Perhaps the most documented seven-year Corvair restoration is now listed on Hemmings Auctions. Completing this 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa Convertible was a labor of love for owner and seller Don Homuth. Now in nearly concours condition, the classic car features all era-correct parts, including its air-cooled flat-six engine and four-speed manual transmission.
It was early-1968 when Homuth set eyes on the Corvair for the first time. He purchased it a day before he had to return to Vietnam after a 30-day leave. It was love at first sight; “to my eye it was a vision of automotive perfection,” he wrote in a 2015 Hemmings article. Homuth’s honest and in-depth progress updates soon became a regular occurrence in the Hemmings Daily series until the restoration was completed in 2021.
Aside from missing his family upon his return to Vietnam, getting back home to drive the Corvair was all he dreamed about. After returning, he drove it for a year, then sold it to the woman who he eventually married to chase a 1966 Corvette Roadster. Once married, the Corvair re-entered his life and he sold the ‘Vette, but bought five other Corvairs, including the rare #042 Yenko Corvair Stinger. As time passed, life circumstances caused him to sell it and the other cars for good, or so he thought, sometime between 1977 and ‘78. Life went on, and in late-2014 Homuth began wondering what happened to his first Corvair love. Just three days after putting an ad on Craigslist, he received an email from the owner. After exchanging stories, an agreement was met. Homuth welcomed the Corvair home in August, 2015 and began the restoration soon after.
The plan was to restore the Corvair to concours condition, and a glance through the photo galleries found in the auction listing show just that.
The so-called tri-fives don’t seem to be waning in popularity at all
It’s easy to pick on the 1955 to 1957 Chevrolet passenger cars – known to many as tri-five Chevrolets – as ubiquitous and basic collector cars. They sold in such vast quantities that, it seemed, everybody at one point owned one, knew somebody who owned one, or wanted to own one. As a result, they’ve almost lost their mystique over the years. But it’s also worth remembering two things: There was a reason the cars became popular and remained so in the first place, to the point where they’re now considered pop culture icons, and there’s always a younger generation coming along intrigued by the cars and all they represent, but not yet studied in their ways. So what should anybody new to tri-fives consider when looking to buy one?
What Makes Tri-Fives Iconic?
Even mid-Fifties Ford fans will admit that – despite the fact that Ford’s passenger cars handily outsold Chevrolet’s in 1957 – the latter has gone on to become the darling of the collector-car world and the poster child for post-war American optimism and culture.
Did Chevrolet somehow capture the chrome-and-glitz zeitgeist better than Ford? Was it the new Chevrolet small-block V-8 that captured hot-rodders’ attention and made bold horsepower claims? Or was it the fact that Chevrolet found a formula for a modern car that set the tone for its output for the next few decades?
After all, here was a thoroughly redesigned car that ditched its predecessors’ torque tube and vestiges of pre-envelope styling. It introduced to the Chevrolet lineup ball-joint independent front suspension, suspended brake and clutch pedals, 12-volt electrical systems, and tubeless tires. What’s more, it brought jet-age futuristic styling in the form of tailfins, wraparound windshields, and trim packages that evoked high-speed travel.
Ford may have presented itself as the more affordable of the two, but did that really matter in terms of legacy when America’s middle class had gobs of purchasing power at the time and a desire for futuristic, auto show-inspired cars in its driveways?
So while mid-Fifties Fords have their fan base, the tri-five Chevrolet appeals across wide swaths of the collector-car hobby. As a result, it’s a car that’s readily available no matter where you are in pretty much every configuration one can imagine, from project car to stock restored to extensively modified.
It’s easy to pick on the 1955 to 1957 Chevrolet passenger cars – known to many as tri-five Chevrolets – as ubiquitous and basic collector cars. They sold in such vast quantities that, it seemed, everybody at one point owned one, knew somebody who owned one, or wanted to own one. As a result, they’ve almost lost their mystique over the years. But it’s also worth remembering two things: There was a reason the cars became popular and remained so in the first place, to the point where they’re now considered pop culture icons, and there’s always a younger generation coming along intrigued by the cars and all they represent, but not yet studied in their ways. So what should anybody new to tri-fives consider when looking to buy one?
What Makes Tri-Fives Iconic?
Even mid-Fifties Ford fans will admit that – despite the fact that Ford’s passenger cars handily outsold Chevrolet’s in 1957 – the latter has gone on to become the darling of the collector-car world and the poster child for post-war American optimism and culture.
