Restoring and modifying (otherwise known as restomod) a classic always piques our interest as it shows us what an old nameplate would look like with a modern interpretation. Fast Freddie's Rod Shop's latest project involves a 1965 Chevrolet Corvair with an LS3 V8 engine, featured by Hand Built Cars on YouTube.
The shop took a completely different approach with the infamous Chevy; the engine was moved to the front, far from its original design. For the uninitiated, the Corvair was the Bow Tie brand's answer to the Volkswagen Beetle - rear-mounted, air-cooled engine running the rear axle - the only mass-produced American passenger car to have such a layout and design.
This Corvair's restomod work was a collaboration between Fast Freddie and Midwest Metalworks, where the latter designed and fabricated a full custom chassis. It is complemented by the suspension system from a Chevy Corvette C5, ensuring the wheels stay planted on the road. After all, the project was said to be "built for serious road-racing track duty."
The restored Corvair makes use of Chevy's 6.2-liter LS3 engine good for 600 horsepower, bringing a new life to the classic. Since the builder added a rear differential, the engine is still sending power to the rear wheels, now through a 6-speed T-56 manual gearbox.
Design-wise, Fast Freddie took a sinister approach with the Corvair project. It's finished predominantly in black but with subtle gray racing stripes. The four round headlights up front have illuminated red surrounds.
The shop has managed to retain a classic look to the project, which is totally different from French company NewRide's much more modern take on the Corvair last year. If we were to choose, we'd probably go for the somewhat diabolical-looking Corvair that you see here. We're just not sure of the legality of those taillight-looking headlights.
Plus, the LS3 V8 is such a flexible engine to work with and a typical candidate for LS swaps of late. Even the Toyota 86 received the said engine in a project showcased at SEMA last year.