Fred Santillo - Sharon Springs, New York
C.Alfred Santillo
R.D. 1, Box 217
Sharon Springs
New York 13459 26 March, 1996
To Whom It May Concern:
During a four year period, 1964 to 1967, a group of three persons completed the research, mechanical and design engineering phases, manufacture, foundry castings, the precision machining of specific components, and the actual building and testing of prototype models of what eventually became known as the Chevrolet "Corveight" (The Corveight is a substantially altered Chevrolet Corvair which utilizes an all-aluminum eight cylinder powerplant of extremely light weight, and displacing 215 cubic inches in its standard production form; the engine itself came in two versions: a "Fireball V8" from Buick Motor Division of General Motors, and the more common "Cutlass V8" from the Oldsmobile Motor Division of General Motors. Cylinder heads for the Buick engine were canted approximately 30 degrees to the left and right, whereas the Oldsmobile cylinder heads were straight and level.
Both produced approximately the same fiscal horsepower in stock form.)
The Chevrolet Research and Development Facility in Flint, Michigan, was quite interested at that time in possibly producing the "Corveight" as a "production line model" directly from Chevrolet. Several changes in corporate thinking, however, and subsequently the loud and untimely denouncement of the Corvair as an "Unsafe Vehicle at Any Speed" by Mr. Ralph Nader, left all of us holding a pile of broken dreams, and terrifyingly bleak financial prophecies.
For all intents and purposes, the Chevrolet Corveight was killed in midstride, and all that remained were our six beautiful prototypes.....automotive monuments to the do do bird. I kept my car, a 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible model, with a four-speed standard transmission, and the rarest model of these six extant prototypes.
Not many years ago, I sold this mobile mutant (and a large piece of my life) to a Mr. Brian Sydow. Brian still owns this amazing, forward-thinking vehicle, and cares for the Corsa in a manner that makes me feel reassured of my decision to have sold the car to him originally.
Most Sincerely
C. Alfred Santillo
R.D. 1, Box 217
Sharon Springs
New York 13459 26 March, 1996
To Whom It May Concern:
During a four year period, 1964 to 1967, a group of three persons completed the research, mechanical and design engineering phases, manufacture, foundry castings, the precision machining of specific components, and the actual building and testing of prototype models of what eventually became known as the Chevrolet "Corveight" (The Corveight is a substantially altered Chevrolet Corvair which utilizes an all-aluminum eight cylinder powerplant of extremely light weight, and displacing 215 cubic inches in its standard production form; the engine itself came in two versions: a "Fireball V8" from Buick Motor Division of General Motors, and the more common "Cutlass V8" from the Oldsmobile Motor Division of General Motors. Cylinder heads for the Buick engine were canted approximately 30 degrees to the left and right, whereas the Oldsmobile cylinder heads were straight and level.
Both produced approximately the same fiscal horsepower in stock form.)
The Chevrolet Research and Development Facility in Flint, Michigan, was quite interested at that time in possibly producing the "Corveight" as a "production line model" directly from Chevrolet. Several changes in corporate thinking, however, and subsequently the loud and untimely denouncement of the Corvair as an "Unsafe Vehicle at Any Speed" by Mr. Ralph Nader, left all of us holding a pile of broken dreams, and terrifyingly bleak financial prophecies.
For all intents and purposes, the Chevrolet Corveight was killed in midstride, and all that remained were our six beautiful prototypes.....automotive monuments to the do do bird. I kept my car, a 1966 Corvair Corsa Convertible model, with a four-speed standard transmission, and the rarest model of these six extant prototypes.
Not many years ago, I sold this mobile mutant (and a large piece of my life) to a Mr. Brian Sydow. Brian still owns this amazing, forward-thinking vehicle, and cares for the Corsa in a manner that makes me feel reassured of my decision to have sold the car to him originally.
Most Sincerely
C. Alfred Santillo
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EARLY CORVAIR CONVERSIONS
PART 2
1960-1972
August 18, 2022
Today I had the good fortune to receive a call from Fred Santillo. Fred’s of Italian heritage and his family came to New York from an area north of Rome. I became aware of Fred when another Corvair enthusiast named Brian Sydow sent out an email indicating that he had some Corvair parts associated with converting a Corvair to V-8 power. Naturally, I was interested, so I contacted him. To my surprise Brian knew a lot about Corvairs and once owned a late model Corvair with a rear-mounted 215 V-8 that was built by Fred Santillo and Art Silva of Staten Island, NY. What a pleasant surprise. Brian was able to supply a current phone number for Fred Santillo, so I called. The call went to voicemail so I concluded that it was an active number. A week later I got a call and an apology from Fred for the late reply. What a gracious person to talk to. Like me Fred is 78 and also born in the same month on September 4, 1943. Our Italian heritage also helped to secure a bond.
Fred became acquainted with Art Silva because of their interest in Corvairs. Both were excited with GM’s rear-engine air-cooled car, but they were looking for something more to propel this popular and well handling little Chevy at a faster pace. Art and Fred had conversations with GM engineers about installing a V-8 engine in the rear engine compartment. Fred indicated that they talked with a number of people who seemed genuinely interested in helping them with their installation. Art drew up a design for adapting a Buick/Olds aluminum 215 V-8 to the Corvair transaxle and a friend of Art who had a foundry was able to cast a few adapters for attaching the V-8. Fred indicated that he helped Art build six Corvair Conversions, but this 1966 Corsa was the only convertible. Art and Fred went different directions after this and Art went on to offer a kit for installing a 215 V-8 in the rear of a Corvair. He reportedly sold 150 and possibly as many as 300 kits. This information can’t be verified because neither Fred nor anyone else that I’ve talked with has been able to provide a contact with the Silva family. Art Silva passed away in 2012 from information available about him.
The Corvair Conversion that Fred and Art built has an interesting story to go with it. When completed in 1969, the Aztec Bronze 66 Corsa convertible was then sold to a Brian Sydow by Fred according to Brian. The car sat covered up for 40 years before it was restored and repainted in Duansberg, NY to a silver gray color with black racing stripes on the hood. From there the convertible was sold to Karl Cozad in Kansas City, MO around 2011. Karl’s improvements to the Corvair Conversion are detailed on the V-8 Registry website on Karl’s Personal Page. Karl passed away in 2017 two years after he drove his conversion to the CORSA convention in Knoxville, TN. After his death the car sat in storage for a while before Karl’s wife Janet elected to sell the car when other family members decided against owning the car. At that point, enter Terry Kalp onto the scene. Terry, a long time Corvair enthusiast and the owner of several Corvair Conversions decided to buy it. One day while inspecting the car Terry found a letter in the glove box addressed to ‘To Whom It May Concern’. This letter was written by Fred Santillo after the conversion was completed to explain the build of this Corvair to future owners and was placed in the glove box not to be noticed until 48 years later when Terry was rummaging through the car. Terry called Fred to talk about the car’s history. Then today while talking with Fred, he mentioned the conversation with Terry. Fred is so pleased that his Corvair Conversion is still on the road and it brought back fond memories of when he and Art completed the engine swap all those years ago. Terry Kalp can now say that he’s the owner of perhaps the most original Silva Conversion that was personally constructed by Art and his friend Fred. Not only that, it was the only convertible built. What a buy.
John Lanning, President
The V-8 Registry
