<VV> Why Chrysler abandoned the turbine (No Corvair)

[John Kepler]

Ken...I got to see and somewhat play with one of the 63 turbines...it
couldn't out-drag a kid on a skateboard!  If that 54 "got rubber", then it
was because it was running a cast-iron-like tire compound, not because it
was any kind of "pavement-ripper" (that "hold the thing in Drive with the
brake on while the turbine spooled-up gig" got you a nearly instantaneous
"Transmission Overheat" light!)!  Quite seriously, those turbines had a
"real world" 0-60 time of around 45 seconds.  Gas turbines are NOT good at
accelerating.....just ask anyone that's ever driven an M1 Abrams!

JEK

-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
[mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of Ken Pepke
Sent: Friday, December 24, 2010 8:05 AM
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Subject: <VV> Why Chrysler abandoned the turbine (No Corvair)


I wish my brother had given me a ride in the 54 Plymouth ... but he did not.
I stood on the sidewalk while he started the motor, shifted it into gear
[not sure what it used for a transmission], and almost instantly it left the
curb like Bugs Bunny leaving a long black stripe more than half way to the
stop sign at the end of the block ... never saw another Plymouth as fast.
In the second between starting and moving it made a low to high whistle then
all I could hear was the tire squealing. 
Ken P