Sometimes, the more desolate the surroundings of a recently-discovered vehicle, the more intriguing it becomes. This recently unearthed 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder looks like it has been hidden for eons in what amounts to a shed on a remote Washington State property. It’s clear this Corvair has been forgotten about for years with plenty of parts pulled off of it, presumably for a restoration that never got off the ground or perhaps pillaged by other Corvair owners over the years. Whatever the story is, the Corvair is listed here on craigslist as an abandoned vehicle with no price provided.
When you say “abandoned vehicle,” it can mean many things. If you truly have come across a vehicle with no rightful owner and verified by the DMV as having no rightful heirs, then it seems quite reasonable to consider it abandoned. The Corvair Monza Spyder shown here has certainly not been visited in many years if there is still someone out there thinking about restoring it someday. We have seen the story more than once wherein an owner leaves a car in storage and never returns to the site, leaving it up to their friend or the friend’s family to deal with the forgotten car when it comes time to move it.
Is that what happened here? There’s not enough information to know for sure, but I have a feeling it’s a tale along those lines. The scattering of parts inside helps convince me beyond the shadow of a doubt that the previous owner intended for these bits to be put to good use, potentially re-installing them after the paint job was completed. Given some of the glass is already removed, you could even possibly argue that the missing owner planned a proper glass-out repsray at some point. Corvair owners are a passionate bunch, and many of the restored examples are completed without any regard to current values.
What I mean to say is if you restore a Corvair down to every nut, bolt, and fastener, you likely won’t see your money back should you decide to sell. But that’s rarely what these passion projects are about. The seller includes a few random photos of additional spare parts but you don’t have to rely solely on those bits to put this car back together – there are still dedicated Corvair specialists out there, like Clark’s Corvair Parts in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. So, assuming the price is $500 or less, is it worth rescuing this abandoned Corvair?
Looks like a lot of usable body parts are still intact with this attractive coupe design. Def worth $500 but who knows what the ask will be…
The answer is “No”
Tony t, you might change your mind after reading further:
If the body tag info shows this is a true Spyder [Chevrolet spelled it with a Y], than it means this car was a turbo equipped motor, and absolutely worth restoring. Photos show a stick shift trans, and as far as I know, the only manual gearbox available on the ’64 Spyder was a 4-speed.
The photos seem to suggest this is also a pretty rust free shell. Add that into the Turbo/4-speed mix, and this makes it a worthwhile project. However there is one possible problem; I don’t see any mention of the turbo and ancillary parts. The turbo/carb and necessary parts can be found, but likely not cheap.
Since the person offering the car may have access to the house and grounds, I would suggest they search the place for the turbo parts. If the car was stored in an unlocked or poorly secured building or shed, the former owner may have known how quickly the turbo parts could disappear, so he may have stored them in a more secure location.
In ’64 GM built them with the anti-sway bar that had been value engineered off the ’60 – ’63 which greatly reduced the chances of a spin out, so with the proper tire pressure this is the suspension to have. I drove my mother’s ’60 and found it far more tractable than my uncle’s contemporary Porsche which was all over the road and required constant attention.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gZn3yks16SLBRjDN7
These are pics fro about 20 years ago. Last known owner was in Durham, NC. Any ideas where it may be now?
Could be a good start to a mid engine conversion using an LS block