Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg
Probably one of my best deals was in 1974 when I bought a very nice 1964 Corvair convertible for only $10 because the guy heard Ralph Nader say they were dangerous. Of course Ralph didn't have a clue and never drove or even rode in a Corvair.
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The 61-63s were not great handlers...especially with the front tires over inflated by owners, gas stations, and even Chevy dealers. 15F/26R just didn't seem right to most people. This plus the lack of a front sway bar and no device to keep the inside rear wheel from tucking in a corner, produced a one car accident waiting to happen. This was partially fixed in 1964 with the addition of the front bar and the rear transverse spring. In 65 GM introduced a completely different suspension on the Corvair that made them handle even better than a Corvette (IMHO).
Nader did mention the Corvair in his book (along with many other examples of the auto industry's disregard for safety), but it was...
"George Caramagna, the Chevrolet suspension mechanic (who, Nader learned, had fought management over omission of the vital anti-sway bar that they were forced to install in later models) was vital to this issue. The missing bar had caused many crashes and it was Caramagna who precipitated the whole controversy by staying his ground on the issue."
I have owned 2 1962's. Both fun cars (but I inflated the tires correctly and didn't auto cross them
). My latest was a 30,000 mile original. I painted it due to "garage rash", but it was original otherwise.
