Fans of the 90s sitcom ‘Home Improvement’ will remember Tim Taylor’s first car.
It was a 1966 Corvair Monza convertible and the episode ended badly when his beloved car was fed through a car crusher.
This 1967 Chevy Corvair story is a carbon copy of the Tim the Toolman Taylor TV story—except for the watching-it-get-crushed part .
Jerry Sutherland
Peter Brunschwiler’s first car in Canada was a 1967 Corvair Corsa convertible. He’d just immigrated to Canada in 1972 and the Corvair called out his name. He liked the rear engine and independent rear suspension of the Corvairs because that was familiar technology to a guy from Europe.
That car is long gone, but Peter always missed his first car, so he found another ’67 Corvair Corsa convertible 11 years ago. He said this one “was torn apart”, but that didn’t stop Peter from taking on a big project.
He’s an autobody tech, so this Corvair didn’t intimidate him. Peter said the Corvair, “had a bit of rust and it had been crashed”, but the project was definitely within his skill set.
Peter put the Corvair on a rotisserie and did what had to be done over a four-year period. He wasn’t in a rush, and he wasn’t on a deadline because retired autobody guys don’t work on deadlines—they did enough of that on the job.
The Corvair has a large book of aftermarket parts. Peter was amazed and relieved at what he could find for the ’67 Corsa. For example, the interior was easily sourced as was every mechanical part and most body panels.
That endless source of pieces kept Peter motivated to keep pushing on the Corvair project. It was one of those multi-year, ‘work on it when you feel like it’ plans–and Peter stuck to it.
The engine is not numbers-matching, but Peter said it’s the high-end, 4-carb version that pumps out 140 horsepower. He said it’s not neck-snapping speed, but the little Corvair can step out when needed. The engine was rebuilt to factory specs.
Peter had the interior redone and replaced the top and tonneau cover. The tonneau cover is still fairly stiff, so he’s working on the buttons because not all of them will snap in at this point.
The instruments are all new and so is all the rubber, so Peter’s Corvair has the look and feel of a brand-new car. The AM radio still works, but Peter admitted, “It’s pretty crackly”.
Peter said his Corvair, “Will do the speed limit on a highway “, but he doesn’t push it hard. That’s why he reported the gas mileage as “pretty good”, although fuel efficiency wasn’t the end game of this project.
The plan was simple in concept—get Peter behind the wheel of another ’67 Corvair Corsa convertible. The car hobby is 100% based on nostalgia, so car guys spend countless hours and dollars on cars like this 1967 Corvair Corsa convertible.
They do it for the memories, not the investment. Just ask Tim ‘the Toolman” Taylor.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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