Unsafe At Any Speed? 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa - Jay Leno's Garage

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  • Опубліковано 15 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 4,2 тис.

  • @drewp.weiner2473
    @drewp.weiner2473 3 роки тому +658

    This show is better now than ever. When its just you and the camera, the video’s are the most genuine and relatable.

    • @ShelbyBikeBoy
      @ShelbyBikeBoy 3 роки тому +8

      COMPLETELY CONCUR Jay!!!

    • @theestate12
      @theestate12 3 роки тому +17

      Almost alone. Cneck the reflection at 6:58

    • @BadBlonde-CarHistory
      @BadBlonde-CarHistory 3 роки тому +2

      Totally

    • @ericbelletynee5448
      @ericbelletynee5448 3 роки тому

      Yeah the shooting is almost perfect, unless you studied cinematography

    • @drewp.weiner2473
      @drewp.weiner2473 3 роки тому +22

      @@ericbelletynee5448 it’s a UA-cam video, not a feature film. Who really cares about the cinematography of youtube videos.

  • @TheGbeecher
    @TheGbeecher 9 місяців тому +60

    Styling of the '65 - '69 is one of the most beautiful cars ever...even today 😍

    • @DavidM-mb1vx
      @DavidM-mb1vx 4 місяці тому

      Easy fella. It’s nice but not even top 100

    • @simonjones7727
      @simonjones7727 Місяць тому

      I agree, it is a very pretty car. It always stands out in period footage.

  • @riverraisin1
    @riverraisin1 3 роки тому +366

    The fact that Jay acknowledges, waves, and converses with fans on the road says everything you need to know about him.

    • @JosephHowes2003
      @JosephHowes2003 3 роки тому +7

      Assuming that he does the same off camera. I'm guessing that he does but you never know.

    • @danf321
      @danf321 3 роки тому +31

      @@JosephHowes2003 Jay does act like a real human off camera. I live in Burbank and I often see Jay in one of his cars. I honk & wave, and he waves back and says “Hi”.. I’ve seen him our local Automotive/ Airplane book store and he’s a regular guy and talks to everyone.

    • @JosephHowes2003
      @JosephHowes2003 3 роки тому +6

      @@danf321 that's good to know.

    • @poppachoppa8956
      @poppachoppa8956 3 роки тому +1

      @@JosephHowes2003 well I think we know who to look for if Jay goes missing LMAO

    • @RandyFelts2121
      @RandyFelts2121 3 роки тому +5

      and he always says we did it.

  • @alanbauch2815
    @alanbauch2815 5 місяців тому +11

    I remember all this, I feel so lucky to have lived through those days, great cars, great music, good life.....

  • @bux49
    @bux49 3 роки тому +173

    I had a 1965 110 HP Corvair when I was in High School. One day my Mom and I were on our way somewhere and in those days the California Highway Patrol performed roadside inspections. We were pulled over into a inspection station. The inspection officer was at the front of my Corvair and asked me if I had an inside hood release ? I told the officer in front of his fellow officers that the engine, which was running, was in the back. He had me get out and open the back while his fellow officers had a good laugh. He didn't know anything about the engine and gave me a sticker. My Dad sold it when I went into the Service.

    • @johncastillo2194
      @johncastillo2194 3 роки тому +4

      They gave you a sticker?

    • @dons.9842
      @dons.9842 3 роки тому +6

      Similar experience. My 1963 was only the 80 H.P. version with a three speed manual. Not very quick, but handled really well.

    • @dons.9842
      @dons.9842 3 роки тому +5

      (Con’t). My parents also sold mine when I went into the Army in 1966.

    • @bux49
      @bux49 3 роки тому +35

      @@johncastillo2194 The CHP issues s "passed highway inspection sticker" that went on the windshield. I was once in a group of fellow hot rodders and we were all pulled over. One of the hot rodders was a CHP himself. As the police were at the back car this CHP hot rodder walked down the line of cars and placed a sticker on every car before the police got to the next one. Ha, ha, ha !

    • @05EVORS
      @05EVORS 3 роки тому +13

      @@bux49 now they go after you for aftermarket heatshields on your turbo and force you to a 'smog' refferree for having 'suspicious' underhood equipt and the car has to stay parked for months until a reff appointment is available. Things got way worse as bad as the inspections used to be. Now CA does NOT do ANY safety inspections at all(only smog) This review is a perfect anology to the fake liberal news of DANGEROUS Covid flu and the DANGEROUS Corvair...proves that the public will believe anything the media states as a fact that 'experts' say is true lol.

  • @MakeWayForTheLion
    @MakeWayForTheLion 3 роки тому +677

    Jay's such a pro that he apologizes for pandemic editions saying he has to record these videos on his own, but even on his own these videos are produced better than the most other car reviews on UA-cam.

    • @nathanjoseph4284
      @nathanjoseph4284 3 роки тому +29

      Jay Leno is basically the Doug DeMuro of the classic car world :)

    • @PU8698
      @PU8698 3 роки тому +30

      I like these more than the "regular" videos

    • @ModelA
      @ModelA 3 роки тому +15

      Yes! But, as an auto UA-camr myself... Ouch.

    • @gaveintothedarkness
      @gaveintothedarkness 3 роки тому +20

      Well he still has a professional production team backing him. I think Jay means he films himself.

    • @12yearssober
      @12yearssober 3 роки тому +27

      @@nathanjoseph4284
      Except Jay is a man not a soy boy simp

  • @The_sinner_Jim_Whitney
    @The_sinner_Jim_Whitney 3 роки тому +150

    Man, that thing looks GREAT with those rally wheels, I’ve never seen a Corvair with them before. Makes me want one.

    • @PhilG999
      @PhilG999 3 роки тому +4

      Those and the Corvette Rally wheels were awesome! Had them on my '71 Camaro (which I built from a $100.00 roller). Car looked good, ran like stink with the '67 327 I built and 4-speed from '67 Olds 442 (yeah, it was a mutt). Looked like a debadged Z28. Bright white, Sapphire hood and trunk stripes which I painted myself. I miss that car...

    • @RohanSanjith
      @RohanSanjith 3 роки тому

      @@PhilG999 you from Texas County?

    • @The_sinner_Jim_Whitney
      @The_sinner_Jim_Whitney 3 роки тому

      @@PhilG999 That’s my favorite Camaro body style (before the ugly rubber noses, I think til ‘72?). I had a ‘79 El Camino that I bought with a ‘68 327 and a four-speed (eventually a heads/cam aluminum L33 5.3 with a Tremec TKO 5-speed and a 3.89:1 posi disc brake Currie 9”) that had 15x8” Corvette Rallies with Disc Brake caps (eventually 17x8” billet AR Rallies) on it, satin black with the single strip of aluminum trim running from bumper to bumper and over the wheelwell arches, THAT thing was a laugh factory and pretty cool-looking to boot. I hate myself every day for trading it off right after I got it ‘finished’ (they never really are) for a 4WD truck when I got my first really good job and needed reliability. I should’ve hung onto it and bought a reliable FWD cheapo economy car to drive to work. I’ll get another one someday, or maybe a ‘70 split bumper Camaro.

    • @The_sinner_Jim_Whitney
      @The_sinner_Jim_Whitney 3 роки тому

      @John Jackson I assumed they were a weirdo pattern, I’m super-impressed with how good they look/fit.

    • @PhilG999
      @PhilG999 3 роки тому +2

      @@RohanSanjith No. Atlanta Georgia.

