Corvairs have always been prone to rust, but then again, maybe not so much more so than many other cars of the 1960s. And parts are readily available for almost any body part you could think of, including floors. Clark’s Corvair Parts in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts is well known among Corvair owners for supplying whatever you need to keep your Corvair on the road. And the Corvair Society of America, CORSA is a great source of knowledge and support as well.
The other day, we featured a 1964 Corvair coupe that was for sale for only $2,000 in Washington state. You don’t often see such low priced driver quality collector cars these days, but maybe Corvairs are just not considered as valuable as some other cars as we’ve found another possible bargain for our readers to enjoy.
The car featured here is on the other side of the continent, for sale on Craigslist in the small town of Redding, Connecticut, where it is listed with an asking price of only $1,500. It’s a 1967 convertible, no less, with a four speed transmission too, which makes it very desirable for Corvair aficionados. But of course at this price, you are going to be getting a car that needs quite a bit of work, and the seller is very forthcoming about what this car needs.
While it is said to run and drive well, and the interior may be in good shape, the car is rusty; it needs the floor board and rocker repaired on the driver’s side, needs a new convertible top, and has older paint and body work, as the body has been patched at some point in its past, and doubtless will need considerable redoing by its new owner. But hey – here’s a running, driving, stick shift convertible that you can have some fun building and then driving for a very low price. And it’s rare too. Only 2109 Corvair convertibles were built in 1967. Someone needs to buy this car right away!
Yep, it will need a lot of work, and a top.
Might be a 3-speed, instead of a 4?
Should be a 110 HP, no mention whether engine is original to the car or not.
So, it really depends on the condition of what is there, including the quality of prior body work, if economics are a consideration.
This car is about 20 miles from where I live, so I went to see it today. It is a 110 hp engine. Could not tell if it is a four speed or not. But the body is very rusty, and there is a lot of bondo and previous rust repair that is now showing, and rockers, floors and doubtless much more hidden rust. The price is low for a reason. Interior has that lovely old mildewed convertible smell too, so the entire interior needs to be redone as well. I bet I could buy this car for $1000 but at this stage of my life, I will pass. Way too big a project for me.
Even the seats, wheel covers, and tail lights are from a 1965, and I, too would guess that the transmission is a 3 speed
AND where is all the side trim?
Buyer beware on this one!
If it’s original, black shift knob means 3-speed.
Always better to start with a rust free but derelict chassis if you want a project, but maybe you just want to drive a Corvair convertible? $1500 sounds good. Worth that in parts for sure.
Close, very close, but…no. Condition of both body and interior together with a 110 and 3 speed take it off my list. A 1965 driver condition convertible with decent body, top and interior, but a 140 and 4 speed is much more desirable and worth the effort to put in shape.
When someone says “parts car or restore,” that means it is a parts car.
Check the windshield channel closely for new rust or a previous repair. The lower trim strip on the driver’s side doesn’t look like it fits correctly. Second gen ‘vairs are known to rust in the front and rear window channels.
This one is probably better for parts …
Why buy a rusty ‘Vair, though? There’s a lot of them out there, and they’re still reasonably priced compared to other collectible cars. You’re going to come out behind by starting with a rust bucket, guaranteed. This one isn’t high-spec, rare, or otherwise special. Pass.