Retrospective

[HarleyEarl]

Motoring Memories:

Chevrolet Corvair Spyder Turbocharged

Story and photo by Bill Vance

The compact Corvair, which Chevrolet introduced in 1960, had an aluminum, horizontally-opposed (flat), air-cooled six-cylinder engine located in the rear, and four wheel independent suspension. This put it away out of the mainstream of an American auto industry dominated by big cars with front-mounted cast iron V8s driving through a solid rear axle.

The Corvair was inspired by the top-selling German Volkswagen, and along with cars like the Ford Falcon, Chrysler (later Plymouth) Valiant and American Motors Rambler, was meant as an import fighter.

But if the Corvair wasn't different enough already, Chevrolet took it even further off the beaten path in 1962 when, along with Oldsmobile, it pioneered turbocharging in production automobiles.

A turbocharger, short for turbine-driven supercharger, is an ingenious engineering device that produces what could almost be called "free" horsepower. By inserting a small turbine in the exhaust stream, and using it to spin an air compressor to pump more air into the engine, significant horsepower increases can be achieved.

The turbocharger was invented by Alfred Buchi, a Swiss engineer, in 1905. Supercharging appealed to aeronautical engineers trying to maintain low altitude performance at high altitudes. The turbocharger was a natural solution to this problem, and during the First World War French engineer Auguste Rateau developed a turbocharged aircraft engine.

But if Alfred Buchi invented the turbocharger, it was Dr. Sanford Moss of General Electric in the United States who matured it. He could be called the "Father of Turbocharging." In 1918 Dr. Moss fitted a turbocharger to a First World War Liberty V-12 aircraft engine and tested it on top of Pikes Peak using a truck-mounted dynamometer. At that elevation, 4,267 m (14,000 ft) above sea level, the Liberty's horsepower increased from 221 without the turbo, to 356 with it, a dramatic demonstration of turbocharging's effectiveness.

Turbo development continued during the 1920s and '30s, and was given another push during the Second World War when virtually all military aircraft would have them. They were also used on large industrial engines, usually diesel, and found their way onto transport trucks, particularly in mountainous regions.

Some hot rodders and racers were experimenting with turbos during the 1950s, but it wasn't until the '60s that they would be fitted to production cars.

In the spring of 1962 both Chevrolet and Oldsmobile introduced turbocharged models. Oldsmobile put a turbo on its 3.5 litre (215 cu in.) aluminum V8 F-85 intermediate model and called it the "Jetfire." The turbo increased horsepower from the best non-turbo figure of 185, to 215, or one horsepower per cubic inch.

Chevrolet applied turbocharging to its Corvair to increase its power and enhance its sporting image. The Ford Falcon and the Valiant, the Corvair's direct competitors, had conventional front engine designs so they could easily be fitted with larger engines. This was not so easy in the Corvair.

Although the Corvair's air-cooled six could be increased in displacement from its original 2.3 litres (140 cu in.), there were definite limits on how big it could go. It went to 2.4 litres (145 cu in.) in 1961, and 2.7 (164) in 1964, but that's as far as it went during the Corvair's 10-year life span. Chevrolet engineers therefore chose turbocharging as their route to substantially more power.

In 1962 the Corvair's normally aspirated base engine developed 80 horsepower, or 84 when fitted with the optional "Powerglide" automatic transmission. When the turbocharged Corvair Spyder was introduced it had 150 horsepower, almost double the power out of the same displacement! This improved performance significantly.

Car Life magazine (8/62) tested a pair of Corvairs. One was a "town or touring" automatic-equipped Monza coupe with the 84 horsepower engine. They recorded a more than modest zero to 96 km/h (60 mph) time of 21.6 seconds, and a top speed of 145 km/h (90 mph).

The "fun and games" Spyder coupe was a whole different matter. Fitted with a four-speed manual transmission, the 150 horsepower turbocharged Corvair would sprint to 96 (60) in 10.8 seconds, and reach a top speed of 169 km/h (105 mph). The testers said the turbo "puts this compact into a class by itself."

While Oldsmobile would stay with turbocharging for only a couple of years - 1962-'63 - before succumbing to bigger engines as an easier, less complex route to higher power, Chevrolet would keep its turbo until 1966. Horsepower of the Corvair turbo was increased to 180 in 1965.

Unfortunately for the Corvair, 1965 was the year in which Ralph Nader published his book Unsafe At Any Speed. In Unsafe he savaged the Corvair for alleged unsafe handling due to the swing rear axles fitted to the 1960-64 models. Ironically, by the time the book appeared, Chevrolet had replaced the swing axles with a fully articulated rear suspension. The damage was done, however, and the Corvair went into a steep sales decline; it was discontinued in 1969.

While the Corvair came to a sad end, it and Oldsmobile did pioneer production automobile turbocharging, and demonstrate its potential. It would be another decade before it would return, this time from Porsche in the 1975 911 Turbo Carrera.

[razoredge]

Very nice Harley, and interesting reading, I always liked Corvairs. I could sit here and pick them apart for the this and thats but Id rather enjoy them for what they are and were. :AH-HA_wink:

[balthazar]

It should be noted that the 1st gen Corvairs were completely exonerated by the federal DOT after extensive testing regarding any & all handling allegations. Clean bill of health.

In the end, Nader was proven to be what he was; an opportunistic ambulance chaser.

[ocnblu]

As always, I love to hear about Corvairs. Thanks, Harl.

[HarleyEarl]

Well, it's always my distinct pleasure. I could go on and on about my love for these cars on every level. They are timeless.

[knightfan26917]

*grins*

I love this type of history ... and, Harley, cool Pontiac in your signature .

Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker

MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/

Models.HO = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/trainroom.html

"You probably won’t remember me" ... Jan Arden ... 'Insensitive'

[Sixty8panther]

It should be noted that the 1st gen Corvairs were completely exonerated by the federal DOT after extensive testing regarding any & all handling allegations. Clean bill of health.

181627[/snapback]

Absolutely... not to mention the 2nd gen was a much

more modern & practical evolution with many quirks

worked out and all annoyances addressed.

In the end, Nader was proven to be what he was; an opportunistic ambulance chaser.

181627[/snapback]

Ralph Nader is the type of person that checks the stove 73

times in one afternoon to make sure it's not on even

though he has not used it in like a month. He's very much

a sick individual with several different types of O.C.D. His

crusaide for automotive safety had some positive

ramifications of course but he did more damage to Detroit

than any other one single individual.

[razoredge]

In the early 70's when the cars were only 10 years old or less, the few kids I knew that got them had nothing but problems, they really had a lot of bugs. It was the car I wanted and first located but was talked out of it by many, many friends, adults and mechanics......................I never once heard anything refering to Ralph Nader until years later. There was other reasons, one of which was, any that were still around and for sale were some kinda sad. Oil all over the place, rust all over the place, brake problems, wireing problems, you name it. I bought an English sports car and had great fun and perfect reliability with rock solid chassis, handling and brakes.

Great sheetmetal though, we can thank Bill Mitchell and crew for the second generation. My Corvette book has some interesting sketches of early Corvair ideas.

[Sixty8panther]

This has been sitting dormant in my Photobucket account

since the big crash of 2005.

[HarleyEarl]

'68 just love those pics!!! And that vanity plate: 'F-Ralph'..hilarious.

[HarleyEarl]

The Corvair's design was so well regarded in it's day that even a German carmaker NSU copied the design for their 1200 TT.

Edited August 20, 2006 by HarleyEarl