1963 Corvair Monza Conv ROCK SOLID "Unrestored Survivor" Runs & Drives Good

Overview
This Monza 900 Convertible is a true "Survivor". The car was a Georgia car all its life and was in dry storage since 1985 till the fall of 2019. This car has an exceptional "NON RUSTED" body that has been preserved and protected. The car runs and drives and is mechanically safe to drive. I have put on many new parts including complete brakes & tires. I currently have the car tagged and insured, and drive it to shows and cruise nights. It is "NOT" a car you would want to drive on the Interstate just yet, but is great for short trips at slower speeds. Being a survivor of 57 years, the car is "NOT" perfect and I do not want to describe it as such. If you're looking for a restoration project, then this will be an easy one. If you want an instant driver with loads of natural Patina, then this is it. Or you can drive and restore as you go. I will describe below every feature and problem the car has and do it in detail so you know exactly what you are buying without any surprises.I am an honest seller and this will be a honest NO RESERVE sale ! If I only get one bid, then that will be the winner, so please bid responsibly !!This is a very fun car to drive and gets tons of attention every place I take it. Only reason for selling is I have too many cars and not enough time or space to finish them all, so something has to go.Before I go on to the detailed description, let me say that these Corvairs are increasing in value very fast, and to find a convertible as solid and complete as this one is almost impossible. This will be a golden opportunity, at this price, for someone who can see the future value. I know this is a long listing, but "PLEASE" read everything carefully before reacting.
Title & Pictures
I have FL Title in my name and ready to sign over to new owner.I have posted 24 pictures, but I have many many more if you need to see something in particular. If there is some part of the car or description that you are unsure of, please send me a request through Ebay messages and I will answer all questions or send you more pics till you are completely satisfied.
Vehicle Condition Details
Lets start with the amazing body !!!I'll talk about the only 3 spots on the entire body that would be of any concern rust wise. The worst of these 3 would be the front floor pans. That would be the "ONLY" area that has actually rusted through, and that's not very big. I have already patched the area as a temporary fix so I could drive it with the new carpet. The holes are about 6-7" wide x 10-12" long on each side of the front pans (in the center) and not even close to any support edges. If you bought a set of new pans, that would be the "ONLY" metal patch repair you would have to do on the entire car (top to bottom and end to end). Or you can just leave the patchs that I put in. Not a pretty job but effective. The other 2 spots are hardly worth a mention, but I want you to know. These spots are "NOT" holes or weak spots. It's just surface rust with solid area. Both these spots are small and won't show up in the pics. I do have close up pics if you want. First is just below the drivers side windshield on the cowl panel. The spot is very small and only about the size of a dime (at best). Again, it has "NOT" gone through the metal. Second spot is on the very front bottom edge of the passenger door. It runs along the bottom seam of the door for about 12". It can not be seen unless you get down to that eye level. Again, it has not gone through or split the seam in any way. Other than the 3 spots mentioned, this car is absolutely "RUST FREE" everywhere else. ( some very-very lite surface rust in the engine bay and trunk area) I've been all over this car from top to bottom inside and out and there are "NO" weak areas - no bubbling under the paint - no crusty areas - no rot - no cover ups - PERIOD !!!!!!!!! The usual areas on these converts that rot out, like the top well and rocker drains are still perfect. The rockers where the heat tubes are located are perfect. Every seam and pinchweld is perfect. The inner wheel wells are perfect. Looks like the car was factory undercoated which helped to preserve it so well. The one place on these cars that always collects rust is the bottom of the trunk area up front, and this one is perfect. Not even a hint of rot or weakness. Trunk still has most of it's original splatter paint on it. Try to find another like that !!!!I just can't say enough about how solid this car is, but it would be easier for you to ask about a certain area if you are concerned, than for me to go on and on about every panel. Yes, it has scrapes and bruises and nicks and a couple of very shallow small dents, but overall is very-very straight with all of its original body panels.
Now for the Paint.Not much to say here, it has had one repaint along the way and it was done at least 35 years ago. It was a cheep job and is more Red than the original Maroon color (factory code 948-7) which can still be seen in some places. The people who did it were not real good at masking and taping. There is alot of overspray everywhere. It now has natural Patina, with faded color, nicks and scratchs.
