Corvair, turbo, air, engine family 140, 145, 164
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- čas přidán 2. 10. 2023
- Today On what it’s like engine episode Wednesday comes a day early.
We get to diving deep on one of Chevy’s most innovative oddball engines the Corvair engine a.k.a. turbo air a.k.a. pancake engine. Chevy offered this engine and three displacements 140 145 164 We talk about the turbo charged versions and the Yenko versions enjoy this episode
If you’d like to get in touch with me shoot me a call I’m in the comment section below or check out our Facebook group that correlates with this CZcams channel by clicking the link below after the Show
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What_its_like@yahoo.com
 - Auta a dopravní prostředky
what about love/HEART
Congratulations
right out of the gate man do you know what the 68 javelin one was I made that one super hard I guess I gotta go back to that lol
=)
@@What.its.like.
I was the only one got that one too ,but you never replied ,it is still there
I’ll look at that it never came through on my side which is a problem for a lot of comments I have a friend that shows me comments that he posted but I never got them..
awesome !
One of GM's best cars.
They are super cool I almost bought one I bought a Karman Ghia instead only because Karman Ghia was worth more at the end of the rainbow
not even close they were and are the least of the 60s chevys
the nova had them very covered
Oh absolutely! Please see my reply above! Dave...
i have 6 my daily 66 way an everyday car till 2007...two are show cars a 66 monza an a 62 700 4dr,,,the 62 has the best ride
A swing axel is a type of independent suspension. GM changed the suspension geometry and components, but the Corvair was always independently suspended on all 4 wheels.
I have a 1966 Corvair Monza convertible ("open" in Corvair enthusiast parlance) with a 110 hp motor and 4-speed manual trans. Thanks for featuring the Corvair motor family today. WYR 1: Corvair Rampside Pickup. Side folds down to make a ramp, plus there's a tailgate. Bed is 9 feet long so it can hold a lot, but it is on 2 levels because of the rear engine. Pickups and vans were called the 95 series, which referred to the wheelbase. Also called FC/Forward Control, because the steering connections were ahead of the front suspension (also kinda hung the cab occupants out in front with no forward crush space).There was also a pickup without the rampside which didn't sell well because it sacrificed a bunch of the bed volume to create a flat load floor. Base trim from 1965 onward ("late" models vs. "early" 1960-64) was actually the 500; Monza was the mid trim and Corsa the top trim. WYR 2: Definitely the Yenko Stinger. Toodle-OO!
Everything about your comment is correct, except the part about the Loadside pickup. The flat floor was an option on both Rampside and Loadside, with the difference being that without the ramp, there was very little access to the actual load area. i think they only built 351 Loadsides (I could be wrong about that). If you look at my avatar, you will see it is a 61 Rampside.
@@61rampy65 Yes, I'm aware that the flat floor was optional with the loadside but all of them I've ever seen at shows or the conventions have had this flat floor with the owners noting that it would be very hard to reach the deep part if the non-flat floor were used. Conversely, I've never seen a Rampside with a flat floor; I imagine it would create a severe loss of utility, which is probably the reason the Loadside sold poorly.
Corvairs were very common when I was young. One of my uncles owned a Corvair, and he liked it very much. He bought it to replace a Studebaker Lark. The people who had Corvairs seemed to like them. The rarest one I ever saw in the wild pulled into the VW/Volvo/Jaguar dealership I worked at in the 70s and 80s. One of our customers was a collector, and he stopped by one day in a red turbocharged Corvair to check on his Jaguar. (The same man also had a white Impala with a 409/425 horse engine.) Part of the Corvairs' problems were caused by dealers. A lot of Chevrolet mechanics didn't like working on Corvairs. The cars were also a hassle for parts too, because everything in the engines, drive lines and bodies was proprietary. Thank you for a nice video.
Awesome memories thank you so much for sharing those memories
Glad you dig this video =)
They actually were easy to work on. All you needed was a shopping cart and a hacksaw to remove the basket. Could pull the engine and transmission in 45 minutes.
Once it was in the cart. A new clutch was easy. I don't think it's a can do the with a current FWD
But I also could change the clutch in my 69 Suburban in 45 minutes. It had the open cast iron bell housing.
But now the govmints are designing cars. My Trax gets the same gas mileage as the '68 Corvair I had. Guess which one was more comfortable to ride in?
I owned a dozen Corvairs over the course of 20 years earlier in my life. From the first, a 1961, 500 coupe, 80 hp, 3 speed, with what I found out was a 3:98 posi rear. I drove for two years, added new brakes, shocks, BF T/A H50-13 radial tires on chrome slotted wheels in the summer with 4 FireStone Town&Country H70-13 tires all around on a spare set of wheels in the winter, that helped make that little car unstoppable in the snow, all I had to do was move the battery, spare, jack and tool box up front to help add weight to steer on snow/ice. Then I sold it to a friend and a man in my neighborhood finally sold a 1965 Monza Convertible he bought new, in med met blue in an out, but with a rare 140, withPowerGlide auto! Never seen one since and he told me he ordered it special! I added two turbo flow mufflers for dual exhaust and that sounded fantastic! Plus fairly quick. I drove that for 4 years! Then sold it to build a house. After that my wife and I was at a car show and found a beautiful 1964 Monza Conv. 110, 4 speed in red, white top and black interior we owned for 20 years! Drove it everywhere. In 1994 a good friend who had a garage full of hot rods, told me of a 1969 Monza Coupe, 110, 4 speed in Met burnished brown with gold roof, with 19,000 original miles! We bought that right away, then drove all over in both the 64 with her, 69 was me.
