Relating to classic American automobiles, the Chevrolet Corvair – as america’ only mass-produced, rear-engined automobile – is in a category of its own.
As awkward because it is for me to confess, before this Corvair Monza 900 piqued my interest on the 2024 Elmia Custom Motor Show, I had never seen, let alone heard of the model. Its owner and creator, David Gunnars, nevertheless, knew exactly what he was taking a look at when he found the Chevy at a Swedish mink farm a few years ago.
David has been fooling around with cars since he was 16 (he’s now 36), with American classics becoming a little bit of a speciality. With an asking price reminiscent of US$750, there was no way he could pass up the Corvair. Over the following two years, he well and truly made it his own with many unique modifications.
There’s a lot to absorb with this construct, so let’s just start on the front, where David can now ignore storing the family luggage within the Corvair’s frunk.
That’s since it is now home to a 40-litre Nuke Performance fuel cel with surge tank, three Walbro 450 fuel pumps and a Speeding fuel pressure regulator. You’ll see why in a moment.
The front end can be home to a Hurricane Motorsport radiator that’s fed cool air through ducts that replace two of the Corvair’s 4 original headlights. The 2 remaining headlights were replaced with Harley-Davidson equivalents.
One in every of the Corvair’s defining features is its sleek exterior styling, which David has enhanced with some subtle fender widening on the front for extra clearance, and lip rolling on the rear.
What really sets it other than other Corvairs is the custom carbon fibre work. The front and rear bumpers, rear diffuser and rear spoiler are all within the composite material.
As a final bodywork detail, the Corvair’s original taillights were refreshed with latest glass and custom-painted frames.
For wheels and tyres, David has gone with a contemporary setup. The Kansei Roku wheels were narrowed from 18×9.5-inch to 18×8-inch up front, but are utilized in their original 18×10.5-inch size out back. Federal 595 RS-Rs, 215/40R18 front and 275/35R18 rear, are the tyres of alternative.
You’d expect some big brakes on a construct of this nature, but I don’t think anyone could have guessed what David had in store for the Corvair – Aston Martin DB11 6-pot and 4-pot callipers paired with Chevrolet C6 Corvette discs, 355mm and 340mm.
The brilliant red callipers tie right into considered one of the automobile’s defining features – its interior remake. While the cabin might sound slightly in your face at first, all the pieces from the custom cup holders to the custom starter button has its place.
Changing gears through the Audi 01E 6-speed transaxle transmission using a Porsche 996 shifter is finished in total comfort from the Braum Alpha-X driver’s seat. The passenger gets considered one of those too.
Blasting music while driving at a walking pace through urban streets is an enormous a part of the American custom automobile scene in Sweden, and David is roofed on this respect with a thumping system that features Cerwin Vega speakers.
Nonetheless, the true soundtrack comes from the engine.
This Corvair got here factory-fitted with a 2.4-litre air-cooled flat-six that made 110hp. Many more ponies are produced from the engine room lately because of the Audi 4.2-litre Biturbo V8 conversion. Yep, this Corvair has the center of a 2003 Audi RS 6 – with a twist.
The Audi engine made 444hp and 580Nm in stock form, but David’s engine is much from that now. It’s also missing its turbochargers.
At its heart, the V8 has been built up with Mahle forged pistons, DBR H-profile forged rods, and a modified crankshaft. Instead of the dual turbos is an HPS supercharger, with supporting modifications including a pair of custom-adapted Ferrari F430 headers, Bosch Motorsport fuel injectors, and twin Bosch 82mm electric throttle bodies that draw air through the rear window.
The engine setup hasn’t been dyno-tested yet, but I don’t think it’s going to have any trouble turning the Corvair’s rear tyres to smoke. And you only know it’s going to sound superb.
Sitting under the custom exhaust system with cutout valves is the Audi 01E transaxle. Hidden away is a DLI Teknik billet flywheel, Tenaci Motorsport twin-plate clutch, and a Quaife ATB limited-slip differential. Sellholm Tuning supplied the custom axles.
Finally, the suspension setup, which you already had a peek at within the frunk. Any shortcomings within the Corvair’s original suspension design have been rectified and greatly improved with a custom-designed setup featuring Öhlins Racing TTX coilovers borrowed from a RallyX Supercar Lites automobile.
I spent plenty of time poring over David’s Corvair; it’s an incredible construct from every angle. The judges at Elmia thought so too, awarding the automobile a minimum of six accolades, including the coveted ‘Best in Show’ within the hotly-contested Custom category.
Not one to take a seat idle, though, David is already onto his next project – which has only been revealed a station wagon to date. Regardless of the make and model, if the brand new construct is half pretty much as good as his Corvair, I do know we’ll all be in for a treat when David is finished with it.
Alen Haseta
Instagram: hazetaa
This Article First Appeared At www.speedhunters.com
