<VV> Decoding a 63 vin number and Spyder ID

[Bretts Vette]

Outstanding detective work!!  It never ceases to amaze me how many Spyder clones I have seen pop up on EBay etc.  Most of them are clearly nothing more than badge recipients (some even placing the "Spyder" script in very wrong places such as on the rear fender ala Corsa) or even "turbo" motors which look amazingly like 110s or 95's or have incorrect components such as non YR blocks or non turbo heads etc.   I saw one once at a car lot in northeast Texas which from the road looked pretty correct.  On closer inspection someone had (Im not making this up) installed an electric fan on the outside of a 1965 two carb model air cleaner complete with "Spyder Turbo Charged" decals and swore it was a "very rare" model with authentic factory installed equipment.  The guages didn't work - imagine that....and it was a POWERGLIDE car which someone had installed a poorly fitting console with floor shifter between the seats.  The guy was even so brazen as to say it had belonged to his uncle who had bought this "Spyder" brand new.  Beyond belief!  I smiled and nodded politely and left this "authentic Spyder" where she sat.







 

> Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:50:19 -0500
> To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
> From: tony.underwood at cox.net
> Subject: Re: <VV> Decoding a 63 vin number and Spyder ID
> 
> At 12:21 AM 11/13/2009, Frank DuVal wrote:
> >And the easiest way to tell a real 62/63 Spyder is how good the exhaust
> >opening is. It should look like it was stamped out at the factory, not
> >cut out with snips, etc. There should be a good folded lip.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Another place to look is for the reinforcement bracket that attaches 
> to the rear cove panel section, between the air grill and the 
> tailpipe notch to keep things from flapping. People who clone 
> Spyders almost never install the bracket since most people don't know 
> it's supposed to be there. Also look for the altered/crooked 
> regulator mounting, to clear the air cleaner. While you're there, 
> look for the ballast resistor mounted on the rear unibody box member 
> close to the distributor which wasn't used in anything except the 
> turbo cars.
> 
> If you wanna get serious, the Fisher body tag contains a code 
> letter/number to identify the Spyder option package on '62 and '63 
> models which of course were all 900's, while the '64 Spyder had its 
> own model number designation (600) which is also why in '64 the Monza 
> cross on the front fender doglegs no longer had '900' on it even 
> though all the non-turbo Monzas were still 900s. Getting even more 
> picky would be to count the original dash lamps. Spyders had 
> extras... dash cluster wire harness was also different as well, to 
> accommodate the extra wires for the tach and head temp gauge 
> etc. Interestingly enough, the body harnesses (at least the '63's) 
> I've seen have the extra wires in them for the tach and other gauges 
> even when in a non-turbo ap. You could also look for patchwork on 
> the decklid where the turbo badge is parked. The regular 
> crossed-flags badge (in the hi-perf engine'd models) had evenly 
> spaced in-line mounting holes while the round "turbocharged" badge 
> had diagonally positioned mounting holes.
> 
> 
> There are a couple other things to look for but I disremember...
> 
> 
> 
> tony.. (2 or 3 Spyders along the way, still have one)
> 
> 
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