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Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 6, 2015 16:24:54 GMT -5
It is similar to the Ford Falcon, in that it is a uni-body. But on the Flacon, at least the front fenders could be removed by unbolting them. On the Corvair, all one piece. In fact, the '64 I owned had the front left fender replaced before I bought it. The old, damaged one is cut out, and a new piece (from junkyard donor) welded in. Then lots of bondo to hide the repair.
Ed, it's not a flat head (that's a different animal!), just a flat 6. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvair_engine For whatever reason, also known as a "boxer." I remember them being called "pancake" motors. Here's some photos: www.google.com/search?q=pancake+engine+corvair&biw=1234&bih=731&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CCgQsARqFQoTCM6Y_YjX_MgCFcg-PgodVzgJ8Q
At one time, I had a dunebuggy with a Corvair motor. I'll tell you, dune buggies are worse than boats when it comes to having to throw money into them, lol. When it was purchased, the distributor had been worked over to give more power (something to do with advancing the timing. Probably also had a special camshaft). We had a storage yard where we used to live where we kept it parked on a trailer. Someone stole the distributor, and had the 4 barrel carb most of the way off. We bought a new distributer, and had it juiced a little. Unfortunately, it was juiced a little too much, and it burned a hole in a piston. We replaced the motor with one laying around my dads house, and then sold it.
Yes, the fan blows down into the motor. The motor is shrouded in such a way that the air is directly down onto the top of it. This car has about 142K miles on it, I imagine the blower bearing has been replaced at least once. I have ALL the receipts and records for the car (included contract papers from the Chevy dealer in La Jolla!), so I'm sure I have that information.
I have never been bit by the belt, it does have some guards around it. The strangest things about it is the belt moves in two planes. It moves horizontal around the blower, then is turned 90 degrees over a pulley, goes around the harmonic balancer on the back end of the crankshaft, then gets turned again, goes over the generator, and back around the blower. If everything is working correctly (good bearings, everything in alignment, nothing in the way or things dropped into shroud), they are no more problem than a fan belt on a regular motor.
But every Corvair owner will carry a spare or a dozen, lol. I think there were 8 of them in the trunk when I brought the car down here. Again, if you are aware of the idiosyncrasies of the car, you pay attention to the condition of the belt and make sure it is in good condition. The local Corvair club has picnics and meets and such. One of their staple games at such functions is a fan belt toss!
Many years ago, while I was driving my '64 on I-8 eastbound out of San Diego, there was an older couple at the side of the road in a broken down Corvair. Had to have been around 1980ish. Anyway, as I passed, I said to Bob, "I'll bet they just need a fan belt!" We had to go a half dozen miles up the hill until we could turnaround, and another half dozen to get back to where they were. I had been right, their fan belt had broken! Well, being the good Corvair owner I was, of course I had a few spare belts in the trunk, and a couple 9/16" wrenches to install one. I changed it for the couple, and the man said, "What do we owe you?" I wasn't planning on asking anything of them. The fan belt had a cardboard wrapper around it (from FedMart, which has been closed now for eons), with a price sticker that said $1.89 or some such trifle. I showed that to him, and said, "No, you deserve more than that!" He had his wife write me a check for $15 or something. Not a whole lot, he'd have spent a lot more on a tow truck. But that's not why I did it for them (feel-good feeling!). Anyway, he gives me his business card for a LARGE shipyard in San Diego, and tells me he is in charge of hiring and firing. He said if I ever needed a job, to just give him a call! Like I said, this was many years ago, I'm sure he has long ago retired, maybe is no longer even alive. People with Corvairs develop a camaraderie. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 6, 2015 16:28:42 GMT -5
Was posting at the same time as you Andy. I guess it is okay to be unsafe, as long as you are aware of it, lol. I am glad we have a BIG truck for mrrockpicker to drive. He kinda scares the crap out of me sometimes... I don't think I know of anybody else that uses the horn at least once every time they drive.
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garock
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Post by garock on Nov 6, 2015 16:48:41 GMT -5
Had a co-worker who had 5 or 6 Corvair's and rebuilt several with parts from the others. He was driving to Oskosh, MI for a fly-in of home built air craft in his first rebuilt Corvair. He was driving pretty fast and topped a crest while the wind was blowing head on. It gusted and picked the front end up and he says it flew off the road to the right and into a ditch. He did not get hurt which he felt very lucky. Had it taken to a junkyard and salvaged enough to get it on to Oskosh. He says he never drove it over 50 mph again. Douglas County GA made him either get rid of all his junk Covairs or build a shed to put them under. He built a shed. He has made a lot of extra money selling spare parts. He rebuilt 3. He really liked the Corvair cars. Ms Jean, the Corvair is the "bestest" looking Corvair I have ever seen !
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Post by mohs on Nov 6, 2015 16:59:32 GMT -5
that belt gets around! great story Jean have corvair --will travel well maybe not to the top of Dictionary Hill but at least as far as the O's  sorry Jean for the goofy humor but I have been rock'n hearts today mostly  |
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bsky4463
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Post by bsky4463 on Nov 7, 2015 8:14:04 GMT -5
... I don't think I know of anybody else that uses the horn at least once every time they drive. I get it....learned how to drive in NJ, no 10 & 2 for hand position on the steering wheel they taught us noon and center! Cheers |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Nov 7, 2015 9:21:40 GMT -5
On it's way Jean, turbo engine ready for your cream puff. Hat's off to Chevy and their forward thinking. First production turbo ?? Anyone ?? Maybe Porsche with their 911.  |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 7, 2015 10:08:56 GMT -5
According to Wiki, in 1962, "GM manufactured the first turbocharged production cars with the Turbo jetfireengine, used in the Oldsmobile Jetfire. A modified version of the turbocharger setup was also used in the Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder released a month leter." Read more here: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbocharged_petrol_engines#HistoryHuh, I learned something new... |
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Post by mohs on Nov 7, 2015 10:20:50 GMT -5
is the car rear or front wheel drive?
