Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

1962 Corvair Monza 900 Spyder Turbo Convertible on 2040-cars

US $40,000.00
Year:1962 Mileage:28375
Location:

Brooklyn, New York, United States

Brooklyn, New York, United States
Advertising:

Welcome to this long anticipated auction. Many of you know this rare car already. Many more have seen it advertised in Hemmings or elsewhere.

1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 900 Spyder Turbo convertible, This is a rare “pre-production” prototype show Corvair. It is also a well-known car with highly documented provenance. If you like the way it looks, and most people do, read on because it isn’t what it seems to be. What it seems to be is the nicest early model Corvair you have ever seen. But it is much more than that. Frankly it belongs in a museum. It has only 28,375 well-documented miles on the odometer. These are not miles after a restoration—these are original miles. I have felt fortunate to own this Corvair even for a short time. I bought with the thought in mind that it would be a forever car for me to enjoy. But my wife and I have accepted another assignment to work at the United Nations in Geneva (we came home a year ago after an initial two-year stint). As much as I love this car, I am committed to the human rights agenda of the Human Rights Council. So, sadly, after a brief period of ownership, this gorgeous, rare, well-documented car—an icon in American automotive history, needs to find a home hopefully with a good Corvair enthusiast.

It is hard to know how to price this vehicle. If you look at it and see just another outstanding original or restored Corvair Monza 900 Spyder turbo convertible, you are missing the point here. Of course it is all of that by definition. This is the first or, some believe, one of four “first” 1962 Corvairs (the others have gone missing), hand finished by the Special Vehicles division of the Engineering Department. The engine was removed in the pre-production process and blue printed and the block has the special work order number stamped in it. It was finished red on red with white stripes. It was finished in a way that no production Corvair would ever again be finished with the point being to give this new Spyder Convertible a inspirational coming out to Chevrolet dealers across the country. There are photos of it at a GM senior management meeting at the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginian in March 1962.  The car has been featured in the Corsa magazine. The car was a senior division car at AACA. A previous and long-term owner went through the brakes and fuel system to counteract the significant amount of “sitting” the car has done. My Corvair expert confirms this. The top is in perfect, like new condition.

Corvairs represent a daring effort by General Motors to be different. The air-cooled, rear engined, horizontally opposed six cylinder turbo charged Convertible that seat four, looks great and has a big front trunk was a daring move and represents an engineering achievement of substantial significance. And this one--well it is the best in the sense of its place in GM corporate strategy and in the production attention lavished on it. What is an exceptionally well-preserved, low mileage Corvair worth? I guess that is entirely a matter of how much you value it. You will win an award at every classic show you enter, be invited to every parade, and be hounded for photographs wherever you take it. If you are prepared for that, and the pride that comes from owning something unique in the automotive world, please bid. Clearly there is only one way the value of this vehicle can go and that is up, way up. Corvairs are already increasing in value but this one will always be unique—in a category of one. I will ship at my expense for the full price. Otherwise I must insist that this lovely vehicle be transported in an enclosed trailer by a shipping professional who is accustomed to expensive vehicles.

A few other thoughts and ground rules.

Scammers: Please don't offer to pay more than I am asking through the now commonplace PayPal scam. 

Trades: I am not interested in a trade unless you happen to have a black 1929 to 1940 Ford with flathead and in perfect original or restored condition.

Third party representation: Not interested in having someone offer to sell it for me. Thanks but not necessary.

Wheels: The wheels are not wire hubcaps. They are true knock off wheels, chrome plated and very rare and were very expensive. There is a minor amount of curb rash on one of the wheels. The Kelsey Hayes wire wheels are one of the most rare Corvair items today. They were also used on the 1962 Corvettes.

State of Tune: I have just recently engaged an older gentleman who spent his early career as the Corvair specialist at one of the local Chevrolet dealerships. He has come twice and gone over the entire car. Other than for timing and tune up it didn’t need much. Proper NOS ignition parts were used and he used the original factory manuals to make sure everything was set up correctly. In a few days I will be adding his signed statement about the condition of the car.

Shipping: I don’t know exactly how much to ship and shipping is, of course, the responsibility of the buyer. But I will help at this end. My guess is that the shipping price will be between $1,000 and $2,500 within the lower 48 states. I am willing to ship anywhere but hope that the historic American automobile will stay inside the U.S.

Warranty: There is none. I have learned by one sad experience, over a lifetime of vehicle collecting, that unless you say “as is” and “no warranty expressed or implied” and “please check everything and come to see and drive the car” that you might be in trouble in the hands of an unscrupulous buyer and a skilled lawyer. I am saying all of the above—there is no warranty and the car is sold as is and where is. Even the wording of this description is subject to interpretation. Sorry but this is the result of the litigious society we have created for ourselves.

Communication: I like frequent, clear, up front communication—usually by email unless you want to discuss something more complicated and in that case I am happy to talk to you by telephone.

 

Note: I am in the process of attempting to register this Corvair with the National Historic Vehicle Register. It meets at least two of the four criteria: (Criterion D: A vehicle that was the first or last produced, and, Criterion C: A vehicle that is distinctive based on design, engineering, craftsmanship or aesthetic value).  In my view the case is an easy one but others will, of course, judge for themselves. 