  • @bugman34202
    @bugman34202 2 роки тому +33

    Jay , I really appreciate your spotlight on the Corvair. My dad was a Corvair fanatic ! We had the Coupes, the Sedans, the Greenbrier Vans, the sidegate pick-up , the Stationwagon, at anytime there was 10 or 15 Corvairs on our lot. In my teens I became a pretty good Corvair mechanic. I had my personal 140hp that I did a little tweaking to, I don't know how much extra HP the re-jetted Carter carbs or the Headers with Glass-packs added, or "Coil-over shocks in the rear, 14" American Mags with Tiger-Paws all around, I had to move the spare tire up front to balance the feel. I ran the quarter in the 13-14's ! No Turbo , no Nitrous ! Long live the CORVAIR !
    Yes I did keep an extra belt , just in case !
    Thanks,
    Joe B.

    • @gregthroop4725
      @gregthroop4725 Рік тому

      Friend of mines older brother also had a lightly breathed on Corsa w/ the single 4 barrel that also ran 13-14 second 1/4 miles.....wild stuff, sort of lit my fuse for the 5 Corvairs that followed.

    • @CraigJones-f8q
      @CraigJones-f8q 11 місяців тому

      Spare belt AND a wrench to adjust the tensioner pulley 🙂

  • @tedecker3792
    @tedecker3792 3 роки тому +310

    When Ralph Nader spoke at the University of South Dakota, we picked him up at the airport in a white Corvair convertible!

    • @loyevangelists
      @loyevangelists 3 роки тому +42

      HaHa! Good one! i would have loved to see his face when he realized that he was going to be riding in a Corvair

    • @marcryvon
      @marcryvon 3 роки тому +18

      🤣🤣🤣🤣 Great !

    • @wmw3629
      @wmw3629 3 роки тому +51

      I went to hear him speak. He signed his newest book I had just bought.
      “To William, drive safely in your Corvair!” He couldn’t have been nicer to me. A memorable moment!

    • @jaypeterson7637
      @jaypeterson7637 3 роки тому +7

      😳😬😜😂😂😂

    • @campbellpaul
      @campbellpaul 3 роки тому +41

      He really gets a bad rap, but he helped standardize seatbelts and automobile safety standards

  • @bencezavarko7312
    @bencezavarko7312 3 роки тому +101

    These videos are so heart warming. You can feel the geniune love Jay has for his cars. This has to be one of the most wholesome channels on YT

  • @ADPTraining
    @ADPTraining 3 роки тому +522

    I love Jay Leno's Covid Edition videos. They're genuine and enjoyable. This Turbo Corvair I didn't know about it that it existed. Very pretty looking car. Great video Jay.

    • @pex_the_unalivedrunk6785
      @pex_the_unalivedrunk6785 3 роки тому +7

      Same here....I always had thought that they only had supercharged engines with 160 bhp (with 110 bhp being base)...didn't realize they made a turbo one...and I've been a fan of Corvairs for 30 years.

    • @BadBlonde-CarHistory
      @BadBlonde-CarHistory 3 роки тому +5

      Agreed!

    • @malimrav24
      @malimrav24 3 роки тому +7

      exact name is CONvid edition videos

    • @savage22bolt32
      @savage22bolt32 3 роки тому +5

      My neighbor in San Diego county had a Corvair Monza. He stuffed a 283 ci Chevy boat engine in the back, complete with radiator for liquid cooling.
      Hey Jeff & Dale we had a grand old time in 1980! You still out there?

    • @scottwa
      @scottwa 3 роки тому +4

      Yeah, mine was a 110 dual carb and I swapped out those for the quad carb setup and 1/4 turn steering setup from my neighbor's 140
      when he got into Datsuns for racing instead.

  • @neilhaas2947
    @neilhaas2947 2 роки тому +23

    I love how Jay always credits the car as the reason people smile and wave at him. Such a modest man.

  • @terryforbes4038
    @terryforbes4038 3 роки тому +59

    I was 16 in 1964. I was offered a 1963 Corvare Monza. A family friend wanted nothing to do with it when he encountered rear wheel hop at 75 mph. I added some bolt on suspension parts and converted the twin carbs to a 4- Barrel. Fantastic driver and surprisingly competitive. Terry&ThePirates South Florida

  • @steveblixt9437
    @steveblixt9437 3 роки тому +68

    Listening to Jay talk about cars is like listening to an encyclopedia on the auto industry. His breadth of knowledge
    is astounding and it shows his life long passion for cars.

    • @billchessell8213
      @billchessell8213 3 роки тому +2

      In 1965 I was 16. My neighbor had an Olds Jetfire in I962. An Internet search says the Corvair Turbo was introduced in 1965. It never in my wildest dreams occured to me that the Corvair had the first Turbo. In 1972 my girl friend had a Corvair Monza. I tore it down and then decided to give it to a mechanic... too damn many parts. (I owned a VW) Never did it occur to me that the Corvair came out as competition for the Valent et al. Valient, Falcon, Corvair, what else? They ALL came out as competition for the VW. VW was kickin' everybodies behind because American car companies were, let's here it Jay, infatuated with "Longer, leaner, lower." When America saw the simple to repair, inexpensive to maintain, drive up the side of a cliff, float down river VW, pass up every gas station in town they all wanted one of those. Jay evidently was born just a little too late.

    • @shawnweed265
      @shawnweed265 3 роки тому +1

      He is like an automotive Rosetta stone...He is one of those rare people who has knowledge of those cars of yesteryear the younger generation have never even heard of, but also has a breadth of knowledge of current car models and manufacturers.

    • @edwatts9890
      @edwatts9890 3 роки тому +2

      @@billchessell8213Corvair turbo ("Spyder") arrived with the 1962 model year.

    • @billyhack9673
      @billyhack9673 3 роки тому +1

      I drove one of these through box canyon outside of Thermal, CA, in the sixties. I was really blown away. Jay, you really understand these cars. Please do a show on the Chevy Vega, which was also a great car in its last year of 1976 when they finally got the engine dialed in.

    • @shawnweed265
      @shawnweed265 3 роки тому

      @@billyhack9673 When I was a kid in the 70s we had a Vega Wagon...Mechancal/rust issues aside, it was a fine looking car for the period.

  • @rossmartens
    @rossmartens 3 роки тому +35

    The best thing that's happened because of covid is jay showing us his collection one at a time just him and his love of his collection don't stop jay till we have seen them all

  • @leokimvideo
    @leokimvideo 3 роки тому +79

    Jay's saved us from a Covid meltdown with his excellent verbal on priceless cars

  • @matthew-jy5jp
    @matthew-jy5jp 3 роки тому +81

    Amazing how much knowledge jay has about cars and engines. Always impressed

    • @icyhotmike
      @icyhotmike 3 роки тому +8

      I like when he has GM execs on the show and Jay knows more than them

    • @yahtzeejimbob
      @yahtzeejimbob 3 роки тому +6

      That's because Jay is 70 years old, like me! So much of what Jay is talking about are from previous experiences in life. I had a 1963 corvair that I bought in 1968 when I was still 17 years old. Only cost me $350 then. Used of course. Four-speed manual, 110 HP. Different body design first generation.

    • @DannyDavisPhotographer
      @DannyDavisPhotographer 3 місяці тому

      Absolutely! Jay is a walking, driving automotive encyclopedia!! Corvairs are obviously very special to Jay. As he said, he has 3 of them. Hemmings has an issue with Jay writing about his top 10 collectible cars - yeah, the Corvair is on the list! I've been driving Corvairs since I was 20 years old and now at more than 70 I am still as enthused as Jay is! Love the only air-cooled flat six American car made. A joy to drive and own. ; >)

  • @SteveD328
    @SteveD328 3 роки тому +36

    10 to 15 years ago, there was a Corvair of that same body style that sat at the Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, CA that had a Ralph Nader For President bumper sticker in the back window.

