade Counties. So he's looking for a mechanic somewhere from say Jupiter on south to Miami.

[bbodie52]

Since I am originally from California, I tend to think of that state as half and half, divided between northern and southern California. I've never lived in Florida, so to me South Florida might encompass anything south of Orlando (including the Tampa area, which is why I listed the mechanic in St. Petersburg). I also don't know from his request how far he is willing to travel to find a good Corvair mechanic. I did include a link to the CORSA club directory, so that finding the nearest CORSA club chapter to ask about local professional Corvair-qualified mechanics may also help.

[Bruins_Fan]

Since I am originally from California, I tend to think of that state as half and half, divided between northern and southern California. I've never lived in Florida, so to me South Florida might encompass anything south of Orlando (including the Tampa area, which is why I listed the mechanic in St. Petersburg). I also don't know from his request how far he is willing to travel to find a good Corvair mechanic. I did include a link to the CORSA club directory, so that finding the nearest CORSA club chapter to ask about local professional Corvair-qualified mechanics may also help.

Fair enough. I lived in Southwest FL for a time in the 90s, and spent alot of time in South FL in my teens and 20s visiting my grandmother. Much of Florida has pretty distinct names for different parts of the state, i.e, South Florida, Treasure Coast, SW FL, First Coast, etc....

[scooperman]

when I was looking for someone to work on my F-250 (who would consider an engine repair and not just a new motor) one of the recommendations was a shop on the south side of West Palm Beach. Neither of us remembered each other but we may have raced against each other in SCCA eons ago. I did not end up taking my truck to him but one interesting thing is he has 3 regular customers with Corvairs who bring their cars to him for all their work. Let us know your definition of South Florida, if WPB is near you I will dig up his contact info. As mentioned above, if you are south of Lake Okeechobee, you should contact the CORSA South Florida Corvairs club at southfloridacorvairs@gmail.com and see if they can advise you.

[slickclyde]

Thank you guys for pointing me in the right direction. I would say that yes I am in the tri-county area. I’m in Ft.Lauderdale. I am willing to take my car to the Tampa area but I would prefer something closer. I will also send the Corvair chapter nearest to me an email with the one you guys provided. I apologize if I didn’t reply to the specific threads but I’m fairly new to this forum.

[slickclyde]

So I called JB imports and they told me they stopped working on corvairs 15 years ago and cannot/will not service them anymore.

So I guess I have to keep digging.

[bbodie52]

Sorry about the bad information. When the owner of the Corvair shown below gave me that information, it was late 2012. He indicated that they were doing his maintenance for him on that car then. He sold the car to a buyer in Germany in late 2013, and I have not heard from him since 2013. But that was only 8-9 years ago, so their statement about not working on Corvairs for 15 years doesn't seem to be totally accurate. (I only joined the Corvair Forum in August 2012).

In any case, thanks for the update. I won't be pointing to them any more as potential Corvair support.

[scooperman]

first, reach out to the south Florida Corsa chapter for recommendations. Their site says they have regular monthly meetings, go, meet other Corvairistas, find out the good shops.

Bayles Tuning in WPB. Rough looking shop at the south end of WPB but he stays busy and was recommended to me by people I trust.

Road n' Race Tune in Riviera Beach. Peter Shadowen's (multiple SCCA GTL national champ) shop. Good shop, also could dyno tune your car. No idea if he knows Corvairs but other orphan cars I took there he did well. If he doesnt do Vairs, ask him for a recommendation closer to you.

[bbodie52]

Here is some location information, if you decide to check it out...

Bayles Tuning & Electrical
530 Putnam Rd, West Palm Beach, FL 33405

(561) 547-3300

https://bisprofiles.com/fl/bayles-tunin ... 9000018480

=====================================================================================================

ROAD•N•RACE
1966 W 9th Street
Riviera Beach, FL 33404
561-845-6640

ROAD•N•RACE is open
Monday through Friday
from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
and Saturdays, by
appointment.

http://www.roadnrace.com/

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057511575264

[slickclyde]

Thanks guys I will try those two places before I look for out of state options. Unfortunately from the sound of it I may have dropped a valve seat but I won’t know for sure until I get it looked at.

[slickclyde]

I have also reached out to Eddie Meadows and waiting on an email or call back as I have not been able to get a hold of him. He was also recommended.