Corvair Owners Unite

[oil4kids]

This maybe the last time to make the point to Ralph the Mouth Nader that Corvairs were not unsafe. There are still thousands of restored corvairs out there running just fine. I would like to see all the corvair clubs get together in wash dc in November to conclude they were not unsafe in comparison to the other junkers of that time period and were infact a pretty dam good little car.

[Ed51]

I had a 63 Corvair back in 1967 (first car) and I guess if you took it REAL easy,the rear wheel would not tuck under and spin you around or flip you. It was gutless and the 90 degree fan belt configuration liked to come off at the most inopportune times. For it's size it guzzled gas and the heater was like warm dog farts. I was glad to be rid of it! I guess those folks that still have them and actually drive them get my grudging respect,they are true belevers! :clap

[Fran Preve]

I got my start writing doing articles for the plant newspaper, my first was "Corvair - the American Porsche". And I was SERIOUS!. In 1965 the Corvair was truly comparible to a 1965 Porsche, and the deadly swing axel was gone. I've always had a soft spot for the '65/'66 Corsa, pull the 4x2's, repalce with a single 4 brrl on a spider manifold, add headers and an Isky cam, change the wheels to 14", and you had a sweet little car that actually handled. People say Nader killed the Corvair, actually it dies a natural death in 1969. By 1969 the small Falcon was dead, same with the Valient, the market had changed and that caused the end. All that said, Naders book came out when the Corvair changed to a double U joint rear axel that fixed most (but not all) of it's evil handling. LONG LIVE THE CORVAIR!.

ps: going by plant production numbers (Tonawanda built all Corvair engines) Chevy made QUITE a few Corvairs, more than you would imagine.

[fatride]

When on leave, just before I went to Viet Nam. I borrowed my Dads Corvair. After a night of drinking, and what my Father called whoreing around, A freind of mine that had just returned from Nam, a purple heart vet that was still on crutches from his wound, and I left his driveway and was entering the main highway at a rather high rate of speed. Anyway, at the end of the service road their was a big pot hole. When we hit that hole while turning, the back wheel folded and over we went! I can remember waking up lying on the roof inside the car and seeing a lot of feet and legs of the poeple that had gathered to gawk at the wreck. I still don't know how my bud got out so quick while on crutches? The State police that investigated the accident , when seeing my GI. haircut, asked me if I were heading for Nam. When I told him "yes", he let me go with no citation! I think if we would have been in a front engine car with a solid rear axle it wouldn't have flipped! I never did belive in Corvairs after that night. Today if I were to run in to a sweet deal on a 64 or 65 spyder I would buy it in a "New York" minute! :beerbang

[JimKwiatkowski]

Fatride,what year was your tour of duty and unit?Mine was 68-69 25th Inf Div

[fatride]

VN service: 30 Nov 69- 6 Feb 71. 62nd Signal co. 37th signal Bn.

[ElkyBob]

I never had one, but always wanted one, especially the Greenbriar pickup, I have a **** Econoline waiting to be restored but would swap it for a Greenbriar in a flash. I think your encounter with your Dad's turning upside down etc, was an example that Nader used to declare them unsafe. However, you'll have to admit you weren't exactly driving it in a reasonable manner. :brow :brow