  • @hipcat13
    @hipcat13 3 роки тому +19

    I had a couple of these, absolutely fantastic cars! One time I asked a friend (a fellow Corvair owner) to help me take a V8 into the machine shop. He shows up in his '66 Corvair Monza and I'm like "How we gonna get the engine to the shop"? He's like we'll just put the block in the front, it'll be fine. When we got it in it sat there like it was made to be there. When we got it to the shop the guys were looking around for a truck to unload but were amazed to see the V8 nestled between the wheel wells. They even took pictures. When we brought the motor home we transported it in something more suitable: A Rampside pick up.

    • @harryplummer6356
      @harryplummer6356 3 роки тому +2

      I'm glad you too liked your Corvair. I had one for nearly 4 years and just loved it!

  • @johnherdt
    @johnherdt 2 роки тому +5

    My dad had a stock 1963 Corvair that I drove for a year in college, around 1976. It had a three speed on the floor. My first car was a 1966 GTO and I loved driving the Corvair more. It's suspension was really tight, it didn't float around like most of the cars of the day. Fairly fast steering ratio, no power steering, but the front end was light and it turned easily. Gas mileage in the 20s around town. It felt lower to the ground than other cars that were easy to get into, looking at the highway spooling into the front end of it was really cool.

  • @rickwhite5278
    @rickwhite5278 3 роки тому +80

    Jay is always a gentleman! Watch him wave and say hello to the “white haired lady, just like him who likes his Corvair”. Classic video, classic Jay.

    • @ihateusernames2006
      @ihateusernames2006 3 роки тому +7

      Yep, I was picking up a car from the place around the corner from his place. I was walking across the street and he came barreling around the corner. He apologized as he went whipping by me. When someone almost kills you in L.A., they never do that. Props to Jay.

    • @michaelwoodward2824
      @michaelwoodward2824 3 роки тому +4

      I was having a conversation with Jay at the Rock Store in Malibu when a "white-haired" old lady came up to talk to him. Jay said to me, "excuse me for a moment" so he could talk to her. Great guy.

    • @TomParmenter
      @TomParmenter 3 роки тому +6

      I was trying to break into TV. I met Jay Leno when he was a local comic. "See you at the top!" he said jauntily. I'm still trying to get to the top.

    • @smallstudiodesign
      @smallstudiodesign 3 роки тому +2

      If it wasn’t for the pandemic lockdown and being home so much I’d never have had so much extra time to watch these ... certainly it took the pandemic to even discover this show on UA-cam. I remember it from years ago ... glad he’s still doing them.

  • @timhancock6626
    @timhancock6626 3 роки тому +89

    That is a design that will never age.

    • @BadBlonde-CarHistory
      @BadBlonde-CarHistory 3 роки тому +1

      :)

    • @kenhoward3512
      @kenhoward3512 3 роки тому +1

      You mean, like the Nissan Juke?

    • @narvul
      @narvul 3 роки тому

      It already has.

    • @DannyDavisPhotographer
      @DannyDavisPhotographer 3 місяці тому

      It truly is a great 1960s classic GM design. The big rear glass with thin pillars and true hardtop will never be seen again!

    • @simplesimon8255
      @simplesimon8255 2 місяці тому

      Except it has aged. And that's ok, because it still looks good. Just not something that can be replicated today.

  • @billxam2674
    @billxam2674 3 роки тому +29

    Jay is so good at this - it's like being in the neighbor's garage hanging out. I really like his videos, being able to see and learn about the ACTUAL cars in their natual state.

  • @sargefreedom1578
    @sargefreedom1578 Рік тому +6

    LM Corvairs are timeless. My daughters drove a 65 Corvair to high school and nobody knew what is was. My wife has a 63 Spyder I am nearly done with getting it back on the road, 4 speed, 150hp turbo, convertible...looking forward to Sunday drives in it.
    Thanks Jay Leno for keeping the car bug alive and the love of classic Corvairs.

  • @TS-ef2gv
    @TS-ef2gv 3 роки тому +45

    I've always loved that mid - late '60s GM styling with the curvy Coke bottle body, that quasi-bubble top roof line, those thin pillars, and just the right angle and curve on the front and rear glass. They looked so light and airy. Gen 2 Corvairs are a great example of peak GM body styling.

    • @TechDove
      @TechDove 2 роки тому

      As is the entire 62-27 run of Corvette.

    • @jimbojones101
      @jimbojones101 Рік тому

      Sweet analogy . . . and on point. 😊

  • @rherman9085
    @rherman9085 3 роки тому +17

    Jay makes his videos as if it just us & him. As if each one of his fans are with him one on one just having a chat about that car. Such an awesome opportunity for him to share with us. I am most grateful!

  • @hiram1115
    @hiram1115 3 роки тому +12

    My family refurbished a 1964 corvair convertible for my son. His mother and grandmother watched youtube videos on body work and fixed rusted holes in the side. He and I replaced parts on the engine and rewired it to factory settings and it fired and ran. We got all the lights working and taught him how to drive a stick in that car. We worked the entire summer and most of the fall on that car. He drove it his senior year. Last summer he bought a mustang for his college car. The corvair was always his baby. He was so proud of it and the way everyone treated him as he drove it around town.
    Sadly, my boy passed away this year from a embolism. Unexpected tragedy. He wasn't sick. He was in Air Force ROTC and was so excited to work to be a pilot. I miss him every day.
    I'm currently working on the corvair so I can drive it. Just once a week or so in his honor. Just to remember him.
    I'd made a similar comment earlier, then linked a writeup his bosses had done for a go fund me, but I didn't want donations, just someone to read about my son and how wonderful your kids can be when you aren't looking. If you Google Nikolai Hill and go fund me you'll find it. I'm not asking for funds. Just for you to know my son so his memory goes on.
    I miss that kid.

    • @jaygatz4335
      @jaygatz4335 3 роки тому +2

      So sorry for your loss. How nice that you spent quality time with your son and that he had a rewarding (but all too short) life. His spirit will certainly be with you in that Corvair.

  • @josephleach5840
    @josephleach5840 2 роки тому +34

    Jay Leno is a real American treasure 😊I really appreciate these shows and Jay

  • @scottwa
    @scottwa 3 роки тому +37

    As a high schooler, I bought my mom's 1965 Corvair convertible 110. My home room teacher talked me into road racing it at Montauk on Long Island and I had a blast... same class as the Porsches... and I was hanging right with track prepped ones with no experience along with the 2 full turns of the steering wheel lock to lock... I was worn out by the end of the race. Like you said, manual everything... so you had to work to drive it a bit. But an absolute blast once I had the front I-beam that was rusted through replaced and put viton pushrod tube seals in the engine. Great first car... thought about buying another one over the years.

    • @nonelost1
      @nonelost1 3 роки тому +2

      "As a high schooler, I bought my mom's 1965 Corvair convertible 110. My home room teacher talked me into road racing it at Montauk on Long Island and I had a blast..."
      A high school teacher talked you into ROAD racing?

    • @logandarklighter
      @logandarklighter 3 роки тому +1

      ​@@nonelost1 High School Teachers weren't always a bunch of SJW Karens. I graduated in 1984. And a lot of them even then were COOL people! As late as the mid-70s there were still school systems in the US that allowed kids to keep shotguns in the racks of their pick-up trucks (hardship drivers license from age 16 of course) and even some schools had SHOOTING TEAMS as part of the curriculum!
      It was a much better time then.