Did Chevrolet somehow capture the chrome-and-glitz zeitgeist better than Ford? Was it the new Chevrolet small-block V-8 that captured hot-rodders’ attention and made bold horsepower claims? Or was it the fact that Chevrolet found a formula for a modern car that set the tone for its output for the next few decades?
After all, here was a thoroughly redesigned car that ditched its predecessors’ torque tube and vestiges of pre-envelope styling. It introduced to the Chevrolet lineup ball-joint independent front suspension, suspended brake and clutch pedals, 12-volt electrical systems, and tubeless tires. What’s more, it brought jet-age futuristic styling in the form of tailfins, wraparound windshields, and trim packages that evoked high-speed travel.
Ford may have presented itself as the more affordable of the two, but did that really matter in terms of legacy when America’s middle class had gobs of purchasing power at the time and a desire for futuristic, auto show-inspired cars in its driveways?
So while mid-Fifties Fords have their fan base, the tri-five Chevrolet appeals across wide swaths of the collector-car hobby. As a result, it’s a car that’s readily available no matter where you are in pretty much every configuration one can imagine, from project car to stock restored to extensively modified.
1955 Chevrolet 150
How to Identify a Tri-Five Chevrolet
Over its three-year run, the tri-five Chevrolet was offered in three basic trim levels, at least eight different nameplates, and at least 21 different body styles, with significant styling changes from year to year. Telling them all apart, however, isn’t too difficult.
Let’s begin with model years. The 1955 Chevrolets all had fairly square egg crate grilles flanked by semi-oval front marker lamps with triangular taillamps mounted to the tops of the rear quarter panels. The ’55s are also the only tri-fives to feature a fuel filler door mounted on the quarter panels. The following year, Chevrolet hid the fuel filler behind the left taillamp, widened the grille to encompass rectangular front marker lamps, and shrank the taillamps to small round lenses in a larger chrome decorative bezel in roughly the same location. Then for 1957, the grilles became more sculptured, with the front bumpers wrapping up at the ends to nearly encapsulate them. The hood ornament of the prior two years gave way to bombsights set into the leading edge of the hood, the headlamp bezels were opened up and fitted with mesh to permit fresh air intake, and the leading section of the fenders was scored with hashmarks. Around back, the ’57s featured pointer fins, the fuel filler door behind a piece of chrome trim on the fin, and taillamps mounted at the base of the fin.
To distinguish the three trim levels, look primarily to the chrome spears mounted to the sides of the cars. The base 150 came with no side trim in its first year, a single spear extending from just behind the headlamps to a piece dropping down from the post-B-pillar notch in 1956, and a single spear extending rearward from the same notch in 1957. The mid-level 210 had a side spear similar to the 1957 150’s, though mounted a little lower, followed by a full-length spear that swooped downward at the rear in 1956, and a branching version of the downward swooping spear in 1957. The top-of-the-line Bel Air always used some variation on the same year 210’s side trim: In 1955, it added a simple spear extending rearward from the headlamps; in 1956, it added a second horizontal piece paralleling the main one from the headlamps back to the notch; and in 1957, the Bel Air added a stainless steel panel between the two side trim branches.
Note too that certain body styles only exist in certain trim levels during the tri-five Chevrolet’s run. No two-door or four-door hardtops were ever available in the 150, convertibles could only be had as Bel Airs, and business coupes (“utility coupes,” in Chevrolet parlance) were only available as 150s.
Station wagons had their own nomenclature depending on the trim level. The 150 series had the Handyman, available only as a two-door; the 210 and the Bel Air had the Townsman, available only as a six-passenger four-door; and the Bel Air had the nine passenger three-row Beauville. And let’s not forget the Nomad, the sporty two-door station wagon from the Bel Air series that took its name and greenhouse from the Corvette Nomad Motorama show car.
While all of the above applies regardless of the number of cylinders under the hood, Chevrolet did add trim to differentiate the V-8 cars from the six-cylinder ones: a small emblem under the taillamps on 1955 models and a vee-shaped piece of trim on the hood for 1956 and 1957 models.
One thousand pounds. Half a ton. Way more than any strongman contestant can lift. That’s how much weight Finale Speed has been able to cut out of a 1969 Camaro by replacing its steel body with carbon fiber. And the company’s aiming to bring that supercar technology to pretty much any American muscle car.
