ToyLvr

I have a Samsung "Galaxy", and that's what I use to post photos. The system won't let me post them from my iPad, for some reason (loose nut behind the keyboard)....

Mike: I don't recall what model year AMT intended for that kit to replicate, but the box art would indicate a '66 or '67. The '68 and '69 would both have side marker lights, and certain other minor differences. The headlights and tail lights from any AMT '65 -'69 Corvair kit (including the upcoming '69 kit reissue) will fit your kit.

Let me know if you need pix of a 1:1 V-8 powered Corvair. I used to own a '66 coupe with a SBC in the back seat. ;-)

Years ago, I saw an article in a 1:1 car mag where a guy had installed a Hemi in his '55 Chevy. So, it's been done - for real! Go for it, Ken!

I knew a fellow who installed an Olds Toronado engine and drivetrain into his Rampside. It was super fast, but lacking in cargo capacity. ;-)

Owned an Olds "Omega" version of the X car back in the day. Its old style "Iron Duke" 4-cylinder ran well, and overall the car gave my family good service. Later on, bought a new '85 Cavalier J-body. Once again, a vehicle which performed well and gave little trouble. I realize that there are critics of the X body cars, but it worked well for me.

Casey: There is so much dimensional and mechanical difference between the '69 Corvair coupe and the Corvair "truck" that virtually nothing from the AMT kit would be usable except the engine, and even that has several differences. Now, as far as how many people know the Corvair van and truck exist, and whether they'd be a good candidate for a kit, I know that I'd be fighting an uphill in trying to convince the model companies to manufacturer a new kit. But I believe there'd be a whole lot more interest than you think. Keeping in mind the demographics of the "average" car modeler these days (an oft discussed topic here on the forum), I'd bet you that the vast majority are old enough to know about the Corvair Van/Truck, and would have some interest in it. Although the the "Rampside" and "Loadside" pickup trucks were limited production, Chevy made thousands of Corvair passenger vans and panel vans (even an "8-door" version), and they were a common sight on American roads back in the day. In addition to custom possibilites, I think the truck and van would be a very interesting kit for "haulers" and dioramas, etc. Instead of making kits of the same ol' thing, or reissuing the same thing (do we really need more '57 Chevy kits?), how about something different for a change? I think Moebius had the right idea with their Hudson Hornet. Maybe, just maybe......

Bill: There's actually three (3) distinct floor pans for the Corvair cars (not counting the truck version). They all look similar to the casual observer. The 1960 VaIr is sometimes referred to by Corvair purists as "the only real Corvair", and it is Starting with the '61, there were several changes. None of the model kits do a very good job with replicating the floor, IMHO. The main difference, besides the rear suspension which you noted, is the '65-'69 units have a heat duct running the length of the floor from the engine to front of the interior, so the floor stampings were definitely different. The '61 - '64 had hoses *inside* the rocker panels to carry the heat to the cabin. The 60 Corvair had a gas heater, located in the front trunk area. I could ramble on all day about the visual differences. The main point is that you can't just graft the AMT '69 Corvair chassis into your pre-'65 models if you want them to look prototypically correct.

Lee: Yes, there is glass in them. Ken uses clear sheet plastic and custom-forms it to fit.

As a confessed Corvair nut, I'm happy to see any Corvair kit reissued. Of course, if I had it my way, I sure would like to see AMT reissue a pre-'65 Vair. Likewise, wouldn't it be great if some model manufacturer would tool-up a decent Corvair truck or Van? All we've ever had was that miserable little Premier kit claiming to replicate the Corvair "Rampside" pickup. Well, there's at least one Rampside model out there that I've seen. One of the members of my local model club, Ken Knose, decided to build one. See the attached photos. Believe it or not, the basis for the truck was the Lindberg reissue of the old "Little Red Wagon" Dodge. He built the Rampside without the benefit of having seen one, just working from a handful of magazine photos for reference. The other truck in the photo is Ken's Ford "Econoline", which likewise started out as a Little Red Wagon!

