If the Corvair was unsafe at any speed, at least those within its grasp were relatively modest. Just imagine if it had a big honking V8; well, looks like someone’s beaten me to it. No, it’s not a particularly inspired idea, but I’ll admit to having never thought of it like the owner of this example–caught by LeSabretoothTiger–did. Corvairs always were the exception to the meathead approach, and this front-mounted V8 surprised me, but I guess it takes all kinds.
In this case, there’s a bit of methhead aesthetic to go with the meathead engineering and this red convertible fairly screams don’t fuck with me. It’s not impossible to convert a Corvair like this, given the Y-body connection with the B-O-P senior compacts, and I have to give credit for all the work and planning involved. Those wheel arch extensions indicate that a solid axle (likely) from a bigger GM car has been fitted, which is a necessity since the swing axles originally locating the rear wheels had to be removed. Still, I can’t help but imagine the multitude of possibilities the Y-body offers to the motivated enthusiast: what if someone shoehorned an air-cooled Tatra V8 drivetrain into a Corvair? Now that would be unique!
Impressive car with minimal rust for its age and even with the wheel arch extensions there is still going to be wheel rub unless they only drive on I-86. The rollbar is a good addition.
Gag!!!!!
Truly an answer to a question that no sane, intelligent person would ever ask.
SBC: Greatest slut in the automotive universe. Is these anyplace she won’t go?
Looking for Mr. Goodwrench?
Looks like it was built on a limited budget with modern mirror, home made flares and a that wing off a 90s sub-compact. Except the too large wheels – the lion’s share went to them. Sad because they aren’t unattractive but are at least two sizes too big.
In Cuba, Lada engines get transplanted in a similar fashion to keep the old ‘Vairs on the street:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/1960-corvairs-still-hard-at-work-in-cuba-with-lada-engines-in-front/
I am surprised that is easier than putting the engine in the back.
That was my first thought, as well. Of course, there’s the cooling problem with putting a Lada engine in the back of a Corvair (the Corvair’s flat-six was air-cooled). That front grille on the Corvair isn’t just for show; there’s a radiator behind it.
Then there would be the issue of hooking up the clutch/shifter. That would take some real ingenuity. I’d go so far as to think they’d have to install the Lada’s engine/transaxle in reverse if it were in the back, and, somehow, swap all the gears. In effect, it would be like configuring a normal Lada to run in reverse all the time.
Considering all that, it’s easier to see putting the engine in the front and dealing with modifying the Corvair’s rear suspension, than it is to install the engine in the rear and have to come up with some way to cool the Lada’s engine and hook up the shifting apparatus. In fact, it’s wouldn’t be surprising if the Lada’s rear suspension was swapped into the Corvair in its entirety, as well as all the front engine/suspension components.
This is indeed the meathead conversion but for the thinking hot-rodder, mid-engined Corvairs have been done for years, see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hKn8idEaZE
I was going to say. I’ve seen several V8-‘Vairs over the years at cruise-ins. Some conversions done with more…finesse than others. All were done as mid-engine – never saw one converted as above.
Seeing the V8 Chevettes from time to time, too. Back in the day I thought about forcing a 2.8l Chevy V6 engine from an S10 into one of mine.
I built this car. It has an ’86 Vette independant rear. I drove this car regularly for over 30 years as a driver. To this day, it is still the best handling car I ever owned. The flares are all off of an AMC car, 2 gens. The rear spoiler is 2007 Mustang GT. The engine began life as 1969 Chevelle 396/360 but I added forged pistons, smaller cam, ’68 Vette 427/390 intake on Edelbrock E-Street 1 heads. To see what a “meathead” car it is, search “Mean Street big block Corvair” on the ‘net and watch me reel in a later Turbo cabriolet Porsche on the NJMP Thunderbolt track. Now, to all the uneducated on my car, stick that in your “meat(head)less” pipe and smoke it!
If people in midwestern trailer parks drove Corvairs . . . Actually, this is so completely the Anti-Corvair, I think I kind of like it, if for the shock factor alone.
And then there’s the ultimate front-engine Corvair swap: the Jaguar V12 “Jaguair”. And this guy also created a four-speed Powerglide in order to keep the existing Corvair rear suspension. Very over the top: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/builder-of-the-v12-jaguair-dies-one-of-those-rare-persons-who-made-their-wildest-ideas-come-true/
The safest Corvair ever? 🙂
Given the height of the body, the deep front air dam, and that metal object underneath the door, I’m wondering if this isn’t a Corvair body on a different frame. The wheel arch extensions would actually work quite well to hide the fact that they aren’t centered in the original wheel openings. Why else would the thing ride so high?
