Hi All, 2 months back, my wife suggests that we should put a bug together in time for Re-Volks here in Geelong on the 10th of Oct. She then suggests that we bring back to life the corvair powered bug that used to be our pride & joy back in the late 70's. So for the last one and three quarter months, A very sad & rusty 71 bug has been stripped naked, all rust cut out & fresh metal welded in, all the "one off" fibreglass panels have been sanded back and any splits & cracks reglassed, I have a few corvair motors here, but in a shipping container still on the docks in Melbourne is one VERY sick ( unassembled) Vair motor that I am to pick up on Wednesday just before Re-volks. So it is now late friday night and the dub is in undercoat, I have until Wednesday to have it in paint & re-assemble it, then get to melb and pick up the motor, assemble that by the weekend and have it installed & running??? all this work has been getting carried out as a family thing and all though we have had our moments, its been great. !! even if we dont get it done in time, what ever stage its in, we will still haul it there ( even on a trailer)!! cheers Frank
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Another VW brought back from the dead - that has to be a good thing.

Looking forward to seeing it at Geelong, and checking out the motor - I've never seen a Corvair motor.

Best of luck with the deadline

Kris

Sounds like fun with all the family involved. Are you going to show us any photos or waiting until the unveiling at the show.

Kev.

Setting a deadline is a good idea - providing that you don't make it a 'gut-buster'. Just been down a similar path, (re-building No.8 race Beetle), and will make the deadline of next Wednesday (GEAR Club day, Wakefield Park). You will enjoy the results of all that work when it's all done. Good on ya!

Cheers, Greg

Thanks Folks, I will try and get a couple of pics up tonight, & yes the whole family thing is a real bonus, my wife has been hands on with every project over the last thirty something years, my 15 & 18 year old lads have been learning all aspects of restoration & custom work as well as mechanical stuff. They even had turns of spraying on the under coat, (that was quiet eventful but worth it!!) and every one are experts at rubbing back panels !!!!! might I say, that all this work is carried out in house as in, NO outside help!!! Oh, and a little tip, next time you are at a garage sale or second hand shop/ market etc, keep an eye out for an old fold up metal ironing board, these make the best portable work benches on this planet!! you can set it to any height, also makes a handy tool bench next to your car out in the driveway and when you are finished with it, just fold it up and put it away. cheers Frank

Cheers Frank but I have enough trouble using an ironing board as an ironing board

2.5 month rebuild, certainly sounds ambitious, but well done! Show us some pics.

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Okay folks, just got my son to upload some pics, the corvair motor in the back of the bug is one I have only mocked up, the Porsche carbs are only just resting on the motor for some added bling?? the other three motors just arrived from the states, and this wednesday if all goes well, I should pick up one very sick vair motor thats was going to be built for a sand rail over in the states, time is getting away from me so will see what happens for the 10th cheers Frank

Time has got the better of me, looks like I blew wind up my own backside, my 30 + year old guards and bonnet need a hell of a lot more massaging before any gloss goes on them, so for now its going to be a trailer queen in undercoat, havent received my confirmation call from the docks as yet & its late Tuesday arvo. grrrrrrrr

Looks great Frank. How about you set a new deadline for the VW Nationals in Sydney next May? Would love to see you bring up the finished 'Vair for that.

How hard is it to rebuild a Corvair? I have all the Chev manuals but never laid a spanner on one. Would love to put one in my auto Kombi next rebuild - if possible.

Hi Phil, rebuilding a corvair is pretty much the same as putting a vw motor together, only with the added two extra cylinders. You still have two case halves, with the added bonus of a removable top housing allowing access to install connecting rods. Piston/ conrod & barrell assemblies are pre-assembled then slid over the head studs and onto the crankcase& crankshaft. Slide in the hydraulic lifters, then instal lower wrap around cylinder air deflector ( just like a vw only longer) hands up how many people have installed the vw pushrod tubes and forgot to install the two deflectors first?? then you bolt on the heads, then you press all the corvair pushrod tubes in place, slide in the pushrods, assemble rocker gear. Thats pretty much a basic quick overall corvair build description, If you ever have to replace the pushrod tube seals, no need to remove cylinder head, and if installed in a kombi, dont even need to remove motor, 3 hours and basic tools & the jobs done. Well its wednesday evening here and I have just had tea, then I am going out into the workshop to start assembling this insane vair motor that my buddy delivered from the port this arvo. YEEEHAAAA I will take pics during assembly and then get my son to whack them on in here. Oh, If and when I get this bug finished, I will then start on the corvair motor & 2 speed auto into the microbus. Everyone reckons that i am Nuckin Futz!!! but hey, thats just me, thanks for your interest, cheers for now, Frank

Thats looking great can't wait to see it finnished. I have a corvair motor in my shed in bits don't know wich one it is tho i think most of it is there only good for parts i think

Have a look at the front top of the crankcase for the engine number ( I call the front the harmonic balancer end) the number will be behind the fuel pump and a whisker to the left, let me know what it is and I will let you know what it is?? cheers Frank

Hi the only No i can see is TOIO6V hope that is the Number

Hi again, very early corvair motors that had the letter "V" as a suffix were either an 80 hp or 95hp motor (2.4 ltr) they were manufactured between 1961 & 63. I think there was one model in 1964 that was still 95hp but was the start of the 2.7ltr production run. late 64 was the start of the 2.7 ltr with 110 hp, hope this is of some help cheers Frank