by "Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
Published 11/16/2017 at 07:47
by "Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
Published 11/16/2017 at 07:47
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STARS: 2
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"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
11/16/2017 at 08:16, STARS: 2
“We have cars that would make Ralph Nader roll into to the fetal position”- Chris at the Lane
"Nerd-Vol" (Nerd-Vol)
11/16/2017 at 08:18, STARS: 2
There’s a reason why most cars are set up to understeer. It’s mych safer for the average customer.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
11/16/2017 at 08:32, STARS: 0
I guess the short answer is:
The Corvair may kill you if you don’t know how to deal with oversteer?
"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
11/16/2017 at 08:35, STARS: 0
Sounds familiar?
"Berang" (berang)
11/16/2017 at 08:48, STARS: 2
Interesting (but not surprising) that they omitted the whole tire pressure part of the equation. Or that Chevrolet revised the suspension in 1964 to reduce oversteer. Or that the corvair’s steering column had a nasty tendency to impale people in collisions because it extended past the front axle and was non-collapsible. Or that Ralph Nader’s book had a negligible effect on corvair sales, the car was expensive to make, and shared no parts with other GM cars, save for the rope-drive pontiac. What really killed the corvair was not Nader (who wasn’t even the first to write about how unsafe the corvair was) but the Chevy II.
"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
11/16/2017 at 09:02, STARS: 3
Closer, it was the Mustang that killed it. 100,000 cars in a year is nothing compared to the 560,000 Mustangs that sold in 1965. Really, I think if the car had made it 10 more years, it would’ve been better. It was a solid MPG car that didn’t make it to the years that MPG was god.
"jimz" (jimz)
11/16/2017 at 09:17, STARS: 1
he left out one big advantage he has-
he’s an experienced, skilled performance driver who knows how to react in a snap-oversteer situation.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
11/16/2017 at 09:23, STARS: 0
Most people don’t realize this, but the front suspension on the first gen Mustang (as a copy-paste of the Falcon) is set up for spectacular and deliberate understeer on purpose. Klaus Arning, who developed the “Shelby drop” for improved bite on performance Mustangs, knew exactly what to do because he was the one who screwed it up in the first place. On purpose.
"RT" (rt-p)
11/16/2017 at 09:43, STARS: 0
I’m looking at the Corvair in the thumbnail, can confirm, I’m not dead yet.
"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
11/16/2017 at 09:55, STARS: 0
I’ve actually driven a number of cars, and own a Corvair. The Corvair is actually far closer handling to a modern car or truck in it’s handling than a Chevelle. The other cars of that era had so much understeer that to make a car handle, they had to power on oversteer.
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"ateamfan42" (ateamfan42)
11/16/2017 at 11:02, STARS: 0
8:08 into the video: look a the immense positive camber angle of the outside rear wheel. THAT is the big issue. The harder the car turns, the less grip the tire can provide. This is an unfortunate con for the swing-axle suspension, and one of the reasons modern suspensions don’t implement this architecture. It was popular for other rear engine cars back in the day (as mentioned in the video).
GM did address the deficiencies a bit with some upgrades later in the production. Just controlling the body roll with an anti-roll bar would go a long way to reducing the issue.
"1967ers - lover of dead auto marques" (1967ers)
11/16/2017 at 11:28, STARS: 0
He’s also not on bias-ply tires. Even with modern radials, I did not like the handling of mine with stock wheels. They really wanted a wider tire at the rear.
"1967ers - lover of dead auto marques" (1967ers)
11/16/2017 at 11:40, STARS: 0
In 1972, the NHTSA released the results of its review of the Corvair and said that in their tests, the Corvair handling was no worse than its contemporaries and in many cases was better - so the Corvair was no more unsafe than anything else on the road. The problem was that the contemporaries were unsafe as well.
I’ve read Unsafe at Any Speed. The main thrust of it is that the car industry preferred style and power over safety and were missing really obvious and easy fixes. He’d been writing about this since 1959 (“The Safe Car You Can’t Buy”) and quite frankly, he was right. There was a tendency (and it’s apparent even in this video) to blame drivers who didn’t follow the rules rather than address really basic issues.
