Sell your spares to a world wide audience of enthusiasts looking for that special item to finish there projects. Its no win no fee, if I can't sell your goods, you still have the goods to move on else where. We take 10% from the sold value on parts. Transaction fees are deducted if paid for using Paypal. The balance is transferred to you. There are no time restraints. |
Sell your spares to a world wide audience of enthusiasts looking for that special item to finish there projects. Its no win no fee, if I can't sell your goods, you still have the goods to move on else where. We take 10% from the sold value on parts. Transaction fees are deducted if paid for using Paypal. The balance is transferred to you. There are no time restraints. |
Sell your spares to a world wide audience of enthusiasts looking for that special item to finish there projects. Its no win no fee, if I can't sell your goods, you still have the goods to move on else where. We take 10% from the sold value on parts. Transaction fees are deducted if paid for using Paypal. The balance is transferred to you. There are no time restraints. |
Sell your spares to a world wide audience of enthusiasts looking for that special item to finish there projects. Its no win no fee, if I can't sell your goods, you still have the goods to move on else where. We take 10% from the sold value on parts. Transaction fees are deducted if paid for using Paypal. The balance is transferred to you. There are no time restraints. |
Send to us up to 10 pictures of your car for sale, we will add your own section with pictures and description. Show your car of to a world wide audience, potential customers can visit here and not have to trail through hundreds of threads to find what they are looking for and no bumping to the top. Cars are advertised FREE. |
We are receiving an ever increasing list of requests for spares and parts for all rotary cars, this is quiet time consuming for us to take the requests process them and send out to our contacts to see if we have or can source parts, with several mails back and forth. Hopefully this new section will help a bigger crowd of enthusiasts that are looking for parts or maybe enthusiasts that have spare they want to sell on to others.
Send your wanted list to us with part numbers, detailed description of what it is you are looking for and photo, we will post it in the relevant section FREE. |
| It began life as the XP-882, a mid-engined prototype using a 400 CID V8 mated to an Oldsmobile Toronado transaxle. For the 1973 Paris motor show, an XP-882 chassis was re-powered with an experimental four rotor Wankel engine, which looked very promising until it was cancelled due to concerns about the rotary engine's poor fuel economy |
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At this point 3 characters played pivotal roles: Bill Mitchgell, Charles Jordan and Zora Arkus-Duntov.
Bill Mitchell, the Corvette styling department magnate, tried to give the car new life by installing a small-block Chevrolet V8 and christening it the Areovette. A stunningly dramatic looking car, it was promoted as the new sixth generation Corvette for 1980, but never saw series production.
Charles Jordan oversaw the Aerovette design, which included radical bifold gullwing doors, and deformable plastic body-coloured nose and tail sections which are common today, but revolutionary in the mid-1970's. The sterling silver paint, with silver leather interior and forged alloy turbine wheels later seen on the 1978 Corvette Indy Pace Car, gave the Aerovette a space craft like appearance unmatched by any other advanced sports car.
Zora Arkus-Duntov had that rare blend of a deep understanding of engineering and a passion for speed. Aesthetics did little for Duntov, unless it helped the car's performance. On the 4-Rotor Corvette, Duntov said, "Looking back on my 20-year association with styling, this is the best design ever produced." |
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The 2-Rotor car was nice, but more power was needed. So a bold plan was presented - using the chassis from one of the '70 XP882 cars, two 292.5-cid rotary engines joined together inside a stress member case. The 585-cid "engine" made close to 420hp. The transmission was a Turbo Hydramatic 425 from a Toranado, with a Morse Hy-Vo chain and bevel gears.
