Corvair Rampside

[HarrySmith]

I do not know where the VW stuff came from! It was in the pile of parts behind the seat. It looks like it has sat for that long. No newer registrations to anyone else. The guy I bought it from is a dealer and he got it from a broker so there is no way to trace it.

[baldopeacock]

It was in Abilene Texas, on I80?

I-20 runs e/w through Abilene.   Abilene is 150 miles or so west of here.  I've been out there a few times, my girlfriend's daughter is in college there.    Seems like I've noticed a couple of lots with old cars along there.   One of these days I need to hit the potential hiding places for phones in that area.

[HarrySmith]

Yes, it was just off I-20, the address was East I-80 but the shipper had a hard time finding it. It is a commercial area, from what I understand, he has a lot of old trucks & cars there.

[HarrySmith]

Got the engine removed today. Took about 3 hours and only suffered one casualty. The collar the clutch throwout bearing rides on got broken. Now I get to learn about a Corvair differential! I added some pictures to my Picassa album here: http://tinyurl.com/22u4xpq  (dead link 02-09-21)

[KeithB]

Ouch!!  So sorry to hear that, Harry.  How's the market looking for replacement/salvage parts?

[HarrySmith]

I got a replacement part for the one I broke. It was easy, I just posted to the list just like here and a member spoke up and sold me a NOS one! There are several companies that specialize in only Corvair parts.
I started engine teardown tonight and added a few pictures to my album here: http://picasaweb.google.com/HarrySmith1957/PhoneCo1963CorvairRampside  (dead link 02-09-21)

[KeithB]

Harry, the pictures of the crank and piston rods looked too incredibly clean.  Did you take the pressure washer to the inside of the engine, too? 

[HarrySmith]

Nope, that is how I found it. After seeing that and the rear main seal where you can still read the part number and the rubber is still soft I am convinced someone was in here already. In the first of the new pictures you can see one bolt head on the rear engine cover at around 2 o'clock that is ground down and a circle on the back of the flywheel from where it was hitting. Whoever it was must have left this bolt loose. I believe they must have started the car after rebuilding the engine and heard that awful noise then started to take it all back apart but gave up. From the looks of the bolt head and flywheel it did not run long that way. I will be continuing teardown and keep updating this post.

[HarrySmith]

Continued work tonight and got the cylinder heads off, added more pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/HarrySmith1957/PhoneCo1963CorvairRampside  (dead link 02-09-21)

[baldopeacock]

The body on the truck is pretty doggone solid.   If you like old cars, Texas is one place to find 'em without a lot of body rot.   The sun eats the paint and soft trim, but usually the sheetmetal isn't bad at all.

[HarrySmith]

Thanks, thats why I got it. It took me a while to find one that was not rotted out.

[HarrySmith]

Did some more disassembly tonight, got the cylinders off and the transmission/differential assembly removed. I added a few more pictures starting here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/HarrySmith1957/PhoneCo1963CorvairRampside#5540691313457633666 
(dead link 02-09-21)

[AE_Collector]

Harry, what ever happened to this project? I know you wound up out of work at about this point in the project but did you finish it, sell it partially redone or is it hiding in your garage waithing to get under way again one day?

Terry

[HarrySmith]

Hey Terry,
I still have it but not much progress. My new job is not giving me much disposable income. I did find out the engine was shot, a few spun bearings on the crankshaft. I did pick up an engine from a memebr of a Corvair club I joined online. I got the engine, transmission & differential reassembeld but that's about it fr now.

[AE_Collector]

I am glad to hear that you still have it Harry! I read in aother "Car" thread on here that you really wanted one of these and then you went out and got one. I think that vehicle restorations very often get done a bit at a time quite often with large pauses along the way. It is a lot of work and money.

I have been reading through the CRPF "automotive" threads lately quite enjoying some car talk around here! I am going to group all of the car talk together in one place so that it is easier to find.

Terry