back in the 60s 70s and early '80s my father raced oval track. he built a a race car on a 72 Chevelle chassis with a 327 in it. He used a Corvair body they were cheap and so many of them around. They were short at each end and could get in and out of traffic better than most other cars. It was hugely successful. To this day I still have people talk to me about my dad a d e l a r d cormier's Corvair. Thanks for bringing back some great old memories.
Hi Jay!: A SUPER engine episode! I can speak on Corvairs, because I had three at different times. The first was a 1962 Monza coupe with the 102 h.p. engine, powerglide and no floor!! Never got that one running! The second was a 1962 Corvair 700 which was one trim level below the Monza, but higher than the cheapie Corvair 500. Never did anything with that one either! But I DID have a 1964 Monza Coupe with the 110 h.p. 164 engine. I rebuilt the engine on that one and got to drive it before finally selling it. It was a NEAT car! It had the 4 speed on the floor, which was nice. One thing about the swing axle set up. Chevrolet did see the disadvantages on the Corvair and right before the big redesign for 1965, they put a single leaf spring that tied the two rear wheels together on the 1964 models, which was designed to alleviate that problem. Mine had that feature and was no problem. BUT on the early ones it is crucial to check your tires regularly and make sure the pressure is correct to factory standards. That makes them safer to drive. A big problem with those cars is that the heat (except for some earlier cars that had the optional gasoline heater) comes off the engine shrouds, and if you should have an exhaust leak out of the gaskets you can get carbon monoxide poisoning in the car which is, of course NOT a good thing! Modern owners usually have co detectors in the car to sound off if there is a problem. WYR#1 I want the 1961 WAGON! Always wanted one of those!! #2 was going to be the '64 'cause I had one! But that 1966 Corsa is SO SWEET!! The Ford Mustang was the major killer of the Corvair. More bang for the buck!
Great choices
Awesome information and insight as always =)
I had a 1965 Corvair Corsa 180-hp Turbocharged 2 Door Coupe in Glacier Gray. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Managed the handling characteristics competently. Never any drama. I wish that I still had it in my garage.
Loved the styling of the Spyders and Monzas.
Handsome cars.
The 2nd body style, hardtop and the Spyder are two of the best looking American cars of the 60s IMO. Far too many people confused lot of chrome with style
Nicely done; The base model on 2nd gen. Corvairs 65 thru 69 was the base model 500. & the early model engines were called Turbo Air because of the way the fan worked to draw air in over the cylinders for cooling purposes.
I have seen many Corvair YT vids, this is by far one of the most accurate and informative ones out there!! We have a 64 Monza Spyder convertible undergoing restoration! If I could pick a favorite, definitely a 1969 Monza convertible 110 4 speed, 521 verts made in 69, and I'll pass on 140s...valve seats anyone? LoL
Thank you so much it means a lot =) try to give as much information as i can find,
We need to get more young people in the car hobby corvairs are cool cars that could be had as an entry level car to this hobby =)
Best in Depth documentary yet on the Corvair. Brings to life of how fantastic this machine was.
Thank you so much glad you dig this episode they are super underrated for what they are and were
I've always loved the look of all the model years of the Corvair. All the choices are cool, I'd go '61 two door and the Corsa is sweet, but the Yenko would be really cool! 😎
I GOING ON 71 YEARS OLD I HAVE OWNED ALL MODELS OF THESE CARS LOVE THEM
Awesome
Hi Justin, good video! I am 63 years old. My grandmother (on my mother's side) had a 1964 Corvair 500 and my mother had a 1963 Corvair 700. We thought they where grate! Engine over top of the rear drive wheels and also air cooled, as was VW and Porsche. No need for snow tires and no need for engine coolant, water pump, radiator, thermostat or hoses, nope! To this day, most automobile news media will not publish any magazine profile(s) on the Corvair due to the fact that the Corvair received a bad reputation in regards to the 1965 book publication "Unsafe at Any Speed" by Ralph Nader. The term "pancake engine" is actually a figure of speech for a "flat engine" profile, I.e. Subaru, Corvair, and rear engine VW and Porsche engines. The technical American term is; "horizontally opposed" engine. The technical German term is; "boxer" engine because the horizontal movement of the pistons resembles the actions of a boxer's fists. Porsche and VW had four cylinder horizontally opposed way but before the Corvair did, but in the mean time, Porsche did not offer horizontally opposed six cylinder engine until the introduction of the Porsche 911 in the 1964 model year. The 1960 model year Corvair was the first horizontally opposed six cylinder that I know of, four years before the Porsche 911. The closest automobile to a Porsche 911 was/is a Chevrolet Corvair, by "GM" General Motors. I have researched the first 1960 big three compact economy cars; GM, "Chevrolet Corvair" Ford, Ford Falcon and Chrysler, Plymouth Valiant. Falcon and Valiant outsold Corvair immediately, but in the mean time, there was such a demand for the VW Beetle at the time, when you bought a Beetle, you could not choose what color you wanted, you took what the VW dealer gave you. In the mean time the Corvair was the closed economy car to the Beetle. Please reply. Dave...
