1962 Chevrolet Corvair

Station Wagon Wagon

145 cid 6-cyl

3-speed manual

20735W214491

Clear

This auction is for my 1962 700 Series Corvair Station Wagon. I bought this wagon in 2009 from an elderly man in San Antonio, Texas with hopes of working on it and driving it often, but life and other projects have been in the way and I now need to free more space in the garage. For the last four years the car has been sitting in a climate controlled garage and has only been driven around the block from time to time. This is a very solid, straight, presentable wagon that can be enjoyed as is or it would make a great foundation for a restoration. The body of this wagon is very solid and rust-free. There is no rust evident in the common trouble spots such as the floors, rockers, door bottoms, wheel wells, trunk area, etc. I see no evidence of any prior rust repair whatsoever. The car is also very straight and the body panels all line up very well. At some point in the car's history, the front end from a 1960 Corvair was grafted to the '62 wagon, but the job was done very well and it looks factory in appearance. This modification might upset the purist, but I think it looks great. If you look very closely, you can see a minor wrinkle in the lower left rear valance panel (under the rear bumper), but it is the only spot on the car that isn't 100% straight. At some point before I got the wagon, it was re-sprayed in the original Coronna Cream color, but it was a very low budget paint job. No body work was done and very little prep work was completed prior to paint. I see no evidence of any bondo or rust repair, but there are places that should have been prepared better such as the front lower valance panel which was re-sprayed over some peeling original paint. Also, you will notice there are some blisters of rust showing from under the molding on the left front fender. There are no holes rusted through, but I would recommend taking the molding off and sanding and painting the area as it should have been in the first place. Overall the paint shines and the car looks very presentable, but it certainly is not show quality. The interior of the wagon is original and overall in good condition. The dash is very nice as is the stock steering wheel and column. The stock 3-speed floor shifter works well and even has the original shifter boot present. The original seat upholstery is hidden under custom made covers in the factory fawn color. The covers are in good condition and have no tears, but I'm uncertain of the condition of the factory upholstery underneath. The factory door panels are all intact, but they have some water damage. All the doors latch properly and the windows roll up and down well. All the glass is good. The horn blows, dome light lights when the doors open, headlights work, turn signals work, brake lights work; however some of the running lights aren't lit. Probably would work with new bulbs, but I haven't tried. All the weather stripping is original and is pretty well baked. Replacement weather strips are available and would be recommended for the doors, trunk and rear hatch. Mechanically the wagon seems to be in good condition. The engine starts easily, idles smoothly and doesn't smoke. The clutch works well and the transmission is quiet and shifts properly. I rebuilt the carburetors because the accelerator pumps weren't working when I got the wagon, but now they run properly. The battery is good and the charging system works as it should. The brakes work well and the car stops nice and straight. The steering and suspension seem to be good - nothing wrong that I know about. The tires are old bias-plys that have very good tread. They look to have very few miles, but they are old and I would consider replacing them before putting the car into regular use. I'm selling this wagon with a very modest reserve that I'm sure will be met before the end of the auction. Good luck bidding!