<VV> Corvette XP-819

[James P. Rice]

All:  If you have looked up the web sit, some corrections are in order.  If
you haven't, don't bother.

The current issue of Car & Driver has an article on the 2017 mid-engine
"Corvette Zoro."  Sales of the mag must be down.  I look thru Motor Trend at
the local newsstand.  Buy a copy about once every 5 years.  Haven't noticed
them saying anything about a mid-engine Vette. But it would be easy to miss.
See current Car&Driver if you must.

The XP-819 was part of Chevy R&D's investigation(s) into handling.  The time
was 1965/66.  Duntov was in the dog house at the time with Chevrolet
management, if not GM management, and didn't have any role in the car.
Duntov and Winchell could have had a discussion/argument, but Winchell
didn't need permission or encouragement to build the car. 

The transaxle was a two speed from the Corvair's corporate cousin, the
Pontiac Tempest.  I don't remember what the rear suspension was from.  Could
have been similar to the then current Corvette and LM Corvair.     

The styling was in the vain of Jim Musser's/R&D's GSIIA & B, which had
morphed into Jim Hall's Chaparral 2C & D by then.  

The car handled fine with seriously large tires on the back.  With same size
tires all around it handled like a Corvair with 20psi all around. 

Author of book "Chevrolet=Racing", Paul Van Valkenberg, was the R&D driver
who crashed the car.  I've never read or heard it was on a wet road.  He
didn't need water to aid in the crash.   

Chevy R&D sent the rubble to Smoky Yunick (sp?) to get it out of their hair
and off the books.  Yunick was suppose to cut it into much smaller pieces
but did not.  Discovered as Yunick was closing up shop, it was bought,
restored and sold a couple times.  

See Karl Ludvigsen's new book, the CORVETTE, America's Star Spangled
Sportscar." It covers the C-1 thru C-3 Corvettes.  See chapter 13 (or is it
26?) for better info, or Corvette Magazine Sept 2014, which is a reprint
from the book.  Book is over US$100 and weighs a lot.  Interesting how many
times the Corvair is mentioned in the material.  

Historically Yours,
               James Rice

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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 18:22:31 -0700
From: Scott Morehead <moreheadscott at yahoo.com>
To: "virtualvairs at corvair.org" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Subject: <VV> The mix of a vairvettte at the end of the story

Forget The Mid-Engined Corvette: There Was Once A Rear-Engine 'Vette
             
Forget The Mid-Engined Corvette: There Was Once A Re...
Rumors of upcoming mid-engined Corvettes are one of those things that never
seem to go away, 
  
http://jalopnik.com/forget-the-mid-engined-corvette-there-was-once-a-rear-16
35589421
 
Best regards,
Scott Morehead
843 - 478 - 4223

***************


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