Thank you so much for sharing your experience what great memories =)
As a kid in the 60's/70's, my dad had a Corvair. It was a cheap car as he had 5 kids when he bought it and 7 by the time he finished law school. Loved the drive every summer weekend to Corona Del Mar beach (Newport Beach). We'd go up Jamboree Road at a good incline. Us kids would turn around as the car would loudly backfire, and we would scream in delight as fire shot out the back of the car. He donated the car to a church auction where it sold for $50 bucks.
Chevrolet should’ve kept the Corvair Corsa Turbo going as a competitor to the 9/11. Rear-engined, air cooled turbocharged 2+2 Grand Touring Coupé. Maybe even offer the Monza as a roadster with folding hard top in place of the rear seats.
Great video, Jay, factual and detailed. I owned several Corvairs back in the day. My first car was a '64 Monza Spyder, and my last Corvair was a Corsa Turbo, with three others in between. The second generation Corvair was the best handling car of its era, and the '64 was a very roadable car with an aftermarket anti-sway bar installed. I really appreciate the work you put into all of your videos and the way you treat your audience as a car lovers' community. Andy
Thank you so much Andy it means the world I’m just a regular person just the car enthusiast. I want everybody to feel like they’re welcome here and that I care because I personally do. =)
Happy you dig this channel and community thank you so much for sharing your car with us these are very much the Rodney Dangerfield of 60s cars. They just don’t get the respect that they deserve.
@@What.its.like. Jay, I dig the channel and the FB page and all things associated with your efforts. You bring the younger generations to the car hobby, your walkarounds show a visual sophistication beyond your years, and your "fresh eyes" perspectives help me see things without the prejudices and impressions of the past. You are doing an outstanding job, and every time I see a new video, it makes me smile. The increasing ad volume doesn't bother me a bit - it just indicates how many others are digging "What it's like". Andy
We had 2 corvairs in the 70s. One rarely mentioned oddity was the heater. The first year had a gasoline heater, which wasn't as dangerous as it sounds. Later they ducted the heated air from the engine shroud. The bad part was, they leaked a little oil after a few years, and the car heater smelled like burning oil. We kept a window partly down in winter.
I always loved the second generation style. That was one sharp looking car- it still is... I couldn't have possibly even contemplate buying one when I got old enough because we were a ford family.
They are super cool cars and the best thing about it is they are super cheap they are really good, entry level Classic Car that you can get into on the cheap convertibles can be had for under 10 grand just have to be very careful they’re unibody so you gotta look them over pretty good..
In '67 I was a senior in h/s and after school hours worked in a garage that specialized in automatic transmissions, air conditioning, and Corvairs! Quite a combo.
My first car was a ten-year-old 1962 Corvair Monza.
After it was stolen while I was in high school I got a 1963.
Two years after that it went to my brother and two years after that it went to our youngest.
2 years later on next door neighbor bought it for his daughter.
My choices would be the Lakewood station wagon and The Greenbrier van.
Crazy story thank you so much for sharing that memory even though it was a bad one did you ever find your car.
Great choices =)
@@What.its.like. we found it but sadly it was smashed into a giant telephone pole. We brought it home and kept the engine. My Dad helped me put it in the '63 we got from my uncle.
The police said they had a suspect but he told the hospital he had fallen down a flight of stairs.
There was blood all over the inside of the car so I guess God punished him.
Wow thank you so much for the follow up, play stupid games win stupid prizes
I always loved the look of the 65-69 corvairs, I never liked the 60-64s. They looked like grandma cars to me. When I was a kid back in the 70s, the teenage kid that lived across the street from me use to drive his Corvair around in the fields behind my house because he was too young to get a license. One day it died out there and he just left it out there. Me and my friends use to play on it and other older kids from the neighborhood vandalized it. I still remember the color, it was a mint green color. It was a 65-69 body style. That's why I like corvairs, it brings back memories for me.
Awesome thank you so much for sharing those memories with us =) glad this video could bring back the memories
When GM decided to drop the Corvair line, they ended the Corvair assembly line and converted it to manufacture Camaro's. The remainder of the Corvairs were hand assembled in a corner of the Camaro building.
The Corvair line was intended to compete with similar sized European cars, like Volvo. The Corvairs were more powerful and roomy.
The 1969 Corvair was most common in the the 500 series, which was the least powerful in Corvair history. I believe the only transmission you could get was a Powerglide or 3-speed manual.
The best Covair to get was a 1965 Corsa. That was the last year they used a Muncie 4-speed in them.
If the HP Corvairs weren't driven as originally intended, the 2 secondary carbs would plug up and when you floored it, the car would fall flat on it's face. Same thing with the turbo cars, the turbo wouldn't spin up. I have personally experienced both of these situations.
