1965 Corvair 2dr Coupe

1965 Chevrolet Corvair Base Description

I picked this car up last week, but have decided not to keep it.
Very cute shiny red 1965 Corvair. Someone has done molded bumpers for this car and it really looks good on it. It was a professional job, with absolutely no signs of consequential rust or failure. The rest of the body is in good condition, going by other corvairs I have seen.
I would say this car was correctly repaired and repainted 5 or so years ago and not too long after, relegated to a carport in wet central Florida. The paint still looks very good, but there are some rust spots and bubbles appearing. The rockers, floors, roof, hood, deck lid are all very solid. You can see where some of the pans were replaced with new metal. The fender and door lines are very nice. Doors do not sag at all and close easily without riding on the latch. The rust spots are; in the bottom of the driver's door, in the top of the left rear wheel arch and the bottom the fenders. There are bubbles appearing along the drip rail and near the rear window trim. However, since there is no headliner, it is easy to see that the roof is not yet compromised. The only evidence, I can see, of bondo or fiberglass is in the lower right rear fender behind the wheel. Can't tell from the outside, but you can see fiberglass from the engine bay. There is a photo of the rusted wheel arch. The other three look good. I have not scraped off any paint to see what's underneath and I'm not going to. You are welcome to do that right after you own it. So, please don't come here with an ice pick. And, yes, I have had someone try that in the past so I have to say it. Bring a magnet if you like.
All that said, the car has very straight lines, hood, doors and deck lid all operated very solid, opening and closing. All door/hood latches work well and align very well without any coaxing. Window trim is all very straight. Some of the rear window trim is not full fastened but it is in very good condition. Some of the trim was deleted with the bumper mod. So, look at the pics. Car looks good, still gets attention, for sure.
The interior is incomplete. There are front and rear seats which appear to have original, white upholstery in good condition, but dirty. The passenger seat is not fastened down, but the bolts are there in the floor. The door panels are rough. Trim is there, but the board and upholstery is beyond return. It appears they were blue at one point and have been recolored white. Not horrible, but old and not restorable. The dash is complete except for the glovebox. The door is there and functional, but no box. The radio cutout has been ruined to fit a single din pullout. Dash is still straight, but there is that hole. There is a new headliner lying in the back seat. I'm not sure if it is usable or even fits this car. There are no headliner bows. Tattered carpet. Glass is all good. Driver's window does not go up and down with the regulator. I have not investigated that. All door handles are there and in good shape. It appears that the steering column was disassembled and put back together with missing parts. The column itself is fine, but the shaft, and therefor the steering wheel, flop around inside the housing. I would guess that the upper bearing is shot or missing. But I have not had the steering wheel off to confirm. Driving as is would be an adventure.Wheels are 90s Camaro 15 inch. I don't have originals.
The master cylinder has leaked and begun the telltale rust in the trunk. However, it appears to still be surface only and I will replace the master cylinder so that there will be brakes when the car is picked up.
The previous owner said that the car had been sitting for 2 years. Tires hold air, but I wouldn't drive them down the road. Even so, the gas in the tank is not horrible and I put a new set of points in the distributor and it fired right up. Engine sounds good, no crazy noises and very little smoke which seemed to be less and less over the 3 minutes or so I had it running. By the end of that test run, it was idling on its own and sounded good. Transmission went right into gear and I drove it on our dead end street just far enough to shift into 2nd. There is a slight exhaust leak, but the manifolds look good. Probably a connection at the muffler. I put a new cheap Walmart battery in it to get it running. The battery goes with the car. And, yes, it leaks oil.
Engine is very complete, chokes are complete and functional, all linkage in good original form. The battery tray is complete and solid with no rust.
I'm not a Corvair guy, so if there is anything in particular you would like to know or get a picture of, let me know. I am about 2 hours SE of Tampa, FL and you are welcome and encouraged to come look at the car before you bid. I am very tempted to put some money in this car and keep it. But, if you saw my yard, you would know why I can't. This car needs someone to take control of the rust issues now, while they are still minor and get it back on the road. If it sits outside beside a lake in Florida where I live, it will be a quick downhill journey. Still too nice of a car for that.
Feel free to email with any questions. If you would like me to call you, just include your number. My goal is for both of us to be happy when we're done.Clear Florida Title.
Now for the stupid part:This is a 50+ year old car that has not been driven on the road for some time. You cannot get in it and drive it anywhere safely. Not even to the stop sign. So don't come for a test drive. It does not look as good as your neighbor's 2015 Corvette. There are probably many things about it I have not mentioned. But, if you like old cars, then I suspect you will like this one. Its certainly not perfect, but it is one of the better looking Corvairs I have seen. Again, ask questions before you bid.
$250 deposit via Paypal and the rest in cash. It helps keep kids from ruining the auction.Thanks for looking!