Hello from Utah!

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Dutchman
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 11:11 am

Hello from Utah!

Post by Dutchman »

I have been following this forum for a couple weeks now but finally decided that I would make a profile and introduce myself.

I am a 23 year old student in Provo, Utah studying manufacturing engineering. With my major comes a strong desire to tinker and fix things so to quell that need, I have always loved working on cars. I bought an old 1979 Dodge motorhome as a project a year and a half ago. Many trips and excursions later I is time for me to move on to something new, different and smaller than that huge V-8 powered house.

My wife got tired of us stopping at every old car on the side of the road that we saw, she sent me a list of KSL ads that she deemed as acceptable to replace the RV.

When I bought our Corvair was the first time I had ever seen one, so a real step into the unknown. I will definitely be using this community to help me as I start fixing and restoring this car.

It is a 1962 Monza with the PowerGlide and 80 hp engine (I still have to check the serial numbers) built in Oakland. The body is very straight with minimal rust. The previous owner put spot of money into an transmission rebuild and updating the accessories on the engine. He sold it because he could never get it to idle good after he had the carbs rebuilt. But after following the shop manuals instructions she purrs like a kitten. It does need some paint however!

I have been super impressed by the depth of knowledge that you guys have and hope to learn a lot during this project! I will post a few pictures for all to see.

Thanks!
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Scott H
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Posts: 4175
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 5:21 pm
Location: Hesperia, CA

Re: Hello from Utah!

Post by Scott H »

Congrats on the Corvair! Looks like a great car!
Scott
1960 Monza Coupe
1965 Evening Orchid Corsa Turbo (project)
1961 Rampside (project)
1964 Spyder coupe (patina car, running)
1964 faux Spyder (project/parts car)
1964 Monza (parts car)
1963 Monza (parts car)
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bbodie52
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Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:33 pm
Location: Lake Chatuge Hayesville, NC
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Re: Hello from Utah!

Post by bbodie52 »

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

My wife and I were married in 1972 and we also started out with the 1962 Corvair — a Monza coupe.

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That car was powered by a 1963 engine that was my first engine overhaul, which I accomplished during my high school summer vacation in 1969. I was 16 years old at the time and, like you, I learned very early to rely heavily on the factory shop manual. The engine started out in a 1963 Corvair 500 with a Powerglide transmission, which I also learned to rebuild after I completed the engine and found the transmission needed work. I had been around Corvairs since 1961 (when I was eight years old) and my parents bought their very first Corvair. They later upgraded to a new 1965 Corsa convertible, in which I learned to drive and took my first drivers test in 1969. My new wife and I continued to drive our 1962 Corvair during our honeymoon and first year of marriage until I joined the Air Force. After completing tech school the following summer my father and mother made a gift of the 1965 Corvair Corsa convertible as my graduation present (they kept the 1962 Monza in exchange). So as you can see I have been around Corvairs most of my life. We purchased our current 1966 Corvair Corsa convertible as we celebrated our 40th anniversary in 2012.

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 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 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. Clark's Corvair Parts is the biggest and oldest Corvair supplier in the world. You will find a link that can provide you with a series of videos that amount to a tour of the Clark's Corvair Parts facilities. I think you will be amazed at the quality of the reproduction components they offer — particularly the interior carpeting and re-upholstery items. Parts suppliers such as this truly make our Corvair hobby possible.

Common and Useful Corvair Websites

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

There appears to be only one CORSA club chapter in Utah. I don't know how far they are from your location, but I have included the basic contact information below…

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Bonneville Corvair Club 1239W 2600N, Clinton, UT
:link: http://www.corvair.org/chapters/chapter840/

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Your engine has the appearance of a later model engine — possibly from a 1965 or later Corvair (110 hp). Some of the clues that I see in the photograph include: a Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system. Most 1962 Corvair engines were fitted with a road draft tube. PCV systems were introduced in 1963 and were configured with a PCV valve, as yours appears to be. The PCV valve was replaced on most Corvairs in 1964 and later with the use of a fixed orifice to control the amount of vacuum and air passing from the crankcase into the vacuum balance tube. The air cleaner assembly on your engine is of a design usually seen in 1961-1963 passenger cars. The magnesium cooling fan design seen on your engine was introduced in 1964. The lightweight magnesium fan did a better job of tracking with engine speed changes, which put less stress on the fan belt as crankshaft pulley rpm speed changed rapidly. Two fan belt guides were also added — at the idler pulley and at the main fan pulley. Only one is seen on your engine at the idler pulley. The crankshaft pulley on your engine appears to be the riveted steel type that was utilized on 1960-1963 engines. When engine displacement was increased from 145 CI to 164 CI in 1964 (longer crankshaft stroke) the crankshaft pulley was changed to a harmonic balancer on all engines with the exception of the lowest horsepower engine (95 hp). That engine received a cast crankshaft pulley. Your engine is also fitted with an alternator, which was not introduced into Corvairs until 1965.

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The cylinder head casting number and the engine serial number (to the right of the alternator, near the oil filler tube, between the top shroud and the oil filter/alternator adapter) can provide further clues as to the nature of your engine. The two letter suffix code on the engine serial number can provide configuration information, but unfortunately the same two letter code often overlaps multiple production years, so they are not always conclusive. The cylinder head casting number can be difficult to see, as it is often covered by engine sheet metal. But the casting number provides one of the best clues as to the nature of the engine and its production year.

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I noticed in your photograph that the rear engine mount appears to be in fairly poor condition. You may want to consider taking a closer look at it and possibly replacing it with a new mount...

:link: http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... N&page=160
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:dontknow: I would like to encourage you to expand on your initial post and tell us more about yourself. If you can describe your personal assessment of your mechanical skills and abilities, that 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 a lot if we have some understanding of your technical background and mechanical abilities, Corvair-related knowledge, etc. Helping us to know more about you will help us to write comments to you that are tailored to your needs and experience. Knowing your location is also useful, because knowing where you live can sometimes suggest possibilities.

:welcome:
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
Dutchman
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 11:11 am

Re: Hello from Utah!

Post by Dutchman »

Thanks for the replies! And thanks for all that information. I agree about the rear motor mount! It is definitely on the to do list. And thanks for letting me know where to find the casting number. It is T0926YN, which indicates that it was made for a manual transmission and high performance? Does that indicate the 110hp motor? And the numbers indicate is was made on the 26th of September right? Thanks again for all the help.


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Dutchman
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 11:11 am

Re: Hello from Utah!

Post by Dutchman »

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Here is a picture of the casting number, I will have to look for the head numbers tomorrow. As for my mechanical knowledge/ capabilities, bulk of my mechanical capabilities are in metal work, specifically machining, my last job was making custom satellite parts. My automotive knowledge resides mostly in American V-8's, most of the vehiclesI have owned and worked on have had those. I am not an engine builder
But I know more than the average joe and have worked a lot on cars. Corvair knowledge? Zero :)


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