Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: Corvair V-8

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Long Beach CA
    Posts
    120

    Corvair V-8

    I see this car from time to time and just don't consider sending any photos of it to UCP. However, I saw it again just the other day and thought, maybe some of my European friends would like to see a real piece of Americana. The Corvair originally was a rather lackluster car with a flat opposed air cooled six. Well, there is this group that puts Chevy V-8s in them, mid-engine, and they run quite well. This is one such car. They make a kit for them. It's called the Crown Corvair kit. It's rather involved as you can imagine with a sub frame and engine placement. However, the results are well worth it.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by C-4 guy; 12-28-2014 at 07:25 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    East Coast of the United States
    Posts
    11,994
    Interesting to see a V8 Corvair. Personally, I value originality or if anything, modified to within reason or at least period correct modifications. The car is only original once.

    Looks reasonably well done, just not my cup of tea.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Finland
    Posts
    380
    Seems to be the same car that Mike Musto drove in Big Muscle.

    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hKn8idEaZE"]Mid-Engine Crown Corvair: Porsche Cayman Fighter - /BIG MUSCLE - YouTube[/ame]
    "There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games"
    -Ernest Hemingway

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Long Beach CA
    Posts
    120
    Quote Originally Posted by ErWin76 View Post
    Seems to be the same car that Mike Musto drove in Big Muscle.

    Mid-Engine Crown Corvair: Porsche Cayman Fighter - /BIG MUSCLE - YouTube
    Yes it certainly is the same car. Thanks so much for posting this. It makes the thread come alive.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Philadelphia, PA
    Posts
    954
    Oh dear Lord, the flat 6s made the car super dangerous to drive quickly. Even though this one is mid-engine, the thought of a V8 in a Corvair makes me cringe

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    6,153
    Frank Gardner and Alan Grice raced a V8 Corvair Sports Sedan in Australia in the 70s winning two championships. It wasn’t pretty but it was one of the championships best cars.

    "A string is approximately nine long."
    Egg Nogg 02-04-2005, 05:07 AM

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    East Coast of the United States
    Posts
    11,994
    Quote Originally Posted by Cobrafan427 View Post
    Oh dear Lord, the flat 6s made the car super dangerous to drive quickly. Even though this one is mid-engine, the thought of a V8 in a Corvair makes me cringe
    Hi there, Ralph Nader!

    Was the Corvair any more squirrley than the 911?

    That racing Corvair looks damn cool!

    I love how the Corvair had a whole lineup of cars, including vans. That won't happen ever again.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    └A & Connecticlump
    Posts
    5,367
    Quote Originally Posted by NSXType-R View Post
    Hi there, Ralph Nader!

    Was the Corvair any more squirrley than the 911?

    That racing Corvair looks damn cool!

    I love how the Corvair had a whole lineup of cars, including vans. That won't happen ever again.
    I would imagine that the Corvair's longer wheelbase and higher weight would help damp out rotation somewhat. The Corvair was also less-likely to be driven quickly; it was marketed as an economy car with a wink and a nudge. I guess that would be a double-edged sword: it would be driven quickly less-frequently, but in an emergency maneuver the driver would be ill-prepared to deal with it.

    Here's an excellent article on the Corvair: Rebel Yell: The Life and Death of the Chevrolet Corvair - Ate Up With Motor
    "Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
    "No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Barcelona
    Posts
    33,489
    I have to say, it's always a pleasure to (re)read Aaron Severson's articles in Ate Up With Motor.
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    3
    The Australian Corvairs were virtually an F5000 car with a fibreglass Corvair body. Fun to watch and very quick.
    The later model Corvairs with proper independent rear ends were nowhere near as twitchy as the earlier, swing-axle models and the turbo flat six Fitch cars were also pretty quick for the time. An early Porsche 911 Turbo is just as "dangerous" to punt quickly along a country road! (I have 2 aquaintances who have been caught out and exited backwards off the road through fences!)
    Last edited by SPman; 01-07-2015 at 05:49 PM.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Northeast US
    Posts
    30
    I really adore that particular car. A very nice build and I think the visual mods really complimented that body well. As for how it handles, it's a radical enough modification that I imagine it bears little to no similarity to a stock Corvairs handling. Mike Musto seemed to like it.

    AteUpWithMotor is one of the best car sites on the web. I've perused those articles extensively.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Chevrolet Corvette Corvair Concept 1954
    By Ferrer in forum Matt's Hi-Res Hide-Out
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 01-12-2020, 12:25 AM
  2. Chevrolet Corvair
    By Revo in forum Matt's Hi-Res Hide-Out
    Replies: 35
    Last Post: 04-21-2014, 01:58 PM
  3. Chevrolet Corvair Testudo by Bertone 1963
    By Ferrer in forum Matt's Hi-Res Hide-Out
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 04-21-2014, 08:36 AM
  4. corvair? DeTomaso Pantera?
    By Othix in forum Classic cars
    Replies: 14
    Last Post: 07-23-2007, 02:37 AM
  5. Corvair and DeTomaso PanteraGT5 ?!
    By Othix in forum General Automotive
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 10-20-2004, 06:50 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •