I've always wanted a AWB Corvair . I have a few questions about doing this. Would it be better to build a frame from scratch rather than hack up a S10 frame? Is there any out there? Like to see some pictures of one for reference. I'm thinking about putting the rear right under the quarter windows in the back and the front end up by the bumper just about. I know it's not gonna be easy and just fall together.
Slow down a bit and take a deep breath, aah. An S-10 chassis it the kiss of death under anything but an S-10. 2nd if you are going to put the rear wheels under the 1/4 windows you don't have a Gasser but an Altered or FXer. If you can weld a rectangular tube chassis is the way to go. There is so much more about your post but I'm sure others will jump in with their opinion. Pat
Before you do anything, decide if you want an early model or a late model. Both are 108 inch wheelbase. Any of the mid eighty's GM models still on a frame are a good transplant frame. I have seen some altered Wheelbase Corvairs but not on the street. There are about 600 V8 Corvairs on the registry. You might take a look at the The V8 registry at https://www.v8registry.com/. Just doing a V8 is a big task. Mine is a late model and on the road but it took much more time than I thought. I chose the TH425 approach instead of the Crown conversion using the Corvair trans and suspension. It cost nothing to join the forum on V8 Vairs. You could get most of the information you are seeking
Is that what you had in mind? It's not a Gasser, by the old NHRA or AHRA rulebook. But with the ignorance of drag racing history in the modern world, almost everyone who saw it today, would call it a Gasser. I built a car kind of like this, but the Mopar version, a couple years ago. find my thread "almost funny" and see if you're up to that much work. It might be more than you want to tackle, if you have so little knowledge yet of how to actually do it.
Check out the Background of this photo. Now contact Marty Strode being his work is Legendary and Top Quality. Not to mention he's been around Drag Racing all his life. Yours would be a good conversation to have right here on the main page. Yes, he's a member here under his name. In fact this photo was copied off his post here.
Do you already have a stock Corvair to start with? If not, maybe be patient and extend your search area to see if you can find a Corvair project car that's already had the V-8 work done. A ton of V-8 conversions have been done over the years and maybe a decently done roller (that's not a butcher job) can be had as a rolling start. Corvairs seem to be priced really cheap, so choosing a Corvair gives you that break.
SteamDoc - I'd start from scratch if I were to do that build. That way, you arent deciding what to keep and what to hack off, then adding to. You will be building exactly what you want, and putting things where you want them. A purpose built frame/chassis will most likely end up lighter and cleaner also. Mike
HPIM0363 by papajohn posted Oct 13, 2010 at 10:40 PM Here is one I used to own. Not AWB and not really a gasser. More of gasser inspired Street Freak. The guy who built it basically used a t-bucket chassis.
Having owned a whole bunch of Corvairs... I would go the "Almost Funny" route that squirrel noted above if I were attacking a Corvair AWB car. The body is really just a shell that you are wrapping a drag chassis in. Corvairs will be more difficult initially than a typical front engined car, as the front fenders and "Grille" are part of the unit construction of the body, so you'll have to deal with that as well as the typical "gutting a car" stuff you'll get into. Corvairs also have no tunnel, but you're probably making a floor from scratch anyway. The gas tank is also at the wrong end. All easy enough to sort if you love cutting up cars and rebuilding stuff from scratch. I have carried thoughts of doing one of these with a 'Vair for quite some time, but other shiny pennies keep turning up.
Thanks for the information and tips. I do like the almost funny look. It's something I've always wanted to do to one of these cars. I wonder if a one piece fiberglass front was ever made for the car with the altered wheel wells and fenders?
The pic I posted has a "fiberglass trends" logo on the rear, my guess is they got that logo on there by making a one-off front end for the car. Or maybe even more of the car is 'glass. I need to make longer fiberglass fenders for my Barracuda, still. Not something you can buy, or ever could buy, that I'm aware of. But that's how the whole project is, you can't buy most of the stuff, you have to make it. It's a hell of a lot of work, as well as a huge learning experience. Have fun!
that's real hot rodding when you have to make it yourself. I would look at some old super stock magazines from the day. they covered some corvair builds.
There were full "Funny Car" bodies built, lots of'em. I think that there were also front ends built. I say this because there were cas that ran glass front ends that ran at Irwindale back in the day, before many of the Funny Car bodies were built. I supposed that they could have been home made...but... Google is your friend - https://www.google.com/search?q=cor...nAhWpHDQIHUQdA9wQ7Al6BAgJEBs&biw=1611&bih=937 Mike
The only ting that would make an AWB car a gasser is that it runs on gas instead of alcohol. Here is the deal a "gasser" cannot run more then 10% engine setback. Setback is no figured by moving the engine from its original place it has to do with the ratio of wheel base to the distance from the front axle centerline to the first spark plug. So lets assume that your measurement to the first plug is 10" and your wheelbase is 100" you just hit your 10% setback. Now building a front engine 'vair is going to be another beast altogether. That is going to put you in an oddball class. Dragster class or an Xperimental class. I doubt that it would land in FX as FX cars were basically stock cars that were altered. I am going to think that the average tech guy is not going to accept a front engine 'vair as factory experimental. Perhaps an altered class car or if you run it on methanol a fuel coupe?
Not quite....Gas class is part of Section IV, and it says right there (in 1966 NHRA rulebook) that you can't alter or relocate suspension. But the rules did change over the years.
I was referring to the fuel used. As in gas and not alcohol. The old HAMB argument that everyone used when I pulled the rule book out. LOL
Here is another one for you. It is the same car squirrel posted yesterday, one year later. Malcolm Durham sold the car to Gene Altizer. Somewhere along the way the front got stretched a little further. It had a steel body and opening doors.
108” G body chassis are a pretty close match for the Corvair. I don’t know the track width of the Corvair but I’ll assume it is close to the early Nova’s which have 57.75” rear axle. The G body is 58”. The G body and S10 use mostly the same front suspension parts 605 box, control arms, spindles, and brakes. The only real exceptions would be the center link and sway bar.. I have goofed around with some G body chassis for a possible use on a Nova and it could certainty work under that application so the Corvair is not out of the realm of possibilities. I know there some magazine articles covering this G-Vair mutation which has been done.. The front crossmember is pretty chunky but it does allow for moving the engine back. I had to push mine back about 3” to nest right where it needed to be at the fire wall.
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