In the early 1960s, if you wanted a new compact car, you could go the traditional route and buy a Ford Falcon, Chevy Nova, or Studebaker Lark, among others. All had water-cooled engines mounted in the front, like with every other car except the Corvair. Its motor was air-cooled and mounted in the back of the vehicle. Over 10 years, Chevrolet would sell 1.8 million Corvairs, including this ’63 Monza 900 Series 4-door sedan which has just come out of long-term climate-controlled storage. It’s been all cleaned up with some mechanical TLC remaining to be done. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this vintage find is available here on craigslist for $4,500. Thanks for bringing this Chevy to our attention, T.J.!
By 1963, the Chevy Corvair was firmly in Ralph Nader’s sights and that would lead to his 1965 book, “Unsafe at Any Speed.” Nader had concerns about the safety integrity of the car, which could flip in certain circumstances when pushed hard while cornering. But for every argument Ralph brought up against the car, the other side had an equal defense. The result was that sales began to drop off after the second generation of cars was introduced in 1965.
First-generation 4-door Corvairs (1960-64) had the same “bubble top” roofs and rear windows as the 1959-60 full-size Chevies. The top series was the Monza (also referred to as the “900”) which included the seller’s car. At just 40,000 miles, the car was last on the road in 1982 and retired 40 years for reasons unknown. Released from its bonds, the auto has been washed, cleaned, and presents well overall, though it’s not perfect. The aqua green/blue paint still shines up and the matching interior may be just fine.
To get the ‘Vair going again, the seller rebuilt the starter and carburetor, installed a new exhaust system, and tuned it up while changing all the fluids. The end game: the car started up without issues and should be roadworthy once the buyer flushes out the fuel system and puts new brakes and tires on the 59-year-old Chevrolet. Of the 285,000 Corvairs built in 1963, this Monza 900 4-door sedan was one of 31,120. If you’ve been looking for a nice first-generation Corvair, this could be a nice find!
This car is in remarkable condition considering it spent its life in Illinois. The 4-door Corvairs were the first to go to the scrap heap. Similar fate for wagons. Now since there are fewer nice ones left they are becoming more valuable. I think the sellers price is fair and with more elbow grease the interior and exterior will be presentable. Focus on the mechanics, pull the PowerPack and reseal it, replace the brake hydraulics, and brake lines, replace the fuel tank and sender. Perfect project car for father and son or girl.
Whoever buys it will really enjoy driving this car. All the parts are readily available from several Corvair exclusive vendors with strong community support. Classic cars don’t get easier than this.
Yes. And add the 64 style cross leaf suspension add on to it and solve the rolling suspension problem. Also the Vega clutch plate that has springs and stop the clutch chatter. Lastly add the axle ring locks from Clark’s Corvair Parts Wich prevent the axles from pulling out due to axle bearing failure.
It ain’t fancy compared to some of the stuff on this site, but I Really, Really like this car.
If perso al circumstances alliwed, I would definitely be in on the bidding!
GLWTA
Sorry for all the typos on my last post.
These old fingers are not up to dealing with these new-fangled tiny keyboards.
I know what you mean. What’s even worse is having to send a text from my phone.
A true old time bomb…
It’s a common misconception that Ralph Nader killed the Corvair when, in fact, he did not. The Corvair started life as an economy car in 1960 to compete with the VW Bug. Then, in the mid to late 60s the burgeoning muscle car era demanded greater horsepower to remain competitive. The rear engine bay of the Corvair was too small for the V8 engine options the market wanted. As a result, Chevrolet released the Camaro in 1966 to replace the Corvair which ended in 69. The late model Corair and early Camaro look almost identical.
Yes. And add the 64 style cross leaf suspension add on to it and solve the rolling suspension problem. Also the Vega clutch plate that has springs and stop the clutch chatter. Lastly add the axle ring locks from Clark’s Corvair Parts Wich prevent the axles from pulling out due to axle bearing failure.
I owned two and worked on many Corvairs back in the day; overall much fun and a great handling car! This one would be MUCH better with a four-speed manual; with the auto 0-60 takes the better part of an afternoon.