When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

[Bill O.]

Chapter #2

sparkling new Vette sat.

Sparkling might be a misnomer with these cars. Maybe sparkling on top and down the sides. But what you found on your very first wash job was that there was almost no paint on the bottom three inches of the duct tail or under the parking lights or in the black out areas behind the bumpers. I got all this for $129.44 per month for 3 years.




Is this worth you time to read the realities of these "old" cars?
Timmy, Ron says hello !

[Stuart F.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

Bill;

Good reading. Keep um coming. Can't wait to see the "Fouled Plugs" Episode. I went through so many of them with my 63 340 I think I kept both Augie Champion and AC Spark Plug in business until I got smart and put in an electronic ignition.

Stu Fox

[Mike M.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

Good story Bill, keep them coming.
You brought a smile to my face when you described removing the hardtop by yourself, I did the exact same thing when I first bought my Corvette in 1971, I was just 19 so it was pretty easy. I don't think I would take the chance doing it today I'd be afraid to chip the paint or ruin my seats, but back then it didn't seem to matter.

[Roy B.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

In 62 I worked at a Union 76 gas station on Santa Monica blvd in Santa Monica Ca. My room mate wonted a sports car so we went out looking for one and found a 54 Corvette in a used car lot for $300.00 and $10.00 a month payments. I remember use driving around the valley and at the beach looking cool to meet girls . The soft top was in shreds so we never put it up and when it rained we stayed at car drive in till it stopped with our wet shoes along with everything els. The heater sucked , the smell from the engine oil leaking around the engine was bad,the radio was the only thing good and we had it as loud as it would go listening to Ricky Nelson and the beach boys .
Yes we did find girls that would get in with use going for a drive , the best part he had to drive so I had the girls sit with me, many times it was hard but worth it. Man , if I could only go back again and do it all over.

[Steven B.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

Roy, I remember the rain---when on a good road 65-70 mph the rain passed over the windshield, interior and my head and landed on the lid about where the soft top latches are.

Steve

[Edward B.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

In the early '60s I remember driving top down from New York to Boston in the rain and only meeting raindrops when I had to slow to pay tolls on the Connecticut and Massachusetts pikes.

[Mike M.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

in the late 60's and early 70's, on friday nites i'd go buy a copy of the Pittsburg(Pa) Press and check out the vettes for sale. i'd bought our white 57 283 HP that a way 6 months earlier. this evening in 1970, i spotted another 57 for sale for 450 bucks. called the guy at midnite and asked him if he'd hold it till i came up from Morgantown, WVa the next afternoon. he agreed and the following afternoon, Lea , Chrissy ,Casey ( four and one years old respectivly at the time) and yers truely got in our driver, a 51 Chevy Woody Wagon(455 Olds powered) and headed to Pittsburg. it was January and cold enough to shrink Atlas's gonads. looked the old vette over, paid the young Penn State U student the 450 and headed back to Motown, Lea driving the Woody with year old Casey and Chrissy and I driving the 57. The Convertible top was half there, the right outer wheel bearing was screaming and antifreeze every 30 miles or so was manditory. the Penn State student gave me a Dione Warwick 8 track tape to play on the way home. he'd installed a tape player, which was one of the few things that worked on the 57 Powerglide 250 HP vette. Had to stop and get a blanket for Chrissy who refused to leave the good tunes in the 57 and get in with Lea and Casey. later that spring, i built a L-88 , Muncie and 4.56 posi rear for the old 57. was my daily ride to the med center from 70 till we left Motown for Cumberland in 1978. At that point, I put the old 57 away till last year and am now 95% finished the resto of the roughest Vette i've ever seen or owned. still got the Dione tape somewhere and will never forget the snow laying on Chrissy's blanket as we drove home that nite. mike

[Bill O.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

Beautiful, Mike.
What a great story!
I can feel the cold!

[Kurt B.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

I remember driving my 68 to and from college here in Massachusetts and I had solid lifters that always seemed to bend a pushrod at the most inconvenient time. So I bought Chrome Moly rods and they didn't bend, they just snapped. I got real good at pulling over to the side of the road, popping the Mickey Thompson valve covers with the long chrome wing nuts and replacing the push rod and then gapped the rocker arm with a match book cover until I got home.
Still have that 68 and restored it back to factory orignal, no more bent or borken push rods now but lots of memories.
Kurt

[Mike M.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

Deja Vu all over again.
Thanks, Bill, that made me a Time Traveler there for a moment.
HaND

[Daniel G.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

When I was 19, I was getting ready to go to my 1st high school reunion with my 72 corvette, after washing and waxing the car, I knew my buddy's would want to see the engine, so I cleaned it up spick and span, but the radiator cap looked old so I went to the parts store and got a nice new 15 psi cap, as I was warming the car up and getting ready to go to the party I smelled anti-freeze, I opened the hood and there were about 15 pin hole leaks in the radiator, so much for showing off my pride and joy, I never made it to the party.

[Michael A.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

About 7 years ago I was living in West Lafayette, IN. My son (12 years old at the time) and I got in my 66 roadster to drive to the Bloomington Gold show in St. Charles. We left town with the top down with a cautious eye on the darkening clouds ahead of us. As we closed in on those ominous clouds the sprinkles started and turned into a steady shower. My son was frantic that we needed to stop and put up the top. I told him not to worry, as long as we were going 65 or so we'd be nice and dry. Sure enough we were and we made it to our destination with the top down.... and relatively dry! :-)

No we weren't showing our car... it's no where near that kind of condition. But it sure was fun to surprise my son and make some memories.

Cheers,

[Stuart F.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

Mike;

In that same vein, did you ever notice that when you run in the rain, rather than walk, often times you get wetter. Somewhere there's a trade off between how long you are in the rain and the speed at which you approach it (WOW!).

I ran into a brief shower last year on my way to a show with the top down (always) and, not only did I not get wet, but the car shed the water so fast there was none left on it to wipe off. I think the bad part comes from when it rains long enough to settle on the roadways, and the spray kicked up yours and everyone elses tires brings with it all the road grim.

Stu Fox

[Steven B.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

About 7 years ago I was living in West Lafayette, IN. My son (12 years old at the time) and I got in my 66 roadster to drive to the Bloomington Gold show in St. Charles. We left town with the top down with a cautious eye on the darkening clouds ahead of us. As we closed in on those ominous clouds the sprinkles started and turned into a steady shower. My son was frantic that we needed to stop and put up the top. I told him not to worry, as long as we were going 65 or so we'd be nice and dry. Sure enough we were and we made it to our destination with the top down.... and relatively dry! :-)

No we weren't showing our car... it's no where near that kind of condition. But it sure was fun to surprise my son and make some memories.

Cheers,

I have done the same Mike---65-70 mph seems to do it! While in West Lafayette did you go to Arni's for pizza? The one with the IH Tran Star in the entrance???

Steve ---Go Boilers!

[Michael A.]

Re: When We Were Young With Our Corvettes - Chapter #2

Steve
As I recall Arni's is a favorite local institution in the area. I had two favorites locally, Dog & Suds and the Sunrise Diner. Both are going still going strong and have more than their share of local color. The Dog & Suds still has young ladies delivering the food to you and the goofy speakers for ordering. They are great and their root beer can't be beat - complete with frosty mugs. The Sunrise Diner in downtown Lafayette has their signature "Sunrise Breakfast" which combines hash browns, scrambled eggs, sausage, onions, etc. Add a dash of hot sauce and you approach pefection.

We still get back to West Lafayette, especially now that my son has entered Purdue. He is a proud resident of Cary Quad and has prime location to go to football and basketball games. It's a great place to visit.