'60 Corvair A/FX /pre-funny car

[Quiet Eric]

This probably doesn't fit into any actual class, it's more of a match racer. I was very inspired by a picture I saw of the Glendale Speed Center car. I tried a couple times to score an original but rough AMT convertible for this but failed. Next best thing was a reject/rough resin casting I found on ebay. Just what I needed.

The chassis is from the current issue '65 Chevelle funny car. I have cut the interior tub up quite a bit to make it fit. I also cut off the front spring perches, moved them forward and shortened them as much as I could to get it lower. I also cheated some an drilled new locating holes in the springs to get the axle even more forward, but I'm not shooting for realism on this one anyway. I still needed to stretch the rear wheel openings to line up. Not sure if I'll keep them stretched or fill in the back area. Front tires are from the kit, wheels I believe are from a Little Red Wagon wheelstander with modified parts box wheel backs to really narrow the track width. Rear wheels are slightly modified from the kit, and the tires are from an AMT Model T kit.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I like it. A lot. A whole lot.  

But you're right. Initially, A/FX cars had to be built with factory-available parts...main structure, engine, gearbox, rear end...(though they didn't have to be factory-available on the model of car they were used to race with), and nothing like that amount of engine setback would have been legal.

Mickey Thompson's A/FX Tempest is a good example: 421 Pontiac V8, manual gearbox behind it, and the Tempest's transaxle rear end and independent suspension replaced with a stout Pontiac solid rear axle.

However, something like your Corvair could conceivably have been a class-legal M/SP (modified sports) car...depending of course on the sanctioning body. The engine setback is even too extreme for that though.

But as you say, more likely it was built as a crowd-pleasing match-racer.

Man, I miss those days.  

Edited August 3 by Ace-Garageguy

[Shark]

I bet that thing was a handful to drive.

[gtx6970]

Very cool.

 

These make for a very unusual, but very cool drag car 

 

There were several back in the day 

[M W Elky]

This is a really neat and unique project I like it a lot . The topless cars of the60’s are really growing ie :melrose missile , Canuck , Flying Dutchman , Garlits dart , Hayden Proffit’s CORVAIR and the manny more  . I can’t wait to see it finished 

[papajohn97]

Very cool project Eric. One the big challenges in reproducing scale models of these early funny cars is finding reference photos of the engine/ chassis/ interior details. It seems most of the mags at the time mainly published exterior photos of the cars at the staging area or launching and rarely showed details of them in the pits or under fabrication. Anybody out there have any magazine articles about this car??? (MW Elky???)

Looking forward to watching this one come together!

 

Edited August 4 by papajohn97
Corrections

[Quiet Eric]

Progress. I decided to start over with a lot of stuff on the chassis. Grabbed a front axle setup from a Revell '32 Ford kit with a much narrower track and made a custom spring crossmember. I'll use the 4-link from that kit too. Cut out the transmission crossmember and added longitudinal bars to the frame. That gives me a place to mount the front of the rear ladder bars since the trans crossmember is gone. Did someone say engine setback? Because theres a lot of it now! Made a motor plate for the front of the engine and reused part of the original transmission crossmember. I cut the rear section of the interior tub away only using the floor and firewall, and shortened it a lot. Whipped up a roll hoop. I think it's pretty close to the original concept.

[M W Elky]

Such a cool project and it really looks like your making good progress 

[Quiet Eric]

I originally thought this would be a pretty simple build. But I couldn't help but get a little more serious with the chassis. Theres a lot of superglue reinforcement on the joints that I'll shape and sand later. Needed a place to mount the steering box so I had to build the upper half of the framework. I think I'll remake the motor plate to mount to the frame upright bars in that area now. The steering wheel was a 4-spoke I think from a '65 GTO kit that I trimmed and bent. Started getting the body ready for the main cover panel, flattening the opening some and shaving the wipers.

Edited August 10 by Quiet Eric

[Ace-Garageguy]

Coming together very nicely.  

[bytownshaker]

I really like he work you've done with the chassis

Edited August 10 by bytownshaker
forgot word

[meechum68]

Looking great!! 

 

[FoMoCo66]

Slick! That wheel and tire combo is killer as well.

[Quiet Eric]

Worked on this one just a little every day this week. I decided to fill in the rear part of the the wheel opening in the quarters. I extended them forward to match the offset to the front, then added just a little to the bottom since they looked too short. Smoothed all of that out, then mixed up some 2-part putty to rebuild the wheel lips. Got those sanded down this morning. Its hard to see what they look like but once I get a coat of primer on this thing they'll show up. I also got the tonneau cover made and glued on. I might do a little more work on the openings later, the steering column still needs a gauge panel so will probably have to make room for that plus I'll add a small lip for a "Lexan" wind deflector in front of the cockpit. The injection unit is going to get a Surfer scoop. I'm also starting to think I will re-make the roll hoop and support. They are too big in diameter and I didn't mind that originally, but this project has started to take a little more serious turn and I think it deserves a little more realism. 

Edited August 16 by Quiet Eric

[chris chabre]

killer!

[FoMoCo66]

Man, that cars just got the right everything. Right wheels, right stance, and right motor!

[papajohn97]

Nice progress Eric. I agree with you on the roll bar, it's way too thick! I've had good luck using .080" -.125" OD Evergreen styrene rod and heating it using a flame or boiling water to bend it around a suitably size mandrel (round bottle/ cap, drill bit, etc.) for the radiused portions. 

Love the side profile pic showing that awesome stance, this is going to be one bitch'in build when it's done and painted. Model on!

[Quiet Eric]

Got a little primer on it yesterday so I can see where it needs some more work.

[Quiet Eric]

Ok, I think I'm finally happy with the chassis and fit of everything on this one. Reworked the roll hoop and added some bars out back. I couldn't make it to the LHS this weekend for the right diameter styrene rod so I used some good ol' fashioned parts box scrounging, hence the multi-colors. I shortened the injection unit and cut down a scoop from the Tony Nancy double dragster kit, but think it needs to be cut down just a little more to fit this right. Now I can do some cleanup and sanding on the chassis, and start getting everything in paint.

[James2]

Very interesting subject matter and a great build, nicely done so far.

[diggerguy]

Very cool.

If you weren't around then, you'd think funny cars were all nitro, blown, professionally built and engineered. Hardly. Almost ALL were homebuilt amateur rigs made for appearance money as well as fun racing. The average was pretty stock motors, usually injected on maybe 25%. Just enough to make it LOUD and put some fire in the pipes! 

Unsafe? YEP! there was much talk of outright banning these cars, guys died, spectators died. BUT they were just too popular. Eventually the NHRA and insurance underwriters woke up and set some practical rules. But the were still dangerous as heck.

Try Popular Hot Rodding, Drag Racing, Drag strip and some other less" factory" minded mags. LOTS of funny cars and match racers you never saw before.  Surf eBay and study the thumbnail descriptions. Google is almost useless these days. As for instruments and layout, if you seen one you seen 'em all, Minimalist at best!

Great work, this Corvair would be considered "professional" and super sanitary!

[papajohn97]

Excellent job Eric on the roll bar re-sizing, this build is going to be awesome once it's all painted up & decaled. What are your plans for the markings? Home-printed decals? Unfortunately white is a real challenge unless you have an Alps printer.