Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]

Announcements (Updated: July 11, 2018)

Welcome to Swifty's Garage!


Thanks to all of you for making this board what it is today!


Attention new members: We would like to welcome you personally, so please introduce yourself. Click here: INTRODUCTIONS


For all the latest news and announcements, please click here: PA System



Thank you - The Swifty's Garage Team




This board is best viewed at 1024 x 768 Resolution

Car of the Week:


Matchbox 1968 Ford F-100


Click Here: Matchbox '68 Ford F-100
Welcome to Swifty's Garage. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

Thank You,
The Swifty's Garage Team


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features.

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Car of the Day: February 4, 2016; Hot Wheels '65 Chevrolet Corvair
Topic Started: Feb 4 2016, 04:27 AM (1,030 Views)
Dean-o-mite
Member Avatar
Muscle Car

Posted Image


Today's car of the day is from corvairjim's collection, and is Hot Wheels' 1965 Chevrolet Corvair "Vairy-8".


Posted Image


Wikipedia
 
The Chevrolet Corvair is a compact automobile manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet for model years 1960-1969 over two generations. The name "Corvair" is a portmanteau of Corvette and Bel Air. The Corvair second generation arrived for model year 1965, noted for its lack of a "B" pillar and a new fully independent suspension replacing the original swing axle rear suspension. The Corvair used coil springs at each wheel. Chevrolet had proposed a third generation (1970-on) Corvair, essentially a re-skin of the 1965-69 model resembling the 1973 GM A Body intermediates, particularly the 1973 Pontiac Grand Am, retaining Corvair proportions. Having passed the point of full scale clay models, Chevrolet stopped developing the model in early 1968.



Posted Image


For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Chevrolet Corvair


Posted Image


Wikipedia
 
The standard 95 hp and optional 110 hp engines were carried forward from 1964. The previous 150 hp Spyder engine was replaced by the normally aspirated 140 hp for the new Corsa. The engine was unusual in offering four single-throat carburetors, to which were added larger valves and a dual exhaust system. A 180 hp turbocharged engine was optional on the Corsa, which offered either standard three-speed or optional (US$92) four-speed manual transmissions. The 140 hp engine was optional on 500 and Monza models with manual or Powerglide transmissions. New refinements appeared on the 1965 redesign. The Corsa came standard with an instrument panel featuring a 140 mph (230 km/h) speedometer with resettable trip odometer, a 6,000 rpm tachometer, cylinder head temperature gauge, analog clock with a sweeping second hand, a manifold vacuum/pressure gauge and fuel gauge. A much better heater system, larger brakes borrowed from the Chevelle, a stronger differential ring gear, a Delcotron alternator (replacing the generator), and significant chassis refinements were made. AM/FM stereo radio, in-dash All Weather Air Conditioning, telescopically adjustable steering column, and a Special Purpose Chassis Equipment ("Z17") handling package, consisting of a special performance suspension and quick ratio steering box, were significant new options for 1965.



Posted Image


Posted Image


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
zzziippyyy
Member Avatar
Drive it like you stole it!
Not really that familiar with this casting but I have to say, wow what a stance!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
pjedsel
Member Avatar
Muscle Car
:toy: This casting has not been a favorite of mine but at one time I did have a couple of them in my collection simply because it was a Corvair and there just aren't that many of them out there in small scale.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dean-o-mite
Member Avatar
Muscle Car
I do enjoy that this casting is the second generation Corvair, as opposed to the first gen available from Racing Champions and Johnny Lightning.

I'm more than ready for a quality casting of a second gen Corvair from the likes of Auto World.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
juantoo3
Member Avatar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vairy-8 is a personal favorite of mine, because it is a model of the Crown (or possibly Kelmark) V-8 conversion of the later Corvair.

Because of the bad publicity, and that Corvair died an inglorious death, most aren't aware how well these independently sprung at all 4 corners little cars did with a V-8 mounted amidship. Weight distribution was near perfect, and they would eat Mustangs, Camaros and Corvettes for any meal of the day on any road race course, and were the hottest thing from America to compete with the Europeans at the time.

Mind you, you couldn't just walk in to the dealership and buy one, but there were kits available from both Crown and Kelmark that would use the tranny (same Saginaw tranny used in other V-8 cars) by flipping the transaxle over and setting a small block Chevy (327 was a popular choice originally) where the rear seat used to be, and plumbing it for water cooling (various mods were attempted, with the radiator forward, in back, or in front of the rear wheels). Cooling was the major bugaboo, but if a guy could work that out, these cars SCREAMED!

Look up Crown Corvair on Youtube and take a look around. If I *ever* find one for sale at anything close to a reasonable price, I will be trying to buy it. That is the only "hot rod" I like as much or more than a T-bucket.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ivantt
Member Avatar
New casting? Quick! Take it apart!
juantoo3
Feb 5 2016, 11:25 AM
Vairy-8 is a personal favorite of mine, because it is a model of the Crown (or possibly Kelmark) V-8 conversion of the later Corvair.

Well, thank you very much, Wes!!! I always thought the Vairy -8 was purely a HW design and there was nothing like this in full size. So that makes me look at the casting in a more respectful way.

