Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

Show me your Volksrods!


jcbigpaw

Recommended Posts

I know there's a bunch of these scattered all over the forum so let's get em all together for a look. Whether your in progress or gotta blow the dust off the pics because it's been done so long. Show me what you've got.

I'll start with one I just finished. This was built using a Herbie snap kit from Polar Lights.

gallery_8811_712_146088.jpg

gallery_8811_712_1020231.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sweet!

I've finished a few, and have a few more planned.

First one... Revell Beetle Convertible with a Corvair engine.

IMG_0604-vi.jpg

Then came the Pink Panzer, again a Revell body with a Corvair engine.

032_32-vi.jpg

033_33-vi.jpg

;56 Beetle with '27 T fenders

IMG_57981-vi.jpg

The Kubelrodd, which has been damaged and is due for a rebuild. The body is Plastruct sheet and powered with a Corvair engine.

canonpwrsht007-vi.jpg

And the most recent one, a '63, based on a Polar Lights Herbie body on a '66 Tamiya chassis.

VW007-vi.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Chuck, if you want to fix those two with the original 4-cylinder corn poppers out back, I can set you up with a couple of proper Corvair engines to go in them too... :P

Oh, I've got another Corvair powered Volksrod in the works... do NOT worry about that. B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you check the web you'll turn these up with big block V8s and full tube steel frames. I've even seen one with a late model Cadillac Northstar. One show I went to a guy had one with a dual turbo V8 mounted in the rear under a cover. No back seat but full deck lid. Took a little time to figure out how he did that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you check the web you'll turn these up with big block V8s and full tube steel frames. I've even seen one with a late model Cadillac Northstar. One show I went to a guy had one with a dual turbo V8 mounted in the rear under a cover. No back seat but full deck lid. Took a little time to figure out how he did that.

Mid-engine, V-8 powered Corvairs (popularly known as "Corv-8's" in the Corvair hobby) are a fairly common conversion, generally using a small block Chevy hooked up to the standard 1966-69 Corvair 4-speed transaxle. Conversion kits were available from both Crown Engineering and an outfit you VW fans have probably heard of: Kelmark. That gearbox was basically just a Borg-Warner T-10 in a different case so it was plenty strong enough to handle a V-8 that was anything even close to streetable. I've seen V-8's mounted in custom frames in the front of other Corvairs too, as well as aluminum Buick 215's (which are actually LIGHTER than the Corvair flat-6!) mounted out back. The most outrageous ones I've seen were Toronado-based conversions, with Olds 455's and the Toro automatic transaxle used as a unit with shorter-than-stock jalfshafts. A few years ago at a Corvair Society of America National Convention, a former Cadillac engineer showed up with his latest build: A Corvair with a full-on Cadillac Northstar drivetrain/front subframe mounted where the back seat used to be. Instead of shortening the halfshafts and screwing with the drivetrain's suspension geometry, he just widened the quarter panels about 8" per side! Not only did that car perform, but it looked downright awesome doing it! I used that car's modified bodywork as the inspiration for a model I'm building for the "Gumball Rally" CBP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...