Tag: Vette

Earlier today, we reported that the C7 Stingray would be producing 455 hp and 460 lb.ft of torque with the standard exhaust system. However, it now appears that with the optional performance exhaust system, the LT1-powered C7 Vette will make 460 hp and 465lb.ft of torque! Check out the SAE graph at our source’s link. 

Yesterday we filled you in on what we thought was a typo listing the official horsepower of the 2014 Corvette Stingray as 455 hp in the official press release naming 49ers Coach Jim Harbaugh as the driver of the Corvette Stingray Indy 500 pace car. Well, some more digging on GM’s media site has turned

Reviewing the C7 Corvette threads on the Corvette Forum, we found a very informative response to a question about ordering a new 2014 Corvette Stingray. Kerbeck Corvette’s Dave Salvatore provides a timeline for the first order consensus which began on Thursday, May 23rd. According to Kerbeck, the first order consensus period for the 2014 Corvette

Andy Bolig

Car Crazy host Barry Mequiar is the Grand Marshal for this year’s National Corvette Homecoming.

National Corvette Homecoming has just announced the reveal of their new website, www.corvettehomecoming.com to help them promote the up-coming event scheduled on July 25-27, 2013, as well as interact with fellow Corvette enthusiasts.

It was all the way back in 1980 that Corvette Homecoming was born from an idea by a GM Corvette engineer, Tom Hill. Tom had just moved to Bowling Green and was in process of setting up the new Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant, when he met a local businessman, Sam Hall.
 
The two men talked about Corvette assembly coming to Bowling Green and decided a local event would not only promote the new assembly plant, but the City of Bowling Green as well. Jimmy Greenway had just opened the local Chevy dealership so they approached him and asked if he would like to host a Corvette car show. That show was such a success that Hill and Hall decided to make it an annual event.

So, beginning in 1981, the National Corvette Homecoming was born and in only its second year, Corvette Homecoming expanded so much that it forced the move to Beech Bend Raceway Park, where it remained annually until 2002.

With its popularity again on the upswing, NCH was attracting some of the country’s best show cars so it was decided to add a show strictly for the most pristine Corvettes. In 2007, the Sans Pareil (“without equal”) show was added to NCH schedule of events and has since awarded that prestigious honor to over 30 honorees.
 
Joe, Vera and their dedicated staff of volunteers strive to keep the Corvette Homecoming experience something for enthusiasts of all years to enjoy. “This year is another special year” says Joe. “We will be celebrating Corvette’s 60th Birthday and we are hoping to have a ’53 model here for the celebration.”
 
Aside from the special events, Corvette Homecoming enjoys participants from all years from vintage to current models. Today’s Corvette Homecoming hosts a variety of fun including a new Road Tour and dinner party, a souvenir program, local tours and other outings. See our current schedule for other details and mark your calendars for one of the Corvette hobby’s oldest and affordable events on the schedule.

Whether you have a pristine vintage collectible, or just a plain daily driver, Corvette Homecoming has something for you. For years we have been known for our car shows, but as time goes by, we’ve evolved into a multitude of activities including interesting seminars and guest speakers, girl’s things to do, local tours as well as our famous Road Tour and farewell dinner party.

Depending on your direction of travel, southbounders may find the Grand ‘Ol Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame or even the Jack Daniels Distillery to your liking. Elvis Presley’s Graceland is for the westbound. Those going North may want to take a slight sidetrack to historic Bardstown where Kentucky Bourbon is King and restaurants are endless. Make Corvette Homecoming a week of adventure you won’t forget right here in the good ‘ol USA!

For Your Information:

National Corvette Homecoming

www.corvettehomecoming.com

Jim Black

If you asked 100 different car enthusiasts what their “dream car” would be, chances are good that you might get a hundred different answers.

Sure, there may be a few repeats and undoubtedly Chevy’s Corvette would probably make the list on several counts.

Randy Ratcliff, a recently retired schoolteacher from Ankeny, Iowa, has always dreamed of owning a classic Corvette. Not new to the hobby, he bought his first Corvette, a 1976 model L48 with a four-speed, in 1982. Although it was a beautiful car, it was far from the car of his dreams. Randy later sold it with no regrets as work, family, and other commitments forced life changes. Deep down, this initial purchase spurred a desire to get into the “Corvette Scene” at some point. As the years progressed, his desire to own another Corvette just burned deeper.

In 1986, Randy purchased a 1966 big-block coupe, a matching-numbers car in silver, for $16,000. “I didn’t take the time to examine the car’s history and it wasn’t as nice as advertised,” Randy admitted. “It looked great, but I later realized it had a re-stamped engine and some major accident history.” He sold the car a short time later once he decided that he really wanted a red roadster instead.

Randy still hadn’t learned his lesson. He continued “dabbling” in various cars, not all of them Corvettes, and making the same mistakes. Soon, the quest was put on hold as his kids reached college age and the financial responsibilities that went with it brought a halt to the process. The learning wasn’t done, however. He would soon learn another valuable lesson dealing with car auctions.

