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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Linn County, Oregon
Posts: 48,503
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The Corvair
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"Now, to put a water-cooled engine in the rear and to have a radiator in the front, that's not very intelligent." -Ferry Porsche (PANO, Oct. '73) (I, Paul D. have loved this quote since 1973. It will remain as long as I post here.) |
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04-09-2017, 05:40 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Lake Oswego, OR
Posts: 6,046
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Funny story time. It is 1987. I have a big budget and am tasked with bringing speakers to the University of Oregon. Ralph Nader is contracted to speak (sorry). I have a very good friend with a much loved corvair. I gave serious consideration to picking up Mr. Nader in this very car.
The resolution of this story is that Nader had a conflict and did not come to Eugene. Thought you might enjoy. Nader is a jerk. |
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04-09-2017, 05:50 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Dismal Nitch, AZ
Posts: 9,042
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^^^
That would have been a hoot!!!
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Don . "Fully integrated people, in their transparency, tend to not be subject to mechanisms of defense, disguise, deceit, and fraudulence." - - Don R. 1994, an excerpt from My Ass From a Hole in the Ground - A Comparative View |
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04-09-2017, 05:57 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Linn County, Oregon
Posts: 48,503
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Quote:
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"Now, to put a water-cooled engine in the rear and to have a radiator in the front, that's not very intelligent." -Ferry Porsche (PANO, Oct. '73) (I, Paul D. have loved this quote since 1973. It will remain as long as I post here.) |
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04-09-2017, 05:59 PM
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Recreational Mechanic
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It's nice to see that 50 years later the truth about the Corvair is starting to become more widely known outside of those of us who own and love the cars.
Also Ralph Nader has owned several Corvairs actually. His 1962 was recently sold to a collector in Michigan.
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P Cars: 2022 Macan GTS / One empty garage space ---- Other cars: 2019 Golf R 6MT / 2021 F-250 Diesel / 2024 Toyota GR86 6MT ---- Gone: 1997 Spec Boxster Race Car, 2020 GT4, 2004 GT3, 2003 Carrera, 1982 911SC, 2005 Lotus Elise and lots of other non-Porsches PCA National DE Instructor #202106053 / PCA Club Racing / WRL Endurance Racing Last edited by Nickshu; 04-10-2017 at 08:56 AM.. |
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04-09-2017, 06:47 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Hastings, Minn.
Posts: 146
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Owning a '65 to '69 is one of the cars on my bucket list.
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04-09-2017, 07:26 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Dismal Nitch, AZ
Posts: 9,042
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I ran 3 ramp sides the first 6 - 8 years of my service business.
Their bellies would hold a 36" platform mower easily...welded a huge lumber rack on one...cab over, even. Work horses, they were. Maintenance forced me to sell them...bought F-150's.
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Don . "Fully integrated people, in their transparency, tend to not be subject to mechanisms of defense, disguise, deceit, and fraudulence." - - Don R. 1994, an excerpt from My Ass From a Hole in the Ground - A Comparative View |
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04-09-2017, 08:29 PM
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I sold my 356c because I was frightened of the motor rebuilt cost and instead I bought a '66 140 Corsa convertible. The steering was awful until I installed one of those quick steering kits from Clarks. It was always a bit soft but I did like the way the secondary carbs kicked in. They are very inexpensive and I think very underated. Everyone should try one.
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'72 Norton Commando, '47 Sunbeam S7 '14 Tacoma |
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04-09-2017, 09:06 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 30,390
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Quote:
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04-10-2017, 02:30 AM
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Unregistered
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: a wretched hive of scum and villainy
Posts: 55,652
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Nader didn't care if it was true or not, he made a fortune by convincing others that a great injustice had occurred when it didn't.
Did we mention what he did for a living? |
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04-10-2017, 07:36 AM
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Recreational Mechanic
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Quote:
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P Cars: 2022 Macan GTS / One empty garage space ---- Other cars: 2019 Golf R 6MT / 2021 F-250 Diesel / 2024 Toyota GR86 6MT ---- Gone: 1997 Spec Boxster Race Car, 2020 GT4, 2004 GT3, 2003 Carrera, 1982 911SC, 2005 Lotus Elise and lots of other non-Porsches PCA National DE Instructor #202106053 / PCA Club Racing / WRL Endurance Racing |
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04-10-2017, 08:56 AM
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Recreational Mechanic
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Here's my '64 Spyder convertible. Factory stock restoration with original Kelsey Hayes knockoff wire wheels.
