'66 Corvair "Marigold"

[Cameron 1137]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

That actually looks pretty cool. I did a little research on it, the back was used more like a "bed" for storage, no kiddies sitting on top of the motor

After seeing the pic, I think I've seen one before, I remember wondering what the hell the vents were for on the side of the body (now I know they're for the engine), it must have been one of these.

yep, they are called lakewood wagons. chevy only made them in 1961, and 1962. the engine compartment was located under an insulated cover in the cargo area, so no kiddies burned their buns! heres a pic

Originally Posted by AirSpeed

Beautiful car! I used to have two, a 65 Monza and a 62 spyder. The 62 was the ugliest car i ever owned and the only turbocharged car i have ever owned . I had a lot of fun driving the 65, it was super fast and handled awesome once I got used to the rear engine. The only thing I didn't like was the occasional cab filling cloud of black smoke that I would get once in awhile. I could never figure out where it was coming from.
I still have a pair of bucket seats I pulled out of it when I found a pair in better shape than the ones that came with it. I spent a fortune at Clarks Corvair parts. I still regret selling it!
Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks! the late models handle great with their IRS. that cabin full of smoke sounds like fun! it might have come off the block and through the heating ducts? and yes, its very easy to spend a fortune a clarks!

[Cameron 1137]

Well, its happened. the white stuff has started to fly. it doesn't look good on a corvair

This is a sad day for sure

[richard2717]

wow, cool thread. Wish mom had finished hers. If I recall correctly it wasa 1964 spyder convertible with 4 one barrels 4 speed and very fast. Someone vandalized it while it was at our shop many years back and mom was so devistated she called the junk man to come get it ( but not before I got the hubcaps off of it. I thought they were so cool, they had what looked like a real black widow in the center of the caps ( if I remember correctly). I am not sure if I have any pictures of the car but I will have to pull the caps out and take a few pics to post.

Richard

[Cameron 1137]

Thanks,

Spyders are awesome, i'd love to own one some day.

Post some pics of the hubcaps, i like hubcaps!

[72ironmike]

When I was younger I used to buy cars and sell them after a little fixing up as "good transportation". I sold a 65 Corvair for $200 to a guy that saw me about 7 years later and told me that car was the best transportation he had ever had.

I also remember taking my eyes off the road after leaving a parking lot grabbing the curb and being shot to the right straight into the telephone pole! That front was very light.

I used them for winter driving for alot of years.

Marigold is Gorgeous !

[Cameron 1137]

Originally Posted by 72ironmike

When I was younger I used to buy cars and sell them after a little fixing up as "good transportation". I sold a 65 Corvair for $200 to a guy that saw me about 7 years later and told me that car was the best transportation he had ever had.

I also remember taking my eyes off the road after leaving a parking lot grabbing the curb and being shot to the right straight into the telephone pole! That front was very light.

I used them for winter driving for alot of years.

Marigold is Gorgeous !

Thank you!!

even though i have never driven a Corvair in the snow, i can imagine that they would perform well, having the engine for weight in the rear.

[mbgmike]

thats a beutiful car. If I get a chance I will post a pic of the 427 powered front engine corvair that one of the guys in the shop has. it has been lengthened 6.5 inches. Its painted the same color as yours.

[Cameron 1137]

Originally Posted by mbgmike

thats a beutiful car. If I get a chance I will post a pic of the 427 powered front engine corvair that one of the guys in the shop has. it has been lengthened 6.5 inches. Its painted the same color as yours.

Sorry i missed this. thanks for the compliment! i would love to see some pics!

Took the old girl out for the season today and took some pics with my buddies new ride.

[Cameron 1137]

First off,

I won my first EVER trophy sunday at a local car show



i also changed out my hub caps because those are nicer and shinier, hopefully ill find some nicer original ones.

i also changes out my right rear window regulator because the splines were stripped

and finally, i added an aux input into my am radio so i could have some tunes!

Marigold will be getting the money funnel for a while as i prepare her for the Adirondack Nationals. updates soon!

[screamin_c10]

Good job, that is a cool old 'vair

[NONHOG]

Originally Posted by mbgmike

thats a beutiful car. If I get a chance I will post a pic of the 427 powered front engine corvair that one of the guys in the shop has. it has been lengthened 6.5 inches. Its painted the same color as yours.

Do post pics! It would be a nice adition to the beautiful Corvair Cameron 1137 has.

[Cameron 1137]

Originally Posted by screamin_c10

Good job, that is a cool old 'vair

Thank you!

Originally Posted by NONHOG

Do post pics! It would be a nice adition to the beautiful Corvair Cameron 1137 has.

Yes, i do agree, and thanks for the compliment

[67ChevyRedneck]

Congrats man! Just curious, but what was the trophy for? Most original, best corvair, ect? I got a 3rd place at a show with my 67 once. I was estatic

There's a lot of these in my area. They have a club around here somewhere. Some really nice ones too.

