A bit more about detailing

I neglected to mention something in yesterday's post.

But it's something I thought might keep someone from making an avoidable error. It's regarding your wheels. This won't apply to all of you, but if you have polished aluminum wheels, it will.

Those wheels have a clear coat on them, just like your paint. Treat them the same way you would treat your fenders or your hood, or any other painted part. Don't use a metal polish on them. It's too abrasive and can dull the finish.

And by the way, I just looked at that Slideshow thingy on the left sidebar. They have a great price on a Meguiar's Wash and Wax Kit. You can save about $15 on it over buying the products individually. Check it out. I think once you try Meguiar's products you'll be sold on them like I am.

From Our Northern Neighbors

Many Corvette enthusiasts consider the 1957 Corvette the most aesthetically pleasing body style of the pre-1963 Corvettes, while others believe it was the best styling of all time. But this Vette had a lot more to offer than style and beauty.

In May 1957, the true performance version of the 283 made its debut. Sporting an advanced fuel injection system, the new "fuelie" 283 produced 283 bhp. Its 1 horsepower per cubic inch output was a record in 1957, and it was played up by the advertising and media. At the same time, Chevrolet introduced its new four speed manual transmission, and the Corvette was on its way to stardom.

When equipped with the 283 fuel injected engine, 4.11:1 rear axle, and the new four-speed Borg-Warner T-10 transmission, the Corvette could accelerate from 0-60 in less than six seconds, and do the quarter mile in the low 14 second range at over 100 mph. After winning a few major races in 1957, sales for the year jumped to a total of 6,339 units, up from 3,467 for 1956. (But there were only 487 painted Arctic Blue like the one above.)

It was an amazing automobile in its day, and it continues to be one of the most sought after classics. The photo above is an example of that beautiful vintage Corvette. It’s owned by my friends Bob and Kathy Willis, of Picton, Ontario, Canada. But you've listened patiently to me long enough. I’ll let Bob tell you a little more about it.

Our car is a 1957 Corvette painted in the 57 colors of Arctic Blue with Inca Silver Coves. The interior is Beige.

The engine is a 283 with dual four barrel carbs. It has a four speed transmission, and I have added 3.08 gears to the rear to keep the R's down on the highway. The Wonderbar Radio has been up-dated to AM/FM Stereo with extra jacks for an MP3 Player.

We have driven the car from Canada to Orlando Fl. in 2000 and many other road trips over the years.

And there you have it. What a gorgeous example of a classic Vette. It doesn’t get much better than that. Thanks so much Bob and Kathy for sharing your beautiful car with us. The next time I'm in Picton, I want you take a picture of me sitting in it. You won’t have to tell me to smile!

And the Winner is...

FAIRYMOMMA!

We had a total of 13 entries. I went to Random.org and requested a random sequence, made the decision before pushing the button to pick the top number in the list.

The numbers were as follows:

5, 7, 3, 6, 1, 10, 4, 2, 11, 9, 8, 13, 12

The number one position is owned by Fairymomma. So, if you're out there, Fairymomma, shoot me an e-mail with a mailing address so I can mail your Gift Card for $25! Here's the e-mail address: mbroadway@comcast.net. If I don't hear from you by the end of October, I'll have to award the prize to the person in the second position.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and for playing the game. We'll do it again in October. So keep coming back to check what's going on.

Giveaway Entries Have Closed

Our First Ever Giveaway is over. The entries have closed. If you entered, you could be the winner of the $25 WalMart Gift Card . We will announce the winner later today, so come back and see if it's YOU!

We will have another Giveaway coming up in October, so check back often to Read All About It! The number of visitors we have is going to determine the value of the prize, so spread the word and send your friends the site address.

Thanks to everyone who entered.

A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING

That's my 2001 coupe you see to the left. But we're not going to talk about it today. Today's post is going to be a bunch of reminders. Just so no one misses out in the future.

First of all, don't forget to enter the Giveaway. If you scroll down to the post with the piggy picture on it, you can leave your comment by clicking the COMMENT link on the bottom. Then type out your comment. It doesn't matter what it is. Just tell me what you think of the site, any suggestions for improving it, things you'd like to see, etc. That's all there is to it, and you'll be entered. But remember, the window of opportunity closes at 9:00 p.m. CDT tomorrow night. That's the 28th of September.

Secondly, I've added a SUBSCRIBE option for any of you who want a reminder that something new has been added. All you need to do is enter your e-mail address.

Thirdly, don't forget to cast your vote for your preferred transmission. That also ends tomorrow night. The larger the sample, the more accurate the result.

