<VV> Under 2-liter class/ was VM, 60 Piranha and John Fitch

[kevin nash]

An aquaintence of mine, everytime he see's my Corvair, has to tell me the same story about some buddy of his that he "claims" converted a Corvair enginefrom a six cylinder to a 4 cylinder for racing and said that his buddy won some sort of award from Gm for doing it, as he won whatever class it was runningin- it makes no sense at all to me that this would work unless it was a displacement limited class- six smaller pistons wouldnt work as well as four big ones,assuming the same stroke, as the resulting 4 cylinder would breath better- I'm wondering if this under 2 liter class is what he was talking about? anyone knowanything about this? Kevin Nash
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 11:30:39 -0600
> From: "James P. Rice" <ricebugg at mtco.com>
> Subject: <VV> VM,  60 Piranha and John Fitch
> To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> Message-ID: <DLEGKAFPLLKIDEFMDCGCMEFIDDAA.ricebugg at mtco.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"
> 
> All:  Got my VM double issue Monday.
> 
> I always crack up laughing when there is a picture and/or comments about the
> "60 Piranha" Zucchi runs.  He enters it as a 1960 and under 2-liter class,
> when it is from 1967 and is over 2 liters.  Unless, of course, he has
> successfully accomplished what Bill Thomas and at lease 2 other engine
> builders were unable to do back in the day, which is build a 2 liter Corvair
> which actually generates power to be competitive with the Lotus Twin-Cam,
> BMW and Porsche engines.  What a hoot!!
> 
> I've been tempted to blow the whistle on him, but my sometimes perverse
> sense of humor enjoys him fooling some very pompous west coast vintage race
> organizers and racers.
> 
> The VM issue has a story on John Fitch's military career and life by
> normally reliable writer and historian Art Evens.  Besides being inaccurate
> on several things, probably result of believing without verifying everything
> John thinks he remembers, it tells a tale which does not need to be told,
> especially in a magazine devoted to automotive history.  As a subscriber
> since 1987 and past contributor to VM, I am embarrassed and ashamed of this
> expose.  Totally uncalled for in any publication, unless of course, you like
> to read the National Enquirer.  If I find the time, I'll probably tell VM
> about it.  At this point, I do not care if I burn whatever bridge I still
> have with them.
> 
> Historically Yours,
> 			James Rice
> 
> PS see the Communique for Jan 2004 for info on Corvair powered sports-racing
> car, and last March's issue with the article on John Fitch.
>