jedi@drutx.UUCP (CrumpleyR) (04/16/85)
In an SAE report by the two Chevrolet engineers that recommended turbocharging over supercharging the Corvair, several reasons were given to back up their recommendation. (Remember this is for a regular production vehicle.) Among the reasons -- A. Ease of service. The turbocharger better fit the space allotted (maybe not the case for other installations), and was more exposed than a supercharger. B. The turbocharger could be set-up to give boost only when wanted (i.e. put your foot in it), as opposed to running all the time. This allows a nice balance of performance and mileage. (The turbocharged Corvairs often win the econo-derbies at club meetings.) C. If the turbocharger fails (either it is stuck because you never used it, or it went to pieces because you used it too much), the vehicle can still run normally aspirated. Chevrolet did build an experimental Corvair with a Paxton supercharger (the Sebring Spyder) so they at least gave supercharging a try. However, it seems to me that for every day driving the turbo best meets the needs of those of us that want some oomph to go with our mileage. If you would like the numbers, title, etc. for the SAE report, send me mail and I'll dig them up for you.