Vehicle Description
The Chevrolet Corvair is a unique collectible for fans of the
American motoring genre. It was the only mass-produced US. car with
a rear-mounted-air cooled engine, and GM produced close to 1.8
million of these versatile cars. The full Corvair line up spanned
two-door coupes and convertibles, four-door sedans, station wagons,
pickup trucks and even vans, and through the entire 1960's decade
we were treated to two pretty special generations. One has to
wonder if given more time, the Corvair engineers would have found a
way to make them float and fly. This particular 1966 Corvair Corsa
Convertible features a slick white-over-blue color combination,
peppy flat-six motor mated to a 4-speed gearbox, and classic
European-inspired styling all for a price that won't break the
bank.
Corvairs have a style all their own, and this 2nd generation
droptop really looks great. A dramatic redesign was ushered in just
a year before, with the new body showed influences from the C1
Corvette, an early '60s Bel Air, and the 1963 Buick Riviera. In
fact, the very name 'Corvair' is a portmanteau of Corvette and Bel
Air, and with a name like that it was inevitable that this design
would be dramatic. The coke bottle styling set the trend for GM
cars for the next fifteen years, foreshadowing the '67 Camaro that
would take the world by storm the following year. Although the car
was born with Code L Tropic Turquoise paint, it now wears bright
white livery enhanced with LeMans blue stripes, which is a perfect
color combination to match with the white convertible top and teal
interior. The paint is strong driver-quality and shines up
beautifully under our lights, with the factory brightwork and trim
providing a nice contrast that's not overbearing. The brightwork at
the front end and tail panel are clean, and the dramatic lenses and
circular lights really punctuate the look. Gaps are precise, the
body lines are straight, and all of the glass is very clean and
tidy. Bottom line, this is a darn good-looking droptop.
Sporty bucket seats and room for four greet your entry, where the
cabin is a lot more spacious than it looks. The teal-blue vinyl
seat covers and matching door panels are correct replacement
pieces, but again, this was a car that has been cared for and
likely didn't need much to get it looking this good again. The blue
wrinkle finish dash is a Corsa/Monza hallmark, and the sporty gauge
cluster set-up and floor-mounted 4-speed manual shifter practically
beg you to go out and have some fun. The factory Delco radio is
still in place, which is a pretty rare find, as is the factory
steering wheel that anchors the cabin and feel great in the hands
of the driver. Plush carpets are protected with vinyl floormats,
the rear seat is surprisingly spacious and looks practically
untouched, and there's plenty of storage room under the bonnet.
Pop the rear engine lid to find a venerable 164 cubic-inch,
all-aluminum flat six. By 1966, the troublesome generator was
replaced with a reliable, modern alternator, an upgraded coil, and
a fresh distributor, so a quick flick of the key and this rumbling
little motor is ready to scrap. The engine runs strong, fed through
dual original-style Rochester single barrel carburetors and
breathes easy thanks to that unique multi-snorkeled air cleaner up
top. There's not a ton of horsepower on tap (the 140hp noted on the
air cleaner sticker would require the 4 1-barrel set up) , but in a
car that only weighs around 2700 pounds it's plenty zippy around
town, and the air-cooled motor stays nice and cool in the elements.
The 2nd generation models had vast improvements to the suspension
and they drive really well, with revised spring rates, a fully
independent rear suspension modeled after the Corvette, larger
brakes, and a front anti sway bar all pitching in to give this
little roadster great road manners. Setting the mildly aggressive
stance are a set of SS-style mag wheels, which frankly improve the
look of any classic car and are wrapped in thick, fender-filling
205/70/14 Goodyear white-letter radials.
This classic American roadster sometimes gets overlooked in the
collector car world, but with examples like this super-clean '66
droptop re-entering the market more frequently each year, we think
things are about to change. Corvairs are on the rise! Call
today!