The term "Turbo Muffler"

[dodge41969]

I have this bit of trivia I've known for years, (wasn't sure if anybody else knew), Where the term "Turbo Muffler" originated from. Well as you know Chevy made the Corvair, (I know they were crap) well...they made the Turbo Corvairs as well, those used a special compact low restriction muffler...well the Camaro guys not having a lot of room figured, (not sure who or where they figured that out) that those "Turbo" mufflers were nice and small and flowed better than the stock type set-ups on the Hipo Camaros, so everybody would go to the dealerships parts counters and ask for the "Turbo Corvair Mufflers"....then later just "Turbo Mufflers"....that kinda stuck over 40 years later the term is still used. My friend, (who was a parts counter man at a Chevy dealership told me that probably 30 years ago...man I'm old!).

 

[Dennis H]

Let's go further. My DynoMax Super turbos fit this description? Are they made by Walker?

 

[dodge41969]

Yes they are made by Walker.

Let's go further. My DynoMax Super turbos fit this description? Are they made by Walker?

 

[moparmarks]

That's what I heard when I sold them back in the 70's. Corvair muffler.

 

[YY1]

I know where there's a tripple black monza spyder turbo vert.

Whew, kinda tough to say. Sitting under a roof, in an alley, for at least 15 years.

 

[Meep-Meep]

That's the story I heard too. Also those Mr. Gasket valve cover anti leak straps (or whatever you call them) that go under the bolts were originally fitted on Corvairs. However I have yet to see anyone else twisting the belt 90 deg.

The 65 Corvair is not a terrible looking car.

 

[dodge41969]

The later ones were actually pretty good looking cars. My stepfather put a Corvair engine in a dune buggy with a VW transaxle in the early 70's...it would do 80+ MPH in 3rd gear without breaking a sweat.....but those darn belts were a problem.

That's the story I heard too. Also those Mr. Gasket valve cover anti leak straps (or whatever you call them) that go under the bolts were originally fitted on Corvairs. However I have yet to see anyone else twisting the belt 90 deg.

The 65 Corvair is not a terrible looking car.

 

[Bruzilla]

Back in the 1980s, I drew up a design for a true turbo muffler. It was a muffler that would work just like a turbine engine, with rotating turbine blades that would compress exhaust gasses and create a negative pressure area in the exhaust pipe. The result would be 100% evacuation of exhaust gases from each cylinder when the exhaust valve opened, which would make for better combustion and more power. Never got to make a prototype though.

I also did a design for adjustable exhaust bypass pipes for cars up North. You get stuck on a patch of ice, you open the bypass pipes and hot exhaust air is directed down to the wheels. You melt the ice in no time and are on your way.

 

[Budnicks]

Yeah that's the story about Turbo Mufflers as I remember it too... Ralph Natter killed that poor little car "Unsafe at any speed"... the 65 & later Corvair's looked like a mini 66-67 Chevelle's, to me anyway... I knew a few people that had put engines in the front & full chassis in them, back in the 70's, pretty light cars, looked pretty good for what they were... my oldest sister Lori had an ugly older body style, 64 Corvair Monza Turbo Convertible, light green metallic colored, we drove that little car, all over the greater SF bay area, got great mileage, $10 would get you about 400 miles, it would go almost anywhere, even off road, in sand & gravel, as long as it had ground clearance, it was pretty low thou... We had a ton of fun with it, before the engine literally fell out the bottom one day, when leaving a parking lot, like allot of GM's back then they had rust issues... My step dad Bob, cut it into like 6 pieces, with the cutting torch, then scrapped the car after that, gave her a 64 GTO 389ci 4 speed to drive instead....

 

[Richard Cranium]

I know where there's a tripple black monza spyder turbo vert.

Whew, kinda tough to say. Sitting under a roof, in an alley, for at least 15 years.

That's a good place for it.