Ralph Nader's book "Unsafe At Any Speed" was mostly about the Volkswagen Type II Transporter. Until they re-designed the Type II in the late-60's, they were scary to drive. I know, I had a lot of time behind the wheel of our shop truck, a 1957 Type II. One of the things which made it better to drive was they had put larger tires on the rear, which necessitated cutting out the wheel wells. LOL!
Sorry, totally wrong about 69 Corvairs. They came in 500 or Monza series, and the base engine was a 95hp mated to a 3 speed Saginaw trans. Optional were the 110 and 140 hp engines, along with 4 speed and Powerglide transmissions. The 69's also came weirdly optioned; seems like GM was trying to unload all the accessories for Corvair by putting them in randomly in the cars. Example: you might get a Monza Convert with a factory AM/FM stereo, yet has heater delete. Also, no A/C was available in either 68 or 69 Corvairs, due to emissions.
@@61rampy65 Sorry, what were you reading? As I stated, the 1969 Corvair 500 was the least powerful model, so that makes them 95 HP, I would guess. Neither 110 nor 140 are definitely not the least powerful, correct? Most of the Corvairs we sold in 1969 were 500's and I believe you would have to move up to a Monza to get more horsepower. Never sold or saw a 500 with anything other than the 95 HP engine. Some had 3 speeds and some had Powerglides.
@@automatedelectronics6062 You could get any engine (95,110,140) with any transmission (3sp, 4sp, PG) on either the 500 or the Monza. Try going to a Corvair Convention sometime. You are still 100% wrong.
Did you know some company in the mid-west made a motorhome with a Corvair engine. I've seen pictures of one such vehicle in a wrecking yard, somewhere.
They made campers they made all kinds of vehicles I’ve seen the motorhome not in person but in pictures I know it exist or Existed I’m not entirely sure how many they built it was a really cool concept nonetheless
The Ultravan
Cool video! My dad had a 1966 model 500. Three speed manual bare bones, no radio, dog dish hubcaps. Entry level second generation Corvair.
My grandfather had the same in '65. It was the 110 HP version and it moved out really well.
Very cool!@@rmick66
Mid-engine V 8 Chevy Corvair is bad ass. TD Atlanta
One major engine flaw that was known mostly to us serious Corvair engine builders & mechanics was the poorly designed vertical pushrod driven fuel pump where if the diaphragm failed the pump would then siphon-leak gasoline directly into the crankcase oil which if not immediately discovered would completely destroy the engine… that’s why these pumps would often be replaced with either in-tank or out electric fuel pumps especially by owners that tracked their cars.
Awesome
Thank you so much for sharing that information and insight =)
Just about all cars made by many factories had similar fuel pump setups. Same issues.
Neat I was a Corvair fan. My brother got one and it always had cloud of oil vapor rising from the vent over the engine. I was told the first Corvair engines so closely copied Porsche that Porsche forced modifications that contributed to the oil consumption problems.
Interesting
My parents owned a 1964 Corvair. It was terrible. No power, exhaust fumes from the heater, a blown head gasket at 24000 miles. They traded it for a 1965 Dodge Coronet. that was a good car.
WYR: 61 pickup, those things are incredibly versatile. Then the Stinger - what a car! The engine choices are so varied, and crossed over, I’ve never really been able to keep them straight in my head. Corvette engines options, by comparison, are quite easy. Thank you as always ~ Chuck
=) the rampsides are so cool i wouldnt mine having that it would have been cool if the wagon made it to the second gen as well
Great choices =)
Thanks, love covairs
Me too they are great
I love corvairs.and hate Ralph Nader.
Same I don’t get why he was such a downer
Agreed.
Corvairs are pretty cool.
@@What.its.like.
Nader was the same dweeb everybody hated in high school.
@@What.its.like.so, let me speak uncensored for a minute. Ralph Nader had a hard-on for automobiles….he managed to pick up notoriety and ran with it trying to kill the industry. Once he was in the spotlight, he said anything and no one dared to take him on. But, yes, the car had issues. Rode oddly., but very 60s.
I can tell you that Ralph Nader never drove a VW Beetle because if he did he would've thought the Corvair was as safe as a battle tank.
My late father once told me a story of a corvair convertible he had stashed in a shed. Condition unknown.
His brother sold it for junk one day just to spite him.
This was a great overview of the Corvair, Jay. Thank you for doing it.
Glad you dig this episode
I love corvairs =)
First choice the 61 Lakewood wagon for the rarity the second the 64 Monza Spyder coupe, not loosing sleep on the Porche pronounciation but you pronounced it correctly. Another great episode. If you haven't already pull up the name Pontiac Pathfinder, and there are pictures of proposed trim versions of the Corvair body to be sold by Pontiac and
Oldsmobile divisions which they wisely rejected. GM one upped VW with this engine.
I was just trying to be funny in this episode any chance I got did you see turbo pancake..
Glad you dig this episode I’m leaving for Hershey at 4 o’clock in the morning I wanted to make sure we did the engine episode going to take my stuff with me but I don’t know if I’ll be able to get anything done.. i’m going to hang out a lot..