    • @harrygaul4475
      @harrygaul4475 3 роки тому

      A few of my teachers in high school smoked pot and got stoned together - that was the 70s for ya!

    • @scottmcelhiney323
      @scottmcelhiney323 3 роки тому

      @@harrygaul4475 Plenty of teachers still smoke pot after hours... at all levels. Difference is that no one cares anymore because it has little of no relationship to their ability to teach. It isn't like they are pulling out a joint and lighting up in the classroom. As opposed to the alcholic ones that are showing up drunk or drinking throughout the day that are a danger to themselves and others.

  • @bravofoxable
    @bravofoxable 3 роки тому +34

    One of my uncles had a Corvair and I remember it as the most outlandish cars ever... He bought it new and drove it his whole life, lots of other cars but he kept the Corvair spotless. Very interesting car, and video, thank you

  • @dougclements4294
    @dougclements4294 3 роки тому +19

    I had a 63, which I loved, but borrowed a friend's 180HP 66 and was blown away by how quick it was. I beat anyone who wanted to race, including an Olds 442. This was a truly great little car, and was far safer than Ralph Nader would have you believe. Love this video!

    • @timothykeith1367
      @timothykeith1367 3 роки тому +1

      Nader's complaint wasn;t specificaly against the Corvair, he hated most automobiles.

    • @RyanFeatherston
      @RyanFeatherston 5 місяців тому

      @@timothykeith1367 Not true at all.

    • @RyanFeatherston
      @RyanFeatherston 5 місяців тому

      +Douglas Clements Ralph wasn't wrong about the Corvair, though. It killed Ernie Kovacs.

  • @dennyny8
    @dennyny8 2 роки тому +30

    One of my favorite cars. Absolutely beautiful.

  • @rongrantga
    @rongrantga 3 роки тому +10

    Thanks for posting this. In 1968 I bought a 1965 red Corsa 140hp version for $550. Thanks Mr. Nader! I drove it through my college years. This video is a nice trip down memory lane.

  • @tkreitler
    @tkreitler 3 роки тому +95

    I've always thought that, from a design standpoint, the second generation Corvair is one of the best looking cars America has made.

  • @haon4562
    @haon4562 3 роки тому +15

    My first car in high school. Nice red color 65 Corvair. Have to thank Ralf Nader for his book that scared previous owner into selling it cheap. I added oversize radial tires, heavy duty shocks and high speed steering arm. Great handling car and never got stuck in the snow. Sold it to a friend who passed it on to a dune buggy builder. Constructed to compete in the Baha 500.

  • @zollotech
    @zollotech 3 роки тому +302

    Love the Pandemic videos as you show what people into Cars want to see. I would love to see more about the Owens Magnetic as you haven't really shown that in depth.

    • @ATomRileyA
      @ATomRileyA 3 роки тому +5

      Yeah that would be a good one to revisit

    • @alanblanes2876
      @alanblanes2876 3 роки тому +4

      These videos are truly great.

    • @jasoncarpp7742
      @jasoncarpp7742 3 роки тому +6

      I agree. While I love seeing other people ride with Jay in their cars, with the pandemic, it allowed Jay to enjoy the cars himself, and give a more detailed description of the cars.

    • @freakysteve140281
      @freakysteve140281 3 роки тому +4

      More motorcycles! I’m sure there are a few he hasn’t shown yet!

    • @V8_screw_electric_cars
      @V8_screw_electric_cars 3 роки тому +10

      Don't worry the scamdemic will go on for quite some time…

  • @patrickgoncalves3878
    @patrickgoncalves3878 3 роки тому +27

    I love this UA-cam channel. Jay is the most generous and entertaining comedian. Jay is a role model and a treasure to America.

  • @The_R-n-I_Guy
    @The_R-n-I_Guy 3 роки тому +44

    They're such beautiful cars. That era had the best styling

    • @kennethscofield4565
      @kennethscofield4565 3 роки тому

      I agree, you could tell the make by looking at it, they all had there own distinct styling !!

  • @eurospec
    @eurospec 2 роки тому +6

    My wife and I love Corvairs! My wife drives a '65 Monza, I had a '64 Greenbrier van, and now a '63 Rampside truck. Love these things. I have an air cooled 911 and find the Corvairs just as much fun due to the diversity of cars that were built. Put together correctly, and you essentially have a first gen 911 with American styling...and we all know how air cooled 911 pricing has been going the past few years. You can still get these for a total bargain

  • @undertakerfire7810
    @undertakerfire7810 3 роки тому +171

    First thing Jay said is the truest of them all, it’s all about how it makes you feel:)...

    • @12yearssober
      @12yearssober 3 роки тому +7

      Absolutely true. To me my 1992 740 Volvo is the best car ever made. An absolute blast to drive. Yes it’s slow but has been faithful for almost 500K miles. I’ll keep it forever if I’m able.

    • @matthewlove9191
      @matthewlove9191 3 роки тому

      @@12yearssober Good webernet handle. I wish I had never sold my 81 vw scirocco s. I think it was under 1900 pounds dry.

    • @macmclemore
      @macmclemore 3 роки тому +5

      Only problem is that the libtards that are trying to run the country now have taken that to replace common sense and reasoning...

    • @reginaldbowls7180
      @reginaldbowls7180 3 роки тому

      So the best car in the world is one with Butt massagers IMO

    • @donl1846
      @donl1846 3 роки тому

      Tell that to Ralph Nader, lol.....

  • @charlescrawford7039
    @charlescrawford7039 3 роки тому +13

    When I was kid in the early sixties, I had a babysitter who drove a Corvair. Sometimes I went to her house for the babysitting session, and we went in her sporty Corvair. I remember how nifty and bright the vehicle was in in comparison to my dad’s car. I was also fascinated by the automotive details including the taillights and the fact the engine noise came from the rear of the car.

    • @markplain2555
      @markplain2555 3 роки тому +2

      And I'm sure that added to those 'naughty' thoughts you had of your sitter.... (in your later years)

  • @mikep.5517
    @mikep.5517 3 роки тому +13

    The 2nd generation of that car: It's like the homely larva that was the 1st generation pupated and became the gorgeous 2nd gen butterfly. Such a looker. Beautiful car, Jay.

    • @markceconi6157
      @markceconi6157 27 днів тому

      Beg to differ that the early iteration was homely. It was different, but quite attractive in its own right. My convertible garners positive accolades at every show-something different from the cookie cutter Camaros, Mustangs, etc. The late models have a timeless beauty.

  • @julianosante7134
    @julianosante7134 3 роки тому +13

    My Dad had on of those in some light, light green color that I suppose was cool at the time. Sold it to get married to my Mom. He drives an Audi A7 now, which is, by his own admission, the best car he's ever owned BUT, he fondly remembers and misses the Corvair. You can tell by the tone in his voice every time he tells a story involving that car (of which there are many).

  • @jasonyoung5628
    @jasonyoung5628 3 роки тому +13

    As I said the other day to the guys at work, the second generation Corvair has the most beautiful C-pillar of any 1960's car.

  • @writerconsidered
    @writerconsidered 3 роки тому +25

    I love the fact that Jay will say hi to anyone on the street.

    • @censport
      @censport 3 роки тому

      He did the same when he visited the car museum where I work. It was cool to watch.

    • @ahuehuete4703
      @ahuehuete4703 3 роки тому

      He is a classy guy.

