View this post on Instagram. I checked out V8-powered Corvairs and admired their incredible performance, but was not happy with the necessary trade-offs (loss of interior room with most of the conversions, problems with transaxle strength, etc.). The Pick of the Day seems like it just drove out of a Ralph Nader nightmare, a 1968 Chevrolet Corvair with a 400-horsepower V8 perched behind its back axle.. by Manny's corvair » Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:58 pm, Post A friend of my Dads owned the local radiator repair shop and was more than wiling to do the alterations at almost no cost as he too thought the car was pretty neat. There was only one official bid at $8k and the $14k Buy-It-Now was not officially selected. Post by Manny's corvair » Mon Oct 16, 2017 2:04 am, Post by Manny's corvair » Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:56 pm, Post I had already moved on to another project but I had proven that you could squeeze a V8 motor into a stock Corvair body. Instead of building the Corvair into a pristine restoration on a lifted chassis, the team instead decided to put the shell on a custom chassis. Concealing fourteen inch wheels where thirteens were before required even more modification to the cars sheet metal including new wheel wells and interior wheel covers. And best year to build a V8 Corvair was 1966 and later. The lengths of upper and lower links will determine what kind of camber curve the suspension will have during travel. Pete is a 30+ year building inspector with experience in both public and private construction industries. by thewolfe » Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:26 am, Post And,… they transplanted a Chevy V8 powerplant in the front, instead of the rear. I had a Chevy V8 short block that I could use for test fitting the engine into the trunk. Corvair motors are now being used in aiplanes and air boats with great success and reliability. It used a stock GM bellhousing and a plate that mounted the bellhousing to the Corvair trans. After a few races the laughter stopped. Author There seems to be little separation between the … The Corvair has a cult following, and we suspect they would love to see this car come to life. The input shaft sure looke alot like the standard Saginaw shaft to me but I havent seen them side by side. Many people have done as you plan using a telescoping half shaft but you of course need to fab the supports for the suspension and set the length of the half shaft so it does not over-compress or over-extend anywhere within the normal range of motion in the suspension. This 1965 Chevrolet Corvair is a Corsa model with a mid-mounted 327ci Chevrolet V8, which was reportedly installed in 1970 using a Crown kit. Have a look at the cutaway view below and see the extent to which this car was redesigned and rebuilt. Sometimes a challenge is just that and no more. From schools to treatment plants, from private homes and condo projects, to large residential landscaping projects, he has worked both in the building design areas and field construction in the Eastern US. Thank you Ray. I owned at the time, a small shop repair shop where I would tinker with cars and motorcycles and make a few dollars as well. From a slow roll or moving at 40 MPH, punching the gas pedal would squeal the tires and create tire smoke instantly. Sometimes a challenge is just that and no more. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission, and the cooling system is installed in the front trunk area. In 2006 he formed along with two other building inspectors, Wagsys LLC which produced software for municipal agencies in the fields of building departments, planning boards and Zoning Boards of Appeals. Lots of brain power needed to redesign the stock setup where the half shaft is at a fixed length and part of the suspension function and strength. I had to mock up the motor with some heads and intake manifold to assure the trunk lid (hood) would close after the engine was in place. That's when it gets fun. Beautiful work, I look forward to seeing the finished product. So far with the doors and hood closed the car looked stock. Best thing to do is set things up at static ride height without the springs installed and start experimenting. The Corvair had no independent frame and was one of the first uni-body cars on the market. I did this on my 1965 Yenko clone. by Manny's corvair » Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:04 pm, Post by Manny's corvair » Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:07 pm, Post I purchased license plates for the car and drove it for a couple of weeks to work out the kinks and have time to complete some type of interior. So I was thinking about the Jeep Wrangler mid shaft which is extendable, but I don't know if this will work. I had several of them and loved to tinker with the Monza model which was Chevy's souped up version of this rear engined car. Awesome that you are using that Porsche transaxle. Peter Ackerson  |   These were above the original 100 production run. It has a Chevy 350 in the back seat and is a fun car to drive, the 350 is stock and has a lot of potential to be more. Since there was no frame under the car I had to fabricate a partial sub-frame that was able to accept bolt-on motor