So not sure what the schedules going to be like for the next few days =)
Had a 64 convertible, had a 65 coupe. Both great cars and fun to drive. Rebuilt a number of engines on these when I had my own shop for more performance. These engines held up well, but had leaks at the pushrod tubes which could be cured with newer aftermarket seals. Saw a number of issues on ones worked on by people who didn't have a clue about air cooled. As to the swing axle "issues" a camber compensator was sold by EMPI and solved the issue.
WYR? 1: Greenbriar. WYR? 2: I'd take the 64 and the 66. And I love air cooled, including my 73 911T Targa, bought new and basically still all stock
PS. The correct pronunciation is as a two syllable word, like this: “Por-shuh”. The true German pronunciation.
PPS> Keep your day job, give up the singing.
PPS 2. You can still get parts from Clarkes Corvair parts - great service and nice people.
The singing at the end ties in with not having a radio and Classic Cars, I am not the best singer in the world, It just shows im just a regular person is all =)
The Porsche thing is an experiment because people say things differently it doesn’t matter how you say it somebody will always tell you that you’re saying it wrong
Great choices
Clark's Corvair is located close to me in Massachusetts. Last time I visited it was like Disneyland for Corvair enthusiasts! Watching this video has brought back my old enthusiasm for these little gems. Andy
Love this channel please keep up the great work and research. P.S. longer videos would be nice.
Most definitely I’ve been trying to make the car videos at least 20 to 30 minutes the engine episodes if I could get them to about 15 minutes I’m happy some engine episodes there’s tons of material and some there isn’t.. but totally agree
I have some really cool episodes in the pipeline like eventually we’re going to do a timeline episode and talk about all of the different eras of cars
Like brass era vintage/Classic Edwardian The issue is that everybody draws a line somewhere else so some of it will be speculation I guess I didn’t want that episode to be super long but it’s turning out to be lol
Glad you dig this channel =)
I'm highly impressed with the accuracy of this video. Only a few minor mistakes. Sounds like you did a lot of research to make it. There is no question that the Mustang is what killed the Corvair. In fact, Ralph Nader actually prolonged the life by about 3 years because GM didn't want Ralphie to think he had won!
It's nice to see a vid that is factually correct and not all hype or downplaying. Thank you! I've been a Corvair guy since 1969. Not even one minute has gone by since then that I haven't had a Corvair or Corvair powered vehicle.
I really try with all of the videos posted not to get wrapped up in the hype or anything there are some cars that I’m very passionate about Corvair is definitely one of them. Glad you dig this episode =)
I had a 64 Corvair Monza 4spd Coupe for a bit, was a fun and interesting car. Mine looked just like that 64 Spyder with the black on red.
Thank you Jay for pronouncing Porsche correctly!
Just got home from Illinois
Locked the front door oh boy
Got to sit down, take a rest on the Porsche
Petrol fumes start kickin in
Purdy soon I’m singing
Doo doo doo looking at my red Porsche 😊
Haha I was doing that for more or less an experiment it turns out it doesn’t matter if you say it right or wrong there’s always somebody that’s going to correct you on the way that they say it
( not saying thats you ) just saying lije willys most say willeez idk
I was driving and involved with performance cars in the 1960's. The book by Nader was the most influential part of the Corvair death at the time. I owned a 1966 Corsa Spider.
I thought it extended the life 1966 had 4 wheel independent suspension I think Nader’s book referred to the earlier ones with the swing axle.. oh Volkswagen products had swing axles and nobody had issue with those.
I'd take the Corvair wagon (because it's cool) and the Yenko Stage II Corvair because it is valuable. Just me being my odd self....another very informative video. Thank you Jay!
61 Corvair
66 Corsa
Nader was an idiot. The Corvair was a decent car. The 65 and later Corvair is a really beautiful car. I always loved the body on those. Especially the convertibles.
I once owned a sand rail. It was a 140 Corvair engine with a 4 runner intake manifold that fed the heads through a single 4 barrel Holley carb. The engine was mounted on a VW transaxle. The sand rail was a Chenowith lay down 2 seater frame. It was scary fast but handled the Yuma dunes or Glamis with ease. In fact you had to be careful as it had so much traction with paddle tires that it would wheelie and flip backwards. The only thing that stopped it from going all the way over was the engine hitting the ground.
When you look at the Corvair it becomes very obvious how much of an impact the VW had on Chevrolet. As clearly the Corvair was intended to one up that.
I had a 64 & 66...the only issue I ever had was leaking valve covers...64 was a Spyder and 66 was a Corsa...
I have to wonder if Chevrolet Powertrain Engineering built any experimental OHC versions. With tower shafts for the cams just to be weird.
The second series was a really great car but by the time it debuted their reputation was already ruined
I totally agree the second series are really great cars steering is super light. Don’t get me wrong it’s not really comparable to a Mustang but if you’ve ever driven a Karman Ghia it’s like three times the power of a Karman Ghia especially with the 164 4 carburetor engine
The Corvairs reputation took a blow, but sales really didn't drop that much. The Chevy II just always sold better, so they simply decided to discontinue the Corvair and replace it with the more conventional Vega.
