Corvette-Powered 1965 Chevy Corvair Heads To Auction
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Remember those fantastic, ridiculous, over-the-top cars you would draw in high school study hall when you were supposed to be doing something else? Those testosterone and horsepower addled creations that would have made Ed “Big Daddy” Roth proud? They usually involved some diminutive econobox crammed full of an engine that in no logical way would fit in the car and still leave room for a driver, or if it did, the engine would have been so overpowered for the car that it would have likely twisted it in half. Time, technology, and mechanical creativity have caught up with your monster car fantasies, and now you can have that little car stuffed full of hairy-chested LS muscle in this cool 1965 Chevy Corvair dubbed the Super Stinger in a nod to Don Yenko’s Corvair Stingers.
Jeff Moore of The Automotive Archeologists Ltd. managed to take a 385-horsepower LS6 engine from his 2001 Chevy Corvette Z06 SCCA T1 race car and stuff it into his 1965 Chevy Corvair. Jeff is no newbie to Corvairs, as he is a member of the Corvair Society of America V-8 Registry. Using plentiful fabrication, and relocating the LS V8 in front of the firewall as opposed to the original engine’s location behind it, Jeff was able to attain a 50/50 weight distribution in the 2,850-pound Super Stinger. The engine now sits behind a new custom firewall located immediately aft of the front seats, and has a hinged Plexi-Glas cover for top side access.
There was no way the original Chevy Corvair transmission would have put up that sort of bump in power, so Jeff used a 5-speed Porsche transaxle from a 911SC. To deal with the chassis flex, the Super Stinger received a full cage, and a significant bit of suspension fabrication. Four-wheel power disc brakes handle the stopping duties.
Purpose-built vehicles like this are typically very spartan. That is not so in this case. As you would expect, the Chevy Corvair’s interior features two black leather-covered racing seats with bolsters to keep the driver and passenger planted, as well as five-point harnesses. But it also has full carpet, air conditioning and heat by Vintage Air, full gauges by AutoMeter and a Bluetooth stereo (no word on if you can hear it over the LS6).
The exterior of the Chevy Corvair Super Stinger is an attractive blue metallic similar to Mid-Year Corvette Nassau Blue, and has lighter blue racing stripes up the hood, roof, and rear deck. The Super Stinger rolls on what appear to be US Mags Rambler wheels shod in high performance rubber, and the disc brakes are visible through the wheel gaps.
With over $100,000 invested, this Chevy Corvair Super Stinger is headed to the Mecum Auctions Orlando, Florida sale taking place July 28th through the 31st. It may be the perfect opportunity to snag the study hall beast of your dreams.
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That’s one cool hot rod! Now this is what hot rodding and customizing is all about…provoking reactions
Fantastic. I only wish the builder had used all aluminum
LT5 four cam from the fabled zr-1. Undoubtedly the most overlooked engine in GM history.
Ralph Nadar….. Unsave at any speed. NOT THIS ONE !!!! Screw Ralph!!
“Screw Ralph!” How about seat belts, air bags, anti-lock brakes?
none were unsafe
Awesome
Very nicely done. The predecessor to the C8. I built one a long time ago, but it wasn’t this well thought out. Congrats to the builder. One helluva job! (especially the Stinger C pillars)
Charles W. Moss (RET. GySgt USMC)
Corvairs have always been that best kept secret.
Jeff Moore put a smile on Don Yenko’s face
Job well done!!!
Very nice, my uncle owns a corvair spyder 2+2, I I think that’s what it’s called, has 4 carbs, maybe it’s a monza, anyway I have always likes corvair. He took me for a ride when I was about 10 years or so. I still remember it. I like the fact the dash looks kinda stock, the whole car is badass. Love some corvair.
Who did the work on the 65 Corvair?
I’m 71years old,I had a65 Corvair Monza when I was 16 Tried to install a 327 midengine.Was to be called Corvair.Could never finish it. What you’ve done is simply AWESOME.I love it. Wish I could AFFORD it
Thank you for sharing with the world your excellent craftsmanship ! This build was very very well thought out, an I particularly wish that there was some schematics or diagrams to show the specifications through an throughout, hats off to you and your great skill sir!
mine is a 60 coupe with a 66 toronado 425 super rocket 385 hp/ placed in the rear like a corvair. rear heavy it is when my dad built this in 1968 still has a rear seat. see it at v8registry.com
50/50 weight distribution just like the C6. I like clear floor mats. The paint looks modern. One thing I think is too showy is the colored dash. I think that’s the only bad part, but I guess it doesn’t matter since it’s like looking at a longer hood that goes into the cabin.
Too