“Carbon fiber’s been around for years,” said JD Rudisill, who founded Finale Speed in Yukon, Oklahoma, in April 2022. “It’s what they use in Formula 1, all the hypercars, because it’s just a fraction of the weight of steel. Half the weight and double the strength, is what they say. It’s just that nobody had used it on the classics.”
Other aftermarket companies have offered ready-made carbon-fiber components, Rudisill noted, and a handful do offer full carbon-fiber bodies, but Rudisill said that as far as he knows, Finale is the first company to offer full carbon-fiber bodies for 1968-1970 Dodge Chargers and first-generation Chevrolet Camaros.
The latter made its debut this past week at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction as a complete car dubbed Viral, powered by a 650hp LT4 6.2-liter crate engine. The former has had a far more eventful few months. From the start, Rudisill wanted to work with Dodge representatives to license the second-generation Charger’s design, and even before those agreements were in place, he got an invitation to unveil the Charger’s bare carbon-fiber body at Dodge’s Speed Week event in August – the same event at which the company debuted its all-electric Charger Daytona SRT Concept.
“We just got there, and we’ve got Tom Sacoman (Director of Dodge Product and Motorsports) and Ralph Gilles (Stellantis Head of Design) crawling all over it,” Rudisill said. “I’m in shock. Then Tim Kuniskis sees it and says he wants it at SEMA, still unfinished and with a Hellcrate in it.
According to Rudisill and Finale’s Chris Jacobs, the company has been able to make such great strides in less than a year due to a number of factors. While Rudisill gives credit to the eight guys in the shop who came to the company from Rudisill’s prior venture (“The eight best guys you want working on carbon fiber cars,” he said), he also has 15 years of experience working with carbon fiber in automotive applications. Finale has also partnered with Brothers Carbon in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, which supplies the dozen or so pieces that Finale then pieces together into bodies.
(For what it’s worth, Brothers displays a complete carbon-fiber Bumpside F-100 body on its website. Speedkore has also built full carbon-fiber Dodge Chargers, but does not appear to offer the bodies separately. Kindig-It Design offers 1953 Corvettes with full carbon fiber bodies. Classic Recreations, which was already building carbon-fiber Shelby G.T.500s, also announced a full carbon-fiber Shelby Cobra body last year.)
Perhaps just as important, Finale employs a straightforward, old-school method for building carbon fiber bodies that dispenses with the time-consuming process of CAD modeling, 3D printing, and other high-tech prototyping solutions normally associated with carbon fiber. More like creating fiberglass body panels, the process starts with sourcing a body from which Finale can pull fiberglass molds, which then go to Brothers for laying up with prepreg (carbon fiber sheets with the resin already embedded in the carbon fiber weave) and curing in an autoclave. “With the prepreg, they just roll it out and trim it to fit,” Jacobs said. “It looks just like they’re installing Dynamat.
As the humble pickup truck’s place in American culture steadily evolved from simple-but-valued tool to modern fashion statement, it gained a huge fan base. While admiration grew and trucks aged, restorers began returning some of them to showroom shape. Meanwhile, hot-rodders and customizers crafted their own interpretations of the classic pickup.
The years rolled on and certain models emerged as favorites, spawning a vast aftermarket blooming with reproduction and upgrade parts and kits. So widespread is this enthusiasm for classic pickups today that values of the most popular models have swelled substantially during the past decade or so. It’s good news if you already have one, but not so great for anyone on the hunt for a budget-friendly alternative to pony cars or muscle machines.
This 1997 C1500 short-bed Fleetside was located in the Carolinas and hauled north to Vermont, where 1967-’72 Chevy truck enthusiast Glen Sauer picked it up for short money as a low-budget project to build with his son. It had essentially zero rust, but a worn and baked interior and over 200,000 miles.
Consider the 1967-’72 Chevrolet trucks, popular from new and long adored by enthusiasts. Today, they’re nearly as sought after as the muscle cars of the same era, and values have followed suit, making them less accessible to the younger builders trying to get into a vintage project. More recently, the following generation of Chevy trucks— the 1973-’87 “square-body” era—has been following the same trajectory, with values escalating rapidly.
So, where does that leave the aspiring young builder on a budget? Or even the seasoned tinkerer looking to start a new project with a casual cash commitment? Fortunately, GM kept right on building pickups, and its next generation proved to be a winner.
