CaveCreekChump

Under the banner "Sting Ray Registry" the finest group of people I know has been caravanning around the United States in mid-year Corvettes for the last four years.

A random collection of Corvette lovers came together for a tour of Route 66 in 2008; 17 days later we had become the closest of friends and vowed to keep on traveling in our C-2s.

In 2010 we toured the entire Pacific Coast, and the following year we did the Great River Road, headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way we have met many Forum members that were able to join us for a few hours or a few days. We have also welcomed a few new friends as permanent members of our core group.

This September our trip will be a little different. Instead of packing up each morning to head on down the road we have rented a huge lodge near Lake Tahoe. From our homes scattered around the country, many of us will caravan to Truckee, CA to spend a week in what looks like the world's finest party house. Each day we will strike out to visit local points of interest, returning later to enjoy our usual libations and camaraderie.

Oh yes, we are now "AMERICAN CLASSICS". In the planning stages are a website, a book and perhaps a regular newsletter and annual MRS AMERICAN CLASSICS beauty pagent.

We still love our '63 - '67 Corvettes and most will still drive them on this and future runs. However, some of us have acquired or restored other classic American cars from bygone eras. Our new group identity implies that some special cars may be welcomed to join us. More on that subject later from our "Car Czar".

Mossy66

We are getting closer to the start of this trip. We are scheduled to be in Truckee on Wed, Sept 12th, early in the afternoon so as not to miss the cocktail hour.

Forum members CaveCreekChump, 67-427ci, Mossy66 and their wives will be departing St Charles, Il. and heading west on Sept 7. Later that day, we will be joined by the Norgrens from Minnesota.

Rather than just stay on I80 the whole way, we are planning on a few activities along the way to keep us from getting bored to death. We are planning on staying in Colorado Springs on Saturday night, so that we can take our cars on a ride up Pikes Peak on Sunday morning. Time permitting, we will take a side trip on Skyline Drive in Canon City, and cross the Royal Gorge before spending the night in Salida, Co.

Monday we will make our way to Moab, Ut. Perhaps, taking in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison along the way. The idea is to get a few hours in at Arches Nat. park either Monday late afternoon, or Tues morning. Somewhere around here, we may run into Mr. and Mrs SilverSlashStreak and another couple on their way to Truckee.

Tuesday we will head for Ely, NV. so that Wednesday we can run Hwy 50 across Nevada, and get into Truckee by Cocktail hour.

Meanwhile, Mr and Mrs R6T7 and another couple will get to Truckee a day earlier, so that they can haul all the liquor up to the lodge. (it will take several trips in their '67 coupe)

If there is anyone local to these areas that can offer suggestions, or warn about road construction, etc. we'd be happy to hear from you.


Gerry

R6T7

It's still not too late to join us for a great week in Lake Tahoe. We're planning a few local day trips while we're there, and good food and friendship will certainly be a key theme of our stay there!

Please let me know if you are interested in joining us for all or a portion of the week!

Bob

silverslashstreak

Can't wait to meet up with you guys in Tahoe. Finishing up some last minute details on the car and the pinion seal started leaking like a sieve. So yesterday had to pull the diff and put new seal in but she's back in and all sealed up.
Installing a new alarm system that will notify me if it is moved or a door is opened and it should be ready to go one more time!

I would also like to encourage any of you guys that might be interested to join us if just for a few days. It is guaranteed fun to travel around in a big group of midyears.

Jeff

Mossy66

Less than a week before we head west! I think the car is ready to go!


Gerry

Yankeededandy

Gerry

There is nothing better than road trips!! Living in Switzerland and driving a much more modern C3, I'm unfortunately not eligible. Lake Tahoe as a base is a great idea. You guys will have a great time.

Have you posted pictures of your past road trips in a thread? If so, please share the link so at I can at least participate in the virtual world (here is the link to our own trip through Italy and France this spring: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...day-diary.html) . And don't you forget to post pics of the Tahoe trips!

Greetings from Switzerland

Martin

Mossy66

Judy Norgren spent a lot of time posting pics and describing our activities on this website:http://www.jimandjude.com/

They went on the rt 66 trip.
We joined the group on the Pacific Coast trip as well as the Great River Road trip.

Unfortunately, most of us are too busy having a great time to update what we're doing, and if it wasn't for Judy, some of us would never remember how much fun we had!

We'll try to update this thread with our activities as best we can though, so stay tuned!

Gerry

sub006

My first thought was "Like a few 289 Cobras?"

TexVette66

Yankeededandy,
You can also go to 63-67 corvette.com,the midyear registry,and click on some of the links listed,lots of pics.
TexVette66(Jerry)

CaveCreekChump

When we say classics, we mean American muscle cars, for the most part. My personal definition would be 1972 models and older, but I defer to our "Car Czar" for this trip: R6T7

KC John

I am soooo jealous! I hope to be able to take a trip like this someday.

67-427ci

The car is ready and we are heading west Wednesday morning to meet up with Cave Creek Chump and Mossy66 in St. Charles, IL.
Roy

CaveCreekChump

Martin, your pictures are a very well done presentation of what looks like a great trip. Congratulations!

Our same basic C-2 Corvette group has done three memorable trips: Route 66 in 2008, Pacific Coast in 2010 and Great River Road in 2011. After each of these epics we pooled all of our pictures (upwards of 13,000 per trip) and had a masochist whittle them down to a one hour DVD compilation.

Until now we just considered them to be finely crafted momentos, valuable only to the participants. However, if one were to PM R6T7, one might be able to obtain one or more of these travelogues at a fairly reasonable cost.

(Hint: R6T7 is a connoisseur of fine wines!)

sub006

Hmmm, if a 250 horse 327 in a '62 through '64 Corvette qualifies (maybe with a Powerglide!) to run, it would seem a Shelby AMERICAN product with engine installed, serial-numbered and certified in California would have to be eligible. Doubt you'd see more than a handful out of the few hundred made.

But I can relate, the GTO/Mopar/etc. drivers might object to being hole-shotted so badly.

Mossy66

This is more of a get together than a "run". I believe the idea was not to limit it to midyear Corvettes. The first trips were "Midyear Corvette only" but most of these guys are getting into other cars, like Impalas, GTOs and Nomads. Future trips will likely include these cars. I'm sure an older Shelby would be "eligible". The idea is to travel in these older cars, and have a great time with a bunch of great people!



Gerry

CaveCreekChump

Mossy66 is right on the money.

When sub006 mentioned "289 Cobras", I really meant to include them in our American Classic definition. If he thought I meant something else, I apologize.

00fxd

I would sure be up for a trip like that - don't know how I missed mention of the last ones... To busy for this gathering at this point in my life, maybe the next one.... :-)

CaveCreekChump

Mr. & Mrs. 67-427ci should have left Elmira, NY by now heading for a Thursday arrival in St. Charles, IL.

The trip is now under way!

Mossy66

The car is packed! Unfortunately, I have to put in a few hours at work tomorrow, but we should be heading west before noon tomorrow!

Yankeededandy

Have a great time everybody!

Martin