Odds & Ends And All Things That Don't Fit Anything Else

[hawg_ryder]

OK, I have posted about the car before, a few times, but here it is again.

When I was in the service, Air Force around 1973, I owned a 1970 Toyota Corona. I made a rooky mistake, skip the embarrassing details, and I destroyed the rings in that 1600cc engine. So what to do with it?

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I noticed kit cars at the time, and I loved that GT40, which was mid-engine. They had midengine adaptors for the Kelmark GT, which was inspired by the GT40.
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And just so happend, there was a bashed 1964 (Corrected: 65 to 67) Corvair convertible at my AF base, missing parts that had been sold off. But it had all the donor parts that I would need for a mid-engine conversion, minus a good body/chassis. But I had a perfect Corona body didn't I?
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Given the Corvair transaxle was meant for a engine that turned the reverse way in a rear engine layout, a normal engine would be perfect with that tranny in a mid-engine setup. (although there may have been an issue with that)

I even had access to a complete DIY autoshop provided by the AF via a hobbie club, on base. That also helped me with this; I found a Chevy small-block ?283? and fully rebuilt it. Add a Webber carb, detuned intake manifold and efficency tuned camshaft, aluminum cam covers, it was an interesting build.

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I was entertained by the mid-engine GT40 layout just as much as the overall vehicle, and I studied everything else I could find, to answer for me, if this was a viable project. I missed some points, but these didn't turn out to be a problem I couldn't solve. I got a A in drafting in High School, so I had no problems drawing it all up for the one contract welder.

So I had a welder shop put some angle iron into the unibody, and also build a subframe to fit the Corvair suspension and tranny. The subframe bolted into the original 4 leaf spring points, and an extra pair up front for the unibody framing. All rubber mounted. Added was a removable cross bar sub-ed into the subframe to support a V8. I designed my own shift assembly (way-way at the rear..) using push-pull cables and located the hand-held end of the shifter where you would expect a shifter to be.

The welder shop also filled my specs for tri-Y headers that fed into Corvet low restriction mufflers(a.k.a., turbo-mufflers).
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I knew I would be driving back to Washington State once the car was done, because it would be near the end of my military tour. So I had a hitch reciever welded into the subframe too. I expected the final car would not have a problem with a small trailer.

But where to put the tank and the radiator? Well, I simply adapted a bigger radiator to the stock location. And I found a beer keg, and had a motorcycle gas cap that seals welded/attached. It perfectly placed where the origonal engine mounted. I had the Toyota gas level sensor installed as well.
True that the tank was exposed to radiator heat, but this never caused me any issues. The after-market fuel pump didn't care either.

An issue did crop-up. The tranny had no output for a speedometer. Only mechanical ones existed back then. But VW used a cable taken from a front wheel-spindle. So I got the VW cable, and drilled out the Corona Spindle, and cut the square hole that was needed into the dust-cap. This worked because the tempered hardening on the spindle was towards the outside, and the middle was softer. However, it did make a hell of a noise as I drilled it.
Once installed, with an after market speedometer (limited to 80MPH), I discovered that 40=50mph, 60=72, and so 80=100, yes?
More on that later.

Another issue, I didn't design for an engine box, there was not a lot of room for that. I just kicked that can back down the road for later. It was not much trouble. The engine didn't leak or smell, and didn't make all that much noise either. It was interresting to see the 4 bolts of the water pully spinning just a couple inches from my elbo between the seats. (no long hair allowed!) Even road dust did not seem to come up from the open gaps in the floor-boards.

How about the radiator fan? I got an electric one. When ever the car stopped, you hit the brakes, right? Well, when the brakes are in use, a switch turned the fan on. This worked prefectly for me. Even at my location, in Tucson AZ.

Just for fun, I added a chrome luggage rack in the trunk lid, and some air craft maker lights too. And some low profile, wide tires, the smallest ones upfront. See image added in my prior post #316 above.

So about that perfect tranny. Either it was broken during it's prior accident in the covair, or the half-shaft broke the first time I put any power into it.
The only effect was that I had to hold the leaver down to keep it in first gear. This could have been a big issue for a 3 speed gear box. The other two gears were perfect.

Frankly, the car didn't give a damn about the first gear. It was mostly useless anyway. What felt like a normal start with the clutch in other cars, was what the second gear felt like in the Chavota. With the exception that you were going twice as fast once the clutch was out. I got the car finished 2 weeks before I exited the AF.

So I took it for a test drive. The road to Oracle was new, and way-overbuilt for it's location. No people on it, ever. I think the posted limit was 55. So I got on it. First, no mater how I triied, I couldn't get any lift out of the front-end. I also couldn't spin any tires. The car would just simply go, very quickly. I liked all that.

Next, I got it up to 80mph, which only took a couple seconds. Then for the first time at this speed, I fully punched it. Where the bushes were flipping past nicely at 100mph (80 on the dial), everything went immediately into a blur, and of course the dial had pegged out likely around 85(106.5mph), so I had no idea how fast I was going, but a 'blur' does mean something! I had no idea how stable this was going to be over 120mph, so I slowed back down to 60(72mph). I was actually kind of shaken (not sturred) by the sudden jump into spaces unknown.

So the day finally came to leave AZ. I rented a 10ft covered trailer. My brother had come down via air to ride back with me. We hitched up and we loaded it up to the brim. It was well packed and not light.

