1965 Corsa Restoration...

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acarlson
Posts: 454
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 5:54 pm
Location: Dahlonega, GA

1965 Corsa Restoration...

Post by acarlson »

I picked up this Corsa last September. This was Corvair #6 for me although I sold my last Vair back in 1977. I originally had intended to do a Concours restoration. The guy I bought it from claimed it was original but I don't think he really knew anything about it. As I started cleaning it up and fixing things which were broken I kept finding installed parts that were not original for the 65. I tracked down the guy who owned the car back in 2007 and he informed me that the car originally had the 140 HP engine in it. He swapped that out for a turbo he picked up somewhere. When he sold the car the 140 went with it but of course he didn't know what THAT guy did with it. The guy I bought it from thought the turbo was original. As near as I can tell, I am owner number 5 for this Corsa.

Anyway, I decided to just make it a driver since it would have been a royal PITA to restore it back to original. You can get a scaled down look at the car from my avatar.

As I made repairs I discovered that my compression in 2 cylinders was in the mid 80's. As I drove around on some test runs, I discovered that the clutch was slipping. I was also leaking oil out of the differential drive seals. The turbo was not spinning. I decided an overhaul was in order.

Before I could pull the engine, I needed some sort of engine stand. I decided to build Al Lacki's engine cart. He has supplied drawings for it on the forum somewhere. I made a couple of modifications to his instructions. I used 2x6 construction pine - it's cheap and is more then strong enough for the frame. I used #10 Spax screws rather then the #9's. The 10's were a little beefier. I added 3" of hardwood plywood to the front of the frame. 1.5" on top of the frame and 1.5" on the bottom. I installed a 5/8" steel threaded rod on the front of the frame and fabricated a rear engine mount. Here is a picture of the completed cart:
SAM_0449a.jpg
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Here is my engine on the cart:
SAM_0450a.jpg
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Here is the engine mount:
SAM_0458a.jpg
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Here is the engine mount looking down from the top (grade 8 bolts hold it together):
SAM_0459a.jpg
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So, maybe someone can get me some info on my diffy and tranny. I'm pretty sure that the 4 speed is from a 66. Here are some pics of the serial numbers:
tranny1.jpg
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tranny2.jpg
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And here is my diffy info:
diffy.jpg
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Next step for me is to remove the shrouds, turbo, carb and exhaust. When I get it stripped down I'll post some more pics.

Alec
Alec Carlson
Dahlonega, GA
1965 Regal Red Corsa 4 Speed Turbo Convertible
Restoration "In Progress"...
Krfjkm
Posts: 29
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 9:45 am

Re: 1965 Corsa Restoration...

Post by Krfjkm »

Nice work on the stand--- would love to see the plans to build one myself---
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acarlson
Posts: 454
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 5:54 pm
Location: Dahlonega, GA

Re: 1965 Corsa Restoration...

Post by acarlson »

Krfjkm wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2017 6:18 pm Nice work on the stand--- would love to see the plans to build one myself---
There is a thread here: viewtopic.php?f=55&t=12695&p=87146&hilit=lacki#p87146 where Brad has posted links to the info.

Alec
Alec Carlson
Dahlonega, GA
1965 Regal Red Corsa 4 Speed Turbo Convertible
Restoration "In Progress"...
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terribleted
Posts: 4588
Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 2:36 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA
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Re: 1965 Corsa Restoration...

Post by terribleted »

So it does have a 66 tranny. That is an upgrade in my opinion. I have always felt the Saginaw transmissions are a little better.
Corvair guy since 1982. I have personally restored at least 20 Vairs, many of them restored ground up.
Currently working full time repairing Corvairs and restoring old cars.
https://www.facebook.com/tedsautorestoration/

Located in Snellville, Georgia
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acarlson
Posts: 454
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 5:54 pm
Location: Dahlonega, GA

Re: 1965 Corsa Restoration...

Post by acarlson »

Well, the more I get into this engine the stranger it gets...

I finally have the shrouds, carb, turbo and exhaust off. Looks like this:
SAM_0476a.jpg
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So, now I can see the engine serial number. Looks like this:
CaseSerial.jpg
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Hmm, this looks like an LM 110 HP Monza case, not a turbo case. I'm beginning to think I have a frankenstein engine.

The serial number on the heads looks good:
HeadSerial.jpg
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I'm beginning to wonder about the crank and cam. I know that the owner who did this work bought an OTTO cam from Clarks. I'm hoping that's what's installed here. When I get the heads off I'll be able to check the lift and duration and see if it's stock or aftermarket. Stay tuned...

Alec
Alec Carlson
Dahlonega, GA
1965 Regal Red Corsa 4 Speed Turbo Convertible
Restoration "In Progress"...
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acarlson
Posts: 454
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 5:54 pm
Location: Dahlonega, GA

Re: 1965 Corsa Restoration...

Post by acarlson »

Well, I now know why my clutch was slipping.
clutch.jpg
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The image on the left is the pressure plate side. Note that the clutch plate has worn down below the rivets. Some of the rivet heads are worn nearly 10% of the way through. :eek:

The image on the right is the flywheel side. It is also worn down but it is also covered in a layer of oil. You might be able to see sludge built up in what's left of the rivet holes.

The rebuild continues...

Alec
Alec Carlson
Dahlonega, GA
1965 Regal Red Corsa 4 Speed Turbo Convertible
Restoration "In Progress"...
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