Thanks, nice work.
Glad you dig this episode =)
My uncle bought the first one in 1961. The fan belt slipped and it caught fire in his garage. He threw it in neutral and rolled it out into his driveway.
Wow crazy story thank you so much for sharing it with us even though it was a terrible memory.. Hopefully it was insured
When he was in high school in the early '70s, my father bought an early model Corvair after it had been wrecked. He pulled the body off, welded the front subframe to the rear and made it into a go-kart sort of thing. He said it was fun as hell until his cousin drove it through a fence... Nobody was hurt, but that was the end of it. He later used the 3 speed transaxle to make a homemade winch.
For WYR I'd pick the '61 Greenbrier and the '66 Corsa Turbo especially if it's a convertible.
Thank you for covering the Corvair engine. This car was much maligned, undeservedly so, and a ton of misinformation was bandied about regarding its safety.
Sweet choices =)
I totally agree I got to drive one I got to drive a Corsa with four carburetors it was a really good driving car I was really impressed the steering was super light and this was almost 10 years ago but it’s left that big of an impression on me
I think they sold like 2 million Corvair’s I could be wrong and it’s crazy to think that they said that that was a failure I figured if you saw 2 million of anything that would be considered a success
Heart -What About Love?
Lakewood and Stinger.
Got the song and band
Awesome choices =)
A high school friend of mine had a used early Corvair convertible with 4-speed manual, maybe a '62 or '63. I remember it threw the fan belt a few times. On one occasion, while taking a flat curve out in the country, the rear end swung out and we did a couple of 360's, no doubt because of the early rear swing axle configuration. The car was reliable, the only reason he got rid of it was some pushrod tubes started leaking .
Awesome thank you so much for sharing those memories
The O-rings at the top of the pushrod tubes were problematic. Once they distorted or overheated, they gave off a foul burning oil smell that often penetrated the passenger compartment. Replacing them was a real PITA! In the 1970s some bright fella came up with a new material for them, which Corvair enthusiasts immediately adopted. No more issue in that area!
My favorite episode yet, Jay! My first car was a '64 Monza Spyder convertible and I've owned five different models over the years, including two turbo Corsas. I do want to disagree with one point you made - consumer demand didn't kill the Corsa, Ed Cole killed it. Why? Because although sales were competitive with sporty models from the other Big Three makers, the Corvair engine and drivetrain were significantly more expensive to make than the boring straight sixes from Ford and Chrysler and the profit margin on the Corvair was the lowest in the GM line. That's not good unless model sales are overwhelmingly higher than the competition, and that wasn't the case here. Cole only wanted one enthusiast car in the GM lineup, and it also started with the letters "Corv". It could command a much higher pricetag and by the time they got the fiberglass tech down, it was almost as cheap to build as the Corvair. By 1969 the American fervor with sports cars was dying down, and Cole thought it better focusing on ill-handling muscle cars in the base Chevy ranges. GM engineers never got a chance to work on some of the models weak points, which included the oil seals, O-ring valve seals, and attachment spots to the monocoque shell for the suspension.
My 1967 turbo was one of the best handling cars I've ever owned and was no slouch in a straight line either. Like many other owners, I LOVED this car and joined Corvair clubs and groups until I had to adapt to more family-oriented vehicles. I still have a warm spot for the 'Vairs and may buy one to restore someday. Thanks for bringing it to the What It's Like community! Andy
Glad you dig this episode
That’s crazy and Cole killed it he’s the one who started the Corvair in the beginning but it totally makes sense it was the only line of cars that use that by that point in time they didn’t offer the van or the ramp side truck or the wagon just a car... and with the engine mostly being aluminum they were Expensive to produce
@@What.its.like. It took them a while to realize that what they had created was, in fact, a four-seat sports car, and that there was a whole untapped market for that. The wagons and trucks were just a sideline, and an unprofitable one at that. Yenko and other amateur tuners had discovered how many HP you could wring out of that little pancake engine. After the design changes in '65 they had accidentally created a car that was IMHO the equal of most European "sporty" four seaters. It was a truly great car that found itself in the middle of corporate battles and mishandled marketing. Andy
I like that comment, I love my corvair it was a neat car; I couldn't even kill it it ran really good. Ralph Nader was a Al Gore. He's as bad as a guy in the white house right now ☺️😂🤫
Haha yeah that was an experiment because so many people say Willys wrong be Porsche.. man that was a sore subject for a lot of people
Haha to the last part as falling up a flight of stairs
61 Greenbriar
66 Corsa Turbo (My Dad had one that my oldest brother wrecked. Was repaired, might still be out there, who knows.)
Sweet choices =)
How do you upload so many videos every week? (I've watched every one) You've been working on this a looong time before you actually got started. This is a very interesting channel with basically zero competition. Good move.
