1963 Chevrolet Corvair 1963 Chevrolet Corvair 1963 Chevrolet Corvair 1963 Chevrolet Corvair
1963 Chevrolet Corvair 1963 Chevrolet Corvair
Interior Photos   Engine Photos   

The Corvair came on the scene in 1959 and featured a flat-six engine mounted in mid-ship. Even with putting the engine in the middle of the vehicle, the weight distribution was not evenly distributed. The engine sat behind the rear axle and this actually caused handling problems. The vehicles main competition was the VW Bug and the Porsche 911. It was originally built to compete with the Bug, but with the flat-six engine, it was more in the Porsche 911 league. But with the poor handling, it was in an undesirable class of its own. The handling issues were addressed in 1965 when new suspensions with upper and lower control arms were added. But when comedian Eddie Kovacs was killed due to over-steer, public confidence and sales plummeted. Chevrolet tried to save the Corvairs by introducing media campaigns that focused on the new suspension. Race drivers were used to demonstrate the cars ability. However, it was not enough and Chevrolet finally ended production of the Corvair in 1969.
The front of the vehicle did not have a grill. This was because the engine was air-cooled, so a grill was not needed.

The car came with fifteen different color options on the outside and eight on the inside. The retractable room was foldable, and an automatic option available for an additional charge. In 1962, a turbocharged version was added to the line-up in attempt to boost sales and improve the image of the vehicle as a sports car. A top speed of 115 mph could be ascertained with the turbocharger with a zero-to-sixty time of about 10.8. In 1966, the vehicle received styling updates and was named the Corvair Corsa. Drum brakes were always used. The vehicle came in a variety of gearboxes such as a three-speed manual, four-speed manual or an optional two-speed automatic. The body was integral chassis with two-door steel body.

The name Corvair came about by breeding the Corvette and Bel Air together, two trademark names of Chevrolet.
The Chevrolet Corvair was introduced in 1959 and remained in production for ten years. It was an economy car that had its engine mounted in the rear which offered superior handling and exceptional performance, especially for the Monza model. An update to the styling in 1965 left the vehicle with a design that was very European. It was slightly wider and sat lower to the ground. Its body was described as a 'Coke bottle'. The Corsa and Spyder were now the top-of-the-line models in respects to performance and style, a title taken away from the Monza.

The Corsa models were equipped with a 140 horsepower four-carbureted six-cylinder engine and fixed to a four-speed manual gearbox. It was offered in two configurations, a two-door coupe and power-top convertible. The interior featured a 140 mph speedometer, re-settable trip odometer, 6000 rpm tachometer, analog clock with second hand, and chromed gearshift boot. The exterior was adorned with badging, dual exhausts, and aluminum-finish taillight cove.

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Classic Sports Sunday

2006 Carlisle All-GM Nationals

1963 Chevrolet Corvair

Year1963
MakeChevrolet
ModelCorvair
Body StyleClub Coupe
Engine LocationRear
Drive TypeRear Wheel
Production Years for Series1960 - 1969
Price$1,990.00
Weight2300 lbs | 1043.3 kg
Combined MPG0.00

Engine   [Optional Engines]
Engine ConfigurationO
Cylinders6
Hydraulic valve lifters
Aspiration/InductionNormal
Displacement145.00 CU IN. | 2376.6 cc. | 2.4 L.
ValvetrainOHV
Horsepower80.00 HP (58.9 KW) @ 4400.00 RPM
HP to Weight Ratio28.8 LB / HP (Vehicles with similar ratio)
HP / Liter33.3 BHP / Liter
Compression Ratio8.0:1
Main Bearings4
Fuel TypeGasoline - Petrol
Fuel FeedCarburetor
2 Rochester 1-Barrel Model 7017360 carburetor
BlockAluminum
Vehicles with similar horsepower and weight

Standard Transmission
Gears3
TransmissionManual

Optional Transmission
TransmissionAutomatic
Powerglide


 
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Articles and Event Coverage
Classic Sports Sunday
2006 Carlisle All-GM Nationals

Additional Resources and Links
Carlisle All-GM Nationals Official Website
Classic Sports Sunday Official Website

1963 Chevrolet models
Corvette
Corvette Grand Sport Lightweight
Corvette Z06
II Nova Series 400
Impala
Impala NASCAR
Impala Z11 NASCAR
1963 Chevrolet Concepts
Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT Concept
Chevrolet Corvair Monza SS Concept
Chevrolet Corvair PF Concept Car
Chevrolet Corvette Rondine Pininfarina

Other Model Years
1969 Corvair Mitchell Monza
1967 Corvair Astro I
1966 Corvair
1966 Corvair Yenko Stinger
1966 Corvair Fitch Phoenix
1965 Corvair Corsa
1964 Corvair
1964 Corvair Rampside
1964 Corvair Fitch Sprint
1963 Corvair PF Concept Car
1963 Corvair Monza GT Concept
1963 Corvair Monza SS Concept
1962 Corvair Super Spyder Concept
1961 Corvair
1960 Corvair
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