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Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 7, 2015 10:31:00 GMT -5
Rear. Probably the first production rear wheel drive car in the US, if I'm not mistaken. Totally radical and innovative for its time.
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Post by mohs on Nov 7, 2015 11:02:21 GMT -5
I guess!
darn innovative !
I gotta ask Jean
is ZZ Top as high as you can get on Dictionary Hill?
mostly
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Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 7, 2015 11:31:00 GMT -5
Ed, you misunderstood me. I don't live on Dictionary Hill, Craig socalagatehound does. The post on the shoutout is gone now, but I said something like "Craig lives a couple miles away from me up on Dictionary Hill." Him, not me. I live DOWN the hill, and a couple miles south of him. BTW, I've never met him. I suppose how high you get on Dictionary Hill depends on how good the stuff you're smoking is...  |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Nov 7, 2015 11:51:11 GMT -5
That's crazy that GM opened the can on the turbo, especially on a out of the box design air cooled so early on. Little did they know how popular they would become. I was studying turbos in early 70's- a muscle car made from a cheap low compression pollution engine. Maybe I could do it. Further research told that the drive train/valves would not hold up well to the big bump in horsepower. so it got complicated. Would have been fun to have a sleeper with 500HP.(in high school...probably a bad idea). I would have used my machine to scoop up hotties, Jean looking good:  |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 7, 2015 13:48:53 GMT -5
That's crazy that GM opened the can on the turbo, especially on a out of the box design air cooled so early on. Little did they know how popular they would become. I was studying turbos in early 70's- a muscle car made from a cheap low compression pollution engine. Maybe I could do it. Further research told that the drive train/valves would not hold up well to the big bump in horsepower. so it got complicated. Would have been fun to have a sleeper with 500HP.(in high school...probably a bad idea). I would have used my machine to scoop up hotties, Jean looking good: Ha! Shut yo mouth! What's wrong with yo eyes, MudBoy? Surprised you didn't see and get infatuated with the 1968 Yamaha 125 twin on the front porch. Something one of my brother owned at one time. I think you can see it better in the pic with both cars on dad's driveway.  Back to work. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Nov 7, 2015 14:27:15 GMT -5
My Dad was a fighter pilot and had some of the sharpest eyes ever tested in the Navy @ 20-8. Me got the same. one thing I got Standing by my comment... Yes the little Yamaha would be high on the list round here. Was it a ring-a-ding 2 stroke ? Yamaha came out with those RD350 'pocket rocket' 2-strokes along that time. Cheap little light weight that could spank about all of Detroit's muscle cars. Just don't leave the kick stand down or you will get flipped up into the telephone wires in a left turn. In a another life I want to be your brother so I could have so many of y'all 's toys.  I thought so, your little Yamaha 125 was a giant killer. Bet Triumphs and BSA cried when rind-a-ding coated them with two stroke oil in the rear view. " The AS1 is so small it surely could never be a viable proposition for an adult to ride on the road, Once on the move and buzzing away in its sharp power band however, the truth emerges, the 125cc two-stroke is more than a match for machinery several times the capacity. This must have come as quite a shock for the British bike owner seeing cloud of blue smoke and the tiny Yam disappearing off into the distance." There was three Kawa 750 2-strokes at my high school. One of the riders graduated. Do not mess w/2 stroke M/Cycles |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 7, 2015 14:41:22 GMT -5
Ha ha, yeah that be the one - a ring-a-ding two stroke. Could not see an adult riding it without laughing.
Not a Honda, but still a (little) rice burner from way back.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Nov 7, 2015 14:46:50 GMT -5
Ha ha, yeah that be the one - a ring-a-ding two stroke. Could not see an adult riding it without laughing. Not a Honda, but still a (little) rice burner from way back. Added more since your post. Laughing and respecting the little Yamaha. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Nov 7, 2015 14:53:12 GMT -5
Probably one of the first 6 speeds, peaky little engine
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Post by mohs on Nov 7, 2015 15:53:04 GMT -5
nah I did misunderstand Jean
jus Dictionary Hill tickles me
so many metaphors
if I lived on dictionary hill
i'd have everybody look me up under
M for
mostly
i'll return this thread now to car talk & 70's girls
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Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 7, 2015 16:17:36 GMT -5
In a another life I want to be your brother so I could have so many of y'all 's toys. Never had an older brother before. James, if you were my brother, I believe you would put the "fun" back into dysfunctional, lol. Think of all the trouble we could get into... |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Nov 7, 2015 18:55:33 GMT -5
In a another life I want to be your brother so I could have so many of y'all 's toys. Never had an older brother before. James, if you were my brother, I believe you would put the "fun" back into dysfunctional, lol. Think of all the trouble we could get into... older ?? no way. See, we would start bickering right off. |
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