Craig Irwin

I've been checking my VW kits for a better engine, pickings are slim....

You chose it! Go build yourself something cool.

This is the next one. http://www.ipmsroscoeturner.org/2012%20Contest.htm

Plymouth Prowler and Lotus 7 had a love child?

Stock never was stock, ask the little guys that had to run the "factory boys" back in the 60's

Yes, the 69 spoiler is taller and fits a flatter deck lid.

1968 for US models, other markets got changes in different years.

The Monogram 70 GS kit is 1/24th, so the AMT 66 & 69 Riviera's may be your only options. Engine bay ?????

OK, the good news for the Corvair swap guys is that AMT Meyers 'Toad kit has a VW transaxle with a 6 carb Corvair Mill. The bad news is that kit is as rare as hens teeth.

I've done enough drag racing to know that any car , A, Can be fast, and ,B, can break parts. It has nothing to do with the name on the grille. Badmouthing someones car often leads to watching his tail lights next round. I remember back years ago in Muscle Car Mag when a Hemi owner said Buicks ran like they were tied to a tree. A Stage 1 GS put his Road Runner back on the trailer at a mach-up a few issues later.

I think he's looking to see if everythings still there!

Yes, but the title says LeSabre, which is the GM "B" body, same as the full size Chevy. The Cutlass kit would be the only starting point for a Century.

The widened VW wheels I remember on early glass buggies were the 65 and earlier smoothie wheels, like the love bug kits.

The only "easy to find" correct late Chevy 6 is in the Trumpeter Nova kit. Did the 62 full size Chevy still use the early 6?

I bought one on ebay a few years ago, I don't know if the caster still sells them or not.

Found this, 162.8 HP normally aspirated.

If those molds are Mikes from back in the early 90's they would be worthless by now.Who has the masters?

Dealing in plastic models anything we can glue together works as good as are imagination says it does, but in the real world the problems I referred to are far more than too much power for the VW transaxle to handle. VW transaxles have been used in V8 powered kit cars, off road racing, and 9 second turbo VW drag cars without problems for years. My friend Jay with the turbo Subaru engine is running a Rancho built unit and has driven that car cross country twice. The first problem is length, the VW mill fits up under the body while the Corvair sticks out a good foot. Most of us don't like that look. Problem 2, laws require a fan belt guard on exposed engine, not easy on (or pretty on the Corvair) Problem 3 is the weight and lack of a rear motor mount, this insures broken front motor mounts and nosecones, from stress not power. Look at the VW chassis and you can see this is not an easy fix. Problem 4 is the backwards rotation of the Corvair engine. The "fliped ring gear" fix has the transmission running backwards to the way it was designed and has problems oiling everything properly. Also the pinion is now driving the ring gear on the coast side, not a good thing under load. Reversing the Corvair engine is done, the cams, oil pumps and such are available but not cheap. Problem 5, adapting the starter motor. The Crown kit falls short here. The only way to do the swap in my opinion is the Hadley "Transvair" kit, which solves most of the problems by installing a rear "cage" that has the rear mount included, and uses the Corvair transaxle.

You're right, they're too heavy! Honestly, a Corvair engine in a buggy causes far too many problems to be worth the effort. (And you are still way short on the power a vw can make!) Of coarse in plastic we can do anything we want!

My VW makes 45-55 HP with 2 plug wires off of it.

It's not a collectable once the bag is opened and the parts are trimmed from the trees.

Here's my Manx, a '69 Manx II, my daughter giving my grandson a ride.

It ALMOST was a few years back! All of the '29 roadster and a lot of the Ala Kart were sold as a '29 model A kit, the extra Ala Kart parts were not mentioned.

Missing link resins does the early bumpers and grille!

Chuck, I'm sure the engine and transaxle will disappoint, this is a "axle through the engine" kit, the metal wire runs in the open where the swing axle tubes should be. The whole thing is chrome, and while the engine looks good, it is a 36 HP mill, the fuel pump and generator stand give it away. The dual carbs are early tall units (okrasa?) and little more than lumps. The basics can be used to update to something larger if you know the subject well. I built one into a type 3 engine years ago. (THE hot setup back in the day!) We need a resin caster to save us a lot of conversion work!