With the release of the C8 upon us, and the presumably harsh effect that will have on the seller's community of anything C3-C5, I got to thinking. I absolutely love the first Mid-Engine prototype Corvette built in 1968, the Astro. It is a beautiful car, even if it bears more than a passing resemblance to a Lamborghini of the era...... So, My questions are many, but I'll start with the drive-train. I would like to start with a 1981 Corvette I got for free from a neighbor who is tired of storing it for her daughter. It hasn't run in decades, and the paint job has, well, been repainted with either oil over water base or vice versa, and it's now coming off in giant flakes like paint chips in my old middle school. SO, I thought about the feasibility of mating a C5 drivetrain to a custom chassis that mounts the LS (or traditional small block, I have 5) directly to the Transaxle, and holds a C3 body over the front for a starting point. The original car was about 45 inches high, and the existing C3's are much higher, but I know that engine is going to intrude into the cockpit a bit, resulting in a bit of a surgical push forward of the cab, along with a one piece, one off fiberglass decklid a la a GT something courtesy of a competitor design who shall remain nameless on this forum.....

Anyway, what do you think? If an engineer says it's a stupid idea, then I'll probably try it anyway, but from a dimensional standpoint, I'd like your input. I'm sure I'm not the first person to ask this, but a 30 minute search of the site came up with little more than pictures of the cars I already know of. The engineering dimensions are likely something you have already, was my thought. So a quick question to you seemed like it would be a great idea.

 

I'm sorry, but we won't be sending this to the Chief Engineer.

 

And you would be able to do all this fabrication work?

 

...IMHO, that blows the C8 outta the park!!! I'd love that thing! I had the "toy" of the Astro Vette where it was like 1/18 or 1/24 scale, was motorized and you stuck a card in a slot in the chassis and it read that card and cruised around. There were multiple cards with it to make it "drive" several different courses.

 

i doubt you can start with an existing car and relocate the engine and the passenger compartment. you would be fabbing everything over. everything. frame, suspension, driveline... cut the birdcage out and move it forward. it would be easier to put a corvette-looking body on a current mid-rear engine car.

 

Funny about the Lamborghini comparison. I just saw an ad for a new Lamborghini selling for $9 million. Not ssure how many they expect to sell. What I was struck with was how similar the new C8 is to that $9 million car, looks wise.

 

Yes- the GM designers were looking pretty closely at the Lambo Muira

Look at the interiors- Muira on the left- 68 C3 on the right....striking similar-








As far as the design- It be much simpler to mount the engine transversely- and can pretty easily be done with GM's LS-4- the ls set up for front wheel drive. Can be found in the Impala/MonteCarlo and others IIRC 2006-2010.

And there are a bunch of kit cars using this combo- LS4/transmission/diff in one compact package


Here's how it's done in the Lambo-




And here's the LS-4- that could easily fit behind the seats

 

get a fiberfab valkrie kit car

 

 

I say GO FOR IT!

 

Thanks, Paul! I agree wholeheartedly. I totally forgot about those toys, they were awesome.

 

Are they free?

 

I appreciate the helpful answers, as well as the votes of confidence. Especially in a sea of adult voices from Charlie Brown. I especially appreciate the photos, Richard454. They are literally worth a thousand words. Probably more. And WOW, I had no idea the interiors were so similar as well. Since I think the Lamborghini Miura is one of the most beautiful cars out there (while the Countach is iconic, it always looked a bit too blocky for my taste), I can see why the engineers at GM would take a few styling cues from it. From what I understand, the Miura was a handful, even with the "S" modifications. Seeing just how far back the "mid' engine is in that chassis, along with the bias ply skinny tires of the day, that thing probably swapped ends pretty quickly in even the most experienced hands.

 

Been done already. Saten’s Wing Custom Mid Engine Corvette

 

LOL you serious?

 

I had this idea too - in fact, I'll be taking measurements before my body and frame are reunited to draft up a design- but it WILL be a lot of work. Like an insane amount of work. Off the top of my head, you'd need to section/shorten the front end, lengthen or redesign the frame before and after the kick up, and then work out drivetrain, cooling, etc.

Then you have to actually make the body.

TBH, now that I think of it, it would be EASIER to scratch build a new frame.

Still, cool idea, even if we're engindreaming.

 

I would go with the transverse mounted engine. Corvair guys do it. They put in the 3800 supercharged engines transversed mounted. Google that . If it will fit in a corvair, it should fit in a vette, Go to the local wrecking yard and get some dimensions. Maybe the engine cradle could be used also with a little modification. Remove the gas tank, put a fuel cell up front , even a spare tire, cut out the rear compartment behind the seats as needed. It just might work without modifying the outer body

 

A while back the idea had crossed my mind- a mid-engine C3 that wasn't butchered.

I like the LS 4-lots of performance parts available- and the track was within a inch or two of the C3. However fitting behind the rear seat- the centerline of the rear tire would have to be move back 7 inches.

Anyway here was my mock up of a C3 midengine - transverse mounted LS

Oh- go over to http://www.madmechanics.com/forum/

The mad mechanics forum has some really neat stuff-ideas-builds



actually a Northstar V8- but uses the same diff/tran

 

Add whatever LS you want. Weighs 2400lbs with me in it. I do love the C8 - but this project was for my boys and me. Wouldn't trade it for a C8. Well maybe!! LOL

 

Using a traditional sbc/trans combo bolted to the rear diff will put the engine very far forward leaving less cockpit room.. A better idea would be to use that Porsche trans that is also the diff/trans axle and adapt the drive axles/cv axles to it. Anothe issue is the bubble back of the 78+ cars would allow engine sound and heat through to the cockpit very easily and make it a pita to work on unless you used an 82 CE hatch. A better idea would be to use the flat back window cars from the 68-77, then you could cut the quarters and install hinges to open the back to gain access to the drive train. like this