Note that not all the modifications illustrated in the drawing made it on the 383 roadster. View this post on Instagram. A V8 in a Corvair was pretty cool in the 60s but there are so many better options that don’t involve a water pump waiting to eat your elbow on a 2nd gear shift. But as it’s built to go in a straight line it’s probably not an issue. by Manny's corvair » Tue Oct 10, 2017 8:55 pm, Post It was fun to have other guys laugh at the car and ask to race for papers. Best thing to do is set things up at static ride height without the springs installed and start experimenting. I was looking for a transaxle that would keep the engine as far back as possible. The trunk of a Corvair was in the front of the car. The conversion took about four months to do as I remember. The Corvair has been converted from a rear engine configuration to a front engine layout and a 283c.i. Later models became more streamlined but suffered the same engineering problems of the early years and quickly the car faded into obscurity. The lengths of upper and lower links will determine what kind of camber curve the suspension will have during travel. 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. Source: Hot Rod Factory (build … Corvair motors are now being used in aiplanes and air boats with great success and reliability. The Pick of the Day is a very unusual 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Monza hardtop, essentially a street-rod version of Chevy’s lightweight compact, and must be an incredible hoot to drive. Peter Ackerson. 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. These could be installed on the 1965s along with the larger bolts that attached the drive shafts to the drive axles. But the Porsche was the cheapest route for me and it would keep the engine pretty far back. See more ideas about chevrolet corvair, chevy corvair, chevrolet. I don't know how to measure the new CV joint (drive line). 5/3/2011 Update: That was quick. They're going to be using this thing as a tow rig. Peter Ackerson  |   This setup rotates the gears in the proper rotation for gear loading. At least until you started it up. There seems to be little separation between the … 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. Extremely lightweight, the six cylinder motor with the factory blower made the car zip right along. The sight of the V8 through the back window within the surrounds of the Corvair's classic lines is bizarre but undeniably cool. Welcome to the Corvair V8 web site, maintained by the International Corvair V8 Registry, which is Chapter 006 of the Corvair Society of America (CORSA). 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. Rich Wait is converting a 1961 Corvair Rampside pickup into a unique hot rod at his company Hot Rod Factory in East Bethel, Minnesota. 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 first item on the agenda was to remove all the factory drive train components. After the guys left the thought of doing this V8 conversion nagged at me and I found myself checking out the car to see if it was really possible. There was no way I was going to be able to make that V8 motor sound like the wimpy six cylinder factory motor. Thanks Dave and Nate for the info. View more photos of the project in the build album. Just whatever a car needed to run and work the lights and so on. by thewolfe » Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:26 am, Post What are your plans for the uppers? 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? I used other people's examples to start. Purpose Built: 1966 Chevy Corvair Race Car. Pete is a 30+ year building inspector with experience in both public and private construction industries. Clark's Corvair Parts, Inc. catalog lists parts and kits for many different performance applications other than just the stock engine configuration. “The Corvair is a uni-body constructed car, and with the existing front end was set up to carry home the groceries, not a small block V8 engine I knew I needed to put a frame under it. I had a Chevy V8 short block that I could use for test fitting the engine into the trunk. So I was thinking about the Jeep Wrangler mid shaft which is extendable, but I don't know if this will work. See more ideas about chevrolet corvair, chevy corvair, chevy. I kinda stumbled across this channel bored at work. by Manny's corvair » Sat Oct 14, 2017 12:58 am, Post The first time I put the car in gear and drove it around the property was a real kick. I looked into lambo Gallardo 6 speed transaxle to Mendiola and Corvette. A big drill press, a good vise and tons of nuts and bolt assortments put most of what I needed at hand. Is this Chevy Corvair with a C8 engine a cool idea or something you’d rather not see built ever? |   There are many ways to hop-up a Corvair, and clearly Archibald didn't take the easy route. Jan 22, 2021 - Explore Edward Scheutzow's board "Corvairs" on Pinterest. Crown's method mounted the V8 on the front end of the Corvair trans. 