Chevy Corvair 95 Van _ HDR
The Corvair FC's were designed to compete with the Volkswagen Transporter/Microbus/Pickup type II vehicle of the time. Chevrolet did some market research and determined that those who bought the VW products did so because they had more interior volume than a pickup based sedan delivery, were smaller outside, were more economical and easier to handle in city traffic. VW owners complained about the type II's lack of power, lack of an automatic transmission, small load rating and the relative uselessness of the pickup body.
The Chevrolet reply to the Volkswagen is really very much like a modern minivan or mini pickup. It has 80-110 horsepower, 130-160 lb-ft of torque (depending on year and engine option), weighs 2800-3000 lb, and has similar exterior dimensions to a Plymouth Grand Voyager. Unlike the modern vehicles, though, all Corvair FC's have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4600 lb, which works out to about a 3/4 ton payload. All Corvair 95's with stock paint were delivered in two-tone: one of about six colors with a white accent stripe. A white body was also available, which came with a red accent stripe. The Greenbrier Sportswagon was available with a limited range of the Corvair car colors for that year. The same accent stripe color rule applied. Fleet purchases could be any color or combination by special order, and were indicated by special codes stamped onto the body dataplate on the front cowl. So if you look in the book to find the original paint color for your FC Corvair and discover that the number on the body data tag (which is located on the kick panel by the handbrake) isn't in the book, chances are your truck was factory painted in some commercial livery. These numbers are decodable by Chevrolet, should you desire to reproduce the original paint.
The Corvair 95 Corvan panel van (model R1205) was an industrial delivery van and was produced 1961-1964. It had a lot of volume in a relatively small package and had a loading height of only 18" above the pavement into the side doors. It could be optioned from bare-bones (no heater, no radio, single speed wipers, painted bumpers) to pretty nice (chrome bumpers and trim, dual speed wipers with washer, direct air or gasoline heater, second and third bench seats, side and rear doors with windows). Normal Corvans have six doors: two front, two on the right side, and two rear. A second pair of side barn-doors was available on the driver's side as an option. Ma Bell bought quite a few Corvans.
The Corvan was also available with a full-window option, which made it look like a Greenbrier. But the comfort options had to be individually checked off just as with the panel van. The four square side windows didn't roll down unless you bought the "roll- down windows" option. The window option Corvan was primarily intended for ambulance and taxi use.
FC engines were the same size as the Corvair car engines of that year: 145 c.i. from 1961-1963, and 164 c.i. in 1964 and 1965. In all year models they have a special oil filler/dipstick tube location: a 1" hole on the right rear of the crankcase. This allows the engine oil to be checked and adjusted on an fc without raising the rear cargo deck, which is normally screwed down and is raised only for maintainance items like changing air cleaners, synchronizing carburetors, or overly intrusive concours inspections at CORSA meets. FC's also have a special low-height version of the 1961-1963 car air cleaner system to make the drivetrain fit under the deck.
Early Corvair 95s and Greenbrier Sportswagons were only available with one engine: a heavy-duty truck rated version of the 80 hp base car engine. Compared to the car engine, the FC version had exhaust valves of tougher metal, exhaust valve rotators, reduced compression, and richer carburetor jetting. As with the cars, the 1961-62 Forward Controls came with the highly efficient "folded-fin" oil cooler. 1963 models were equipped with the 8-plate cooler.
The 1964 and 1965 standard engine was the 95 hp base sedan engine with the same modifications mentioned above, except that they use the "heavy duty" 12-plate oil cooler. Greenbriers were also available with the 110 hp engine as an option. 1965 Greenbriers (and therefore all 1965 FC's) have alternators, all other years and models have generators.
All years and models came with a 3-speed manual transmission as standard equipment, with optional 4-speed manual and Powerglide automatic transmissions. Three final-drive ratios were available: 3.27:1 (default with '61 four-speed Greenbriers--good for highway cruising), 3.55:1 (default for all other FC's) and 3.89:1 (for heavy towing or mountain climbing). Manual transmission FC's had different gear ratios than the cars of that year to better match the power curve of the engine to the larger tires and greater weight of the vehicle. Powerglides were equipped with a special external fluid cooler under the battery box.
