Projects Unsafe At Any Speed...Nader's Nightmare! '62 Corvair

He is indisposed at the moment.

 

Santa lives in Fresno?

 

No, I took that picture when I went to the North Pole to pick up my '58 El Camino, litter of jackalopes and petrified unicorn turd shiftknob.

 

Hey maybe you can bring that car out to Eagle Field when it's finished??
May 21st...

 

Judging by that picture, yup, Santa DEFINATELY resides in Fresno.

 

When I see projects like this I wonder why they don't just weld a Corvair body if that's what they have to have onto a Buick Special, Pontiac Tempest or Olds F85 chassis, or just build one of those three front enginecars in the first place? They were all basically the same floor pan.

 

This build is just (insert explicative) in all the best kinda ways. You just gave me a reason to like Corvairs.

 

Fantastic, Richard !!

My first car was a '64 Monza Spyder, topless (in '69). Real slow 0-60, but a beast from 70-115 !!

You're ill.

 

Don't shoot the messenger . . . I know LS is a bad word around here . . . But, Mike Meyers from IL has this '69 with an LS1.

He also has a '62 wagon with an LS1. Not where you're headed, Richard, but a fellow freak nonetheless.

 

I saw those cars in Hot rod the other day. Not my style, but cool anyway.

 

Started on the frame today. I think I have figured out how to cure my steering problem. I unbolted the box, and trimmed the bottom of the stock subframe. I shaped a piece of 2"x3" tubing to follow the contour. I believe I can let the whole steering column/box slide forward a bit and not need to use a u-joint. I may have to clearance the new framerail a bit to clear the nut on the pitman arm, but the arm wont need to be bent.
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You can see in the photo below, where the steering box was originally mounted. I'll cut out a piece of 3/8" steel plate, and drill and tap new mounting holes to mount the steering box on the new framerail. The steering arm on the spindle(green tape on the ball joint) will still need heating and bending.

 

This is a '47-'54 chevy truck axle. If I lay a level on the spring pad, is the caster zero degrees? I'm guessing I need 7-10 degrees caster, considering the high center of gravity and short wheelbase.

 

So this is what happens when you bbq birds and drink nanny light. Looks like a cool build keep the updates coming.

 

You guys are frigging killing me. Funny stuff, this place is full of comedians.

Seriously, this is a cool build even if it is a little "off of his meds" nuts. Looking forward to more.

One question & one comment.

Does you not being able to afford to rebuild the hemi mean no hemi for now or no hemi ever? The hemi would push this build over the top (or over the edge depending on your viewpoint...)

And please, please, please don't use an S10 rear. those are a 7.5 ten bolt & they are weak as wet kleenex when you lean on them. I have broken 7 of them in an O/T street car. (I had lots of spares & was too broke to replace it with a better rear) If you use one in a drag car with slicks you will break it. Not if but when. 7.5's are like cheating on your wife. you might get away with it for a little while but you are gonna get caught. I have broken axles, spider gears, the cross shaft the spiders ride on & once I busted the gear off of the end of the pinion shaft & shoved it out through the bottom of the case on a 3-4 shift.

7.5's are a good cruiser diff but for race use are junk. IMO, you'd be better to find a 8.5 ten bolt out of an old chevelle or similar car to use. lots stronger. Still not the best but cheap, plentiful & decently strong.

 

The S-10 rear is only temporary, I know it will break quick. I'd like to do the Hemi someday, but I have a healthy running smallblock ready to go right now.

I'm putting all future info on this project in this thread:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=542558

 

Real Men put the big v8's in the Rear...

Here's a better pic of John Guess's / Goodies Speed shop v8 Vair.

http://www.stanceiseverything.com/2012/06/wtf-friday-turn-down-the-suck/

 

You can tell me it's manly all you want, and I'm fine that you like it, but I don't want to put anything in my rear.

Possibly why I own Falcons.

 

I HEARD about a hot rodder that put too much power in his car once........But I never met him!!

 

Definitely unsafe, I like it! Screw Ralph Nader. If it's too loud, makes too much horsepower, has tons of torque or revs like a chainsaw it's exactly right.