THE ENGINE & DRIVE TRAINThe engine actually performs great, but has one problem - it smokes out the exhaust, but only part time. I'll try to explain. THE GOOD - The motor itself is very powerful and runs very smooth and quiet. No unusual knocks or noises. When I got the car it had alot of external bearing noises and did not run good at all. So - I replaced the idler pully and cooling fan bearings and got rid of the noise. I did a complete major tune up including new carbs that I purchased from a carb dealer. I replaced many gaskets including the oil pan and trans pan. New electronic ignition system, along with all correct wires - plugs - dist cap & rotor - muffler - belt - oil - etc etc. I pressure washed the cooling fins on the engine cylinders and the engine bay and generally cleaned and painted most of the top of the motor. Did a compression check, and to my surprise, it had 130 - 135 psi in all 6 cylinders. I did it 3 times and with a different guage once and got the same reading. The outcome was just great !!!!! Runs like a swiss clock. However,THE BAD - it still smoked, but started to go away after several hours of continual running, till it stopped smoking completely. Remember, this car sat up for 35 years and was lucky it ran at all. So I took it out on a 60 mph road and drove it about 25 miles at 55-60 and noticed that it was smoking again, but mostly only when I let off the gas or gave it a hard push on the gas. So I drove it to a few cruise ins and it used oil and smoked every now and then but not excessive. Then I noticed that if I drove the car under 40-45 mph, it hardly smoked at all, and if I babied it on the gas pedal (no hard takeoffs), I could hardly see any smoke out back, and no smoke while sitting idling after I drove it. After about 250 miles, I pulled the plugs and had fouling on #5 (the worst) and #1 (not too bad). I changed both plugs, and that is where I stand today. Also, the engine leaks oil. It's coming from the crankshaft seal (rear Main) . Not severe, but does leak while running and leaves a small puddle when shut off. The trans also has a leak from the filler tube where it screws in at the trans. Easy fix, just needs some sealer on threads.Bottom line is - keep it under 40 mph and short trips and don't drive it hard, and you will hardly notice any smoke. Otherwise, the car runs smooth and without any issues. The trans shifts good and doesn't slip or whine or make noise. It drives straight and corners and handles great. I wouldn't count on it to stop burning oil completely, after all it is 57 years old with 100k miles, but for all its worth, it does seem like the more I drive it the better it gets, but no guaranty on that. And I've only put on a total of about 275 miles.Just for the record, when I did get my foot into it, it ran like a scared rabbit. Plenty of power for a 6 cylinder and gets you to 60mph very fast.
INTERIOR and CONVERTIBLE TOP.The interior is the original that came in the car when it left Detroit in 1963. It is in surprising good condition for being that old. Its very usable the way it is if you keep it as a survivor. It does have splits in the bucket seats and of course some fading and general wear marks throughout, but it sure does not look like what the normal interior of a 57 year old unrestored interior would look like. The dash and steering wheel are very-very well preserved. The only thing I replaced inside was a new carpet set and I covered the top of the rear seat with some new vinyl.The convertible top is a good news - bad news situation !The top itself is in very good condition with no rips or holes and has very little to no stains or wear. The vinyl is still soft and pliable. The piping along the side and rear window has some cracking from the top going up and down, but is hardly noticeable. I'm not exactly sure if this is the original top or if it has been replaced, but whatever the case, it is very usable and good looking. The top frame is also in excellent condition without any damage or rust. The bad news is that the rear plastic window was very brittle and just fell apart when touched. So rather than leave it in the car (unsightly), I cut it out around the window opening. If needed, you can buy and replace just the window curtain assembly without replacing the whole top. They run around $150 or less. I did replace the front header panel weatherstripping piece so it would not scratch the chrome on the windshield molding, which is almost in pristine condition. The car is set up for a power top, but again, none of it was working so I removed all the pieces so the top could go up and down manually. I have the original top motor and pistons that will go with the sale.
