Curbside Outtake: Four Cylinder Boxers x 3
– Posted on March 26, 2020
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It makes me think of a local microbrewer before it got bought and changed its name: Flat 12.
I did not realize the Bug used a Boxer Engine. Sure warms my heart to see Bugs fairly regularly despite U.S sales ending about 40 years ago.
I prefer my air cooled SIX cylinder boxer.
🙂
It always entertains me that the high-tech, water-cooled Subaru boxer makes that VW “pop-pop” sound.
Well, you have three cars with 12 flat cylinders when you could have the same amount with 2 corvairs. More interesing….
Nice Corvair, Mark!
I daily drive a 50 year old VeeDub and recently rented a brand new Subie Outback, hoping for some flat 4 goodness. Instead, all I got was a thrashy, gutless (okay, faster than my 50hp!) powertrain that sounded constantly strained. No relaxing reggae beat at all! So disappointing….
A Corvair is definitely on my bucket list, having enjoyed many hundred thousand miles in front of 911 and Boxster/ cayman flat sixes. I couldn’t believe how solid and refined a 62(?) sedan felt from the passenger seat and I just love the post ’65 coupes.
In a world of silly classic car prices, those of Corvairs seem to have remained sane, thankfully and the owners I have met seemed down to earth and fun….
Fellow VW guy here too. I will concur to the Corvair guys being pretty cool. Whenever I’m at a general, mostly American car show and there aren’t any other Volkswagens, I’ll park by the Corvairs. They don’t take themselves too seriously.
Plus, I really dig Corvairs.
Flat engines in cars, flat roof on house!
Good point Adam! Btw, what flavor of DakDak is yours?
Taking oneself too seriously is not a good thing. Especially in the current situation, a little humor goes along way. The old Corvette scene, of which I am part, is so obsessed with numbers matching and values, that the fun has largely gone out of it for me. I have only been involved with aircooled VWs for a couple of years, but the folks (Volks?) are refreshingly chilled out and don’t care if you modify and personalize your ride – in fact it’s actively encouraged. I’m having great fun modding mine!
The Corvair makes me wonder where VW would have gone if they had not gone FWD.
There are a couple of interesting large rear engine flat 6 prototypes in the VW museum that are very Corvair like and it’s interesting to think that the Teslas are really rear engine sedans in their 2WD forms with”frunks” just like the old VeeDubs.
Maybe things have gone full circle?
I have a ’59 Beetle and a ’63 Bus.
I actually run a VW show each year. I always tell people that a VW show isn’t like your typical car show. Most of the cars are driven regularly therefore they are not showpieces and the show itself is more of a casual hangout than anything else. I went to some more modern car shows for a while a few years back and when I walked around at a VW show again I really appreciated how chill it really is. Friendly faces everywhere and it just feels like a pleasant reunion with old friends every time.
Adam -that’s been my experience!
What’s fascinating and very gratifying is the astonishingly broad demographic of people these old ‘Dubs appeal to: my little Ghia gets comments from all types – gender, age, ethnicity, wealth, etc. doesn’t seem to matter.
The VW shows and gatherings demonstrate the same thing: as you say, attendees are very friendly, relaxed and respectful. Rat style, restored, modified, it doesn’t matter.
In contrast, I remember with horror when I went to a car show with my ’66 427 Corvette and had some nitpicker (apparently rebuilding a C2) complain loudly about my daily driven, raced and rallied old car because it was not entirely numbers matching and it’s hood was in primer. No matter that they had seen me driving by and flagged me down to attend their show and I had just come from an old car rally where we had won a cup…That was the last show I ever took that car to, needless to say…
Where is your VW show? Anywhere near Chicago? Any pics of your cars?
One of my planned trips this Summer was to be to the Corvair Museum in Glenarm Illinois, not too far from Springfield on Route 66…
I had a Bug once upon a time…
It was the best of cars; it was the worst of cars…
Know what you mean! No logic to the charm of the things!