CorVace Photos!

[jmarsey]

Jay,

PM sent!

[Rick Parker]

289ACE:

Yes, that's the one. Nice install too.

[289ACE]

Not trying to Hijack the thread, but here is another V8 powered Ace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cIOcwB9Rn0
This car supposedly ran at Sebring early in its life, although it probably ran with its original engine and not the V8. Not sure when this conversion was carried out, but looks fun.
Jay

[What'saCobra?]

Not to be picky, but that Buick Skylark V-8 isn't running correct at all. With the Webers, it ought to have a easy 250+hp. Looks and sounds more like 175 (or less).

Meanwhile, the fellow slams the door like a cheap Yugo.
Very pretty though, although the rear fender is completely out of place on an Ace. Arghhhh!

Well, to each his own...

[mk2gt40]

First photo I`ve seen of an inverted air scoop on the bonnet. Looks great. Looks to be using the same rev counter and speedo as the Tr2 series used. BEX 327 has been well documented but a definite first for me on these. Enjoyed tremendously.
Ross

[Moto One]

Austin Healey had a great X-frame by the way. (100s thru 3000s).

Mark

[KevinM]

There was also an AC Ace running around in the 60's with a Chrysler big block in it. The guy that built it used to have a website on the car, but I no longer have the link. Anyone know it?

Kevin

Edit: In thinking about it, it may have been an Austin Healey.

[HealeyRick]

I've been a lurker here for a few months. I'm putting a 5.0 and T5 into my '63 Healey 3000, a project that I've wanted to do since 1968 Probably the most famous of Healey V8 swappers was Max Balchowsky of Ol' Yeller fame. Here's a story about one of his 283 swaps: http://www.onlinebiographies.com/page11.html Modified Healeys are known as "Nasty Boys" and have a website devoted to them here: modifiedhealeys.org. And to see that the art of stuffing big motors into little British cars is still with us, go here: BritishV8.org.

Rick

[Rick Parker]

We used to call them "Healy Vetts". They were very popular in the late sixties (and maybe earlier) and into the early 70's in the AutoX scene in Central California. Some ran 283's but most were 327's and they ran REAL GOOD!

[JBCOBRA]

Hi Healey Rick!
That is an excellent story! Do you have any more pictures and stories?

[HealeyRick]

Originally Posted by JBCOBRA

Hi Healey Rick!
That is an excellent story! Do you have any more pictures and stories?

Since you asked, in this issue of Hot Rod (8/63)



there's an article of swapping a Ford 260 into a Healey. The interesting part is the swapper was Larry Zirbes who was the General Superintendent at Ford's Cleveland engine plant at the time, where the 260 was being produced. Coincidentally, this is the same issue of Hot Rod that contains the "Mongoose" Ace article mentioned above.

Rick

[JBCOBRA]

Cool Beans
I just bought that magazine on ebay.

[fastraxsg]

So all the Ford in a Cobra guys should be reading this right ? Time to lighten up a bit. Maybe everytime some one gets into that argument, this link should automatically be forwarded to them.....for me, I like 'em in all flavors and this is a real eye opener for me. Neat stuff. Thanks for sharing. fuzzy

[Cobra Lite]

This is very interesting!

I have spent quite some time yesterday online searching with Google for more info on the Corvace and any other pre-Cobra AC ACE V8 powered cars with no results other than what is on Club Cobra. I was amazed actually. I am so used to Google coming back with search results in the thousands or more to wade through....

Anyone able to find more info please post the links for the rest of us

[JBCOBRA]

I received the Hot Rod magazine today. Extremely neat stuff in there. The Healey and Mongoose are really cool. The prices on used cars and performance parts has me thinking "I need a time machine" LOL

[HealeyRick]

Thought I'd drop in to give a flashback to the days when hot rodders were dropping American V8s into British sports cars. Here's my Explorer motor almost ready for the install into my Austin-Healey 3000:



Legend has it that Carroll Shelby approached Donald Healey first for a V8 swap, but DMH refused as he was a loyal Brit who didn't want to see a Yank V8 in a British car. Here's the story of the rest of my build to date:

http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?13,8264

[Ozgur_Tan]

http://www.gregspradlin.com/?Custom_...59_Hemi_Sprite

Originally Posted by KevinM

There was also an AC Ace running around in the 60's with a Chrysler big block in it. The guy that built it used to have a website on the car, but I no longer have the link. Anyone know it?

Kevin

Edit: In thinking about it, it may have been an Austin Healey.

[ovlov1]

I helped build the CorVace car in 56 with Roger Wing and the first time it ran in compitition was at VIR. It cracked the front Alfin aluminum brake drums. The engine was a crate 56 Chev engine. A journeyman body man who knew how to work aluminum made the inverted hood scoop by hand at the shop where we build the car in Wheaton, MD. We didn't eeven have to repaint it. I"m sure the engine was a 265 CI. Roger ordered the engine through a chevy Dealer in Bethesda, MD, in 55. It was put into a Morris Minor custom roadster at that time, which needless to say was almost undrivable with the small street tires. It would spin the rear wheels in forth gear at any speed above 50 mph. We set the engine back as far as we could when we built the Ace and it handled pretty damn good. We had to tighten all the allen screws in the rear suspension after every outing as it wasn't designed to handle the torque of the Chevy. If we had had disc brakes availible for it, it would have been a very competitive car. The chassis was ordered from AC complete with out driveline. Shelby saw the car at VIR and really looked it over and asked lots of questions. It's always galled me that he never mentioned that fact when talking about his cars. I wish I had the pictures to show the build, but Roger's wife Helen had them and lost them in a move to Arkansaw when Roger retired and moved. Hope this helped!

[289ACE]

Great to have a person involved with the build of the Corvace on the thread. Do you happen to know the chassis number of the car and do you have any other pics of it other than the build? Also, is there a story behind the emblem?

Jay

[ovlov1]

First let me say, I was a 22 year old mechanic working at Columbia Triumph, in the Wheaton Triangle on Reedie Drive, Wheaton, Md. We were racing about 4 TR3 Triumph's in SSCA events. We had one of the few chassis dyno's in the DC area at the time. I use too power tune all types of sports cars before races in the area, great fun.
Roger & I were great friends and spent many late nights working on his cars and hanging around with other drivers, like Charley Wallace, Dick Thompson, etc.
Now as you might guess I was too busy working on cars, going to races to take pictures. Being a kid in car heaven so to speak, camera's were no in my tool box. I'm sorry today for that. Rogers wife Helen did come to the shop in the evening as we built the car and take pictures. But as I said before, when Roger retired and they moved to Arkansas the the mover lost, Ya right, all the pictures they had of Rogers racing history. He had a Jag 120 that he raced when I first met him. He was a founding member of the Washington, DC, Lavender Hill Mob.
As to the name of the car if I remember right, was his wife, Helen's idea. He had the emblem made, and to the best of my knowledge, was a one off. The car was sold to a gentleman in Ohio I think, about 1958.
Those where the good old days for me as you can imagine, LOL. Keep your builds going guys, and drive them, don't build trailer Queens!