This truck left the factory with a blue cloth interior, but after more than 20 years and many miles worth of service, along with years spent under the southern sun, it was showing its age. Plus, a blue interior didn’t suit Glen’s taste for this project, so this will all be removed.The familiar Chevy small-block V-8 powered most GM ½-ton trucks of the 1988-’98 period. Beginning with the 1996 model year, GM used the Vortec version of its 5.7-liter V-8, with improved cylinder heads and updated fuel injection. This one was rated for 255 hp, and even with more than 200,000 on the odometer, it still runs just fine. Apart from basic maintenance items, they’re going to leave it alone for now.
For the 1988 model year, GM introduced a new line of light trucks under the internal designation “GMT 400.” To the public, the new generation of trucks was often referred to as the “C/K” series, combining the familiar C designation of two-wheel-drive models with the K of 4x4s. The new C/K line offered increased interior space, while appearing leaner and more svelte on the outside thanks to a “cab forward” design with a sloping hood and rounded prow. This was the first time GM had offered extended-cab variations on its pickups, and the traditional “step-side” bed was finally replaced with a new fiberglass Sportside interpretation.
Viewed today, the GMT-400 era of trucks was an excellent blend of then-modern technology merged with traditional pickup dimensions. Though some details are very of-the-period, like the mini quad headlamps of the earlier models and the plasticky dark-argent egg-crate grilles, GM’s stylists smoothed out many of the trim details as the generation evolved, and overall these trucks have aged well. Park a GMT 400 next to a 1967-’68 Chevy pickup and you might even wonder if GM’s stylists looked back for inspiration.
It shoulda been a contender. A modern, hot-rodded take on the 1949-’55 Advance Design series Chevrolet pickup, issued by none other than the Bowtie brand itself. But something funny happened on the way to instant-collectible status and the SSR sort of got shuffled into a parking space next to the Plymouth Prowler.
If you’re one of those keeping track, SSRs seem to be more affordable now than ever. According to data from Hemmings.com, the average asking price for a 2006—the final and one of the most desirable years due to the availability of the 6-liter engine and T-56 six-speed manual— was $39,551, based on asking prices from the last three years. The lowest asking price for an ’06 over that period was $23,500 and the highest price was $60,000. Prices trend lower for the earlier trucks which were offered only with the 5.3-liter V-8 and an automatic transmission. Out of 88 2004 SSRs for sale in the Hemmings classifieds over the last three years, the average asking price was $29,000. The lowest price asked was $18,500 and the highest was $45,000.
Those top-end numbers seem steep until you consider that the adjusted-for-inflation cost of a new SSR, that stickered for about $47,000, would be more than $73,000 today. Which means these trucks have hardly been investment grade.
But who cares? If you’re looking for a fun, open-air driver with built in LS power that makes a very retro-styling statement, the SSR is a cool choice. Over four model years there were 24,180 built and since they were pleasure vehicles by design, there are many out there with low mileage and histories of pampered ownership.
“I haven’t a dollar but I’m happy and I’m carrying on because I can’t stop. There’s much more to life than money.” – William Durant
The Rise of Durant
Durant (left) and his carriage company partner, J. Dallas Dort, in front of the Imperial Wheel Co. factory in Flint, Mich.
William Durant dropped out of school at age 17. Ignoring his family’s expectations for him to become a lawyer, Durant’s first job was piling lumber, and his second job was selling cigars. He alone sold more than three other sales people combined.
By age 24, Durant was already a successful businessman in the old lumber town of Flint, Michigan.
Durant, who went on to become a partner in a thriving insurance agency, decided to get into the vehicle business in 1886. He bought a small horse cart company with borrowed money. All he got was two completed carts and a design patent. Durant immediately took one cart to a fair and won a blue ribbon. He came home with orders for more than 600 carts even though he had yet to build one.
Within 15 years, the Durant-Dort Carriage Company had grown from a $2,000 investment into a $2 million business. It had become the largest vehicle manufacturer in the U.S., with Factory One its first plant in Flint. William Durant was heralded as the “King of Carriage Makers.”
Betting Big on the Automobile
Buying Buick
Original 1904 Buick prototype in Flint at the beginning of its test run to Detroit and back.
Durant was a millionaire at age 40, and he was eager for new adventures. With the Durant-Dort Carriage Company running smoothly, Durant was becoming bored. He liked to create organizations.
