Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :02:

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North50
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Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :02:

Post by North50 »

Hi :wave:

So I was given a 1964 Monza 4 door by my father in law and plan on doing a build up of this vehicle. it has been sitting in the same spot in his garage since 1982 so I have some work to do. Have been digging through this site and have already found a ton of useful information and look forward to contributing myself.
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Scott H
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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by Scott H »

:welcome2: to the site and congrats on your new Corvair.
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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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin:02

Post by bbodie52 »

:wave: :welcome2:
Welcome to the Corvair Forum, and congratulations on your recently acquired '64 Corvair!

I look forward to hearing more from you. I hope you will take a few minutes and tell us more about yourself and about your Corvair. Do you have any mechanical experience, tools, etc. that will help you with your plans for your Corvair? :wrench:

So your '64 sedan has about 18 years of active use and over 30 years of rest under its fan belt? ::-): I'm curious as to how it looks after all of that garage time. :dontknow: I hope you will post some pictures of your '64. Members of the Corvair Forum have an insatiable appetite for pictures, so hopefully you can help us out!
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Here are some good Internet sources that I have found to be useful, and some additional links for Corvair-related information:

Downloadable Corvair Shop Manuals, Parts Manuals, Service Manuals, etc.
http://1969corvair.com/techpages/Corvai ... Index.html

Early Model Corvair Shop Manual & Other Useful Manuals
http://www.corvair.org/chapters/corvanatics/manuals.php

Joining CORSA (Corvair Society of America) and a local Corvair club chapter, if there is one near you, is another good way to see and perhaps get to drive Corvairs and to learn more about them. You might check out the CORSA chapters in your area. There are eight CORSA chapters in Florida! Contacting a local club and making Corvair-knowledgeable friends can often be a big help. Internet-based help is really great, but there is nothing like personal face-to-face contact and advice/guidance on a local level.
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CORSA (Corvair Society of America) Chapter Locator
Locating a local CORSA chapter near you can be very helpful, and attending meetings, parties, Corvair shows, etc. can greatly add to the enjoyment of your Corvair
https://www.corvair.org/index.php?optio ... crmSID=3_u

Clark's Corvair Parts
http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/pages.cgi

Rafee Corvair
http://www.rafeecorvair.com

Corvair Ranch (Used Parts, Machine Shop, etc.)
http://www.corvairranch.com/

Corvair Corsa (Good technical and historical information.)
Corvair Corsa is a plentiful source of Corvair history, information and pictures. Here, you can explore the entire collection of production Corvairs including the Corsa, Monza, Monza Spyder, Corvair 700, 500, and the Corvair 95 truck series.
http://www.corvaircorsa.com

This Web site seems to have the most comprehensive and well-researched data for fitting various tires and wheels to EM (Early Model, 1960-64) and LM (Late Model, 1965-69) Corvairs:
Sizing Corvair Wheels and Tires: http://autoxer.skiblack.com/tires.html

:welcome: Again, welcome to the Forum. I hope that we will hear from you regularly on the Corvair Forum! :chevy:

:BradBodie:
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
North50
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 10:24 pm

Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by North50 »

I'm no mechanic or body shop guy but did just finish with this Jeep. Also have another one I'm working on.
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Now to stay on topic here is the Corvair in all it's glory, and I'm a big fan of pictures as well so plenty will be in this thread as the car is worked on.
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bbodie52
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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by bbodie52 »

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Thanks for the great photos! From what I can see your Corvair looks remarkably clean. A Florida car that likely had little or no exposure to road salt, excessive sunlight, or other damaging elements before it went into "mothballs" in the garage for 30 years. It still has a lot of the original factory stickers in the trunk and engine compartment, and the original 1964 front Florida license plate! OUTSTANDING! This can be a real opportunity for a quality restoration of a classic Corvair sedan. Only 21,926 1964 Monza Sedans were ever built, and, of course, few have survived in this condition. You will have to decide what goals and objectives you have for your Corvair. Do you intend it to be a "daily driver", a classic restoration that is driven infrequently, a Concours d'Elegance-quality restoration? It is a family car with a family history. Where do you want to go with it?
Corvair Prodiction Statistics.jpg
Rust is the big enemy, so if your sedan has a low rust content you are very fortunate. If you would classify yourself as a "shade tree mechanic", and you are willing to learn and do some of your own mechanical work, you can get a lot done and save a lot of money. Your Corvair looks so clean that it will probably do very well with just soap and water, polish, and a thorough fluid change (oil, automatic transmission fluid, brake fluid flush and replacement, gas tank and fuel line flush, etc.) You should do all of that before attempting to start it up. That and a new battery and you might be in business! Soap and water will go a long way on this one, I think! And don't trust those really old tires. At that age, they need to go to the dumpster or recycler!

