Hello!
I am a retired ASE certified mechanic, and this is my retirement project car. It took two years for me to finish. Every nut, bolt, washer and component was removed, restored or replaced. I hired someone to do the upholstery and all of the machine shop work. Otherwise, all of the restoration work was done by myself. Unfortunately, I have no body work or paint skills to speak of, so I can't ask an astronomical price. You can see from the pictures that it is an attractive car. But if you are looking for a show car, this is not it. This is a DRIVER! You will not be afraid to drive this anywhere and everywhere, because you won't be worried about messing up the perfect paint job. It doesn't have one. I have added up all the receipts that I can find, and they totaled over $21,000. That is just parts. Here is a summary of what was done-- I removed the hood, doors, trunk lid and the front and rear air grilles, so that the entire car could be media blasted to bare metal once it was completely disassembled. I used Hammerite rust converting paint in areas where it was more convenient than blasting-under the new headliner, under the dash, under the new carpet, inside the rear fenders, etc. I completely disassembled the front and rear suspension and drove the parts to a commercial sandblasting place, then painted all the parts either black or blue or whatever. The front and rear suspension received all new bushings. Brakes: all four drums were turned. I installed four new wheel cylinders, all new hoses, all new steel brake lines, and a new dual master cylinder from a 67 Monza. The e-brake cable is the 1969 style which is bigger. New front bearings (cup and cone, or bearing and races, if you prefer) were installed. I bought rebuilt rear bearing assemblies. and installed new bushings in the rear strut rods. The heater fan assembly received a new fan and new ductwork and defroster ducts. All weatherstripping, window channels, and fuzzies are new. I installed a clock with AA battery, because Monza clocks are very rare. Yes, you can reach behind the dash without disassembling anything to change the battery or set the clock. I bought a radio that looks like GM, but it has bluetooth capability. You can listen to Pandora off your phone, or make a call. I modified the front speaker frame to hold two speakers from a Roku TV. The rear speakers are 1970's wedge-style surface mount, N.O.S Radio Shack units. I still have the box. It has a new speedometer, so the odometer started at zero. The wiring harnesses and fuse box has been replaced. Motor: All new full-fin-type jugs. New piston rings, rod and main bearings, seals and gaskets. Copper head gaskets. The heads were rebuilt by a local machine shop. I changed the oil at 5 miles, 150 miles, and 250 miles. I use Supertech Diesel motor oil, 15W40. The Powerglide was professionally rebuilt by a local shop using the rebuild kit from Clark's Corvair. It has a new gas tank and new steel gas lines, new sending unit, new wiper/washer motor, and new turn signal canceling assembly under the steering wheel. I bought the console from Goldfine's department store in 1974 and painted it to match the interior. I am sure I have forgotten something. Oh, new windshield. This is a new car.
To those who are not familiar with Corvair--These cars are just as simply built as all cars of this era. Even more so, since this is an air-cooled engine, so you will never have to deal with antifreeze, water leaks, or a water pump. But the heater works great! The cable controls for the heater on the dash divert engine-cooling air through two four inch ducts into the cabin. Does it smell? No! Because the engine is clean. There is a factory rubber seal that ensures that the only place that the engine can get air is through the vent between the rear window and engine hood. (The older Corvairs had a louvered hood). This not only keeps the engine very clean, it prevents exhaust from entering the engine compartment and the cabin air. GM shop manuals will be included with the car. The best part about Corvair, is that there are many parts vendors dedicated to Corvair only. Every single nut, bolt, washer and component is available for sale, along with tech support from Clark's Corvair in Massachusetts. This is a car that is easily worked on, with a large support group.
