<VV> early suspension changes question

[Ramon Rodriguez III]

Thanks Doug and others, this pretty much wraps up the topic, I am now
adequately informed.  I hadn't made it that far into my very recently
aquired copy of "Corvair Decade"... I'm reading it cover to cover, and
making sure every word sinks in.

Ray R.



On Sun, Sep 18, 2011 at 10:38 PM, Doug Mackintosh
<dougmackintosh at yahoo.com>wrote:

> The rebound straps were only offered as an option, they were never offered
> as standard equipment, except on early production 1962 Spyders. I know they
> were first offered as an option on the 1962 models, and were available on
> the 1963 models. I do not think they were offered in 1964, but I haven't
> found positive documentation for that.
>
> According to The Corvair Decade, p.45, in 1962 "Heavy-duty front and rear
> suspension became available". It also states that "Karl Ludvigsen, writing
> in Automobile Quarterly, said that RPO 696, the heavy-duty front and rear
> suspension, 'offered even stiffer front and rear springs, shorter rear axle
> limit straps, and a front anti-roll bar'.
>
> A road test in the June 1963 issue of Motor Trend said:
> "The best combination we've found so far is the heavy-duty suspension
> option (RPO 696) offered by the factory. This consists of shock absorbers,
> stiffer springs (shorter at the rear to give more negative camber), an
> anti-roll bar at the front, and limiting straps at the rear that restrict
> rebound travel and also impose a limit on how far the outside rear wheel can
> turn under should the car be spun out".
>
> On p.64 of the Corvair Decade it says about the 1964 model options, "the
> extra cost special suspension option now consisted of specially calibrated
> coil springs and heavy-duty shock absorbers".
>
>