Estimate the speed of this Corvair

[Cajundaddy]

I would guess 120-130 mph and the shape of the car probably supported liftoff at 130. I had a 69 Datsun Roadster once that skipped like a stone above 110 mph. My Boxster runs around 127 mph (GPS) tops at the Fontana Speedway Roval depending on weather conditions.

[911pcars]

Not inconceivable a Corvair, or most any car, could reach 200 mph if properly set up. YMMV.

Maybe 170:


There's plenty of other examples of balled-up vehicles in this event.



extended story: VIDEO OPTION Vol.200 Part 2 of 5 - Death Defying Crashes, Car Fires, The Drift King, and MORE! | GT Channel

... and occasional fatalities:
Camaro driver and navigator die in Silver State Classic crash - Autoblog

[TRE Cup]

One cannot make an accurate judgement about driving ability or car failure , from the make and location. These open road high speed events are dangerous, even with the best of equipment(just my observation from years of participating).
The Corvair driver was lucky as his cage appears to be intact. We don't know the whole story as he may have been bouncing around from secondary impact.

[John Rogers]

You can easily calculate the speed by timing the passing of the lines on the road. They are a standard length and distance apart generally so timing them as they go by tells you how fast the car is going.

[Nickshu]

Charlie Friends.... Worlds Fastest Corvair?

Here's some info on that Corvair. The crashed one was the first version. The second version claims to have been clocked at 213mph which is the one in the videos. From what I have read the second (current) car uses modern Corvette rear suspension and a Porsche transmission, a G50 I think, bolted to a Chevy 350 v8 swapped around to a mid engine orientation. Far from a stock Corvair the car is a custom fab landspeed car using a 65 Corvair tub.

[Steve Carlton]

Ralph Nader does not approve.

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by Nickshu

Charlie Friends.... Worlds Fastest Corvair?

Here's some info on that Corvair. The crashed one was the first version. The second version claims to have been clocked at 213mph which is the one in the videos. From what I have read the second (current) car uses modern Corvette rear suspension and a Porsche transmission, a G50 I think, bolted to a Chevy 350 v8 swapped around to a mid engine orientation. Far from a stock Corvair the car is a custom fab landspeed car using a 65 Corvair tub.

From a former Corvair owner, that is a very trick setup.

BTW, Ralph Nader, despite his positive accomplishements, has no clue about this.

Sherwood

[Nickshu]

Originally Posted by 911pcars

From a former Corvair owner, that is a very trick setup.

BTW, Ralph Nader, despite his positive accomplishements, has no clue about this.

Sherwood

I am not sure Ralph Nader and "positive accomplishments" should be used in the same sentence.

"Naders biggest accomplishment was that he set the US auto industry behind by 20 years" - Jay Leno

[Don Ro]

I remember when the Corvair Turbo arrived and my neighbor bought one. I read in a mag that that car was the quickest production car in America. 'Don't know how long that lasted, but that's what I read at the time...so don't holler at me.

[Steve Carlton]

Pre-cursor to the 911 Turbo, which was a blatant copy.

[Nickshu]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

Pre-cursor to the 911 Turbo, which was a blatant copy.

True. I find it ironic that the later Corvairs were referred to as a "poor man's Porsche".

The Corvair was essentially designed in the late 1950's with a flat-6 and a turbocharger. Light years ahead of Porsche who at the time had not began (or barely began) to formulate the 911. Granted GM did steal the rear engine air-cooled swing arm rear axle layout from VW/Porsche but was trying to address the underpowered nature of their cars at the time while at the same time making a more roomy vehicle.

Wonder what the automotive landscape would look like today if Nader had come along 5-7 years later and targeted the 911 instead. While Nader did mention VW and Porsche in his book he targeted the Corvair. There has always been speculation that Nader was paid off by the other two of the big three who didn't want to spend the money to develop a rear engine car.

As you all know at great expense to the taxpayers Naders claims about the Corvair were later found by the NHTSA to be largely false.

[Don Ro]

And Nader wanted to make his name known...is what I heard.

[911pcars]

I don't recall the Ford Falcon or the Chrysler Valient marketed as a sporty car. However, I do recall Chevy's marketing the Corvair as such.

When driven sedately as in other passenger cars, the car was fine (other than the oil leaks from valve covers repurposed from tuna cans and limited-life fan belts). They didn't address the oversteer at all; there was a slight suspension mod in '64. By then, enough people had performed the same VW off-road maneuver. GM gave up, didn't mount a defense considering the '65-on Corvairs had fully independent suspension plus a 4-cam, fuel injected flat six in the wings. I guess GM's priorities diverted toward finding an answer to Ford's to-be-introduced Mustang. Back then, corporate bureaucracy slugs that they were, it seemed they only wanted to pump out minimum products and barely improve on their perceived competition.

Early 911s never had the same swing-axle suspension and thus a high roll center. The early 911 base suspension and ride height settings didn't provide a lot of road-hugging confidence compared to my modified Corvair at the time.

I guess one could write a book just to gain notoriety, but one first has to write one. Not all book authors have that same result. How many detractors have actually read beyond Chapter 1 of "Unsafe At Any Speed"?

Sherwood

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

And Nader wanted to make his name known...is what I heard.

His MO has never changed. If he didn't torpedo the Corvair and criticize most American cars, he would have found something else. And he has since. But he cut his teeth on auto safety.

It's hard to determine the balance of such a man between altruism and vanity.