It’s for sale right now on Craigslist. The asking price is $1,250 and you’ll need to bring a trailer because there’s no engine in the vehicle. Does it make me a terrible person to think that this would make an exceptional LeMons platform?
By exceptional, I mean that it would take tremendous effort to get it into racing shape but it would certainly have a strong chance at winning the Index of Effluency prize.
So, would you feel alright turning it into a racer, or should someone save this? A third option is always tossing in some snorting V8 engine and going rat rod. Here’s the full ad for you to take a look at.
Would it be terrible to make this Corvair Pickup into a LeMons racer?
By Jeff Glucker
Sep 23, 2015
By Jeff Glucker
Jeff Glucker is the co-founder and Executive Editor of Hooniverse.com. He’s often seen getting passed as he hustles a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero up the 405 Freeway. IG: @HooniverseJeff
The nice part with making pickups into race mobiles is that you have a place to stad while installing the roll cage.
After that there is little upside.
Sounds perfect.
I was going to suggest a b-body on backward but it’s been done.
http://blog.caranddriver.com/lemons-goodbad-idea-of-the-week-backwards-body-flipped-ford-f-150/
Yes, it is a terrible idea.
Yes, you should totally do it.
Totally recommend it…after all there is that huge front crumple zone….Wait.
It is a terrible idea but only because LeMons HQ has unofficially officially unofficially banned forward-control vehicles.
Upon reflection, it is a wonderful idea because LeMons HQ would insist that you relocate the driver to the middle of the bed with cockpit access via the rampside door. Let me know if you need another driver.
Just drive backwards. Then it’s a rear control vehicle!
Never race a vehicle where YOU are the crumple zone. 🙂
It will never work.
Which is why you should do it.
You should do it because Corvair.
A potential way to make this legal (cab forward is an issue) would be to install a Toronado/Eldorado drivetrain backwards in the bed, then lock out the actual steering.
Rear-control, front wheel drive, backwards Corvair Rampside.
Oh yes.
With massive a-pillar blind spots.
Graft in the corners from a Chevy five-window and call it good.
http://woodsonolives.com/sale/truck/505wrr.jpg
No. Rampsides aren’t that rare, and I’ve personally seen a couple of mid V8 ones. Now if it were a Loadside (no side ramp), that might be a problem. Loadsides are pretty rare.
Yes it would be terrible but you should still do it. Here’s why.. these have a book written for them stating “unsafe at any speed” right? Right. So my thinking that any improvement made is in the name of safety, right? Right. So in theory you should be able to stuff a whole racecar worth of suspension and brakes and cage and maybe even engine if yours is unsafe for the track, right? Right.