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  • aircooled

    June 28, 2008 5:31 p.m. aircooled Dork

    The national Corvair society convention (yes they have conventions, imagine when they start having Civic conventions!!) was near me this year, so I have some pics. You don't usually see this many Corvairs in one place (especially racey type ones). One nice thing about Corvair conventions is that they have autoX's, this one also had a track event associated with it. The track event was at Willow Springs, it of course was 104 degrees (argh!), but hey, it's a dry heat, and it was a bit breezy.

    At Willow, a V8 closely follow by a late coupe (FTD winner), guess which one handles better?:

    Lineup of Concourse cars:

    Lineup at AutoX:

    Oh, and here a shot of a Greenbrier van on course. Quite brave, eh? Not sure they should allow this:

    Here is a full link to the albums:

    Willow Springs Track Event

    Convention AutoX

    Ventura Fair Grounds Concourse

  • QuasiMondo

    June 28, 2008 5:38 p.m. QuasiMondo New Reader

    I remember a few years back I ran into a caravan of Corvairs. Coolest bunch of car people I ever met. They almost had me trying to track down a Corsa or Monza of my own.

  • MadScientistMatt

    June 28, 2008 6:33 p.m. MadScientistMatt HalfDork

    Looks like they had some really hardcore race Corvairs there!

    That autocrossing Greenbriar is one of the scariest autocross pictures I've seen short of the two wheeling Saturn. Combine weight jacking, a top-heavy vehicle, and lifting one wheel off the ground all in one and that's one brave driver!

  • neon4891

    June 28, 2008 7:08 p.m. neon4891 HalfDork

    looks like my friends father's "garage", he has 18 corvairs, all semi disassembled, but well organized

  • Feedyurhed

    June 28, 2008 11:00 p.m. Feedyurhed New Reader

    MadScientistMatt wrote: Looks like they had some really hardcore race Corvairs there!

    That autocrossing Greenbriar is one of the scariest autocross pictures I've seen short of the two wheeling Saturn. Combine weight jacking, a top-heavy vehicle, and lifting one wheel off the ground all in one and that's one brave driver!

    That's not just scary that's insane!!! Good way to ruin a perfectly good vehicle and someone's day if that things tips.

  • HappyAndy

    June 28, 2008 11:19 p.m. HappyAndy New Reader

    That van looks like my neighbors overweight bull dog trying to mark the fire hydrant!

    I generaly can't stand chevys, but I must admit to a fondness for corvairs. I will have one some day

  • June 29, 2008 8:56 a.m. petegossett Dork

    There's a guy who comes to our local autox's that has a couple Vairs. One is a stripped race car w/full cage, the other is some special edition car....I don't think it's a Yenko, but something along those lines. It's black & gold, but that's all I can remember.

    Anyway, he seems to have fun & does reasonably well with them!

  • mel_horn

    June 29, 2008 11:24 a.m. mel_horn HalfDork

    They should find the nearest Nader For President rally !

    There is a flock of them in Bonneauville PA

    Also there USED to be a field full of 'em on US 17 just north of Newport News VA.

  • iceracer

    June 29, 2008 6:06 p.m. iceracer New Reader

    They are doing it again at the end of July early August. Indianapolis area. Putnam Farms, then autocross and drag races at other venues. i have a friend who has a very fast Corvair and is going.

  • rob_lewis

    June 29, 2008 7:05 p.m. rob_lewis New Reader

    Some really nice looking cars, but that van picture will give me nightmares.

    Notice how tilted the OUTSIDE rear tire is!!!!

    -Rob

  • ddavidv

    June 30, 2008 5:23 a.m. ddavidv SuperDork

    petegossett wrote: There's a guy who comes to our local autox's that has a couple Vairs. One is a stripped race car w/full cage, the other is some special edition car....I don't think it's a Yenko, but something along those lines. It's black & gold, but that's all I can remember.

