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Date:         Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:47:32 -0800
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Corvair-powered Bay on Virginia CL
Comments: To: Annie <lsandrsn@GMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

The corvair engine upgrade/engine conversion was one of the first popular engine swaps for VW's .. going way, way back. Particularily in Dune Buggies .. many a splitty Bus , and so on. Not uncommon at all. Just in southern California and all of the desert racing scene there and in Baja .. there must have been thousands built with corvair engines. ....60's and 70's mainly I'd say.

there is one 'thing' about inline four cylinder gas 16 valve engines in vanagons . they tend to have their power at 4K rpm and up.

so where you used to have fine power ( for what you had ) with a waterboxer in the 2,500 to 4K range .. now .........sure, you can go to 6K rpm ...even 6,500 .. BUT .....you are at 4K and up to have any real beans on tap.

I just drove one that would not pull very well at all at 3K rpm in top gear at 52mph .. the owner told me that some converters *lower* 4th gear for that .. and that's odd since vanagons are very low geared in top gear anyway.

but that particular van ..the tires were only a little larger than stock.. to have any power in 4th I would have had to go to 65 mph in 3rd, then shift to 4th ..

It was really a mismatch of power curve and gearing. To be in the good power in 4th you'd have to be going 75 ..and aero drag starts getting pretty high at that speed.

the subaru on the other hand.. like a 2.2 or 2.5 Four ..........has the same basic power curve characteristics that the waterboxer does../ just a Lot More at all rpm's .. you have fine power in with a subaru engine from 2,500 or 2,800 rpm right on up the rpm scale. No need to drive differently .. or to keep rev's higher than you used to. they drive like a 'much, much better waterboxer' .. plus you have a thousand rpm more to play with .. but there's no reason to go above 5K rpm anyway.

I do like the indea of inline fours in vanagons.. I have two VW 16 valve engines I'll eventually get going ..or at least the 2 liter.. and if I can do anything to make better mid-range power and not have it need to be wound out so much, I'll do that.

the matching of power curve and gearing is very important. If you've ever driven a van that felt 'too rev'd out in one gear' ..so you shift up ..then crap ...now it's lugging .. so you shift back down .. that's no fun at all.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Annie" <lsandrsn@GMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Friday, November 11, 2011 8:47 AM Subject: Re: Corvair-powered Bay on Virginia CL

> I've always like Corvairs . . . got a '61 2 door Monza Spyder that I > purchased when I was 14 sitting right here in my garage. Haven't driven it > in a long time - it needs a little body work from an accident that > occurred > before I owned it. But that's about all it needs to be fully restored now. > Other family members have had a number of Corvairs over the years and I > happen to think they are cool cars. I'd like to have another one myself. > > Like Loren said, problems occur when people drive a rear-engined vehicle > like the Beetle or a Corvair as though it were a sports car. > > Putting a Corvair engine in a VW is something I've heard of before. Not > sure I'd do it, though. But the extra horse power would be fun, I'm sure! > I > do plan to 'upgrade' my Vanagon's engine with either the Zetec or a Subaru > but I haven't really decided which yet. I'd like to check out others' and > see which one seems more ideal for me first. > > > *Thanks, ~Annie* email: lsandrsn@gmail.com > > On Fri, Nov 11, 2011 at 7:59 AM, J Stewart <fonman4277@comcast.net> wrote: > >> Actually, not all that strange at all, there are plenty of Corvairs still >> out there. It is often referred to as the "poor mans classic car", as >> fully >> restored examples rarely go over 5K in value. What is strange is that the >> engines suffered many of the maladies that VW engines did, leaky pushrod >> tubes, dropped valve seats, etc. It also had a very bizarre fan belt >> arrangement and was prone to throwing the fan belt-so much so that there >> are kits out there to warn the driver that the fan belt has been thrown. >> I >> had the pleasure of driving a Corvair powered '71 Westy a few years ago >> and >> it was a blast. I was interested in doing the conversion to my '75 Westy, >> and obtained 90% of the parts to do it, but like most projects the time >> just wasn't there and I sold off all the stuff-some to a guy in the >> Virginia Beach area. As for being dangerous, well, most would say the >> same >> of our beloved Beetles and early (Split & Bay) buses. Jeff Jeff Stewart >> ----- Original Message ----- >> > Very strange. >> > The Corvair was Chevy's failed attempt to offer a US alternative the >> > strange and rapidly multiplying VW Beetle. >> > It was so poorly engineered it flipped and killed lots of people, >> > including >> > two I knew in high school. >> > It gave Ralph Nader his start as a consumer activist, the subject of >> > his >> > book "Unsafe At Any Speed" >> > As an engine, if I recall correctly, it fried valves frequently or had >> > another fatal defect. Strange to have one running, let alone in a VW. >> > Halloween is over isn't it? >> > On Fri, Nov 11, 2011 at 8:51 AM, Stephen Grisanti >> > <bike2vcu@yahoo.com>wrote: >> > > Not mine: >> > > >> > > http://richmond.craigslist.org/cto/2676492483.html >> > > >> > > 1979 VW BUS - $5000 (Varina) - 1979 VW Bus with 1967 chevy corvair >> > > engine >> > > with two speed auto transmission. Interior stock. Bill 399-9490 >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > Stephen >> > > >>


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