On a one-mile check track, GM president Ed Cole and Duntov hit 148 mph in the 4-rotor Corvette. The car started out with a throaty roar and hit top speed, belching flames and making an ear piercing scream. It was actually faster than a '73 454 Corvette. |
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Styling was directed by Mitchell. Starting with the bumper height line, Mitchell's instructions were to "make it sleek." The long tapers on the front and rear, and a steep wind screen, made the drag coefficient only 0.325. Gull-wing doors, vents, louvres, scoops, and lots of show car trim made the 4-Rotor Corvette nearly perfect from every angle of view (although this could be a matter of opinion to those used to more classical European lines). Slightly longer, lower, and wider than a production '74 Corvette, it looked like "the future."
The Aerovette has a steel and aluminum body of birdcage construction with glass fibre skin. Hi-fold gullwing doors with fixed side windows which act as part of the structure are used to reduce body weight.
The deep "V" windshield is angled at 72 degrees and wraps around to the doors concealing the front pillars. The Aerovette was designed with the aid of wind tunnel testing for low drag without excessive aerodynamic lift while maintaining United States bumper height standards.
A fully independent suspension incorporates wishbone type "A" arms in front and longitudinal strut rods in the rear. Telescoping coaxial coil springs and shock absorber assemblies complete the suspension. The steering is rack and pinion. The braking system features discs all around.
Front and rear energy-absorbing bumper systems provide protection for the vehicle in car-to-car impacts up to 10 m.p.h. Glass louvers in the rear quarter area aid in rear vision and help to exhaust heat from the engine compartment. Cool air for carburation is ducted from apertures located forward of the rear wheels. Excess air, after cooling the engine compartment is then extracted through electrically-controlled louvers below the rear window. The radiator for engine cooling and the air conditioner are front mounted.
There is a luggage compartment in the rear. The fuel tank is between structural walls forward of the cowl. Side impact bars and rollover protection are built into the body structure.
An on-board computer system with a compact fully digital display readout located just above the steering column replaces temperature, oil pressure, fuel and voltage gauges, and speedometer. Within the same readout area a linear light emitting diode system indicates engine revolutions per minute. Up to 7,000 r.p.m. is indicated with green lights. Above this number the engine is exceeding its maximum recommended r.p.m. and the tachometer lights are red.
The compact readout panel adjusts up and down with the steering column and wheel enabling the driver to view the instruments without obstruction and without looking away from the road.
An additional digital display of convenience and driving information is located at the front of the center console. One display window serves as the readout of several functions. Information selection is controlled through push buttons located at the front of the center console. They permit the driver to check on time, date, radio, and elapsed time for rallying or acceleration runs. |
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Short HistoryIn 1970, Chevrolet obtained a licence for the Wankel RCE from NSU and began building a two-rotor and a 4-rotor Corvette. A fibreglass model is approved in June 1971 by GM Pres. Ed Cole.
On Jan. 14, 1972, a chassis was shipped to Pininfarina, Turin, Italy so that the body could be constructed by the famed design studio. In June of the same year, a 2 rotor Corvette with a steel body was viewed by GM management. The same year GM commissioned a two-rotor version of the XP-882 and built it as the XP-987GT.
In January 1973, a Corvette body was built for an experiment four-rotor car. By April, the GALCIT wind tunnel in California was used to test the aerodynamic qualities of the 4-rotor Corvette. |
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September 13, 1973In Frankfurt, Germany, the 45th German Motor Show is held. General Motors show the Corvette 2-Rotor (project XP-987GT), with a 399-ci 180-hp two-rotor RC2-266 rotary engine, red exterior steel body, and leather interior. |
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October 4, 1973In Paris, France, the Paris Salon automobile show is held. General Motors premieres the 390-ci mid-engined Corvette Four-Rotor show car. It features a 390-ci rotary engine built, body styling with gullwing doors. The car is the former XP-882, with the four-rotor engine in place of the V-8. The Corvette Two-Rotor show car is also shown. |
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October 17, 1973The Corvette Two-Rotor and Four-Rotor prototypes go on display at the London Automotive Show. |
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September 24, 1974Ed Cole postponed the introduction of the Wankel engine, ostensibly due to emissions difficulties. He retired the same month. |
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