I’m motivated I don’t make excuses I just try to get stuff done I had a really busy day and I didn’t think that this was going to get done but I persevered.. lol
Also built a six foot tall cabinet and made parts for three other cabinets as well as did some stuff in town loaded the van.. I just like getting stuff done I don’t know how else to really describe it. =)
In the beginning I wasn’t entirely sure which way it was going to go I knew that I wanted to Classic Car channel I just had no idea how to go about it.. it’s come a long way but I can’t wait to see where it is next year. I’ve met some really incredible people which I will totally highlight them in the end of the year reflection episode =)
It was a car and engine of the future. Just not the future that happened.
It would’ve been cool if they could’ve kept it going..
Wonderful car. Quite the departure from the normal GM stuff. Corvair pickup all the way. Dunno anyone who would turn down a Yenko Corvair.
It was a Rampside, not a pickup. I have made the same mistake! Actually there were very few Pickups made, most of the open box vans were Rampsides and these were very popular with appliance delivery and such because the side ramp folded down to just about a perfect curb height for roll on, roll off with a hand dolly. The 'vans' were the Corvair 95 series with the Greenbriar passanger van, the cargo van, the Rampside and Pickup models. The Greenbriar continued through 1965 but the other models ended after 64. Like the VW van the Corvair vans had an exceptionally low floor because there was no driveshaft or frame to force the floor height up so they had great room. The Greenbrier stayed on an additional year because Chevy could not find an easy replacement for it with it's good ride and room.
There was also a prototype: the 1962 Corvair Monza GT that looked surprisingly like the C3 'vette which came along later in 1968.
Jay Leno owns a Yenko Stinger Corvair. and in reality, GM had already decided to kill off the Corvair & Nader's
book actually made it live on. GM planned on 65 being the last year then sales picked up & 67 was supposed to be the last year & it lived on until 69. I'd like to have a blue 63 Corvair wagon like my Granma had.
Hey #100!...GM should bring it back 👍..Jim Morrison lives!
Haha yeah are used to sing that song karaoke all the time, Just an old fashion love song and one is the loneliest number I think ballad of Kir just an old-fashioned love song and one is the loneliest number, as well as ballad of curtis low
Greenbrier pickup for me!
Sweet =) choices
I would rather.. Greenbrier Van and Yenko Stinger. The 1965 and 1966 DID include the economy "500" model along with the Monza and Corsa. The transaxle and rear suspension shared many parts with the 1961 - 1963 Pontiac Tempest.
Thank you so much for that correction I wasn’t sure if they still offered that series or not =)
Great choices =)
I want to cover 861 through 63 tempest I’ve never seen one in the Wild would really love to see your wagon I want to try to cover at least 10 wagon so I’m in Hershey
Not bad ⚡️
Maybe the next level of engine evolution will be some sort of laser based ignition system that doesn't go into nuclear levels, it seems like something someone could or has anyone tried? Have a wonderful day and great video! 🍻🌎♥️🎶🕺
Glad you dig this episode I want to do the Hudson twin H soon.. but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to find enough information I do a video on that engine.. =)
I have a 64 Spyder Convertable, love it, a most advanced innovative car but public don't get it.
I think they will get popular maybe in time super underrated for what they are
I'd pick the '66 Corsa to cruise around in. Driving the Stinger would be fun, but cause too many hotshots wanting to race all the time.
Totally agree about people wanting to race the stinger all the time..
Great choices =)
Van, Yenko...Naw, but really, I'd want one with an LS in it.....
Outstanding Video...bot a Camshaft has "Lobes" not "Globes."
Haha yeah
I had a 1965 Corsa 4 Speed loved it was a blast to drive.
Turbo or four carburetors
I got to drive a four carbureted version I almost bought it I ended up getting a Karman Ghia instead.. That was almost 10 years ago and I can still remember the push that it had it felt like nothing else I’ve never driven a Porsche I’ve rode in one but I’ve never driven one, Besides a 924 which was a front engine I never drove a rear engine Porsche
Old GF. Had a monza turquoise conv .was a nice car may been a spider haha about fan belt on those never leave home without one 😅 as to nader thought he meant would burn up in your garage. Unsafe any speed
I will be 70 years old in 4 months so I had many friends who had a Corvair and always loved riding in them. Please do the Yenko stage 2 next.
I want to do a Yenko but I haven’t found one yet.. might do an episode on yenko company
Great video
Very educational, but I would have liked to hear how the engine sounded 😩!!!
Happy you dig this video I have to see about doing that for future episodes. It’s really hard to get a running clip of various engines
Interesting perspective on why they stopped production. It makes sense to me, particularly the expensive to produce engine factor.
Corvair was an affordable comfortable rear engined car that got good mpg compared to other contemporary Chevrolets. Both the VW and Corvair had the rear suspension that could allow rear oversteer. Chevrolet corrected it with what at the time was called an “anti sway bar”.
Another Corvair advantage was a real heater. If you lived in the north and drove in the extreme cold you needed an ice scraper to remove windshield icing from the inside of the windshield.
I added an anti-sway bar to my '64 Monza Spyder and it dramatically improved the handling, which was great as long as you kept the front tire pressure at the very low recommended levels (I recall something like 16-18 psi). I also swapped out the steering arms to go from a 5 turn lock-to-lock range down to 3.5. It made it harder to park and maneuver at parking lot speed, but with the front weight so light it didn't matter much to me at that age. Andy
Corsa for sure!