By 1900, different brands of horseless carriages were being marketed in the U.S. To maintain the title of “Vehicle City,” the city of Flint needed the automobile business. James Whiting of Flint Wagon Works bought Buick to help the city and save the company from financial ruin. Yet, he needed a sharp young businessman to take command, and Durant was the one.
Durant wasn’t interested at first. He said that automobiles were noisy, dangerous contraptions that frightened people and horses. Still, he was willing to give it a shot. He took the Buick out alone, driving it on all kinds of roads for a month or two. He was so impressed that he took over the management of Buick in 1904.
In 1908, Buick production surpassed Ford and Cadillac combined. Durant had made the transition from the largest carriage maker to the largest automobile manufacturer in a little more than three years. Durant became an inspiration to the workers of Flint.
The Birth of GM
A Company with Multiple Brands That Almost Included Ford
General Motors Building, Detroit, MI, 1924.
One night in 1907, Durant received a phone call about a large automobile merger put together by financier J.P. Morgan. Weeks later, Durant held a meeting in his room at the original Pontchartrain Hotel, together with three other automotive leaders. They were Henry Ford, Ransom Olds of REO, and Ben Briscoe of Maxwell-Briscoe. When Ford announced that he wanted money, not stock, the talks fell apart. Everyone left the sinking ship except Durant, because he knew there must be consolidation.
Durant had a plan B. He knew Oldsmobile was having a difficult time. He took a night train to Lansing, Michigan, roused the Olds officials from bed, and proposed creating a holding company called General Motors that would include Buick and Oldsmobile. They agreed, and General Motors was incorporated on September 16, 1908.
In fact, Durant almost purchased Ford in 1909. After getting GM in shape, Durant had Henry Ford agree to sell the company for $8 million. The loan committee of the bank, however, passed on this deal. If Durant had had the cash, Ford would have become a division of GM.
Size Matters
Major Acquisitions for GM
1909 Cadillac enters the fold.
By the start of 1909, Durant was ready to move in a big way. His aim was nothing less than to gain control of some of the biggest and best automobile companies in America. But he also wanted to get in on the ground floor with companies that were just starting. He wondered what their patents, products and inventions might bring.
Wrote Durant, “I figured if I could acquire a few more companies like Buick, I would have control of the greatest industry in this country. A great opportunity, no time to lose, I must get busy.”
Less than 16 months after GM’s incorporation, Durant had purchased 22 companies of all kinds. Although many were proven worthless due to a few severe liabilities, some were solid gold – Buick, Cadillac, Oakland (Pontiac), Oldsmobile, McLaughlin (GM Canada) and GMC.
While U.S. banking interests looked on cars as little more than a national fad, Durant was already seeing the automotive business as the greatest industry in the land. When Durant predicted that someday 500,000 automobiles would be built and sold in a single year, the bankers thought he was mad. Durant did not care what they thought. He knew he was right.
Down But Not Out
Ousted from GM and Back
Durant and his cohorts celebrate the first Chevrolet outside the factory, 1912.
In 1910, big problems arose. The market for large cars dried up. People were flocking to Henry Ford’s reliable and inexpensive Model T, his only model. GM, meanwhile, offered 21 different models of larger cars produced by 10 independent divisions, few of which were profitable. Durant’s image went from genius to foolish speculator. To borrow money to keep GM afloat, Durant had no choice but to accept bankers taking control of his “baby” for the five-year term of the loan, starting from September 26, 1910. But Durant was far from through. He was already starting to talk with Buick’s former racing star – Louis Chevrolet.
Chevrolet was a fearless racer and pioneering engineer who beat racing legend Barney Oldfield in his first race. His racing prowess caught the eye of Durant, and he signed up to drive for the Buick racing team in 1909. In two racing seasons, the Buick team won half of America’s road races.
Always wanting to design and build his own car, Chevrolet recalled: “Durant told me, ‘We’re going to need a car.’ So I built it.” Together they founded Chevrolet Motor Company in 1911, named after Louis Chevrolet. It launched two models in 1914 with the first valve-in-head engine, which drew many potential Ford Model T buyers. Chevrolets sold very well.
Durant had kept his shares of GM stock and continued to purchase more. Finally, at a GM board meeting in 1916, Durant announced that Chevrolet now had controlling interest of GM. Durant was again elected president of GM.