    Fitch Sprint would be my guess.

  • June 30, 2008 8:52 a.m. AutoXR New Reader

    ddavidv wrote:
    petegossett wrote: There's a guy who comes to our local autox's that has a couple Vairs. One is a stripped race car w/full cage, the other is some special edition car....I don't think it's a Yenko, but something along those lines. It's black & gold, but that's all I can remember.

    Fitch Sprint would be my guess.

    Ahhh , Dave Pressons Fitch.. Driven this car many times.. One of the cleanest vairs in existence...

  • aircooled

    June 30, 2008 1:27 p.m. aircooled Dork

    One more picture I thought was interesting, a 1964 Corvair with a Paxton supercharger. I appears to be vintage installation, but I have never seen one before, so I don't know.

  • ddavidv

    June 30, 2008 4:50 p.m. ddavidv SuperDork

    Stop posting the damn Corvair pictures. My garage is full. I don't need the temptation.

  • neon4891

    June 30, 2008 5:54 p.m. neon4891 HalfDork

    I wish Steve would be willing to sell one of his 'Vaires

  • B02S4

    June 30, 2008 9:14 p.m. B02S4 Reader

    Awesome photo of the Greenbrier. Hat's off!

  • ArthurDent

    June 30, 2008 9:33 p.m. ArthurDent New Reader

    Great pics - love the van auto-x.

  • aeronca65t

    June 30, 2008 9:57 p.m. aeronca65t New Reader

    ~Here~ is the local Corvair Club in my area. I know they run a track day at Pocono in Oct.

    And if you ever get to the Lime Rock Vintage in the Fall, you will likely see John Fitch drive his ~Fitch Phoenix~ to the track and park it in the paddock. I've seen it many times.

    When i was in college, I went to see Ralph Nader speak. At the time, I had a '60 Corvair. During the Q & A time, I grilled him good. Ralph not only helped rid us of fuel-efficient, "unsafe" Corvairs, but his misguided emphaisis on "safety cars" probably helped bring about "safe", gas-guzzling SUVs.

  • aircooled

    June 30, 2008 11:42 p.m. aircooled Dork

    Some more tidbits on the Greenbrier autoXing: When he went around some of the "interesting" curves the crowd watching let out a gasp (it was kind of like watching a circus act). Anyway after the normal runs they did fun runs and I saw the Greenbrier line up... with a passenger!

    I walked up to the passenger (I assume the girlfriend) and inquired if she had seen the van run previously. She noted that she had, so I left here with, "well, as long as you know what you are getting yourself into". Here is a cropped/zoomed pic of that, I think you can see the expression on her face:

  • nickel_dime

    July 1, 2008 10:46 a.m. nickel_dime HalfDork

    Those are really cool. The other day I saw a trike using the back of a Corvair and a motorcycle front forks.

  • Kramer

    July 1, 2008 2:35 p.m. Kramer New Reader

    Here's the '67 I grew up driving. Only a 110/PG, though...

  • Kramer

    July 1, 2008 2:39 p.m. Kramer New Reader

    And here's my dad's '63 Rampside. It drives about 12 miles per year--into town for winter storage, and back to the house in the spring.

  • July 1, 2008 9:57 p.m. TIGMOTORSPORTS New Reader

    That Rampside is damn cool

  • July 2, 2008 3:13 a.m. Nashco Dork

    That Greenbrier driver has big honkin nards!

  • gwydionjhr

    Sept. 20, 2008 7:52 a.m. gwydionjhr New Reader

    Aircooled sorry we missed you at Ventura. I was with the B.C. Canuck crew of FCs. Yes, that's right, we drove our 'vairs 3500 miles round trip.

    The 3 wheeled Greenbrier isn't as scary as it looks. It's a self limiting proposition, when it goes up on three wheels like that, it looses traction and goes slower. Their center of gravity is also a lot lower than you would think, pancake motor in the back, right!

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