Chris Happé visits GM Design  

   In Automobile Quarterly, Vol. 8, Number 4, another article by Ludvigsen says the GT (once) had an interesting engine, one which was to have powered the '65 production Corvair. A continuation of the pre-'59 research, it had a separate one-piece head and barrel casting for each cylinder. With stock carburetion it yielded 125 hp. With GM-built 3-barrel Weber type downdraft carburetors, it ran like a bear with a very capable 176 cu. in. engine. 

   The SS engine is one classy looking unit. The fan housing and the alternator are done in a black wrinkle finish. This is nice looking but would be a pain to keep clean. The bare metal parts are all chromed.
   It occurs to me that specifications for these cars should always include a disclaimer that they constantly changed throughout their development. Imagine the fun you could have had as a development engineer at GM, tinkering with the GT and SS and trying different hardware combinations.

   There are also articles in Automobile Quarterly, Vol. 3, #3, on the SS with the full height windshield, bumpers, etc. (shown at right) This car was a non-runner, and not the same one shown with the low windshield and the integrated roll bar (in my opinion, the good looking one). 

   Automobile Quarterly, Vol. 20, #3 features a long interview with Ed Cole and a lot of interesting stuff about Corvairs in general. It makes some mention of the GT and SS but provides no additional facts.