Additional verbatim comments:

Thanks.

I've been working on the tach in my 'vair. It doesn't work. Do you know of anyone with a schematic for this tach ('65)? It is in very good condition, but the parts don't seem to have regular numbers on them (maybe GM).

Thanks for your help.
Delvin

Frank Ziglar

I had a '63 and a '65 Fitch Sprint (maybe the one pictured in the Car & Driver article). Coby Whitmore was my father. He and John Fitch teamed up on several cars starting with the Fitch/Whitmore Jaguar and culminating with the Phoenix, perhaps the most classic automobile design of the later 20th Century. It was ultimately copied by both General Motors and Porsche (he also designed the Porsche America, perhaps the ugliest sports car of the era).

At any rate the Fitch Sprints were wonderful cars except for the lack of rust resistance. I gave up on the '63 when my foot went through the floor while braking, and on the '65 when my hand went through the fender while polishing it!

This site is extremely professional looking. If you don't do this for a living, you should! I am a computer software engineer and spend a lot of time on the Internet. I seldom see any site as well done as this one. Maybe I'm a little biased because I'm nuts about Corvairs, but I don't think so.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks,
Keith

I was just looking for some info. My ex-husband asked me if I would like a Corvair, but I don't know anything about them. I have a few questions: What is it worth if it's in great condition? How hard is it to get parts for repairs?

By the way, he's not sure what year it is (between '62 and 66). Can anyone help me or direct me to a site that would have all of the regular consumer info that anyone buying a car would need?

Maxine

Hi Gary,

Great website. I see you've posted a snap of my red '66 Corsa convertible. The car has since been sold to Gerry Roberts. What a surprise to see the car on the Web!

Keep up the great work.
Corvair Wally of Detroit Corvairs

Keep up the great work. I am glad to see I am not the only Corvair nut around!

Please keep up the good work. America needs more patriots like you. And yes, R. Nader is almost the most perfect jackass God ever foisted on Mankind.

I now own 9 'vairs: a '63 Monza 4-speed saved from the crusher, a '62 700 4-door, a '64 Monza convertible, 2 '65 Monza coupes, 2 '66 Monza coupes, a '67 500, and a '65 500 I'm converting to a 140 Corsa.

I have the urge to build a dune buggy using Corvair running gear because I have the parts. Just need a frame kit!

Great site!

Hi Gary,

I own a 1965 turbo coupe. The car is a complete original (except the wheels), but it needs restoration. The good part is that it is relatively rust free, with a straight body. It is currently in storage will I finish the restoration of a 1971 Chevy 4x4 short bed truck. It is the third Corvair I've owned, and it was sold new in Denver, Colorado.

Thanks for the great Corvair site.

Later,
Rob Hansen

I once owned a '63 Corvair Monza Spyder convertible but, sadly, I sold it in 1969. It was the most exciting car I ever owned and I still regret my decision to sell it.

Very nice site. Brings back some memories.

Thanks.

Had site book-marked and finally ventured into it (Norris Corv-8). Memories returned of former CORSA days (was local Group Corvair member and officer) in the '70s: conventions in Philadelphia, San Diego, Detroit (joining with clubs on the way, driving an original '62 Monza convertible with all the options including Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels and air-conditioning), and Atlanta, where friends won Best of Class/Show with a '66 Corsa, and Senior Modified Class (M. Harrison's Crown Corv-8).

Truly a great site in all respects, Gary.

Best Wishes,
Bill Holden

I would like to know exactly where the 102 engine fit into Corvair history.

Ever hear of Gary Bailey of Downey, CA?

I really like the site - picture layout. It gives Corvairs in general a nice "toot."

Jim Jimenez

I am in the process of finishing a V-8 automatic that was started nearly 30 years ago by the original owner. The Olds Toronado drive train is rebuilt and the chassis is rust free. Hope to share soon.

I am remodeling a Corvair dune buggy. I need some help.

I wasn't going to respond until I saw that I could insult Ralph Nader. Love your site.

I've got an uncle who used to trounce GTOs in his Corvair at the drag strip. He loves to talk about all the rules they could break because the Corvair was so different. Nobody could figure out what they were doing when they were torn down under protest.

