<VV> exoneration?

[ricebugg at comcast.net]

All:  I've had the copy of the DoT/NHSA news release about two weeks.  Today I looked at page two.  The cars they tested were both a '63 and a '67 Corvair, a '62 Falvon, a '60 Valiant, a '62 VW, and a '63 Renault.  Reasonable sample of contemporary cars in the class.

It always helps to read the 2nd page.  Sorry

Historically Yours,
							James

---- Original Message -----
From: ricebugg at comcast.net
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Sent: Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:10:07 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: exoneration?


All:  I have in front of me a copy of the DoT/NHSA news release dated July 21, 1972.  It 's conclusion is the "handling and stability performance of these cars (the Corvair) is at least as good as the performance of several contemporary domestic and foreign vehicals.  The Corvair performance does not result in a abnormal potential for loss of control or rollover".  

The other cars were Falcons and Valients and probably others.  They are not ID in the news release.  The  "abnormal potential for loss of control or rollover" is the qualifier.  It means the Corvair wasn't any better or worse than the other cars when driven to their limits of physics.  

Of course, the object of normal driving on the streets is to not get in the situation of taking the car to its limits. 

One or more of us on VV need to see the film Chevrolet R&D made for GM's lawyers before saying anything more about what the EM Corvair will do at the limits of physics.  I saw it at the GM tech Center in 1979 about the EM Corvair.  Eye opener.  I don't have the time to key stroke the film content, but the Corvair did do a snap spin at about the same speed the Falcon and Valent had understeered themselves off the skid pad.  As for the LM Corvair, there is a reason racers and auto-x's put wider tires on the back of their cars.  Stingers came with 7 ' rims on the back for a reason. 

Nader became famous because of GM's poorly handled PI investagation of him.  If GM had left him alone, he probably would have gone back into the woodwork. The question is, who authorized the PI investagation?  Then there were the congressional hearings by a Senator looking for a fight which fanned the suitutation.  The press mostly did their jobs.  

I don't think the Corvair was ever "exoneration" in court.  GM was in the business of cutting their losses and settled just about all of the cases outside of court.   

I cannot remember ever spining a Corvair, even autocrossing.  I always developed an attack of chickenitis first...and lifted my foot. 

I have seen Alliance's race back in the 80's as a support series for IMSA.  In fact, James Reeve successufully race them.  Yenko Stinger to an Alliance, with a stop off with a race winning Buick Skyhawk in between.  They looked as stable as any FWD car IMSA raced as support series.  All FWD cars back then cornered on 3 wheels. 

I had a '84 Dodge Shelby Charger (aka a Dodge Omni).  It had performance tires and shocks, a couple of large sway bars and always understeered...but went like stink.  

But I never tryed a jerk the steering wheel 90 degs at speed and let go, in it or anyother car.  How dumb is that?  

And Ken is correct about both Nader's and White's books.  Read  them.  Once you get beyond the first two chapters, tell me Nader wasn't correct about the auto industry back then.  

Autoweek is mostly run by a bunch of snotty nose kids, as are most of their writers.  They are to be pittied and forgiven. 

Historically Yours,
						James