The Fitch Sprint in Car and Driver

   We liked the looks of our Sprint from the start. It was silver, and with the flat-black trim, plus the Hands wheels and the tinted driving lamps, it snared second glances wherever we took it. It had 9500 miles on the clock, much of it rugged test driving—including Denise McCluggage's round trip to the Bristol Drags (for CAR and DRIVER)—yet we were impressed with the general tightness of the components.
   You know right away that this isn't a stock Corvair. The steering, which requires some huffing and puffing at low speeds, is an immediate giveaway. We were also convinced John had done some extensive monkeying with the shift linkage to make it so positive, but he informed us later that a few minutes of simple aligning and tightening make the difference. The cost of the operation is so negligible he does it on all of his conversions for free.
   The cornering efficiency is considerably better than the stock Corsa, though the stiffer suspension injects a harshness into the ride that we really didn't expect. As in the production version, oversteer is practically undetectable, and we were able to fling the Sprint around corners with nothing more than faint evidences of understeer. The car had an irritating weakness for road seams, bumps and expansion joints, and contact with any rifts in the highway would cause it to veer off course. Fitch claims that the as delivered tires bear the full guilt for this ugly habit and recommends the installation of Michelin X or Pirelli Sempione rubber as an instantaneous cure.
   The brakes were stock, without the optional $47.00 metallic linings. They seemed to work fine, snubbing the car down from its effortless 70-80 mph cruising speeds without fade or pull. Our only complaint centered on a slight pause between the time the pedal was pushed and the brakes took hold. Fitch claims the problem existed only on our test car (possibly a faulty master cylinder), and, being something less than the optimum, was therefore unsatisfactory to Fitch on principle—and he's taking steps to insure that the problem won't recur.
   The 15 extra claimed horsepower were maybe the most amazing additions to the entire Sprint package. They gave the little GT machine tremendous flexibility throughout the rev range and we found the engine capable of healthy acceleration from 2000 rpm in fourth gear. The power is most appreciated in the 50-70 mph range, where a downshift is required for safe passing with the stock version. The Sprint had plenty of steam from 45 mph in fourth up to its top speed of 110-115 mph. Acceleration is more than adequate, and 0-60 times in the high nine-second bracket are within the car's potential. This is impressive, especially when it is recalled that the turbocharged Corsa available from the factory at considerably higher cost won't do any better. The beauty of the Fitch package is its reliability at high revs—in marked contrast to the turbocharged setup, which isn't noted for peak rpm strength.
   John Fitch set out to create a distinctive driveable GT car from the Corvair and he has succeeded without letting the price get out of hand. Obviously, the appeal of the Sprint increases in direct proportion to the quantity of accessories that are added, but the basic package is a tempting bargain. We would probably go for the optional tires, but otherwise the Sprint in the form that we tested it is perfectly suited for high-speed touring and is utterly deserving of the appellation "GT car."
   We can't think of anything within $1000 of the Sprint's price range that will do what it will do with comparable handling, silence, maneuverability, economy and comfort. As far as the stock Corvair Corsa is concerned, take it from the quiet gentleman from Falls Village, Connecticut; you most certainly can gild the lily. C/D