BILLY 63 swc

Returned two weeks ago from a nice long trip to Bowling Green for the Corvette Museum 20th anniversary bash and a VIP tour of the Corvette Assembly Plant in the old 64. Went through 12 states and covered 5,970 miles in 18 days. The trip was from Oregon up to Washington state down through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Neb, Mo, to Bowling Green then up to Ind, Ill, Iowa, SD and two days in Yellowstone Park and back home. Seen some great places and meet lots of great people as well. My wife and I enjoyed the trip in the old car and was one of only a few old Corvettes in the almost 5,000 Corvettes at the Museum.
The car ran perfect and kept up with all the new ones even on the 80 plus MPH Freeways. The car is updated with an 96 LT-1 engine and 6 speed and all the good suspension and disk brakes. Best gas mileage was 26 and low was 22 when bucking a 35 MPH head wind in Montana for over 400 miles. Fuel cost as low as 3.44 to a high of 4.38 a gallon. Installed a 3:08 rear-end before we left and then put the 4:11 back in today. People gave thumbs up all across the Country to this old car and every night at the hotels was a show and tell. We may take the 63 SWC down to southern Ca. next spring to take a look at Hearst Castle and other sites.
Billy

KENS78SILVERANNIV

Went on the same ride!!! Danville, CA to Bowling Green... then South through Tennessee... Alabama...clear down to New Orleans. Across Texas... New Mexico... Arizona... and up the length of the Golden State. 6800 miles in 13 days! 19 States. My butt is still sore!! Ha Ha Ha!

Revfan

and you didn't take a camera?

(very subtle way of saying... "where are the pics?")

6T5RUSH

BILLY_63_swc,

Sweet! Didn't take any long haul trips this year, but did so last year (Route 66 from Michigan to California...21 days...5,800 miles). Still on our bucket list to do is a long haul out east.

Yes, we do crave PICTURES!!!



Jim
In God We Trust!

BILLY 63 swc

Ken
You the one that got the ticket for not moving over for the law? I think we crossed paths outside Cheyenne WY. If you are the one then you had some kind of call letters on you car. I have the blue 64 with side pipes.
Billy

65 fi

That had to be a great trip.
Ken, were you running the original drivetrain?
Billy and Ken, did you have overheating issues?

LouieM

Great that Billy and Ken got their midyears out there on the road for long hauls. From personal experience with my 67 I know that everyone out on the road loves to see these beautiful old cars being driven. Thanks for helping to Beautify America!

Bluestripe67

Way too go you all! Drive the miles and share the smiles. Dennis

BILLY 63 swc

No heating problems at all. The temps were in the high 90 most of the time except for the first part of the trip and that was wet for three days straight. I did not see any Corvette having any problems on the trip and that surprised me for there were so many Corvettes on the road. a truck backed into one in BG and I dodged a large oak chair that rolled out of the back of a pickup and the Z06 behind me got it and did a little damage to the front. I drove the car as hard as the law would allow and it handled like silk at 80 MPH.

BILLY 63 swc

Louie
These old mid-years are great road cars if set up correctly and a few modern improvements are made. I drove the 63 SWC all the way across the USA several years ago and had no problems at all. The 63 is all original 340 HP car that is in perfect shape and and shows us that if these old cars are set up as GM did from the factory that they will drive and perform just fine in almost every condition out there. Just don't be scared of taking them on a long trip.
Billy

BILLY 63 swc

Did do the dash cam thing and the wife took the Ipad and took a few photos. I will see if I can upload a few.

KENS78SILVERANNIV

Yea... Trooper pulled me over 6 miles into Wyoming... said I didn't adhere to the "move over law". I told him I slowed down to 65 in an 80 MPH zone... couldn't move over cause there were two Harleys in the left lane.
He didn't like it and wrote me a $210.00 ticket and handed it through the passenger window saying "There you go California."
I told him "Thank you officer... I'll spend more on drinks tonight." He laughed and let me take a picture with him.
I'll post those when I get some time.

You got a great car! Looked like you were wearing aviation headphones! Great trip!!!

BILLY 63 swc

Some of those troopers have no sense of humor at all do they. I saw your car for the first time down town Cheyenne across from the train museum. We had dinner in the Mexican restaurant and watched your car out front and never saw you come back to the car and then looked down the street and seen a tavern and just guessed that you may-just may be in there having a Coke. You have a fine looking old Mid-year that looks mean, just the way they should look.

The head phones are Beats noise canceling. Side pipes.

ricks327

I agree that these old cars need to be exercised. Scratched one item of the to-do list: Hot Rod Power Tour. Put just short of 3000 miles in 8 days and had a blast. Photo of us pulling into Norwalk, Ohio.
Rick

Jakes Dad

It was quite awhile ago, but one of the most fun weeks I have had was with my dad when we took his 64 FI big tank car from Indiana to Georgia. I learned how to drive stick on that trip. Got to see a once in a lifetime 65 396 big tank car on that trip too.

BILLY 63 swc

Rick
Great looking car there. Just drive them and enjoy them and leave the remains to your kids.
Billy

mrg

Seems the Highway Patrol troopers are big on the 'move over' law. I also got hit with that two months ago in Utah on the way out to Colorado in my '64.

Approaching an HP cruiser on I-70 that had a car pulled over I moved over into the next lane, but not quite. The right side of my car was straddling the broken white lane line between lanes. I thought it was enough. .. Another HP cruiser was parked in the median strip facing oncoming traffic. He flipped a U-turn as I passed by and was now coming up on the group of cars I was traveling with. I figured I was 'the one'. Sure enough, red lights! . .

The trooper's arms resting on the passenger door.........'I pulled you over because you didn't move over for the stopped HP car back there'. Not trying to BS the trooper I told him I did move over but mentioned straddling the white broken lane between lanes. We talked a bit about the 'move over' law. I was aware of it as the same law applies in CA too.

After license, registration, insurance check, I ended up getting a warning ticket. The trooper handed back the documents and wanted to know 'how long have you owned this car'. .. He was up for some car talk so we talked cars for a bit.

That Wyoming trooper was hard core. .. . .