Auto Services in New York

YMK Collision ★★★★★

Automobile Body Repairing & Painting
Address: 5210 W Ridge Rd, Spencerport
Phone: (585) 352-4311

Valu Auto Center (ORCHARD PARK) ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service
Address: 3707 Southwestern Blvd, Tonawanda
Phone: (716) 662-4900

Tuftrucks and Finecars ★★★★★

New Car Dealers, Used Car Dealers, Car Rental
Address: 1436 Scottsville Rd, Mendon
Phone: (585) 254-3310

Total Auto Glass ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Windshield Repair, Glass-Auto, Plate, Window, Etc
Address: 5900 N Burdick St, Manlius
Phone: (315) 371-4442

Tallman`s Tire & Auto Service ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Used Car Dealers, Automobile Parts & Supplies
Address: 1905 Black River Blvd N, Westmoreland
Phone: (315) 339-8473

T & C Auto Sales ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, New Car Dealers
Address: 10 Chenango Bridge Rd, Port-Crane
Phone: (607) 722-6405

Auto blog

GM claims it's first to sell million 30+ mpg vehicles

Fri, 04 Jan 2013

As we continue to put together all the data for the year-end edition of By The Numbers, General Motors has announced that it sold more than a million vehicles in the US last year that achieved at least 30 miles per gallon on the highway. More impressively, GM managed this feat using multiple strategies including small vehicle size, turbocharged engines and hybrid or plug-in technologies across four brands (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC) accounting for 13 separate models. This number will grow even more in 2013 thanks to cars like the all-electric Spark, the diesel Cruze, the range-extended Cadillac ELR and the Buick Encore compact CUV.
GM's small car sales were up 39 percent last year helping to attain this million-sales mark for 30-mpg models, and almost 40 percent of all GM sales consisted of cars with fuel-efficient I4 engines. In regards to more advanced means of improving fuel economy, GM says that it plans on having 500,000 vehicles with "some form of electrification" on the road by 2017.
Scroll down for the full list of GM's million 30+ mpg cars as well as an informative press release.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. puts his Callaway Corvette and '55 Chevy on eBay

Sat, Jan 24 2015

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has put a couple of his personal cars up for sale on eBay. The first is a 1955 Chevy Bel Air that Junior had reworked by Funkmaster Flex, a bit of a diversion from Flex's more common Ford efforts. Junior's ride has a replacement chassis from Jim Meyer Racing, a 434 small-block tuned by Sharioff Racing to 500 horsepower, and truly thin rubber on what appear to be aluminum billet rims with Junior's former number 8 on the center caps. The interior is all custom and painted to match the outside, and those seats have been completely reupholstered. The second car is a 1999 Callaway C12, the 18th of 19 C12s built that year and featured in a 2002 issue of AutoWeek. It joined Earnhardt's private collection in 2004. Built on the base of a C5 Chevrolet Corvette and using a lot of technical know-how from Callaway's European racing program, the BMW #287 Blue Pearl C12 had its V8 bored out to 6.2 liters and graced with Callaway's Supernatural upgrade; it also has a Callaway coil-over suspension with adjustable dampers. There's new bodywork all around, and when new it cost about $200,000. At the time of writing bidding on the Bel Air was up to $80,100, the C12 was at $63,100. The auction ends Monday morning, and the winning bidders have the option of having their prizes autographed and retrieving the keys from Dale Jr himself if they're willing to go to Moorseville, NC. Featured Gallery Dale Earnhardt Jr. '55 Chevy Bel-Air View 28 Photos Related Gallery Dale Earnhardt Jr. Callaway C12 View 24 Photos News Source: Dale Earnhardt Jr via eBay [1], [2] Aftermarket Celebrities Chevrolet Auctions Coupe Luxury Special and Limited Editions Performance Classics eBay callaway callaway corvette Chevy Bel Air

GM recalls trucks and SUVs for brake pedal problem

Thu, Feb 11 2016

The Basics: General Motors will recall over 473,000 North American examples of the 2015-2016 Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD, and police pursuit versions of the Chevy Tahoe. These include 426,573 vehicles in the US and 46,837 in Canada, according to Reuters. The Problem: The brake pivot nut can loosen over time, which can render the pedal inoperative. This would be a danger to drivers trying to stop the vehicles. In some cases, the "Service Engine Soon" light might come on. Injuries/Deaths: None reported. The Fix: Dealers will inspect the pivot bolt, and if necessary they will apply adhesive to it and reinstall the part with increased torque. If You Own One: "We expect to start customer notifications shortly," GM spokesperson Tom Wilkinson told Autoblog. Related Video: Transport Canada Recall # 2016053 Recall Date 2016/02/04 Notification Type Safety Mfr System Brakes Manufacturer Recall Number 20760 Units Affected The number of vehicles or components affected by the recall. 46,837 Category Light Truck & Van, SUV Recall Details On certain Heavy Duty and Police Pursuit vehicles, the brake pedal pivot nut may become loose, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative. If the brake pedal becomes loose or inoperative, it could interfere with the accelerator pedal, and/or the driver may be unable to safely stop the vehicle through application of the brake pedal, potentially affecting stopping distances and increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect the pivot bolt installation to determine whether the vehicle has already received the production remedy. If not, the dealer will add adhesive to the nut, and reinstall the nut at an increased torque. Note: This condition may result in the "Service Engine Soon" light illuminating, and brake lights may stay on longer than expected. Make Model Model Year(s) Affected CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2015 2016 CHEVROLET TAHOE POLICE PURSUIT VEHICLE 2015 2016 GMC SIERRA 2015 2016