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Re: "Unsafe at any speed"

To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: "Unsafe at any speed"
From: Florrie & Allen Bachelder <bachldrs@swva.net>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 13:30:26 -0400
' Can't say that my answer to that means much.  This was my first "second
car" with about 180,000 miles on it when I bought it for $200 back in about
1968.  (My "other car was the '66 Monza).  The Tempest was pretty long in
the tooth, and it's performance did not inspire much motor sport.  I
suspect the 4-cylinder automatic transaxle was pretty lame from new.  But
handling-wise, it never surprised me.  Under normal circumstances, neither
did it's stable-mate Monza - although I remember one icy winter trip from
Minneapolis to Grand Rapids Minnesota - with my ex-wife's rather voluminous
aunt filling up the back seat - considerably exaggerating the Corvair's
weight distribution tendencies.  Most of the 180 miles was on ice or
compacted snow and every time I got much above 25 mph, the rear end would
try to get out in front of the front end.  Literally every car on the road
was passing me.

But my only real complaint with the Corvair was the oil seals - after about
40,000 miles it leaked crankcase fumes into the heater jacket.  Pretty
common on Corvairs.  ' Didn't know about MGs yet - I had previously had a
bad experience with a Morris Minor (attributed in retrospect to my
adolescent abuse) - so I swore off LBCs from 1959 until 1984.  I'm OK now!

Allen

>From: Charley & Peggy Robinson <ccrobins@ktc.com>
>
>  That's it!  Thanks, I just couldn't come up with it.  OF'dom taking
>over?
>
>  So tell us, did the thing ever get you into trouble due to what you'd
>call poor handling?  The best info is from someone who's BTDT.
>
>  CR
>
>Florrie & Allen Bachelder wrote:
>>
>> Pontiac Tempest.  I had one.
>>
>> Allen

******************************************
         Allen H. Bachelder  =iii=<
         Sinking Creek Home for Wayward MGs
         49 YT, 57 ZB, 58 ZB, 65 B, 67 BGT, 73 B, 73BGT, 76 B, &...
         New Castle, VA 24127
         USA
         540/544-7333
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