Mid engine custom Corvair aka "Unsafe At Any Speed" :)

[ea0863]

Hello All, after seeing "Rare Vair" at SEMA 2021 (pictured below), I was inspired to try my own rendition in 1:24 scale. 

Details on my build are under the same title as this thread in the WIP section. In summary though, I began with an AMT Chezoom, threw in some parts from an AMT '69 Corvair, added drivetrain and suspension from a Revell Foose '65 Impala, a few bits from a Revell '29 Model A Roadster, and the hood from a Revell '08 Shelby GT500. (Since our member Claude Thibodeau has nicknamed me "Dr. Frankenstein" for mashing parts together from different kits, I wanted to live up to the moniker!  ) What you see below is the results of my efforts, which I have named "Unsafe At Any Speed"  as an aspersion to the hack who wrote the book by the same name. These are what I call the "beauty shots":

Paint was the ubiquitous Tamiya TS-8 red, TS-14 black, and TS-13 clear. For the first time, I tried my hand at sanding and polishing the paint to reduce orange peel (having some level of success). I also tried BMF in the form of Scotch 3M foil tape 3311, which I found at the auto store. Being slightly thicker than commercial BMF, I found it easier to work with my tired and clumsy hands. The grille work came in the form of Detail Master DM-2590 honeycomb grill #1. Finally, I gave it a go with wiring the engine and the use of Tamiya Panel Line Accent for the shut lines. Below are more detail photos of how it came out:

Overall, I am thrilled with how this model came out, and it is easily the most complex build I have ever done. Enjoying the company of the members of this forum has spurred me on to improve my skills with each build. In this case, I am particularly happy with how the drivetrain came out, as well as the interior, and hood. I am least happy with my painting skills, the fact that I forgot to put disc brakes in before permanently gluing the wheels in place, and the devil's creation known as BMF!  For those interested in more pictures of Rare Vair, how this build came together, or the pluses and minuses of the AMT Chezoom kit from my perspective, check out the WIP thread. And finally, I have to send a shout out to Misha Koslovsky whose version of Chezoom inspired me, and which I look eagerly forward to seeing completed.

Edited May 16, 2022 by ea0863
Additional info

[charger74]

Thats a really cool corvair 

[NOBLNG]

That is a really fine piece of work! Great fab work and it’s a beauty too.?

[John B.]

Very nice - Bill Cunningham of ACME built a mid-engine Corvair many years ago and this one invokes memories of that model.

[mustang1989]

That all came together very well. You can tell that alot of time and effort went into this one that's for sure.

[unclescott58]

Cool Corvair. 

[Bernard Kron]

Very fine modeling! Great imagineering.

[MeatMan]

It came out very nicely.

I know what it took to get there, and you did a fine job.

[Bugatti Fan]

Lovely Corvair model, really looks the part.

Unsafe At Any Speed!      

Wasn't there a book published with that title many years ago that castigated the car industry for lack of built in car safety features?  I seem to remember it being very controversial at the time.

Edited May 17, 2022 by Bugatti Fan

[David G.]

That came out great!

Excellent engineering work getting that V-8 installed and finding a way to get the power to the ground.

David G.

[Claude Thibodeau]

Dear Doctor...

Great mash-up! Hence, I see no reason to reevaluate my previous statement. You are, indeed, a Doctor Frankenstein of sorts. Just the good variety!

Bravo!

CT 

[ea0863]

6 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Lovely Corvair model, really looks the part.

Unsafe At Any Speed!      

Wasn't there a book published with that title many years ago that castigated the car industry for lack of built in car safety features?  I seem to remember it being very controversial at the time.

Ralph Nader attempted to make a name for himself with that book. In essence, he attacked the early Corvairs as being "unsafe at any speed" because under specific circumstances, they might roll over. Later Corvairs fixed the issue, but by then, the damage was done. That is the very basics of a very complex and controversial topic/book.  

[ea0863]

3 hours ago, Claude Thibodeau said:

Dear Doctor...

Great mash-up! Hence, I see no reason to reevaluate my previous statement. You are, indeed, a Doctor Frankenstein of sorts. Just the good variety!

Bravo!

CT 

Why thank you Sir!  It is downright embarrassing where I am in comparison to the finest builders - such as yourself - in this forum. But, it does push me to learn new things and perhaps do better on the next build.

[Claude Thibodeau]

50 minutes ago, ea0863 said:

Why thank you Sir!  It is downright embarrassing where I am in comparison to the finest builders - such as yourself - in this forum. But, it does push me to learn new things and perhaps do better on the next build.

Hi Doctor!

A fellow modeler on this forum once said : "A clean build gets you attention... An imaginative one gets you trophies". I'm certain he was right.

Keep modeling. So much styrene, so little time!

CT 

[happy grumpy]

Really nice Corvair. Well done

[Beamerman]

Great Job! I love it..very cool..

[Zippi]

That is one bad looking Corvair.  The red looks killer.  Nice job.