In early 2000, Randy had his first bad experience. It happened at a Mecum Car Auction in Des Moines, Iowa. “Two guys were bidding on a beautiful 1966 GTO convertible. In a moment of weakness I threw in a ‘harmless’ bid, and the other bidders promptly stopped, and I ended up buying the car,” Randy recalled. “I believe I fell victim and have no one to blame but myself.” He later sold the car and vowed never to get caught on the short end again.

In 2007, he decided he was going to buy the “car of his dreams”, but this time he would take adequate precautions, do his homework, and take his time. “I decided to take a constructive yet systematic approach, outline my priorities, and hoped to get the best results possible,” he commented. “I knew if I didn’t rush the process, that I would be successful, and this time I wouldn’t just settle, I’d get what I wanted.”

First, priorities were established and the car of choice was a 1967 Corvette roadster in red with a small-block V-8, four-speed transmission, and already professionally restored to stock “as-built” condition. “I considered several different options, but the SB 327 (L79) would be more affordable, easier to maintain, and more driver friendly,” Randy explained. “I had no intention on buying a NCRS high point car or trailer queen. I wanted to drive this car.”

By many accounts, the 1967 Corvette was considered the best looking of the early Sting Rays, which was basically unchanged from the previous 1966 model. The ’67s had several minor changes that only “true” Corvette enthusiasts can identify. “It didn’t take me long to figure out that my favorite Corvette was the 1967 model,” Randy explained. “It has a refinement that no other Corvette year has from my perspective.”

Second, Randy had learned from previous mistakes that knowledge was the key to success. “I purchased books on Corvettes, studied codes, options, production figures, and learned all I could,” he said. “This information is vital when looking over a potential car to purchase.”

Third, the “knowledge” continued as Randy attended car shows and auctions to get a buyer’s feel for the market, market values, why some cars were more popular and why. “Talking with owners of ’67 Corvettes was most helpful, especially NCRS judges,” Randy noted. “Who better than those in the business?” He also took the opportunity to attend Bloomington Gold in Illinois, Barrett-Jackson, Mecum, and other larger auctions so he could compare large groups of Corvettes in the same setting.

Finally, after doing his homework, Randy set out to find his “dream car”, searching through hundreds of ads, visiting several classic car dealerships, etc. “In the fall of 2010, I located a 1967 Corvette roadster in eastern Pennsylvania and it was in excellent condition,” Randy said. “The seller had owned it for several years, so I knew he wasn’t just flipping the car to turn a buck.” The seller wanted a firm price, and after negotiating the transportation fees, Randy made the purchase.

This car is equipped with a numbers-matching L79, 327ci V-8 backed with a Muncie M-20 four-speed transmission. The L79 was a cast-iron block with overhead valves and had a bore and stroke of 4.00 x 3.25 inches and a compression ratio of 11.0:1. The engine delivered 350hp at 5,800 rpm and torque at 360 lbs-ft at 3,600 rpm and included five main bearings, a high performance camshaft, hydraulic valve lifters, and was topped with a Holley carburetor. The L79 engine was restored to factory specifications by the previous owner.

Additional options include tinted glass (A01), headrests (A82), auxiliary hardtop (C07), factory air-conditioning (C60), Posi-traction 3.36 rear axle (G81), side-mounted exhaust (N14), redline tires (QB1), speed warning (U15), and AM/FM radio (U69), with Rally wheels as standard equipment. Production totals in 1967 included 22,940 cars, with 2,341 produced in paint code 974 Rally Red. This example is one of just 34 red 1967 Corvette convertibles with the L79 (350hp) with factory air.

These days, Randy enjoys driving his Corvette whenever he can and displaying it at local area shows. “The big problem now is that I spend six months a year living in Arizona, and it’s not long before I’m looking to the spring when I can cruise in the ’Vette again,” Randy admitted. “It’s just too much of a hassle to try and move it back and forth between both residences.”

After a teaching career spanning some 35 years, Randy has taught himself to enjoy the good life, complete with the ownership of his “Dream Machine”.

“I can honestly say that I’d do it all again in a heartbeat,” he said.

We should all be so lucky!

Corvette History Through Ads Performance Advertising Makes a Comeback By Rick Tavel ?All rights reserved The first two years of the C2 Corvette, advertising focused on the car’s comfort and convenience options, frequently depicting the car as more of a personal luxury car than a performance car. Coupled with the new coupe’s heavy advertising bias, […] More »

“Never seen rain” is a common saying among Corvette “polishers”. But just because its raining, that doesn’t mean that testing comes to a halt with the new 2014 Corvette Stingray. We picked up this gem of a pic on twitter from LaFontaine Chevrolet in Dexter, MI showing a Laguna Blue Corvette Stingray driving in the