Remember that broken first gear? I skipped using it. The car did't care. zero-nothing. It felt just like driving with-out a trailer attached.

So the other fun was the look as anyone walked up past this tiny car with a meduim sized trailer attached, then looking in the back-door window.
That what-the-heck moment was viceral on thier faces. It was twice the fun if the hood was open for refuling and they spotted the kegg.

Sounds like true hot rodder "run whut ya brung" tradition... I looked at the Corvair mid-engine conversion as well (even bought Corvair for the project) but never got to complete the project... Life happens... One of the other GT-40 kit cars of that era was the Avenger GT made by FiberFab... I lusted for one of those at the time as well... Fun days!

 

[Rickb]

Sounds like true hot rodder "run whut ya brung" tradition... I looked at the Corvair mid-engine conversion as well (even bought Corvair for the project) but never got to complete the project... Life happens... One of the other GT-40 kit cars of that era was the Avenger GT made by FiberFab... I lusted for one of those at the time as well... Fun days!

Still some fun to be had.

 

[hawg_ryder]

Been awhile since I posted anything about the Spyder... I just got back from a 3319 mile trip to Pennsylvania on the Spyder to pick up a Mini Mate popup camper trailer from the folks at Kompact Kamp. Spyder did fantastic on the trip! Heated grips and seat much appreciated when riding in the 40's with rain!
Great trip and saw some really pretty country...

All hooked up and ready to roll!

Camping at a friend's place in Texas....

charging up all my stuff!

This little trailer would've pulled great behind the Elio!

 

[Coss]

Very Cool indeed, now first question; what did that little box set you back?
How did the 3 wheeler like pulling it?
Did you go alone, or with company?
Wait, let me back up a little, where did you get the camper from? Texas, or is that why you went North?
(Damn I'm nosey) But if you don't ask questions, how are you supposed to learn?

 

[hawg_ryder]

Very Cool indeed, now first question; what did that little box set you back?
How did the 3 wheeler like pulling it?
Did you go alone, or with company?
Wait, let me back up a little, where did you get the camper from? Texas, or is that why you went North?
(Damn I'm nosey) But if you don't ask questions, how are you supposed to learn?

Hidy Coss... Been a minute... Ok, so Kompact Kamp is located in Myerstown, Pa. I went solo, and the Spyder did great! Rode in cold,wet, hot, and just right weather and both the bike and the old man (me) did just fine... The Mini Mate weighs in about 310# and I threw some gear from the trike in it on the trip home... I figured it was probably 350# with the gear I added, and the Spyder handled it w/o any issues... Trailer pulled straight as an arrow and the speed I was running (60-75) didn't cause any heat problems with the bearings and/or tires. (they're 8"). On the trip home I stopped at a buddy of mine in Buffalo,Tx and spent the night in the MM. Had to borrow a sleeping bag, and some power but it was fine. The MM as configured with Awning, Add-a-room, aluminum wheels, tongue handle, bumper, fenders, running lights, tail light bezels, table stands, and a wheel bearing kit was... $5400. It would hav been cheaper to have it shipped to me, but I wanted to make the run and meet the KK folks... They're a family-owned business and have been making them for 40 years! https://www.kompactkamptrailers.com/
I haven't put it together with the awning and add-a -room yet, but you can see pix of it on their website... Hope things are going well for you and yours and you're having a good summer... All the best!

 

[ehwatt]

Hidy Coss... Been a minute... Ok, so Kompact Kamp is located in Myerstown, Pa. I went solo, and the Spyder did great! Rode in cold,wet, hot, and just right weather and both the bike and the old man (me) did just fine... The Mini Mate weighs in about 310# and I threw some gear from the trike in it on the trip home... I figured it was probably 350# with the gear I added, and the Spyder handled it w/o any issues... Trailer pulled straight as an arrow and the speed I was running (60-75) didn't cause any heat problems with the bearings and/or tires. (they're 8"). On the trip home I stopped at a buddy of mine in Buffalo,Tx and spent the night in the MM. Had to borrow a sleeping bag, and some power but it was fine. The MM as configured with Awning, Add-a-room, aluminum wheels, tongue handle, bumper, fenders, running lights, tail light bezels, table stands, and a wheel bearing kit was... $5400. It would hav been cheaper to have it shipped to me, but I wanted to make the run and meet the KK folks... They're a family-owned business and have been making them for 40 years! https://www.kompactkamptrailers.com/
I haven't put it together with the awning and add-a -room yet, but you can see pix of it on their website... Hope things are going well for you and yours and you're having a good summer... All the best!

Ordinarily I would say holy cow. But mercy me that is exciting!

 

[DikiJ]

A woman driving a 1944 Brogan Doodlebug10 HP. The Doodlebug could achieve a top speed of 45 MPH and travel almost 70 miles on one gallon of gas.




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[hawg_ryder]

FYI...

Former GM Plant to be Converted to Digital Infrastructure Manufacturing Facility​

Former GM Plant to be Converted to Digital Infrastructure Manufacturing Facility

The $18.5 million investment is expected to result in more than 1,300 new jobs.

www.ien.com

 

[Hog]

Which is what? a server farm? Bitcoin mining? Making 5G towers?

 

[hawg_ryder]

Which is what? a server farm? Bitcoin mining? Making 5G towers?

Hidy Hog... Here's what Technopedia says it is... https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4202/server-farm I suspect that Bitcoin mining could be one of its functions...