Second-generation 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Walkaround

[@johnhull6363]

The second generation was truly one of GM's best products.... very stylish and good available performance

[@danerdog]

One of the most innovative and stylish cars that GM ever produced.

[@jamesengland7461]

agreed

[@martentrudeau6948]

I always liked these 2nd gen Corvairs.

[@scottreal7787]

My grandmothers neighbor in Oklahoma had one of these tucked in his backyard. Too bad it never was used.

[@volktales7005]

I wanted one of these for 30 plus years and FINALLY bought a '66 Monza six weeks ago. It is everything I hoped it would be and is a shame more people didn't realize just how good they really were. I will never part with mine...

[@DFHarr]

Enjoy and congrats to you!!!

[@DavidHall-ge6nn]

Any other channel would be gushing over the Ferrari and/or Porsche, but you two wax eloquent over the Corvair. My kind of people!

[@motomuso]

Ah, the Corvair! Sometimes I miss my 1964 Corvair Monza to the point of a dull ache. The 2nd gen is prettier but the 1st gen projects an idea of futuristic 1950s design. The round 'Vette tail lights on both generations were very cool, sporty, and very Chevrolet.

[@danielulz1640]

I miss my 64 Monza coupe too, I know how you feel. It was a great little car.

[@christopherkraft1327]

Hey Adam & Mark, so often the Corvair does not get the respect it deserves!!! Thanks guys for a nice walk around of this classic!!! 👍👍🙂

[@OldDood]

My Father had a 65 Corvair. He was a bank officer back then. My Father ran the loan department at a fair sized back in Flint. We never had a Brand New Car from the showroom floor. But we had late model cars. Since my Father would pick up 'Repos' from the bank we always had 'Nice Cars'. Not luxurious cars. Just nice decent middle of the road cars. This model year of the Corvair my Father picked up after my folks divorced. My Mom kept the 1963 Impala and my Dad buzzed around in the Corvair. He would tell me how good it was in the winter. They got great traction in the snow since the engine was in the rear...

[@Al-thecarhistorian]

To me, the Corvair provided style, sportiness, compactness, handling and uniqueness all wrapped up in one fantastic car. At age 74+ I can assure you I have a number of favorites from each manufacturer. To me, my favorite Chevy is the Corvair. I loved both generations.

[@taylorsutherland6973]

The Corvair and the Toronato really show off GMs design and engineering prowess in the mid 60s.

[@bhayescampbell]

I owned two 1966 Corsair Corsa (turbo) 4-speed convertibles. Great cars. Handled like a go-cart.

[@RVPartsGerald]

Adam you should do a Corvair special. GM's most under appreciated car.

[@manthony225]

I've always loved the gen2 corvair. Gorgeous 😍

[@txnetcop]

Loved my Corvair Spyder!!! Great car sold it at 245,322 miles still ran great!

[@loveisall5520]

I dated a girl in the late sixties with the four door Monza hardtop, light green. Her father owned a gas station and gave it to her, in mint condition. Not fast--it had that dashboard Powerglide and air conditioning, but it was cool in the summer and a joy to ride in! So sad that GM cut off the real support for this car by the time this model was introduced. So many Chevy dealers wouldn't touch 'em.

[@danr1920]

I've owned a '65 Convertible since '83. 😎 Having a rear engine flat six, it allowed for low hoods which makes it look wider than it is. Also a fun car to drive. The feel of non power steering and no need for it either. On the two door with the windows down, the roof is so light and airy. Thinks for the video.

[@Stevenimich]

I have a first generation Monza Coupe. I use to have a 65 Corvair Monza 4dr. I’m so split… I love both generations. They’re both absolutely gorgeous generations.

[@sandybruce9092]

It took a little bit to go through your videos till I found one about the Corvair! I have had two - a 1965 and a 1966 and I loved them both! I always kept a box of books in the “trunk” - weird I call it a trunk even though it was in the front😄. I sold my 1966 in early 1973 just before the oil embargo and bought my sister’s gigantic Ford Galaxy!! It took premium and cost me around 36cents a gallon to fill the tank🥴🥴🫢. Those were the days! Kind of wish I could still have one of those 2nd gen Corvairs just for the fun!!!

[@dave1956]

I love where it’s parked, around Porsche’s and such. Give me the Corvair.

