The Transaxle
Next I built the subframe that supports the engine and provides structural rigidity to the flexible unibody of the stock Corvair. I went with a very simple and strong subframe made with a cross member and two parallel rails. The cross is welded to the unibody where the floor pan, rocker panels and door pillar come together. The parallel rails are welded directly to the frame rails. The motor mounts attach to the rails and can be designed for any engine you decide to use.
This process of selecting the best option for my transaxle turned out to be complicated and is a good example of my earlier point about staying true to your original plans. I should note here that I have a 34 inch inseam and like to drive with my legs nearly straight, so my criteria may not be the same as yours. The research boils down to the fact that there are very few transaxle options that can work with a V8. There are separate tranny and rear end set-ups, but these put the engine too far forward. Given my daily driver criteria, I needed something that could reliably handle 300-500 horsepower and up to 450 foot pounds of torque.
The best option for me was the Porsche 930 transaxle. Besides being built for higher horsepower applications (this box was used successfully in numerous Porsche race cars during the 80s), the transaxle has a ring gear just shy of 9 inches in diameter and it has a very strong differential. The ring and pinion needs to be flipped and all the internal tolerances set-up by a qualified Porsche specialist, which adds several thousand to the cost. You also need a clutch, flywheel and adapter kit from Kennedy Engineering to mate the transaxle to the V8.
Next I built the subframe that supports the engine and provides structural rigidity to the flexible unibody of the stock Corvair. I went with a very simple and strong subframe made with a cross member and two parallel rails. The cross is welded to the unibody where the floor pan, rocker panels and door pillar come together. The parallel rails are welded directly to the frame rails. The motor mounts attach to the rails and can be designed for any engine you decide to use.
This process of selecting the best option for my transaxle turned out to be complicated and is a good example of my earlier point about staying true to your original plans. I should note here that I have a 34 inch inseam and like to drive with my legs nearly straight, so my criteria may not be the same as yours. The research boils down to the fact that there are very few transaxle options that can work with a V8. There are separate tranny and rear end set-ups, but these put the engine too far forward. Given my daily driver criteria, I needed something that could reliably handle 300-500 horsepower and up to 450 foot pounds of torque.
The best option for me was the Porsche 930 transaxle. Besides being built for higher horsepower applications (this box was used successfully in numerous Porsche race cars during the 80s), the transaxle has a ring gear just shy of 9 inches in diameter and it has a very strong differential. The ring and pinion needs to be flipped and all the internal tolerances set-up by a qualified Porsche specialist, which adds several thousand to the cost. You also need a clutch, flywheel and adapter kit from Kennedy Engineering to mate the transaxle to the V8.