Last Empire and New Ventures
Durant Motors and More
1940 Alfred Sloan and Billy Durant celebrating the production GM’s 25 millionth car
From Durant’s return to control through the end of 1919, GM had grown into a vast enterprise. One of GM’s directors wrote, “The General Motors Corporation of today is 8 times as large as the company which the bankers were managing. This is indeed a fine tribute to your foresight.”
In 1920, the post-World War I boom ended, stocks lost 25% of their value, and 100,000 businesses went bankrupt. Durant began secretly buying stock on margin. He felt personally responsible for the thousands of stockholders who had entrusted him with the fate of their funds. Six months later, his $90 million was all gone. He was bailed out again but with a provision that he resign completely from GM. For the second time, he had lost control of the company he had founded. Durant was 59 years old and unemployed.
He wasted no time. Within six weeks of leaving GM without any money, he was back in the automotive business with a new company – Durant Motors. But the Great Depression in 1929 got in his way, and Durant Motors was liquidated in 1933. Yet, Durant, as a visionary, never lost his energy. He earned himself the nickname “Bull of the Bulls” on Wall Street and opened a bowling alley in one of the country’s first drive-in restaurants at the age of 78.
High-performance Corvette variants often came with some baked-in sacrifice: a heavy big-block hobbling chassis balance or racetrack handling at the expense of ride quality. That all changed with the introduction of the C5 Corvette Z06 in 2001.
Corvette engineers equipped the Z06 with stickier tires and a firmer suspension to rein in its powerful engine. James Lipman
At its core, the base C5 platform’s stiff hydroformed frames and rear transaxle layout maximized interior space and everyday usability while also paying dividends for weight balance and rigidity. Chevy opted to base this performance Vette on the C5 hardtop rather than the heavier and more flexy hatchback coupe. Hung with firmer suspension components and stickier, non-run-flat rubber, the C5’s cornering capability swelled to near-supercar levels. Hot-rodding the base car’s LS1 V-8 into the 405-hp LS6 yielded a formidable 4.0-second 0–60 hustle. Even now, the Z06 meets an array of buyers on their turf—it’s as happy on a relaxed cruise as it is beating up on cars half its age during a track day.
Speaking of track days, the Z06 looks the part, sporting several performance-oriented design cues. The notch-back greenhouse, aggressive wheels, brake ducts, mesh intake screens, and subtle badges convey a more serious, capable presence than entry-level C5s. Slide behind the wheel and the Z06’s controls, though decades old, feel current and precise. The brake pedal is firm, and each long mechanical throw of the shifter conveys that you’re wrangling 405 horses. This is no Miata shifter. Although appearing thin and delicate for the car, the steering wheel’s weight is firm but not overly heavy, and behind it are easy-to-read gauges with an attractive depth to them.
Fire it up, pop the easily modulated clutch, and the Z06 squats back on its haunches while roaring to its 6500-rpm redline. It has theatrics to accentuate its pace. There’s more roll and pitch than in younger sports cars, but suspension motions are well controlled and it never feels unwieldy. Once you’ve gotten some fun out of your system, the Z06 is a pleasant, docile road-tripper, idling down the highway at under 2000 rpm.
The hopped-up heart of the Z06 beats the output of standard Corvettes by 60 horses. Matt Tierney
“Before I bought this Z06, I didn’t realize how smooth they were on the open road,” says owner Chuck Brown, who bought the car from a friend in 2018. “My wife and I enjoy it for Sunday drives to the beach or through the California mountains. We love the power and handling, but also how relaxed and comfortable the Z06 can be.”
Unsurprisingly, enthusiasts of all ages enjoy that versatility, as cross-generational appeal has driven the C5 Z06’s recent appreciation. And word is getting out on something Brown discovered four years ago: The C5 Z06 offers the sports car experience without the typical penalty of high cost. At least, for now anyway.
It’s got distinctive looks, great traction, and a horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine. No, it’s not a Subaru Forester—it’s a Chevy Corvair. Old-time Vermonters I keep encountering swear by the little air-cooled Chevrolets as cars that would, Beetle-like, go anywhere in the winter and get home again. The rest of the world sees Corvairs as “the poor man’s Porsche” and, you know, I like Porsches too—providing they’re the safari’d kind.
