Introducing people to Corvairs

[NewCorvairFan]

I tried introducing one of my friends to Corvairs. However, as soon as they looked up the Corvair, they saw many articles and videos calling it one of the worst cars of all time. They are now scared of Corvairs and believe that they are death traps. I would show them how great they are myself if mine ran or drove. Any ideas on how to convince them that the Corvair is actually great?

Thanks

[Lane66Monza]

Start with showing them the article where the government did a test of the Corvair and found it as safe or more safe than other cars of the day. At that time, no other car in history has had an investigation into its safety, which resulted in a published report.

Then find other articles about the new technology GM used in the Corvair to bring the Corvair into the market. You can't change their mind, if all they read is the bad articles, then you get a bad impression. But you can get them started on a good impression with good articles of the Corvair.

Back to the old adage; You can lead a horse a water, but you can't make them read in this case. Also show them MP4 videos of you using your Vair and having fun. Also, tell them of all the interest you get from people stopping to admire it.

DOT_HS-820_198.pdf

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[Lane66Monza]

Here is a technology article. Hopefully other members will other articles of interest.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/1960-ch ... rican-car/

[caraholic4life]

This past year I have attended a few "Cruise Night" events locally with my Greenbrier......

It is amazing to me that so many people are/were unaware that Chevrolet produced the Corvair Van to begin with.

I can understand the younger people in their 30's or younger being unaware of the Corvair but many of these folks are in their 40's, to 50's and even a bit older.

Most of the comments I get are positive and often I have the only Corvair in attendance among all the other 1930's through mid 1970's vehicles that are there. Last night I saw two different '55 Chevrolet's with straight front axles under them along with multiple Chevelle's, Camaro's, Mustangs, Corvettes etc...Having the Greenbrier there gave people something different to look at.

The "under 40 crowd" seemed to be fascinated by it. Those I spoke to that remember the Corvair did not recall a Van was made. There were only a couple folks that actually recognized what it was when they saw it and commented about how long it had been since they had seen one.

Taking your Corvair to events like these and speaking with those that show an interest in your car is probably one of the best things that can be done to introduce them to the younger generations. It is also an opportunity to re-introduce them to those who remember them from years gone by.

[jimbrandberg]

I liked being the only Corvair at the SCCA road races. Everyone knew where I was in the Paddock. I get a little out of the habit of going to Car Shows, maybe because I don't drive a show car.

[caraholic4life]

.... I get a little out of the habit of going to Car Shows, maybe because I don't drive a show car.

I don't consider any of my vehicles to be "Show Cars" but simply presentable vehicles.
My '65 Monza convertible has an old Imron paint job that is probably close to 40 years old and while it looks acceptable from ten feet, up close it is apparent that the car needs some attention.
To be fair, I imagine that the paint and body work done at the time were appropriate for the value of the car at the time.

At the events I attend, I often see vehicles that look like they came straight out of a barn or field where they may have been forgotten or neglected for decades but run well enough to be enjoyed and are works in progress.

The important thing is that the owner is proud of their vehicle and willing to enjoy it regardless of it's appearance, show car or not.

Attached is a photo of my Greenbrier the day I bought it. The owner at the time was going for the "Rat Rod Look" and was proud to attend events with it.....While I am not opposed to a vehicle with less than nice paint, this was not my idea of patina.

[RexJohnson]

Wasn't it Hagerty Insurance that did a test drive with a '60 a few years back to show how safe they are? They ran it hard and I think other than destroying some tires the car did great. This would be a good video to show someone how from the start of production that the Corvairs are safe. Yes they made improvements through the years to make them better but not to cover up a problem that was there from the start.

[66vairguy]

I find most folks are positive about my Corvair, especially older folks who knew someone who had one. The younger folks are fascinated by my "Poor man's Porsche". Be honest with folks and tell them the first few years had issues in extreme emergency maneuvers (like all cars back then to some degree) and that was what Ralph Nader was complaining about. Those problems were fixed and the second generation cars use the Corvette IRS design and reviews praised them for good handling.

Of course there is always one negative jerk. Once a fellow came up and said "Those cars roll over". I said "Yeah, this morning I opened the garage door and it WAS ON IT'S ROOF!". Folks chuckled and the "jerk" promptly left looking annoyed.

I'm getting ready for a new paint job so I avoid "Car Shows", but there are plenty of cars and coffee meets around me and for the most part folks are fascinated by my Corvair and like to "learn" about it. When they say "It's a Chevy with the engine in the back?" I say "Yes, just like an older Porsche or VW. Great fun to drive."