<VV> Mr. Nader DID mention Corvair's "impaling" steering column; Was: 25 worst cars of all time

[james davis]

Yep, the wheel does move.  I was driving my wife's 62 Monza convertible 
on a Sunday in 1965 (our my first wedding anniversar), when I hit a 1963 
Biscayne in the right front wheel doing about 45 mph.  I shortened the 
car by 20" so that the end of front bumper punctured the left front 
tire.  The steering wheel was at a 60 degree to the centerline of the 
car, out of the column about 12" and with the left edge of the steering 
wheel flush with the front window. I spun the Biscayne around so that 
it's rear hit the Monza's left cylinder head cracking the head and 
destroying the carb.  Luckly no fire but just the smell of gas. The gas 
tank did not rupture but was forced nearly to the ground under the car.

The car was repaired at a cost of $2,000 even though the Blue Book 
wholesale was $1,750.  We traded tha car on March 3, 1965 for the 1965 
Corsa convertible which she still drives (318,000 miles).
Jim Davis

On 11/27/2016 11:40 AM, wrsssatty--- via VirtualVairs wrote:
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>  <I have read naders book and don't recall the the impaling steering column mentioned>
>
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> In Chapter 3 of "Unsafe At Any Speed", "The second collision: When man meets car", Ralph Nader did mention that the Corvair's steering shaft "was routinely driven backward and upward in even minor left front-end collisions."
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> Here's a link to an on-line posting of that chapter:
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> http://survivorbb.rapeutation.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=395&start=6
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> And here's a link to a news story from just last year involving a Corvair crash.  The photos dramatically demonstrate the issue with the steering column.
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> http://myeverettnews.com/2015/04/21/classic-corvair-crashes-in-everett/
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> ~Bill Stanley
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