The Chevy Corvair bowed for the 1960 model year as the first in a series of air-cooled compact passenger cars. The following year, the Corvair Greenbrier debuted. With a 95-inch wheelbase, the Greenbrier was a utilitarian people hauler with a forward control, cab-over design, and powered by a horizontally-opposed, air-cooled, 145 cubic-inch six cylinder mounted under a raised floor in the rear of the van. Output was rated at eighty horsepower. A three-speed manual transmission was standard equipment, but a two-speed Corvair Powerglide automatic was available.
Our feature 1963 Chevy Corvair Greenbrier has been frame-off restored, and built into a mild restomod. The original air-cooled mill is gone, having been replaced with a modern 3.8-liter, 200-horsepower fuel injected V6 sourced from a Chevrolet Monte Carlo. An automatic transmission backs the 3800. Stripped to bare metal, the Greenbrier was refinished in a vibrant House of Kolor three-stage California Orange body color and three-stage House of Kolor White Pearl on the roof and bumpers. Chrome sport mirrors are mounted on both front doors. Steel wheels have been replaced by chrome eighteen-inch custom hoops shod in low-profile radial rubber, and four-wheel disc brakes tend to arresting duties.
Inside the Chevy Corvair Greenbrier is an attractive two-tone ostrich interior. AutoMeter gauges have been fitted in place of the stockers, and an aftermarket Alpine head unit handles the tunes. A Grant Mahogany three-spoke steering wheel is mounted atop the column. A center console houses the shifter, cupholders, and power point. The floors are nicely trimmed in deep tan pile with cloth edging. Climate control appears to be handled by Vintage Air. The rear section of the Corvair Greenbrier has been reconfigured as a wrap-around couch covered in the same tan ostrich hide, with a raised bed/cargo area. The rear features its own entertainment system with remote.
Tucked away under the Corvair Greenbrier’s bed/cargo cover is the Chevy 3.8-liter V6. The sole image of the engine bay shows a bit of dust on the 3800, but it otherwise appears complete.
This modified Corvair Greenbrier will cross the auction block at the Mecum Auctions Glendale, Arizona event taking place March 16th through the 19th.
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Comments
seems a VW bulli or Ford Transit … but seems ok … not for me … but very ok, beautiful colours or should write also in other languages as suggested ? some seems dumms do not understand a simple english but ok
analysed the design according with binoculars — and microscope …. it is all allright, 100 % approved….
much, but much, much better than any car from factory since 2010 or mean today
Always liked these. When I was a kid we had a pick-up version. Rode in the back all the time.
Was it the Ramp-Side version?
No. That woulda been great. It had a standard rear gate.
A “Loadside” ?
Awesome retromod. Would make a great everyday driver. Love the Corvair style. Old school–but Cool.
Nice build. Not loving the ghetto rims!
I love this too, all of it, but I wish they had shown a pic of the engine with more of the engine bay to see how that rear engine was tucked in there.
The original pancake motor was low and flat like a VW, so that v6 must be sitting up above the original floor.
The cool part about the transmission in those rear engines were that they bolt up quite well to any other engine.
“Orange crush bus “liked the greenbrier sports wagon over the vw Ford dodge window vans all the middle window s roll down nice modern power
I got to drive one of these when I was a kid. By the time I drove it the Tin Worm had done a pretty job of making it ready to be recycled. Personally if the original motor wasn’t available and it had to be bastardized I would have gone the EV route. There are some really slick EV motors and batteries out on the market now and the builder could have avoided the coolant plumbing problems to the rear motor.
At the time the Chevy Corvair was ahead of its time with four wheel independent suspension, air cooled flat six cylinder engine with dual carburetors , VW vans were 4 cylinders and a utilitarian concept. Ralph Nader killed them.
What REALLY killed them was for and Dodge could make their vans much less expensively. Supposedly GM lost $50 (on average) on every Corvair they sold. Since they built almost 2 Million of them over 10 model years that’s $10 BILLION 1960’s dollars.
Also, you could get a Mustang with a V8 for the same money. Never mind that the turbo had almost as much horsepower and handled WAY better.
2×50=100. If they lost $50 on 2 million, it would be $100 million, not $10 billion.
Beautifully done! And a bullet proof Buick 3800 Series II engine.
Does anybody know how many of these were built? You almost don’t see any, even in classics magazines or like in this article. So many cars/trucks/vans from this era were pretty much forgotten and junked by the 1980’s. I remember going to a pick-your-part in the early 1980’s and seeing so many cars from the sixty’s and seventies that were considered gas hogs and literally junked before their time. They just weren’t classics yet. Great article.
I own this van and I was told that only 11,993 Greenbrier was built.
I think it was about that many in that year. There were about 50k total built.
Between trucks and vans (forward control or FC) GM built around 50,000.
I don’t even remember a Corvair Greenbrier but I do remember a VW bus of the 70’S looking quite similar.
Greenbrier was built 1961-1965 the 1964 and 1965 have 164ci engine 2.7 L 95 hp 110 hp not sure of how many built
What REALLY killed them was for and Dodge could make their vans much less expensively. Supposedly GM lost $50 (on average) on every Corvair they sold. Since they built almost 2 Million of them over 10 model years that’s $10 BILLION 1960’s dollars.
Also, you could get a Mustang with a V8 for the same money. Never mind that the turbo had almost as much horsepower and handled WAY better.