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. I had to install a fly-by-wire accelerator out of the donor vehicle as well. by Manny's corvair » Mon Oct 16, 2017 2:04 am, Post Post The input shaft sure looke alot like the standard Saginaw shaft to me but I havent seen them side by side. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission, and the cooling system is installed in the front trunk area. I had a Chevy V8 short block that I could use for test fitting the engine into the trunk. These were above the original 100 production run. No easy task I can say. MID ENGINE V8 IN CORVAIRS! It used a special input and main shaft. This Rowdy LS V8-Swapped Lifted Corvair Wagon Is Bound for Off-Road Rescue Duty The engine's in the wrong place now, but the heart is in the right one. I started this project two months ago and here is where I'm at. Not practical maybe but fun nonetheless. A 1965 Chevrolet Corvair with the engine and transaxle of a Corvette C8, a custom pushrod suspension, and a custom carbon-fiber intake. Author "I went to Mike's house once he was further along with his project and decided that I also wanted to build a Corvair as long as I could fit a 455 Buick in it," Larry recollects. From a slow roll or moving at 40 MPH, punching the gas pedal would squeal the tires and create tire smoke instantly. A modern transverse V6 with a 6 speed or a wrecked Boxster donor would allow seats with real legroom and power to weight not much different than this. I had several transmissions to choose from including a used manual three speed Chevy unit. 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. by Manny's corvair » Wed Oct 11, 2017 2:28 pm, Post https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Peter_Ackerson/618010, Automotive by Manny's corvair » Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:21 pm, Return to “Member's Rides, Projects, and Builds”, Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited, Show of your ride, keep track of your project, watch as others progress on their projects. 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. No computers, no special sensors for this and that. Building my first Mid Engine Corvair back in 1972 was a memorable time. 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. Google corvair crown conversion to see what people are doing with this conversion. 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. The Corvair had no independent frame and was one of the first uni-body cars on the market. 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. Enter A Word Or Words In The Search Box Search This Site . I would remove the item in the red box. Submitted On March 26, 2011. Sometimes a challenge is just that and no more. The Corvair motor makes an economical solution to your power needs. My shop had a pretty good assortment of tools, torches, welders, jacks and power hand tools that allowed me to make just about anything in metal. 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. And best year to build a V8 Corvair was 1966 and later. The reason Chevy's Corvair failed was because it had a small engine in back when what most everyone wanted was a big V8 up front. Looks like you've got the right idea for the bottom links. by azdave » Fri Oct 13, 2017 2:36 pm, Post I sold the car that winter to a young fella who wanted to complete the interior and exterior paint. by Manny's corvair » Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:56 pm, Post For now I will be using the Porsche 5 speed 986 to finish the project and later get the 986 6 speed which I hear is good for 600hp stock. Here’s something I’ve been working on that I am really excited to show off: The Corv8. How Important Are Mobile Ambulances to the Primary Health Care? I did this on my 1965 Yenko clone. The five speed is good for 300hp. by azdave » Wed Oct 11, 2017 1:28 pm, Post 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. I purchased a used small pickup truck rear end and began altering it to fit under the Corvair body. August 9, 2013 January 24, 2017; 1 Comment; Corvair; The Crown Corv-8 Corvair engine kit was created in the late 60’s by Ted Trevor. The first time I started the car the thrill of hearing the motor growl under that hood cannot be described. After a few races the laughter stopped. Lots of wires on this car! I have a good idea on how I am going to do it. A place to preserve the past, present and future of the Corvair. So who grabbed it? There were a few bugs to work out of course as I had no engineering staff to advise me what I was doing wrong but all in all the bugs were pretty minor. Tom soon became the new owner and began building a second mid-engined Corvair. 