5k: Will A 455 Fit? 1961 Chevrolet Corvair Lakewood Wagon
What could be more DT than combining the cheap air-cooled Corvair powertrain with the function and cool of a vintage station wagon. Lucky for us, Chevrolet built version of the Corvair as a wagon (the Lakewood) and you don’t need to be a dentist or lawyer to afford one today. Find this 1961 Chevrolet Corvair Lakewood Wagon
for sale in Irvine, CA currently bidding for $6,200 via ebay. Tip from Andy L.
We’ve featured a fair number of Corvair’s over the years, but this is one of the more tame examples, with a small stock flat-6 in the back putting out 110 horsepower. Performance will be subdued mated to a 2-speed automatic, and this will be a slow boat unless you invest significant time to modifications.
The Lakewood keeps the engine in the back cargo area, but we think an Olds 455 Toronado powertrain would fit no problem. The Olds engine will probably stick into the passenger/cargo compartment so it might be better to stick with a flat engine, like a Porsche F-6 or Subaru F-4, but options are unlimited when you are building your own hot rod Lakewood.
The inside of this seagreen mermaid is nice and has been freshened up with some new interior pieces. It looks like a nice place to do a daily commute.
See a better surf wagon? email us here: tips@dailyturismo.com
This is listed on CraigsList (Orange County, CA) for $12k, if anyone is curious as to what the reserve might be. The CL advert also has the owners phone number if you'd like to have a chat.