I tried very hard looking at the casting when it first appeared to visualize what I'd have to do to make a more stock version. All I thought was that there was a lot of work there, especially the glass area and most of the rear body areas. The conclusion was to let another diecast company come along and do a proper stock Corsa. Of course, that didn't happen. Yet. As popular the Corvair is amongst car enthusiasts, it's hard to believe we're still not seeing one. Auto World bait!!!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
corvairjim
Member Avatar
Fullsize
As much as I like "Corv-8" (as they're known in the Corvair club) conversions, I'd dearly love for someone to come out with a reasonably stock "Late Model" Corvair. My Gamda Koor Sabra 1:43 model from Israel is the only stock diecast late model in my collection of over 100 Corvair toys and models. Having said that, this isn't such a bad little car; the rear window scoop is the most jarring divergence from reality. Oh, that and the fact that most Corv-8's have matching tires all around for handling instead of being set up with "big 'n' littles" for drag racing as this one is. This one is the first of several color schemes that Hot Wheels released this car in, and it's one of my favorites. I like the none-too-subtle dig at Ralph Nader, labeling it as "Ralph's Ride".

(BTW: This car was new-in-the-package, opened specifically for the photo shoot. I do have a couple others already open, but this way you get to see one all clean and minty fresh. Please keep this added effort in mind when voting for "Car Of The Week"! Nah, just kidding, guys!)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
juantoo3
Member Avatar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

corvairjim
Feb 13 2016, 01:17 AM
As much as I like "Corv-8" (as they're known in the Corvair club) conversions, I'd dearly love for someone to come out with a reasonably stock "Late Model" Corvair.
I don't wish to seem to take away from enthusiast's attempts to place a Corvair body on an S-10 chassis or some such ilk, but the Crown and Kelmark conversions were *engineered* attempts at balanced performance. I've heard of Big Block Chevy motors being tried, but roundly the consensus was "too much" power, the little lightweight car didn't need the extra power, it actually got in the way of performance. 283 was the small block of choice around that time, and up to the "new" 350, with the 327 being the tried and true performance engine from that era...which is why it was the popular choice then, no doubt today it would be a 350, likely an LT-1. If one can think back to the efforts by the Germans going back to about 1935-38, in particular I'm thinking the Auto Union racers that dominated the tracks in that era, the configuration was to place the greatest weight in the center of the chassis, so the driver sat forward of the fuel tank, with an engine (later a Monster Engine) behind at right about the center of the chassis, with a transaxle (probably borrowed from Ferry Porsche at that time). Pantera and other supercars since use the same basic configuration.

What the later 1965 and up Corvairs had (that Nader and the media ignored) was a fully independent suspension, as I recall the first ever available on a mass production American vehicle (which actually solved all of Nader's complaints), but it was too little, too late...and GM saw the writing on the wall and cancelled the Corvair after the 1969 model year.

Mustangs didn't have fully independent suspension, MoPars didn't have it, Camaro/Firebird didn't have it, and Corvette (which I believe did have something pretty close) were not as balanced...being front engine, Corvettes were nose heavy and handling suffered because of it. The Crown Corvairs were balanced and had the independent suspension, which if properly executed in construction made them very competitive on road race courses, and the small block Chevy motors provided more than adequate power to weight ratio.

I don't pretend to know a great deal about specific teams or specific race series, but from an engineering perspective, the Crown Corvair V8s were about as perfect as an engineer could hope for without designing a race chassis from scratch, at least in America. Using off the shelf parts, one could build a competitive racer on the cheap.

Unlike a Corv-8 with a front engine, or some other morphodite (Cadillac front drive in back), the Crowns and Kelmarks have the balance and the suspension to make them seriously competitive.

My two cents of course, your mileage may vary...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
corvairjim
Member Avatar
Fullsize
Juantoo, "Corv-8" is the accepted term for the mid-engine conversion. As I recall, it was originally used as a trade name by Crown, but it evolved into the generic usage in the club. Front-engine conversions, like the S-10 based number you mentioned are out there and seemingly gaining popularity, and they're even welcomed with open arms by the CORSA V-8 Registry (the chapter of the Corvair Society of America chapter dedicated to liquid-cooled Corvairs regardless of the engine's cylinder count or layout), although they do not use the Corv-8 appelation. I saw one back in the 90's with, would you believe, a '56 Chevy chassis? My feeling about front engine V-8 conversions: If you want a small Chevy with a V-8, get a Camaro or a Nova. There's no advantage to the Corvair body over either of those two, and it's difficult to get a decent ride height when you sit the unitized Corvair body atop a full frame. Lots of cutting and welding is necessary to channel the body low enough on the frame. Meanwhile, a mid-engine conversion is a guaranteed E-ticket ride! (Please start with a body with wasted floors, so as not to cut up an easily restorable body. Thank you.)

Funny story: A guy I know in the Philadelphia chapter once bought a 4X4 conversion that mounted a '65 500 coupe body on an International Scout chassis, complete with the I-H 4-banger under the hood. Slow, very slow. Within the year he replaced the chassis with one from an S-10 Blazer and tossed in a 350 small block. About a year later he became dissatisfied with the shoddy bodywork that a previous owner had performed on the car, and he went on to discover plenty of rust-out hiding beneath plenty of fiberglass. Once again the body came off, only to be replaced with a '67 Monza body! Yep, same car, but with a different chassis, engine, and body... That is to say he built himself a car with nothing remaining from the one he'd bought to go off-roading in in the first place! (Yeah, that's Grandpa's ax. We've had to replace the handle 4 times and the axe head once, but it's still Grandpa's ax!)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
jurcpa
Fullsize
hahaha,corvair cars are beauty and rare and I like it so much,many thanks,top idea !!!!!!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Car Of The Day · Next Topic »
Add Reply



March's Picture of The Month Contest



Congratulations DinoMom for winning March's contest!



April's Picture of The Month Contest



Congratulations carsdownunder for winning April's contest!






Powered By

This board is best viewed at 1024 x 768 Resolution


eXTReMe Tracker