= "What Would you drive?" - Jay Eitel's V-12 'Jaguair' Corvair =
 

In addition to the "What do you drive" thread, I wanted to start a "what do you want to drive" thread..... So think of this as that.....

I am very happy with our 1989 - 1991 Honda's, although I have been recently looking at a few 1990 - 1993 MB 190E's more likely than the following car, but for a fantasy;

If You Could.... "What would you drive" thread, for me I think it would be this Corvair.

I was looking at something on google when a link to this very interesting Corvair was in the list of items returned. I read it and then began looking for more, and came across these two very comprehensive stories chronicling how a very brilliant engineer took a very unbalanced car, and turned it into something GM never could. Its really amazing the variety of components used to make this car, a very special unique car.... A definitive "what I would drive" if I had the money, and if it were available to buy.....

2 page story in Autoweek 1992:

http://asavage.dyndns.org/Corvair/Misc/65Jag.html

Website with very detailed design and build info:

http://www.corvaircorsa.com/V-12-01.html

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enjoy....

That's a labor of love for sure, and one heck of an engineering job. The only gripe I have about it: aftermarket stereo.

My neighbor is buying one of the "bathtub" years, with the one-piece swing-arm axles. Personally, a '69 with all the factory upgrade options would work for me. But I liked my Fiero better...

I used to be the parts manager of a Jaguar dealer. The V12's were nightmares. Not the engines, as much as the fuel systems. I'd say about 80% of the V12 Jags that aren't on the road are due to underhood fires caused by rotting out rubber connectors on the injectors, which eventually leaked fuel and caught fire.

We had one XJS V12 in the shop where the customer complained of a horrible fuel smell every time they turned on the A/C. Now those Jags used the old style GM axial A/C compressors, and those systems leaked back when those cars were new. A pound a year wasn't uncommon, in fact, it was expected.

There were some owners who hated that, or they were going on a trip and knew they were low on freon, so they'd jumper the pressure switch on the back of the compressor, then come in when the a/c didn't cool so well.

Well, the V12 engines run SO hot, that they had to run a fuel intercooler, which was basically a thermocouple setup where the incoming fuel was cooled by running straight through the high side of the A/C line. In this car, the pressure switch was bypassed, and the fuel intercooler developed an internal leak. The car burned the freon off in the combustion chamber, and when the fuel pressure exceeded the pressure in the A/C system, the A/C compressor was compressing FUEL :eek:

I've seen that happen maybe 4 times in the 5 years I worked there. The V12, when it ran, it ran beautifully, but when it didn't, good luck. They were neither powerful nor reliable, but they were smooth as silk.

I just realized the actual intent of this topic, all I had really noticed before was the custom Jag story. Anyway, for a long time I have wanted a 1981 or 1982 Mercury Lynx 2-door base model in medium blue metallic with medium wedgewood blue interior and manual shift. I already have a bunch of the harder-to-find parts, mostly NOS. Given the choice I would have a bunch of these cars, a lifetime supply if you will, I like those up to early 1985. Naturally, any one of these that I drive regularly would be fitted with one of my Ford AM-FM 8-track stereos.

A 1966 "Black Beauty" Imperial Crown would be nice too.

Also, mostly because it's such an odd duck, I would go for a 1980-83 Lincoln Continental Mark VI with those funky "touring lamps".

For hauling stuff, a 1975-78 Ford Econoline.