Chuck: What fun is it if you can't obsess about it? ;-) Some 45 years after it went out of production, the Corvair is still as controversial as ever. I absolutely love it whenever ANY Corvair (or Corvair powered) kit is reissued. Apparently there are a lot of other Corvair fans out there, too.

Agreed...get your facts straight before posting! I've owned more than 30 Vairs over the last 40 years, and NEVER had a problem with one spinning out on me, even when driving wildly on a gymkhana course, or in the worst winter weather. Like all vehicles, proper tires and tire pressure, as well as the overall condition of the vehicle, effect the handling. A properly set-up and maintained Corvair is a joy to drive. JB, you're right about the Mid-engined Corvairs. I used to own a '66 coupe with an SBC in the back seat. Really fast, but brutal to drive in hot weather. What's really dangerous about the Corvair? As someone else alluded to, exhaust fumes can enter the cabin via the heat system. Like early VW beetles, the Vair has "boxes" around the exhaust manifolds. The heat is drawn into the cabin by a fan. If one (or more) of the manifold "donut" gaskets are leaking, carbon dioxide can be drawn into the cabin, making for a dangerous situation. This can be further compounded by leaky pushrod tube seals, which allow oil to drip into the heater boxes. Another potential danger is the rear wheel bearings on the pre-1965 models. If a bearing goes bad, it can allow the rear axle to pull straight out of the transaxle, wheel and all. During this process, the brake line and/or wheel cylinder are usually damaged, causing the brake fluid to leak out. Since the early Corvairs (and most other cars of that era) only have a single cell brake master cylinder, this means you lose ALL of the brake fluid in the entire system, resulting in no brakes. The most common situation for this axle failure is when travelling at highway speeds, so imagine what it would be like to simultaneously lose your rear wheel and brake system at 65mph! I have actually seen Corvairs sitting on the side of the highway with their axle hanging out, and rear fender all chewed up! the '65 Vair had the updated rear suspension which was similar to a Corvette, thus eliminating this potentional problem as well as the handling problems Nader complained about. I still own a couple of 1:1 Vairs, and plant to pass them on to my Grandsons. Nader was wrong!!!

Congrats, Old Grandpappy! (from one old grandpa to another). Looks like we'll have another modeler coming along in the next few years....

X2

As you might guess from my avatar, the Chevy Corvair is at the top of my list. My family had a '60 4-door when I was a little kid, which is the first car which I can remember riding in. I used to drive my parents crazy because I would climb in the luggage/storage cove behind the back seat and lay down. Of course, that was back in the days before seat belts, much less child car seats. I was to be reunited with Corvairs when I was 15. My Dad bought a rough '62 Monza coupe for me as my first car. He figured it would keep me outta trouble due to its low horsepower, as well as being a good learning opportunity in do-it-yourself mechanical repairs. Little did he know..... Today, I own two (2) 1:1, a '64 Monza convertible and a '65 Monza 4-door. They are #35 & #36, respectively, that I have owned since old #1. Like Skip Ragsdale mentioned about his Mini Cooper, I still get a silly grin on my face every time I drive my Corvairs, and I'm instantly transported back in time to my teenaged years. 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix model "J". I owned this car for quite a while during my years in college. I went from the simplicity and utilitarian Corvair, to the sublime performance and comfort of the GP. 455 V8, A/C, full power accessories. I kept the car until I got married, and went back to driving Corvairs to save $$$. While the Corvairs have always been fun, I'll never forget the marvelous GP. Wish I could afford another one. Escaping reality for a moment, I'd have to close with a tip of the hat to the Chrysler Turbine car. I've been fascinated by it ever since I was a kid. Beautiful body design by Elwood Engel, futuristic engine, luxurious cockpit. I figured I'd be driving one as an adult. Now, the only way to own one is to be a multi-millionaire car collector like Jay Leno.

