HomePick of the DayPick of the Day: 1963 Chevy Corvair pickup, a Rampside ready to...

Pick of the Day: 1963 Chevy Corvair pickup, a Rampside ready to load

Only about 2,000 were sold during this model year, making it a rare breed

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Hot on the heels of Volkswagen, Chevrolet rolled out a number of variations of its rear-engine, air-cooled Corvair, including a forward-control pickup that competed with VW’s single-cab Type 2.

The Pick of the Day is a 1963 Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside that appears to be in immaculate driver condition and being advertised on ClassicCars.com by a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, dealer.

“Dare to be different,” the dealer exclaims in the ad, referring to the rarity and offbeat configuration of the Corvair truck.

Dubbed the Corvair 95 for its 95-inch wheelbase, which was shortened from the 108 inches of the passenger car models, the Rampside offered a different kind of workhorse for US drivers. While the truck-bed floor was bi-level because of the engine placement, the wide curbside ramp was convenient for loading and unloading.

Corvair pickups were not great sellers, competing with traditional trucks with more capability, and just over 2,000 were sold during the 1963 model year.  So Corvair 95s are not only rare in themselves, but rarely seen in such nice shape as this one.

The seller notes that the Corvair is new to the dealership and not all the paperwork for its refurbishment has been received.

corvair

“This example is a fully restored unit with documentation coming,” according to the ad. “The engine has been rebuilt and pumped up to be about 30 horses more than stock, the transmission and clutch have been gone through and are smooth, all the suspension, tires, wheels, brakes, lights and gauges were done.”

The engine tweak would put this truck at around 110 horsepower since they were rated at 80 when stock. 

The Corvair has been treated to a quality repaint, the seller adds.

corvair

“The paint and body are fabulous with only one minor chip from the seatbelt being caught in the door,” the seller notes. “It comes with photos of the (restoration) process; it wasn’t pretty to start with but it is gorgeous now. The bed is finished with Rhino Coating that matches the paint perfectly.”

The Corvair’s only mechanical issue, the seller says, is that the hot-air heater is stuck in the on position because of a cable problem.  It has been disconnected since the owner only drove it in the summer, the seller adds.

The asking price is $32,950, which is in line with the NADA value guide, although the dealer is offering a $2,000 discount if the Corvair is taken “as is” before it is checked out and any repairs are made by the dealer’s shop.

To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

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