I have to build a support for the shifter base, which will define the height of the air duct console. Not knowing exactly how much of the duct will need structure, I bought a 20ft stick of 3/4" x 16ga square tube and used a bit of that to make the part that the shifter base will bolt to.
it's nice to have flat surfaces to attach panels to. Tomorrow I'll block it up to put the shift knob at a comfortable height, then make a set of legs for it.
AC, I may have missed it. Are you going to keep this as a challenge car or will you toss money at it after you take it down there (2026)?
Wow. I love the safety socks with those sandals.
preach (dudeist priest) said:AC, I may have missed it. Are you going to keep this as a challenge car or will you toss money at it after you take it down there (2026)?
I already have a potential buyer, so I may sell after challenge debut if neither of us has died of old age by then.
wvumtnbkr said:Wow. I love the safety socks with those sandals.
ATGATT, brother!
Scrounging through my random hardware bucket, I found 4 flange nuts and 4 bolts for mounting shifter base to the support, but 2 weren't long enough to go all the way through the nuts below the square tube. So I used the step bit to enlarge holes in bottom of square tube, then flipped the nuts over so the hex is inside the tube. I bolted the base to the support and welded the nuts in place.
then I cut and welded the legs, and put the assembly in the car.
Knob is about 1" higher than bottom of steering wheel. I'd like it to be about 1" to the left and maybe 1" forward, so I might have to modify the lever. Shift cables aren't long enough to move the base forward. I'm going to add feet to the legs, then bolt (or maybe weld) the feet to the floor.
that's a good quitting point for tonight.
You could just run a big old flexible duct up front for your combustion air. Would be a lot simpler than boxing everything in. Maybe not as nice looking...
In reply to TVR Scott :
Dryer duct has been considered and rejected as too hillbilly. Also, I'm working under the assumption that the intake air path is a possible path for flames to enter passenger compartment and therefore must meet the NHRA firewall requirements.
In reply to TVR Scott :
Just thinking out loud here, but what about a combo of both? Ducting inside boxing? Thus having not to worry about a perfectly sealed "airbox", with the ducting sealed to the plenum and windshield intake?
I know it's double work and cost, but it looks nice, and works nice... Maybe...
In reply to StripesSA1 :
I could see value in that. The flow thru a flex duct might be smoother and lower drag than thru a big duct with a bunch of obstructions. Quieter? Maybe.
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:Scrounging through my random hardware bucket, I found 4 flange nuts and 4 bolts for mounting shifter base to the support, but 2 weren't long enough to go all the way through the nuts below the square tube. So I used the step bit to enlarge holes in bottom of square tube, then flipped the nuts over so the hex is inside the tube. I bolted the base to the support and welded the nuts in place.
then I cut and welded the legs, and put the assembly in the car.
Knob is about 1" higher than bottom of steering wheel. I'd like it to be about 1" to the left and maybe 1" forward, so I might have to modify the lever. Shift cables aren't long enough to move the base forward. I'm going to add feet to the legs, then bolt (or maybe weld) the feet to the floor.
that's a good quitting point for tonight.
Can you adjust the leg lengths to angle the whole shifter forward and lean towards the driver. The cables won't care, then adjust the shifter lever to level the knob.
Saw this at autocross yesterday and thought of your build. It was in Hot Rod magazine back in the day. 427 with Holley Sniper EFI, Powerglide adapted directly to a C4 diff IIRC, and 335 Hoosiers. One of the fastest cars on course!
I remember seeing a V-8 mid engine Corvair in the early 90s at the Sacramento Street Machine Nationals car show and thought "what a cool car", it was kinda crude but cool, yours is going to be much better!
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to TVR Scott :
Dryer duct has been considered and rejected as too hillbilly. Also, I'm working under the assumption that the intake air path is a possible path for flames to enter passenger compartment and therefore must meet the NHRA firewall requirements.
If dryer duct is good enough for McLaren, its good enough for me.
I need to finish engine wiring harness so I can get this stupid table out of my way, so today I made a large number of short wires into a smaller number of longer wires:
I got interrupted by a text from AK1, who came home for a concert tonight:
so I bailed on wiring for tonight:
and I Uber'd so I can ride home with AK1. Hashtag last minute entertainment.
Question: does MonZora run yet?
Answer:
Sometimes, working on a challenge car is awesome. Other times, it's using hand cleaner and steel wool to clean a gross wiring harness.
and figuring out what to do with the wires you've salvaged from the harness you aren't using:
LK1 approves of your efforts.
In reply to ralleah :
That's a top-5 post right there! I applaud the proper thumb positioning. That's advanced technique!
Saw a corvair wagon for sale last night (prolly worth the 9 grand, but outa my reach) and thought of you. A mid engine wagon... tasty!
In reply to 03Panther :
many years ago i started a '61 corvair wagon project. my idea was 4-wheel disc brakes, turbo / EFI, big oil cooler with thermostat control, and 2-tone paint. i got about halfway through the disc brake conversion and received an offer i couldn't refuse to buy a clean 944, so the wagon went away unfinished. :-(
Whoooaaaa, any more pictures of that project on hand? Very cool
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:
Who ever thought that car was a good idea? What's it for, cooking a dog/kid on top of the engine? I may be biased, having nearly died in a Corvair as a babe, but a rear-engine wagon makes no sense to me.
Let's see, where did I leave off? I've been out of town 5 times since last update 2 months ago. Engine wiring is all cleaned up and mostly extended, so I figured I should finish engine box fab. I chopped up some free book shelves:
and used the tack function on my new MIG to glue them together for passenger side:
then made as close to mirror image as I could for driver side:
then clamped them in and temporarily positioned the unfinished top panels:
Artist rendition below shows that the engine box will seal to the vertical panel below rear glass. I will cut most of that vertical panel away so the back of the engine box is open to the low-pressure area at the base of the rear glass. The stock body has a vented exterior panel there, which is where the OE Corvair engine pulled its combustion and cooling air from:
in the side view, the top of the engine box is below the greenhouse, and the only part to protrude forward of the quarter is the air duct / console. Also of note, in this pic the drivers seat is all the way rearward. this car will accommodate the big and tall:
And I figured out where to mount the coolant degas bottle. It will live in the corner of the engine box, up high in the front right corner. In the top view below, you can see that both heater hose nipples point in that general direction, and it will be easy to re-plumb if I decide to add heat or defrost:
I've also come up with a way to implement the "header bags" that either Stafford or Gumby suggested. My apologies for not remembering which of you big-brained guys made that suggestion. They'll probably be fed from scoops under the floor, but I can pull from center air duct as well if necessary.
I can say I'm highly encouraged by how quickly the new propane torpedo warms up the garage. I still hate winter, but I'm feeling better about my working conditions.
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