My first car was a 1935 Hillman Minx which I bought in 1957.It had a fabric roof and a top speed of 65mph,which I discovered while out running a hail storm pelting down hailstones as big as golf *****. I feared for the roof but I managed to get away safely.It had been a 1 owner car from new and still had the original spare tyre,which disintegrated the only time I used it.
-John-

 

Very interesting and collectible cars today. Back in the late 70's and early 80's I worked with a fellow, whose sone collected Covair's, had about 10 as I remember in different stages on restoration. These cars were ahead of their time, but were a bit twichy in the first couple of model years. Historically important as Nader wrote a book about them, Unsafe At Any Speed, I believe was the title. Thank him for all the wonderful electronic and pollution stuff today. The last few model years Chevy got the car right and the Corsair is especially valuable today.

Like the AH 3000 I had, as I remember I paind less then $4K for the car and it was a year old, but new as it was unsold. Today I see them go for $50K. In the UK they go for 75K pounds sterling, they and old Mercedes Benz are very desireable in the UK. My 450SLC could easily bring 20K poungs sterlings which is roughly $40K US plus I read in a Euro car mag, Covair's are cherished in the UK D, Fr and Holland.

 

I had a Corvair, but it wasn't my first car.

Nader was right. They're death traps. "Thank him for all the wonderful electronic and pollution stuff today?" What are you talking about? Nader's cause concerned driver safety, not pollution or electronic controls. They rolled over easily because of the IRS and rear engine placement. They had solid metal dashboards. They had hardly any structural protection especially in the front. They were too light in front. They leaked exhaust gas into the car through the heater.

Turns out, though, that the Corvair wasn't any more dangerous to drive (statistically speaking) than any other car of that era.

Also, NHTSA was formed as a result of Nader's whinings about the Corvair.

 

Ralph Nader was (is) a lunatic. Have you ever read his account of the severe dangers of '60s Cadillacs in his famed work? These dagger cars could easily impale pedestrians when driven in reverse, causing death and disfigurement. Idiot. BTW, he publicly retracted his scathing indictment of Corvairs, admitting that suspension/handling issues had been resolved in 1965, but not until the damage had already been done.

 

I don't waste my time reading extremist rants and ramblings, unless they're a paragraph or less in length. Not Nader's anyway. Wasn't it the '59 that had the huge fins? Man, I'd love to have one of those pedestrian impalers.

I was trying to say Nader picked on the Corvair unfairly, without actually coming out and using those exact words.

See?

Still, the dash was all metal with no padding anywhere. Many cars had a padded dash by then. And the car was too light and squirrely. Mine was a '64. I never lost control of mine, but I can understand how it could have easily been done. One had to pay attention when driving a Corvair. In fact, I thought it was fun to make tight turns in it because of how the body moved laterally and independently of the chassis and because it leaned so much.

 

You were ripping everybody so bad there it was hard to tell which side of the fence you landed on. There were some pretty ballsy pre-65 Corvairs, but they didn't start turning well until 65. There were very few cars on the road at the time that could match the power/handling combination of a late 60s Corsa or Spider. Those cars were an absolute gas!

 

See "Worst Car Ever Owned..." Haha. 91 Plymouth Laser.

 

first car was a 1995 C36 AMG i bought for 9k. I did considerable mods to it and then it hit the wall at 60!

Got 22k for it in my insurace check and bought a 1998 C43 for 15k

 

How did u get a C36 for 9K and i thought i could get cars cheap.

 

If you wanna sell it Zane, hit me up It could help you toward that Benz you want. How many miles?


-Matt-