<VV> Seats

[John Kepler]

.
> It is all these people who grew up believing that ol' Ralphie was right
when
> he said the Corvair and other cars of its generation were inherently
unsafe
> and needed all this stuff to protect us from ourselves.

>From ourselves Mr. Hubbel?  Not in this case!  That glass, steel, and
concrete are harder than skin, muscle and bone, and the fact that F=1/2 MV^2
isn't a political agenda....it's a fact of life!

Mr. Hubbel, I've met Mr. Nader up close and personal....spent the better
part of 2 hours interviewing him for the newspaper I ran back in the days
when we didn't trust anyone over 30!  My reasons for detesting the man are
based on a lot more than his impact on Corvairs.  That being said, my
contempt for the man doesn't necessary mean he was wrong!  Just remember
sir, that my 2100 lb., 110 hp 1966 Corvair Monza has the same miserable
drum-brakes that were installed in a 3500 lb. 320 hp Chevelle......those
miserable part-time brakes are a PITA in a 'Vair....they convert a Chevelle
into a ballistic projectile!  No, while cars of that era have a certain
amount of charm and nostalgia in late-middle age.....they were ALL a LOT
more hazardous to your health than they could have been!

The rest of your statement is in the same logical universe as saying that
because Bill Simpson hadn't begun building advanced impact-surviving helmets
in 1949, it's unnecessary to wear a helmet when riding a 1949 knucklehead
Harley!

Fact:  ANY 3-point restraint system works BETTER than a two-point restraint
system.....I don't care if it's mounted in a 2004 Ford GT, a 1966 Corvair
Monza, or an MTD Lawn Tractor!  Newtonian Physics hasn't changed, and steel
and glass was just as hard in 1960 as it is today!  If you can fit a 3-point
belt system into a 'Vair, your impact survival chances are significantly
improved.

FWIW, without anyone EVER saying much about it at the time, the late-model
Corvair has some advanced safety features that didn't appear in the rest of
the US car fleet for several more years.  It is the first major use of a
glued-in windshield...5 years before such things were mandated.  The welded
front fenders and bulkheads form significant crush-zones well outside the
passenger capsule.  The entire front suspension assembly can deform
independent of the rest of the body work  The design of the unibody with the
bulk of the structure at the skin of the rocker will improve side impact
resistance to near current levels.  The design and engineering safety
elements of the car are reflected in the "real world" crash injury numbers
for the car.....the little Corvair was a more "survivable" vehicle than it's
contemporaries!

At least among those I know, being a Libertarian doesn't require one to be
completely brain-dead to the realities of engineering and science.