  • @revrocks3
    @revrocks3 3 роки тому +62

    I too, think the Corvair (especially this one) is one of the best looking cars of the day. The styling is just fantastic!

    • @-oiiio-3993
      @-oiiio-3993 3 роки тому +7

      One can definitely see origins of the early Camaro in the late Corvair.

    • @0neIntangible
      @0neIntangible 3 роки тому +1

      @@-oiiio-3993 yeah, me too...definitely one of the first "pony cars".

  • @jimpalmer1969
    @jimpalmer1969 2 місяці тому +1

    I took my driver's test in my Dad's '65 Corvair Corsa convertible. It had the 140 HP four carb engine and the 4 speed transmission. This car also taught me to be a mechanic. Jay, thanks for the memories.

  • @markythelarky6948
    @markythelarky6948 3 роки тому +21

    Thank you for this Jay. There's a blue one sitting in my grandma's back yard just wasting away. It's actually pretty complete, but hasn't functioned in years. People told me it was a horrible car to want to restore and collect so I never bothered to look into it. Even my neighbor who collects cars said it was garbage. Your video showed me how beautiful it can be. I'll let my grandma know.

    • @cherliebravo9044
      @cherliebravo9044 3 роки тому +11

      Fix it up! They're lovely cars, and there are plenty of clubs and enthusiasts for support

    • @huskyvacs
      @huskyvacs 3 роки тому +1

      You need to learn not to listen to other people - especially ignorant low IQ boomers whose only goal is to destroy everything for future generations because they are lazy and stupid. The Corvair is a highly collectible and well regarded car and there are several clubs with thousands of members. FURTHERMORE, you do not need to restore it only but mechanically. Less than $500-$1 grand in parts and it will be good to go. Will need to dismantle both the engine and fuel tank and drivetrain and give it all a thorough cleaning out and re-greasing and make sure it's all spotless. Also inspect all wiring for damage from animals. People make restoring cars more difficult than it actually is.

    • @jwpoeschmann9080
      @jwpoeschmann9080 3 роки тому

      hurry

  • @VirtualGuth
    @VirtualGuth 3 роки тому +117

    I love the look of the 2nd generation Corvair's like this one. (The silver rear-end of the Corsa models looks especially nice.) It might not suit everyone's taste, but I find this to be one of the most striking American car designs of all time. My parents owned both 1st gen and 2nd gen examples back in the day.

    • @stevenlindsey2056
      @stevenlindsey2056 3 роки тому +3

      I owned a 63 and a 64 . My dad and I stuffed a 500 Cadillac in one.

    • @-oiiio-3993
      @-oiiio-3993 3 роки тому +1

      @@stevenlindsey2056 Ouch.

    • @TopG800
      @TopG800 2 роки тому +2

      It is so underrated

    • @TopG800
      @TopG800 2 роки тому +3

      It is basically a Porsche, comes with a turbo option, flat 6 or 4 cylinder boxer, rear engine, fun to drive

    • @marke.haller4267
      @marke.haller4267 2 роки тому

      My EV conversion fantasy. I love the lines on this car.

  • @zzkeokizz
    @zzkeokizz 3 роки тому +72

    My parents had two in a row. Oddly enough they didn’t get killed. Instead, they managed to raise a family. They even made it to retirement. Amazing!!!

    • @commando8088
      @commando8088 3 роки тому +5

      I dont buy the classic cars thing are unsafe. I was born in 1999. My first car was a 64 impala, I flipped it when I was a stupid 18 year old at 80 mph. No injuries. Past 4 years I daily a 69 impala. Still dont wear my safety belt. I feel very safe in my american tank

    • @markr5132
      @markr5132 3 роки тому +5

      We had 6 kids in our family mom had a 62 the a 65 Corvair both black, my mom and sisters loved them and drove the heck out of them. .Dad put a sack or two of concrete during the winter to weight the front end so it handled better in the snow. I remember many Sunday evening drives were I layed down in the package tray area behind the rear seat and slept while the engine kept me warm.

    • @MrTomengle
      @MrTomengle 3 роки тому +4

      My Mom had a station wagon.

    • @estpst
      @estpst 3 роки тому +1

      My grandfather had one, and my dad said he rolled it. My dad always said he told my grandfather not to buy it, my grandfather always did what he wanted,.

    • @markr5132
      @markr5132 3 роки тому +4

      @@estpst What year was it? 65's and later were much almost impossible to roll unless you hit a curb or pothole while sliding. Ralf Nader was/is and card carrying Communist and wanted to hurt our biggest Co. at the time, his books claims about the Corvair were 100% filled with lies 1/2 truths and exaggerations GM proved this in Court a few years after the bogus trial where some rich kids daddy sued GM because he rolled a grossly overloaded Corvair that was speeding and hit a crosswind.

  • @richcoleman469
    @richcoleman469 Рік тому +6

    I bought one exactly like this in 71 when I got out of USAF, but mine was a 65 and had a red interior. Put F70 14s on the back and had the 6.00 13s on front. Also had a telescopic steering wheel. Turbo kicked in at 3000 and sounded like a jet. Handled great and was a lot of fun for$600.

  • @jeffreyhubbard4354
    @jeffreyhubbard4354 3 роки тому +5

    Wish I could give you a hug Jay! A corvair Rampside was my first vehicle, and i caught the corvair bug. thanks for your kind words about these mostly forgotten gems! they weren't bad cars, just misunderstood.

  • @Sulfuron41
    @Sulfuron41 3 роки тому +8

    I've driven multiple classics including Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, but my Corvair for some reason would bring tears to individuals' eyes because of the memories it brought back. No other classic has ever done that for me. I miss it!

  • @shannonpierce1376
    @shannonpierce1376 3 роки тому +5

    Thank you Jay Leno for clearing the air about the Corvair. My best friend had one when we were in the ninth grade in the mid-70s. Yes it is a fun little car to drive. Especially with a 4-speed.

  • @DC-bn2rm
    @DC-bn2rm 5 місяців тому +1

    I got my first 1965 Corvair in the early 80's and loved it! I turned left at a stop sign, and a big Econoline van behind me ran the stop sign and basically T-Boned me. I drove it home. I had 7 or at of them after that. The 140 hp (4 carbs) 4 speed was fast! My last one was a 1965 Monza Convertible. I loved that car!

  • @charlesshamseldin9555
    @charlesshamseldin9555 3 роки тому +6

    Here to listen to Jay's voice.
    A calm cadence that helps me tune out all the background noise in the world.
    Thank Jay!

  • @kennethdavidii2734
    @kennethdavidii2734 3 роки тому +16

    When I was a kid, my mom owned a Corvair Monza. Great car and she loved it.

  • @williamwintemberg
    @williamwintemberg 3 роки тому +11

    I had a Corvair with an automatic transmission. It was cheap transportation. I never gave it much thought as to what it was or could be, let alone how I would view it almost 50 years later. Today I view it much differently. Jay is 100% right! The car was way ahead of it's time.

  • @keithhyttinen8275
    @keithhyttinen8275 2 роки тому +3

    Jays Garage. Best show on TV.

  • @michaellunn4582
    @michaellunn4582 3 роки тому +9

    Thank you Mister Jay Leno. You really are a true HERO in my book.

  • @jimbaker4931
    @jimbaker4931 3 роки тому +6

    When I was a kid I had a 62 Corvair coupe with a powerglide transmission and I loved it. Yeah it threw a fan belt one time but like Jay I kept a spare in the trunk. My girlfriend and I would go up into the mountains and I would take those curves and I wondered what all the commotion was about because there was no tires squeal and no feeling of loosing control . I really loved my little Corvair!

