1966 Monza Kelmark Conversion

Steve's V8 Vair came to him as a basic body shell, stripped clean except for the lids and empty door shells. He found it at the St. Louis convention. You see, Steve has owned and built another Corvair V8 Kelmark but during the road test a few weeks before the convention the car was destroyed by a fire caused by an oil leak and hot headers. That was in 1998. Not to be deterred, this one is even better. As he says, it is a conglomeration of many different Corvairs. In this case, the sum is much greater than the parts.

The body remains relatively stock out side except for the perception of seeing double or triple in this case. A third tail light has been added inboard on both sides. They operate in sequence. This is not the first late model Corvair to have this modification done but on Steve's car it looks right at home. Speaking of lights, a set of 1969 style "Nader" or running lights was added to the body work. A Corsa Enterprises spoiler was added to the front for stability at speed. Inside the major modification is the opening cut in the back floor for the engine. This was kept to a minimum in size.

The paint is shiny clear coated triple deep black with many coats of Zaino polish. It'll put your eyes out!

The engine in Steve's Kelmark is an aluminum headed Chevy 350 ZZ4 crate motor making 335 HP. A Holley 650 CFM four barrel carburetor on a dual plane manifold fed by an electric pump mounted in the tunnel makes it a very streetable ride. Cool air for the carb comes from a dual snorkel 14" Air Inlet Systems Ram Air set up, pulling air from below the rear window. The carb is actuated by the old reliable marine Morse style cable. A HEI distributor provides the spark and a set of modified stainless steel headers along with some Turbo mufflers makes the noise. The headers are wrapped in Thermo Tech insulation to help control the heat in the enclosed engine bay.

The interior is nicely done in a two tone gray and black trim. Steve has made extensive use of Dynomat Ultra heat and sound insulation inside and outside the radiator enclosure. Two seats from a 1992 Thunderbird provide a place to sit and the driver's side is 6 way adjustable. Lots of leg room in  a Kelmark!

The engine cover or "dog house" is made of aluminum panels covered with Dynomat. It is carpeted to match the interior.

A Corsa instrument panel has a full set of matching Autometer gauges with three more atop the radio. Since Steve modified the center area of the dash in such a way that the ignition switch was eliminated from its usual place, he made and overhead console for it and the power window switches.

Cooling is by a special five row copper cross flow rear mounted radiator. The air comes in from below the rear window and is ducted through the radiator, exiting out the bottom of the old engine compartment. Special air dams help control the flow. A high flow water pump pushes the coolant along. The 16" electric fans help move the air along at low level speeds.

The area to the sides was boxed in for the electrical system and a small storage area.   The rear radiator mount gives Steve the full use of the stock trunk.

Suspension is Corvair with stock coils and adjustable gas shocks. Quick arms and a stock 69 Vair steering box take care of the direction with a 67 Monza column. A set of Clarks disc brakes do the stopping in front.

The rear suspension has a Crown style relocating bracket    and all bushings have been replaced. The transmission is shifted by a modified Kelmark shifter and two heavy duty marine type cables to take care of the 180 degree position change. One cable does the push pull and one does the rotating of the shifter shaft. A hydraulically operated clutch is controlled by a 66 Corvair master cylinder mounted in the trunk   beside the brake master cylinder. The differential has all new components with a 3:55 ring and pinion, a four spider modification and aluminum top cover. Future plans call for a circulating gear oil pump for rear end longevity.

Wheels are a set of beautiful and timeless 14' X 16" American Torque Thrust D's and some 195-60-14 front rubber with 235-60-14 in back. She sits pretty!

For specific comments or questions contact Steve at  Steve@Centralcomm.net