Safari cars are usually moderately lifted versions of regular street cars with knobby tires, extra lights, skid plates, and whatnot to permit them to go offroad or at least down sketchy, class D fire roads of the type that we have a lot of in the remoter reaches of the Green Mountain State. A safari car is kind of like a Group 11 or Baja Bug, just with any other kind of car than a Volkswagen Type 1.
Corvairs have their own off-road history, having made excursions both through the Darien Gap and into the swamps of Florida back when Chevrolet was pushing them as capable compacts more than sports cars. Since then, however, most builds lean in the direction of emulating the Fitch Sprint or Yenko Stinger SCCA contenders.
Still, there are a lot of Powerglide-equipped Corvairs that will never run with the four-speed cars on an autocross track but could be used for other vehicular adventures. This is a rare (unique?) case of me putting my time and money where my mouth is: I already own a near-identical car, and this is essentially the plan I have for it, though here we’ll take a look at how to safari a 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza listed for sale on Hemmings.com.
Suspension
This is how low a stock ’62 Monza is on undersized, 13-inch tires.Photo by David Conwill
To start with, don’t imagine trying to replicate the New England Forest Rally in this thing. That’s a whole different car, incorporating a roll cage. For moderate driving, I envision just enough lift to deal with substantial ruts and clear oversized wheels and tires. That’s maybe an inch and a half to two inches over stock.
To accomplish that, the right way is new, taller springs and shock absorbers to match. Those aren’t something available off the shelf for Corvairs because most people want to lower their car or keep it stock height rather than go up. Spring spacers are another option, but kind of weak sauce for something intended as permanent.
It goes without saying that fresh bushings and an in-spec, adjusted steering box are mandatory before any modifications begin. You don’t want to compound deferred maintenance with weird changes.
The biggest weak points in a Corvair for long-term ownership are the rear wheel bearings. The wheel bearing for the swing-axle car was a unique design that interchanges with nothing except the ’61-’63 Pontiac Tempest. Further complicating things, the ’60-’62 design will fit a ’63-’64 car, but the slightly redesigned 1963-type bearing won’t fit a 1960-’62 Corvair. They’re not reproduced and weren’t intended as a serviceable part. The best thing to do, it seems, is to carefully drill a hole in the housing, install a plug (or a Zerk fitting—but some reports indicate that may not allow sufficient flow) and re-lubricate the bearing periodically. Having a useable spare set on the shelf also seems to be a wise mov
Brakes, Wheels and Tires
Speed is the enemy of brakes. This isn’t a high-speed build. Ergo, it doesn’t need bigger brakes. That’s good because the early model Corvair doesn’t really lend itself to brake upgrades. In the front, it’s simple enough to swap to five-lug disc brakes, but you’re pretty much stuck with four lugs in the rear unless you can dig up and shorten a pair of axles from a Corvair 95 (that’s the van/truck version, which used front suspension more like that of an Impala than the standard Corvair unit).
One upgrade that I do demand and have already installed is a dual-reservoir master cylinder. Losing one of four brake lines shouldn’t mean losing all four brakes!
I’ve never been a fan of 13-inch wheels—probably because I’ve seen too many of them wearing undersized tires. There are better options today for Corvair radial substitutes than there used to be, but 14- and 15-inch wheels are way better supported. My feeling is that a 25.5-inch diameter looks best on a car this size, so I’m running 195/75R14 Firestone Winterforce snow tires.
It happens that I had easy access to 14-inch Ford Maverick wheels, which have the same four-lug bolt pattern as a Corvair, but a slightly smaller center hole. I had our friendly local machine shop open them up for me and used ’59 Chevy dog-dish hubcaps, but a more straightforward approach would be to grab a set of 14-inch aftermarket four-lug wheels (and matching ‘56 Chevrolet-style hubcaps) from someone like Wheel Vintiques.
One caveat here is that at extremes of suspension deflection while the wheels are turned, they sometimes catch the fender lip—hence the recommendation to raise the suspension slightly. Otherwise, 185/75R14 tires might be the ticket to avoid interference.
Engine
Although the ad says otherwise, according to the crossed-flags badge on the decklid, this car has the 102-hp Super Turbo Air engine. Like all ’61-’63 Corvair engines, this is a 145-cu.in. boxer six. For 1964, Chevrolet stroked the 145 out to 164 cu.in., raising the formerly 102-hp engine’s output to 110 horsepower. The 102 is a good engine, but the 110 is an absolute stalwart.