Also, geez, at least paint the thing flat black. There’s patina and then there’s this hodgepodge of faded red, gray primer, black, and what looks like blaze orange on the roll bar. Work actively in progress, ok, whatever. But if it stays like this for more than a short time, just no. (Lest you think I’m too harsh, I do give the builder credit for ingenuity,the willingness to take on metal fab, and the foresight to include the roll bar as this seems absolutely designed for hoonage.)
I was thinking exactly the same thing. They’ve dropped the Corvair body onto something else. I would’ve built it like this though:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/is-a-corvair-hot-rod-possible.552962/
The “CorvaiRod”
Of course there is some type of frame, it is a convertable. When you do things like this sometimes you have to make concessions. I put a Mopar 360 into a Plymouth TC-3. I had to make a few concessions, but it runs great, is fun to drive, gets 26 mpg on reg gas, has gotten to 100 mph in the quarter (now I just have to fix the driver) and it rdes smooth as silk at 150 mph.
Why do you say “of course their is some type of frame, it is a convertible”. It is not like GM didn’t stick a V8 in the front of this basic chassis in convertible form in the BOP versions.
It has the stance of a modern crossover to my eyes. It’s probably a ball to drive…actually ANY V8 Corvair’s probably a ball to drive. Long as the weight distribution’s not too far out of whack…
The aforementioned Crown-style conversions usually turn the diff around and put the engine in the back seat, à la Renault 5 Turbo, so weight distribution is not the issue. The bigger complications are dealing with the cooling system, insulating the new engine bay so you don’t roast or go deaf, and that sort of thing.
Q: How do you make a Corvair fast?
A: Don’t feed it.
Seriously, the phrase “point of diminishing returns” leaps to mind. That’s the great thing about our hobby, though–car love is as irrational as it gets.
Chris may be onto something, you could treat the body like a 20/30s hot rod and dump it on a chassis. There would need to be a lot of structural fabbing otherwise to support the engine and presumably different front suspension, create a trans tunnel and hang a live axle.
It is so out there and ridiculous I kind of like it – well, finished anyway. The ride height and side pipes just add to the effect
I’ve seen a couple of mid-engine V8 Corvairs. One in the late 70s that was very rough, looked like the rear part of the passenger compartment had been hacked out with a Sawsall. The other was at a show at the Gilmore last summer, which looked quite nice.
We old geezers remember the Crown Engineering ads for their conversion kit in Motor Trend in the early 70s: “get funny car dig”
The receipt for this Corvair is to put the chassis on a steel frame borrowed from other car…with front V8 engine etc., etc… Anyway Czechs did a safe saloon car with an air cooled REAR V8 petrol engine. That’s the 1956>>1962 Tatra 603, the 1974>>1996 Tatra 613 and the last 1996>>1998 Tatra 700 and 700 GT two door! I ain’t sure if they named it as coupé or not!? As I know only with manual transmissons had been available in limited numbers and mostly for the Czecho-Slovak government officials…
Unless this is dropped on a proper full frame, which it appears that it might be I’d say sticking an engine in the front would be the hardest way to make a Corvair fast. If you want to make it fast then just bolt a SBC in the back “where the engine belongs in a small car”
Here is a car the dad of one of my friends from High School built when he owned Goodie’s speed shops. There were pictures of this and some of the first altered drag cars on the walls of their garage and a Hemi block “under glass” and a real “mag” wheel serving as tables in their family room.
Of course my buddy had zero interest in cars.
I had an old copy of Hot Rod Magazine with Fubar 2 probably about 1972. I haven’t seen that car since then but I did remember it.
There was a guy in Pittsburgh back in the early ’70s who had an orange Corvair with a Ford 289 mounted in place of the flat 6. It ran the car show circuit for a few years. I recall he told me that he rigged the engine to run backwards with a marine cam and distributor in order to use the Corvair transaxle. I was probably 11 or 12 at the time. I wonder if that one still exists.
That is the 1972 cover shot of FUBAR 2. It was mainly built as a promotional device, from talking to the owner it was kind of scary to drive. I never did think to ask him what he ever did with it.
Interesting thing about Goodies is that they were one of the early developers/sellers of speed parts for Corvairs and when that didn’t really cut it he expanded into a full line speed shop.
