[Rhodes22-list] Corvair

Steve Alm salm at mn.rr.com
Thu Dec 4 16:45:40 EST 2003 

Roger,
I had some of those same problems with my 62 Corvair.  How well I remember
that oil smell!  But it was a great car for a kid like me who was just
learning how to work on cars.  I fiddled endlessly with those carbs.  My sis
was driving it once when she lost the breaks.  Panicking, she threw it into
reverse.  It was an automatic trans with the shift lever on the dash.  The
poor car squealed to a halt alright.  Astonishingly enough, the tranny was
fine and after we got the breaks fixed, off we went.  That car was a legend.
My next two cars were both 65 Mustangs.  I made one good one out of two
lemons.  I think I spent as much time under the hood as I did behind the
wheel.  Great memories!

Slim

On 12/4/03 5:54 AM, "Roger Pihlaja" <cen09402 at centurytel.net> wrote:

> Peter, Steve,
> 
> I had a 66 Corvair Corsa with a 4-speed for a while when I was in college.
> I couldn't keep the 4 carbs in sync, the serpentine fan belt was always
> coming off at high speed,  the thermostatic bellows that controlled the air
> dampers on the engine temperature regulation system was always failing, and
> there was a slight oil leak that caused the defroster to fill the car with
> at least a hot oil smell & sometimes oil smoke.  Yeah, when the car ran, it
> was had a lot of scoot & it handled great.  But, in terms of relibility, it
> wasn't ready for prime time.  My relibility problems weren't unique, they
> were typical of most owners of the Corvair.  Even by the standards of mid
> 1960's American car relibility, the Corvair was poor.  When you add in the
> rollover problems of the 1960 - 1964 models because of the swing arm rear
> suspension, the Corvair is a classic example of GM releasing new technology
> on the public before the technology is ready.  GM tried to do too many new
> (at least for them) things in one car, skimped too much on cost (that's
> where the swing axles came from), and probably didn't do anywhere near
> enough reliability testing prior to releasing the car.
> 
> Roger
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steve" <rhodes2282 at yahoo.com>
> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 5:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Corvair
> 
> 
>> Peter
>> Yeah, mom really liked that car.  She still talks
>> about it.
>> Steve
>> 
>> 
>> --- Peter Thorn <pthorn at nc.rr.com> wrote:
>>> Steve,
>>> 
>>> I had a '64 Corvair Spyder with 4 speed manual; it
>>> was great fun!  Your Mom
>>> is right - it was quick off the line.  Never got
>>> stuck in the Vermont snow
>>> drifts, even without snow tires.  Too bad Nader
>>> killed it.
>>> 
>>> PT
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Steve" <rhodes2282 at yahoo.com>
>>> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list"
>>> <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 10:12 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Corny energy source
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Roger
>>>> My mom had a Corvair.  She said that was a great
>>> car.
>>>>> From stop light to stop light, she said she could
>>> beat
>>>> my dad in his 57 chevy.  But if they made the
>>> first
>>>> stop light, he pulled away good.  Appearently, the
>>>> Corvair had a fast start to it.
>>>> Steve
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> --- Roger Pihlaja <cen09402 at centurytel.net> wrote:
>>>>> Rummy,
>>>>> 
>>>>> I saw GM's hydrogen powered concept car at the
>>> 2003
>>>>> NAIAS.  It was also at
>>>>> the 2002 NAIAS, although not as fully developed.
>>>>> So, you're right, GM is
>>>>> moving forward with the project.  It's a neat
>>>>> concept with a lot of very
>>>>> creative ideas.  But, until the hydrogen
>>>>> infrastructure is in place, the
>>>>> market will be very small.  At the moment, the
>>>>> hydrogen would have to come
>>>>> from, are you ready ... natural gas!  Boy, now
>>>>> there's a great use for a
>>>>> scarce unrenewable natural resource.  I haven't
>>> seen
>>>>> any crash test data on
>>>>> the prototype or any long term reliability data
>>> on
>>>>> the fuel cells.  GM has a
>>>>> long & undistinguished history of releasing new
>>>>> technology onto the public
>>>>> before it's ready & then having a big mess on
>>> their
>>>>> hands - the Corvair, the
>>>>> Vega, the in-line SOHC Pontiac 6 engine, etc.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Roger
>>>>> 
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Todd Tavares" <sprocket80 at mail.com>
>>>>> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list"
>>>>> <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 2:22 AM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Corny energy source
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> OH THE HUMANITY!!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>> From: R22RumRunner at aol.com
>>>>>> Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 06:00:47 EST
>>>>>> To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Corny energy
>>> source
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Roger,
>>>>>>> At last years Detroit auto show, GM unveiled
>>>>> it's new vehicle platform
>>>>> which
>>>>>>> is hydrogen based. The platform includes
>>>>> steering and propulsion and is
>>>>>>> approximately 8 inches high the entire
>>> length.
>>>>> The body is fitted to the
>>>>> platform
>>>>>>> and all connections, including joy stick
>>>>> steering are made through one
>>>>>>> electrical connection. When presented at the
>>>>> show, the oil industry
>>>>> spokes people said
>>>>>>> they weren't interested, but GM is going
>>> full
>>>>> speed forward with this
>>>>> project.
>>>>>>> This is no longer conceptual, it is already
>>>>> here. They put safety first
>>>>> and
>>>>>>> hired some of the best people available for
>>> this
>>>>> project. I read an
>>>>> extensive
>>>>>>> article a while back in one of the
>>> International
>>>>> trade magazines I
>>>>> get.....very
>>>>>>> cool project.
>>>>>>> The cost for the new vehicle is reported to
>>> be
>>>>> somewhere around a mid
>>>>> size
>>>>>>> luxury car, say around $20,000 fully
>>> equipped.
>>>>> Bodies can be changed
>>>>> easily in a
>>>>>>> home garage. Mom can have a station wagon
>>> during
>>>>> the week and the kids
>>>>> can
>>>>>>> have a sports car on the weekends.
>>>>>>> The byproduct of burning hydrogen is water.
>>>>> Water is the only emission.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Rummy
>>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>> __________________________________________________
>>>>>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
>>>>> www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
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>>>>>> 
>>> __________________________________________________
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>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>> __________________________________________________
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> 
> 
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