147 mph in a Corvair

[t walgamuth]

Michael did my build on my CE.....My favorite Metal maestro Michael LeVeque is the worlds formost expert on racing Corvairs. About a year ago a fellow came up to him and said he wanted to build a corvair to run at Bonneville in a class where the body has to be stock but the engine can be modified. He wanted to run 140 at Bonneville for this record. Michael said "I've run 146 on the back straight at Road America so that shouldn't be a problem".

So they built this car up in 8 months. They took it a week or so before Bonneville to a track in Maine where they set times of 136 for a standing mile and 140 something for a standing 2 mile.

It has a stock body including lights and front bumper, a corvair engine, much modified running one Holley 600, and the stock chin spoiler from a 66 corvair. It makes at least 300 hp.

Since you have a few miles to speed up and stop down for a flying mile at Bonneville everything looked rosey.

So they went to Bonneville. Did I mention the first time the car was driven was to load onto the trailer to go to Maine...?

At bonneville some guy with loads of experience said to Michael "You cannot come here and get a record on your first trip."! Michael said "I think we are well prepared".

So they went out and ran 130 plus on their first run. Then ran 141 and seemed to be hitting a bit of a wall. Did I mention that the salt is 7000 feet above sea level? So they were pushing a bit of a headwind and they discovered through the magic of telemetry that on their fast run they had 6 mph of slippage?

So they set a new record at 138.7.

Cool stuff!

[junior]

cool! have any photos to share? always liked Corvairs, espeically the later years hardtops. cheers, junior

[556063]

Great story. When I was restoring my '64 Monza, I bought my engine from a guy in NC that was a Corvair Tech Advisor for GM in the early 60's. When I drove down there and picked my stuff up, he showed me all kinds of stuff, including the complete plans he had for building a home made Corvair powered airplane. I guess a few guys built them in the 60's.

Few engines have the power to weight ratio that little engine has. If GM hadn't lost the PR game on it, it could have been the American Porsche.

[wittsend]

Great story. I have a '61 Lakewood wagon. It has been on jack stands for 23 years now but... someday!

There is a guy at the local Cars & Coffee that has a number of Corvair's including a Yenko. The 1st gen. Corvair’s have old school classic charm. The 2nd gen. a very sleek body. The 1st gen. 4 doors have a roof with an overshoot at the rear. It looks like something right out of the Thunderbirds marionette TV show from the 60's.

There are the obvious V-8 conversions but some have reverse rotation Subaru power..., or a number of the Honda engines came reverse rotation from the factory and have been adapted. Go Corvairs!!!

[j.byrd]

Hey wittsend, we call the full size GM cars with that "overshoot" flat-tops. This just reminded me I have never heard the Corvairs referred to that way. Inner family discrimination ? Ha !

[t walgamuth]

I'm trying to get some pics I can post.

[t walgamuth]

pics...It just looks like a mild street corvair....Hah hah!
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[t walgamuth]

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/off-topic-discussion/394886-147-mph-corvair.html#post3840485

I could not get pics to upload so here is a link to my similar thread over on the Mercedesshopforum.

[JimsLeadCommander]

Michael did my build on my CE.....My favorite Metal maestro Michael LeVeque is the worlds formost expert on racing Corvairs. About a year ago a fellow came up to him and said he wanted to build a corvair to run at Bonneville in a class where the body has to be stock but the engine can be modified. He wanted to run 140 at Bonneville for this record. Michael said "I've run 146 on the back straight at Road America so that shouldn't be a problem".

So they built this car up in 8 months. They took it a week or so before Bonneville to a track in Maine where they set times of 136 for a standing mile and 140 something for a standing 2 mile.

It has a stock body including lights and front bumper, a corvair engine, much modified running one Holley 600, and the stock chin spoiler from a 66 corvair. It makes at least 300 hp.

Since you have a few miles to speed up and stop down for a flying mile at Bonneville everything looked rosey.

So they went to Bonneville. Did I mention the first time the car was driven was to load onto the trailer to go to Maine...?

At bonneville some guy with loads of experience said to Michael "You cannot come here and get a record on your first trip."! Michael said "I think we are well prepared".

So they went out and ran 130 plus on their first run. Then ran 141 and seemed to be hitting a bit of a wall. Did I mention that the salt is 7000 feet above sea level? So they were pushing a bit of a headwind and they discovered through the magic of telemetry that on their fast run they had 6 mph of slippage?

So they set a new record at 138.7.

Cool stuff!

I know my '65 Monza 4 door hardtop, 110 engine with Powerglide could go 70 mph ~~ I never tried to run it faster than that. But, double that speed? Woo-EEEEEE!!!

[tsenecal]

Cool story, and nice that he set a new record. Just to be more accurate, the elevation at the salt flats is 4291 feet above sea level.

[t walgamuth]

Sorry 'bout that!