1965 Chevrolet Corvair

Corsa Convertible

164 cu. in. flat 6, gas, air cooled

Manual

107675W291713

Clear

Gasoline

This is not a car to restore to show standards; this is a car to drive and to enjoy. I have driven it from Boston as far as upstate NY and back, and it looks great arriving at New England ice cream stands in the summer. I purchased the car in 2002 from an owner who found the car in a barn in New Hampshire. I am selling it because have 2 classic cars and limited space. The Corsa model has a 140hp non-turbo (= less maintenance and no turbo lag) motor with 4 carbs (2 primary, 2 secondary) and a 4-speed manual transmission. The car is quite fun to drive because of the power-to-weight ratio and the rear engine-RWD combination - the "poor man's Porsche." The car has been stored for a couple of years without being driven; after installing a new battery, it started readily, and after running for a bit was firing on all cylinders. The carbs will need to be balanced and the chokes may require some adjustment. The rear drum brakes were also frozen. A friend helped to get them unstuck, but they need adjusting and probably a good going over. If you test the body with a magnet, there is a bit of bondo toward the bottom of the fenders, but it's nicely done, not too gloppy. There are no structural problems that I know of since I had the rocker panels reinforced. The manual top is in quite good shape, no rips or tears with a relatively new window, and the front seats are practically new. There is very little rust in the trunk compartment (often a problem with these cars), small bits of rust at the bottom of the wheel wells, and a bit of corrosion around the windshield that was painted over before I bought the car. The floor pan was patched a number of times before I bought the car. The most significant body work I had done was to add reinforcements to the body side rails to prevent unsafe twisting of the frame. I have the rocker panel chrome strips, but they need to be reattached. According to the body code, the original color was maroon, which you can see under the trunk lid, but there is some turquoise inside the filler flap, so that fender was probably replaced at some point before I bought the car. The cove area was painted white rather than the traditional Corsa silver and the two side pieces of chrome trim at the back have been replaced with white plastic. The under-bumper grill is also white. The previous owner had some suspension work and minor engine work done and replaced the convertible top in 1998. He had a complete engine overhaul done and replaced the exhaust system in 2000. All work was done at Cotrofeld Automotive, a Corvair specialist in Vermont. Work I've had done: 2004: Replaced clutch 2007: Reinforced the side rails to prevent body flex. 2008: A connecting rod failed and I had to have a cylinder head and piston repaired (done by Cotrofeld Automotive, Corvair experts in East Arlington, VT). 2009: Replaced the vinyl on the front seats and the rear window of the top. I also replaced the two primary carburetors (did that myself). 2010: The carb bases were leaking - had them sealed (Little Foreign Car Garage, Waltham, MA). 2014: New battery, unstuck rear brake drums (but still need some TLC). Work that you'll need to do: - Attend to brakes Work that you'll want to to do: - Balance carbs - Adjust choke Other work is up to you.