Thanks. I did not actually own one, but serviced a number of them at the station, and had a chance to test-drive a few. You could always tell when one was arriving at (or leaving) the station.....the air-cooled flat-six made a distinct clattering sound that was different from that of the also-air-cooled Beetle. First thing I always did when I saw (or heard) one coming in was to grab a couple of quarts of Texaco Havoline or Quaker-State 30 or 10W-30 as I walked out to the pumps.....I knew what I was usually going to find when I looked underhood. (we sold Texaco fuel and oil under contract).


If you had read Nader's book (which, although I don't necessarily agree with all of it, I generally recommend), his comments specifically on the Corvair were generally limited to the first chapter or two. The rest of the book is dedicated to issues on many other 60s-vintage cars, like cost-cutting on undersized wheels/tires and their hazards, Push-and-Pray drum brakes that severely faded and were useless when wet, Single-Channel master-cylinders, freight-train handling/steering response, inadequate wipers/washers, resistance of the industry to include new equipment at added cost, and the fact that, in that era, many people simply were not concerned with safety, and it did not sell until it became law.

Actually, I was also surprised when I found that out myself...Like you, I had assumed the name was from the air-cooling. But, of course, the Bel Air trim-level had been extremely popular on the regular Chevy line before the Impala name was added in 1958 and became even more popular, particularly in SS trim.

The (probable) reason you didn't roll it is because, on the wet pavement, the rear tires had just enough slip to prevent them from digging in hard enough to produce the classic tuck-under that caused so many flip-overs. That was somewhat less of a problem on later-model Corvairs (but still not absent), as changes were made to the 1964 models to address the first-generation problems.

Yes....as I mentioned above, oil-seal leaks/failures were usually the biggest reliability problems. That was partly because the car was, mechanically, quite simple and lacked a number of parts that could fail or need maintenance on conventional vehicles, like a radiator, hoses, water-pump, thermostat, power-steering pump/hoses, etc.....

The inside gas-heater option, though, would have scared me. I probably would have put up with a very slow warm-up and lack of adequate cabin-heat in the winter to not have to worry about a Pinto-like result if the system leaked or was ruptured.

Yes, those radials were known for oil accumulating in the lower cylinders when the engine sits. That is why they not only had a separate oil-tank behind the engine, but why you see the ground-crew members, before start-up, flip the prop blades through by hand. That ensures that the cylinders will slide up and down freely, without oil/hydraulic lock in the cylinders, which could severely damage the cylinders and inner-workings of the engine. It also is why the pilots (or flight engineer) have to count a minimum number of free blade-rotations, when they crank the engine over with fuel-switches on and throttles cracked, before they turn on the magneto/ignition switches to actually fire the engine up. That big cloud of blue smoke in the prop-wash (and, sometimes, flames coming out of the exhaust-pipes) you see on the radial-engine start-ups is normal, as whatever oil accumulated the lower cylinders is first burned off.

Appreciate it......more write-ups coming.

Yes....life is precious. I try and take care of whatever I have left of mine with a healthy diet and exercise.

 

Great write up MM! A friend's Dad had a Corvair as a family car and loved it and it's 'quirks' so to speak,

In fact there was one at an event I attended last year. Car came in 3rd in its category and as the judges tried to share with the owner what could be done to come in 1st or 2nd in the future the owner blurted out "... I can't be a Corvair won a trophy!" That's pure joy right there.

 

Thanks. There will be more coming.

Its "quirks" were not necessarily dangerous if you drove it gently, observed strict tire pressures, didn't make sudden swerves at high speed, and kept the exhaust system and engine in shape so that carbon monoxide or oil didn't get into places they didn't belong. Your Dad apparently knew what he was doing...but many Corvair owners didn't, or exceeded the car's relatively modest limits.


Great sample.....a well-maintained Convertible with Four-on-the-Floor (which is what they called the four-speed manual in those days). Judging by its looks and condition, deserving of the trophy. Thanks for sharing.

 

I mean, life is too short to be wagging your finger at people for things they did over 55 years ago, but here we are.

mmarshall, it probably would have gone over better if your response wasn't directed to rogerh00. Prefacing a statement with "I think you should know two things.." is, for all intents and purposes, a lecture.

I enjoyed the OP. The car was about 20 years before my time, but reading about stuff like this is always interesting.

 

Thank you for the history lesson. Lovely looking cars, shame they were such a death trap. To be honest, new cars and their inherent safety are just as bad. Replace the drivers air bag with a very sharp spike, and see the idiots slow down a little. Not my idea, but worthy of consideration 😄

 

Glad you enjoyed it...more coming. It's often nice to remember the cars you grew up with.

Or, just install a Takada airbag unit LOL.

 

Yes! forgot about that debacle 😂😂😂😂😂

 

Wow......Great write up....Yrs ago, one of my buddies mom had a '65-'66 four door which I drove for a couple days....It was a if IIRC a two speed automatic w/ no park, you'd have to use the parking brake. It was a little lever on the dash.

 

We choose how we react to the world. We can choose to see someone's post as sage advice, or we can choose to perceive it as lecturing. The former seems more productive in one's understanding of the world than the latter. Even when we are offended, is it productive to get pissed and fire back? Not sure why more people won't let things go, especially when an offense is slight. Too, if one feels the need to counter an opinion, it's always best to take the high road and be civil/non-offensive about it.

 

Thanks. I never actually owned one, but had experience on test-drives and doing some minor work/service on them. They were different from very other American-designed vehicle on the road at that time....essentially an American air-cooled Beetle.


I think this is the lever you are talking about.....next to the right-hand gauge-binnacle. That binnacle-layout for the gauges differed somewhat, depending on model-year, whether it had a tach or not, wan what analog-gauges were used, but all versions of the Corvair were comparatively well-equipped with gauges, in contrast to many other GM products with mostly warning-lights.

You're correct that it did not have a Park position, and you had to use the emergency brake. The standard PRNDL sequence (which did include a formal Park position), if my memory is correct, was not Federally-mandated for production until a couple of years later. You could probably just leave the lever engaged in gear, though, and it would function as a semi-park position by putting some drag on the engine/transmission and preventing it from rolling (in those days, you could shut the engine off and remove the key without having to be in Neutral or Park). GM, though, in those days, unlike Ford and Chrysler, used separate small, thin-aluminum keys for door and ignition....you couldn't do everything with just one key.




Good advice, Wilson. Thanks. As many posts as I make (a lot), I myself also just let some things slip by.

 

I wouldn't consider this a hill that I would die on. I just thought it appropriate to call it how I see it.

 

I forgot to mention the unique Corvair pickups and Greenbrier vans....which included a unique "Rampside" feature.

 

Ooh, that rampside feature is interesting! Did the flip down door have some sort of protection against the pavement?

 

Baby Cradle




https://www.vintag.es/2019/09/1960s-...-solution.html

 

Yes, it had a protective strip on the upper-rim of the side-gate, but I don't remember if that strip was standard or optional.