[@shiftfocus1]

I’m a child of the 70s, so these were just old cars when I was old enough to notice them. It was just a few years ago - and thanks in part to Curbside Classic - that I’ve come to really appreciate them. Although I think I might be in a minority that actually likes the design of the 2nd gen sedan best, for its balance of shapes and elegance of the roofline & C-pillar. Thanks for highlighting this one.

[@thyslop1737]

Nice looking Corvair.

[@Primus54]

Love the 2nd Gen Corvair. I had an older cousin who was given a 1st Gen as her college car. Didn’t have a radio or a HEATER! This was in Ohio in the 60s. Had to carry an ice scraper for the interior windshield… Lol!

[@fhwolthuis]

Great event and great chat with Mark again 👍🏻

[@michaelwitas9482]

A co-worker once owned a '69 Corvair. When I told him that the later models like his had "Corvette style rear suspension" that prevented the tendency of earlier Corvairs to roll over or spin out, he just laughed and rolled his eyes. He apparently didn't think his handled all that well. The last time I rode in a Corvair was in the mid 1970's. My summer swim coach had a red 4 door hardtop, probably a 65 or 66 with Powerglide automatic. It appeared to be in great shape and I think it was perhaps an older hand me down family car. I seem to recall it had an under dash tissue dispenser and I remember the dash mounted transmission selector.

[@markjensen3037]

One of my first love cars.

[@arnepianocanada]

Love to see the rear too in this gorgeous shade of white.

[@Henry_Jones]

AteUpWithMotor has an amazing write up on the Corvair. Its one of my fav automotive reads of all time.

[@61rampy65]

Wow, haven't thought of that site for ages. I think I read almost every article he published. You're right, one of my fave reads of all time.

[@johnz8210]

That was very nice. About 30 years ago somebody local here had a bunch of those sitting it their yard, all of them white. A 1940 Ford was their daily driver. Pretty cool at the time.

[@davebarron5939]

My father bought a 1961 Monza, great car, never a problem, Dad drove it like you would a Porsche, perfectly safe. I used to clamp my teeth into the dash riding on moms lap. I remember you could still see the little depressions where I would "bite the dash" LOL

[@ACF6180T]

I'm still lucky enough to own 3 Chevrolet Corvairs ! 2 are the 2nd. gen. a 65 Corsa Coupe 180 Turbo & a 67 Monza Convertible 110 with a Power-Glide & a 64 Greenbrier Deluxe with a 110 Power-Glide FC engine 6 door window van. I've always been a Bow tie fan ! But the Corvair has always been my favorite .

[@stevebyrne4235]

What a beauty; drove a black over red '62 Monza for several years, one of the ones from my collection that I miss

[@61rampy65]

My first car was a 62 Monza, black/red interior. I was 15 in 1969. I was already a sort of mechanic, but the Corvair helped me really learn! Oh, and I haven't been without some kind of Corvair or Corvair powered vehicle. At present, I have a 61 Rampside with air conditioning.

[@errorsofmodernism7331]

I had a '64 Monza in 1977. It was great in the snow

[@bradhoward9055]

Understated and beautiful.

[@alanmerritt860]

Always loved them.

[@kevinsnell1622]

When I was a kid my friends dad had one. We loved playing in it in the garage. Even at 8 years old we could turn the steering wheel lock to lock on a smooth garage floor.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I love your channel. But it's really depressing. I don't have a classic car. And I'm not in any position to get one for quite some time. I'll just have to keep watching and living vicariously through you. Thanks again for sharing

[@raffaelenegroni5888]

The Chevrolet Corvair is really catching on in the enthusiast cars world and it deserves it.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I love to see cars in white or very light gray or cream. If a car looks good in that light of a color, then it's a good looking car

[@BlueBox-2002]

I drove a 66 back when I was in high school. It stunned me on how well it handled and drove. My car at the time was a 71 Corolla with 1200 cc's of power and 12" tires. Being poor and in still in high school I couldn't buy it. I still want one though.

[@wilsixone]

Our neighbor had a 1969 Corvair. 2 Dr. Light blue. I was like 5, but I remember it! He traded it for a '71 or 2 Grand Prix. He liked cars. He was a pilot for Eastern Airlines I think.

[@Erik_Swiger]

It was interesting to hear the remarks about Italian influence in the Corvair's styling, because in the opening shot, my first impression was, "It's an Amercanized Karmann Ghia." It really is a good-looking car.

[@danielulz1640]

Great car, great show, great commentary. I wish you had done 50 videos.

