got a new neighbor who has a T bucket that was built in the '60's with a CORVAIR upfront......said it was a magazine car back then. Wants to wring it up to 550-600hp; can these VW's on steroids go that far? Anyone remember this car? It's stuck in a trensport up in the snowy Norh;dying to see it.
it might be this one...........I think it won best engineered one year and no the Corvair can't hold more than about 250 HP and still be useable for the street
There are a couple of pictures amongst these. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...ket+with+corvair+engine&FORM=IGRE&adlt=strict Oooops I type too slowly.
If this one? It was featured in Street Rodder in the early 70s, I can't remember if I have that issue.
I remember that car,as far as HP does your friend want to build a bomb,trying to get that kind of power he is going to be building one! HRP
I built that car in about 71' or 72' in Chicago then moved to Ca. Lots of fun got lots of recognition. Then sold it, new owner and Dan Woods added the brass, wires, and wing googas's. 4 or 500 h.p. will kill it. Its air cooled you know. You won't be able to cool it. Show it and drive it. Don't change whats working.
The first version of it is neat, has that cool 70's crazy proportion Willy Wonka/Dr Seuss look to it, I like it. The headlights on the later version are neat too, although the wing was unnecessary. I really want to know if this is the same car in question. As for wanting 600 hp out of it, I hope it's just a new neighbor blowing smoke and not somebody who might ruin a neatly engineered and somewhat historical old rod.
most people that talk big hp have no idea it seems. as already said it ain't gonna happen and be anything that'll last. now with that said thinking that you need to squeeze that out of a corvair is silly. since a close comparison is the vw i can tell you the 2021 stroker in my 67 squareback thats probably around 150hp at best is a handful in itself. i only put maybe 800 miles on it before wrecking the car but in that month or two it became well known for painting the roads with alot of different cars blood hahaha. a buddy has a ghia with a 2332 turbo stroker and it makes my square seem slow. and i think it only dyno'd in the mid 200hp range. never ridden in a vair with more than a mildly worked turbo engine but even that was a handful....ken....
I'd like to know how it ran on the street as far as cooling went. Did you get enough cooling in traffic or stopped at lights?
Cool car that shoudn't be hacked up trying to make a race car out of it. There was also another one out of El Paso that got a lot of miles put on around 1973 including a 650 one way trip from El Paso to Waco and another road trip to Tulsa. I'm not sure if he drove it the whole way on the trip to Tulsa though.
HRM2K Yes on the oil filter, I mounted the alternator in front of the crank harmonic balancer, then a motorcycle oil filter in front of that mainly for design flow. New owner added an electric fan on top which it needed. SQUABLOW, Yes it is the same car, thanks for the interest. Always liked the photo with guys keeling to look at it, those were 12" diameter front wheels made from four wheels to get them wide enough for those tires. Guess it was just a big go kart. Last pic was my first roadster, 426 Ramcharger, pushbutton torqueflite.
TMAN, I like your website and your description of compulsion. Tho others can describe the love of cars and design better than me.
Don, this has to be one of my favorite cars from the 70's. I think you have vision far beyond most...............thanks for the extra information
I owned the car for a few years in the mid - 80's. Very well engineered and fun to drive. I changed the color from black to pearl yellow and had the interior redone. I showed it on the ISCA circuit and then leased the car to Phillip Morris Tobacco for one year, and it was toured in Germany. After receiving it back from Germany, I had to do some cosmetic repair (which the leasing company paid for) and ended up trading it to a guy in Michigan for a restored Model A roadster pickup. I then sold the pickup (I just felt the pickup would be easier to pedal than the T-Bucket). It was a fun car to drive, however, with the shrouding removed from the engine, it liked to run hot. I fabricated a top plenum and put an electric fan on, which helped some. It was very fast and handled like a go - kart. In 1986 at the Street Rod Nationals North (the last one in Detroit), I drove it on the expressway in traffic along with a brave buddy. Really kind of weird looking at the semi trailer spare tires at eye level. All in all, one of the more fun cars that I've owned. Don Kendal is an excellent builder / fabricator. I fully agree with Don, in that, more horsepower is not needed. Stu
Thanks! I actually have a pro re-doing the site so I can start selling more goodies. I like that picture you posted!
Really like that car in its original red slot mag guise ,would love to see it restored as such Still fresh & distinctive today
1. Any photo's of the car as it is now?? The yellow version was painted 20 years ago? 2. What state was the car purchased from? 3. What state will the car be located?
A new 2014 Corvette weighs 3500 pounds and develops 455HP. If that hot rod weighs 1950 pounds and develops 250Hp it has the same power to weight ratio as a new Corvette. And, it probably only weighs 1500 lbs. So it is better than a Corvette. If your friend still thinks he needs 600 HP (because the other guys all have 600HP engines) tell him to do the same thing they do. Lie about it.
haha. no matter what it weighs, it's way better than any corvette. i love me some aircooled contraptions. and a front engine, aircooled t bucket is just plain badass. brilliant engineering DKENDALL. glad to see it still around.
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