If you decide to scrap the ancient 13" tires, you might want to consider an upgrade to 14" rims or larger. If you do, you will find that you have a much-greater choice of modern, high quality radial tires to select from, and Corvairs respond very well to modern rubber. The following link will take you to a very informative Web site that can give you a great deal of informaton on fitting larger rims and tires to your 1964 Corvair. There are a lot of wheels available in the needed 4-lug bolt pattern, and many used wheels can save you a significant amount of money too. Recommend you read the article entitled Sizing Corvair Wheels and Tires. Pay particular attention to the sections that discuss Street Tires and Interchange Information. 30+ year old tires definitely don't belong on the street, and if they need to be replaced anyway, now would be the time to upgrade your wheels and put good quality tires on your Corvair.

:link: http://autoxer.skiblack.com/tires.html

Good tire pricing, technical ratings and customer feedback reviews...
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http://www.tirerack.com/
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http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/home.do

Your 1964 Corvair was the first year that Corvair engine displacement went from 145 cubic inches to 164 cubic iinches. Chevrolet also added a front suspension stabilizer bar and a rear suspension single transverse leaf spring in addition to the coil springs. Both of these changes were unique to the 1964 series, and improved handling.

In the late 1960s the government mandated a safety change to all cars that required the use of a dual master cylinder on automobile brake systems. On Corvairs this started with the 1967 model. Earlier Corvairs had only a single master cylinder, so a brake fluid leak, blown flexible brake line, or a blown steel line or wheel cylinder would result in the loss of all brake pressure on all four wheels. A dual master cylinder isolates the front and rear brake systems, so a loss of pressure at one end of the vehicle will not eliminate brake pressure at the other end. Since you should flush the old brake fluid from your car's system, you might want to consider an upgrade to a dual master cylinder. Clark's Corvair Parts, and some other parts retailers, sell kits to allow you to retrofit a dual master cylinder to your 1964 Corvair. If you are interested, I have included some info below:

http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... N&page=145
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As I mentioned in my previous posting, there are fully eight CORSA Corvair club chapters in Florida. I would suggest you determine which is closest to you, and then browse their Web site and contact them. With spring approaching there is sure to be some social activity that may appeal to you. Perhaps you will get your Corvair running and cleaned up enough to take it with you to a meeting. If you do, listen to their comments and evaluation of your sedan. You may find Corvair enthusiests in the club to be helpful and encouraging with your plans.

When you do get your Monza sedan dusted off and polished up, you might want to consider entering it in the Corvair Forum Corvair of the Month competition. If you are interested, browse around the Corvair of the Month (COTM) and Corvair of the Year (COTY) archives to get some ideas. Then, take some nice pictures of your cleaned up sedan (perhaps with some favorite Florida scenes in the background) and write a detailed description and family history describing your Corvair. You could win and end up with some nice prizes and your Corvair pictures appearing in the 2014 Corvair Forum printed calendar! For example, my 1966 Corsa convertible pictures below were taken in Lakeland, Florida, in Lake Bonny Park. You can see the impact that a colorful, scenic Florida park had on the pictures. Even the close-up shots are improved by the scenic, colorful backdrop. The third photo of me with my father's Corvette-powered AC Ace roadster was taken by my father in the mid-1960s. He drove some distance to Foothill College, near Los Altos Hills, California, just to provide an interesting backdrop for the pictures.
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I hope that you find some of this information to be useful. If I was starting out with your 1964 sedan these are some of the areas I would consider first to ensure safety and reliability when bringing your Corvair "back to life". As far as cosmetics go, Clark's has an excellent reputation for providing good carpeting and upholstery items, so you may want to browse through their online catalog to begin forming some plans for your restoration project.
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
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flat6_musik
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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by flat6_musik »

Welcome, North! Good lord, that thing is in amazing shape!! Definitely a worthwhile starting point!! The trunk, underbody and floors' condition are to die for!! I especially like those little rain guard things on top of the windows! Must be a Florida thing! Again, welcome to the forums! Looking forward to see your tear into it and get 'er goin'.
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cad-kid
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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by cad-kid »

Welcome! :coolphotos: :goodpost:
Jeremy (cad-kid)
Kronenwetter, WI (Central Wisconsin)
SOLD 9-2016 65 Monza 4spd/140
My 65 Monza thread
:soapbox: My YouTube page
North50
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Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 10:24 pm

Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by North50 »

Brad, WOW thank you for all the information. I knew it was a good idea to start a thread to get some help.