  • @JamesSterling
    @JamesSterling 3 роки тому +6

    I'm glad to see Jay give the Corvair some love and respect. I had a couple of them back in the day and everything Jay says is correct. It is a great driving car and still a looker today.

  • @keiths8800
    @keiths8800 2 місяці тому +1

    I had a ‘65 in the mid 70’s. It was fun to drive although it was an automatic. Sold it to a friend after a few years as he was looking for something more economic than his work truck. He drove it for a few years until he went out one morning and found the engine on the street. Gave a new meaning to rusted out.

  • @mgabbard
    @mgabbard 3 роки тому +6

    Everyone I know that owned a Corvair loved them. Truly a unique car and still a looker! Thanks for letting us drool, Jay!

  • @TWSUF-JI
    @TWSUF-JI 3 роки тому +13

    My dad was a school photographer in Western Colorado. Drove all winter long to little mountain towns in his Covair station wagon. Never had to chain up. The thing was a goat on those snow packed roads.

    • @kattcasel9730
      @kattcasel9730 3 роки тому +4

      From Colorado as well, and you are right these were great in the snow. Just remember to bring a coat, the heater was warm at best!!

    • @emsnewssupkis6453
      @emsnewssupkis6453 3 роки тому

      If you have studded tires, yes. I use stud tires upstate NY which has even more snow.

  • @wmhhealth2018
    @wmhhealth2018 3 роки тому +32

    One of the most beautiful cars of all time. Another Bill Mitchell home run.

  • @herb7877
    @herb7877 2 роки тому +1

    I bought a family member's 62' Corvair in 1969 for $125. Needed some work. Between the both of us we put ~98k miles and the spare fan belt was still under the seat had never been used when I sold it. I rebuilt the front end suspension, added headers & Cherry Bombs and new brakes. Great car. Leaked a little oil due to the aluminum heads getting hot & contracting as it cooled.

  • @ToddDolce
    @ToddDolce 3 роки тому +8

    The Covid editions have been the best for Jay. The pace is SO NICE and actually enjoyable to watch. It's so refreshing to get away from the overproduced and nonsense effects that most of the typical shows have. This is the way it should be!

  • @patrickgraham6395
    @patrickgraham6395 3 роки тому +67

    My wife's grandfather tried to give me his back in the '70's but I was too stupid to take it. I was a hardcore Ford man. Boy, I wish that I had it now..

  • @elit3401
    @elit3401 3 роки тому +29

    Beautiful car, I remember riding in one when I was a kid. It actually has more styling than a Mustang of the Era. Thanks, Jay. Love the videos.

  • @geraldarcuri9307
    @geraldarcuri9307 2 роки тому +80

    Probably one of the best looking, timeless cars to ever be made.

    • @BartBart22
      @BartBart22 Рік тому +2

      In America.

    • @missinformed4269
      @missinformed4269 Рік тому +4

      Really beautiful especially red with black interior.

    • @prosto_potomuwto
      @prosto_potomuwto Рік тому +2

      color

    • @abef.9085
      @abef.9085 Рік тому

      Had one...Fun!

    • @abef.9085
      @abef.9085 Рік тому

      @@jimbojones101 You Bet!..50"s all around..4 Speed..Duel exhaust..Craiger Rim"s...

  • @Fezzler61
    @Fezzler61 3 роки тому +145

    Stop featuring these great cars. You're driving up the price I'll have to pay to get one someday.
    (Great show!)

    • @reginaldbowls7180
      @reginaldbowls7180 3 роки тому +11

      I know right???? Ugh between this and bring a trailer, LOL

    • @Fezzler61
      @Fezzler61 3 роки тому +2

      @@reginaldbowls7180 I think fans of raw power pass on them still. But I want one. '66 seems the way to go. But for a Sunday drive, any year would do.

    • @jeffreycarrow8584
      @jeffreycarrow8584 3 роки тому

      you are right i was looking for my old rambler station the other night the prices they are looking for is totally ridiculos

  • @chrisfrench8323
    @chrisfrench8323 3 роки тому +6

    My first car, at age 17, was a '62 Corvair. Fond memories. Thanks, Jay.

  • @FloppydriveMaestro
    @FloppydriveMaestro 3 роки тому +8

    I love these. It looks amazing in red.
    I honestly prefer the pandemic edition videos to the normal ones.
    Just Jay Leno being enthusiastic about cool cars.

  • @mikehenson819
    @mikehenson819 3 роки тому +1

    I'm 63 now and have always loved the Corvairs, and especially the 2nd generation of them. Watching this makes me want one now. But I favor a drop top one.

  • @super_slav91
    @super_slav91 3 роки тому +17

    My favorite classic chev, it just looks so stylish, looks almost like an Italian car but yet still somehow retains some American styling.

    • @solarwave
      @solarwave 3 роки тому +2

      I think that model has some Camaro lines in it.

  • @petervitti9
    @petervitti9 3 роки тому +10

    I really enjoy these episodes with one camera. A true reality show.

  • @CSmith-bp5rt
    @CSmith-bp5rt 3 роки тому +6

    I remember Corvairs well. We took a Corvair van to Yosemite when I was in high school. I loved the lines of the Corsa and I remember the turbo charged flat six which was a Porsche killer in its time. Another great Leno's Garage. Thanks Jay.

  • @preston6736
    @preston6736 3 роки тому +7

    Nice to see Jay is a fellow Corvair enthusiast. A well engineered car, made back when GM gave a half of a percentage of a molecule of a crap about the vehicles they produced.

  • @bextar6365
    @bextar6365 3 роки тому +9

    JAY...You're so right the styling still looks outstanding today. Never cared for the pre 1965 boxy bodies, they look outdated in comparison.

  • @jrsalazar1465
    @jrsalazar1465 3 роки тому +7

    Air cooled, flat six, 180 hp in 1966 and the lines on this car are beautiful.... Yea revolutionary! Gorgeous car

    • @warrenpuckett4203
      @warrenpuckett4203 3 роки тому

      GM was afraid to take it to the next step. Mid engine.
      I have ridden in one. '68 Z28 engine. 290 HP. 4 speed. More like a Ferrari. Capable of 190 MPH average speed at Michigan International in 1971.
      Even better handling than a Corvette. I was going to have mine converted. BUT got laid off in 73.

  • @josephbarlow969
    @josephbarlow969 7 місяців тому +1

    My first non Ford was 1961 Corvair as a Young Marine in SoCal. Had heard of the handling problems, 1/4 reversed chrome rims and over sized tires made it stick in corners better than any Ford I had owned to that time. Was fun to drive but it got sold, bought a 1957 Ford hardtop. Fast forward a couple years in North Carolina, said 57 Ford and I took an unscheduled trip in to the pinnie woods, killed a good Ford that day, its replacement was a 1965 Covair Convertible, ended my Corvair ownership in KCMO traded for first new car 1968 390 4 speed Torino fast back!! What a car that was!
    The American public was not ready for an air cooled engine, American made car. But I being a helicopter mech understood air cooled, no big deal. The 65 handled better that the 61 in stock form so did not change the 65. Thank you Mr. Leno for keeping the cars alive and letting the get out and play! Would like to still own the 4 mentioned above, but such is life. Thank you again sir. Gunny Joe

  • @allans7281
    @allans7281 3 роки тому +8

    This car is sentimental in our family- this is the car my dad was driving when he met my mother

  • @shazboz
    @shazboz 3 роки тому +7

    Such a humble guy. Glad youre still keeping busy during the pandemic!

