The vagaries of buying a car sight unseen are bound to rouse a heated online debate among car folk. As on many things, I fall somewhere in between; for example, if I were spending new house money on a collector car, clearly an in-person inspection is in order. On the other hand, I would never spend that much money on a car, so I’ve personally bought three cars on a wing and a prayer, as they say. This may say something about emotional purchases, but I have been more satisfied with those three than two I’ve bought with cash in hand. Be that as it may, even though this ’63 Greenbrier carries a $9,700 asking price, it’s the kind of car you’ll want to inspect before forking out your hard-earned stack of bills. The ad, which Barn Finder Rocco B. found on craigslist in Glendale, Arizona, is sparse on details, but it’s the pictures that raise some questions.
It’s time to clarify my comments. I think this is probably a good, solid fixer-upper, and the seller says that it’s a two-owner van that’s “been in the family for a long time.” Unfortunately, I think a lot of that time has been spent sitting around, as evidenced by the spider webs covering just about every square inch of the dashboard. Some people purposely leave a long dormant car dusty and messy because it adds the “barn find” mystique, but I’m not sure that’s the case here; it might be a case of family members just trying to clear an estate or something like that. Regardless, the bench seat up front has been reupholstered and will probably clean up just fine. A new carpet is as simple as a call to Clark’s Corvair in Massachusetts, and most importantly, the door jambs and wheelwells look completely solid, and they’re real soft spots on these Corvair 95s.
Exhibit B: the engine compartment. The seller doesn’t mention if the van runs or not, but there is a newer fuel filter near the left carburetor (and that is one of the first things I’d toss in the trash, as Corvairs use only steel lines in the engine compartment, no rubber). Therefore, it might run, but it’s not going to hold onto that fan belt for long given that rusty (or maybe just dusty) fan pulley. Greenbriers came with the same standard 80-horsepower 145-cubic-inch flat six as other Corvairs, and that is most likely what’s under the hood (although Corvairs benefit from excellent interchangeability, so it could be almost anything). Any transmission was available, but this one has the reliable Powerglide automatic.
The exterior certainly looks nice, with only a couple of questionable spots on the roof that might be shadows. See what I mean? This looks like a nice van that’s been sitting around, so it’s worth contacting the owner to get more of the story if you’re interested. Let us know in the comments if you pick up this fun-looking Greenbrier.
Looks complete, if grungy. Frankly, with a car this old and apparently so long dormant, I’d plan to go through everything (engine, brakes, tires, suspension, etc., etc.) just for my own peace of mind, Can’t tell if it needs paint (probably does), but once all the necessities were fixed, I’d let that wait for a while.
I’ve had a “thing” for Greenbriers ever since I was young and rode in a friend’s mother’s example, which I recall as being a little more upmarket than this one. It had the P-glide, too, and got around all right. It was quicker than the VW Bus she traded for it.
I’d love to grab this, but it’s a little too pricey for me given the cost of work that awaits. Nice, though….
I’m always in doubt if the Corvair Greenbrier Van oversteers as the Street Corvair Cars were blamed, or it can be considered more stable
Don’t know the weight of the van, but with a 80HP engine, imagine it doesn’t move too quick! Lots of TLC + money to get the van road worthy….
There were many variants of 6-Flat Corvair engine, some turbocharged, or that with a four barrel carb, providing 120 HP.
It’s easy upgrading Corvair engine, many aftermarket parts exist, eg, from ‘Corvairsation’
Very nice. Although this was long before I was born, I’ve seen quite a few early Corvairs over the years. My favourite was always the vans and trucks, and that included the Greenbrier. If only more pictures were posted on Craigslist.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
In this case some interior pics would be worth it.
I agree. The more pictures posted the better.
I consider it a damned shame that the Greenbrier was discontinued after 1964-65. You’d think that Chevy would’ve been able offer both rear engine powered vehicles like the Greenbrier and front engine powered vehicles for the same showroom.