<VV> Corvair Myths and Facts -- Pintos, no Corvair

[lonzovair at aol.com]

Bill, 

About 12 years ago when I was living in Northern Ky, I was on my lunch break in my Greenbrier, headed back to work when a car pulled out in front of a Pinto wagon with 4 people in it. The Pinto swerved to keep from hitting the car, and inadvertantly hit a telephone pole. The?Pinto BURST into flames. By the time I could stop my van and grab the fire extinguisher it was too late...

After the fire dept cleaned up the mess and the investigators finished up, it was determined that the owner of the car had modified the exhaust (installed a muffler and a straight pipe, not a curved tail pipe) and the force of the hit shoved the engine/exhaust about 3 inches into the fuel tank, rupturing the tank and igniting the fuel...

It all happened so quickly they didn't have a chance...

I also hope none of you ever have to witness anything that horrible... it's been 12 years and I still have difficulties talking about it...

Had it had the correct exhaust on it, those 4 guys may still be alive...

Later,

Lonzo




-----Original Message-----
From: Chris & Bill Strickland <lechevrier at earthlink.net>
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Sent: Sat, Sep 5, 2009 10:18 pm
Subject: Re: <VV> Corvair Myths and Facts -- Pintos, no Corvair




Locally, a number of years ago, we had a bad accident in front of a 
shopping center, with a Pinto wagon, fire, and fatalities -- it was very 
bad.

Just a few weeks later, I was working an accident scene not far from my 
house in the same local area with a State Trooper.  A Pinto wagon that 
had slowed for the accident was rear-ended and knocked down and off the 
roadway.  I've never seen a Stater move so fast, actually running, to 
get to that Pinto and get the folks out quickly.  There was no fire, 
although the scenario was correct, and similar to the the previous 
accident cited.

My conclusion is that not *all* Pintos burn when rear ended. 

Fires happen at accident scenes and the risk should not be lightly, 
whether it is a Pinto, Corvair, GM saddle tank pick-up, Corvette, Fiero, 
or anything else, but my experience is they do not happen at the rate 
shown on TV, or in the movies, or in popular imagination.  Check your 
local wrecking yard -- how many burn jobs in there were the result of an 
accident?

May you never see a fatal vehicle fire,

Bill Strickland
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