I like your site. I visit it every day and learn more about Corvairs.

A great site with lots of information and beautiful pictures. I also read about it in the CORSA Communique, but had visited the site before. We have a website for our chapter of CORSA in the Netherlands.

Sincerely,
Mike Cramer, Treasurer

Your website it great! Would be interested in seeing more on the Corvair show cars - Monza GT, SS, etc.

I think your site is one of the finest. I cannot believe the continued enthusiasm Corvair people have. I have been associated with 'vairs since the early 1970s and I have continued to watch the interest grow.

K.M. Lehmann

My first car was a 1963 Corvair 4-door. It wasn't the World's most beautiful car, but it got me around surprisingly well considering the abuse I put it through.

The site is spellbinding. I spend too much time here.

In 1968, at the age of 14, I talked my parents into buying me a car for Christmas... a '62 Spyder convertible, for $50. It needed a clutch and various other repairs. It took me the best part of a year to save the money from my paper route, and to learn how to do the work myself. After that, I made it pretty by detailing it. They said if I drove it before I got a drivers license, it would be gone in a heartbeat. Peer pressure got the best of me... to this day I remember the sound of the turbo kicking in... way cool.

I drove a '63 for years after I got my license back (still have the '67 SS Chevelle) so I'm now leaning toward starting another project with my kids (14 & 17). We are going for a V-8 conversion... that's how I found your site. There's a lot of neat stuff here. Thanks.

Mike McDonnell

Gary,

I am having a difficult time finding someone in this area to work on my Corvair. Chevrolet said no. Any ideas?

I'm interested in the color used on Brandon Mundell's '67 Monza that you feature, and would like to know how to get it. Any assistance would be appreciated.

Rick

I am a professional auto restorer. I sold my business in 1999 and worked for the new owner 'til Dec. of 2000. Two of my past customers called me and asked if I would just build their cars. I said yes, and guess what one of the car's is. A Stinger! Never having touched a Corvair before, I need catalogs and information on new or NOS parts.

Thanks for your help.
Gary Jeffson

I had a '63 Monza 900, but sold it during a divorce. Now, I've just purchased a '62 2-door and have to start all over (fixing). It's a labor of love!

Jan. 13, 2000

Gary,

Just looking for something good to look at before going to bed. I live in Alaska, but my cars (a '62 Monza, a '65 Corsa convertible, and a '68 Monza convertible) are located at our retirement home in Summerfield, Florida. Two more years before retirement, but I do get to start up and run my cars a couple of times a year.

I'm still a member of the CCC (Chicagoland Corvair Club) and I attended last year's CORSA convention. We hope to drive one of our Corvairs to this year's national convention in Florida, if we can find the time. If we make it and you attend, look for the car with Alaska license plates.

Thanks for the great website.

Art Collins

Great website. Enjoyed it a lot. The restored Corv-8 is great.

I would like to join a Corvair club that would be prepared to help me with information, so I can complete the restoration of my '63 convertible. Information is very scarce in Australia.

Regards,
Rick

My first 'vair, I stole from my sister because she didn't know how to use a dipstick. Had to rebuild the engine. Couldn't get any help from any other grease-monkeys, pro mechanics, or dealerships. Nobody! Not the first time I've stood alone, nor the last. Only help was CORSA.

Great little car. I owned 2 of them and loved them.

Awesome site. It's good to know there are plenty of others out there who love Corvairs. I have always had great interest in them ever since finding some early models abandoned in the woods when I was younger. My dream finally came true when, this summer, I purchased a 1966 Monza 110/Powerglide sedan. It sat in a field for 10 years, but when the battery was hooked up, it started right up! I'm slowly bringing it back to new condition, and have it running like a top. It just needs ball joints and some rust repair (floor and front fenders).

Someday, I also hope to own a Corvair 95 panel van as well. They're really neat!

Keep up the good work on the site. Let me know if you would like some pics of my car, since there aren't too many late sedans out there anymore.

Thanks,
Dan Bricker

I know how hard it is to keep up a site like this. I did one for the Bonneville Corvair club.

Well done!

