This month’s Car of the Month feature is a 1966 Chevrolet Corvair that was brought in from a customer to have mechanical work and reliability added to his ride. 

You may already have heard about the many unique features (and not so popular reasons) that resulted in this car only being made for a short period of time. 

Corvair History

The 1966 Corvair has a rear engine – meaning the trunk is in the front of the car. It’s also rear-wheel drive and air-cooled. In it’s poor production history, the rear engine car became known for catching fire and having issues with the suspension. Its short life came to a halt when it was determined that it was actually an unsafe vehicle to drive at any speed. 

Things We Love About the Corvair

Regardless of his infamous history, we still love this car. It has a cool setup – A/C and 4 carburetors so it looks really cool. Plus it’s a rear-engine rear-wheel-drive vehicle and historically it’s one of the first few American cars that are set up to look like this.

The customer, who isn’t a car enthusiast like some of our regulars here, still shares in the love for this unique build and its overall concept. It’s the reason he had to have it. Because it’s different. It’s also the reason he brought it to Innovative Restorations for major mechanical work to make the ride more reliable. 

What We’re Doing in the Shop

We’re in the middle of the build as we speak and are working on heavy maintenance. Here are just a few of the things we’re doing to this 1966 Corvair: 

  • Dual master cylinder upgrade  
  • Transmission and transaxle rebuild 
  • Basic repairs for any parts that are worn and broken

Be sure to check back to get an inside look at the rides we’re graciously entrusted to work on and some of the amazing upgrades and restorations we’re working on and feel free to contact us if you’re ready to finally get your restoration job started!