He only went halfway with the car. What he *should* have done is left the flat six out back driving the rears, with something a tad smaller driving the fronts for a dual-engined 4WD monster!
My High School graduation gift in 1968 was a 1961 Corvair Monza 900 Club Coupe. Good heavens…that might be my old car!
V8 conversions were once quite popular, most of them involved mid engine small blocks and ended up with a radiator where the back seat had been. A few guys even used 455 Oldsmobiles with Toranado running gear. I only ever saw such beasts at the drag strip, I’ll bet the handling was “interesting” on the road.
Considering the quality of the finishing, I would speculate as well that this Corvair body has been plunked on a RWD chassis of similar wheelbase. The angle of the steering column and seats doesn’t appear close to that of a Corvair.
Crown Engineering used to make a kit for a mid engine SBC installation in the second generation Corvair, by all reports the handling was amazing. Crown was the same company that made the kits to put a Corvair engine in a VW, I think the V8-Vair was the answer to the “now what are we going to do with this thing?” question after they pulled out the engine to put it in a Bug.
I think the steering wheel angle is a long way from stock, so I’m betting a non-Corvair chassis also. And check out the trailer hitch!
I could imagine driving this in NYC. Even the cabbies would give it wide berth, to say nothing of the S-Classes and X5s!
I’ve seen this car around before and I’m almost positive we’re looking at a section of the frame sticking out underneath here. Part of my brain says it’s sacrilege, another part thinks it looks pretty badass in a Mad Max way. This is probably what the person who originally hacked up David Saunders’ Honda S600 had in mind – in fact maybe this car came about through similar circumstances; a late 70s high school auto shop abortion or something. The “I don’t give a fuck” look reflects the “engineering” on display perfectly, and I don’t think I’d like it at all with shiny paint.
I agree that it looks like a piece of the frame sticking out under the left rocker, and it also looks like someone cut a hole in it for an exhaust pipe. Whew…different strokes!
There’s one of these conversion projects a few streets over from me though not a convertible. It sits on a Monte Carlo frame. I don’t know if the frame was shortened or not but it too sits a little high on the frame but looks well done from 20ft away. Body is solid and unmolested with recent paint. The guy is a Corvair enthusiast and purchased it this way.
I well remember the Toronado implants , they went very well and handled as good as a Corvair could .
Thanx for the additional pictures ! .
-Nate
I bought this car out in Long Island this summer. The guy who built it is a very well known racer from NY for over 40 years named Eric Krobath, Meanstreet Productions. His builds have been shown on Motor trend shows like Pink slips and others. Most of Eric’s builds have been front end lifting quarter mile cars. He built this to race sanctioned flat tracks against turbo porches and Vettes almost 30 years ago. Which he would drive to the tracks and kick the crap out of them for over 25 years until about 6 or 7 years ago with the new engines and ridiculous horsepower they are pumping out and then drive back home and take it to the beach while the rest were busy trailering their expensive rides. .He has videos of him blowing by Porches and Vettes and the look on their drivers faces when they get passed by a 50 year old rust bucket is absolutely priceless. I plan on keeping it just the way it is. It handles corners like a super car. And yes it is on a 10 point Corvette frame. When I take it to car meets it usually wins fan favorite. Here’s the build sheet. Aluminum heads/’vette intake ’69 396/LS6 Edelbrock aluminum heads, Edelbrock RV cam
Vette 6 qt. baffled oil pan, Edelbrock spec Comp cam.
TH350 trans,
1986 3.08 Dana 44 all aluminum, gym kahana option ’86 Vette rear
road race sumped fuel tank,
2 fuel pumps,
fuel press. gauge w/isolator,
1985 Buick Riv tilt/tele steering column, Cherry wood wheel,
custom firewall.
Reclining seats,
roll bar,
power top (new pistons),
nec. gauges,
18 x 10 rear wheels, 18 x 8 front w/4 spec tires,
4 wheel disc brakes,
modified fr. upper control arms for 5.9* caster,
thick sway bars, thick radiator, clutch fan,
power steering/brakes, 2 in. tube headers, 3 in. primary tubes, 2.5 in. exit pipes, Flowmuffs w/bal. pipe
,Maxima handbrake,
fr./rear spoilers,
trunk where engine used to be,
engine where trunk used to be.
10 triple body mounts.
Full frame under uni-body.
Metal wheel flares, much custom metal work.