 
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P Cars: 2022 Macan GTS / One empty garage space ---- Other cars: 2019 Golf R 6MT / 2021 F-250 Diesel / 2024 Toyota GR86 6MT ---- Gone: 1997 Spec Boxster Race Car, 2020 GT4, 2004 GT3, 2003 Carrera, 1982 911SC, 2005 Lotus Elise and lots of other non-Porsches PCA National DE Instructor #202106053 / PCA Club Racing / WRL Endurance Racing |
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04-10-2017, 09:07 AM
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Cars & Coffee Killer
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: State of Failure
Posts: 32,246
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Quote:
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Some Porsches long ago...then a wankle... 5 liters of VVT fury now -Chris "There is freedom in risk, just as there is oppression in security." |
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04-10-2017, 09:19 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,247
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I've always liked the back end of the early cars and the front end of the later cars.
Is there a single year that had both on the same vehicle?
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"Rust never sleeps" |
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04-10-2017, 11:34 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fla panhandle / Roaming in my motorhome
Posts: 4,332
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Beautiful car Nickshu! Great color, and the wheels look great, realy set it off.
I just dug up this pic from the late 60s. My Dad looking a young man, outside our house in Fla  Soft mint green, with red interior. Pretty sporty in my mind. Cheers Richard Last edited by tevake; 04-10-2017 at 11:56 AM.. |
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04-10-2017, 11:53 AM
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Nader
Nader never learned to drive. I don't believe he ever owned a car. One year. in the late 1980s he was invited (and accepted) to be the keynote speaker at the national Corvair Club show. There are some pictures floating around of him sitting in a Corvair convertible.
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FEC3 1980 911SC coupe "Zeus" 3.3SS god of thunder and lightning |
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04-10-2017, 12:18 PM
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Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,673
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I was sort of bummed as a kid when a friend of my Dad's bought an early 911.
What the ....! it sounded exactly like our neighbor's Corvair! |
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04-10-2017, 01:47 PM
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1.367m later
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: small farm town Iowa..........at last
Posts: 6,357
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They're great little cars for the money.
 Started as a '65 parts car. Transplanted a '68 140hp motor bored .040 over with a .280 lift Isky , drilled out all four carbs, remote oil cooler with custom plumbed Accusump oil system, quick steer arms and an OEM close ratio steering box, 4sp posi rear end upgraded with 4spyder gears. Still needs better brakes but an aftermarket disc brake kits is in the shop waiting to be installed. Period correct 14X7 American Racing wheels. Affectionately called Scrufus Domesticus, or Scruffy D for short. Then there's my '62 Utility van. Bone stock with the original 2sp 'glide and a 95hp motor.  Both cars are a ton of fun to drive. No matter where I go somebody stops me to ask what it is or to share their Corvair story. P.S. A '64 356 Coupe rounds out the stable.
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non velox ad propitiare, verisimile non oblivisci If it's not The Original Automotive Innovations and Restoration, then it's just hot AIR. |
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04-10-2017, 03:52 PM
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Recreational Mechanic
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Quote:
 GM was working on an air cooled flat-6 years before Porsche. And turbocharging it at least a decade before Porsche too. I'm not saying that a Corvair (sporty economy car) is equal to a Porsche (refined/engineered sports car) but they were thinking along the same lines. That was an exciting time to be at GM, when engineers still ruled the roost before the accountants and unions took over. I have an article around here somewhere about the Corvair engine design with only four main bearings. The engine was originally designed in the late 1950's to only ever be mated to a powerglide (automatic) transmission with a torque converter. Just after the first cars were launched (1960) GM succumbed to customer demands and offered a manual transmission. This caused vibration problems with only four main bearings which instead of redesigning the engine they came up with a unique two piece flywheel design that soaked up the vibrations nicely. Ironically in the article it talks about how Porsche had the same problem when developing the 911 (901) engine, which they originally built prototypes with only four main bearings and had to go to more (seven?) to address the vibration issues caused by the clutch and flywheel. Anyhow an interesting piece of automotive history...
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P Cars: 2022 Macan GTS / One empty garage space ---- Other cars: 2019 Golf R 6MT / 2021 F-250 Diesel / 2024 Toyota GR86 6MT ---- Gone: 1997 Spec Boxster Race Car, 2020 GT4, 2004 GT3, 2003 Carrera, 1982 911SC, 2005 Lotus Elise and lots of other non-Porsches PCA National DE Instructor #202106053 / PCA Club Racing / WRL Endurance Racing Last edited by Nickshu; 04-10-2017 at 05:10 PM.. |
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04-10-2017, 05:06 PM
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What?!?!
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I've always liked this version. Great color combo, too.
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/6081377980.html
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running shoes, couple tools, fishing pole 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback AWD, 5speed 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX, 5speed 2014 Tundra SR5, 4x4 1964 Land Rover SII A 109 - sold this albatross |
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04-10-2017, 05:26 PM
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911SC 3.0
Zeus (god of thunder and lightning)
