Chevrolet’s first entry into the compact car market was unconventional by Detroit standards of the day. The Corvair had an air-cooled engine (rather than water-cooled), and it was mounted in the back (not the front). So, it was something like a U.S.-built Volkswagen Beetle though bigger and it looked like an American car. Though the Corvair met with some safety controversy later, 1.8 million copies were built before Chevy pulled the plug in 1969.
Only two generations of the Corvair were produced, 1960-64 and 1965-69. The 1963 model is the one that caught the seller’s eye, having bought it brand new in his/her hometown. It’s a 900 Series Monza coupe, considered top-of-the-line in the day, with a 145 cubic inch flat-4 (the only choice) and an automatic transmission (Corvair version of the Powerglide?). For most of its life, this Monza has lived indoors, and the odometer shows a scant 54,000 miles. So, what are the chances you’ll find another one-owner Corvair out there?
Chevrolet built 291,000 Corvairs in 1963, a good showing for a car that was in its 4th year of production and largely unchanged. The 2-door Monza was popular at 118,000 copies. This car was refreshed about 20-25 years ago, receiving new paint and an interior redo at the time. Both have held up for their age, though the carpeting might be starting to fade. The vehicle sees minimal use these days, with only 30-40 miles on 6-year-old tires.
We’re told the little automobile drives well and makes an occasional appearance at car shows. If you were looking for a nice, quality Corvair, this should be one of the nicer ones left. Located in Schererville, Indiana, this survivor-quality Chevy is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached just $3,550.01 but the seller’s reserve has yet to kick in. Helpful hint to car sellers: take landscape photos as they will present your wares better.
The engine is actually a 145ci. The 140ci. engine was only found on the 1960 model which was more or less a prototype that was released to the public. There were a lot of big changes for the 61 model year to correct the first year production.
Good catch. Have updated.
Also, it’s a flat 6, not a flat 4
Nice example. We enjoyed the ’65 Monza we had.
My late sister had a Monza coupe, complete with P-Glide. Not really a bad car at all, and fun to drive.
I’d prefer a four-speed — there are few cars that aren’t improved by manual transmissions — but I could deal with it, especially if the reserve isn’t too much higher than the current max bid.
Looks like a good ‘un, and if it’s as sound mechanically as it appears to be cosmetically, and parts are as easy to source as they were when I checked a few years ago, I wouldn’t kick it out of the garage.
Flat 6.
Have owned quite a few over the years and even as a 16 year old was never able to get any rear wheel under the car as Ralph claimed. Yep even a 1960 and a 62 Monza. GM could have done so much more with these cars, but the pony car was born and the automotive landscape changed.
I always get a bit verklempt when I see a Corvair. Not sure why, it’s not an AMC, maybe because misery loves company, and Corvairs, like Ramblers, suffered plenty of scrutiny. By most standards, the Corvair was the most advanced vehicle we had ever seen. Unconventionally superior in almost every way. Just too far out there, so therefore we must admonish it, seemed to be the answer. People that were familiar with rear engine cars, mostly Europeans, probably thought the Corvair was a slick car, and it was, again, Americans wanted Hemi Dodge Darts in the 60s, not a VW on steroids.
Like AMC, some cars never get past that stigma,and sadly, Ralph is the 1st thing many think of, although that is fading, along with interest for clean ’63 Corvair. $3500 is an insult here, but on the other hand, someone may get a neat car for peanuts. I suppose that’s always been the bargain hunters creed, buy the stuff nobody else wants.
Nice little Monza here. The automatic is what really holds this one’s price down. I believe these could be had with either a 3 speed or 4 speed. Still I wouldn’t kick this one out of my garage for leaking a little oil on my floor.
Here we go again. There was no such thing as a “flat four” Corvair. All Corvairs were six cylinders! Why can’t you learn that?
Calm down.
GM solved the stability issues in Corvair, but simply having tires’ pressure within specifications changed situation a lot, however, the Bad Reputation from ‘Unsafe at any speed’ was hard to washout.
1’800’000 cars made are a lot.
Besides the Airplane Conversions from Corvair engine, just having a new Aftermarket Camshaft and dizzy pinion allows installing this excellent engine on any front engined car, e.g. an AMC.
YouTube has a video: ‘How to adapt any Transmission to any Engine’
GM offered a petrol burning heater to avoid the people inside from freezing in Winter, but you could find some electric heaters, or consider the Series A Citroen approach, having Air heated by circulating around exhaust ducts, or bleed from hot air from cylinders.
Corvair 6-flat engine had a mechanical Thermostat controlled flap keeping constant the Temperature of Air having cooled cylinders.
Your post jarred my memory and I remember hearing that stability was an issue with Corvair back in the day but I didn’t pay much attention because I was a muscle car guy. A cousin of mine in north Denver had one though that was likely built prior to the issue being fixed because one night while pulling into a dirt parking lot a little too fast the guy driving it hit a pothole and rolled over twice. I just happened to be going the other way at the same time and saw the whole thing. Fortunately the guys driving it were ok, other than a broken arm, but that was the end of cousin Tom’s Corvair days.
The Corvair was no more dangerous than any other rear-engined car using a swing axle set up at the time. Ralph didn’t know how to drive.
Unless you got hit in the front , then you’d be better off with an engine in front of you
Don’t know if it’s true, but word was Nadar had a driver’s license
So much wrong in these Comments. Not one 4 cylinder Corvair engine was ever built. Corvairs are well-built, unibody construction, and the engines are very durable. Automatic transmissions…even moreso. They are a delight to drive. I have owned about 12 various versions and currently have a ’64 convertible w/factory A/C and a highly modified ’69 4 carb. coupe, which will out-corner most modern cars. NOTE: there was an in-depth NHTSB investigation into handling. GM was exonerated.
My mother had a ’60, base model, automatic, I drove it frequently, kept tire pressure as prescribed – something like 15 lb front and 30 lb rear – never flipped around for her or me, but watched one flip around on two lane road, ended up about 3′ from me on the shoulder, head to head, I stopped before it did. Other driver was suitably upset – clear dry straight road. And a Renault Dauphine made the same move on I-91 near Hartford, ended up in breakdown lane, no contact with anyone else. Uncle’s early 911 Porsche was very unstable, Corvair was far less fatiguing to drive. Gas heater was a real problem, plenty of fumes in the passenger compartment. Great in snow even snow up to belly pan.
Hello.
As an 18 year old lad out of school buying my first new to me car in 1970 I purchased a 1969 Corsair Spider which I absolutely loved until Alberta winter came forcing me to park the car all winter. I never had any issues Ralph spoke about. Just miles and miles of smiles and smiles. Take that Ralph.
This really looks safe to me, knew 2 brothers who died in one of these in 69.
Back in the sixties my father would put a HUNDRED frozen chickens in back with seat down, drive it out to his restaurant on Onieda lake in the winter, they didn’t plow all the time, always made it there no problem!
Please quit throwing the word survivor around if you dont know what it means. ALL original car INCLUDING paint and interior. I know a Torino Cobra 429 4sp DragPac car with 14k mils that is ALL original except for the oil and filter, even has the original air cleaner. That is a SURVIVOR.
I bought a 62 3spd basic in 69 for 250.00 about 60kmi. Needed tiers tune up, had some dings so I went to earl schrib. 29.95 plus tax not show quality of corse 😂 but 100% better than it was red black interior. Ran good great in snow gas mileage not bad got me Mobil for about 2yrs sold it for 300.00. Good times and memories of my first car !! 😂