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. The Corvair has a cult following, and we suspect they would love to see this car come to life. One afternoon during a bull session with some buddies, one of them said it would be neat if we could put a V8 motor in one of my Corvair cars. I was thinking this type of step would eliminate some of the guess work of measurements. You need upper links as well. 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. Awesome that you are using that Porsche transaxle. Click Here to See Members Vehicles. The wife says this has to go to start my next project. 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. by azdave » Mon Oct 16, 2017 6:09 am, Post I did not want the engine beside me. by Manny's corvair » Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:58 pm, Post 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. Ted Trevor of Crown Manufacturing had a great idea back then. 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.. A major amount of sheet metal had to be removed to squeeze the engine down into the truck compartment. I remember saying I could put the V8 in that car and the guys quickly put me to the challenge. Thank you Ray. Now we’re some 45 years later and this mid engine car craze has now become a fury. This was a direct bolt-on to the V8 so in it went. V8 engine with an estimated ~300+ horsepower. He drove the car for quite a while and then I lost track of it's where abouts. In the bed sits a twin-turbo LSx V8 expected to make 1,500 horsepower. Jul 6, 2017 - Explore Frank Weaver's board "Corvair "V8" Conversions" on Pinterest. I added only one other bucket seat as the car was not a touring car but would certainly be fun at the local drag strip. This Corvair was pulled from eBay by the seller and marked no longer available just a few hours after it went out over the BaT morning email. 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. The radiator was made from an old V8 Chevy unit but had to be altered to be able to lay on its side. An ever evolving knowledge base made up of Corvair Enthusiasts from all over the world. I retained all the Chevy factory lights, turn signals and so on and really just needed to wire the engine components and battery. © 2021 EzineArticlesAll Rights Reserved Worldwide, Every Detail You Need to Know About Ambulances, Best Ambulance Manufacturers Ensuring Safety, Ambulance Manufacturer - Producing the Best Quality Transport to Save a Million Lives, The Rapid Growth of Ambulance Service Providers Worldwide Amidst the Pandemic. This gave the Corvair better weight distribution and performance. by Manny's corvair » Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:07 pm, Post 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. 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. I had already moved on to another project but I had proven that you could squeeze a V8 motor into a stock Corvair body. I saw his ideas and had to add a few twists of my own to create my 6-71 blown 327 version. I had one car with no motor and the body was not in the best of shape. 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. My next tackle will be the CV joints and lower struts. We are dedicated to Corvairs with alternative power sources, often referred to as "Water Pumpers". by Manny's corvair » Fri Oct 13, 2017 3:40 pm, Post This kit allowed second generation (1965-1969) Corvair owners the ability to install different V8 engines in front of the rear axle. 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. There was only one official bid at $8k and the $14k Buy-It-Now was not officially selected. I drove the car that summer and had a ball taking it to Stewart's drive-in in Paramus, New Jersey on Friday and Saturday nights. by Manny's corvair » Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:04 pm, Post The car was a real gas. It really was a silly looking car in the first years of production, kinda boxy and square. That's when it gets fun. Making a tail mount for the trans was nothing more than some three inch channel iron that spanned from one side of the car to the other. That’s what the builder of this custom Chevrolet Corvair must have said to himself when he decided to transplant a Chevy 350 cid V8 into its rear engine compartment. The trunk of a Corvair was in the front of the car. Sometimes a challenge is just that and no more. by Trip » Wed Oct 11, 2017 10:27 pm, Post Beautiful work, I look forward to seeing the finished product. It's currently just a fictional rendering, but it looks amazing. I can't use the original CV joint because they are to long. 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.). Corvair with a V8 Stuck in the Middle. by toytron » Tue Oct 10, 2017 8:12 pm, Post Ambulances Are the First One to Treat You, Collecting Model Cars: A Fun Hobby For Car Enthusiasts Everywhere, Tips to Help You Buy the Best BMW Accessories and Spare Parts, https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Peter_Ackerson/618010, http://ezinearticles.com/?How-­to-­Put-­a-­V8-­Motor-­in-­a-­Corvair&id=6115099.