Home from National Convention

[Jim D.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Sometimes things are silly.

I agree, and sometimes they're just plain stupid.

[Joe R.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Clark,

I'm glad to hear your extra effort on the paint paid dividends!

Joe

[Clark K.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Maybe you should consider professional enclosed transport for your next cross-country transit of the 'Vette. Sounds like you could have paid for that many times over after all the trailer towing woes ,

Michael, to hire a transport company to haul my Sting Ray from my home in North Texas to San Diego would have cost me about $3,000 roundtrip. This amount was probably the total that I spent on my entire trip, including the $900 for gasoline. Of course, if the blown pickup truck tire had bounced me into another vehicle causing a wreck with damage to the towing vehicle, my Trailex trailer, and (heavens!) my rare '65 Sting Ray (not to mention injury or death!), hiring a transport company would have been much, much better, cost be damned.
-Clark

[Michael J.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Michael, to hire a transport company to haul my Sting Ray from my home in North Texas to San Diego would have cost me about $3,000 roundtrip. This amount was probably the total that I spent on my entire trip, including the $900 for gasoline. Of course, if the blown pickup truck tire had bounced me into another vehicle causing a wreck with damage to the towing vehicle, my Trailex trailer, and (heavens!) my rare '65 Sting Ray (not to mention injury or death!), hiring a transport company would have been much, much better, cost be damned.
-Clark

I hear 'ya. I just remember a towing adventure with a very rare (1 of 2) '70 Sassy Grass Green 4-speed Hemi 'Cuda. After the right tire blew out on my trailer, it went maybe 10 feet and tipped, blowing out the left tire from scraping, and then planted the bare wheel in the asphalt and turned the trailer on its' side skidding down the road at 55 mph. My F350 was fine, the poor 'Cuda was never the same, and this was on the 10 from Houston to LA for a judged show just outside Kerrville. Now that I am older and wiser I just don't tow trailers anymore with rare cars in them.

[George W.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Clark,
I saw your vette; congrats you did good, but I agree with Terry the hotel did little to please us. The host chap. did excellent work. Your travel story causes me to consider taking my '65 big block next year. Keep up the good work.

[Clark K.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Clark, Your travel story causes me to consider taking my '65 big block next year. Keep up the good work.

George, why don't we wait until the 2015 NCRS National convention and be there with our cars for the "Year of the '65s"!!!

I love the '65s best because they were the first year for 4-wheel disc brakes, real (functioning) "side gills", side exhaust, teak steering wheels, AND, the last year for the fuelie, the 396 big block, and the air extractor grills (behind the windows)!

I am thinking, now with my car taking a National Top Flight, perhaps a PV is in my car's future. It will probably take that long (2015) for my recent anxiety to settle down :-)
-Clark

[George W.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Clark,
That makes sense; mine is a silver pearl coupe/black with side pipes, knock offs, 4-speed, posi-track, teakwood wheel, power windows and I drive it. Now that I have the 2013 60th anniv edition to go with it, I have both the first and last big block vettes...life is good. See you at the 2015 Nationals with the '65.

[Michael J.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Clark,
Now that I have the 2013 60th anniv edition to go with it, I have both the first and last big block vettes...

Technically, the new LS7 is not a "big block" due to the spacing and dimensions, it is derived from the small block LS series. But I do hope you are wrong about them discontinuing the power motors of the LS7 and LS9. We need this kind of great engine to continue the Corvette traditions of having the biggest and best in them.

[George W.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Michael,
At the Kissimmee, FL Regional last Jan. Tom Hill told us that the 2013 60th anniv would be the last 427 al2 engine big block made by GM; so I had to have one and now I do. There were several at that session that heard his presentation; we don't know what the C7 will look like but it will not have the 427 al2 LS7 according to Tom. At the Nationals at San Diego on July 4th at the 4pm session I ask GM engineers Dave McClellan and Dave Hill what the C7 would look like and what they would have for engines and neither would tell us anything...except to say go to B. Green for the unveiling. Well, Good luck to us.

[Michael J.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Michael,
At the Kissimmee, FL Regional last Jan. Tom Hill told us that the 2013 60th anniv would be the last 427 al2 engine big block made by GM; so I had to have one and now I do. There were several at that session that heard his presentation; we don't know what the C7 will look like but it will not have the 427 al2 LS7 according to Tom. At the Nationals at San Diego on July 4th at the 4pm session I ask GM engineers Dave McClellan and Dave Hill what the C7 would look like and what they would have for engines and neither would tell us anything...except to say go to B. Green for the unveiling. Well, Good luck to us.

We are not the ones to need luck if Chevy suits decide to drop the big displacement LS3, LS7, and LS9 super engines from the Corvette. Chevy will need the luck, and hope the "new" generation of buyers don't care about displacement and high HP/torque. I suppose they could stick a turbo-V6 or 4 banger in it and punch out 400 HP, but still, who wants a Corvette like that? Not me. I figured my '12 ZR1 would be the last new Corvette I buy, and I still think it will be. I do feel sorry for all my buds at Wixom who build the LS7 and LS9, but maybe a turbo V6 will allow them to keep their jobs, but it just ain't Corvette, IMO.

[Dick W.]

Re: Home from National Convention

2014 will be lighter and still be a stout performer. 2015 look for a higher hp car. They can pull 700 hp outta a V-6 and it live all day plus get well over 30 mpg, maybe 35 + Yer govn'mnt is a driving the train right now with all the fuel and emission regs. Car manufacturers are just a hangin' on. Iffen somethin' don't change, ya ain't seen nothin' yet compared to some of the proposed regs.

[Terry M.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Mike, I heard what Tom Hill said at Kissimmee earlier this year, and he all but stated this would be the last "big block" whether it technically is or not is beside the point. George and dozens of others heard the same thing.

No one who knows will say for sure, but we will all find out at the Detroit Auto show in early January, and I would expect a C7 to be at Kissimmee January 23-26. My guess is it will not be a production car, but we will know the engine size regardless. If you want to start a thread guessing the engine type and or size we can all put our speculation in and maybe offer a prize to whoever gets it closest.

[Dick W.]

Re: Home from National Convention

M If you want to start a thread guessing the engine type and or size we can all put our speculation in and maybe offer a prize to whoever gets it closest.

Bingo! Got an idea for the prize, whoever guesses the closest gets to buy me beer at Kissimmee..

[Michael J.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Over at the other Corvette forum, we have been discussing and speculating on the C7 engine for a while, in case you want to see that:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c7-g...eculation.html

[John F.]

Re: Home from National Convention

Did anyone buy an extra t-shirt with the red 62? I'll buy it if you want to sell.