This Old Town - 2006

[Geoff C.]

The Old, Old Town Report

Sorry it’s late. My boss wanted to stay on for a spell in the warm sun and you can’t argue with the boss. We had fun. The Security Staff was vigilant and getting away from freezing temps is great. I again met more folk from this old club, many old friends too and even a fellow from the German Corvette Forum dot com. Nice time. Great cars. Great people. Even Ralph Kramden was there with Alice.

Sadly the local newspapers reminded us it was the 20th anniversary of the shuttle disaster. In 1986 I missed the exit for the airport, missed our flight and stayed over. Early the next morning it was so cold, all the bushes were cloaked in ice as we drove to the airport. Looking out the terminal windows, that unthinkable event happened right before our eyes. This year the weekend had a more cheerful ending event and it was warmer.

I briefly examined some fine old cars. If you have caught and also suffer from this Corvette disease too, my book report follows.

Geoffrey Coenen

PS Don’t follow this link if you are offended by branded photos.

Delicious Old Girls




2006 This Old Town

[Bill E.]

Re: This Old Town - 2006

Thanks Geoffrey, almost as good as being there. You spent a fair amount of time looking at the big motorhomes, will we be seeing a new DocRebuild Special on I-95 in the near future? Regards, Bill

[Kevin M.]

Re: This Old Town - 2006

That Tri-Power 6 is neat!

Kevin

[Geoff C.]

Re: This Old Town - 2006

Bill,

I’d like a new 45 foot coach, but those are for millionaires. I’m only a thousandaire and spent too much on old Corvettes. Should have bought MicroSoft stock like Clem. My warranty isn’t up until Sept 2007, but I don’t think adding 11 feet is going to happen then without lotto. But I never expected to win a 75 Corvette at Carlisle either.

Geoffrey Coenen

PS In the meantime I’ll enjoy them vicariously, like my collection of old Corvette race cars from Sebring, LeMans, Daytona, Nassau...

[Joseph T.]

Re: 1957 Nassau/Daytona car

Geoffrey..Sorry I didn't get a chance to talk with you at Old Town..but you did get some great shots of the unrestored '57 Nassau/Daytona car.

The enlarged pictures were supplied to me from GM and were taken at the Feb.'57 innaugaral NASCAR New Smyrna event..which took place at the completion of the NASCAR Daytona Speedweeks.

The picture of the happy guy getting the trophy from Miss NASCAR 1957 is Paul Goldsmith who was sent along with my car #9 by Ed Cole...to beef up competition and maintain the momentum started when the fuel injected Factory Corvettes were introduced at Nassau 2 months earlier...where this car was driven by Dick Thompson as #15 and then featured in Corvette News Vol.1 #1

Paul drove the car to a 1st in class C production and 4th overall against the bigger classes. Caroll Shelby came in first in a 4.9 Ferrari, Marvin Panch 2nd in the supercharged Thunderbird, Lance Reventlo 3rd in maserati.. All 4 cars winiing 1st in their own class.

It was a major victory beating Mercedes,Porsche, Jag and others. Paul Goldsmith would have won the 160 mile Grand national race on the beach a week earlier in the fuel injected Chevy #3 but blew a piston with 3 laps to go. He came back in 1958 and won the NASCAR Daytona Beach Grand National in a Pontiac with his partner Smokey Yunick. Paul also went on to win the Daytona 500, drive at Indy..and all this after winning the AMA National motorcyle championship 5 times.

I wanted people to see the car in its as found condition after being in storage for the better part of 48 years. The car was retired in early 1958 and sold to a guy in Chicago who owned it until 2004.

It retains the original Engineering special Workorder engine, Pre-production #132 fuel injection, RPO581 traction bar suspension, fast steering adaptor, factory roll bar, hard top only, radio heater delete ( heater later added )original interior later dyed black, factory original drivers seat back and bottom modified for driver, special order shortened steering column and many other unique details received at engineering, SEDCO and Smokey Yunick's garage. Smokey's son came by during the Kissimmee event and shared some stories about his father.

