10k: Nader’s Revenge: 1964 Chevrolet Corvair 500hp Front V8

The Chevrolet Corvair was a world changing car when introduced in 1960.  Its combination of subtle styling, aircooled alloy flat-6 out back and unibody construction was a fantastic combination that was the unfortunate recipient of the attention of a savvy young lawyer/politician who needed to make a name for himself.  Ralph Nader could very well have picked the Corvette for the basis of his unfounded assault on unsafe automobiles but the damage was done and the Corvair’s sweet setup was abandoned for a banal and understeer prone compacts like the 4-cylinder powered Chevy Monza.  Find this 1965 Chevrolet Corvair V8 for sale in Tehachapi, CA currently bidding for $9,100 reserve-not-met with 1 day to go.

Today’s Corvair could very well be unsafe at any speed because any speed will always be well above the speed limit.  The simple aircooled 100ish horsepower rear-mounted flat-6 has been ditched for a front mounted V8 in a convetional setup.

The Corvair chassis often fights “conventional” setups and this one has its air cleaner poking clear through the hood and the distributor needed a cutout in the cowl vent.  Sane people would prefer something a bit more stealthy, but if you are going to drive a bumble bee yellow Corvair, you may as well give everyone fair warning its got some grunt under the hood.  That grunt is provided by a 383 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 good for 500 horsepower.

The interior of this build reveals an automatic transmission (a shame really, a 6-speed would be so much more fun) and a set of low mounted bucket seats. 

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