Corvair Forum

I found this 1964 Spider Convertible. He says it runs. New top, needs paint, he wants $6900, what is it really worth?

cant say what is worth. theres no info on how much rust / body work / how the engine runs / if the suspension needs work / vin # to tell if its a real spyder / etc. engine is missing parts - not a good thing.

-Scott V.

4k? just guessing..........

I have not looked at it yet. I am trying to see if it is worth a two hour drive one way.

It may be billed as a 1964, but it looks like it has a 145 CI 1962-1963 engine attached instead of a 1964 164 CI engine. The steel cooling fan and riveted steel crankshaft pulley indicate an earlier engine. The missing air cleaner assembly and missing perimeter sheet metal are a problem. The perimeter sheet metal prevents exhausted engine heat from reentering the engine compartment and of course keeps dirt out. Excess heat is an enemy for a turbocharged engine.
The engine serial number will not help to identify the model year or engine displacement. The serial number only tells you the month and day of manufacture. The two-letter suffix code sometimes provides a year of manufacture clue, but in the case of the 1962-1964 turbocharged engines all had the same "YR" suffix code. 1962-1963 150 hp turbocharged engines had a 145 cubic inch displacement. The 1964 engine was still rated at 150 hp because the turbocharger capacity had not increased, but the engine crankshaft stroke had increased — bumping the displacement up to 164 cubic inches. In 1964 the cooling fan was changed to a lighter magnesium cast unit, and a harmonic balancer replaced the riveted crankshaft pulley to compensate for engine crankshaft harmonics created by the long-stroke 164 CI crankshaft.

Cylinder head casting numbers did, however, change in 1964...

1962-1963 145 CI 150 hp Cylinder Head Casting No: 3817286, 3817287, 3886248, or 3886249 (8.00:1 Compression Ratio).

1964 164 CI 150 hp Cylinder Head Casting No: 3819904 (8.25:1 Compression Ratio),
or 3856636, 3856638, or 3886259 (8.00:1 Compression Ratio).

Sample Cylinder Head Casting Number Locations...

Fixed.

bbodie52 wrote:Excess heat is an enemy for AIRCOOLED engines.

I would drive it just how it is in a Chicago winter, but it still wouldn't be enough heat to register over 250 on the head gauge. During the summer all the tins and seals need to be in place, and the lower shrouds need to be removed for best operation.

$3,000 at most, you will have another $5,000 restoring it.

The top does look nice though

bbodie52 wrote:

It may be billed as a 1964, but it looks like it has a 145 CI 1962-1963 engine attached instead of a 1964 164 CI engine. The steel cooling fan and riveted steel crankshaft pulley indicate an earlier engine. The missing air cleaner assembly and missing perimeter sheet metal are a problem. The perimeter sheet metal prevents exhausted engine heat from reentering the engine compartment and of course keeps dirt out. Excess heat is an enemy for a turbocharged engine.

your probably right because the side tins are different for the turbo engines. if they turbod a N/A motor without getting the tins it would look just like that.

id say run away unless its under $2000 and minimal rust

Pretty sure that has been for sale on CL before this current listing. No one here is acting on it after 10 days. At first glance I say it's worth maybe half that at best.

Has the trunk bottom been replaced? Check the photos.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/4567423352.html