In current times, it can be hard to define an appropriate category for the Chevrolet Corvair (1960-1969). They’re a compact but not in the Chevy II, Ford Falcon, or Plymouth Valiant sense of the segment. They’re more like a VW Type I but they don’t engender the VW’s following, though Corvairs certainly have their fan base. The turbocharged versions had some serious oomph but not really the typical muscle car get-up-and-go. They share some similarities of features and styling cues with the ’60s vintage Impala/Chevelle/Camaro/Nova but hardly enough to ever be confused for one. And they fizzled out while their Chevrolet siblings were still going strong. So, what to make of this ’64 Corvair Monza convertible? It’s located in Booneville, Mississippi and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $1,825 with the reserve not yet met.
The Corvair underwent some nice improvements for ’64, including a larger 164 CI, flat six-cylinder, air-cooled engine, good for 95 HP, a significantly revised suspension, and finned rear brake drums to aid in stopping. The enhancements didn’t help sales however as 215K units were sold, down from the previous year’s 288K output. Competition from Ford’s new Mustang, plus a staid body design, were to blame for the decrease.
Speaking of that new, larger engine, our Corvair is a non-runner and the seller adds, “The previous owner had started restoring the engine but did not finish, the engine is in the car but several of its parts have not been reinstalled and from what we can tell everything is there, unfortunately, we can not verify if the parts are in working order as we simply do not have the time to finish putting everything back together” – not a great sign! The two-speed Powerglide automatic transaxle is a bit of a wet blanket too. I had a friend in college who had a ‘Vair equipped like this one and it was sloooow.
But, this one has a top that goes up and down, so that’s plus points! The body looks fair though there is mention of dents, dings, and a dented rear valance. The finish is typically flat – not surprising for a car of this age. The convertible top shows well, my guess is that it’s a recent replacement. The listing states that the original top was white, so yes, this one is obviously a replacement. It’s also said that the power mechanism no longer works but it can be folded up or down manually. The wheels are fake wire arrangements, and as the listing states, the spoke assemblies for the rears have been removed but are included.
The black vinyl interior is not half bad! The upholstery looks like it has survived the test of time along with the winds of weather when in top-down mode. The armrests are a little hinky looking but the door panels, padded dash, instrument panel, and carpet show well. Of note, the seatbelts were supposedly removed by the prior owner and are MIA.
Well, what do we really have here? A fun compact car with a retractable top that doesn’t fit into a lot of predefined categories except for the general old car one and specifically, one we probably won’t see again. If I wanted a Corvair like this Monza, I think that I’d hold out for an example with a manual transmission. And I have to say the engine’s condition makes me a bit nervous, how about you?
If the car doesn’t have any rust in the sills or floors it’s a 4-5K car as it sits. I’m firmly in the late model camp with my 65 Corsa. What can be said for the 64 model is the rear camber compensator which helps with the rear tires tucking in. Also the 64 rigidity is better than the late model 65-69. The LM needed what the club members call coke bottle shakers in the corners to cancel cowl shake. I have grown to like the 61-64 models. It’s a handsome design copied by many.
We always referred to them as cocktail shakers! The 67 Camaro/Firebird convertibles also used the same setups. I’m also a LM guy, I have a 65 Corsa mid-engine and a 66 Monza 140/4 convert, but the EM’s have been growing on me…
Looks like any small part that could be taken off the car preparing for restoration was removed on the engine. Oh my all that hardware is where? Solid looking car though.
In a car that’s “unsafe at any speed,” who needs seatbelts?
“…we simply do not have the time to finish putting everything back together” – not a great sign! ”
Who cares if it is a non runner. If that body is as solid as it looks, shut up and take my money.
NHTSA was ’66, hense no seatbelts
Seatbelts were mandatory beginning with the1968 models. Wisconsin actually had a seatbelt law back in 1961, the car had to be equipped with belts, but there was no law requiring their use. I remember helping my dad install seat belts in our 1962 Buick after it was purchased. I also remember the single long belt that was available (aftermarket of course) for the entire rear seat rather than individual belts! My 1965 GTO had an $11 credit for the front seat belt delete, although I have a set installed.
My father bought a ’64 BelAir in July of that year and the dealership wouldn’t let him take the car until they installed front seat belts. They claimed it was supposed to have belts due to a July 1st requirement but this car fell into a gap and was missed.
Perhaps it was a GM requirement, I owned many pre’68 Chevies and they always had factory seatbelts, not those $9.99 specials that you could get at a gas station.
JO
there was no chevelle when these premiered
Or Camaro.
So obvious, that it’s really not worth mentioning and I’m fully aware of that. This Corvair and second-gen Corvairs contained a lot of Bill Mitchell styling cues that other models, Camaro, Chevelle, etc. employed.
JO
C’mon, Jim, you can say it if you really, really try. (In current times, it can be hard to define an appropriate category for the Chevrolet Corvair.) It’s a red, white, and blue Porker! GM figured how to build an air cooled six cylinder before than funny German brand did. Imagine if GM had taken the money developing the Chevy II or Camaro and plugged that into the Corvair’s future models what we could have had!
I think the difficult part was convincing the American public. Also too bad longer lasting o-rings we’re not available back then. But like you said a little more money to sort the issues and it could have hung in there.
I would love to drive this car or own it. It’s a duplicate of the first convertible I ever drove and the source of my desire for convertibles. I’ve owned five in my lifetime, but never a Corvair.
A friend loaned me hers to make a short trip across town to collect ad money for the school newspaper. We had the top down, and fortunately, hers had the auto transmission, because I hadn’t yet learned how to drive a standard.
When we tried to start the car to drive back to school the drive belt slipped off. We managed to get in touch with the owner and she came over to fix it. She was quite experienced with that. I never forgot that blue car.