=) sweet
The little black Corvair.... or van.
I am a solid Ford guy but I will admit the Corvair was a good car. What was the demographics of a Corvair buyet
IMHO the biggest issue I have with corvairs is that GM knew they had a fairly unstable car and they knowingly marketed this unsafe car to young drivers. I don't think they should be banned from doing so but I do believe we all should own our actions
Buy 65 they were redesigned with 4 wheel independent suspension, they did have swing axles but so did Volkswagen and Early Porsche but nobody ever complains about those.. perhaps because those cars were under powered
1 & 2: All of them. Never know when I might find someone looking to buy one.
They can be had for very cheap it’s a very good car to get into the Classic Car hobby that is for sure.
I almost bought one but I bought a Karman Ghia instead because the Karman Ghia was worth more at the end of the rainbow. I got to drive a Corsa with 140 hp and it moved. Way faster than Karman Ghia
Great choices =)
@@What.its.like. Makes sense.
That was a fun video to watch. I have a Cor air.
Awesome
What year and body style?
What do you like the most about it what do you like the least about it
@What.its.like. I may have put my answer elsewhere. But I have a 1964 Monza Corvair with a 1968 140hp engine. I liked how comprehensive your video is but it went sort of fast.
Sweet I like Corvair so different
1961 Corvair Lakewood wagon.
1964 Corvair Spyder
Sweet choices =)
As far as which one to get…when in doubt, drop the top. Any questions?
Corsair was a good car, I had a 63 Monza naturally aspirated model. I loved that car. So, I would rather try a greenbrier van.
Awesome Thank you so much for sharing your car with us any cool stories in our memories of that car
Greenbrier vans are pretty cool I think they’re the ones that started that trend Ford and dodge copied I could be wrong though I’m not that versed in vans from the 60s
CORVAIR Corsair was a Ford 1963/1970 GB model
I'd pick the Greenbrier and the convertible for your poll. Thanks for another great video! I love Corvairs!
Awesome choices
Glad you dig this episode I’m going to Hershey tomorrow and I’m not sure what my schedules going to be like I love engine episode Wednesdays and everybody else does so I wanted to make sure that we got that for this week
the van and the yenko for me
Sweet =)
I'm torn between 64 spider 🕷, and 65 corsair, all would be great 👍
I’m totally with you couldn’t go wrong with any of them =)
I like the yanko grew up wuth 61 lakewood fun car brother had 64 monza not sure if spider
Awesome =)
The biggest single mistake Chevrolet made was making the Corvair engine small. Should have been at least 200 ci.
I've always liked the little corvair, I almost got one but my uncle and grandpa convinced me not to they said it wasn't a safe car.
There's no such thing as an unsafe car... there's only unsafe (inexperienced or incompetent) drivers.
I would go for the Greenbrier van and the Corsa Spyder. The engine turned out to be considerably heavier than drawn, which caused problems, considering it was behind the rear axle line. The car's recommended tire pressures were almost absurdly low for the rears. (By the way, swing axles are independent rear suspension.) Chevrolet basically did with the Corvair versus the Volkswagen what it did with the stovebolt six versus the Model T Ford--it was similar, but slightly upmarket--bigger, with six cylinders versus four--intended to be a lot more (but similar) car for a little more money. Nader might actually have extended the Corvair's lifespan--GM may well have help on to it in a defensive reaction to Nader's attacks. Thanks for the details.
Awesome information
I should’ve worded that differently I saw in the diagrams after I wrote the script that it does have independent suspension they did away with the swing arms live axel thank you for the correction =)
Glad you dig this episode great choices
Green Briar truck would be rare and nice with the Yenko. 220hp shows the potential of this design.
Great choices it’s crazy yenko was able to get that kind of horsepower out of a naturally aspirated engine
Duh…what does Leno have? The 1966 Yenko Stage II.
I would rather have a plain Corvair car. Ralph Nadar did sort of kill the Corvair because of all the bad talk about the Corvair in the 60's people were afraid to buy them and went to THe Ford Falcon, Plymouth Vailant, Dodge Lancer(later the Dart) NAd Cheverolet's own Chevy II. I owned a '63 Corvair Monza when I was sisteen and I drove WAY TOO FAST and never did I ever have any trrouble witht he handling. I like the '65-59 body style best, so I would lke the '66 Corsa Turbo. The black '64 shown looks like my old '63 I had when I was sisxteen. It was a black two door with red interior and a four speed.
Heart --What about love ?
That’s the song and band unfortunately somebody beat you for title
we refer to them as 80,95,98,102,110,140,150,180 hp
forgot the 84hp in 62-63 monza automatic
greenbrier sports wagon my choice
ive diven 62-64 spyder turbo and 65-66 corsa 140hp so id have to try a yenko stinger
66 stage 2 and Greenbriar
same here
Sweet choices =)
Jay…that’s DOU-SH-AAAAAAAAH.
Hahaha yeah
I think I'd like to have the Steve McQueen Corvair engine Dune buggy. But that's just me and there's only one.
Id rather have a 1965 Plymouth Fury III 318 cu. in. 4 door.