Chevy Corvair 95 Van _ HDR
The Corvair FC's were designed to compete with the Volkswagen Transporter/Microbus/Pickup type II vehicle of the time. Chevrolet did some market research and determined that those who bought the VW products did so because they had more interior volume than a pickup based sedan delivery, were smaller outside, were more economical and easier to handle in city traffic. VW owners complained about the type II's lack of power, lack of an automatic transmission, small load rating and the relative uselessness of the pickup body.
The Chevrolet reply to the Volkswagen is really very much like a modern minivan or mini pickup. It has 80-110 horsepower, 130-160 lb-ft of torque (depending on year and engine option), weighs 2800-3000 lb, and has similar exterior dimensions to a Plymouth Grand Voyager. Unlike the modern vehicles, though, all Corvair FC's have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4600 lb, which works out to about a 3/4 ton payload. All Corvair 95's with stock paint were delivered in two-tone: one of about six colors with a white accent stripe. A white body was also available, which came with a red accent stripe. The Greenbrier Sportswagon was available with a limited range of the Corvair car colors for that year. The same accent stripe color rule applied. Fleet purchases could be any color or combination by special order, and were indicated by special codes stamped onto the body dataplate on the front cowl. So if you look in the book to find the original paint color for your FC Corvair and discover that the number on the body data tag (which is located on the kick panel by the handbrake) isn't in the book, chances are your truck was factory painted in some commercial livery. These numbers are decodable by Chevrolet, should you desire to reproduce the original paint.
The Corvair 95 Corvan panel van (model R1205) was an industrial delivery van and was produced 1961-1964. It had a lot of volume in a relatively small package and had a loading height of only 18" above the pavement into the side doors. It could be optioned from bare-bones (no heater, no radio, single speed wipers, painted bumpers) to pretty nice (chrome bumpers and trim, dual speed wipers with washer, direct air or gasoline heater, second and third bench seats, side and rear doors with windows). Normal Corvans have six doors: two front, two on the right side, and two rear. A second pair of side barn-doors was available on the driver's side as an option. Ma Bell bought quite a few Corvans.
The Corvan was also available with a full-window option, which made it look like a Greenbrier. But the comfort options had to be individually checked off just as with the panel van. The four square side windows didn't roll down unless you bought the "roll- down windows" option. The window option Corvan was primarily intended for ambulance and taxi use.
FC engines were the same size as the Corvair car engines of that year: 145 c.i. from 1961-1963, and 164 c.i. in 1964 and 1965. In all year models they have a special oil filler/dipstick tube location: a 1" hole on the right rear of the crankcase. This allows the engine oil to be checked and adjusted on an fc without raising the rear cargo deck, which is normally screwed down and is raised only for maintainance items like changing air cleaners, synchronizing carburetors, or overly intrusive concours inspections at CORSA meets. FC's also have a special low-height version of the 1961-1963 car air cleaner system to make the drivetrain fit under the deck.
Early Corvair 95s and Greenbrier Sportswagons were only available with one engine: a heavy-duty truck rated version of the 80 hp base car engine. Compared to the car engine, the FC version had exhaust valves of tougher metal, exhaust valve rotators, reduced compression, and richer carburetor jetting. As with the cars, the 1961-62 Forward Controls came with the highly efficient "folded-fin" oil cooler. 1963 models were equipped with the 8-plate cooler.
The 1964 and 1965 standard engine was the 95 hp base sedan engine with the same modifications mentioned above, except that they use the "heavy duty" 12-plate oil cooler. Greenbriers were also available with the 110 hp engine as an option. 1965 Greenbriers (and therefore all 1965 FC's) have alternators, all other years and models have generators.
All years and models came with a 3-speed manual transmission as standard equipment, with optional 4-speed manual and Powerglide automatic transmissions. Three final-drive ratios were available: 3.27:1 (default with '61 four-speed Greenbriers--good for highway cruising), 3.55:1 (default for all other FC's) and 3.89:1 (for heavy towing or mountain climbing). Manual transmission FC's had different gear ratios than the cars of that year to better match the power curve of the engine to the larger tires and greater weight of the vehicle. Powerglides were equipped with a special external fluid cooler under the battery box.