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the almighty corvair

43 messages,  Last post on Nov 16, 2009 at 2:03 PM

You are in the Classic Cars Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet, Gasoline, Coupe

Messages Page 4 of 5

#24 of 43 There are still some pretty Corvairs available by lokki

Oct 06, 2009 (8:00 am)

Replying to: m564ag (Oct 02, 2009 7:25 am)
There are still some pretty Corvairs available - I always though that these were among the prettiest.
 
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/1361752590.html

#25 of 43 I saw a Corvair... by andre1969

Oct 06, 2009 (8:02 am)

last week in one of the parking lots here at work. 2nd generation hardtop coupe, Corsa model, white, in pretty nice shape.

#26 of 43 Re: There are still some pretty Corvairs available [lokki] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 06, 2009 (4:18 pm)

Replying to: lokki (Oct 06, 2009 8:00 am)
Very attractive cars---they guy's dreaming on the price though---the car looks pretty rough underneath, and the paint color is off. Also this "turbo" is pretty anemic. He should be pricing at $4995 asking IMO.

#27 of 43 Astro-I Design Study by wevk

Nov 11, 2009 (6:57 am)

http://www.corvaircorsa.com/astro1_02.html#Control
 
WVK

#28 of 43 Re: Astro-I Design Study [wevk] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 11, 2009 (8:14 am)

Replying to: wevk (Nov 11, 2009 6:57 am)
Well the design is hopelessly outdated but that lovely engine---imagine putting that into a well-sorted Fitch Corvair and you would have had the American Porsche.
 
Of course, that would have severely threatened the rather bestial Corvette of that era. Undoubtedly, production costs for an engine like that would have sent the MSRP into, and perhaps beyond, Corvette territory.
 
And I don't think it could have been built at a price to compete with the Porsche 914, because that Porsche sourced a common VW engine and VW hardware off the shelf.
 
Perhaps GM could have revamped the Corvair engine into a sturdy 4-cylinder ohv unit, presuming they could have overcome the chronic oil leaks.
 
Corvair braking and handling was already pretty darn good by the late 60s.

#29 of 43 It was the biggest adjustment by euphonium

Nov 11, 2009 (5:47 pm)

going from a 1960 Corvair 769 to a 1967 Ford Country Sedan 390, but the Ford had a lot more room for two adult and 4 kid skiers. The Corvair, with Powerglide, had two carbs and having used a Unisyn on them, it was a very efficient engine/car. The gasoline fired heater/defroster would clear the windshield before I could load the skis on the rack & change into street shoes. Great little car!

#30 of 43 Re: It was the biggest adjustment [euphonium] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 11, 2009 (8:16 pm)

Replying to: euphonium (Nov 11, 2009 5:47 pm)
didn't that gas heater freak you out? I guess they were safe, but the CONCEPT was a bit unsettling...."first we'll pump gas from the gas tank into this little container in front of the windshield, bolted to the front bulkhead just in front of your passenger's knees-----then....you see that spark plug?....well, what happens next is....."

#31 of 43 Re: It was the biggest adjustment [Mr_Shiftright] by euphonium

Nov 11, 2009 (10:07 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Nov 11, 2009 8:16 pm)
In seven years of driving the rig, never a problem. In fact, never heard of a problem.
 
The reason GM eliminated the gasoline heater(1961) is that it cut the MPG figure when compared to the competition's puddle jumpers.

#32 of 43 Re: It was the biggest adjustment [euphonium] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 12, 2009 (9:13 am)

Replying to: euphonium (Nov 11, 2009 10:07 pm)
Oh that's RIGHT. I do remember that problem now. I wonder why Americans were so concerned in the era of Cheap Gas? What was it in 1960? About .25 cents a gallon?
 
It really needed a gas heater, as did the VW. And even when the regular heater worked on the Corvair, the inefficient engine sealing sometimes caused oil to drip into the heater boxes, filling the passenger compartment with acrid smoke. Nice.
 
Corvair purists will insist that all of the Corvair's "issues" (they dare not call them problems) are correctable, and they are right.
 
The "issue" with that is that the American car buyer did not want such a fussy car, that required precise tire inflation, and a higher level of maintenance, and various "upgrades".
 
One could argue that the 1960 VW was no winner in the comfort or reliability department either, but it was simple to fix and it had a sort of cult status that the Corvair never did achieve.

#33 of 43 Re: It was the biggest adjustment [Mr_Shiftright] by andre1969

Nov 12, 2009 (9:45 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Nov 12, 2009 9:13 am)
Oh that's RIGHT. I do remember that problem now. I wonder why Americans were so concerned in the era of Cheap Gas? What was it in 1960? About .25 cents a gallon?
 
Yeah, but 1961 was also in the wake of a recession, one that had a lasting impact on cars. The economy wasn't so hot yet, and people were becoming more concerned with fuel economy. Witness the success of the Rambler. And the simple fact that suddenly cars like the Falcon, Corvair, Valiant, and Lancer even existed!
 
Even with bigger cars, they were cutting compression and making feeble attempts at downsizing. One example I can think of, off the top of my head, is that Chrysler cut the output of their 361-2bbl from 295 to 265 hp that year. The '61 Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, Buicks, and even Cadillacs were a bit smaller and lighter than the year before. Dodge was relying mainly on Plymouth-sized cars for their volume sellers, while Chrysler and the remnants of DeSoto were depending on what had traditionally been Dodge-sized cars. The '61 Lincolns were downsized, although probably not much lighter or fuel efficient, than their mammoth '58-60 forbears. And Mercury went from being a big, beefy monster to a glammed-up Ford.
 
Of course, it wouldn't be long before nobody cared about fuel economy anymore, and the weight, length, and cubic inches would start piling on. But for one brief moment, say 1958-61, I think people did start caring about fuel economy and thrift again.

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