Car wanted

[John Edwards]

Looking for a 65 to 69 Corvair project car. If it has a crown conversion great if not I’ll be fine. I live in Portland Oregon having a hard time finding what I like over here. I found a car with a kelmark conversion in it. I do not know if this would be a good choice or not. Any help would be appreciated.

[Richard Miller]

I'll throw my 2 cents in here ,,, what exactly do you want and what are your skills and yes ,, finances ? hot rod wisdom says start with the nicest car you can afford ,, it just makes things easier and less time consuming down the road ,,I didn't do that ,, when I started my car I wasn't sure if I could do it and so didn't want to turn a nice car into scrap ,, my conversion is now running and although I am still making changes to refine it I would call it a success ,, but ,, it is rusty and needs bodywork ,, and I don't do that and don't want to tear it down and ship it to paint jail and wont pay serious money to someone else to do it for me ,, I like being able to say I did it all ..so I have a nasty looking car that works pretty good ,, can you do all you will need to do or afford to pay someone else to do it for you? it will consume more time and money than you expect ,,,but if you want a V8 conversion here are some points I have thought about ,,kelmark style conversion offers more interior room ,, but transaxle running backwards is not the best idea ,, limit the horsepower to help ,, or run a different transaxle ,, more money and complexity to swap,, crown is more common and readily available but guys are looking for other transaxle choices there too ,,engine service is difficult on both with the engine inside the car ,, a convertible was originally NOT suggested as they are not as strong but many have built 'verts and seem to work fine ,, maybe some additional frame members to help ,, or put the engine in the rear original ,, I like what Craig Nicols has done ,, a V6 in rear ,,,both would be easier to maintain ,, so what to look for ? I would suggest waiting to find a complete running car in good shape and buying a finished conversion ,, more money up front but savings in the long run and immediate driver ,, they do come up for sale ,, there will still be plenty to do ,, on the other hand building my car taught me skills I didn't previously have ,, do you want to DRIVE a mid engine Corvair or BUILD one ,, they are unique ,, hot rodders are a small % of the population ,, people into V8 corvairs VERY few ,, look at our membership ,, not many of us ,, I don't necessarily remember the exact quote ,, but I think it was from Doug Roe and went something like this " DOING WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING MAKES YOU BORING AND AT BEST ONLY PUTS YOU ON EQUAL FOOTING " or you could build a RED 1969 CAMARO

[John Edwards]

Thanks for your two cents. Ha ha. I’ve had many cars in the past I am a diesel technician by trade. I have just sold my 63 Chevy nova to purchase a house and always wanted a Corvair with a mid engine conversion. For as long as I can remember. I enjoy the challenge and I do like to do all the work myself. I understand that a lot of times it is cheaper in the long run to buy a car that has already been converted. But this takes all the fun out of the project for me. I have been researching many different options. I did not want to stay with the Kelmrk conversion but thought it would be a good base to start. Not looking for a lot of horse power just something that will be enjoyable to drive. Even thinking of a 4.3 as this is a shorter engine and make a little bit more room. I have been doing a lot of research trying to figure out what the best way to approach this car would be. Go with a C5, Porsche are on the top of my list. I have just joined the club recently. Another thing about the Corvair that you mentioned there’s not too many of them out there and I don’t like to be like everybody else on the block always like to have something a little different.

[Richard Miller]

body shell for free east of seattle posted on corvair center

http://corvaircenter.com/phorum/read.php?1,946548

[John Edwards]

Thanks for the help. I purchased a 66 Corvair just the other day with a kelmark conversion unit. The car has been sitting for 30 years. The kelmark is not my first choice but it is a start.