Oh, MUCH better than the caprice. The Caprice has rot in awkward places that would be hard to repair. Plus the Corvairs are super slick cars, and cheap and easy to fix. Reliable too! :P

38K miles on a car that old is like our Bonnevilles having 150k. That engine WILL need to be gone through. Remember the good ol' days when fuel was a quarter per gallon? It was also leaded. That engine was desgined to run on leaded fuel At the very least, have the heads reworked to allow continued use of the unleaded squirrel pee of today. (The only change needed is to have the valve guides swapped).

Try not to use bondo. Weld in new metal whenever possible, even if it has to be shaped. Find someone who is ancient enough to know how to "lead" a body. It'* a lost art, and alot like soldering but on a bigger scale.

I'm also against using underbody coating on a car that old now. The ONLY way I would put it on, is if the whole car was mediablasted, new seam sealer was put in, and skin replaced when needed. B2s scenerio is common, and yes the stuff does work in keeping the surface from rusting. But nobody thinks about doing the same thing to the TOP of the floorboards when they have this done. All that water that comes from wet shoes, spilled slurpies, and the occasional rolled-down window has to go somewhere, usually where gravity takes it.

Lastly, if this is a car that you plan on keeping a long time, and if you want it to be a daily driver instead of a show queen, update wherever possible. The electrical system should be the first thing to get done after the body is complete. There is no telling how many grounds that car should have, and how many can actually do the job today. Also, back then, there was an extensive use of fusible links, many of them not in a very easy spot to get to. You will also have glass fuses, which are becoming harder to come by in certain amperage ratings. Assuming everything else on the car is in decent shape, money spent on electrical overhaul is money well spent.

Surprisingly, it has been determined that these cars can run unleaded with no problems. BUT, our stores here carry lead additives for leaded gas cars. So heck, if they have it, might as well use it.

Funny you should mention leading. My Dad was just talking about it last night. He said we may need to do it on some certain parts.

Ok, so then a big no on the undercoating? On the other hand, the car is going on a rotisserie, so we decided to mediablast the underside in certain spots. My Dad'* friend that is helping us out has all kinds of body work items. I will ask him if he has seam sealer, but I am sure he does. Maybe I'll just POR-15 the inside floorboards.

And, the electrical systems don't seem to be a problem on these cars. The grounds are all basic and in view, so they can be properly cleaned and reinstalled. I only know of 3 fusible links, and they are near the engine. As for the glass fuses, I should be in the clear, my grandma'* deceased boyfriend was a manager at a Federated parts store here, and he had overstocks of stuff in the late 70'*, and we happen to have a large box of glass fuses in the basement, along with old Wix oil filters and airfilters for various cars. More than I will ever need, but heck we have them.

Other than that, my Dad and his friend have plenty of experience to get this car done right. He used to help his other friend restore Chevelles and Camaros.

I am just against all POR15. If the metal is clean and bare, epoxy primer is the answer IMO. POR15 is a huge mess too, a real headache. As for the lead, I don't see a need for it. Body fillers have come a long way since they were first introduced. When used correctly they will far outlast the paintjob. I suggest using Rage filler, its the best out there. Also, applying filler over rusted areas is really asking for trouble. It will come back to haunt you and you'll wish you hadn't. A beautiful car with a baseball sized swell on the rocker panel. If this MUST be done, at least blast the area completely clean and use a fiberglass reinforced filler, it is stronger and more resistant to moisture. Usually though everything can be fixed with some custom bent patches. Weld them in and bondo over, it will last a long time.
Grant

Just to let everyone know, the leaded fuel thing has been pretty well disproven for years. Originally, it was thought that the lack of lead would lead to valve SEAT wear, but there are a ton of older engines still running around with the old seats and doing just fine. The only motors I've heard of consistently having problems with the old valve seats were OLD Ford Y-blocks, and there aren't many of those out there anyway.

Repairs are underway!!

Both carbs are torn apart right now, gonna be cleaned and rebuilt.

Rust around windshield and back window will be properly taken care of.

Metal engine cover pieces will be removed when it warms up, and the engine is being dropped out to install new seals and gaskets, as these engines are SUPER leaky. Don't worry, new pushrod tube O-rings will do the trick, along with other various seals. A slightly hotter than stock cam will be installed along with springs.

Transmission will also be removed to clean it up and install a new modulator, filter, pan gasket and fluid.

Engine bay will be powerwashed before engine goes back in.

When it warms up I will be out there cutting around the rusty parts of the floor to prepare for new floorpans to go in, as well as new rear 1/4 panel pieces.

Pulled all 4 wheels and checked suspension and wells for rust. Both passed, brakes are also in excellent shape, just needs lines put on. DAMN big brakes (Same era Chevelle brakes) for a small car like that.

Steering Linkages are in great shape, no creaks, noises, etc.

I estimate the car will be done/presentable by the end of July, late August at the most. Note this isnt a showroom restoration either, just a "small car show presentable" restoration.

Idk those caprices liik pretty sweet fixed up as a DD.

Little optimistic arent you?

Yeah... VERY optimistic. We haven't even touched it in a week.

yeah well I knoiw it looks to be a fun project.