Words: Tommy Parry
Jim started this ambitious project with a decent amount in his checking account and open eyes. Though he knew his vision’s effect on his bank balance would depress him, the prospect of learning how to fabricate all the needed mounts to run a V8 in the back of a classic Corvair - without a Corvair transaxle - intrigued him. Once the shell arrived from Tuscon, he began stripping the car down to the shell. Au revoir, nasty blue paint.
Being a desert car, the body was in good shape. However, the same couldn’t be said about the rubber. Down to the shell, the car looked stellar and required only a little tweaking due to the crash damage that become evident after the tear-down.
He searched high and low for a reasonable body man, who straightened out the rear, which had been bondoed badly after a collision. With a healthy layer of primer and some new, blue paint, the car had been rejuvenated entirely - on an unbelievable budget!
With a little money saved giving the car a makeover, he had a bit more bread to spend on the footwork. The Corvair needed to handle beautifully, and with the added weight in the rear from an additional two cylinders, it was imperative the suspension was given a full work-over. He started by adding larger bushings to tighten up the steering boxes, flipped the ends of the steering arms to improve Ackerman angle and reduce understeer and added beefier tierods for the added weight and loading.
Jim then picked up a couple of lower control arms to mount under the stock Corvair crossmember. Stiff springs matched to Koni shocks front and rear help settle ride, and control all the body movement - a must in a rear-engined car.
Borrowing the crossmember from another rear-engined car - a Porsche 930 - was the easiest part of mounting the drivetrain. However, being a self-professed “glutton for punishment,” he took a difficult motor to mount: a 4.6-liter Cadillac Northstar V8. Finding aftermarket headers for this layout was impossible, but the Magnaflow stainless steel replacement just barely fit, albeit with a little tweaking.
To mount the motor and improve the body control, Jim’s custom subframe came into play, increasing overall rigidity. This piece of gorgeous metalwork is mounted to the unibody where the floor plan, rocker panels and door pillar come together.
Though many Corvair swaps boast an uncovered motor, Jim felt it necessary to give the car a near-factory look. Therefore, he devised a cover using some sheetmetal, with carpet on top with thermal insulation sewn onto the backside. In addition to looking factory, this kept Jim and the cabin cooler and subdued the volume.
To complement the clever combination of sheetmetal, insulation and carpeting behind the seats, Jim opted to spruce up the dash. Jim modified a Corsa dash to accept electronic Auto Meter gauges and attached a wood-rimmed wheel to the steering column. With limited space and the opportunity to rewire the windows, Jim installed power windows front and rear, and installed some kickers and tweeters in the footwells to complete it all.
It doesn’t scream hotrod from the outside. Though the paint scheme is bright, the near-OEM styling is what determines the build ethos of the car. The interior trim looks almost factory; the subtle additions, like LED turn signals, give the keen eye a hint there’s something more under the skin. Those who take a closer look and notice that bulge in the backseats will have their interest piqued, and when the motor turns over, they’ll smile ear-to-ear.