Monza GT Corvair Show Car

[Joe Lange]

Greetings All,

This model has been a project of mine, (on and off), for about 2 years.  It started its life as an Entex kit with that little nasty electric motor and battery box where the motor should have been.  A 'glue bomb' AMT Chevrolet Astro II Show Car donated its Corvair OHC 'prototype' engine for the cause.  After a bit of engine detailing, it is ready.  Then the fun began on building a descent chassis.  There are hardly any photos on the engine compartment of this car, and the real show car had several versions of Corvair engines, so I just used a bit of imagination and a lot of scratch building.     

[Jack L]

looking good .  I have that, kit it looks to  small to be 1/25 is the real car that small ?

[Snake45]

Very cool project, keep us posted! Drive on! 

[rightrudder]

A great subject that will test your fabrication skills. Subscribed!

I wish someone kitted the original Mustang prototype with the mid-mounted V-4 engine. Maybe someone did?

 

Edited January 15, 2022 by rightrudder

[vamach1]

1 minute ago, rightrudder said:

A great subject that will test your fabrication skills. Subscribed!

I wish someone kitted the original Mustang prototype with the mid-mounted V-4 engine. Maybe someone did?

 

I have never seen a kit but perhaps there was a slot car in the 60’s.  Automodelllo made a diecast one.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Looking good. I need to find one of those...   

[Daddyfink]

Found a few decent shots of it! 

https://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z13357/chevrolet-corvair-monza-gt-concept.aspx

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

22 minutes ago, Daddyfink said:

Found a few decent shots of it! 

https://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z13357/chevrolet-corvair-monza-gt-concept.aspx

Interesting.

Looks like it used production stamped steel front control arms (from who knows what) in the rear.

Also note the forged steering arm coming from the spindle. Makes me think hubs / uprights may have been sourced from 4WD front pieces.

[Joe Lange]

Thanks guys, for your comments.   Jack, as far as scale, I can only go by what the box stated.  However, the 13-inch Corvair tires l sourced from Modelhaus Tires look spot on and the Corvair engine from another 1/24 kit, looks to be just the right size.  I had doubts about scale also but, I think it's a little too big to be 1/32. 

Jesse, Bill:  Thanks for the photos.  As you can see, there is a whole lot of steel chassis surrounding, (and hiding), the engine.  I wanted to avoid that so, watch for later photos and see what you think.  Also, that is not the original engine as it is turbocharged.  Apparently, this show car had a very busy life and a few engines.  I have several B&W photos of the car in 1963 at Watkins Glen and the '63 Turin Salon in Italy where the first motor was a stock unit with a single, center mounted carb, and air cleaner.  I also had no desire to replicate that strange exhaust system!  I'll send a photo of the underside.           

 

[monza77]

Great to see this built. Those old japanese motorized kits have some really neat subjects not kitted domestically. I was not aware of the smaller scale version  so the hunt is on. I have a ( I believe Entex ) 1/20 scale Monza Gt motorized kit and was always on the lookout for a 1/20 scale Corvair motor and transaxle. Are you or anyone  familiar with the 1/20 kit and does anyone know a source for a motor and trans? I'll be following this one and applying it to my larger scale one.

Edited January 15, 2022 by monza77
misspell

[Ace-Garageguy]

31 minutes ago, monza77 said:

...was always on the lookout for a 1/20 scale Corvair motor and transaxle. Are you or anyone  familiar with the 1/20 kit and does anyone know a source for a motor and trans? 

I saw a 1/20 scale version on eBay a few hours back when I snagged a 1/24 version.

Far as engines go, the only Corvair mills I'm certain were kitted are in 1/25 and 1/8. Shouldn't be too hard to do a reasonable scratch-job though, as much of the engine detail is hidden by cooling tin.

There a few 1/18 Corvair diecasts, and as poorly scaled as a lot of that stuff is, you just might find an engine that could pass in 1/20.  

[monza77]

8 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I saw a 1/20 scale version on eBay a few hours back when I snagged a 1/24 version.

Far as engines go, the only Corvair mills I'm certain were kitted are in 1/25 and 1/8. Shouldn't be too hard to do a reasonable scratch-job though, as much of the engine detail is hidden by cooling tin.

There a few 1/18 Corvair diecasts, and as poorly scaled as a lot of that stuff is, you just might find an engine that could pass in 1/20.  

Thanks for the reply. I will probably scale up the Amt Corvair engines as the 1/1 block and trans appear to be box shape with a few barrels stuck on. Well, I guess it actually is a "boxer" layout. I was thinking some old IMC dune buggy kits (1/20) might be a source. Great work and thanks for the inspiration. Will be following closely.

[Ace-Garageguy]

12 minutes ago, monza77 said:

 I was thinking some old IMC dune buggy kits (1/20) might be a source...

JOE (the OP): Sorry to hijack your thread again, but this build is so unusual, I hope you don't mind additional info for people who might want to do one too.

I wouldn't swear to ALL of the IMC 1/20 buggy kits having V-dub engines, but this one definitely does.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224784653033?hash=item3456359ae9:g:TEIAAOSwjoxh3Pgr

The 1/20 Imai kit is VW powered too:

[Joe Lange]

Hey Bill, enjoy the conversation from you and Dennis about the Monza and 'scale'.  However, it is for that reason I stayed away from the 1/20 version.  I really hoped the 1/20 Monza had a 'real' engine because I would have gladly paid the bigger bucks on Ebay and bought it!  But, because it had the same stupid electric motor, I could not see spending all that time scratch building an engine when there is so much in 1/24,1/25 parts out there.      

[Joe Lange]

Greetings all,

Another week and a little more progress.  Duplicolor 'aluminum' and clear coat.   Detailing firewall, more rear framework, alignment of rear cover. 

[rightrudder]

Excellent finish! Mesh in the vent openings looks super cool.

[Joe Lange]

Thanks Doug,  The screen is from a company called Franklin Models.  They are a supplier of model train parts.  The screen comes in 3 different 'Mesh' sizes, for different train scales.  You see the stuff for sale on Ebay and model train part websites.  There are also other folks on Ebay that sell aluminum mesh screen that looks interesting.  

 

[rightrudder]

Thanks for the source; I will certainly get some in the future. I'm fortunate to live reasonably close to Pegasus Hobbies (40-minute drive) so I'll see if they stock it on my next trip. So few brick-and-mortar shops around anymore...two hobby shops within 15 minutes of my house have closed in recent years. Sign of the times...

[Joe Lange]

O my gosh!  You could probably start an avalanche of messages from members over 50 about old hobby stores!  Growing up on Long Island in the 60's and 70's they were everywhere.  One of the FIRST thing I did when I got my driver's license in the early '70s was to scourer the phone book and try to find all the hobby stores on L.I.  Found many little 'hole in the wall', Mom & Pop shops!  Good memories.           

[Beamerman]

Great Projekt! I finished my Revell Grand Tourismo Kit Car with the Corvair Engine this weekend...a horrible Kit but looks nice...

[Joe Lange]

OK!  Let's see some photos!