Manx Club

Is anyone building a corvair powered manxter?

Not a Manxter but I picked up a 140hp engine a while back I want to put in my Manx. Bob Yahn's Corsa powered Manx that I saw at Bruce's birthday got me excited about Corvair power. Mike McCrae who used to be on this site is a great Corvair buggy power resource. He gave me a lot of information about reversing a Corvair engine. I want to hook the 140hp Corvair up to a side shift 091 trans with a linkage like GotManx built.

Chris, When we picked up our Manxter stuff several years ago, Bruce took me for a ride in the prototype Manxter and after completely scaring the crap out of me, we were standing around looking at the details of the car. Bruce said that he would like to build one with a Corvair engine and a fully enclosed top and go out and tour the country. That was before the Subaru stuff ended up in a Manxter. I think the Subaru's are pretty cool, but radiators installed in Meyers Manx Products are not for me.

[QUOTE="Manxter26"] radiators installed in Meyers Manx Products are not for me.[/QUOTE] I thought that till I saw that some of the earliest racing T'owds had Ford V4 engines with radiators up in the roll bars. I prefer the thought of some of the ECR Manxters with Ford Zetec engines to Subarus though. I just don't like stock Subarus; or maybe it's just the kind of people that own and drive them in the UK at least. In such a 'new' Buggy as a Manxter though I think such an 'old tech' engine as a Corvair may be a mistake. A Porsche flat six though....???

David, Actually it was me that was building a Manxter with a Zetec. I have since made the switch to Subaru. The hoizontally opposed just looks "right" out back vs an inline 4. Olli

All points are valid. The idea of a corvair powerplant is twofold. Opposed air cooled in keeping with the traditionalists, and the added sound quality generated by it. 4 cylinders make such a raspy noise. The throaty corviar sounds like it means business and the Manxter looks like it means busines.. The subaru power woudl be great but the cost (8-10K from JOhnsons bug Machine is a bit overwhelming. Arguably, it is the best powerplant as far as efficiency, technology and the fact that is made to get those high Revs without taxing it. I am more looking at reliable power for a reasonable price, not extraordinary power for a fortune. Chris

I think a stock Subi turbo engine will dependably outperform a Corvair powerplant. I don't see an absolute need for the big buck Hipo Subi engine. There is something to be said for OHC's and modern engineering.

Chris, I'm assuming that you have decided to keep the Manxter? Although I would probably never do it, I like the idea of the corvair. With the longer wheelbase, it would handle the additional weight better than the shorter wheelbase cars. I can picture a tricked out corvair hanging out the back with a pair of the triple throat Webers off of a 911 Porsche going thru a Berg 5 speed trans. Yeah, it would cost as much as the Subaru but Oldschool and no radiator.

Anyone???...

David...is that a modern day Batmobile?