Vehicle Description
1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible
Corvair was the brainchild of Chevrolet General Manager Ed Cole,
said Corvair Preservation Foundation historian Dave Newell and
technical adviser Larry Claypool. Cole began the project in 1956,
ordering parts and blueprints under the guise that it was for GM's
Australian division, Holden. This is similar to the surreptitious
development of the GTO package for the Pontiac LeMans. Cole
considered front and rear engine placement and 4 and 6 cylinder air
and water cooled engines. He settled on a 140ci rear mounted, flat
6, air-cooled engine, powering a 15 foot, five passenger car.
For consignment, a Corvair Monza Convertible from 1965 sporting
82,199 non actual miles. This was the first year for the Fisher Z
body and it addressed the Nader false accusation of the suspension
being unsafe with a rear suspension that now resembled the
Corvette. Our consignor has added a new wiring harness, new
alternator, and new front seat upholstery, all in 2024.
Exterior
Matador Red in respray form covers the metal and overall exterior
of the car and presents in very good condition. The fit and finish
is good, the body is straight, and all is in working order. Chrome
is in great condition. A newer black canvas convertible top is
manually actuated up and down and works smoothly. Seen is a thin
stainless trimming on the rocker and wheel houses and wide
stainless making up the bezels for the dual headlights. Round
taillights are bringing up the rear and these have backup lights
optioned on and are right behind the engine. There is another nice
bumper below. 13-inch wire wheel covers are on with knock off style
hubs with dish centers and P185/80R13 tires, which is an add on
option for the year. Corvair badging is original and correct. Nice
exterior. Screw Ralph Nader I'm hopping in.
Interior
A swing of the sporty doors and we are greeted with a black painted
metal surround for the door sills, then this changes to a
horizontal stitched center panel. Here the armrest in black vinyl
with a chrome trimming and chromed knobs and actuator lever are
housed along with a Monza emblem. Very midcentury modern if I must
say so myself. Slipping inside I rest my buttocks on wide buckets
that practically take up the whole front row. These are recently
recovered, nicely padded and have turks and roll inserts and smooth
bolsters all in wonderful black! In back a nice bench and plenty of
romper room for that 3rd date. Up front a large deluxe black rimmed
steering wheel with a half horn ring and badged center fronts the
original perfectly preserved dash. This has a black dual eyebrow
shaped cowl design for the top and nice use of aluminum for the
dash front panels, which include the instrument cluster and glove
box covering. Some of the controls and options include the padded
dash top, tinted windows seat belts, two speed wipers and a
convenience group. The centrally mounted AM/FM/Cassette radio is
also in a chrome bezel and looks right at home. The rear view
mirror is a tilt inside glare style new for this year. Awesome
conveniences and add ons, rarely seen on an early version of the
Corvair. Black carpeting is flooding the floor and go with this car
like a duck to water.
Drivetrain
A lift of the trunk and we see a lightly patinaed engine bay with a
very clean 164 ci flat 6 cylinder engine. It has dual 1-barrel
carburetors on top, and a 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission
attached to this horizontally opposed air cooled configuration. A
3.27 gear ratio is on the Corvair.
Undercarriage
As I expected from this car, buttoned up and looking good with all
straight steel painted black with light surface rusting. Definitely
a ground effects type undercarriage, whether it's intentional or
not it still looks great...look ma no driveshaft! Everything
presents well right down to the 4 wheel independent coil sprung
suspension, and 4 wheel drum braking. A chrome tipped dual exhaust
is noted.
Drive-Ability
This car started right up, and after a short warmup, ran great.
Nice handling, a good ride, and shifting was effortless. All
functions worked as designed with the exception of the wipers not
wiping when prompted. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these
functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot
guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your
purchase.
If you are in the market for a car that was truly groundbreaking
for its time, then this beautiful bowtie version of the Corvair is
the car for you. It's a sleeper and it's a Monza convertible, and
it's a magnetic eye catcher in the wonderful condition it is in.
Hurry in down to our Hallowed Halls as this one is going to get
snapped up as there is an aficionado waiting in the wings.
105675W270904
1-Chevrolet
05-Corvair Monza
76-Convertible
5-1965
W-Willow Run, MI Assy Plant
270904-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
05D-4th Week May Build
ST 65 10567-1965 Corvair Monza Convertible
BDY WRN20165-Willow Run Body #
TR 713-Black Vinyl
PNT W2-Glacier Gray, Black Top
W-Tinted Windshield
2M-Powerglide
3C-Padded Dash
4P-RPO Z01 Convenience Group
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
