1964 Corvair Monza Spyder Turbocharged

 

     

   

The car I never had

August 2012

My first car was a 1961 Corvair Monza 900 2-door hardtop 95 hp. I paid $150.00 for it and took my driving test in it. That in itself was an experience since it was snowing and they almost cancelled the tests that day.

My next car was 1961 Corvair Lakewood Wagon. My brothers also got caught up in it and so the love affair began…..

Between 1970 and 1977 I had several others including a 64 Monza 900 bought for $40.00, a 65 Monza 900 I ran at Island Dragway and a 63 Corvair Greenbrier Van for $25.00 found out in a farm field. My older brother had a 65 Corsa – 4 carb convertible. My younger brother bought a rusty 64 Spyder some years back but hasn’t done much with it.

I had joined the Navy in 1972 (since I had a draft number of 85) and in 1977 I received orders for Iceland. It was then that I sold my last corvair,  much to my wife’s pleasure. As much as I missed my car, I knew it was for the best. Many other cars later, time in the Navy & attached to the Marines (HM2/FMF) and a new love affair with Goldwings not to mention 4 great children and a lot of volunteering with Boy Scouts and Fire Departments, etc., we ended up with a house in New Jersey and a second house in North Carolina where my daughter  lives. Things worked out very well when our oldest son married a wonderful young lady who happened to be a Marine stationed in NC, so they are house sitting there & we are in NJ.

We recently took a trip to NC to visit them and my son takes me out to see something in the garage……

Here is a car under a cover. When we arrived, I assumed it was his Mustang till I looked closer at the outline. Now I’m starting to worry because my wife who was right behind me once said “NO MORE CORVAIRS”……. I mentioned this to my son who said “Mom was in on it & knew all about it”.

Turns out he wanted to get rid of a couple of jet skis he had so he went on Craigslist and found a guy that wanted to trade a Corvair for a jet ski!!! It just seemed meant to be. Now I have the engine in NJ to rebuild while my son works on the body in NC. The family tradition continues…..

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Found an engine thanks to an old Marine doing a V8 project with his son. Just proves Corvair's are a family affair......

(See Update to 110 engine   05 Jan 2013)

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Update 05 Sept. 2016

Son was transferred to Okinawa so I retired in August 2016 moved to NC in Sept. & now am getting ready to start the project.

 

 

 

 


 
This Site Last Modified on
05 Sept 2016
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Spyder as first seen

110 engine

Pics of other Corvairs