<VV> Safe and Fun at any Speed (LONG response)

Tue May 1 09:43:05 EDT 2007

I received this reply from Bryan Blackwell about my recent post:

-----Original Message-----
From: Bryan Blackwell [mailto:bryan at skiblack.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 8:14 AM
To: whubbell at umich.edu
Subject: Re: <VV> Safe and Fun at any Speed

While I think this is funny, if it's intended as such it should say  
so somewhere.  From the monthly guidelines:

  - If you must post something non-Corvair, please:
         - Keep it brief and limit number of posts.
         - Label jokes as "humor".

If you have an issue with this, please take it up with VairOrg.  Thanks.

--Bryan

--------------------------

Well, Bryan, can't it be both funny AND true?  Everything I said here, while
meant to be taken somewhat with a sense of humor, is also the way I really
feel about my 1964 Corvair, so why should I label it "humor"?

Question: Do I really believe that a stock 1964 Corvair is every bit as
safe, comfortable, and reliable as 2006 car, or in my case, a 1996 Caravan?

Short answer: Of course not.  Obviously 40 years of technology has amounted
to some real improvements in automotive handling, safety, comfort etc.

However, the real point of my post was to explain that I like to drive my
(stock) Corvair without all these advances precisely because it takes me
back 40 years to that time.  To drive a stock car from that era without any
modifications or upgrades is to experience history.  It recalls a time when
we rolled our windows down or opened our kick panel vents for air
conditioning; when all we could listen to was AM radio which faded out every
time you passed under a bridge.  The vinyl seats may get hot and sticky in
the summer, and they may be uncomfortable over long drives, but to sit in
them for a 650 mile drive on a 90 degree summer day reminds me of the true
character of my parents, when they did that every summer with five screaming
boys in the back of their wagon.  Every time I adjust the points on my car
or set the timing, or synchronize the carburetors, I am reminded of the
ingenuity of the men who built such contraptions, and impressed with my
ability to understand, maintain, and repair them, unlike the "mystery"
computer-controlled contraptions we drive today.

As for the issue of Safety, many of the explanations I give are absolutely
true.  Headrests DO interfere with rear visibility, even though they protect
our necks in collisions.  Sometimes there IS an advantage to being able to
skid-steer. Dual-master brake cylinders, while offering a theoretical extra
margin of safety in the event of a line failure, really are useful only if
you keep your car long enough for a line to fail.

The truth is, the Corvair is a special car, because it was built in the era
before heavy government interference and the rise of "consumer advocacy"
took its toll.  Ralph Nader rose to fame on the back of this gentle car (and
others of the era), proclaiming them "Unsafe at Any Speed".  The message he
preached, which was heartily endorsed by the masses, was that we all needed
to be protected from the ruthless, uncaring tyranny of the mindless
corporations - only interested in separating us from our dollars with no
regard for our safety and well-being.  (Funny - that sounds more like the
tobacco industry than the auto industry - I wonder why he didn't take TEHM
on.) In the end, as this twisted logic took hold in the consumers' minds, we
began the endless pursuit for ever more safe products, often adding things
that sounded good without ever having a shred of evidence that they actually
worked.

So what we have ended up with after 40+ years of consumer advocacy is a
homogenization of products, now filled with endless gadgets to appeal to the
consumer's ideal of being made perfectly safe (while talking on cell phones
and watching DVDs) in a vehicle traveling 70mph surrounded by hundreds of
other such vehicles driven by folks, some as young as 16, few of whom have
ever had any formal instruction in safe or defensive driving, and none of
whom are ever re-tested regardless of their own safety records.

Frankly, I feel as safe in my 40 year old Corvair as I do in my 11 year old
Caravan.  However, the average driver is probably better off in the Caravan.

Are these opinions?  Absolutely!  Are there hard scientific data to support
the safety advantages of all of our "improvements"?  The simple answer is
"NO" - not in all cases.  The right-hand Passenger mirror is one such
example where the facts are in opposition to the theory.  Air bags sometimes
cause injuries that would not otherwise occur.  Anti-lock brakes may
actually cause some accidents when drivers do not understand how they work
(they are a steering aid, not a braking aid).

So, to Bryan and the rest of you out there, I repeat - I did not label my
post humor because it was not meant to be primarily humorous.  If, as a
serious piece you find it offensive, I am sorry for you.  If it makes you
laugh, or at least have fond memories, I am pleased.

Bill Hubbell

On Apr 30, 2007, at 8:41 PM, Bill Hubbell wrote:

> OK, you have all just seen my recent post on why I don't like RH  
> outside
> door mirrors (I make exceptions for pulling a trailer).  Let's  
> summarize
> what I DO like about my 1964 Corvairs:
>
> -Single master Brake Cylinder (simple, works well, fewer parts to  
> break)
> -Long Shaft one-piece steering shaft (ditto)
> -No head rests (improved rear-visibility)
> -Rear Seat belts optional (not there cluttering up my car)
> -No Air Bags (that's what the trunk is for!)
> -No anti-lock brakes (so I can skid-steer if I want to)
> -No power brakes (who needs them!)
> -No power steering (ditto!)
> -No computer (I get enough of that here and at work!)
> -No clock (who cares about time when driving a Corvair?)
> -Shiny chrome bumpers (to dazzle the drivers behind me!)
> -Shiny wiper arms (to dazzle me!)
> -Direct Air Heater (to let me know when I have an oil leak!)
> -Ignition Points (as God intended!)
> -Manual Fuel Pump (Gas + Electricity = Bad Idea!)
> -Valves adjusted Cold - Once and only once!
>
> That's why I like my Corvair!
>
> Now, when I want to drive a car loaded with lawsuit-inspired
> government-mandated fuel-gobbling accessories of dubious safety  
> value I
> drive my Dodge Caravan.  You want safe or do you want fun?
>
> Bill Hubbell
>