with all the modern amenities.
wouldn't you take one for a test drive?

It's not a bad looking car compared to what they are offering these days.

My dad had one like that as a company car back in the sixties.
Same color, I kinda remember not being the best ride though.
A lot cooler today.

Is it safe at any speed?

I've owned several Corvairs and still have 1.5. I don't know what any of them got for gas mileage, as gas was so cheap that it really didn't matter. Just drove till there was a quarter tank left and then $3 filled them back up (with ethyl).

They are a fun and easy car to drive. Kind of like the SIG P250 of cars.
.

No argument on styling. The Corvair was always a nice looking car--including gen 1.

They oversteered a bit . I had a '64 for awhile. I was driving from Walsenberg in S Colorado out toward I-25. There had been a light rain and I was gliding through some gentle esses when it did a 360 on me. I ended up stopped in the middle of the highway, but if there was a warning that I was approaching loss of adhesion, I sure didn't sense it.

I would have liked to have seen Chevrolet get the opportunity to evolve the car. I saw an episode of Wheeler Dealers where Edd fixed up a Corvair. Chevrolet had already come up with a transverse suspension stiffener by '65 that improved handling. It's a shame that Nader's book held such sway with the press and public.

If I remember Edd China's monologue about the engine, the flat-6 Corvair pre-dated the flat-6 Porsche. There were darn sure some problems to sort out. I knew an old Chevy mechanic who specialized in them. He referred to them as "road oilers." I now know that the oil loss came from the push rod tubes. Each one had an o-ring at top and bottom and as soon as they began to harden, would allow oil to pass.

Edited to correct as per Cycler

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TMats,

The first car I owned was a 1969 Corvair Monza coupe with 4 single barrel carbs. It would have been a blast with a 4 spd manual. There was a lot of weight in the back and stickier tires helped.

I can get 30 mpg in my 17 Camaro SS as long as I allow the software to keep me in 4cyl/6 cyl mode. Meaning...keep my foot out of it.

It's truly amazing where we are today with engine efficiency.

In HS a buddies Dad had the 210 hp version of the Corvair...it was scary fast. At least it was to two 17 yr olds anyway.

The Ernie Kovacs picture is a bit too esoteric for me. What's the joke?

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:They understeered a bit . I had a '64 for awhile. I was driving from Walsenberg in S Colorado out toward I-25. There had been a light rain and I was gliding through some gentle esses when it did a 360 on me.

That's not understeer, it's oversteer and the early generations were notorious for it. Very much the same as VW Beatles and Porches and for the same reasons.

quote:

Originally posted by Cycler:

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:They understeered a bit . I had a '64 for awhile. I was driving from Walsenberg in S Colorado out toward I-25. There had been a light rain and I was gliding through some gentle esses when it did a 360 on me.

That's not understeer, it's oversteer and the early generations were notorious for it. Very much the same as VW Beatles and Porches and for the same reasons.

Of course, "understeer" is pushing through a corner. I meant the other understeer

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
The Ernie Kovacs picture is a bit too esoteric for me. What's the joke?

Not really a joke, but Kovacs died wrapping his Corvair wagon around a power pole. It was 2am on wet roads and he was returning home from Mr. and Mrs. Milton Berle's baby shower.

I don't know that a modernized Corvair would sell. The only extant rear-engine/rear-drive car of any significance is the Porsche 911, a "niche" car even for the already "niche" Porsche. It would certainly not have an air-cooled engine.

The early cars had a swing-axle rear suspension (semi-independent with the drive axles having only a single universal joint at the transmission end), which was terrible for steering the ass end around the front and spinning the car right off the road. Those of you who have ridden older shaft-drive motorcycles will recognize "shaft jacking" or "shaft effect." In 1965 it went to a true independent rear suspension. The one pictured is from one of the last years, 1968-69.

I knew a guy (friend of my father) who collected Corvairs. I asked him once how many he had. He responded "I don't know - 60?"

He's gone now, and the cars are all sold, but walking through his 3 car garages was an experience I'll never forget. Besides the Corvairs, he had several '60s Rivieras, Vettes, about 3 ski boats, and many other toys.

I've always liked Corvairs. They are a very elegant design.

quote:

Originally posted by Cycler:

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:They understeered a bit . I had a '64 for awhile. I was driving from Walsenberg in S Colorado out toward I-25. There had been a light rain and I was gliding through some gentle esses when it did a 360 on me.

That's not understeer, it's oversteer and the early generations were notorious for it. Very much the same as VW Beatles and Porches and for the same reasons.

Tell me about it. I spun out a "61 VW Bug (1500cc motor) one morning on the way to work. Scared the crap out of me.

2 ply German 15" tires didn't help the rear suspension.

That Mk II is one of the most beautiful cars ever built, in my opinion, and with the IRS, I believe it handled pretty well. If I could find a good one (4-speed, of course!) and a parts source, I'd use it as a daily driver.

My college room mate had a first-model coupe, bright gold, with the turbo engine, neat as hell, until the day I lost a stoplight grand prix to a 1950 DeSoto Limousine!

I'll never forget, I was about 8 years old, and one of our mechanics at our gas station brought me over to a turbo charged corvair and said, this is the wave of the future, referring to the Turbo. Guy was right!

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
with all the modern amenities.
wouldn't you take one for a test drive?

It's not a bad looking car compared to what they are offering these days.

I would be shocked if the pictured '65 or '66 Corvair 'Corsa' with four single bbl carbs got 30 mpg.
The two carb Monzas only topped out at around 23~24 mpg.

A friend of my Dad built a Corveight, put a small block in the rear seat. I don't remember the details and but I did see it once, pretty impressive.

I had one, I'm cured. Had a two speed powerglide auto and twin carbs and wouldn't spin the tires in gravel. I spun it out and so did my brother. If a car would have been coming I wouldn't be writing this.

Some of the fun quirks was when the generator bracket broke it caused the gen fan to rub on the steel fuel line. Spinning steel rubbing on steel with fuel spurting. The rear motor mount broke and the rear of the engine dropped on the road.