Fourthly (is there such a word?) you may notice a Blogrush graphic on the left sidebar. I put that on the site, hoping there might be some other sites that come up that may have something else you'd be interested in reading about. So take a look at it and see if there's anything of interest.

Lastly, if you have a Corvette, send me a photo (jpeg preferably) and some info about it. I'll put it in the Showcase Photo position when your turn comes up so you can impress your friends and everyone else on the worldwide web with your beautiful ride.

I think that's it for now. I hope you're enjoying the articles on here. And if not, there's always that comment button.

Oh, So Sweet!

That's Tim Traurig's sweet 2002 Vette you see up there in the Showcase Photo. I hope you're not wearing a light colored shirt because that drool is going to be very visible.

Tim's Corvette is a model year 2002. I'm going to let him tell you about it. Take it away, Tim.

Hi, my name is Tim from Valencia, California. This is a 2002 A4 Pewter VERT with 18,000 miles on it. All stock other than a Blackwing Air Intake and pewter painted fuelrail covers, radiator shroud, wiper fluid reservoir and radiator fluid reservoir.

Also some SS letter inserts on the front and rear bumpers. Oh yeah... a black louvered license plate frame. I'm 48 years young and waited 25 years to get my first Vette (this is it) four months ago.

In model year 2002, GM produced 35,767 Corvettes. Only 12,710 were convertibles. And of those, only 1,072 were Pewter. So from a rarity standpoint, this is a great color to own. Plus it's a convertible and just so darned pretty. And with only 18,000 miles, it doesn't get much better than that.

So thanks again to Tim for sharing his gorgeous Vette with the rest of us.

If you'd like to share photos and information about your Corvette, please send the information to this site. My e-mail address is mbroadway@comcast.net We'd love to see your pictures.

And if you'd like to ask Tim a question or make a comment about his Corvette, simply click that COMMENT link at the bottom of this post.

And you can always bookmark this site so you can come back and see what's next. Or simply subscribe and you'll automatically receive an e-mail whenever something new is added to this stie. Can it get any easier?

Win a 2009 Corvette

Want to win a brand new Corvette? Here’s your chance. The following information was found at the Corvette Museum web site. Their address is listed at the end of this article. Please check there to make certain this information is still accurate.

The National Corvette Museum is holding a Corvette raffle fundraiser featuring a 2009 Cyber Gray Corvette. It’s limited to only 500 tickets available at $250 each. The winner will be drawn on Thursday, October 30 at 2:00 p.m. C.T.

The Corvette is a 2009 Cyber Gray Coupe featuring an automatic transmission, two-tone seats with ebony and titanium detail, polished wheels, glass top, performance axle, NPP exhaust and the 3LT packaging that includes Head-Up-Display, heated driver and passenger seats, Bose system featuring a six-disc changer and mp3 playback, memory package with two driver settings and more. The winner will also receive the exciting R8C Museum Delivery Program option benefits when picking up their new Corvette.

The program is a memorable experience for new Corvette owners and offers a VIP tour of the Museum and Corvette Assembly Plant, one-year individual membership to the Museum, hands-on training by a delivery team member, program decal and plaque. R8C participants are also entitled to exclusive merchandise opportunities featuring the embroidered program logo and their car's imagery.

“Our raffle fundraisers offer a chance to make someone a Corvette owner and truly benefit the Museum in many ways,” states NCM Executive Director, Wendell Strode. “It is the hard work of our ambassadors, members and supporters who make these fundraisers such a success. We look forward to welcoming another raffle winner to the Museum to take delivery.” The National Corvette Museum is the “gateway to all things Corvette” and a member-driven, non-profit foundation.

For more details on how to enter the raffle for this new Corvette, visit the Corvette Museum web site at http://www.corvettemuseum.com/raffle/index.shtml.

SOLE SURVIVOR

If you’re looking for a 1983 Corvette, there’s one in Kentucky. But you can only get it white because, well, that's the only one left.

Quality and production problems delayed introduction of the new C4 generation so model year 1983 was passed over.

Why, you're asking, did they only make one. Well, they didn't. They actually assembled forty-four of them. Some were used to sort out production details. Others were assigned to engineering evaluation and used for crash testing. And a few were part of a press introduction at Riverside Raceway in California in December 1982. But none were ever sold to the public.

In October of 1982, the new Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, closed and began retooling for the 1984 Corvette. Production on that model year was started. In January of 1983 the news media received their first view of the 1984 Corvette. And the first production 1984 Corvettes were sold to the public in February. In March of 1983, the 1984 Corvette officially went on sale in the United States, except for California. The began selling in California in April. By October of 1983, the plant was in full production.

Of the forty-four 1983 Corvettes produced, forty-three of them were destroyed. The one remaining car, number 23 (shown above), was retired to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where it remains on display. It is still owned by General Motors.

