Hot Rods is a corvair hot rod possible?

Not a traditional early hotrod, but an early 60s style drag car I'm working on:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=542558

 

Wow! Richard D's post sure brought back some memories, back in 1970 I put A 62 Covair Monza body on a shortened 55 Chevy frame, powered by a 425 Buick and hydro, that was when life was simple and street freaks were fun.

 

Funny thing is some people ask Me if My Camino started out as a Corvair. Von Doc

 

dude up north from me is putting g body frames under vairs, seen two of the here in springfield at the mother road festival. nice clean set up runs in the 11s with ls engines. nice hot rods!

 

I know a guy here in Reno who set up a Mid Engine Corvair with a Big Block Caddy...Scary

 

There used to be a company called Crown Engineering that offered mid-engine sbc conversion kits for the 65-69 Corvair. I had a 66 coupe that I mounted a 350hp 327 in the rear seat area and though I didn't use the Crown kit I got a beefier engine to transaxle quill shaft from them. With a camber compensator to prevent rear wheel roll under and Pirelli tires it embarrassed several Porsche drivers. For several years at the Chickasha, OK swap meet a man had a 67(?) coupe for sale that had the whole 455 Olds Toranado engine and transaxle in the mid engine position.

 

I think a Rampside mid-engine setup would be killer!!

 

Anyone who has ever driven a Crown mid-engine V8 will tell you that the second- generation Corvair could be made into one helluva hot rod. I had one a long time ago.

 

For a few years there in the early sixties corvairs were the hot rods.All kinds of carbs and cams were available.A couple offsets and a four speed really made for a fun affordable ride.Then Ralph Nadar spoiled all the fun pointing out some prob s in an accident and that was pretty much the end of it.I ve ridden in a few corsvairs dune buggies that will scare the shit outta you. They did have some short coming s but it zs too bad the engineers didn t have a chance to refine them a little more.

 

teachers 66 with a mid 383 stroker! lets just say it could hang with a new cts-v on the track

 

the corvair motor would look cool up front! They did make 3 port intakes that would hold 6 webber carbs.. Kinda hard to delete the headlights because the buckets are a big part of the front end but with a low corvair motor you might get the clearance for the beam to go over the top! chop down a deuce grill and mold a big center headlight in the center of it..If i had the money i would attempt it!

 

Everything about that says HOTROD! Whats not hot rod about that?

It didnt quote the warpspeed comment..

 

I love the rear 3/4 view but the cowl area kills me on the front view. I think the cowl needs to be narrowed and get rid of the lights in it. I do like the idea of moving the Covair engine up front like the T though.

 

Isn't the Covair engine behind the trans-axle?
If it's put up front wouldn't that mean it rotates in the wrong direction for rear wheel drive?
The T-bucket guy and the drag race looking thing did it, but how?

 

I think you flip the ring gear or something.

 

I'm pretty sure that Crown and Kelmark made adaptors that put the input shaft on the front side (opposite end of stock) of the transaxle.
You might also check to see what Manta Mirage and Fiberfab Valkrie kit cars used, since they used mid engine V-8's with Corvair transaxles too.
Larry T

 

I've got 2 '65 Corvair convertables and a complete '50 Ford with a flathead that are available. I would like to see someone get some use out of these, plus get them out of my way.

 

"............................What kind of differential is it?

Most of the V8 conversions use the late model 1966 and up Corvair differential and four speed transmission. The differentials are usually reinforced and use a four spider gear. It is still a weak spot.



Where can I find the parts to do a conversion?

There are not many places to purchase parts. Clarks Corvair Parts has a few of the original parts but most will have to be sourced from individuals or buy a completed V8. Check out our VENDORS list and our FOR SALE page.

What is the difference between the Crown Conversion and the Kelmark Conversion?

The Crown Conversion retains the transaxle in the stock location, opens up the forward end of the transmission, and adapts the V8 bellhousing and clutch to it. This works because the stock Corvair engine rotates in the opposite direction of a Chevy V8. The Kelmark Conversion turns the transaxle around 180 degrees and uses a special bellhousing and input shaft to bolt the V8 where the stock engine would normally be connected. This makes the rotation of the differential backwards.....................

The Kelmark requires the turning of the trans-axle 180 degrees flat to the rear end and connecting it to the engine with a bell housing adapter. A stronger shaft is needed to withstand the torque of a V8. Also, since the ring gear turns backwards it requires a correction for the oiling function or a reverse cut ring and pinion gear set."

http://www.v8vairs.com/index.htm

 

A year late, but what the hell!
I've got a junk '62 Falcon out back that might be a worthwhile test subject for a build style like this. Not sure if I like the nose treatment, but the rest of the design works for me. Has a kind of Ed Roth feel to it.

 

I would love to build one of these but man, how would you do the chopped and narrowed windshield and rear glass??

 

I saw a photo of a gasser Corvair here on the HAMB in the last few days, but can't remember where, sorry. The blown motor was set way back, like an early funny car. Gary

 

Corvairs have the same wheelbase as a 80 Malibu. I saw a 66 in Georiga done this way. Lots of sheet metal work in the floor area of the Vair but it was beautiful.

 

Here's one...

 

Yep! same 108 inch wheel base in 1960 up vairs as malibu,monte,cutlass,grand prix,regal 78 to 87 etc and reg cab short bed s10 too...........I have read.

 

there used to be a kit to put a sbc where the back seat should be on corvairs--i think it involved flipping the transaxle and installing a subframe...transdapt might have made 'em. don't know if this is the direction you wanted to go, but i bet it would really handle!

 

...Yes it is possible...

This is one that would put up a good fight for sure...

Just found this one pic perhaps others know more...

Credit to Photographer, Owner

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Calling hrm2k, come in John.

 

...Then there is this one...Wonder whats up with it was going through a restoration...





https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ced-the-super-shaker-will-live-again.1085722/​

 

https://www.nhra.com/news/2011/it-s-baaack-motored-again
Funny Car historian Danny White passed along the Rich Carlson photo at right of the 'Lil Stinker' Corvair from Bellingham, Wash. Like all good Corvairs (unless you ask Ralph Nader), the engine is in the back. I asked “Flyin’ Phil” Elliott, the Great Northwest’s premier historian, for info on the car, and he passed along an early 1967 Drag News article that described the car as a ’64 Corvair with an injected 426 wedge in the back seat. The car, owned by Dave Boyd, was classed as a C/Fuel dragster (as was common with cars of that breed at the time, including Gene Snow’s famed Rambunctious Dart) and was to be driven in 1967 by Glenn Scott and with W.L. “Dub” Queen as crew chief; it was reported that Queen would be experimenting with hydrazine in the new season, hoping to improve on driver Dave Boyd’s 1966 bests of 10.00 and 141 mph by running low nines at speeds of 170. Doesn’t appear those plans came together, as there’s no further record available on the car. “I saw it run a couple times, and it never really worked the bugs out,” said Elliott. “We never saw it in the configuration described.” Also worth noting is that the article called the car Lil Stinger, but Elliott also passed on a few other shots of the car where a skunk is clearly visible on the front fender, making me believe it was Stinker.

http://www.draglist.com/draglist/search.php?q=dave+boyd&search=Search&exact=exact&VIEW=Extended

 

Lil Stinker Allright......Thats Funny...Thanks @mgtstumpy