Chevrolet Corvair Spyder Turbo

Price: - Item location: Fair Oaks, California, United States
Description:

1963 Chevrolet Corvair Spyder

1963 Corvair Spyder in very nice, original condition.
Summary: It runs, starts and drives and everything works except the speedometer and the turn signals. The tach works when it wants to. It was painted with a cheap paint job at some point in time and is peeling off at some places. The original color of the car was metallic burgundy. It looks like there is a little bondo on the front but not much. The driver and passenger front floor-pans were replaced. Other than that, no other rust or bondo issues found. From what I know, the car was sitting in a garage since 1981 until last year it was sold at an estate sale from the original owners' family and the car could not be driven. The guy who bought it decided he wanted a convertible so he sold it to me. He got the car barely running but not very good. Since I bought the car, it have done a lot of work to her including the floor pans, new deluxe plush carpet kit, removed and cleaned all interior, fixed wiring issues, replaced fuel lines and new gas tank including new return line with metal "T" from (California Corvairs) and locking gas cap, new original type fuel filter, installed new master cylinder and went through the brakes flushing the lines, rebuilding all wheel cylinders, etc... New tires all the way around (no spare yet). It now runs, drives and stops well. The transmission shifts in all gears great. The car drives smooth and handles well. The original AM radio works, wipers work, heater blower works, the horn works, lights work except turn signals (probably steering cam), charging system works, has a new battery with new terminals (including integrated volt meter), it has disconnect at the ground terminal but there is no battery drain when off. (car can sit for weeks and battery is fully charged). It is pretty much original, unmolested and is a nice time capsule.
Interior: It does have a couple of split seams on the driver's seat that has been taped for now. The back seat is ok except the top middle is sunburned. There is one tear in the headliner on drivers side but not bad. There is mildew stains around the top of the sides of the windows that may be able to get cleaned more but not too bad. The car doesn't smell bad at all. The windows roll up and down Ok, doors shut solid, the door handles and locks work. The ignition, door locks and glove box locks are matched.
Note: the trunk lock is not original and there is no key. Included is an original type trunk lock but I like the one that's on there with the handle so I left it the way it is. Also included are two key blanks as there is currently only one key to work the car. Body: It had one bad paint job on the car at some point and it's peeling off. It looks OK for a driver if you like that "old" look. A new back window was installed and the "window guy" dented up the lower stainless trim piece. There are a couple of minor dings here and there on the sides and a lot of scratches so it could use a paint job but not much actual body work. The original metallic burgundy that is under the hood is beautiful so someone may want to bring it back to it's original color. All trim and emblems are there. The car is very sold. I replaced the floor pans on the front driver and passenger sides but it is driver quality and not show-quality work. But it is solid and tight. Very thick, steel, aftermarket custom, full sized pans were used- not used scrap metal. The rust was cut out, spot-welded in place and then caulked and finally painted with rustoleum paint and undercoating.
The Engine/Mechanicals: The engine starts, runs and idles good. However, it has not been rebuilt at 89,000 miles and it's been sitting for many years. It appears that the engine is all original and not much work was done to it except regular maintenance. There are no funny noises and it runs pretty smooth. But it does have some leaks and it does smoke a little. I cleaned it up quite a bit and fixed some obvious leaks but it's probably leaking at a couple of oil return tubes. I would say it's smoking because of the valve guides but can't be entirely sure. The carburetor probably can use a rebuild - I have a kit but have not had the time to do it. I don't think the turbo is boosting like it should. It may need to be cleaned or rebuilt but it sounds like it's spinning and the car runs pretty well. I have ran it in 100 degree temps across town and it does not overheat- the temp gauges work. The car drives smooth and does not shimmy, bounce, knock, shake or rattle. The steering is tight and alignment is good. This car is a lot of fun and very easy to drive. It gets a lot of attention and I get so many thumbs up I can't even count where ever I go. The local Corvair clubs are fantastic and there are many events I get invited to. This car is really a pleasure and I hate to see it go but circumstances change and I can't keep them all. It is getting harder to find these every day and I'm sure values are just going to continue to rise so this is an awesome collector car as it is an air-cooled, rear engine, flat six Turbo Spyder that would not take much to make it a show car. This is a situation where it can be driven and enjoyed while taking it to the next level as desired.
The car has a clear California title and is registered with no back fees. If you have any questions, would like more information, make arrangements for inspection or just want more pictures, please let me know. Please be sure you know what you are getting into before you bid. I have been an Ebay member for many years and have 100% positive feedback. I have sold about five cars on Ebay with no problems and can help make shipping arrangements. However, I ask that only serious buyers bid or make offers and please remember that respect is a two-way street as well as the alternative. That being said, the car will not be released until money has been paid in full and transfers cleared. The deposit can be made via Paypal, but the balance will have to be via cash or bank wire transfer. I am a businessman and always take pride in providing a smooth transaction to my customers and I want whoever buys this special little gem to be very happy with no disappointments. There is a very low reserve so happy bidding and good luck! Thank you very much for looking, stay positive and have a great day everybody!
The car is for sale locally and I reserve the right to cancel the auction early if needed.