Chevrolet Corvair buyer's guide

Overview

The Corvair (1960–69) was Chevrolet's radical compact: an air-cooled flat-six in the rear, independent suspension all round and not a drop of water in its cooling system — America's only mass-produced rear-engined car. Two generations: the "early models" (1960–64) with their bathtub styling and swing-axle rear suspension, and the beautiful "late models" (1965–69) with fully independent rear suspension and some of the finest styling GM ever produced. The performance line ran from the Monza Spyder (1962–64, the first mass-produced turbocharged American car alongside the Oldsmobile Jetfire) to the Corsa (1965–66) with its 140hp four-carburettor engine or the 180hp turbo. Ralph Nader made the early cars famous for the wrong reason; the market has long since sorted the fact (the later government study cleared the design) from the folklore. Corvairs are affordable, clever and supported by one of the strongest clubs in the hobby.

Generations and year breaks

1960–1964 — the early models

• Launched as sedans and coupes with the 80hp flat-six; the Monza (1960½) added buckets and the sporting brief; the Lakewood wagon and the Greenbrier/Rampside trucks broadened the line.
• Monza Spyder (1962–64): turbocharged to 150hp, with the full gauge pack — the performance flagship, in coupe and convertible form.
• The swing-axle handling story belongs here: Chevrolet added a transverse leaf "camber compensator" for 1964, and the aftermarket has solutions; drive one before believing anything written about them, in either direction.

1965–1969 — the late models

• The Coke-bottle redesign is a design classic, and the new rear suspension (a proper multi-link layout adapted from the Corvette) made the car handle as well as it looked.
• Corsa (1965–66): 140hp (four single carburettors) or 180hp turbo — the turbo Corsa is the fastest Corvair and the collector's pick.
• The line wound down from 1967 (Monza and 500 only) as the Camaro took the brief; the last cars of 1969 were effectively hand-finished as production ended in May.

Engines and options that matter

• The flat-six in its sizes: 145ci (1960–63), 164ci (1964–69), in 80–110hp carburetted forms. The 110 is the sweet everyday engine; the 95 is the economy spec.
• 140 (1965–66 Corsa, 1967–69 option): four carburettors — performance with a synchronisation hobby attached.
• Turbo (Spyder/Corsa): verify the turbo, its correct carburettor and the exhaust; turbo hardware is specific and the engines are identified by their codes (YR/RL-family suffixes). A "turbo" car with a standard engine is a dressed Monza.
• Transmissions: the four-speed manual is the enthusiast's choice (the three-speed is the base; the two-speed Powerglide suits cruisers and is common in convertibles).
• The Fitch Sprint and Yenko Stinger are the documented tuner specials — the Stinger (1966–69) is a race-bred rarity with its own registry culture; paperwork is everything.

What to check before buying

• Rust — the unibody is the car: Corvairs rot in the rocker panels (structural, and the convertible's only real strength), floor pans, the front crossmember area, door bottoms and around the windscreen. A rusty Corvair is a parts car with paperwork; a solid one is worth real money. Inspect from below, always.
• Engine health: the flat-six leaks oil from the pushrod-tube seals (routine, fixable) and overheats if the cooling fan's belt or the thermostat doors fail — the belt's routing is famously acrobatic and a thrown belt is the classic Corvair breakdown. Check the engine's cooling tins are all present.
• Turbo cars: the turbo should spool cleanly; the Carter YH carburettor on turbo cars is a specialist item. Smoke and lag both tell stories.
• Suspension: on early cars, establish what's fitted (compensator, aftermarket camber kit); on all cars the driveshaft joints and the late cars' half-shaft U-joints are the wear items.
• Numbers: the engine code is stamped on the block's top rear; the VIN (driver's door jamb on earlies, the engine-compartment rail on lates) decodes year and body. Trim tags in the engine bay decode paint and trim.
• Parts: the Corvair aftermarket (Clark's Corvair Parts above all) is famously complete for a dead line; NOS trim and late-model convertible pieces are the hunts. Mechanical revival is cheap by classic standards.