I'm a 14 year old who just bought my first Corvair, need some help and advice

[NewCorvairFan]

I just bought my first car, a 1967 Corvair Monza Convertible with the 140hp engine and a 4 speed.

I picked her up for $600 yesterday, and it's pretty rough. The issue I'm starting with fixing is that the frunk doesn't open (the car came with no keys).

Some other issues are that the motor doesn't turn much and that the wheels won't spin.

I have access to a large variety of tools and quite a bit of spare time.

I already posted this in Introduction but thought I might get more help here.

I'm happy to join the community!

[SethThomas]

Welcome, and oh my you got quite the project car...

Honestly. First thing you need to do/ have done is have a rust inspection. This one looks quite heavy/ bad.

Unfortunately the Corvair's body it the structure, and this one could be comprised. Bondo will not do the trick. A very determined person can do a lot of welding to fix it.

With that said, if your motor can be salvaged, it is the more desirable 140. Possible you can get a structurally good shell without a motor if the body is not salvageable.

[NewCorvairFan]

Thanks for the reply!

I've looked over for rust and the only spots of bad rust are the floor pans and the bottom quarters, we plan on ordering repair patches for them later.

Otherwise the structure supports and railing are nearly spotless, barley even any surface rust!

I think the reason the fan won't turn a lot is because the alternator (it ar some point was upgraded to a 12 volt system) is froze up.

I was just wondering if there is any way to open the frunk without keys and without having to pick the lock or call a professional lock Picker.

Thanks!

[erco]

Welcome NewCorvairFan! Love your youth and enthusiasm! I paid $650 for my 140/4 speed coupe but that was 1980.

So much to ask & share, but first I will answer your question. Each headlight can be disassembled, there is a removeable inner pocket that houses the headlights and horns. With some work, all can be removed from outside and the resulting hole can be used to access the trunk latch. Don't tell the thieves!

Pic shows the innermost headlight bucket, per https://californiacorvairparts.com/used ... ucket.html

[NewCorvairFan]

Thank you very much!

I had heard about removing the Bezels to get to the latch bolts, but didn't know you have to remove the whole bucket.

I appreciate the advice. I will probably return with updates or queries when they come.

[belaraphon]

Hi, welcome to the hobby. My car was in similar shape when I got it 6 years ago. Since I wanted a fully restored car it took me that long to get it in beautiful condition. However, if you want to just get it driving first you must inspect and fix the basic mechanical aspects of the car which include:
1. Steering is tight and free of binding
2. Brakes work with no leaks (including the master cylinder in the trunk).
3. Wheel bearings, no grinding, no damage to bearings or races
4. Engine runs. If it has sat for awhile carbs are probably full of corrosion and the top shroud over the fan must be removed so you can get to the tops of the cylinders to remove the many rats nests guaranteed to be there. Another good test for basic soundness of the engine is to put the car in neutral and try turning the engine via a breaker bar on the crank nut. Be sure it has oil in it. If it cranks over by hand (it will take some effort) then try the starter by putting a remote crank switch on the solenoid "S"[tart] terminal to crank it over. (The remote starter switch will jump +12v from the battery to the "S" contact on the solenoid causing the solenoid to apply power to the starter motor and the "R"[un] terminal of the solenoid to the distributor).

If the engine cranks with the starter, disconnect the fuel lines to the carbs and look for gasoline in them. Pull out the carb fuel filters looking for clogging. It would be a good time to replace them. Pump the throttle on the primary carbs and look for fuel squirting out of the accelerator pumps (assuming the carbs have gas). Any gas in the car is going to be bad and must be drained and replaced. The fuel tank should be inspected for contamination and internal rust.

Using the remote start switch you can check for spark at the distributor coil by pulling out the center wire from the distributor and holding the bare contact close to a metal ground on the motor looking for a spark. (I usually wear a leather glove when doing this). If you see the spark then you can pull the plugs individually to see if they will spark by reconnecting the center wire to the distributor and pulling the plugs out and grounding the base of the plug to the engine looking for a spark to jump the gap.

If it passes those tests and you have good premium fuel supplied to the carbs you can try starting it with the remote starting switch. When the car is starting the "R" terminal supplies +12v to the coil, but once key is out of the start position and in the run position the +12v comes through a resistor wire which drops the voltage to protect the points. To keep the car running without the key you will need to supply +12v to the + terminal of the coil. If you do this for long periods of time it will burn up the points.

This was a fast overview of what I would do to get the car going as my first priority. Enjoy your car, take your time to learn how to make the fixes yourself and hopefully you will have fun and save money. There are lots of good books on how to do body work, car repair etc. plus the forums to help you out. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. A good result is always the results of previous mistakes being overcome.

[erco]

Please don't turn the engine over by hand or starter until you prime the oil pump for several minutes. If it has sat for any length of time you need to get lubrication to all the bearings or you may ruin bearings and journals. Not worth the risk. You must remove the distributor and turn the oil pump with a flat bladed shaft, preferably using an electric drill. Preferably you would drain the oil and change the filter first.

