Imagine for a moment accelerating in a car that only weighs 3,000 pounds and is powered by a screaming 450hp small-block Chevy. Now imagine the sound of that small-block Chevy buzzing near 6,500 rpm, except this time the engine is mounted just inches behind your left ear—where the back seat used to be.
Archibald Evans turned that idea into reality. He transformed a stock ’65 Corvair Monza into a mid-engine rocket ride that takes turns as though it doubles as a slot car.
Recently we spent the day with Archibald to learn more about how he did it, and to experience what it is like to drive a mid-engine performance car truly inspired by out-of-the-box thinking . Archibald is no newcomer to the Corvair clan. In the ’60s, his father worked for GM as a design engineer on the then-new Corvair. Today, at 43, Archibald has spent decades building his own Corvairs in his own way. And after all, isn’t that what hot rodding is all about?