<VV> Re: drive wheels - no corvair

[Ray Rodriguez]

I didnt say flooring it while going up a hill, I said under heavy throttle 
OR going up a hill. =)

Going up a hill in snow in particular........I live in the Pocono Mountains 
and know well how this affects a front drive.

Your response does bring back one particular memory though.....

     In my little brothers F--d Probe about 8 years back I once had the 
pleasure of trying to pull out of a rather steep uphill gravel driveway in 
the rain into heavy traffic.  This WAS a moderate to heavy throttle on a 
hill situation and let me tell you, more then a quarter throttle and the car 
just sat still tires spinning.  We had to wait for a good couple minutes for 
a gap in the traffic long enough to pull out into.

     At twenty six years old I might not yet drive as conservatively as many 
of you, but I also like to think I've come a long way since getting my 
license ten years ago.  I was a tractor trailer driver for quite a while and 
have driven a heck of a lot of miles for someone my age (about 100K miles 
per year in the semi).  I sure don't drive like I used to, and while I still 
do drive to fast on the familiar back roads around home I can safely say I 
don't drive as fast as my MUCH older female co-workers!!!!

Original Message:
> If you need traction only when flooring it while going up a hill, you are 
> a teenager or are remaining one mentally.  The Toronado had so much power 
> that a driver with any sense of responsibility never had to floor it.
> RonH
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "airvair" <airvair at richnet.net>
> To: "Ray Rodriguez" <reray at echoes.net>
> Cc: "Virtual Vairs" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 3:43 PM
> Subject: Re: <VV> Re: drive wheels
>
>
>> Ray,
>>
>> Thanks for saying you "largly agree" with me. :o)
>>
>> A note about heading uphill in a front driver. Once had a FWD rental in
>> San Francisco. Found one particularly steep intersection where I was
>> headed uphill, so just for giggles, I floored it. Oh the squealing!!!
>> LOL It was so funny, I had to go round the block just so I could do it
>> one more time. (G)
>>
>> Also, I concur with your father. At the time when the decision to go all
>> FWD with most all of the Detroit car companies' cars, I remember the
>> word around the trade papers was pretty much of that opinion. Funny
>> thing, the original Toronado had a totally flat floor (something even
>> the Corvair can't claim) that was one of their bragging points. Yet all
>> the front drivers since the Citation have a "hump" in the floorboards.
>> Go figure.
>>
>> -Mark
>>
>> Ray Rodriguez wrote:
>>>
>>> I suppose its a bit late, but I have to put my 2 cents in here.....
>>>
>>>      I have to largely agree with mark.
>>>      The primary reasons I feel front wheel drive is inferior are 1) 
>>> When you accelerate weight transfers to the rear wheels, and traction is 
>>> reduced, and 2) when you are going up a hill weight transfers to the 
>>> rear and traction is reduced.  Obviously these are two of the main times 
>>> you need traction!!
>>>
>>>      The one benefit of front drive I will give in to is that it is 
>>> occasionally nice to be able to change the direction of thrust with the 
>>> steering wheel.
>>>
>>>      On one final note, my father (now 80 and retired) was once a master 
>>> automotive technician, he was even involved in writing the automotive 
>>> tech certification tests that predated ASE.
>>>
>>>      According to my father (whose information is largely outdated) the 
>>> primary reasons for going to front wheel drive were NOT that it was 
>>> superior in any way, but that it allowed them to build smaller cars with 
>>> more interior space, and that it was actually cheaper to build cars this 
>>> way.
>>>
>>> Ray Rodriguez
>>> CORSA member
>>> 65' Corsa coupe 140/4
>>>
>>
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