[pgf545]

Just ran across your thread, my dad has a convertible that he has been working on I think it is a 65 or 66. Pretty cool little car. He was talking about selling it but I am not sure if he was serious or not. He has so many projects I think he is ready to start downsizing projects...lol. He retired a few years ago and I think he is busier now than when he was working. But it keeps him occupied. Here is a couple of pictures.

[Cameron 1137]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Congrats man! Just curious, but what was the trophy for? Most original, best corvair, ect? I got a 3rd place at a show with my 67 once. I was estatic

There's a lot of these in my area. They have a club around here somewhere. Some really nice ones too.

Thanks! I was top 25. Third place is sweet! i was in shock that i even won! Corvairs are pretty scarce in my area. maybe a dozen that i know of. i am part of a corvair club but it is out of rhode island, a bit far from me so its hard to really be part of it. There are some really nice corvairs out there though!

Originally Posted by pgf545

Just ran across your thread, my dad has a convertible that he has been working on I think it is a 65 or 66. Pretty cool little car. He was talking about selling it but I am not sure if he was serious or not. He has so many projects I think he is ready to start downsizing projects...lol. He retired a few years ago and I think he is busier now than when he was working. But it keeps him occupied. Here is a couple of pictures.

Sweet Vair! Looks like a nice little project, and convertibles are very desirable!

[Cameron 1137]

Another day, another trophy?

That makes 2!! I must be on a hot streak!



In other news, i will be gaining some free time so here is my punch list, with a deadline of Sept 5th, or so

-Get bottom of front seat re padded
-Carpet & floor mats
-Exhaust
-Detail engine bay
-Get tuned and running better
-Fix squeaky brakes
-Patch spare tire

Thats all i can think of. Now

[Cameron 1137]

Ive neglected to update this thread so here we go....

Alot has happened, mostly unfavorable

-Get bottom of front seat re padded (DONE) $450
-Carpet & floor mats
-Exhaust (DONE) $150
-Detail engine bay
-Get tuned and running better
-Fix squeaky brakes
-Patch spare tire (DONE) $20

So in about 2 weeks i dropped 620 on this car and how does she repay me?

Heres how it went... i slacked off in the weeks before i was leaving for the adirondack nationals in Lake George NY. I did get the seat re padded and the guy did an amazing job, it turns out ALL of the springs were rusted and snapped, the reason why it cost me so much. the day i was set to leave it went to get the new muffler, a turbo, thrush possibly? i didn't ask. i sounds great. so I'm all ready to head out for Lake George and i get 3 miles from my house and the crank pulley/ harmonic balancer which is supposed to be joined together become disassembled. i was lucky that it happened close to home but needless to say, it didn't make it to lake george.

So i guess I just feel a little let down. the replacement parts will be here tomorrow and she should be running again soon.

Unfortunately I've had enough of this car and spending money on it just for it to break a week later. its time to start looking for something else so this will probably be for sale soon.

[76C10Stepside]

Originally Posted by Cameron 1137

Ive neglected to update this thread so here we go....

Alot has happened, mostly unfavorable

-Get bottom of front seat re padded (DONE) $450
-Carpet & floor mats
-Exhaust (DONE) $150
-Detail engine bay
-Get tuned and running better
-Fix squeaky brakes
-Patch spare tire (DONE) $20

So in about 2 weeks i dropped 620 on this car and how does she repay me?

Heres how it went... i slacked off in the weeks before i was leaving for the adirondack nationals in Lake George NY. I did get the seat re padded and the guy did an amazing job, it turns out ALL of the springs were rusted and snapped, the reason why it cost me so much. the day i was set to leave it went to get the new muffler, a turbo, thrush possibly? i didn't ask. i sounds great. so I'm all ready to head out for Lake George and i get 3 miles from my house and the crank pulley/ harmonic balancer which is supposed to be joined together become disassembled. i was lucky that it happened close to home but needless to say, it didn't make it to lake george.

So i guess I just feel a little let down. the replacement parts will be here tomorrow and she should be running again soon.

Unfortunately I've had enough of this car and spending money on it just for it to break a week later. its time to start looking for something else so this will probably be for sale soon.

Just found this thread last night. I'm a Corvair guy too, have three of 'em, they breed like rabbits!

Ouch on the seat repair bill. That's what a complete set of new seatcovers costs! I just find good donor seats and swap 'em in! All my cars are drivers (or projects). Sorry you're feeling down about marigold. Remember, it's a 46 year old car, and how cheap you probably got it.

You're in good company. I've been having engine trouble with my 68 500 lately. To be fair, it was a used engine. The original engine was still running strong when I pulled it after over 5 great years of reliable and fun driving. Here's a picture of the 68:



p.s. Hi davemotohead! solve the crow problem yet?

[Jonboy]

Do they really multiply?!? I jus ttook a 66 Monza convertible in trade on my Lincoln, and I really hope it doesn't multiply on my. My wife thinks just the one is a little dubious, at best. I have a feeling my learning curve on Corvairs is about to speed way up, though.

[76C10Stepside]

Originally Posted by Jonboy

Do they really multiply?!? I jus ttook a 66 Monza convertible in trade on my Lincoln, and I really hope it doesn't multiply on my. My wife thinks just the one is a little dubious, at best. I have a feeling my learning curve on Corvairs is about to speed way up, though.