  • @jimwilson774
    @jimwilson774 3 роки тому +11

    I'm not a Chevy guy but I've always loved these corvairs. Back in the late 60s my uncle had one and I remember riding in it and I had so much fun.

  • @juanmelendezrivera6085
    @juanmelendezrivera6085 Рік тому +9

    Great video and great car! Ralph Nader was writing about the 1962-63 Corvairs. Once the suspension was fixed on 1964, the Corvair was a great classic sport car. With good care for corrosion control, the Corvair can last forever. Thanks for the video.

    • @manstersr
      @manstersr Рік тому +1

      I was a VW mechanic in the 70s and was under the impression that the Corvair had a swing arm rear transaxle like the VW up to 68. What suspension fix are you referring to? Was it a Double jointed CV axle like the VWs went to? I searched it and I was correct. Nader didn't go after VW did he? They didn't have a handling issue other than if you let off the gas while cornering at high speeds.

    • @noelfelty338
      @noelfelty338 Рік тому

      Corvair only had swing arm 1960-63. 64 was the last year for swing arm setup but it was improved to include transverse leaf spring, very similar to what empi was doing for Porsche and VW with the camber compensator bar. 1965-69 Corvair’s are all full IRS with no swing axle. VW did not adapt until 68 which maybe your confusion

    • @noelfelty338
      @noelfelty338 Рік тому +1

      Oh and yes Nader did go after VW. He wrote an entire book on VW called Small on Safety in 1972 after the Corvair was found to have no propensity for loss of control or roll over. In the same testing they found the VW was prone to such problems so Nader set his sights there. It is also worthy of note that Unsafe at Any Speed is not a book on the Corvair. It has just a small chapter on the 60-63 Corvair. The book actually praises the 65 design. .08 percent of Unsafe at Any Speed is about a Corvair.

  • @boss12
    @boss12 3 роки тому +40

    As a kid, I thought about it not being a muscle car. As a man, I consider this one of the best Chevys ever.

    • @reginaldbowls7180
      @reginaldbowls7180 3 роки тому +5

      Imagine a modern day Corvair based on the corvette C8 platform ?

    • @theothertonydutch
      @theothertonydutch 3 роки тому +3

      It's better for not being a muscle car I would say.

    • @boss12
      @boss12 3 роки тому +4

      @@theothertonydutch I just really appreciate the engineering and styling a lot more. Its actually a very innovative design, but not enough people truly appreciated it.

    • @boss12
      @boss12 3 роки тому +2

      @@reginaldbowls7180 unheard of. GM will never do something like this again.

    • @machtschnell7452
      @machtschnell7452 3 роки тому +1

      It never was a "muscle car."

  • @michaelmaas5544
    @michaelmaas5544 3 роки тому +10

    You’re car knowledge never will cease to absolutely amaze me!

  • @LSDaniel
    @LSDaniel 3 роки тому +99

    Jay Leno’s Garage: Pandemic Edition proves true the saying 'every cloud has a silver lining.’

  • @dksayt
    @dksayt 2 роки тому +1

    Loved my 1965 convertible. Artesian Turquoise with white top and black interior. Great in snow. Nice handling. They should still be making them. No antifreeze required.

  • @StergiosX15
    @StergiosX15 3 роки тому +184

    If GM had kept this in production for another five years they would have had a serious competitor against the imports when the fuel embargo hit in 1974.

    • @solidbreed9767
      @solidbreed9767 3 роки тому +3

      Yess

    • @joe6096
      @joe6096 3 роки тому +2

      Indeed.

    • @kfm908
      @kfm908 3 роки тому +4

      I got a Vega!lol

    • @spaceghost8995
      @spaceghost8995 3 роки тому +6

      Not really. A Honda Civic, Toyota Corona or Datsun 210 got double the fuel mileage of the Corvair.

    • @corvettejohn4507
      @corvettejohn4507 3 роки тому +15

      Well, GM had the Vega. It was Motor Trend's Car of the Year in 1971. Great looking car, too bad it was worse than the Corvair. There was only two things wrong with the Vega, the engine and the body. The crappy engine lasted about 3 years before it needed a complete rebuild and the body rusted away after about 5 years. It was US subcompacts like the Vega that made millions of Americans flock to Datsun and Toyota dealerships for their next car. Oh, and Ed Cole designed the Vega too.

  • @ronhumphrey5355
    @ronhumphrey5355 3 роки тому +6

    Hey Jay, appreciate all the car videos you do that surrounds the entire industry and all the guests you have on. It just doesn't get any better mixing the light-hearted theme with the automotive history. Spot on.
    By the way on the corvair subject, I had both a 64 and 65, two different body styles. On the issue of the fan belt, it does come off when you're in below freezing temperatures and the belt gets stiff. When you first crank the engine and it has been sitting in below freezing temps it flips right off and I can't count how many times I had to get out in the snow and freezing weather and put the belt back on. Just had to mention that because I know it doesn't happen in temperate climates where you are.
    By the way kudos to you and thanks a million for continuing the show even during the virus shutdowns and with minimal crew. Stellar job even under those conditions. Thanks and keep on with the awesome shows.
    👍

