This is my first post, and I hope I don't offend anyone with the questions. I had 2 Corvairs in college, and just post college. A stock 62 convertible that lost its passenger rear wheel while cruising along at 75mph on the interstate. And a 64 convertible with a semi souped up 140 engine. Absolutely loved them both and have been dreaming about getting another one for years. (I've been driving a pick up for work reasons). Anyways enough with the backstory.
I am about to start a new job and want to get another 64 convertible as my daily driver. I absolutely love the look of the earlys, but I'll be logging a lot of miles and I want a reliable engine with good MPGs and good power. I've been reading about a couple of different swaps (especially the 4cyl. turbo Subaru) but they all seem to be in the Late model Vairs.
So I would like to hear from people who know a lot more than me, whether this is viable in a 64?
Thanks!
Subaru Engine Swap in an Early Model Vair
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Am-Iron
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Re: Subaru Engine Swap in an Early Model Vair
It should be pretty darn close to an LM swap. I have not heard of it being done but you can follow an LM build and make the minor adjustments, if any, to the 64. It is almost identical in the drive train as far as I know. You can swap the Corvair engines around in them so other swaps have to be relatively the same. Do it and show us lots of pics! Welcome to the forum.
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Re: Subaru Engine Swap in an Early Model Vair
First, I'll not be one to say to leave it alone. Just one look at my sig should dispell that.
You've got a few contradictory goals set. You want reliable. There is nothing unreliable about the Corvair engine. In the '60s, cars weren't kept very long. Each time they changed hands the price dropped a bunch. Each time they changed hands, the new owner had less interest in it, didn't keep it up as well, and went on to another cheap car when this one failed them. My first new car was a '62 Monza. It passed from me to my father who wanted something cheap to drive 40 miles per day, and then on to my little brother, and then it was traded off. 132,000 miles. Fairly reliable, and a lot better mileage than a truck. Today the after market has better rings than the cast iron ones they came with, we have electronic ignition to replace the points, and if you really wanted to replace the carbs you could install throttle body injection. If owners would take a few minutes each year to check out the chokes on their carbs and make sure they were working properly, they are nearly as good as having TB injection. Stuck chokes, and misfiring from poor ignition is what cause the most problems with longevity in the '60s cars by washing down the cylinder walls with raw fuel and diluting the oil with gas.
Converting to a Suburu brings up engine rotation issues with the Corvair drivetrain. I googled subaru/corvair and only found one person actually attemting it, has been at it for 6 months or more, and isn't using the Corvair drive. The electrical problems you'll have to sort through will be pretty exciting and take a bit of time, probably requiring some big hourly cost at some guru's shop. My son just went through a swap that was a bolt in, but engine was a generation newer and has spent several grand on problem solving and it isn't running at this time.
I'm looking at putting together a Corvair for a daily driver, and I will use a Corvair engine. I'm actually thinking seriously about a modified turbo engine/glide combo. The glide can be built with an additional clutch and steel, and with the modern friction materials capable of 50% more torque/power than the stocker. With the better rings, valve materials, Electronic ignition and possibly FI, it'll last me a long time as a daily driver.
You've got a few contradictory goals set. You want reliable. There is nothing unreliable about the Corvair engine. In the '60s, cars weren't kept very long. Each time they changed hands the price dropped a bunch. Each time they changed hands, the new owner had less interest in it, didn't keep it up as well, and went on to another cheap car when this one failed them. My first new car was a '62 Monza. It passed from me to my father who wanted something cheap to drive 40 miles per day, and then on to my little brother, and then it was traded off. 132,000 miles. Fairly reliable, and a lot better mileage than a truck. Today the after market has better rings than the cast iron ones they came with, we have electronic ignition to replace the points, and if you really wanted to replace the carbs you could install throttle body injection. If owners would take a few minutes each year to check out the chokes on their carbs and make sure they were working properly, they are nearly as good as having TB injection. Stuck chokes, and misfiring from poor ignition is what cause the most problems with longevity in the '60s cars by washing down the cylinder walls with raw fuel and diluting the oil with gas.
Converting to a Suburu brings up engine rotation issues with the Corvair drivetrain. I googled subaru/corvair and only found one person actually attemting it, has been at it for 6 months or more, and isn't using the Corvair drive. The electrical problems you'll have to sort through will be pretty exciting and take a bit of time, probably requiring some big hourly cost at some guru's shop. My son just went through a swap that was a bolt in, but engine was a generation newer and has spent several grand on problem solving and it isn't running at this time.
I'm looking at putting together a Corvair for a daily driver, and I will use a Corvair engine. I'm actually thinking seriously about a modified turbo engine/glide combo. The glide can be built with an additional clutch and steel, and with the modern friction materials capable of 50% more torque/power than the stocker. With the better rings, valve materials, Electronic ignition and possibly FI, it'll last me a long time as a daily driver.
Re: Subaru Engine Swap in an Early Model Vair
I don't have conflicting goals so much as I had one goal and then read several posts and got excited about new possibilities. My first thought was to read thru the forum and asks questions to figure out the best way to set up a stock drivetrain for daily use. Then I saw the subaru posts and started thinking about how fun it would be to look completely stock but have a little oomph under the lid. The challenges you listed are surely daunting, but I'm thinking if a couple people do it first and "trouble shoot" that should help. This project isn't starting tomorrow, so we'll see if it goes anywhere, but the idea just sounds so damn cool I can't stop thinking about it.
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