This kit of the Phaeton was reissued by Monogram a few years ago, using the original box art. The original dates back about 50+ years! It should be easy to find one at a swap meet or an internet auction. Monogram did several kits of the Duesy and other grand classics. Also check out the classics manufactured by JoHan. I've been fortunate to visit the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum several times in the last few years. I also got e chance to sit in a Duesy on my 50th birthday a few years ago. Absolutely amazing piece of craftsmanship. Once you get to see one in person, you'll understand why the phrase "It's a Doozy" is still used today in reference to an amazing or high-quality item. Bruce - nice job on this one!

As I've mentioned before, Powel Crosley was actually a car nut. One of his earliest business ventures was in the automotive aftermarket, selling a variety of items to Model T owners. The $$$ earned from this successful operation helped him to launch his radio & appliance biz later on. Although radio & appliances made him a multi-millionaire, cars were his first love.....

Starbird's Corvair-Powered "Forcasta"....

I ordered the '65 Wildcat resin transkit from Kevin @Missing Link. Kevin was a pleasure to deal with! The kit was shipped promptly, and was very carefully packaged. This led me to ordering more stuff from Missing Link. Very high quality; I am very pleased with all of the items I purchased. For anyone who's interested, here's a little update on my experience with the transkit. First of all, I was lucky to stumble across a fellow modeler who was selling parts of an *original* AMT '65 Wildcat built-up. I got a rolling chassis with engine and original "Rally wheels", and the complete interior. All of this fit like a glove when installed in the Missing Link body. I have since received an AMT '66 Wildcat built-up. I carefully disassembled the '66, and found that all of it's main components (chassis, interior, "glass") all fit just fine in the Missing Link body. So, I can definitely recommend the AMT '66 Wildcat as the donor kit for this project. When I acquired the aforementioned '65 Wildcat parts, the one thing that I didn't get was the "glass", which set me off on a wild goose chase to find it. In the course of my search and investigation, I got hold of the glass from an original AMT '65 Chevy Impala. The Impala glass fit the Resin Wildcat body, with minor alteration. Since the '66 Impala is virtually identical glass to the '65 Impala, it should fit also. Finally, I believe that the glass from the AMT '65 Pontiac Bonneville will fit too, although I haven't been able to get hold of a test sample to confirm. Obviously, the easiest way to avoid such challenges is to get the AMT '66 Wildcat and be done with it. Since I'm a cheapskate, I didn't want to pay for a complete '66 kit or built-up, so I went looking for individual parts. ;-) I really like the Missing Link '65 Wildcat kit, and highly recommend it to you.

"Missing Link" resin caster offers a '64 Ford Galaxie 500 4-door body. That might make for an easier conversion for your project.

During my college years (back in the stone age), one of my odd-jobs was parking Valet at a fancy restaurant. The parking lot was small, and thus parking spots were at a premium, so the valets just hated it when patrons tried to park themselves. Whenever that happened, we would park other cars right next to them in such a manner that it would be *impossible* for them to open their doors. When they finally came to us, looking for help, we took our sweet time about it and made sure they got the hint about tipping, etc. It's never smart to tick-off the parking lot crew! Guys like Drew who asked to park on their own, and were kind enough to offer a tip, were generally allowed to park wherever they wanted so long as they followed instructions and didn't mess up our parking "system". Most of the guys doing that job were car nuts, and we understood if someone didn't want us to drive their car. Reading this thread brought back a lot of humorous memories :-)

You"re not allowed to ask that question here on the Forum. Only trades are permitted!

Agreed. I can never understand why guys with a showroom-stock new Vette or Mustang GT, etc. etc., have to bring it to cruise night. Don't have to get dirty by building their ride, just write a check....

Picked this up in a trade at a local meeting on Saturday. This Started out as a Lindberg '53 Ford. Not sure what I'll do with it, but I thought it was cool...

Yup. I have an Imai kit in my stash that sorta replicates the TV version of the Batmobile. Imai took the same sort of liberties with it, too...