Yep.....we had a 60 and equipped it with an
EMPI (I think it was EMPI....long time ago) after market compensator with
better than stock tires. Did the trick.
I couldn't drive rear engine that well but my younger bro' had a real knack for
drifting the car around corners with the tail hangin' way out there.
He could keep up with any MGA or TR3 on Stamford backroads. Great
driver......and
excellent tax accountant as well! :)
Later on he had a '64 with compensator and ABARTH for "proper & appropriate"
sound, Sweet car.
Best thing about the early models (IMHO) was their great gas heaters in
winter!! :)
CB
-----Original Message-----
From: Norm 2Bs
Sent: Sunday, July 4, 2010 8:54 PM
To: Spridgets Digest
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] Ralph Nader. . Corvair
Need to get in on this one...
I had a 1964 Corvair Spyder Coupe. A VERY fun car. Had it at same time as
'65 MGB I bought new. Bought Spyder with c. 15,000 miles on it. Once I
learned to put a Corvette fan belt on it, it was a great street racer.
(Stock belts got soft & stretched) I used to goad small-block Chevys & Ford
into races from about 15 mph. I held speed with the brake while flooring
the gas until turbo pressure built to max. Then it was "Go!" Sure they
passed me at about 50 or 60. But, until then, it was a shock to those other
drivers.
As for cornering, I had heard about Nader's rants. There may have been some
truth to it with the pre-'64 cars. With the '64 model year, GM installed a
"camber compensator" spring that controlled axle drop. My '64 Spyder with
Pirelli Cinturatos cornered like it was on rails. It had better grip than
the B. And, in snow...only riding up onto a snow bank could stop it.
In '65 with the re-design, Chevy had made the Corvair into a really great
car. And, then Don Yenko got his hand on some. John Fitch did too. But,
the Yenko Stingers are still hot in vintage racing.
Cheers!
Norm
The Turner guy
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