Photo courtesy of the National Corvette Museum

C5 Ignition Issues

That's my car to the left. Ain't it purty? It's a 2001, Magnetic Red Coupe. And it always starts right up and runs great. Except for one time when it didn't.

It's a bit of a shock when you put your key into the ignition of your Corvette, turn it, and nothing happens. It's happened to me. And I'm guessing it may have happened to some of you.

Sometimes it's the battery. And that's a pretty easy fix. Other times, it's something else. In my case, it was the key. My 2001 Magnetic Red II Coupe has an ignition key with a "pellet" embedded into it. It's my understanding that this pellet has a computer code in it that the car's computer system can read. If it's the right code, the computer says yes, and the starter engages. If not, you get nothing but a readout on your DIC (Driver's Information Center) that gives you a message. In my case it said, "CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE."

I turned the key to the off position, removed it, and tried it again. It started right up. But a couple days later, it happened again. It only happened occasionally, but it was a real PITA, not knowing if you should turn off the engine when you're miles from home. It could always happen again, you think, and maybe it won't start this time.

So off I went to my buddies at Corvette Forum to find the answer. (Because they always have the answer.) One member told me about the pellet and suggested I clean it with rubbing alcohol. If you look at the picture to the right, the pellet is that little black rectangle with the silver line running through it.

So I followed the suggestions I received. And, I'm happy to say, I haven't had the problem since. So, if you've experienced a similar situation, try the rubbing alcohol cure. It just might do the trick for you, too.

If you'd like a great web address for a listing of the error codes from your DIC, try this one: http://stengel.net/diccodes.htm

The 2nd Generation

A lot was going on in 1963. Probably the most disturbing and memorable event for anyone old enough to have been around at the time was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22nd. Two days later the alleged assasin, Lee Harvey Oswold was shot on live national television by nightclub owner Jack Ruby.

But life went on. (Heads up, panda, here comes some of that girly girl stuff you wanted.) Fur boots and towering hairdos were the thing for the ladies of the day. Beatlemania infected the younger population after the release of "I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There" and "Meet the Beatles". The Lava Lamp was developed by Craven Walker and found its way to millions of homes in the 1960s.

Americans enjoyed Hollywod films including The Birds, Mutiny on the Bounty, and The Great Escape. Popular television programs included The Virginian, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Lassie.

This was the year State Mutual Life Insurance invented the Smiley Face found on anything and everything around the world including T Shirts. It's popularity was at it's peak in the 1960's

And General Motors completely redesigned both the body and chassis of the Corvette. A coupe was available for the first time since the car’s introduction in 1953. A center split on the coupe roof flowed through the rear glass creating the famous "Split Window". The solid rear axel was replaced for the first time. Chevrolet produced 10,549 Corvettes for model year 1963 at a base unit cost of $4,257. Serial Numbers: 30837S100001 through 30837S121513.

The sides of the front fenders, behind the wheel openings, were decorated with two long, horizontal "wind split" indenta­tions or louvers that were designed to look like brake cooling ducts, although they were not functional. The rear deck treatment resembled that of the previous year's model but the rest of the car appeared totally new.

The twin side-by-side headlights were hidden in an electrically-operated panel which was more than a styling gimmick, because it added to the car's basic aerodynamic design. However, the recessed hood louvers were not actually functional. The interior had circular gauges with black faces, and there was storage space under the seats of early models.

The ’63 was available in seven exterior colors: Tuxedo Black, Ermine White, Riverside Red, Silver Blue, Daytona Blue, Saddle Tan, and Sebring Silver. Interior colors included: Black, White, Silver, Silver Blue, Daytona blue, Red, Tan, and Ermine White. All were available with a Black, White, or Beige soft top. This was the first year a beige soft top had been available since 1957).

The car pictured above is an example of a 1963 Split Window Coupe. The photos were sent by my friend Pat Sheean. He also sent some information about the car that I wanted to share with you. Here it is in Pat's words...

I have a good friend who is a MOPAR guy and he found this car languishing in an elderly woman's garage.

After a couple of year's work and blood, sweat and $$$, it's looking pretty good. It is NOT an NCRS car, but I love driving it to cruise-ins and shows where we always seem to draw a crowd.

327 - 375 HP (cam and carb upgrade), 4 speed - Cragar SS's - new paint and refurbished interior. I live in Fort Wayne, IN and drive the car only about 7 -8 months of the year.

And there you have it. A gorgeous example of a car that was available in only one model year. The following year GM removed the split in the rear window because owners complained that it made it difficult to see the traffic behind them. And a legend was born.

