Mark Allen's 4.3 Liter V6 Coupe - Decatur, Illinois
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The Mysterious "Missing Black Car"
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Mark's New Project
Mark Allen commissioned Bob Depalo to build a unique Corvair Conversion for both track and street use. This request caused Bob to make some chassis changes because the build started as a track car only. Bob has experience with building Corvairs and race prepared Maserati’s. His skills as a machinist and electronic design engineer just enhance the build.
Bob started this project by first making a week long trip to visit other members with unique Corvair Conversions and/or fabrication skills to view the approaches used by a number of the V-8 Registry members to complete their builds. His journey included visits with Phil West, Paul Beck, Mark Allen, Russ Brandenburg, John Lanning and Keith Waters. With the knowledge of Mark's expectation, his own experience and ideas that he accumulated from viewing members cars, Bob started talking with vendors and gathering parts together. Knowing that Mark wanted a BC 4-speed Saginaw for shifting and a Corvette C5 differential at the rear, Bob found suitable examples and used his machining skills to mate the two components to produce a rugged transaxle capable of transferring the horses and torque from a new LS376/525 HP crate engine.
The next step involved visiting with Rick Dobbertin at Dobbertin Performance Innovations in Pennellville, NY. With Mark's blessings, Bob purchased the front and rear upper suspension castings that Dobbertin offers to customers wanting a Corvette C5 suspension, The lower C5 suspension cradles had a track width 7 inches wider than the Corvair so Bob used his machining skills to narrow the lower cradles and build a custom chassis that would reside under the Corvair body that was under restoration back in Decatur, IL where Mark lives. Bob details his suspension work with the Dobbertin components on his website. Here's the link: https://reddragonautomotive.com/
Since this conversion is under construction as a race car, Bob elected to equip it with a power rack & pinion unit. He could have used an EPS (electric power steering) based on his experience, but decided that R&P works best in this application. In order to provide great traction, Mark wanted plenty of rubber on the road. Bob decided to use the standard 275-40R-18 Corvette wheels and tires. The Corvair wheel tubs and spring perches were modified to accommodate this rather large footprint. In addition to the Corvette wheels, this Corvair racer is also equipped with the Corvette 4-wheel disc brakes. The brakes are power assisted. The transverse leaf springs used in the C5 were replaced by adjustable coil-over shocks in front and rear. The front and rear sway bars were also narrowed by 7” and retained in the build.
Bob started this project by first making a week long trip to visit other members with unique Corvair Conversions and/or fabrication skills to view the approaches used by a number of the V-8 Registry members to complete their builds. His journey included visits with Phil West, Paul Beck, Mark Allen, Russ Brandenburg, John Lanning and Keith Waters. With the knowledge of Mark's expectation, his own experience and ideas that he accumulated from viewing members cars, Bob started talking with vendors and gathering parts together. Knowing that Mark wanted a BC 4-speed Saginaw for shifting and a Corvette C5 differential at the rear, Bob found suitable examples and used his machining skills to mate the two components to produce a rugged transaxle capable of transferring the horses and torque from a new LS376/525 HP crate engine.
The next step involved visiting with Rick Dobbertin at Dobbertin Performance Innovations in Pennellville, NY. With Mark's blessings, Bob purchased the front and rear upper suspension castings that Dobbertin offers to customers wanting a Corvette C5 suspension, The lower C5 suspension cradles had a track width 7 inches wider than the Corvair so Bob used his machining skills to narrow the lower cradles and build a custom chassis that would reside under the Corvair body that was under restoration back in Decatur, IL where Mark lives. Bob details his suspension work with the Dobbertin components on his website. Here's the link: https://reddragonautomotive.com/
Since this conversion is under construction as a race car, Bob elected to equip it with a power rack & pinion unit. He could have used an EPS (electric power steering) based on his experience, but decided that R&P works best in this application. In order to provide great traction, Mark wanted plenty of rubber on the road. Bob decided to use the standard 275-40R-18 Corvette wheels and tires. The Corvair wheel tubs and spring perches were modified to accommodate this rather large footprint. In addition to the Corvette wheels, this Corvair racer is also equipped with the Corvette 4-wheel disc brakes. The brakes are power assisted. The transverse leaf springs used in the C5 were replaced by adjustable coil-over shocks in front and rear. The front and rear sway bars were also narrowed by 7” and retained in the build.
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Listen To The Music -
January, 2023 Update
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In order to improve on the braking capabilities of Mark's car, Bob Depalo has installed a HydroBoost assembly. It is fully hydraulic and works off of the power steering pump. In Mark's car, that pump is electric from a S70 Volvo and works in parallel with the power steering rack.