mounts. The drive shaft had to be custom made as it was less than three feet long and needed a mid-point universal to offset the different heights of the transmission and the rear end. Once I managed to get the engine into the trunk and was satisfied with it's location, motor mounts became the next item to complete. Article Source: I started this project two months ago and here is where I'm at. A place to preserve the past, present and future of the Corvair. There are many ways to hop-up a Corvair, and clearly Archibald didn't take the easy route. I clearly remember the first time I actually drove the car to my buddies house to show him the V8 motor in the car and take him for a ride. See more ideas about chevrolet corvair, chevy corvair, chevy. It used a special input and main shaft. Tom soon became the new owner and began building a second mid-engined Corvair. I saw his ideas and had to add a few twists of my own to create my 6-71 blown 327 version. Jul 6, 2017 - Explore Frank Weaver's board "Corvair "V8" Conversions" on Pinterest. Corvair Powered vehicles, ↳   Car Shows and Events (Open to all cars), ↳   Heart of America Corvair Owner's Associtation, ↳   New Jersey Association of Corvairs Enthusiasts, ↳   Corvair Society of America discussion, ↳   Corvair of the Month Calendar Page (Sponsored by Clark's Corvair Parts), ↳   Corvair of the Year Calendar Page (Sponsored by Clark's Corvair Parts), ↳   Corvair Enthusiast's/Owner's Websites, My first attempt to build a 1965 corvair V8, Re: My first attempt to build a 1965 corvair Chevy V8. How Important Are Mobile Ambulances to the Primary Health Care? At least until you started it up. Rich Wait is converting a 1961 Corvair Rampside pickup into a unique hot rod at his company Hot Rod Factory in East Bethel, Minnesota. Putting the motor in the car could always be done but I thought how about doing it so you could not tell from the outside that the car was altered? 1.5k votes, 155 comments. I ordered some parts to start the rear suspension. I looked into lambo Gallardo 6 speed transaxle to Mendiola and Corvette. We will never sell or rent your email address. I retained all the Chevy factory lights, turn signals and so on and really just needed to wire the engine components and battery. With the three major components of the drive train now mounted in the car, I was able to start on all the smaller items that a car needs to run. It's currently just a fictional rendering, but it looks amazing. I had a Chevy V8 short block that I could use for test fitting the engine into the trunk. This gave the Corvair better weight distribution and performance. An ever evolving knowledge base made up of Corvair Enthusiasts from all over the world. Peter Ackerson. On a back road, holding one foot on the brake pedal and punching the gas with the other, I was able to smoke the tires with no effort at all. The Corvair has been converted from a rear engine configuration to a front engine layout and a 283c.i. Wiring the car in those days was a simple task as there were none of the bells and whistles in cars today. Jan 22, 2021 - Explore Edward Scheutzow's board "Corvairs" on Pinterest. What are your plans for the uppers? I cant wait to see … by azdave » Wed Oct 11, 2017 1:28 pm, Post MID ENGINE V8 IN CORVAIRS! I owned at the time, a small shop repair shop where I would tinker with cars and motorcycles and make a few dollars as well. A major amount of sheet metal had to be removed to squeeze the engine down into the truck compartment. I also picked up a few items I found at a swap meet, ↳   DIY - Explanations and Demonstrations, ↳   Vintage- Brochures, Magazine Articles, Videos, Factory How to, Comparison, etc, ↳   Brochures - Owners Manuals - Paperwork Section, ↳   Articles - Performance, Comparison, Specialty, ↳   Articles covering the 1960 - 1964 Models, ↳   Articles covering the 1965 -1969 models, ↳   Vintage Facts - Forecasts - Rumors - Letters to the Editor - Misc, ↳   Yenko Stingers, Fitch Sprints, V8's, V6's, Alternative Powered Corvairs, UltraVans, Dune Buggies, Misc. You need upper links as well. Ted Trevor of Crown Manufacturing had a great idea back then. The trunk of a Corvair was in the front of the car. This was a direct bolt-on to the V8 so in it went. by Manny's corvair » Tue Oct 10, 2017 8:55 pm, Post I built one of these in 1975 and found this one in Oregon in 2013. Re: My first attempt to build a 1965 corvair Chevy V8 Post by azdave » Fri Oct 13, 2017 10:36 pm Many people have done as you plan using a telescoping half shaft but you of course need to fab the supports for the suspension and set the length of the half shaft so it does not over-compress or over-extend anywhere within the normal range of motion in the suspension. I placed the battery in the rear of the car as even then I realized the car was going to be light in the rear. by Manny's corvair » Wed Oct 11, 2017 2:28 pm, Post These could be installed on the 1965s along with the larger bolts that attached the drive shafts to the drive axles. So, one member of the team seized upon a Chevrolet Corvair wagon that had been sitting to become the basis for a recovery vehicle build. Extremely lightweight, the six cylinder motor with the factory blower made the car zip right along. 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