Hi Gary,

Thought I'd let you know I was poking around in your stuff again. Great stuff!

I'm new on this computer/Internet stuff, but I've owned at least one or two Corvairs since I was in high school. I worked part-time for the only factory trained tech in the area. We spent most of the time fixing oil leaks and I got to test drive them. That's the whole love story.

Friends of mine have had Corvair since I was a pup. Though I've never owned one myself (Yet!), I've never failed to be charmed by even the most humble of them. It's a pity that such a promising car was axed for something as bland as the Vega!

Regarding your site: I've never found anything approaching this level of completeness on the Internet, or in a magazine, either. I'm at home recovering from some surgery right now, and I've spent almost 3 happy days going through your excellent site. Contact me any time you like and I'll tell you a couple of 'vair stories, including the story of the tan Lakewood wagon that has been parked nearby for a number of years.

Bravo!
Brian J. Vouk

Been here before. Nice site.

I've had my eye on a '66 convertible for more than 3 years, but the owner lives in Florida and won't call me back. Breaks my heart to see it sitting there wasting away. Especially interested in that one since I graduated high school in the '65/66 school year. At least I can go through your site and enjoy.

Nice job!

I bought three Corvairs new; 2 '62s and a '63 Spyder convertible. In my old age, I'd like another '63 or '64, so I'm searching for Corvairs for sale.

Love the pictures of the experimental GT!

Enjoyed the site. Keep up the good work.

I can hardly wait for spring, so I can get the Corvair out of the garage.

Thanks,
Jon Hofmann

Nice site, Gary.

This is probably the 10th time I have been to your site. It is great. The graphics are superb. CORSA should reimburse you for all your work. Don't let this get away. You have done a marvelous job.

John Dayton
Parkville, MD

Nice site. Glad to see it.

I learned to drive on a '66 Corsa 140 hp convertible. It was a lot faster than my friend's '64 Comet V-8. Great handler. Sharp looker. Aerodynamic... way ahead of its time. I got it over 100 MPH and it was very stable. I was really sorry when Dad traded it on a Nova.

We had three Corvairs; a '61 sedan, a '64 Monza coupe, and the Corsa. Now, I enjoy my '64 Monza 4-speed convertible, and show it in parades and local shows every year.

A Corvair lover forever!

An exemplary auto site

Very nice site.

I just won a '66 Corsa ragtop in a raffle. It was restored in '88 and has less than 2500 miles on it. I worked as a tech in a GM dealership when the Corvair was dropped. Neat cars.

Gene Evers
Pompano Beach, Floria

Great site. Keep up the good work.

Great job on the website design and flow. Good mix of content.

I own a V-8 'vair and the answer to the question, "Is it fast?" is "Yes!" Big engine - small car. Corvairs and 'vair people are the greatest in the World. So is this site.

Al Corporon
V-8 Registry, CORSA, and CORSA Ontario

Being around Corvairs for the last few years, and a member of Virtual Vairs for the last three or four years, I sure hope to meet you someday. My basket case '65 Corsa restoration in 98% done, and the wife's basket case '64 Spyder is about 50% done. Hope to be able to show them to you someday.

Glenn Killingbeck

Owned 13 Corvairs in my life, none since '75 though: 2 station wagons, a '62 Spyder convertible, a '62 van with a transplanted 110 hp car engine, a '60 (loved the heater), 2 1962s, a '63, a '64, 2 '65s (one Corsa turbo), a '66, and a '67.

Loved the Corvairs. Still do.

Ben

My dad worked for a Chevy dealer in the '60s and bought a '64 500 coupe with 3-speed manual transmission, AM radio, bench seats and rubber mats (no carpet). This is what made me a Corvair fan. What a fun little car! My dad took the bumper off the front and installed Corvette bumperettes from a mid-'60s 'vette. He also found some Monza wheel covers for it, and put some pinstripes on it, so it wasn't your typical white with blue vinyl interior Corvair 500.

Those pictures you have of that '65 Corsa ragtop in Evening Orchid with white interior (the one from Massachusetts) have me drooling. What a beautiful car! Still looks good and modern 35 years later.

