Corvair engine

[Leon renaud]

Barnbikes

One thing you should be aware of is that the Corvair engine turns in the opposite direction of most other engines. If you just adapt it straight over without fixing this, you will have several reverse gears and only one forward.

Captainjunk touched on this when he mentioned the flipped VW transaxle.

If you ran an old Ford banjo type rearend, you could just flip the rearend over and everything should work OK. Should be strong enough for the typical Corvair engine.

Seems to me, I remember that someone used to sell a reverse rotation camshaft, too.

Makes for a very unique looking and cool setup, though. With a modern 5 speed and decent gears in the rearend, it should move a T really well and get good gas mileage, too.

Good luck!

Mike

use an older vw bus transaxle the gear boxes on the axles reverse the rotation

 

[YblockT]

Speaking of Corvair engines and T-Buckets, we can't forget Norm put a Corvair engine in an Indian cycle called the "Six Pack"

 

[Hotrod46]

Very cool bike!

Norm is a very talented guy.

Mike

 

[Rick]

Speaking of Corvair engines and T-Buckets, we can't forget Norm put a Corvair engine in an Indian cycle called the "Six Pack"

Maybe Ted can touch on this one but in 1968 A.E.E. Choppers in california made a wild looking Trike with a corvair motor.I got the build book(sorry gone now)from them and they said to Flip the automatic trans over and it would go in the right direction.My memory does not tell me what else had to be done but it was the most awesome trike ive ever seen.Come on Ted dig deep and find some pics.

 

[barnbikes]

Well my engine just got dropped off. Lets say very high compression.

Have to start somewhere right!!!!

Jon

 

[Sixshooter]

I have a friend that is really into Corvairs, he has bunch of them. He likes the turbo ones, I'm not sure of the hp rating though. I think this looks really cool, can't wait to see it all done. That motor has twin carbs, is it from a Spyder?

Cool idea!

-John

 

[Leon renaud]

I have a friend that is really into Corvairs, he has bunch of them. He likes the turbo ones, I'm not sure of the hp rating though. I think this looks really cool, can't wait to see it all done. That motor has twin carbs, is it from a Spyder?

Cool idea!

-John

ok all low performance corvairs have have 2 carbs standard thats 85 to 110 hp.Next is the 4 carb 140 hp.The 180 HP turbocharged model has 1 carb mounted on the turbo intake.Corvairs are great little cars with with lots of performance potential join Corvair Center
any info you want will be there including links to half a dozen Corvair specialty houses lots of parts are still available through NAPA stores

 

[Rick]

One of the bigger Corvair houses is Clarks try these guys for your needs.Lots of corvair steering stuff including rebuild kits.
Clark's Corvair Parts - Clark's Corvair - Clarks Corvair Parts

 

[takehikes]

AEE Choppers Corvair Trike had a flopped third member not trans. I cant remember what rear end was used but that how they did it. I worked there and was around that trike a lot and even got a ride in it a couple times. It was solid as can be and would wheelie on demand pretty much. Big wheelie bars out back.

It was on Ebay a few years ago and supposedly someone in LA bought it to resotre. I saw pictures and it was still in the original paint but the seats ahd been changed out at some point.

 

[Rick]

Any pics of it?That was the baddest thing i ever saw and swore id make it one day.Guess i shouldnt have sworn

 

[takehikes]

I just won an auction on Ebay for a 1968 issue of cycle guide with the trike on the cover. Here is a link to a picture of the cover:

Cycle Guide Magzine July 1968 Special Custom Issue - eBay (item 290292973814 end time Feb-02-09 17:55:00 PST)

At the time it was the only trike running around with the engine in the front, all the rest were VW in the rear like Roth used to build.

It was so cool, every day I got to see it for a couple years sitting in our showroom. then again we also had a twin engine sportster trike...well actually it had 5 wheels! I in front and 4 out back.

 

[Rick]

Man does that bring back memories.I had the build book they sold so anyone could build it.On the cover of the book it had that chick and if i remember right a cougar or some other big cat.Is there an article on the trike in the book?

 

[barnbikes]

Found a couple pictures of the trike bottom of page
AEE Choppers

 

[jdwhip]

there is a thread about a front engine (vw flat 4) in a rod
go to volksrods.com---the volksrod forum---the cutting board
then too lazy to search and toward the bottom of the page

its would be nice--anywhere from 4o up to about 8o hp and only
200 pounds of engine---the hangup like is the tx to the engine
id like to build one---you can also get a blower for one (big $$$)

soon i will have mine rolling and i will send pics

:lol: smile it makes them wonder what you are up to----------

 

[dan eichstedt]

There was one on the show circuit about 20 years ago. they removed all the cooling sheetmetal so it would probably overheat very quickly if they ever drove it. I built a couple of corvair dunebuggies, I was teaching an auto shop class and the college had a cou[ple million bucks of equipment to use. I machined extra openings in the head-manifold and added carb mount flanges, I ended up building a tubing spider leg manifold and ran a 500 holly 2 bbl. It would do wheelies in 2 nd gear.

Corvair t-bucket with cut down body was built by Don Kindell a member of the Early Times in So. Cal.
The car did not over heat and I had spent more that a few time in that car. Don now lives in NorCal near Carmel . He sold the car in the early 80's and no one has seen the car. I can tell you it was fast and you felt that it would stop or turn on a dime..and it did. I still see Don and he is now driving a 29 roadster..