I am finally getting around to starting the restoration of my 1964 Corvair Monza Convertible – originally owned by John Glenn when he was still a NASA astronaut and living in Texas.
As the first step, I am documenting the “numbers” – Here are some photos.
I will add more as the project progresses. So far all the individual part date codes seem to be in agreement with the Fisher Build Date code.
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- Fisher Body Tag
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- Engine Number
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- Cylinder Head – 110HP
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- Rear Axle
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- Front Spring Tag
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- Vent Glass
- I acquired the original engine for the John Glenn Corvair with the purchase of the car back in 2001, but the engine was not installed in the car and it was not running. It sat on a cart in my garage for the past 17 years until I finally got…
Pre-restoration John Glenn's Corvair While this site was non-functional for the past few years, I have been posting about the restoration of John Glenn's Corvair on Facebook and The Corvair Center Forum. Until I get around to writing up a more formal accounting, I offer up this post with links…- The straight shifter started with the '60 Monza, in which the three-speed was of course the only manual transmission available. 61 Monzas with buckets and 3-speed continued to use the straight lever. GM Proving grounds photos are attached, showing the shifters for both years. These aren't prototype cars. They're ordinary…
- This post uses pages from the 1960-64 Assembly Manuals to explain the different rear mounting brackets used for Corvair Generators. The first two photos are from the 1960 Assembly manual, showing all three possible generators and their brackets: Generator Part # Bracket Part #Bracket Length & Description1100357 (7" short generator)37793017"…
- This article shows how I reconditioned the Air Distributor/Control pod for my 1964 Air Conditioned Convertible (the Glenn Corvair). This is the part of the AC system that is mounted under the radio housings, containing the air vents and the control knobs. For simplicity, I'll refer to it as the…
- All of the cars we have photographed, grouped by Model Year Early Models 1960 1960 500 4 dr Sedan 00569W000407 1960 700 Coupe 1960 700 Coupe 00727W206202 1960 700 4 dr Sedan 0079W101872 1960 Swiss 700 4 dr Sedan SS-609536 1961 1961 500 Coupe 10527K123835 1961 Canadian 700 4 dr…
- This survey is only for 1964 Corvair cars with Fawn Interiors. It seems that they came in two distinct styles - either with Medium Fawn paint around the doors and rear quarters, or with Light Fawn paint in those locations. The purpose of this survey is to determine if there…
- I did some research into early Corvair shock absorbers and made a table to summarize my findings. The part and stamping numbers come from my March 1, 1964 parts book. The Piston travel numbers for all except 1964 rear shock come from GM’s Vehicle Information Kits - we have a page on…
Media Photo AlbumVideo - Factory Exhaust SystemVideo - Tunnel area ASCE Inspection Summary Date Inspected: 07/23/2014Odometer 17495.2 original milesYear: 1964Model: MonzaBody Style: 2 door CoupeExterior Color: Ember RedInterior Color: Red and WhiteEngine: 110 HPTransmission: 4 speedRear Axle: 3.27Positraction: NoVIN: 40927W176657Build Date: 12DStyle: 64-0927Body Number: 36226Trim: 727Paint: 922-QACC: W2LP3C5V Inspected by:…- All Corvair engines produced after November 29, 1963 were equipped with Blower Belt Guides, as noted in Technical Service Bulletin #982, dated March 18, 1962. This TSB also gives instructions for adding blower belt guides to earlier engines (1961-64). Thanks to Dave Newell for providing scans of this TSB.
- 1961-64 Corvairs have an internal gutter and drain hole in the rear end of the trunk. The reason for this design is unclear, but if water does get into this area of the trunk, it is supposed to drain out through the drain hole. However, this drain hole is often…
- Although the Annual Stock Corvair Event was cancelled this year, once again due to the Covid Pandemic, I was able to view a few Stock Corvairs at the Springfield Mini Convention in May. Carl Sagan's restored 1964 Spyder Convertible at the Springfield Mini Convention Click here to view the entire…
- 1961-64 Corvairs with Air Conditioning have two switches, a blower switch on the left side that turns the system on/off and sets the blower speed, and an evaporator temp control switch on the right side that sets the temperature and turns the compressor on/off as needed. The temp control switch,…
- The one and only Corphibian This post contains links to media about the 1961 Corphibian - the only commercially produced amphibious Corvair. This vehicle is based on the Loadside Pickup. Click on any of the links below to go to that media: Articles and Photo Albums: Corphibian History - the…
