What engine is in Matts Corvair?
The Chevrolet Corvair, produced from 1960 to 1969, was known for its unique rear-mounted, air-cooled engine. Matt's Corvair, like all Corvairs, was powered by a flat-six engine that was a key part of the car's distinctive design.
The Corvair's Unique Flat-Six Engine
The Corvair's engine was a 2.3-liter, horizontally-opposed six-cylinder, or "flat-six" design. This engine configuration, where the cylinders were arranged flat rather than in a V-shape, was an unconventional choice for an American car at the time. The flat-six engine layout provided several benefits, including a lower center of gravity and more compact packaging that allowed the engine to be mounted in the rear of the vehicle.
The Corvair's air-cooled flat-six engine produced between 80 and 140 horsepower, depending on the model year and engine options. Unlike most American cars of the era, which used water-cooled engines, the Corvair's air-cooled design eliminated the need for a heavy radiator and cooling system.
Rear-Mounted Engine Design
The Corvair's rear-mounted engine layout was another unique feature of the car. By placing the engine in the back of the vehicle, Chevrolet was able to achieve a more balanced weight distribution and improve the Corvair's handling characteristics. However, this design also presented some challenges, as the rear-mounted engine could make the car more prone to oversteer in certain driving situations.
Overall, the Corvair's flat-six, air-cooled, rear-mounted engine was a key part of what made the car so distinctive and different from other American vehicles of its time. This unconventional engine layout was both a strength and a weakness of the Corvair design.
Why was the Corvair unsafe at any speed?
The Corvair relied on an unusually high front to rear pressure differential (15 psi front, 26 psi rear, when cold; 18 psi and 30psi hot), and if one inflated the tires equally, as was standard practice for all other cars at the time, the result was a dangerous oversteer.
How many miles per gallon did a 1965 Corvair get?
He has taken the Corvair up to 75 mph; it was rated at up to 115 miles per hour in 1965. “When a car's that old, I don't doubt something's going to fall out,” he said. He estimates the vehicle gets 20 to 25 miles per gallon, just as it did 58 years ago. Gas cost 31 cents a gallon when it was built.
What kind of engine did the Corvair have?
Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine
Powered by the Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine with 80 hp (60 kW) and mated to a three-speed manual or optional extra-cost two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission (RPO 360), the Corvair was designed to have comparable acceleration to the six-cylinder full-sized Chevrolet Biscayne.
What engine is in Matt's Morrvair?
All the details of the Morrvair's restoration are on Matt's playlist for "Morrvair Build." The Morrvair's specs are as follows: Engine: 5.3L LS L59 V8 from an early 2000's Chevy Silverado, makes 240 horsepower at the rear wheels and 288 ft-lbs. of torque.
What is the rarest Corvair made?
The rarest Corvair is the amphibious Corphibian Loadside pickup. One was built. The GM plant in Oshawa, Ontario, built 100 amphibious Corvair Dynatrack articulated vehicles for the U.S. and Canadian Armies. The Australian Army ordered 500 but didn't have the money upfront.
How many miles per gallon did a Corvair get?
He estimates the vehicle gets 20 to 25 miles per gallon, just as it did 58 years ago. Gas cost 31 cents a gallon when it was built. “It's nice to drive; it has a two-speed automatic,” Merando said. “It floats a bit because with the engine in the back, air gets under the front end; people used to put sandbags up front.”
How much horsepower does a Corvair 110 engine have?
110 hp
The vehicles were powered by either the 110 hp (82.0 kW) or, later, an optional 140 hp (104.4 kW) version of the Corvair flat-six engine. Weighing about 3,500 lb (1,587.6 kg), the Ultravan could cruise at 60 mph (97 km/h) and return fuel economy in the range of 15–20 mpg‑US (16–12 L/100 km; 18–24 mpg‑imp).
What was the biggest problem with the Corvair?
The Corvair relied on an unusually high front to rear pressure differential (15 psi front, 26 psi rear, when cold; 18 psi and 30psi hot), and if one inflated the tires equally, as was standard practice for all other cars at the time, the result was a dangerous oversteer.
How much horsepower can you get from a Corvair engine?
Chevrolet gave buyers a surprising amount of variation for the rear-engined Corvair, but those in the know seek out two configurations more than any others: The turbocharged engines, making 150 or 180 horsepower; or the naturally aspirated versions, cranking out 140.
How much horsepower does a 1964 Corvair Monza have?
The top-of-the-line Corvair Monza, the Spyder, came standard with a turbocharged version of the 164 cubic inch (2.7 L) Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine. This engine produced 150 horsepower (112 kW) at 4000 rpm and 210 lb-ft (285 N⋅m) of torque at 2400 rpm.
