<VV> <Aarrgghh!!> Autoweek ~ "ill-handling Corvair" - Really ?

[Ken Pepke]

OK, first example :-)  

Answer to the question … everyone!  Because a Corvair does not oversteer.  What it DOES do is understeer LESS than most other stock cars.  Can they be spun out?  Yes, but it requires some pretty sloppy driving.  But, so can a Falcon be spun out and in the tests back in the day, it produced the lowest rate of lateral acceleration of all cars tested. 

To quote ole 'Doc Hudson' [the movie, Cars] "You have to turn right to go left."  Of course, the racers induce oversteer with the throttle.  No stock Corvair ever had the torque to do that.  Honestly now, in the hardest left hand turn you have ever made with a Corvair, which way were you turning the steering wheel [before you lost it]?  An 'oversteering' vehicle is started into a left turn by turning the steering wheel to the left to get the turn started, then the wheel will have to be turned to the RIGHT to maintain the left hand turn.  The faster one goes the harder to the right the wheel must be turned.

Ken P
Wyandotte, MI
65 Monza 110hp 4 speed 2 door
Worry looks around; Sorry looks back, Faith looks up.

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On Jan 22, 2013, at 6:51 PM, Joel McGregor wrote:

> Who has been driving or has ever driven a stock Corvair that didn't oversteer?  I've had over 50 and they all did.  Obviously much worse if the tire pressures weren't correct.
> I'm not claiming poor handling - quite the opposite.  I would much rather have a car try to go where I point it than not.
> Joel McGregor
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org [mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of Ken Pepke
> Subject: Re: <VV> <Aarrgghh!!> Autoweek ~ "ill-handling Corvair" - Really ?
> 
> How many of the members of this venue still believe Corvairs oversteer even though they have been driving them for many years?  In fact, the claims agains the Corvair were settled in court with the exoneration of its engineering.  Where was the news media on that day? 
> 
> 
> Ken P
> Wyandotte, MI
> 65 Monza 110hp 4 speed 2 door
> Worry looks around; Sorry looks back, Faith looks up.