<VV> Unsafe - The FM "X-frame" late 50's and early 60's

[Charles Lee at Prop Per]

The "X-frame" was narrowest in the center of the passenger comp0artment, 
apparently with little concern for protecting passengers, as a "perimeter 
frame" would do, and unibody would do even better.

I can't fathom why they even considered it, but GM used it for several years 
from 1958 to 1960 at least.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "mygroups" <mygroups at frontiernet.net>
To: "Charles Lee at Prop Per" <chaz at ProperProPer.com>
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2006 5:07 AM
Subject: Re: <VV> Unsafe - 1957 Ford had a "27 % more rigid frame"


> Jusy curious - what was the flaw with the X frame?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Chris in Cookeville, TN
>
> Charles Lee at Prop Per wrote:
>
>> The 1957 Ford had a "27 % more rigid frame" which probably made it the
>> SUV of its day ?
>>
>> The 1960 Buick "X" frame pretty much ensured that the passengers would
>> get creamed in a side impact.
>>
>> What were they thinking ?
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Padgett" <pp2 at 6007.us>
>> To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2006 3:44 PM
>> Subject: Re: <VV> Unsafe
>>
>>
>>>
>>>>  but I'm glad that someone got the ball rolling on simple design
>>>> >changes that have reduced highway fatalities dramatically over the
>>>> last
>>>> 40 years.
>>>
>>>
>>> Actually the ball was rolling long before "Unsafe" was published (my
>>> copy is 1965) and all the changes he called for were already there or
>>> in production design before the book was published (he mentions that
>>> the '64 design was fixed and called for a recall of 60-63 Corvairs to
>>> update.
>>>
>>> In fact the 1956 Fords had many safety features (deep dish steering
>>> wheel, padded dash, seat belts) but the public was not willing to pay
>>> for those things.
>>>
>>> But back at the book - his rants about the Corvair were old hat when
>>> it came out and had been fixed (there is even an illustration of the
>>> 65 suspension) and he is very selective about quotes - he says
>>> "Corvair" but the expert says "The ordinary swing axle..." which at
>>> the time (1959) meant Volkswagen whose success was the reason for the
>>> Corvair. No mention is made of the rope-drive Pontiac which had some
>>> interesting characteristics also (a period MI has a shot showing both
>>> rear wheels off the ground).
>>>
>>> So the only reason that Nader and Corvair are synonymous is because
>>> that was in the first 32 pages which was probably as far as the media
>>> ever got. Who knows, if chapters 1 and 2 had been reversed, maybe
>>> Buick would have taken the hit.
>>>
>>> In the end though the book did have an effect - Corvairs continued to
>>> be made until 1969.
>>>
>>> Padgett
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>>
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>
>