I’ve already sought out a 110. Mine’s a ’65-vintage unit. A ’64 engine would be even better because it would come a lot closer to being a drop-in swap to the ’62 engine bay. Installing the later engine requires some parts shuffling—and a few ’64-only pieces—but is doable.
Alternately, I suppose you could have the 102 rebuilt with the 110 crankshaft inside; making a 110 completely disguised as a 102 save for the telltale harmonic balancer.
It’s hard to believe that the IROC Camaros of the F-body’s third-generation are now considered classics, and qualify for collector plates and insurance policies. So, we shouldn’t be surprised that the market is rising for them as many of the potential owners have now slipped past the half-century mark, possess more disposable income, and are empty nesters… or close to it. As did older enthusiasts, many potential IROC owners are now succumbing to the nostalgia of their youth and the cars they either owned or lusted after during those times.
Third-generation Camaros were produced from 1982-’92 in prodigious quantities and myriad configurations, from base models to Rally Sports and Z28s to IROCs. Production numbers notwithstanding, finding a good one these days can be a daunting challenge as many of them were rode hard and put away wet. Low mileage, rust-free examples with performance options are commanding the most attention and, consequently, the highest prices. Look hard enough, though, and you might still find a great Camaro at a great price, but you’ll need to move fast because the market for them is on the move.
We recently decided to make our own move on an ’88 IROC convertible. What caught our attention was the five-liter TPI (Tuned Port Injection) engine (220 hp) backed by a five-speed manual transmission. The diminutive engine may not have represented the pinnacle of Camaro performance, but we felt the gearbox would allow us to extract the most performance from it. This IROC also has the rare G92 option, which included a “performance” rear gear (3.27:1 Posi) and opened the door for a high-flow exhaust, four-wheel disc brakes, and engine oil cooler, which were also present on this Camaro.
The IROC had lived its life in Texas, so it is rust-free and its ragtop was recently replaced, plus all the accessories worked like they should. The engine, however, ran rough and lacked power, but didn’t smoke, knock, or act stupid, so we attributed the shortcomings to the fact that the owner had let it sit for a couple years and the gas had gone bad during that time. We managed to drive it on the trailer and dragged it home to Tennessee
If this 1984 Chevrolet Chevette CS listed for sale on Hemmings.com isn’t the most well-preserved example of the most representative Chevette, I’m not sure what is.
The original owner may have sprung for an option or two—Chevette experts chime in here to note any options you see—but with a manual transmission, crank windows, no power brakes or steering, two doors, and an AM radio, it’s hard to see how the car could have come much cheaper. Typically, this is the kind of car most people buy to run into the ground by commuting over long distances with minimal-to-zero maintenance, but this one was actually treasured by its original owner, who undercoated it, stored it indoors, put vanishingly few miles on it, and generally treated it like a highly optioned Buick rather than an econobox. It’s not perfect after all these years, but it still has a lot more going for it than 99 percent of the Chevettes still out there. From the seller’s description:
All original. Clean green title. My mom bought this Chevette brand new, her “blue jewel,” and put it away in the barn only a few years later all covered with sheets and blankets inside and out. She had it out a few times since to change the oil, start it, wax it, drive it a little, then put it back away “to save it.” It is the CS version with the 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engine and manual 4 speed transmission, cloth seats, seats 4, hatchback. Car comes with full history and a story. Comes with all original paperwork and documentation, warranties and receipts. All maintenance records and logs from new. Mom even had a cute blue flowered journal where she recorded the maintenance and every gallon of gas she put in the car. It was dealer undercoated at new, Vesco Ban-Rust “lifetime.” The undercoating did a good job. The interior is near new. Seats and hatch and floors were always completely covered with rugs, blankets, and towels. She never sat on the seat fabric. Never in an accident or painted in any way. Original Firestone P155/80R13 tires and they still hold air. It was never stored or sitting outside so the paint is in really nice, but original, shape. The black moldings are all original, not sundrenched or faded. These cars did not have metallic paint and there are a few storage blemishes, but no stone chips on the front hood like most cars. No power what so ever. Manual steering. Manual brakes. Manual transmission. Manual windows. Manual locks. Manual key to open hatch. Driver side mirror only. AM Radio. Cigarette lighter. All lights work and are original. No pets. No smoking ever. In the past few months, the car had its oil and filter, lube, front brake pads and adjacent lines, and battery replaced. We have driven it a few dozen miles and it has driven fine.
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