Main > Everything Else
Chevy Corvair
danny_galaga:
unsafe at any speed!
actually, i always thought it would be cool to put a corvair motor into a beach buggy (",)
Thenasty:
--- Quote from: boykster on August 22, 2007, 01:14:45 am ---Get a red one....that gives it +5 horsepower ;)
--- End quote ---
Not from a Five-O. It's always +15 over the speed limit :o
BobA:
--- Quote from: pinballjim on August 22, 2007, 09:21:26 am ---The safety thing was corrected soon after production started.
Noestrebor will be on the thread shortly, I'm sure. He's a big Corvair enthusiast.
--- End quote ---
Not quite true. The camber problem in the Corvair apparently lasted 4 years. It was corrected just before Nader published his book so maybe that is what you are thinking about.
Quote
One of the examples of the book, and the article for which it is probably most widely known although it forms only one chapter, was General Motors' Chevrolet Corvair. The 1960–63 Corvairs had a rear-engine, and a suspension design which was prone to "tuck under" in certain circumstances and which required drivers to maintain proper tire pressures which were outside of the tire manufacturer's recommended tolerances for the tire and with an unusually high front:rear differential (15psi front, 26psi rear, when cold; 18 psi and 30psi hot). The pressures were more critical than for most contemporaneous designs, but this was not made explicitly clear to salespeople or owners. The pressures also rendered the tires overloaded, according to the standards laid down by the Tire and Rim Association, the relevant industry body, with two or more passengers on board. An unadvertised at-cost option #696 included uprated springs and dampers, front anti-roll bars and rear axle rebound straps to prevent tuck-under. Aftermarket kits were also available, such as the EMPI Camber Compensator, for the knowledgeable owner. The suspension design was modified for the 1964 model year, just far enough ahead of publication to allow its inclusion in the book; most significantly a second, outboard constant velocity joint was added to maintain a constant camber angle at the wheels. Corvairs from 1965 on were of this type and did not suffer the characteristic tuck-under crashes.
So Paige Only get a Corvair if its a 1964 or later model.
BobA:
I guess it is all heresay and conjecture then. Without actual figures from Chev and I doubt that they would want them released or maybe they don't have them. I would not want an earlier model Corvair in any case.
nostrebor:
I don't really have the time to address this properly right now so I'll just ignore the Nader propaganda...
Paige, Any model not including 1960 is a fine pick. Earlies (1960-1964) are more ummm.... bathtub looking than lates (1965-1969). Pricing will run the same either way. The sweet spot for Corvair production overall was 1966-67. The best of the development was had by 67 without the eventual slacker attitude in construction for the last 2 years. I would not buy a turbo charged car unless I was prepared to go full blown crazy into the art of Corvair tuning. Given todays highway speeds, the best powertrain combo is a 102hp (or 110 in '64)/3.27 rear end ratio/4speed car in the earlies, 110hp/3.27 ratio/4 speed in the lates. 140hp engines are a bit faster, but you are looking at 4 carbs to adjust rather than 2, which can be a bit daunting to master. Avoid the powerglide cars like the black plague. (unless you enjoy driving underpowered 2 speed automatics) The PG was just a huge HP robber.
The perfect pick for a Vair enthusiast: 1966 Corsa Coupe. 140hp, 4 speed, 3.27 posi. 205/60/15's will fit these cars without modifications on Monte Carlo steelies and give a bit more highway cruising speed. I prefer to run larger tires with lower profiles, but the wheel wells need mods. I have a 67,000 mile car that matches these characteristics, waiting for a rebuild right now.
If you just have to have an early: 1964 Monza Coupe. 110hp, 4 speed, 3.27. The '63s aren't a bad pick either.
In either case a Convertible is fun and plentiful. The big ticket items on the verts are the window seals around the side glass. A car with good seals will save you about $500.
If you are looking for an almost rust free project, you are going to have a hard time locating one in MO. These cars will rust at the cowl, rockers, front and rear fenders behind the wheels, and under the battery tray. Convertibles will have floor rot in most cases. Pretty easy to fix rot on these, and panels are available.
Check out Clarks Corvairs for a lot of info and parts. and Corsa.org for more info.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version