  • @bmepdoc
    @bmepdoc 3 роки тому +7

    Takes me back, literally - DECADES!. As many of my age group back then lusted after the unobtainable, famous German marque - these were more than a suitable 'stand-by' until we could inevitably reach the earning potential for obtaining the comparatively costly and elusive. My first was a '64 'spyder'. Same 164 cu. in. (upped from the prior 145 cu. in.) powerplant fitted with the 'YH carter' sidedraft but rated at 150 H.P. (smaller carb venturi and different hot/cold side compressor wheels). It was a fun little car which I used to autocross at venues all across California as time allowed. Being employed by Vilem B. Haan (a very famous automotive 'boutique' accessory outfit at 10305 Santa Monica Blvd in West Los Angeles) had me fortuitously 'rubbing elbows' with a veritable cornucopia of enthusiasts from all walks of life. Some, which remain friends to this day. Los Angeles, Culver City, and So-Cal in general was an automotive 'modding' mecca, particularly for budding gearheads like me. Aside from the too-many-to-recall celebrities and other notables which would frequent 'Haan', we had many engineers and proprietors of auto performance shops visit on a regular basis. One in particular which I greeted was a fellow - Ted Trevor of Crown Manufacturing who ran an outfit in nearby Costa Mesa which specialized in all sorts of performance enhancements for the Corvair. He was at Traco engineering picking up an L-88 aluminum headed 427 big block which they had just refreshed for him so he decided to swing by Haan's to pick up some 'coco-mats'. He saw my 'vair' parked out front and asked if I knew who it belonged to. Responding it was mine he smiled and suggested I come down to his shop and take a look at, and ride in, the mid engine V8 conversion they were offering for the (Gen II 65-69) cars. I did just that a week or so later only to have my mind completely blown. They had fitted that L-88 a few days prior and were working on "keeping the thing on the road". The machine was absolutely menacing in appearance, what with its massive (for the time) Caldwell racing re-cap rubber, small rear decklid lip spoiler and well fabricated aluminum air duct peeking from under the front bumper grabbing and guiding all the air possible for the radiator in the now repurposed trunk area. A somewhat weird looking fiberglass seating pod/engine cover affair was all the separated one's keister from the whirlies and burnies of the just barely tamed fuel/air ingesting, fire breathing (allegedly 500+ ponies according to Ted) behemoth mounted, literally - just mere millimeters behind. So ferocious was that experience that it has never left its ubiquitous omnipresence of my hippocampus. So terrifying was this 'demonstration ride' - I can only equate it to what one must feel if they truly believe a crash is imminent in the plane they occupy. The combination of intake roar elevating in sync with revs coupled to the ethereal, incessant and unrelenting gear to gear accelerations into regions theretofore unknown can only be equalled by what those brave few experienced whilst strapped inside a dainty capsule atop a Saturn V. Yes, so terrifying was THAT event... to me.
    I digress;
    Not long afterward I ended up with not one, but two more 'vairs'. a '65 corsa 140 HP and a '66 corsa 180 turbo similar to the one featured here by Jay. The 140 HP I highly modified by removing the captive intake plenums which carried the 4 downdraft single choke rochester carburettors and replaced that arrangement with manifolds which now allowed retrofitting of 3 bbl Weber IDA's to considerably modified big valve heads. Ed Iskenderian was making cams and springs and Venolia were making high compression forged pistons, so I opted for those as well. Coupled to the 'saginaw positraction' transaxle (same gear cluster as the V8 cars). The car was impressive - for what it was.
    I sold that car not long after to help finance a finally 'obtainable' 1964 Porsche Carrera 2. I say that tongue-in-cheek as 'obtainable' meant I could somehow swing the then still seemingly astronomical, yet attainable $6800 to buy the thing. The '66 turbo corsa I ended up just gifting my 10 year younger brother with who also autocrossed it with some success as I had in earlier days, though was all too often bested by, yes.... a Porsche of some type, be it a 356, 911, or 914. As well as they (vairs) could be made/modified to handle, they were limited by their wheelbase. The '65-onward cars were on another, far more capable level of handling than the swingaxle cars were/are. Perhaps the one outstanding aspect which Jay skipped over is the 'as if whittled out of a huge ingot of metal' feel of solidity and torsional rigidity imparted by the unit body construction. Unlike virtually every other US made auto of the time, save for some American Motors examples, the Corvair were not plagued by annoying rattles or the visible shaking of components as when, say, traversing over rail road tracks or encountering the unavoidable pot hole. They just plain feel 'solid'.
    Time marches on and I feel so blessed and fortunate to be old enough to inevitably becoming involved in and enjoying the fascinating, emerging cult of speed, yet being young enough to remember without the challenges of age stealing those precious memories.
    Mr. Leno. I sincerely thank you for taking me back.

    • @MarshallLoveday
      @MarshallLoveday 3 роки тому

      Thanks for your post! I had my '66 Corsa (turbo, yellow) in the West L.A. area around the same time. (I think I had a Haan catalogue, too - went to the store once....) Wondering if your '66 Corsa was yellow perhaps, and was missing its chrome molding on the rear edge of the deck lid?

    • @bmepdoc
      @bmepdoc 3 роки тому

      @@MarshallLoveday Hello, Marshall.
      It was indeed. 'Lemonwood Yellow' with black interior. An immaculate example. Purchased 'preowned' from Schonlaw Chevrolet in Hollywood with just under 10k miles. I ended up fitting a side draft Weber which REALLY woke it up though required some proper jet 'fettling' before an acceptable compromise between output, driveability and range per tankful was achieved. The handling was outstanding particularly after fitting a complete IECO suspension kit comprised of springs, sway bars, quick steer steering arms and a bracket which relocated the lower control arms out back. I recall anxiously awaiting my KONI shocks, GoodYear Blue Streaks and Superlite 15 x 7 wheels. All of those mods set me back another $1200 or so as I recall, (which was more than half of what the car cost me!) - but the transformation was pretty epic. I often turned at, or near the top of my class at autocross events once I swapped the 3.55 for a 3.89 differential. Mini Cooper, Lotus 7 and Europa, Cobra and Porsche (especially the well prepped and piloted) were my nemesis. To reiterate, the wheelbase was just too much of a limitation. A well manhandled, relatively mediocre car will more times than none take the win over a less capably piloted Q-ship, regardless of marque. Aptitude behind the wheel is a defining quotient.
      Referencing the decklid 'trim'. It very well could have been my car while waiting for my spoiler to be completed by a fiberglass craftsman who laid glass for boats in Marina del Rey and had a side gig making spoilers and other things in 'glass. He owned a '69 Z-28 and I asked that he duplicate that rear spoiler which he did. It turned out absolutely perfect. As you know - there were a fair number of these running around around SoCal back then, so who knows but it's certainly a possibility. Thank you for rekindling yet more memories, Marshall!

  • @ronwatson4902
    @ronwatson4902 Рік тому +2

    I love this guy! He really knows his cahs and this Corvair is a great looking example. I'm thinking he might have made a good president. Very smart and decent man and I like the way he thinks. Thank you Jay.

  • @ProfessorFate
    @ProfessorFate 3 роки тому +4

    I recall my Corvair well.
    My first car was a hand-down from my parents in 1968 when I got my drivers license. It was a beige ‘64 Monza sedan with the two speed “power-glide” automatic and air conditioning. Ugly through and through.
    As a kid I discovered it could reach 94 mph with the ac on and 100 with it off.
    The heavy rear end was a real issue when roads were wet. If you took a corner with any speed, the rear would easily break traction and swing around converting your intended 90 degree turn into a 270.
    The dashboard had a “gen” light and a “overtemp” light. When the fan belt broke, the “gen” light would come on. This served as the “two minute warning” that it would soon overtemp since the fan was no longer running. Putting a new belt on was a shop job since the AC coil mounted horizontally over the fan and needed to be unbolted to replace the belt over the fan pulley.
    I read the Nader book. As I recall, he made the issue about the sheet metal front end and the non-collapsible steering column. In relatively slow speed front collisions the front would crush and push the steering wheel back where it would catch the driver under the chin and break his neck. Thus, SAE reports aside, you had some drivers horrifically killed in slow speed accidents that would have been easily survivable in front engine cars. That’s what made it newsworthy.
    But, It got me to and from my first job where I earned the cash to buy a used ‘66 GTO. In retrospective, the GTO was far more likely to get me killed.
    Somehow I survived and grew up. Today, I’m more of an old Prius guy.

  • @psalm2forliberty577
    @psalm2forliberty577 3 роки тому +12

    Timeless classic design.
    Beautiful !

  • @mattw8332
    @mattw8332 3 роки тому +8

    I love the proportions of the styling of this. Absolutely spot on.

  • @robertfeeley9738
    @robertfeeley9738 3 роки тому +1

    Best commentary about a special car that I heard. A fellow student at Calexico High School had a spider and that was a hot car.

  • @gryfandjane
    @gryfandjane 3 роки тому +21

    Any time I see a Corvair I’m reminded of my elementary school days, when Corvairs were everywhere and I loved them. Even then, as a budding gear head, I was smitten by the styling and their “difference” from other cars. Can you imagine GM doing something so audacious today?

    • @marcryvon
      @marcryvon 3 роки тому +3

      Well, they just did with the C8 ! (Following the Pontiac guys' track with the Fiero, of course ! Ha !) 🤣

    • @gryfandjane
      @gryfandjane 3 роки тому

      Good point! :-D And come to think of it, there were the Solstice and Sky, too. Then they killed them. :-(

    • @erikgonzalez2278
      @erikgonzalez2278 3 роки тому

      @@marcryvon thats what I was thinking they did it a couple times already. Just not the flat 6.

  • @davidstaudohar6733
    @davidstaudohar6733 2 роки тому +3

    The Gem in the Garage is Jay , That's all Diamond Dave has to say , 👌😀😀😀‼️