While there’s plenty of hype around camper vans and other rigs fitted with beds and couches, the more basic utility van can still check the box for having proper surf wagon credentials but without the headache of leaking faucets and stoves just begging to spark a fire. This 1962 Chevy Corvair Greenbrier may not let you pop the top, but it’s a fair bit cheaper than anything with the Westfalia badge and likely quite a bit cheaper to own. The seller has listed it here on Facebook Marketplace on behalf of his father, and calls it a California black plate “time capsule.”
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Cameron J. for the find. While it’s called a time capsule, the van was repainted in 1978 and had the interior re-trimmed at the same time. I suppose that still “counts” for a vehicle that has survived in good condition over the long-term, but I’m not sure how I feel about calling it a time capsule when certain elements have been restored. Regardless, the paint job looks to be of a high quality and other trim, like the chrome bumpers and luggage rack, are holding up nicely. Call me a traditionalist but I’d love to see this thing on steel wheels and hubcaps.
Thankfully, the seller mentions that the original wheels and hubcaps are included with the sale. The Chevy features a manual gearbox, and it looks to be a four speed based on the shift pattern on the knob. A three speed came in the earlier models, so this one should be a bit more enjoyable to drive. The seller notes the clutch is in good shape and doesn’t slip, and that the steering reveals no ugly feedback. Though he doesn’t provide specifics, the seller claims he went through the brakes and fuel system, and also fitted new carburetors, oil seals, and shocks.
As you can see, the upholstery work done in the 70s still looks super fresh, almost like the van was never actually used by passengers once the travel compartment was freshened up. Unlike your typical camper van, there’s plenty of space back here that will still provide impromptu sleeping quarters with the same amount of natural daylighting as a six-figure VW Bus with the magical windows in the roof. The seller claims you’ll get looks and comments everywhere you go, so provided you’re not a wallflower, this minty Greenbrier is worth a look if you’ve got $18,450 to spend.
I like the wheels. Originals look ok with grandma driving it but not for old Dad. Go Dad! Nice wagon.
Much better than a Microbus according to my dad who traded one for a Greenbrier way back in 1965 or so.
I have actually seen these Greenbriar vans with a four on the tree! This is a sweet ride, but I have always gotten a kick out of these having a grill up front with an air cooled motor!
Not sure what Greenbriar you are thinking of, but none of the Corvair forward control trucks ever had any type of column shifter, all floor mounted for manual, and a lever on the right side of the instrument panel for the automatics.
My second cousin’s uncle’s brother-in-law’s neighbor used to have one.
Actually your close.
They were avaialabe in the early Falcon-Econoline vans. I have seen one with a 6 banger and it had this 4 speed on the column transmission.
I now one year for the ford car but mainly vans.
The reverse is lever under dash freeing up the the column to get four. Check video of the unique car .
(See who says Barn Finds aren’t educational) 🤣😉😜
1961 Ford With A Four Speed On The Column..
https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/the-parting-shift-1961-ford-with-a-four-speed-on-the-column-most-controversial-linkage-ever/
Never had a four on the tree .
The 4 speed on the column shifter was only on the “Chevy Vans”
I actually had a 1959 Goliath 1100 with a 4 on the tree. Made in Germany, it was front wheel drive with a water cooled flat 4 cylinder. Neat little car ahead of it’s time.
I guess you skimmed over the articles and intranet fake news on ford vans and the car above 🧐🙃
That grille is for “fresh” air ventilation. Absolutely a gorgeous unit!
C’mon Lavery, wheels make the vehicle, and these are an upgrade. Don’t downgrade back to nasty ‘steels’ and hubcaps…
She’s a looker this one. Wouldn’t say no to owning it.
What’s up with the surfboard? Even here in SW Virginia,it seems that
almost everyone who has a vehicle with woodgrain on the sides has a surf-
board on the roof.
That aside,looks like a cool ride.
Love it! Like all Corvairs, though, don’t trust the heater. GM might as well have piped the exhaust in to heat the cab. One gasket leak and you’re a veggie.
Another Corvair myth. The design of the shrouds completely exclude the exhaust manifolds and the attachment to the heads, even if a manifold would be cracked the exhaust wouldn’t route into the heater. What does happen is the push rod tubes leak oil, and the burning oil fumes can enter the passenger compartment, still unpleasant.
