jdcar32 Posted January 7, 2023 Posted January 7, 2023 I bought and built this AMT Corvair when it was a new release back in the '60's. I was influenced by a Hot Rod magazine article that showed the Crown V-8 conversion. Then it was lost for 50 years. But an old model building friend contacted me saying he had one of my old models ! So he sent it back to me, in pieces in a zip lock bag. So I rebuilt it with a few more skills than I had 50 years ago. The AMT kit has a generic Chevy small block mated to the Corvair transaxle. Paint is Tamiya rattle can. A radiator is placed under those rear scoops where the Corvair engine used to be. All the parts are from the original build, just recommissioned. I did add photo etched Dzus fasteners, something not available 50 years ago ! 8
Lucius Molchany Posted January 7, 2023 Posted January 7, 2023 Nice paint and stripe work!Looks like a Yenko Stinger 1
Ace-Garageguy Posted January 7, 2023 Posted January 7, 2023 (edited) Wunnerful. The Crown conversion, which used the Corvair Saginaw gearbox, worked well. Only problem was that the engine was just a little too far forward in the chassis, limiting seat adjustment. Radiators usually went in front. Guy I ran slaloms against in the Ga.Tech Sports Car Club (he had a Corvair 140-powered Manx on Indy rubber and was unbeatable) later built and ran a big-block, mid-engined Chevy-powered Corvair convert in SCCA, running in A/ Sports Racing against hairy stuff like McLarens. Life was better then. Edited January 7, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy CLARITY 1
Lobo2me Posted January 7, 2023 Posted January 7, 2023 Sweet! Better than most 1:1 conversions and one of the very best Corvair models I've ever seen. Good job! 1
jdcar32 Posted January 8, 2023 Author Posted January 8, 2023 5 hours ago, Lucius Molchany said: Nice paint and stripe work!Looks like a Yenko Stinger Love any Yenko, I'm sure they influenced the new build.
TooOld Posted January 8, 2023 Posted January 8, 2023 That's cool and very well executed , great that you were able to save it ! The cooloing holes in the rear glass are a nice touch . 1
Speedpro Posted January 8, 2023 Posted January 8, 2023 In '76 I was in the usmc stationed in hawaii. At the time I had a '67 nova gasser. Was sitting at a stop light in front of a car dealership and this guy came running out and said "You got to come in and see what we have in our show room". So I did. And guess what they had sitting there? Thats right, A corvair with a small block chevy sitting in the back seat! The guy wanted to make a deal with me for my nova. I thought about it, but drove away in my nova. Your build reminds me of that day. Very well done and thanks for bringing back a fun memory for me. 1
espo Posted January 8, 2023 Posted January 8, 2023 Beautiful looks build. Like the cowling you have around the engine. I have a stalled project along these same lines. LS in the back seat and radiator behind the Corvette transaxle rear. Maybe this will get me to revisit that one. My Crown story is from '72. There is a heavily traveled canyon hiway the runs between Riverside County and Orange County in Sothern California. The subject of my interest lived in Orange County, and I worked in Riverside at the time. I often was commuting between the two areas at all hours of the weekend evenings and would encounter some interesting cars once in a while in my travels. My '67 El Camino 396 with close ratio 4 speed was still fairly new and I had added a bigger cam, carb. and headers as was sort of the norm at that time. A gentleman overtook me one late night in what looked like a nice stock? Corvair Turbo. He sort of challenged me a little and I thought, this should be easy. Lets just say as soon as he stuck his foot in that Corvair I knew I had been had. At least I don't think the small block sounded stock, just to save a little ego you understand. 1
jdcar32 Posted January 8, 2023 Author Posted January 8, 2023 3 hours ago, Speedpro said: In '76 I was in the usmc stationed in hawaii. At the time I had a '67 nova gasser. Was sitting at a stop light in front of a car dealership and this guy came running out and said "You got to come in and see what we have in our show room". So I did. And guess what they had sitting there? Thats right, A corvair with a small block chevy sitting in the back seat! The guy wanted to make a deal with me for my nova. I thought about it, but drove away in my nova. Your build reminds me of that day. Very well done and thanks for bringing back a fun memory for me. Thank you for your service !
Lunajammer Posted January 8, 2023 Posted January 8, 2023 Very impressive all around. The details look great. 1
happy grumpy Posted January 9, 2023 Posted January 9, 2023 Fantastic looking corvair. The blue stripe over white works perfectly. 1
Maindrian Pace Posted January 10, 2023 Posted January 10, 2023 Very, very sharp build, and great engineering on the conversion. 1
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