[@tomdelisle8955]

Big Corsair fan. I would love to have a second generation. This example has a very clean and simple character. had a low mileage first generation (1962) four door and except for some weak braking was a good car. Luckily there was a Corvair collector/mechanic in my town to help keep it running right.

[@KO-pk7df]

Would love to see more from you on this model Corvair and others. In the 60s I built several models of these; one was white another candy red and one was that GM purple/blue. Thanks!

[@markbehr88]

This Corvair is a great looking car. Imagine it with a front mounted 283 or 327?

[@sirmister4411]

Had 2 corvairs liked those cars a lot. I’ve eke thinking about buying one as a weekend driver A fun car to drive

[@markallen2984]

Beautiful car. I didn't realize there was more than one generation of Corvair

[@alanmerritt860]

Where have been? Lol

[@DustinDriver]

A dream car of mine, honestly

[@alvinprettyman1802]

great video great car

[@markosborne9558]

AN ODD CORVAIR QUIRK- Bought a red 65 with the 4 speed in 1974. Seller said it had a throwout bearing noise. We later realized that it made the noise only when idling and the pedal was RELEASED.I If you pushed clutch pedal to floor, the noise quit. We changed it anyway. pulling that drivetrain was a bear. Still had noise. After 3 engine pulls total, we decided to remove the flywheel. The bell housing is attached to the engine by the small end. Six bolts if I remember correctly , held the bell housing center on the engine. Three of these bolts backed out and rubbed the flywheel , which had a plate steel center making it slightly flexible. New bolts fixed the issue. Sounded exactly like a throwout bearing grinding. I have never heard of this issue anywhere to this day. Also oddly, The starter gear is welded onto the pressure plate assembly, not the flywheel, and this breaks the aluminum snout off the starter. I loved that car regardless.

[@arevee9429]

Couldn't agree more on the tasteful styling of the 2nd gen Corvair. Ironic that a Viper would show up in the background as a juxtaposition to the understated Corvair. I see where Corvair influenced the 1st gen Camaro - also a great-looking car IMHO.

[@rayhapes]

Yeah this gen Monza Convertible is one of my favs, just beautiful. Really digging your channel Adam. Sell me your Riviera please 😊

[@johngoodwyn8246]

My first car was a 61 corvair 2 door with 4 speed manual bought from my neighbour did not run but for $25 bucks was what i could afford,I was 15 yo put a new coil in it and it ran pretty good did smoke some but drove the heck out of it and knocked v belt off with over revving it so always had a spare belt with me GOOD TIMES.

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

bill Mitchell design, one of his best,dad had the 66 corsa convert with 140 hp 4x1carbs that car ran and handled great,on the back country roads, now with the 5 lug bolt rims most any gm rim should fit.the1973 olds super stock rims painted body color really sets this car off just add 4 spd. posi f41 sport suspesion / quick steering box quick shifter sticky radial tires good shocks and its a really good handling car

[@davidpistek6241]

mid 60s design by gm is so beautiful in its simplicity

[@cdstoc]

I have a soft spot for Corvairs. I thought the second generation was gorgeous, and its rear suspension setup was way ahead of any other American sedan of the period. I owned a 1961 Corsair Lakewood station wagon that I wish I still had. It was a tidy size and with the 4-speed manual was loads of fun.

[@garthlundquist3623]

Truly beautiful design. The majority were sold with Chevy’s Powerglide 2 speed automatic. While smooth, the car would have been much better with a 3 speed auto.

[@ppeller3]

Adam did you get a chance to invite Tom Peters to do an interview on your channel?

[@loveisall5520]

PS--I see that beautiful black '62 Plymouth in the background; isn't that the same one you featured before?

[@RareClassicCars]

Yes

[@Channelscruf]

My parents took me home as a new infant in a ‘60 Monza.

[@wmason1961]

While the styling is fabulous, imagine all that was competing for your dollar on the Chevy lot alone in 1965.

[@deanwhite4190]

Beautiful car. Styling is a little like the 1965 Impala. All the 1965 full size GM cars were brand new. The beginning of the the Coke bottle styling trend used by all domestic automakers for several years.

[@travislostaglia8861]

You guys should do a live video at a car show spend 3 minutes per car

[@robertdragoff6909]

I forgot there was more than one generation of this car…. It was an interesting car.

