<VV> Safe and Fun at any Speed (LONG response)

Tue May 1 10:39:26 EDT 2007

Well said, Bill !!  I feel the same way you do (especially when it comes 
to the "nanny state" that is out to protect us from everything!)...  I 
use my Corvair for daily commuting to work - not only because it gets 
better mileage than my 2005 F50 - but because it's fun!!  (And I enjoy 
the honks, waves, thumbs up, etc)..

Jim Houston
Tampa, FL
'65 Monza coupe

Bill Hubbell wrote:
> I received this reply from Bryan Blackwell about my recent post:
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bryan Blackwell [mailto:bryan at skiblack.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 8:14 AM
> To: whubbell at umich.edu
> Subject: Re: <VV> Safe and Fun at any Speed
>
> While I think this is funny, if it's intended as such it should say  
> so somewhere.  From the monthly guidelines:
>
>   - If you must post something non-Corvair, please:
>          - Keep it brief and limit number of posts.
>          - Label jokes as "humor".
>
> If you have an issue with this, please take it up with VairOrg.  Thanks.
>
> --Bryan
>
> --------------------------
>
> Well, Bryan, can't it be both funny AND true?  Everything I said here, while
> meant to be taken somewhat with a sense of humor, is also the way I really
> feel about my 1964 Corvair, so why should I label it "humor"?
>
> Question: Do I really believe that a stock 1964 Corvair is every bit as
> safe, comfortable, and reliable as 2006 car, or in my case, a 1996 Caravan?
>
> Short answer: Of course not.  Obviously 40 years of technology has amounted
> to some real improvements in automotive handling, safety, comfort etc.
>
> However, the real point of my post was to explain that I like to drive my
> (stock) Corvair without all these advances precisely because it takes me
> back 40 years to that time.  To drive a stock car from that era without any
> modifications or upgrades is to experience history.  It recalls a time when
> we rolled our windows down or opened our kick panel vents for air
> conditioning; when all we could listen to was AM radio which faded out every
> time you passed under a bridge.  The vinyl seats may get hot and sticky in
> the summer, and they may be uncomfortable over long drives, but to sit in
> them for a 650 mile drive on a 90 degree summer day reminds me of the true
> character of my parents, when they did that every summer with five screaming
> boys in the back of their wagon.  Every time I adjust the points on my car
> or set the timing, or synchronize the carburetors, I am reminded of the
> ingenuity of the men who built such contraptions, and impressed with my
> ability to understand, maintain, and repair them, unlike the "mystery"
> computer-controlled contraptions we drive today.
>
> As for the issue of Safety, many of the explanations I give are absolutely
> true.  Headrests DO interfere with rear visibility, even though they protect
> our necks in collisions.  Sometimes there IS an advantage to being able to
> skid-steer. Dual-master brake cylinders, while offering a theoretical extra
> margin of safety in the event of a line failure, really are useful only if
> you keep your car long enough for a line to fail.
>
> The truth is, the Corvair is a special car, because it was built in the era
> before heavy government interference and the rise of "consumer advocacy"
> took its toll.  Ralph Nader rose to fame on the back of this gentle car (and
> others of the era), proclaiming them "Unsafe at Any Speed".  The message he
> preached, which was heartily endorsed by the masses, was that we all needed
> to be protected from the ruthless, uncaring tyranny of the mindless
> corporations - only interested in separating us from our dollars with no
> regard for our safety and well-being.  (Funny - that sounds more like the
> tobacco industry than the auto industry - I wonder why he didn't take TEHM
> on.) In the end, as this twisted logic took hold in the consumers' minds, we
> began the endless pursuit for ever more safe products, often adding things
> that sounded good without ever having a shred of evidence that they actually
> worked.
>
> So what we have ended up with after 40+ years of consumer advocacy is a
> homogenization of products, now filled with endless gadgets to appeal to the
> consumer's ideal of being made perfectly safe (while talking on cell phones
> and watching DVDs) in a vehicle traveling 70mph surrounded by hundreds of
> other such vehicles driven by folks, some as young as 16, few of whom have
> ever had any formal instruction in safe or defensive driving, and none of
> whom are ever re-tested regardless of their own safety records.
>
> Frankly, I feel as safe in my 40 year old Corvair as I do in my 11 year old
> Caravan.  However, the average driver is probably better off in the Caravan.
>
> Are these opinions?  Absolutely!  Are there hard scientific data to support
> the safety advantages of all of our "improvements"?  The simple answer is
> "NO" - not in all cases.  The right-hand Passenger mirror is one such
> example where the facts are in opposition to the theory.  Air bags sometimes
> cause injuries that would not otherwise occur.  Anti-lock brakes may
> actually cause some accidents when drivers do not understand how they work
> (they are a steering aid, not a braking aid).
>
> So, to Bryan and the rest of you out there, I repeat - I did not label my
> post humor because it was not meant to be primarily humorous.  If, as a
> serious piece you find it offensive, I am sorry for you.  If it makes you
> laugh, or at least have fond memories, I am pleased.
>
> Bill Hubbell
>
>
>
> On Apr 30, 2007, at 8:41 PM, Bill Hubbell wrote:
>
>   
>> OK, you have all just seen my recent post on why I don't like RH  
>> outside
>> door mirrors (I make exceptions for pulling a trailer).  Let's  
>> summarize
>> what I DO like about my 1964 Corvairs:
>>
>> -Single master Brake Cylinder (simple, works well, fewer parts to  
>> break)
>> -Long Shaft one-piece steering shaft (ditto)
>> -No head rests (improved rear-visibility)
>> -Rear Seat belts optional (not there cluttering up my car)
>> -No Air Bags (that's what the trunk is for!)
>> -No anti-lock brakes (so I can skid-steer if I want to)
>> -No power brakes (who needs them!)
>> -No power steering (ditto!)
>> -No computer (I get enough of that here and at work!)
>> -No clock (who cares about time when driving a Corvair?)
>> -Shiny chrome bumpers (to dazzle the drivers behind me!)
>> -Shiny wiper arms (to dazzle me!)
>> -Direct Air Heater (to let me know when I have an oil leak!)
>> -Ignition Points (as God intended!)
>> -Manual Fuel Pump (Gas + Electricity = Bad Idea!)
>> -Valves adjusted Cold - Once and only once!
>>
>> That's why I like my Corvair!
>>
>> Now, when I want to drive a car loaded with lawsuit-inspired
>> government-mandated fuel-gobbling accessories of dubious safety  
>> value I
>> drive my Dodge Caravan.  You want safe or do you want fun?
>>
>> Bill Hubbell
>>
>>     
>
>
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