The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #81973 Message #1518559
Posted By: GUEST,Seonaid
08-Jul-05 - 09:34 PM
Thread Name: BS: anyone remember the corvair
Subject: RE: BS: anyone remember the corvair
We were quite a Corvair family --
My dad got one, then got another one for my sister, then I took over his first one while he drove a newer one. In about 1972 my brother and my father rebuilt a Corvair squareback (station wagon) for me, in which I tooled across the contiguous 48 states, top to bottom and sea to shining sea.
I remember going to Massachusetts to visit a friend, and taking my luggage out of the front trunk. Charlotte looked at the car (with stuff piled in the back as well) and gasped, "Where's the engine?!"
At one gas station a young attendant suggested a new fan belt, then couldn't figure out how to put it on. He was mortified when I did it for him (bested by a *girl*!). On fall in New Mexico the generator mount broke, and my buddy and I cobbled it back together with three smallish rings clamps joined end-to-end, and a hunk of wood from the side of the road. It held til San Diego and a decent repair shop.
None of our Corvairs ever leaked oil or threw out the back end, to my recollection -- mine finally burned up its engine wiring after about 150,000 glorious miles.
Some years later my Dad, my brother and his friend got hold of a Corvair Greenbriar *van*, fixed it all up beautifully and drove it happily until a drunk took the whole side off with his sports car.
As Chevies go, my experience with a Corsica in the 90's was far worse. I think I paid more in repairs than I paid for the car.
Hang in there, Corvairists!