[@WhittyPics]

I liked the 2nd Gen Corvair

[@lukesm5747]

Yenko did a high performance turbo edition.Very underrated vehicle and just starting to gain traction in the very fickle collector classic car world

[@ACF6180T]

The Yenko was never done with a turbo ! They only came with the 140 engine ( 4 carbs ) & they were built in 4 different stages , Stage 4 was not street legal , & was built for racing only ! The SCCA would not allow turbo's at the time , & they were not sanctioned at the time by the governing body.

[@ZGryphon]

Someone at my high school in the late '80s had a first-generation four-door Corvair. I used to see it in the parking lot all the time, but I never managed to find out whose it was.

[@DanEBoyd]

Not a bad line on it! But the one thing I'd change is to lengthen the front end a couple of inches, specifically between the front of the door and the wheel opening. Those cars have a long rear-deck length which I wouldn't change, but the front of the car looks kind of stubby in comparison.

[@asteverino8569]

Tastefulness? I prefer cool and sleek. I am happy to hear about the suspension change for '65.

[@rafranks1410]

The lowly Corvair. Surrounded by Italy’s finest. Oh, and Mark’s Fury…

[@alanmerritt860]

I'll take the Corvair over them any day.

[@volktales7005]

@@alanmerritt860 Me too!

[@paddle_shift]

Corvair is a great example of "well intentioned but without understanding". I'm referring to Ralph Nader.

[@T-41]

Very attractive style. I’ve thought if the Mustang hadn’t happened, this car would have been a much bigger sales success, an American Porsche at a Chevrolet price.

[@jeffaulik3980]

My only gripe with the 1965 Corvair styling is if viewed from the side, the rear overhang looks too long.

[@UberLummox]

Was going to say....it's very Pininfarina, at least in it's proportions. (Though the Alfa GTV is Bertone`.) The svelte little C pillars are nice. I always say, if a car looks good in white, you know it's very solid in it's design. White being a NON-color doesn't distract the eye from the lines and shapes.

[@fourdoorglory]

Make my Corvair a ‘65: silver exterior, red interior. Have been hunting for the right one for several years.

[@CORVAIRWILD]

1 year only red "grille" badge, 1966-'69 was blue and narrower. Car and Driver said it was a tad short in front

[@jetsons101]

Now I wish I had kept my 65 Corsa 4-speed with 4 carbs.........

[@flyonbyya]

Corvair… mixed bag indeed !

[@garthlundquist3623]

A local guy stuffed a Cadillac front drive V8 drivetrain into his 2 door coupe. It is now mid engined making 500 hp. Similar in concept to the new Corvette.

[@Monza62000]

my 66 has the same color setup but buttons in seats an door panels...sad to say its retired ,,rust got to it,,,need total body restore,,,but i have 5 more a 62 700 a 65 another 66 an a 67 with factory air ..been driving them for 45 years ..

[@DerrickOil]

It does look great and probably a largely undeserved reputation. 🤷‍♂️

[@Henry_Jones]

Bring back the corvair as an electric!🤯

[@whototeru]

LOVE my 65 Corsa turbo and it's less than 1/10 the cost of a Porsche or Alfa!

[@us1fedvet]

They were a very good car and deserved a better fate. One of the cleanest designs ever from GM or, for that matter, any US manufacturer. I was once told by a GM engineer that Porsche quietly bought certain licensing rights on the Corvair’s flat 6 that were directly incorporated in their legendary cars. That said, may have been exaggerating for the kid.

[@Henry_Jones]

Ive never herd that. I thought porche allready had an H6

[@us1fedvet]

@@Henry_Jones my research indicates both reverse engineered their power plants to see what made them tick. It would be interesting to know from an objective third party if there is any fire to the smoke. All I know is a good second gen Monza or Corsa was a darn fine running and driving machine with a four speed hooked into that engine.

[@61rampy65]

@@Henry_Jones Corvair came out in 59/60, while Porsche 901/911 came out in 63. Porsche's were flat 4's before that. (356/904)

[@ACF6180T]

Porsche was 7 years behind the Chevrolet Corvair as far putting out there 1st flat 6 ! & GM spent the time , & capital on the R&D Corvair flat 6 , Early 1965 GM told Chevrolet division no more R&D on the Corvair ! Just meet federal safety mandates , This is a known fact when Porsche introduced there flat 6 in the 911 it was the same displacement as the Corvair a 164 C.I. the only difference was they had a vertical fan rather than a horizontal fan for engine cooling ! & the Corvair offered a turbo charged engine between 1962 thru 1966 , Porsche would not offer one till 1976 . Yes the Corvair was way ahead Porsche in engineering ! & at one time father Porsche owned 10 Corvair's before they came out with the 911 to see if the Corvair engine would fit in there 911.