Thank you for clarifying that for readers Duaney, there is a lot of very misunderstood engineering in these products.
Completely and verifiably incorrect, Duaney, sorry.
The log manifolds reside inside of the lower shrouds; there is no heat exchanger system. Fan-forced air is pushed from the top to the bottom through cylinder and cylinder head fins. To cool the engine, the hot air exits out the back when the thermostatic bellows, mounted within the shrouds, expand to open flapper doors. They are center-pivot with horizontal hinge pins, actuated by adjustable push rods. The front shrouds pull air directly from the lower shrouds enclosed areas between the bottom edge of the cylinder heads and block.
Check out items #5 and #24 here: https://online.fliphtml5.com/cnvu/ixks/files/large/3.jpg Items #4 and #25 are flanges where flexible ducting attaches to carry heated air to the heater box, where the fan and motor are mounted. See eBay #303039123441 for a front shroud, (mislabeled as a heater box) which is missing the hose flange.
Note that the lower shrouds, #11 and #29, have “bump-outs” to clear the exhaust port flanges. The air which comes off of the engine is what goes directly into the passenger compartment! There is a fresh air component, which comes off of the top cover #1, the hose flange is part #2.
Exhaust manifold cracks or manifold to exhaust tube donut seal leaks would be very bad. The reason why pushrod tube leaks make a stink (to the point of visible smoke) in the passenger compartment is that the oil puddles in the lower shrouds, and sometimes drips across the manifolds.
MANY years ago I drove the family Corsa to Florence, KY from south of Dayton, OH, noticing an increasingly pungent hot oil smell, and eventually, visible smoke inside. When I checked the engine compartment, it seemed as though the mechanic (me) had neglected to reinstall the oil filler cap. Highway driving provided a spray/mist of oil up and out, which was of course drawn through the cooling fan and spread across the hot parts of the engine. A visit to a local DIY car wash cleaned much of the mess out, but it was a couple of weeks before the aroma was completely gone.
It has been quite a few years since I worked on a Corvair engine, but I did it enough that the parts are pretty well burned into my brain.
Not worried.
I am a vegetarian
I think these were best of the cab-forward vans. Kind of a VW on steroids. They weren’t hot inside like the others, and had better weight distribution and could move a load of people. Remember the GM propaganda film of an Econoline ( with 500 lbs. of ballast on the front floor) doing a stoppie? I never saw a Chevy with column shift, Ford and Dodge had them, and they were terrible. I like the van, my usual pitch is they’re asking too much, again, these were a handful to drive, and I can just see someones disappointment after plunking down $20g’s for one.
All of the original Chevy Vans had column shifts
No , not the Corvair
AD removed so it’s gone! ONE SWEET RIDE!!!!
There’s nothing on a VW bus that’s better than one of these. This Corvair is a real peach. Lucky guy got it. Later…………………………..JIMMY
BTW, ALL chevy van’s had column shift. This was a corvair van ALL had floor shifts except auto. This was a different kind of cat. later………………JIMMY
I had a 1961 Greenbrier in college. You are right about the 3 speed. We took it out and put in the 4 speed. Worked better when we drove around Yellowstone, Yosemite and Crater Lake during the early 70’s. We drove it from LA to Redding, CA on weekends to get in some great waterskiing on Lake Shasta. One of the best vehicles I ever had. Need to keep a spare fan belt if you drive one though. Got great mileage too (although it ran better with Ethyl gas at that time).
Pretty nice but not 18 grand nice
The power in a Corvair van is fantastic compared to a VW. My dad used a 61 Corvair van to pull a small enclosed trailer when he was racing sidecars. This was back in the late 70s so it wasn’t such an old vehicle at the time.
He took the power a bit further with a Corvair turbo motor, a hybrid late/early Corvair turbo, and water injection. He could cruise at 80 mph all day long, even pulling the trailer, even pulling hills – watching the head temperature gauge closely on hills of course.
Seems that this one left The Book-Face selling and landed on BaT:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1962-chevrolet-greenbrier-5/
Sold for $20,106