There is an old saying amongst gear-heads that you should never buy someone else's project - no matter how good it looks on paper, on screen or in person...its gonna nickle and dime you to death when you get to the details. This one certainly qualifies as a project - its not running, the paint is blistering in spots, brakes don't work...but its got an all aluminum V8 shoved in the spot where the horrible air cooled flat 6 would have originally burned oil, rattled fillings and produced paltry power.
Most V8 swapped Corvairs have the engines/trans shoved ahead of the rear transaxle because the rear-mounted stock flat six rotates in the opposite direction from most domestic iron. However, this monster is equipped with a reverse rotating Oldsmobile 215 V8. The Olds V8 was a version of the famous Buick V8 that was also used in Pontiacs back in the 60s and was known as the BOP 215..however, the blueprints were later sold to British Leyland and it was known as the Rover 215 and shoehorned in all manner of right hand drive vehicles from 1960-2006. The Olds example was produced from 1961-63 and featured wedge (instead of hemispherical in the Buick) shaped combustion chambers and was good for 195 horsepower and 235 ft-lbs of torque when it wasn't being turbocharged.
The inside of this project looks pretty dirty but mostly complete, the seller does indicate that it door cards and headliner are fine, but the seats need attention. Frankly, we are just impressed that a V8 swapped Corvair still has a back seat and room for the kids.
We apologize for not listing this car when it was for sale, because it did cross our radar. Were we surprised to not see a single bid and assume its because the pictures are so horrible. Consider this posting a data point for future V8 powered Corvair reference. Rest assured, if this car comes back up on ebay in the next few months with better pictures it should fetch something above $5k.
See another Corv8ir? email us here: tips@dailyturismo.com
Taking it for what it is, I'd bet the weight balance wasn't changed much. The issue becomes the radiator and the heater. He should make it a running car before trying to sell it.imho
ReplyDelete~ this is the sort of thing i might have gotten excited about 10 or 15 years ago. it has the aluminum V8, although it is behind an automatic transaxle. it leaves room for lots of innovation by virtue(?) of being half-done. and it's only 20 miles from where i presently sit. the intervening decade+ has brought wisdom, skepticism, fear, and a sense that time is of greater value than in younger days. the builder ought to invest a couple days hard work to bump in up a notch or two. that may not increase the price by much but would attract a larger buyer pool.
ReplyDelete. i'm curious how reverse rotation was accomplished.
I was amused by your description of the original Corvair engine.
ReplyDeleteI bought a 65 Turbo new in the fall of 64. It never burned oil, smoked, or rattled fillings.
What it did do was blow off many V/8's. In second gear it came on like Gang Buster's. 10 or so years later I had the engine B & B'd added forged pistons and a reduced scroll housing plus a mild Isky cam. DAMN! With Micky Thompson DOT's I ran a best of 14:61 on av gas. They made me run in C/S against fast Chevy's that ran in the high 13's. I sold the car to collector in the 90's.
I was amused by your description of the original Corvair engine.
ReplyDeleteI bought a 65 Turbo new in the fall of 64. It never burned oil, smoked, or rattled fillings.
What it did do was blow off many V/8's. In second gear it came on like Gang Buster's. 10 or so years later I had the engine B & B'd added forged pistons and a reduced scroll housing plus a mild Isky cam. DAMN! With Micky Thompson DOT's I ran a best of 14:61 on av gas. They made me run in C/S against fast Chevy's that ran in the high 13's. I sold the car to collector in the 90's.