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Old 11-27-2008, 11:47 AM   #34
MagicRat
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Re: If you own a Corvair, SPEAK UP!

Quote:
Originally Posted by MonzaMan
my grandfather bought me my first car a year ago, my 64 corvair monza. as far as i know it has been sitting for a long time before i got it. i love this little car. this car gets me a lot of attention. this old thing is looking like its age. i want to completly resote her but i have no idea where to start. maybe someone can piont me in the right direction. thanks
Welcome to AF.

That sounds like a nice car. Can you post some pics?

The first thing to do with any restoration is to decide how you are going to use it (Show car, special occasion car or daily driver) and come up with a plan (including estimated cost) on how to get there.

Often, it is cheaper to buy a really good old car than it will cost to fix one that is in really poor shape.
What you want to avoid is starting a project only to realize that the car will cost you more to fix than its worth.

So have a really good look at the body/chassis for rust/damage, at the interior and the mechanical pieces. Decide what needs to be fixed, and what would be nice to fix, but is not necessary.

Then make a list and attach costs to those. Work out what can be done first.This will be your plan.

Be objective about the costs. Look at the cost of really nice, used Corvairs like yours. Most Corvairs (turbo Spyders and convertibles aside) are not expensive to buy.
If you can buy one for less than it would cost to fix yours, then carefully consider if the project is worth it to you.

Corvairs are pretty simple and easy-to-fix cars. If you are handy, much of the work can be done yourself. The most difficult thing to fix is severe rust and/or accident damage. If the unit body is straight and reasonably rust free and if the engine and transmission do not show signs of being worn-out, the rest is pretty easy.

BTW unless you have lots of experience, imho avoid deciding on fixing everything at once. Plenty of first-timers decide to do everything on a car all at once; they take it all apart them become overwhelmed at the size and cost of the project then lose interest, leaving a garage full of useless car pieces.

I have found it's best to make the car drivable and enjoyable first. Then you can enjoy the car while you are fixing the details. This will help you remain enthusiastic about the car.
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