I cringe at the numerous "will it run" videos where they skip this step. Doing the minimum to make it start and run is great for flippers who sell the car immediately but not in the best interests of engine longevity.

Also wise to remove all spark plugs and spray some oil into the cylinders.

[66vairguy]

Sooner or later someone is going to give the "convertible warning". Fortunately a few experienced Corvair folks warned me that the convertibles have a number of added body braces (no solid roof makes a car flimsy). If you jack up a Corvair at the rear jack spot with a floor jack (just in front of rear wheel, but NOT the rocker) look to see how far the door gap opens at the top. Up to 1/8" is considered normal, more than that and the added "Z" brace in the rocker box could be rusted badly making the body weak. The actual rocker box is a thicker steel gauge! Repairing this area is very difficult (expensive $$$$$$$).

I looked for a solid, but rough, LM (late model 65-69) convertible for a couple of years and even out West I found a number of rusted cars I would not consider due to the amount of body repairs required.

Although the body frame rails were galvanized, NONE of the rocker steel members were galvanized. Even the better cars have some rust inside the rockers. There is also a brace inside the front of the rocker box below were the forward door frame curves from horizontal to vertical. This brace traps crud and rusts out. It can be repaired, but again it is not a simple fix.

I see your car has a 140HP engine. If in fair condition it is desirable. If the body is beyond your budget, you might consider learning about the engine.

No matter what a person's age is, everyone has to learn and fortunately there are some helpful Corvair folks out there. Maybe in your area. Check for local Corvair clubs.

[NewCorvairFan]

I've been working on disassembling the bucket for two or three hours now because someone screwed the bolts in crooked and spray painted over them, rendering the bolts more of a circular shape. But it's getting done, I will update when I get the frunk open.

[NewCorvairFan]

About the frame and rockers:

I've got it jacked up at the rear passenger point. The door gap is completely even and the door opens and shuts straight (besides the fact that the door latch isn't hooked up to the handle). The body is straight and doesn't bend when jacked up at any of the points.

The rockers have slight surface rust but nothing major.

I plan on a full, or near full, stock restoration with both factory and reproduction parts from both California Corvair Parts and Clark's Corvair Parts. I've purchased a Chiltons Manual. I have a decent budget after saving up some money by doing odd jobs.

It sounds like a stupid idea, but I plan to drive the Corvair daily. I plan to maintain it frequently (change oil, rebuild carbs, ect.). My dad has experience with a 64 Plymouth Valiant Convertible with a slant 6 and his dad daily drove a 63 Corvair 4 door some years ago.

Thank you all for the advice!

[erco]

Again, love the enthusiasm, but you need to manage your expectations. Corvair parts used to be cheap but are now more expensive than most cars. There's no competition. You can easily spend 3-4X in parts what a fully restored car would cost. Pick your battles.

I bought my car in 1980 but TTYTT if I were starting out now, I'd get a 67-69 Camaro.

[66vairguy]

The rocker condition sounds encouraging. If you can get a fiber optic scope (used for inspecting engine bores, inside house walls, etc.) you can pull the rubber plugs and take a look.

The Chilton manual is O.K., but the Corvair Chassis Shop Manual is the best. You will need to buy the main 1965 Corvair Chassis Shop Manual and the 67 Supplement (for the things that were changed in 67). Check vendors for prices, and probably it is also sold online.

A copy of the factory Assembly Manual is also very helpful, even to those who are familiar with Corvairs.

The 1967 model had the new collapsible steering column (much safer then the older design in an accident). The door hinges were revised. The electrical system was revised and frankly better than the old wiring, but a bit more complex to figure out.

Most convertibles have a rusty nasty fuse box and corroded interior wiring (old convertibles tend to leak a bit in the rain).

Erco was correct about managing expectation. I'd start by figuring out what all this is going to cost. Years ago I ordered a new wiring harness for my 66 convertible and it was nearly $400.00!!! I'm sure it is more now. BTW Clark's sells M&H electrical fabricators wiring harnesses. I'm not far from them so I save going directly to them. They are the ONLY company that makes EVERY Corvair wiring harness, although their catalog can be tricky to decipher.

Figure an engine rebuild will run $5,000.00 to $7,000.00. Clark's upholstery is good and you can price out seat covers and panels.

Good luck with the car.

[NewCorvairFan]

It is indeed crazy how much Part costs have risen...

I've researched Corvairs and Corvair Parts for over a year before I bought this one. I've thought over the pros and cons of restoration vs buying one already restored and decided to restore one for fun.

But I think we have a fiber optic scope in the shop but I'll have to look. I will see about getting a chassis shop manual in the next few days.

I've also got the Headlight bucket disassembled and am now able to see inside the frunk. The floor pans are long gone but plan to replace/patch them.

I will probably rebuild the motor but I would like to see if we can get it running in the car first. The shifter and transaxle will shift though.

I've been figuring the cost and am at a little over $2000 in just parts. I plan to save and spend money as I go. I sincerely appreciate all of the help and advice you all have provided and will update my situation frequently.