If today’s Mercedes SLC is too big, and a Porsche 911 is, well, too German, but you still want a 4-seat coupe with some style and a little sport thrown in, perhaps the Corvair is your pick. Corvairs are to car nuts as cats are to animal lovers – having one or two is pretty normal, but if you have ten living in your back yard, people will give each other that knowing look behind your back. To start you down the path of being crazy cat Corvair lady, check out this 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa for sale for $3250 in San Jose, CA.
People wax on for hours about how Karmann Ghias or Alfa GTVs are beautiful, but for some reason the Corvair does not get the same honor. It’s almost enough to make you think if there were a more exotic badge on it, it would be more coveted. Of course, they were produced in significant numbers, and were branded by that small nuisance of a scandal, but that doesn’t change that they’re one of the best interpretations of the coke bottle shape.
This particular car is said to be in great condition and run great, with a straight body that has some rust, new tires, and a good dash. Well, your interpretation of great might be more like average, but it still presents decently. Under the seat covers, the front seats look dirty and torn, though hopefully some of that is the lighting of the pictures combined with pale upholstery. Either way, for about $500, you can get upholstery for the front and rear seats from Clark’s.
The engine compartment looks reasonably tidy – this is the base spec 110hp car, but it has about the same power-to-weight ratio as the base spec of the highly respected 911. Classic car magazines, if you’re listening, a back-to-back test is definitely due here, if it hasn’t already been done. So go on, take the first step – we won’t look at you funny when you suddenly have six of them.
Rusty But Trusty 
October 17, 2014 at 2:36 pm |
The Corsa came with either a 4-carb 140-hp motor or turbocharged 18- hp motor, so the 2-carb 110 here is a downgrade from a stock Corsa. Just saying — may or may not matter to a given buyer.
October 17, 2014 at 2:37 pm |
make that turbocharged 180-hp !
October 17, 2014 at 4:58 pm |
Man! I’m loving all the cars on your front page today!
October 18, 2014 at 3:18 am |
My Dad had a Karmann Ghia, his buddy had Corvairs, several of them. I think only one ran though.