NAW. It's up to you. If a dog follows you home you don't have to let it in...

Corvairs have been plentiful and affordable for a long time. GM made about 1.5 million of them over a ten year period. Many owners parked them when they got a newer car or they broke down, and just left them sitting. When you need parts for a Corvair, buying another Corvair is a great way to get a lot of parts dirt cheap.

Recently, it seems like the Corvair well is starting to dry up a bit, in my area, anyway. Of course, nice specimens are much more rare in the rust belt (midwest and east coast). More care restorers are choosing Corvairs for their next project because they are so much cheaper than other 60s cars. Prices have been going up, particularly on the nicer and rarer examples.

Corvairs share many parts with other 60s GM parts. They are simple and generally easy to work on. Like air-cooled VWs, you can drop the entire drivetrain to work on it. The vair engine has hydraulic lifters, so you don't have to adjust them all the time. Yes, there are some parts that are unique to the Corvair, and being air-cooled and in the rear scares some mechanics. GM mechanics rebelled against them because they required a little extra "book-larnin". My dad traded his 2 year old Corvair in because he was frustrated that the local dealer would not stock parts for it. This is one of a number of reasons for the Corvair's demise. The engines are extremely long-wearing, and complete rebuilds are rare. Most owners just fix whatever is broken and drive on. There are differences that can throw the novice. Many mistakes made are due to not being familiar with them and assuming they are the same as SBC (wrong).

The good news is that there are plenty of Corvair resources. A good place to start is the Corvair Center forum.
There's a national organization (CORSA) and clubs all around the country.
Many clubs offer free advice, shop space, and assistance. There are several Corvair-specific parts vendors, some of whom have been around for a long time.

[Cameron 1137]

Originally Posted by 76C10Stepside

Just found this thread last night. I'm a Corvair guy too, have three of 'em, they breed like rabbits!

Ouch on the seat repair bill. That's what a complete set of new seatcovers costs! I just find good donor seats and swap 'em in! All my cars are drivers (or projects). Sorry you're feeling down about marigold. Remember, it's a 46 year old car, and how cheap you probably got it.

You're in good company. I've been having engine trouble with my 68 500 lately. To be fair, it was a used engine. The original engine was still running strong when I pulled it after over 5 great years of reliable and fun driving. Here's a picture of the 68:

p.s. Hi davemotohead! solve the crow problem yet?

Welcome to the fun! fortunately she is running really good now and ive been driving her to school occasionally. I really like this car but im kind of burnt out with it. i tend to get attached to my vehicles though. I have been looking for a new ride but havent made an attempt to sell this one. im just at the stage in my life where i want more horsepower.

Originally Posted by Jonboy

Do they really multiply?!? I jus ttook a 66 Monza convertible in trade on my Lincoln, and I really hope it doesn't multiply on my. My wife thinks just the one is a little dubious, at best. I have a feeling my learning curve on Corvairs is about to speed way up, though.

You definetely learn fast when you have one to work on!

Originally Posted by 76C10Stepside

NAW. It's up to you. If a dog follows you home you don't have to let it in...

Corvairs have been plentiful and affordable for a long time. GM made about 1.5 million of them over a ten year period. Many owners parked them when they got a newer car or they broke down, and just left them sitting. When you need parts for a Corvair, buying another Corvair is a great way to get a lot of parts dirt cheap.

Recently, it seems like the Corvair well is starting to dry up a bit, in my area, anyway. Of course, nice specimens are much more rare in the rust belt (midwest and east coast). More care restorers are choosing Corvairs for their next project because they are so much cheaper than other 60s cars. Prices have been going up, particularly on the nicer and rarer examples.

Corvairs share many parts with other 60s GM parts. They are simple and generally easy to work on. Like air-cooled VWs, you can drop the entire drivetrain to work on it. The vair engine has hydraulic lifters, so you don't have to adjust them all the time. Yes, there are some parts that are unique to the Corvair, and being air-cooled and in the rear scares some mechanics. GM mechanics rebelled against them because they required a little extra "book-larnin". My dad traded his 2 year old Corvair in because he was frustrated that the local dealer would not stock parts for it. This is one of a number of reasons for the Corvair's demise. The engines are extremely long-wearing, and complete rebuilds are rare. Most owners just fix whatever is broken and drive on. There are differences that can throw the novice. Many mistakes made are due to not being familiar with them and assuming they are the same as SBC (wrong).

The good news is that there are plenty of Corvair resources. A good place to start is the Corvair Center forum.
There's a national organization (CORSA) and clubs all around the country.
Many clubs offer free advice, shop space, and assistance. There are several Corvair-specific parts vendors, some of whom have been around for a long time.

Very good info here ^

[76C10Stepside]

Here's my new one, a 67 Monza with 140 hp 4 carb engine and 4-speed. Giving my 68 and another car (project) to my son.

[tubbedII]

Looks good!!!

[76C10Stepside]

Thanks! Lotta rust tho.

[Cameron 1137]

Very cool! i like the color