I have 15 years of driving Corvairs (late models, admittedly, with better rear suspensions). I know how to sling them into a corner even with tired suspension components and I’ve seen them get squirrelly surprisingly easily. They’re a lot of fun and I love them, but I would never want to be in a wreck in one.
"1967ers - lover of dead auto marques" (1967ers)
11/16/2017 at 11:43, STARS: 0
The Powerglide transmission in the Corvair was designed to survive 100+ full-throttle shifts from reverse into drive and back again. That’s also not the intended use of the car, but they designed for it because strange things happen. They could have put the bloody camber compensator on the early model. It was in the design.
"1967ers - lover of dead auto marques" (1967ers)
11/16/2017 at 11:45, STARS: 0
The Corvair could have been a fantastic mid-70s car, particularly after the oil crisis. Dealing with emissions might have been an issue. Some of the late 60s smog engines tried to recapture the exhaust, but it happened at the expense of engine temperature. They had to discontinue A/C on 140 smog engines because they ran so hot.
"1967ers - lover of dead auto marques" (1967ers)
11/16/2017 at 11:47, STARS: 0
It was very much the Mustang. There are many who think the Corvair would have died after 1966 without Nader’s book. Chev had the Camaro for ‘67 to go power vs power with the Mustang.
"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
11/16/2017 at 11:59, STARS: 0
My ‘61 has a camber compensator.
"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
11/16/2017 at 12:00, STARS: 0
I believe what really killed the A/C option was that the placement was needed for the AIR pump.
"1967ers - lover of dead auto marques" (1967ers)
11/16/2017 at 12:53, STARS: 0
Certainly possible, too. I’d heard that the AIR made the engine run hot enough that they didn’t want the added load of the AC - but it was a 140 problem particularly. I wonder if there’s a 110 smog engine with AC.
"1967ers - lover of dead auto marques" (1967ers)
11/16/2017 at 12:54, STARS: 0
Aftermarket? It didn’t take too long for them to be produced.
"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
11/16/2017 at 13:15, STARS: 0
I mean the pump and the belt occupied the space that the A/C mounted into.
140 A/C:
140 smog:
"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
11/16/2017 at 13:31, STARS: 0
Considering that I have a ‘62 FC engine and no manual chokes... I’m not assuming anything is original.
"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
11/18/2017 at 11:09, STARS: 0
I don’t agree with this video. I think he’s twisting some facts to present the outcome he wants to present.
They say that you have to know how to drive it - like a Beetle or a Porsche 356. It’s not a fair comparison. Beetles have a much smaller engine with less weight in the back, and a 356 (or any rear/mid engined sports car) is made for enthusiasts. Made for people who know what they’re doing.
Putting the engine in the back of a family sedan is a bad idea.
He also tries to claim all cars are unsafe - where a Corvair would oversteer, an Impala might understeer. Understeer is far safer than oversteer. When you understeer, the natural reaction of backing off the throttle will fix it. Fixing oversteer is much, much more difficult (particularly in a rear-biased car).
A family sedan that oversteers when it gets to the limit is a bad idea.
Maybe it’s not as bad as Nader said, maybe it doesn’t flip at the drop of a hat. I don’t hate the car. But lets not pretend a family sedan with tricky handling is a good idea.
"1967ers - lover of dead auto marques" (1967ers)
11/20/2017 at 13:04, STARS: 0
Interesting. Certainly looks definitive. That’s the first good picture of a 140 smog that I’ve seen.
"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
11/23/2017 at 10:36, STARS: 0
I’ve been a Corvair owner for about six years now. You kinda pick up these things in the crowd. :)
"1967ers - lover of dead auto marques" (1967ers)
11/23/2017 at 13:11, STARS: 0
Oddly enough, I have the snorkel and hose for a 140 smog engine still sitting in my garage, but none of the rest of it. Curious how many cars donated various bits that are now taking space in there. I have bumpers, engines, heads, gauge clusters, transmissions, brake drums, pressure plates - everything except an actual Corvair.