<VV> Link to the New York Times article

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In a message dated 11/1/2004 9:21:51 AM Pacific Standard Time,
dmacd_us@yahoo.com writes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/01/automobiles/01cars.html



Here is the  text of that article

I certainly hope this is enough Corvair content to qualify for posting here
- TA
Registered as Independents, in Corvairs
By JEFF  SABATINI

Published: November 1,  2004


F you are among the 1 or 2 percent of American  voters who, polls indicate,
plan to cast ballots for Ralph Nader tomorrow, you can thank  Edward N. Cole
for affording you the opportunity.
Neither an idealistic college student nor one of the canvassers who worked to
 secure Mr. Nader's access to the presidential ballot, Mr. Cole, the
president of  General Motors from 1967 to 1974, is widely regarded as the
father of
the  Chevrolet Corvair.
As Chevrolet's general manager, Mr. Cole introduced the Corvair in 1959 as a
1960 model. It was a compact car with an air-cooled engine mounted in the
rear  and an independent suspension at both ends. In retrospect, it would be
one
of  the last truly daring designs G.M. would attempt; at a time when
Cadillac's  tailfins reached their preposterous zenith, the Corvair was as
radical as
the  Cuban revolution.

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That the magnum opus of Mr. Cole (who died in 1977) would give rise to Mr.
Nader's prominence as a consumer advocate can be chalked up to the vagaries of
timing and publicity. In 1965, Mr. Nader, a young legislative aide in
Washington  with a Harvard law degree, published a blistering critique of the
auto
industry's failure to address vehicle safety, "Unsafe at Any Speed." The
book's
 first chapter was called "The sporty Corvair: the 'one car' accident," and
charged that the car posed an unacceptable rollover risk.
Mr. Nader very likely selected the unconventional Chevy not only because of
its reputation for dubious handling, but also because G.M. was the world's
biggest car company. Though most of the book focused on issues other than the
Corvair, it brought considerable attention to the car and even more to the
author. Some of the attention was unwanted: G.M. later apologized for its
overzealous scrutiny of Mr. Nader after the book's release. The National
Highway
Traffic Safety Administration eventually concluded that the car's design was
not
 defective, but only after Corvair production ended in 1969.
"Around here, people say that the Corvair made Ralph famous, and Ralph made
the Corvair infamous," said Larry Claypool, proprietor of the Vair Shop, a
garage in Frankfort, Ill., that specializes in the brand.
Mr. Claypool is also the technical editor of the national Corvair club
magazine, Corsa Communiqui, and something of a legend in the Corvair world. He
started his business in 1972, when he was just 18.
Many enthusiasts say they think the campaign against the Corvair actually
caused its life to be extended. By the mid-1960's the sporty Camaro and
compact
Chevy II had made the Corvair redundant, so, fans say, the perception was
that  G.M. kept the car in production because it did not want to be seen as
caving in  to Mr. Nader.
The Corvair was initially developed as basic and inexpensive transportation
for the masses, something akin to a Volkswagen Beetle. There were Corvair
trucks, a van and a pickup, as well as sedan, coupe, station wagon and
convertible body styles.
By 1965, the emphasis had switched from economy to sportiness and the
redesigned Corvair was considered one of the most attractive shapes ever
produced
in Detroit, especially as a pillarless coupe. The rudimentary  swing-axle rear
suspension that served as Mr. Nader's cannon fodder was replaced  by a more
sophisticated design similar to one used in the Corvette.
Today, the Corvair is perhaps not as controversial, but no less of a
contrarian than it was when new. Despite its engineering similarities with the
VW
Beetle and the Porsche 911, this innovative Chevy has not attained a similar
status among collectors, at least outside the 5,500 members of the Corvair
Society of America.
"Chevy people don't really want to admit that Corvairs are Chevrolets," said
Jim Langdon, a member of the Capital City Corvair Club in Madison, Wis., a
local  chapter of the national organization.
Even if fans of Chevrolet muscle cars cannot get past the Corvair's up-front
trunk, aficionados relish the car's distinctive engineering. Not only was the
 Corvair the only American-made car of its era to use an air-cooled engine,
it  also offered an optional turbocharger, an exotic feature in 1962.
In its most powerful configuration, the Corvair's horizontally opposed six
cylinder displaced 164 cubic inches and made 180 horsepower, enough to push a
1965 model to 60 m.p.h. in under 11 seconds.
Though they are no more difficult to drive, own, repair or restore than other
 cars of that era, Corvairs are different and require some specialized
knowledge.  Even when they were new, Chevrolet dealers would have a "Corvair
guy" in
the  service department, Mr. Claypool said.
"It's just like owning a Ferrari or a Maserati," he said. "You can't get it
fixed at just any local garage."
If that is the downside, the upside is that you can buy an entire Corvair for
 what you'd pay for a valve job on one of those exotics. Even a perfect
Corvair  is unlikely to trade hands for more than $15,000, and many very nice
cars
can be  found in the $6,000 to $8,000 range; a roadworthy car can usually be
bought for  $1,000 to $2,000.
"That's what attracted a lot of us to the Corvair in the first place," Mr.
Langdon said.
The rarest production Corvair was the 1969 Monza convertible; only 521 were
built. Also desirable is the Corsa model of 1965-66, which offered nicer
instruments and more power than the standard car. Another Corvair of interest
is
the Yenko Stinger, a high-performance limited-edition built by a noted racecar
 driver, Don Yenko.
Not only do Corvair owners tend to be frugal, they can also have long
memories. Mr. Nader is still a touchy subject with many owners, whose vanity
license plates may read "N8R H8R" or "RALPHWHO." Other Corvair owners like
Roger
Gault of Austin, Tex., put Nader campaign bumper stickers on their cars upside
down, on the theory that they would be easier to read if indeed the car rolled
 over.
But as Corvairs have largely disappeared from daily service and shifted into
the realm of hobbyist toys, the animosity has begun to fade. Mr. Nader even
accepted an invitation to speak at the Corsa national convention in 1991, and
posed for a photo behind the wheel of a Corvair.
"He didn't drive it, though," Mr. Claypool said.

Tim  Abney



Proud Member of
United  Steelworkers of America, Local 7600

Life Member McHenry County Illinois VietNow
Member American Legion Post #777 - San Bernardino, CA
Member  Society of the First Infantry Division (Big Red One)
KLIK - Lai Khe, RVN -  1967-68
Corsa Member
Inland Empire  Corvair Club President
1965 Corvair Monza Coupe - Valley Vairs Cover Car January 2003 - 2nd Edition
1964 Corvair Monza 4 Door - Back burner project
1961 Corvair Lakewood Wagon - Starting  restoration

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