BRAKES and SAFETYAlmost every inch of the braking system has been replaced with all new parts from front to back. Only thing not new is the steel line from front to back. (it is in excellent condition). All steel lines on front are new, as are all the components that go with it; shoes - cylinders - rubber hoses - master cylinder - drums turned - etc. Also, the complete emergency brake system has been replaced with all new pieces from front to back. From the pull handle under the dash to the rear drums is all new, including rear cables. This is very important in a automatic trans Corvair - BECAUSE - This type of Powerglide actually has "NO PARK" selection. Just L-D-N-R. So, the emergency brake "IS" park in these early Corvairs. So again, This having been rebuilt is very important !!!!!!!!All lights are now in perfect working condition including the dash lights and the backup lights. Signals work properly, but sometimes the drivers side signal will not cancel off after turn is completed and will stay on till manual shut off.Car has a new gas tank and filler tube. Absolutely "NO" leaks in the fuel system anywhere from tank to carbs. (2 new carbs from Wolfe Inds.)New tires (4) all the way round with under 300 miles on them !!!All glass is in good condition for age. All side glass roles up and down easy. Passenger side vent window is stuck in closed position. No cracks or chips or fogging, but there will be some normal aging and some lite wiper marks on windshield that can be buffed out fairly easy if you know how. No need for a new windshield. (too expensive)Everything that is New on this car was done in Jan '20 - Mar '20.All the steering and suspension is in good condition - Not perfect, but good. I checked out the ball joints and tie rods etc before driving and found some normal wear per/millage, but nothing is in the danger zone or falling off. I do feel safe driving the car at normal speeds. The car rides nice and steers easily/positive and straight with no pulling to either side. Actually this car that Ralph Nader said was unsafe at any speed - steers and handles better that any older Corvette that I have owned.Engine starts every time - usually on first turn (unless sitting for a week or more).
OUTSIDE MOLDINGS and CHROME TRIMHere is where you can really see and appreciate the survivor quality of this car. Everything is not perfect, but way above average for original pieces. The bumpers still shine brightly and are without rust spots and only have a couple of small dings. Non of the molding pieces have been abused or damaged, just some slight fading. The rocker molding would be the worst, but sill in presentable condition. Things like the chrome windshield surround moldings and the conv top snap ring moldings are near to brand new looking. If you wanted to just paint the car and leave all the outside trim as it is, you would still have a better looking car than are at most local shows.
Things Still Needed or Not WorkingIt desperately needs all new weatherstripping. What is left is seriously dry rotted and brittle.The wiper motor does not workThe speedometer does not work (I assume it is the cable)The heater duct work (flexible pieces) are not present and front cables for the cabin vents were junk. The heat cables to the back are still in car. Obviously has no heat !!The lower air grill behind the engine is missingThe oil light switch is not hooked up - I do have the switch and have pre wired it and tested it and is included. I forgot to put it in when I had the engine apart, and didn't have the patience to remove the generator again to remove the plug in it now and reinstall the switch. By the way, when I did test it, it had great oil pressure.The heat controls at the dash and the radio and it's mount were taken out when I put in the new emerg cable, and were never put back. However, I do have all the necessary pieces and are included in sale along with extra radios and some other extra parts.
RECAP OF NEW PARTSThis is a partial list of major parts but not all parts (too many small parts to list here)Gas Tank & filler tubeCarpet - front & backTiresComplete braking system including emergency brakes (front to back)Complete major tune upBoth carburetorsExternal engine pully bearingsTrans modulator valveMotor and Trans pan gasketsRear engine mountMufflerSignal directional switch (lower) and signal lever
LEGALI realize that some of you have low feedback numbers, but lately the system is being abused and is out of control by people bidding and never paying. So, anyone with less than 20 positive feedbacks will have to contact me through the Ebay message system and leave me your name - address - and phone number (and I will check up), or I will be forced to cancel your bid. Blame it on the ones that have made it this way.Before bidding, take into consideration shipping costs - how you will pay for it - get permission if necessary - pick up time. In general, just be responsible and mature for your actions. I've been honest with you, so please don't be nasty to me.Shipping costs and setup is the buyers responsibility !!!!!!!!!!!