<VV> Corvairs in Snow

[Gary Swiatowy]

Back in 1974, I was driving a 64 T-Bird in the winter.
Got to work and buried the car in the parking lot.
The T-Bird had studded snow tires and a a trunk full of concrete blocks..it 
was useless!
I worked at a garage and needed to get to the International Scout plow truck 
we had.
Parked in front of it was a 66 Corvair I had picked up that was on its way 
to the junk  yard when I got it.
I had these ideas about cutting it up and making a dune buggy out of it like 
they did with the VW's back then.
This Corvair drove around the parking lot like there was no problem, 
actually pushing snow out of the way. And this with barely legal tires on 
it.
The next day I switched plates off the T-bird onto the Corvair and had my 
new "winter car".
Drove the Corvair daily to go to college and never got it stuck.
Loved to play "crack the whip" with it.
That's when you are moving along on slippery roads, crank the wheel and yank 
the emergency brake.
The back end comes around then all of a sudden the front end snaps around 
cracking the whip.
I used to make people scream in fear doing that...............
Drove a Corvair around during the infamous Buffalo Blizzard of 77, while 
most roads were still closed.
I couldn't get everywhere, but I could make it from the garage I worked at 
to a small store for beer runs........

In 1978, I finally found a decent Corvair, too nice to drive in the winter.
Still have that one, and several others.........
The winter cars became parts cars.

Gary Swiatowy


> From: "Rick Norris" <ricknorris at suddenlink.net>
> Subject: <VV> Corvairs and snow
>
> Having grown up and lived in West Virginia most of my life snow was a fact
> of life. You learned how to drive in it and there are lots of hills. We
> lived on one. I learned from watching my dad who was a milk truck driver 
> and
> often took me with him. He never had an accident and never failed to get
> where he was going in bad weather.
>
> When I got my first Corvair, a 1964 Monza 110 four speed (pics on my site
> www.corvairalley.com ) I was in the Air Force and stationed on Long 
> Island,
> NY. This was back in the mid sixties and we had some big snows. I remember
> going to the base early one morning from Westhampton Beach where we lived
> and the snow plow had made several passes down the main street but left a
> wall of snow in the middle. I had to cross it. I backed up and took a run 
> at
> it, not really knowing what was on the other side. I crashed through okay
> and continued on toward the base. The road was flat but no one else had 
> been
> on it so I was plowing new ground as it were. I was actually pushing snow 
> in
> front until it stopped me. I simply backed up and drove around the pile I
> had created. I did this several times before reaching the base. I did had
> snow chains on the car and it would go anywhere. I would look for deep 
> snow
> to play in. They really didn't like me driving around the ball field! The
> Air Policeman on the gate chewed me out for it. Damn good fun that!
>
> In the early days all I had was Corvairs (a 64 & 65) and I always got to
> work. Often I was driving around other folks or passing them going up a 
> snow
> covered hill. I always politely waved to them as I went by....GGG!
> Some of them indicated I was number 1!
>
> Rick Norris