I had brought a few parts home to start tinkering with. Here is a comparison of a hubcap I have cleaned and one I haven't. I hope the whole car cleans up this nice. :fingerscrossed:
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North50
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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by North50 »

flat6_musik wrote:Welcome, North! Good lord, that thing is in amazing shape!! Definitely a worthwhile starting point!! The trunk, underbody and floors' condition are to die for!! I especially like those little rain guard things on top of the windows! Must be a Florida thing! Again, welcome to the forums! Looking forward to see your tear into it and get 'er goin'.
I was surprised by how clean it was also. Thanks for the kind words.
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Swngaxl
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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by Swngaxl »

Oh, those hub caps are SWEEEEET! I jsut destroyed one on my car. Rats! That thing had been on the car since 1976! :angry:
Phil

64 Spyder convertible
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bbodie52
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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by bbodie52 »

The old hubcaps look excellent, and the wheel cover you cleaned up looks BRAND NEW! If you decide to restore this car and want to keep it close to original, you might want to keep the 13" rims and those great wheel covers! But if you also plan to drive it a lot, you may want to protect the original wheels, wheel covers, and tire sizes for show, and have a set of 14" rims and "street tires" for use while driving the car. I would still recommend the brake system upgrade to install a dual master cylinder, even though it is not an original configuration, if you plan to drive the car a lot -- since it is a safety issue.
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
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Scott H
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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by Scott H »

hubcaps cleaned up nicely. BTW, love what you did with that Jeep! :tu:
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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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by bbodie52 »

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Can't be sure, but the steering box and pitman arm looks wet and the steering box may be leaking. You may want to examine it as it could be a problem area. Also check the condition of the Pitman arm bushing. It is rubber, and a loose or worn Pitman arm bushing is a common problem in Corvairs – it might have deteriorated with age, and if it has been oil soaked, oil contamination could accelerate the deterioration of the rubber bushing. The best way to check the bushing condition is to observe the bushing while a helper rocks the steering wheel gently back and forth. If the rubber bushing has deteriorated, the Pitman arm bolt would rock loosely back and forth within the fitting. A rotten Pitman arm bushing can result in loose steering. While you're under the car, it would be a good time to grab a grease gun and shoot some grease into all the grease fittings in the front suspension (Zerk fittings). The seal of the steering box may be okay. If the steering box and Pitman arm are wet with oil, it may have just been caused by some seepage that has occurred over 30 years of sitting in the garage.
Corvair Steering Gear Lubrication.jpg
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Also, if you want to provide the vehicle VIN, engine serial number (located to the right of the generator – between the oil filter adapter and the main top engine shroud), and a close up detail picture of the chassis body tag (located in the engine compartment – looks like the one in the picture below), I can decode the numbers for you to provide you with some original manufacturing data.
Body Tag
Body Tag
1961 Body Tag.jpg (84.07 KiB) Viewed 2298 times
I have attached the applicable Corvair shop manual section and supplement for the Corvair steering gear, should you determine that there may be an issue with a leaky steering box or with the Pitman arm bushing.
Attachments
1961 Chevrolet Corvair Shop Manual - Section 4 - Steering.pdf
1961 Chevrolet Corvair Shop Manual - Section 4 - Steering
(1.25 MiB) Downloaded 48 times
1964 Supplement - Chevrolet Corvair Shop Manual - Section 4 - Steering.pdf
1964 Supplement - Chevrolet Corvair Shop Manual - Section 4 - Steering
(332.76 KiB) Downloaded 42 times
Brad Bodie
Lake Chatuge, North Carolina
Image 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible
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cad-kid
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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by cad-kid »

Nice work on the wheel covers :tu:
Jeremy (cad-kid)
Kronenwetter, WI (Central Wisconsin)
SOLD 9-2016 65 Monza 4spd/140
My 65 Monza thread
:soapbox: My YouTube page
North50
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 10:24 pm

Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by North50 »

Thank you cad-kid

Brad you have to be one of the most helpful people I've ever run across on a forum. :tu: Thank you a ton in advance for the info I'm sure will come in handy when I tackle the steering. I think that wet area is more grease than fluid but can't remember. i will be going past the car on Thursday and hope to stop off and grab more photos and more parts to start on.

Here are the only pictures I have of plates on the car.
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Again thank you to everyone for your kind words and encouragement. I'm trying to get the car closer to me so I can start working on it. I have decided to keep it stock looking since most of it is still intact and in good condition. So with that being said I'm going to order some white wall tires to go on the stock 13" wheels and as someone suggested have another set of wheels and tires that would provide a better ride for longer trips.
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Swngaxl
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Re: Given a free '64 Monza 4 door, let the spending begin :0

Post by Swngaxl »

Hey, congrats on your idea to keep it stock looking. In my opinion, Corvairs are one of the designs that GM just flat got right. Maybe I'm more of a purist than I claim to be, but I think as far as looks go, it's mighty tough to improve on what came from the factory.
Phil

64 Spyder convertible
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