If you like this article, please leave your comments by clicking the link below. And don't forget to enter our Giveaway by going to the September 21st post entitled Corvette - An American Dream Giveaway. Here's hoping you win.

And thanks go out to Pat (and all our friends in Indiana) for sharing this beautiful vintage example with us.

Corvette - An American Dream Giveaway

Since our traffic is increasing I wanted to continue to encourage you to visit. In an effort to do that, we’re having our first Giveaway. And since I’m not rich, I’ve decided to start out with a $25 Gift Card from everyone’s favorite store — WalMart! They have a pretty good selection of Meguiar’s Car Products and Microfiber Towels for you detailers out there. Plus, since reading panda’s comment regarding girlie girl stuff, I figured she could find some of that at WalMart, too.

So here’s how it works: All you have to do is click on the “COMMENT” link at the bottom of this post. Just make a comment about the site. It doesn’t matter what it is. Tell us what you like, what you don’t like. Any suggestions about making the site more interesting are welcome. Just be sure to leave an e-mail address where we can reach you if you’re the winner. And that’s it!

This Giveaway will run from the time this is posted until 9:00 PM CDT on Sunday, September 28th, 2008. The winner will be determined by a randomly generated number from Random.org. And you will not be disqualified if you enter more than once. Let me repeat that. You will not be disqualified if you enter more than once.

I won’t be replying to any of your comments because I don’t want my comment to be in the list and perhaps end up in the winning position. If you have questions, e-mail me at the address shown at the top of this page and I will respond.

Good luck. Now click on that link and get yourself entered for that $25 Gift Card!

Sweet Yesterday

The year was 1961. It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.

John F. Kennedy was inaugurated President of the United States. There was trouble in Cuba, and he advised Americans to build bomb shelters. And he asked Congress for $531 million to put a man on the moon. Construction began on the Berlin Wall and Pampers were introduced. IBM released the Selectric typewriter (yes, I remember those) and the last episode of I Love Lucy aired. The average price of a new home was $17,500, and regular gasoline could be purchased for 31 cents per gallon. My how things have changed.

But some things don't. Some things are classics when they're created. Others achieve that status in time. The C1 Corvette (1953 - 1962) falls into the former category. General Motors produced 10,939 Corvettes in the 1961 model year at a base price of $3,934. The car pictured above is one of those vintage Vettes. (If you can't see all of it, maximize your window, because you want to see all of it.)

This car is one of only 7,013 originally, and still, equipped with a 4-speed Borg Warner T-10 transmission. But it gets better. It has its original 270hp motor, and only 2,827 Vettes were produced with that power plant. The color is Honduras Maroon, and that paint graced the fiberglas of only 1,645 of them. This color was only available in 1960 and 1961, so it's unusual to see one with so few in that color. And 47 years later, there probably aren't very many of them with this build sheet left, either. So, to say it's rare is a bit of an understatement.

The exterior styling was face-lifted for 1961. It was the first Corvette without heavy "teeth" in the grill area. The rear was completely restyled with four taillights, now a Corvette Trademark. The transmission tunnel was reduced in width to give the interior a 20% increase in interior space.

And it was the only model year that had this cool little emblem on the front fenders.

This beautiful Corvette is owned by my friend Frank Dreano of Winter Garden, Florida. Frank was kind enough to send me some photos when I asked. He also told me a little about it. I'm going to let him tell you so I don't get anything incorrect. So here's the story . . .

I bought this car just over a year ago from a NASCAR wind tunnel engineer in South Carolina. The color is Honduras Maroon (an original '61 color) with Ermine White coves and a black interior with correct olive/black Tuxedo carpet.

The car has the original 270HP solid lifter, dual four barrel, 283 cubic inch motor with the original Borg Warner T-10 4-speed. It's taken a year to get EVERYthing working correctly on this car including the original Wonderbar radio, the parking brake flashing warning light and the original windshield washer system.

The only modifications I have made are to add an electronic ignition/distributor with a vacuum advance, front disk brakes and custom heat isolators under the carbs to help with digestion of modern gasoline mixtures.

The biggest problem with the car was finding the correct 4 bbls (it had 1956 Carter WCFB carbs when I bought it). I did find the correct 270 HP Carter carbs on eBay in July of 2008 and this completed the mechanicals on the car.

I restored the entire interior including all gauges, a new windshield, a new dashpad, new carpet, metal door panel inserts, new kick panels and completely restored seats. The car is driven about 2,000 miles annually.

And there you have it. A legendary sports car that's been well cared for and kept as close as possible to the way it was originally built. It doesn't get much better than that. So if you ever decide to take that long overdue road trip in your own Corvette, and the highway leads you to Winter Garden, Florida, tell Frank hello for me. And thanks for sharing the love.