The car was painted gold about 1961. This is sort of a curse and a blessing. The old gold paint has weathererd and the metal in the metalflake has even rusted..however the original white w/blue stripes are perfectly preserved underneath. Without the gold paint..the original nitro cellulose lacquer would have deteriorated years ago.

The challnge now is to remove the gold paint and expose the white w/blue stripes and blue coves.The stripes can be plainly seen under the rear valance...and also in the coves where the second paint has chipped off.

I would like to thank everyone at the event who were so gratious and kind. I tried to answer as many questions as possible.

Saturday..I was invited by Bill Tower to see his collection which includes the Bill Mitchell SR2, the Betty Skelton beach racecar, grandsport etc.. Bill Tower is a treasure...and the cars represent the best of early Corvette racing history!

Sunday the Nassau/Daytona car was photograhed for 3 1/2 hours so we may see it in a story coming up. Below is a picture from New Smyrna Feb.1957.

Joe Trybulec

[Geoff C.]

Re: 1957 Nassau/Daytona car

Thanks Joe. I saw you were busier that a one legged man at the dance contest with 16 people asking one question after another. I updated with your info and also added a link to that Chevrolet Salesman’s “Confidential” FI Brochure from 1957 that show these Nassau race cars. I’m sorry I did not think to bring it to Old Town to show you. Never CRS# 2???

Geoffrey Coenen




Peep Show: Joe’s Racy Old Girl in Nassau

[Geoff C.]

Re: 1957 Nassau/Daytona car

Joe

Just what you need, another 2 questions!
What is the uniforn discoloration on the deck lid?
What is that round depression in the deck lid?

Geoffrey Coenen

[Joseph T.]

Re: 1957 Nassau/Daytona car

Geoffrey..the circle you see on the deck lid is where the center fill cap hole was for the steel 37 1/2 gallon quick fill tank. When the car was retired and processed out through Dick Doane Chevrolet Raceway Enterprises in early 1958.. the big leaky gas tank was removed and replaced with a standard tank and the hole in the deck lid was filled in ( see picture below ). The big brakes were also replaced with standard brakes ..as the big brakes were not suitable for street use. Your pictures showed the inner fender holes where the big brake tubes were channeled down to the door sills. There is an opening at each corner where the tubes entered and exited..these openings were covered with steel plates when the tubes were removed.

The darker discoloration..on the deck lid..I presume has something to do with the level of sunlight and humidity and the effect of the hardtop back window. The car sat in the same location for 46 years..first in a one car garage then in the same location with the garage expanded to a two car garage. The garage had one window on the drivers side. The drivers side rear tail lamp chrome assembly has some pitting and the passenger side has none..being furthest from the window over all those years.

At Nassau and on the beach at Daytona..sand was a problem. A screen was installed in front of the radiator to reduce the sand issue at Nassau..it is still in place!

I have learned to be careful and do my homework before over reacting to things that seem different. As an example..when I bought the car it had an electric Sun tach that is installed in the dash tach hole. I was disappointed and thought the owner probably added it later. Now after much research..I have a picture of the sister car at New Smyrna and it clearly has a Sun electric tach mounted to the steering column. Plus a fellow member sent me the GM blueprint of the Sun electric tach..they used to apply a GM part# to it...in 1956..proving these tachs were used on the early race cars.

Live and Learn!

[Garry Barnes]

Re: 1957 Nassau/Daytona car

Joe,
Great to see that you are getting this car around to so many meets. We once talked about the "stirrup" looking devices mounted on the frame just rearward of the lower a frames. Where you able to find out what these were for? Maybe you have a picutre that you could post, or I could send you the one that I have.
Also, what was the story with the Art Deco radio that was in it. I see that you have now replaced it with the radio delete trim plate? Take care. The car looks great!
Garry Barnes #18531

[Joseph T.]

Re: 1957 Nassau/Daytona car

Garry

The stirrup mounts are still a mystery. I took out the radio the owner put in and put the radio block off plate back...as I mentioned before. The speaker block off plate is undisturbed and in perfect condition.

At the Winter regional..a discussion circled around the stirrups that they could have been part of an additional sway bar system...but not conclusive.

Joe