Great website!
Mike

I really enjoyed looking around your site! We just purchased a '63 Monza Spyder, and I am trying to figure out where to start on a restoration with limited funds. Would also like to find out about a club in my area. I will be visiting your site often, as I found it very informative.

Thanks for the info,
The Vandenberg family

I would like to know if there is an active Corvair club in Puerto Rico (if you know).

Good job, Gary! Nice survey and a good website!

I have a 1967 500 4-door with a big sticker in the back window with Calvin peeing on Ralph Nader's name! Neat, huh?

Send me some info on the 500.

As a former Corvair owner and autocrosser, having driven both early and late model type suspensions, I must say that Ralph Who was somewhat correct in his observations on dangerous oversteer on swing axle models. Too bad he didn't make such a fuss about the early swing axle Tempests and Triumph Spitfires, as they had the same tendencies. I do believe he did mention the poor handling traits of the swing axle Volkswagen in his book.

I think he was trying to make a name for himself, which led to his aspirations to be president of the U.S. Although it's been years since I read his book, I think he was trying to use the Corvair as an example to show negligence at the corporate level to admit to an engineering problem that could cut into the profit margin.

(By the time Nader's book was published, Ed) GM had re-engineered the Corvair into one of the greatest cars on the road; surely ahead of its time, as proper o-rings had not yet been developed. I would bet that more people gave up on Corvairs because of the oil smoke in the passenger compartment than any handling problem, on late and early models. Why didn't Ralph mention that?

Why hasn't Ralph Who gone after Ford and Firestone? It's like deja-vu; more big corporations refusing to admit wrongdoing. I am not a Ralph person, but I think we need people like him to stir up the general public, so they are aware of what's going on.

Nice talking to ya.

Sincerely,
Jason T. Phelps

Gary,

I always knew a little about Corvairs, but really got bit about a year ago. I joined CORSA and the West Michigan Corvair Club. Your website has helped my wife and me learn, repeat, learn a lot. I'll brag about owning a '65 Corsa convertible and a '66 Monza convertible. Both need work.

Thanks again. Chicago in 2001, for sure.

John

I am new to Corvair ownership. I recently acquired a '66 Monza and a '62 Corvan. I would really like to see more information about the vans. The cars really get the spotlight everywhere.

Thanks for the great site. I plan on visiting here frequently.

Mark

Would like to obtain an application form to join CORSA. How do I go about getting one?

Jerry Downing
Ogden, UT

You have done a superb job putting this site together! It's easy to navigate, and has a lot of useful information. I've learned a lot about Corvairs, and I'm going to go out and buy one. Thanks, Gary.

I found a 1963 Monza for $200, and it runs! I know nothing about these cars, but I like them. Where can I find restoration info on this particular model?

Some of the other marques have bulletin boards (Q&A) that aid in the finding solutions to problems. Serious thought should address this. Overall, this is one of the best thought-out sites I've come across. Whoever handles this site should get a raise!

Membership form is hard to find!

Loved this site. Have been a Corvair "nut" since the '70s. Presently restoring a '61 4-speed Lakewood. Love ALL Corvairs. I also collect Corvair toys, and have quite a collection. I belong to CORSA and a local club.

Obviously, an unbelievable amount of planning and work went into this site. Way cool! You've done an outstanding job of presenting my favorite vehicle!

Mike Mekinda

I would really like to see more examples of V-8 cars and more info on suspension and brake mods. I am in the process of building a '68 coupe with a Kelmark kit with reverse ring & pinion and a reverse rotation 355. I would really like to see the setup with a Toronado transaxle turned around backwards with the extension shaft to relocate the motor forward. Any info on this swap would be great, as I have a 10:1 compression, 1970 472 Caddy (.030 over) with a mild cam, aluminum intake, and headers that might make a good swap. I am afraid of the reliability of the Kelmark setup with its un-replaceable parts. I don't want to end up with a car that needs to be babied for fear of damage.

I have a TH400 transaxle, but would also be interested in the T350 version, which is a little smaller and lighter.

Thanks for your time.

John Albera

I am just finishing up a restoration of a '68 convertible an am trying to figure out a paint scheme. I am not worried about using an original color. Are you aware of a sight that has a large gallery of pictures?