One for sale locally. I like the second-gen Corvair coupes a lot. Of course it's a project, which is just what I don't need, but a guy can dream, right?
Anybody have mid-engine Corvair experience?
- Thread starter Ribbedroof
- Start date
I have a late model ('66 Monza coupe)
Whaddya need to know?
Is it still rear engine (stock) or a stalled Kelmark or Crown V8 conversion project?
Whaddya need to know?
Is it still rear engine (stock) or a stalled Kelmark or Crown V8 conversion project?
As you can tell by my name I know about Corvairs. I have owned 2 V8 powered Corvairs over the years. I currently own a 66 turbo Corsa.
There were 3 different "kits" to swap a V8. The most common was the Crown that used the stock 66-69 4 speed transaxle and included a subframe,headers, adapter plate and input shaft to bolt a small or big block Chevrolet in/
Next is the Kelmark which could be done 2 ways. First way is similar to the Crown but with the stock Corvair transaxle turned 180 degrees. It included a bell housing to bolt the small or big block Chevrolet to the end of the trans that the original Corvair engine bolted to. It also included a shifter linkage to make up for the direction difference and a longer input shaft. The second way is bolting a small block Chevrolet in the stock location. This way requires reversing the rotation of the engine and cutting the rear panel for clearance.
Last kit was the Kelmark/Mid Engineering kit that bolted the engine and transaxle from a 66-78 Oldsmobile Toronado or Cadillac Eldorado in mid engine. This style was popular but suffers from suspension geometry issues and axle longevity issues.
These days guys do their own conversions using transaxles from Porsches or other vehicles. There are also the guys that put the Corvair body on a G body frame or a short wheel base S10 frame. But I have yet to see one that can go around the track like a mid or rear engine Corvair. Check out these pages
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There were 3 different "kits" to swap a V8. The most common was the Crown that used the stock 66-69 4 speed transaxle and included a subframe,headers, adapter plate and input shaft to bolt a small or big block Chevrolet in/
Next is the Kelmark which could be done 2 ways. First way is similar to the Crown but with the stock Corvair transaxle turned 180 degrees. It included a bell housing to bolt the small or big block Chevrolet to the end of the trans that the original Corvair engine bolted to. It also included a shifter linkage to make up for the direction difference and a longer input shaft. The second way is bolting a small block Chevrolet in the stock location. This way requires reversing the rotation of the engine and cutting the rear panel for clearance.
Last kit was the Kelmark/Mid Engineering kit that bolted the engine and transaxle from a 66-78 Oldsmobile Toronado or Cadillac Eldorado in mid engine. This style was popular but suffers from suspension geometry issues and axle longevity issues.
These days guys do their own conversions using transaxles from Porsches or other vehicles. There are also the guys that put the Corvair body on a G body frame or a short wheel base S10 frame. But I have yet to see one that can go around the track like a mid or rear engine Corvair. Check out these pages
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Honestly, looks like a home-brewed potential hack job. Have a message out for more info
Might be a fun "later" project
Might be a fun "later" project
Fender opening look to have been modified.
Check for cancer: lower windshield opening, front trunk, door hinge pillar area and rockers and floor pans.
Cowl hood with a rear engine is a rather unique approach..........
Check for cancer: lower windshield opening, front trunk, door hinge pillar area and rockers and floor pans.
Cowl hood with a rear engine is a rather unique approach..........
My Uncle had a first year model. As a kid I went to Montauk Point in the rear seat. My butt still hurts. My Wifey had a '68. Oil leaker, noisy, smelled, mercifully got T-boned by a van. The dash was the same as a Camaro.
liquidh8
Comic Book Super Hero
So it's a home-brewed rat rod, SBC engine out and apart. Looks like a lot of floor hackery.
I've always been a fan of these cars. Here's a guy on YouTube building a second generation 'vair with a transverse mounted LS4.
I always thought they were cool cars, especially the second generation models '65-'69. I've never seen a '69 model. There were probably so few of them made.
An old girlfriend of mine back in the '70's, her mom had a '65. She loved that car. They did seem light in the front compared to a VW beetle or Porsche. Being an air cooled fan, how could I not dig these cars. I liked the body style of the later models, not so much the early series. I would still rock a turbocharged first gen. Spyder.
An old girlfriend of mine back in the '70's, her mom had a '65. She loved that car. They did seem light in the front compared to a VW beetle or Porsche. Being an air cooled fan, how could I not dig these cars. I liked the body style of the later models, not so much the early series. I would still rock a turbocharged first gen. Spyder.
It's too bad they didn't make a second gen wagon. The first gen wagons weren't really that nice. Another one of my favorites is the Rampside pickup. They were pretty unique. One of those with a V-8 would be cool, but stuffing a V-8 in one of those would defeat the purpose of having a pickup.
