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So you decided NOT to read the entire Road Track article as I suggested. Ok, let me help:
So you decided NOT to read the entire Road Track article as I suggested. Ok, let me help:GM's actions in response to Nader's own hit piece have nothing to do with the Corvair being a good car or not.
Larry Webster, editor-in-chief of classic car insurance company Hagerty's new automotive publication (and the former editor-in-chief of Road & Track) set out to see exactly how scary an early-generation Corvair could be. He explains the inherent compromise of the early car's suspension:
"A pair of short half shafts connected the [rear] wheels to the frame-mounted differential. Only the inboard ends of the shafts could articulate, so as the suspension compressed or extended, the wheels tilted at extreme angles. This had the effect of dramatically reducing the rubber on the road. In an aggressive turn, the rear end tended to lose traction before the front, causing oversteer, or fishtailing. That wasn’t all, however. There was a chance, a slim one, that the outside rear wheel could tuck in under the body and potentially trip the car into a rollover. These effects were further exasperated when owners failed to heed the Corvair’s unconventional recommended tire pressures: 15 psi in the front and 26 psi in the rear."
Webster took two Corvairs—including a yellow four-door that, get this, was originally owned by Ralph Nader—to an airfield to see what they'd do in different cornering scenarios. Almost immediately, he experienced oversteer that only got worse as the speeds rose:
"To avoid spinning the car, I have to counter-steer almost immediately after initiating the turn. To racers, this behavior is known as “loose,” and it’s generally preferred to a front end that simply understeers, or plows. But I could see how the lightly trained driver might get into trouble. That was Nader’s point: The average driver wasn’t equipped to handle an over-steering car."
It's a nuanced examination of the car—one that's backed up with real-world testing and conversation with retired Chevrolet engineer Jim Musser, who worked on the Corvair (both the car and the court case) and eventually became head of R&D. For the record, Musser claims that Chevy kept the Corvair around longer than it would have under natural circumstances, specifically to avoid the appearance of being cowed by Nader's actions.
Good job not pursuing your non sequitur.So you decided NOT to read the entire Road Track article as I suggested. Ok, let me help:
Good job cherry-picking parts of the article and not accepting it all in context. If the car was safe, GM wouldn't have had to try to hire hookers and illegally tap Nader's phone. GM would have just won the lawsuit. Have a nice day.Good job not pursuing your non sequitur.
I read the article, but thanks for posting excerpts supporting my point.
The car could oversteer when driven aggressively and there was "a slim chance" it could roll. These might be made worse by people not maintaining the car properly, though the article doesn't quantify how much worse.
Note the suspension had already been updated by the time Nader's book was published.
And hey! That guy's wearing a helmet in a car! Somebody must have the idea it could protect his head in event of an accident.
Good job cherry-picking parts of the article and not accepting it all in context. If the car was safe, GM wouldn't have had to try to hire hookers and illegally tap Nader's phone. GM would have just won the lawsuit. Have a nice day.
okay, this picture doesn't look very dangerous (except smashing heads on blacktop) but i wanted to post it because i had a bike like the one in the middle.
LOL. I'm actually old enough to remember the Pinto. There was PLENTY wrong.
Definitely not one of Ford's "Better Ideas"!
But then Vega's weren't paragons of safety & reliability, either!
Can't you read? Or does the government have to treat us like Kindergarteners, and protect us from every harm?Good job not pursuing your non sequitur.
I read the article, but thanks for posting excerpts supporting my point.
The car could oversteer when driven aggressively and there was "a slim chance" it could roll. These might be made worse by people not maintaining the car properly, though the article doesn't quantify how much worse.
Note the suspension had already been updated by the time Nader's book was published.
And hey! That guy's wearing a helmet in a car! Somebody must have the idea it could protect his head in event of an accident.
BTW...who characterized the Corvair as "a great little car"?
Can't you read? Or does the government have to treat us like Kindergarteners, and protect us from every harm?
A car being driven driven aggressively is a weapon any way you look at it. I don't want or need your accommodations.It's a fact the car could oversteer when driven aggressively. That can apply to lots of cars.
I think your indignation is misdirected, but I can accommodate you.
A car being driven driven aggressively is a weapon any way you look at it. I don't want or need your accommodations.
Whatever, bye.I note you didn't point out anything of significance that I didn't address, but just went back to your non sequitur.
I also note you didn't say who characterized the Corvair as "a great little car". I think you made that up.
Whatever, bye.
Yes, they do, if you can’t argue the merits then you attack the person, as they did.GM's actions in response to Nader's own hit piece have nothing to do with the Corvair being a good car or not.
So what if your car is rusting on the dealers lot? Stop the wussification, pay full price for a bucket of rust.Vegas gained a bad reputation over the years. Their engine was indeed problematic. They sometimes started rusting literally on the dealer's lot. I've read where some of that might be attributed to the novel method of shipping them- standing on end on railcars allowed water to impregnate places water shouldn't go.
All that being said, they sold a lot of them for awhile. They were Motor Trend's Car of the Year in '71. I certainly wanted one when I was 16. I thought- and still do think- they were attractively styled. Much better than the rather bulbous looking Pinto to my eyes. Kind of Camaro-ish in the front clip. I always enjoyed driving one when I got the chance.
A classic when properly fitted with a SBC too.
Yes, they do, if you can’t argue the merits then you attack the person, as they did.
You must be thinking of after they redesigned the suspension.
So what if your car is rusting on the dealers lot? Stop the wussification, pay full price for a bucket of rust.
And so what if you crush your skull like a watermelon in a minor accident on a motorcycle because you weren’t wearing a helmet? Don’t be a wuss, walk it off!
Lead in the water? Don’t be a wuss, you’ve got to chuuugg!
Would it have been better for the Pinto buyers not to be able to afford any car?LOL. I'm actually old enough to remember the Pinto. There was PLENTY wrong.
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