1963 Chevrolet Corvair

This southern Indiana Corvair spent time in the torture chamber of an amateur body man, and will now require therapy to move on with its life. The dial on the odometer is completely faded from the conditions it was exposed to, but judging by the lack of wear on the peddles, and the integrity of the original engine and upholstery, the miles are believed to be low. You may have to drive it 10,000 miles till the dial rolls over to know exactly.
With the exception of a torn headliner, all interior pieces are excellent, the seats are near perfect. The car is equipped with optional wire wheel covers and the 102 horse high performance engine. This ZF motor is original to the car, and in excellent condition. It does leak from the o-rings, but has no smoke, lifter noise or blow-by. The Powerglide trans is good in all gears, but often flares between low and drive unless shifted manually. It does not slip once it's in drive, even around corners or at expressway speeds.
The trunk bottom and front cross-member are both rock solid. The rest of the body should require only standard bodywork, however, the car’s captor allowed the drain holes in the body to clog up with twigs and wet leaves, causing significant rust damage to the left rear jacking pad and front unibody supports. This will require replacement panels (including the front floor), and probably metal fabrication and welding. I drive the car regularly, but only in dry weather, and store it inside, so the condition hasn't worsened, but it will eventually need to be addressed.
Several recent improvements include replacing the original steel cooling fan with a later style Magnesium fan, rebuilt carbs, new Delco voltage regulator, NOS AC spark plugs, Clark's top-of-the line plug wires, new transmission vacume modulator, all vacume hoses replaced, all fluids refreshed, new air and oil filters, new exhaust packings and hangers.
I’ve never had the brake drums off the car, but the brakes feel good, and I haven’t noticed any fluid loss. The rear wheel bearings sound dry to me - not super noisy, but not completely quiet either. I’ve used a digital thermometer to check them for heat after high speed driving, and they still run cool.
The gas tank is currently out of the car, which affords better access to the front repair area. I can send better pictures on request. The gas tank will be included in the sale, along with new filler neck hoses. The car currently runs on 2 auxiliary gas tanks mounted in back with an electric fuel pump.
This car was originally Palomar Red, a color more commonly found on Monza convertibles and Spyders. I’ve attached a picture of the body tag, showing other options the car had, including the unusual “rear speaker” option.
Driving this car makes me feel like a high school kid (I’m in my 60’s), but I need something I can take on longer trips and let my wife drive. If you have a small hatchback or station wagon, I might be interested in some sort of trade. I'm located near I-94 and I-80, not far from Chicago. Thank you


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