It’s hard to believe what shows up for donated cars these days, but I have to imagine the generational shift in classic car ownership is causing some notable hobbyist cars to end up getting dumped for a tax break because the heirs of the original owner don’t know what they have. Yes, sometimes, the owners themselves are looking for the easy way out of a project car they no longer love, but this 1962 Chevrolet Corvair looks far too nice to fall into that category. It does have some mechanical issues which strike me as the sort that can be traced back to sitting idle for a spell, and it’s listed here on eBay with no reserve and bidding just above $3,200.
The seller is a familiar face in the donated car marketplace, and their other listings show quite a few intriguing entries at the moment – including a first generation Studebaker Avanti. The Corvair in this instance has an incredibly straight body with a sharp set of aftermarket wheels featuring gold centers. All glass looks good and the chrome bumpers sharp; ditto the polished ring around the outside of the wheels. The seller notes that the Corvair has trouble staying running but it will start up without issue; the brakes are said to be non-existent. These are small issues to sort out, and you can absolutely see a scenario wherein the clueless grandkids throw in the towel the second they realize the car won’t stay running and the solution doesn’t involve downloading an app to fix it.
Yes, I’m an curmudgeon, and I realize it’s entirely possible there were no heirs and the bank simply had to send this one to the salvage auction like any old repossessed late-model sedan that doesn’t come close to offering up the style and handling capabilities the Corvair provided right out of the box. Equipped with six cylinder engine mounted behind the back seats, the Corvair has proven to be equally at home as a Saturday night cruiser or a viable autocross car should you want some vintage flair in your track days. Check out that interior – this is not the cabin of a car that was intended to send up at the local salvage auction. The interior has either been incredibly well preserved or had some money spent on it; either way, the previous owner clearly loved this Corvair.
The aftermarket speakers are really the only alteration that is questionable in nature; the wheels are the other deviation from stock and I think they look quite sharp. The back seat has apparently seen very little use and the red carpets look to be free of significant stains and/or debris. Even the factory radio remains in the dash. The seller does disclose there is some rust present and the paint has faded in places, but it must be insignificant as I cannot easily spot these flaws in the photos. No reserve for a Corvair that looks to be a short way from being a runner again seems like a bargain to me, and given bidding is quite active, other Corvair enthusiasts seem to agree.
I was intrigued initially but this one needs a serious onsite inspection. Don’t let the boy racer wheels distract you.The interior alone should set off alarms.
No one wanted Grandpa’s Corvair? Bummer. Anyway, I think this would look super sharp with a set of body-colored steelies with original dog dish hubcaps and wide blackwall tires. And of course a big power boost to make this as exciting as a mid-70s 930!
I totally agree with the app. statement. if it can’t be fixed by “point and click”, I don’t want it. I’ve seen a few interesting cars donated to “second hand” shops in Fresno and the asking prices weren’t that bad.
Wow, really great car. I love the Corvair’s steelie wheels. This car is in really good shape as you pointed out, and with a little more power, it’d be a nice family car.It really is amazing what cars some people donate.
Troubleshooting the duel carb system can be infuriating, but with the proper tools it is totally possible. A “preserved” Corvair is a rare thing, most are either beaters or restored.
My 65 Monza came as an empty Shell.
The ’68 rochester monojet is flawless on friend’s nova 250 6 cyl after 30 years! No hesitation. Can TWO of those be fitted to a corvair?
Don’t forget the tiny fuel filters hiding inside! lol
Get rid of the speakers and get new panels from Clark’s Corvair.
my Mother had this exact model–different upholstery as I remember. It was a fun car to drive-having said that , their was no a/c of course and the heater was almost an after thought–very poor. The coolest part of this car is the trunk. At picnics, we would fill the trunk with ice and sodas and beer–it had a drain plug in the bottom which we would pull to drain. I also bathed our dog in there so he wouldn’t jump out. It was a very easy car to maintain.
Long quarter panels for a small car.
If Nader was hitchhiking, would he get in this car? lol
The upholstery and door panels are both incorrect, but all the pieces are available. Nice little Monza, and even nicer with a 4 speed!
In the early 90s there was a Goodwill auto auction up the street from work. My boss, also a gearhead, and I would go to check out the new arrivals and often work to get them running. I still remember a 1966 Mercury that absolutely reeked of cigarettes and nicotine coated everything! All it needed was to clean the air cleaner out and a jump to get ‘er going. Those were good times…
This Corvair has no brakes, either, so it’s going to need a trailer trip. If brake and carb work is all it needs then if the price stays low someone will get a good project car.
Brakes and a carb job, maybe a tune-up ? is that all it needs ? small price for a decent car in what looks to be in good shape
Bought a ’63 corvair spyder off a used car lot in 1964. enjoyed he heck out of it
The carburetors are not that difficult to rebuild or adjust at all. They used basically the same carb for 9 years on these, and from 1965 to 1969 there was a 4 carb 140 HP version. But, anything this old can have worn throttle shafts, bushings etc. There are Corvair carb specialists that do excellent restorations. The turbo cars (Spyder and the later model Corsa) got all the attention, but the 140 was much quicker car up to the speed limit lets say! Even the 140 carbs were not incredibly difficult to tune, and there is a guy that builds an extremely nice carb linkage kit out of stainless steel with spherical bearings and other goodies. Corvairs have an excellent aftermarket support!