10k: Of Corsa, Its A Monza: 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Monza

The Daily Turismo 4th of July festivities continue with features that celebrate independence from boring, liberty from econo-boxes and justified cheapness, particularly the axiom that no better money is spent than the previous owners.  This next car is an American icon that needs no introduction other than to say that it offered a revolutionary rear air-cooled engine setup in a handsome coupe body.  Find this 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Monza currently bidding for $7,100 reserve-not-met in Magnolia, TX via ebay with 5 days to go.

This is a '66 Corvair Monza, with a great set of options, it has the 140-hp engine set up, but more importantly, the car is in TX and eqipped with factory a/c vents in the interior.  The fresh paint is in a good looking color and the owner is apparently well equipped to deal with old Chevy's given what appears to be about a 1960 Chevy Pickup in the garage and what is apparently a lift.

This silver streak is equipped with the more powerful version of the 2.7 liter flat six, fed by four single throat carbs and a set of headers - good for a total of 140 horsepower. 

The orginal Corvair factory A/C had the condenser mounted in the rear where it attempted to draw as much air as it could through the engine compartment vents behind the rear window.  This car has apparently been updated with Clark's A/C which updates from the frigidaire compressor to the Sanyo unit and draws air through the trunk using an electric fan to increase air flow across the condenser.   A frunk shot would have been good but ... whacha gonna do. The underside shot of the frunk clearly shows the electric (spal) fan which should greatly enhance the performance of the A/C unit.

This one also has the factory telescoping steering wheel, fresh paint and a modern radio.  About the only thing that it could use would be an upgrade to a Corsa style dash with a full compliment of gauges, but that would require finding an original factory Corsa dash which was fitted for factory are (or a very delicate touch with a hand held cutting tool).  An easier approach might be to find a Chevy tach that could take the place of the clock which has most likely quit telling time years ago.

Find a better pancake 6, with 4 carbs, 4-speed, dual exhaust and A/C for a summer ride, email us at tips@dailyturismo.com