[@ACF6180T]

That was no exaggeration.

[@johnfrei9057]

I often wonder how great cars would be today without the incessant intervention of government trying to “help” us.

[@timothykeith1367]

If GM could have kept the Corvair in production a year or two longer, the issues with the Vega might have been worked out before the public dealt with them. As radical as Corvairwas, the motor technology was trouble free.' I think a retro styled version of a Corvair electric car might be pretty cool. No cooling grille on the front, it could resemble the original air cooled Corvair.

[@Henry_Jones]

I wouldnt go so far as to say the motor was trouble free. Curbsideclassic did a comparo of consumer reports dot charts going back to the 50s recently. The corvair was average at best for the time and the motor had its share of black dots.

[@61rampy65]

GM built two electric Corvairs. First was a 64 (early body), the second was a 66 or 67, dubbed "Electrovair II". I don't know much about the 64, but the 67 had a front grille opening, below the bumper to cool the batteries. At the time, it was pretty advanced for an electric car, but still used lead-acid batteries. I think GM still owns it.

[@Sedan57Chevy]

Even if Nader hadn't crucified the Corvair's public perception, I'm sure GM finance would've killed this car off anyways, once the Camaro came along and offered V8 power in a horsepower crazy era. It's a shame because these cars are lovely to look at, and I've only heard good things about how the second gen drives. Saw a top down convertible 65 a few weeks ago driving down the highway and it was breathtaking.

[@joeseeking3572]

You could have slapped a Pininfarina label on it and people would have bought that. The most Italian of any American car IMOP. (Then again, Pininfarina actually did do a 2nd gen prototype of sorts...)

[@Henry_Jones]

One of GMs top executives kid got killed in a gen1 Corvair.

[@kroge007]

The second generation was much better but they never got the respect it deserved.

[@hcombs0104]

A car with the bugs of the first generation ironed out, but, alas, it was too late. 💀 Notice that pariah of early sixties cars, the '62 Plymouth Fury, sits in the background...poor baby...

[@troytrexler5459]

Why didn’t they use the flat six in other cars? Vega? Nova? Could it not fit in the front of those cars?

[@jamesengland7461]

no way. Far too wide to fit pretty much any other car.

[@Henry_Jones]

Their water cooled engined were just better. VW ditched their air cooled flat engines too when it came time to replace the beetle.

[@stephendavidbailey2743]

@@Henry_Jones The Vega engine was better? I think not!

[@danr1920]

With the up coming EPA regulations, it was just too difficult for it to meet the regulations and keep it running cool. Water cooling is just better. Even Porsche had to go to water cooling.

[@Henry_Jones]

@@stephendavidbailey2743 the corvair motor would never fit in a vega. What they shoulda done was updated the i4 from the Chevy II

[@BogattheMoon]

Sizable increase in ponies to 180 on the soon to be discontinued blown mill.

[@TairnKA]

Growing up, our family had a 64 Monza convertible (110), later on I had a 66 Corsa convertible (140). My Mom worked at a tire store and was given a free set of Michelin radials, it was funny seeing mechanics shake their heads when my five foot and a bit mom tried to tell them the tires weren't flat. I read somewhere that someone did wind tunnel tests on the two generations of Corvairs and found that the first style was "slightly" more aerodynamic (how much?) For decades hot rodders loved the Corvair front suspension for its compact and adaptable design, that's until the Mustang II came out with its disc-brakes, rack and pinion steering already installed.

[@Henry_Jones]

Theres no other gm car thats had more influince than this one. Europeans copied it so many times over.

[@alexanderryan1176]

it must have been a good car because GM immediately axed it.

[@turdferguson4124]

Speaking of vulgar (winged Viper coupe starts up loudly and rumbles away). LOL

[@youtold7727]

Never understood how Nader got that bs on. I mean look at the MG convertible or other small cars shoot that one bmw that the front opens like a refrigerator and how about motorcycles! Lunacy

[@samiam5557]

My sister had a 2nd gen. corvair back in the 60's, engine smoked, rode awful, I hated it. My other sister's '68 VW beetle was much better in ride and build quality. For looks the 1st gen corvairs looked better, they had a happy face expression in the headlight/turnsignal styling I always found interesting.