HOUSTON, Texas – Corvette/Chevy Expo will welcome the hosts of the new TV series Corvette Nation at the Feb. 15-16 event at the Reliant Center.

Bill Stephens and Maria Prekeges host the Corvette Nation TV series. Stephens is a Corvette enthusiast, television producer, host and writer. Prekeges is a host and producer for both automotive and sports TV shows. Together they will be bringing their TV crew to the Corvette Chevy Expo to film for the second season of Corvette Nation.

Corvette Nation takes an in-depth look at the Chevrolet Corvette, Corvette events and Corvette enthusiasts. It started televising in the fall of 2013 on Discovery’s “Velocity” Network in prime time. The show aired produced 13 weekly episodes for season one.
Other event highlights will include a car sales mart with classic cars of all makes and models for sale and a bikini contest presented by Swimsuit USA on Sunday.

The Corvette Chevy Expo holds two events a year, one in Houston and one in Dallas. The Corvette Chevy Expo is a production of Vette Vues Magazine, a monthly Corvette magazine for Corvette enthusiasts publishing since 1972.

For information, call 386-775-2512, email info@corvetteChevyExpo.com or visit http://corvettechevyexpo.com/

 Chevy fans should check out these resources from Old Cars Weekly:

• Standard Catalog of Chevrolet 1912-2003
• Just Chevys: True Tales & Iconic Cars from America’s No. 1 Automaker
• Corvette: The Great American Sports Car

The post Houston in high gear for Chevy Expo appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

By John Gunnell

According to collector car auctioneer Dana Mecum, the highest price ever paid for a Corvette was realized at his Sept. 4-7 sale in Dallas, Texas. Lot No. 123 was a ’67 Corvette convertible that sold for a whopping $3.2 million. The car was previously in the Buddy Herin collection.

Racing toward a record

Mecum’s auction listing stated the L88-powered roadster was sold new to drag racer Jim Elmer at Lyman Slack Chevrolet in Portland, Ore. The car is documented to be one of just 20 ’67 Corvettes sold with the L88 option. Elmer bought the car for drag racing.

Elmer’s first race with the fresh-out-of-the-box muscle ’Vette netted him an 11.47-second quarter-mile run at Puyallup Dragway in Puyallup, Wash. The only changes made to the car from stock at that time were a set of exhaust headers and 7-inch slicks.

That first run with Elmer behind the wheel set the stage for the L88’s lengthy drag racing career. The burgundy, stinger-hood Corvette captured the A/Sports class win at the 1967 Indy Nationals. Elmer ultimately ran a best of 11.12 seconds at 127.45 mph. Shortly after his record runs at Indy, Elmer damaged the car’s transmission and the rear end. He attempted to have the components repaired under warranty, but his claim was rejected when he showed up at the dealership with the car in full competition trim, including sponsorship decals and elapsed times written on the windows.

Unwilling to pay out of pocket for repairs, Elmer sold the car for $5,000. His friend and race buddy Rob Robinson bought it in February 1968. Robinson, in partnership with local GM parts man Clayton Cotardi, campaigned the car in NHRA A/Sports in 1968-’69. The Corvette was a common sight at West Coast venues such as Irwindale, Half Moon Bay, Woodburn, Seattle and Puyallup. It also raced at a drag strip in Boise, Idaho.

Robinson used it to turn in consistent runs between 11.1 and 11.3 seconds in the 125-130 mph speed bracket. The Corvette placed among the top five in NHRA national points standings.

In 1970, Robinson put the L88 back into street trim. He then sold it to Tim Thorpe, a well-known Corvette restorer. Thorpe started a restoration, but before finishing the job, he transferred ownership to Buddy and Nova Herin, who bought it in 1998. The Herins turned to the Nabers Brothers of Houston, Texas to complete the restoration.

The car was refinished in a close match to the factory color of Marlboro Maroon and the hood stinger was sprayed in gloss black. It was later repainted a more accurate match to the original Marlboro Maroon color. The car was fitted with a set of Kelsey-Hayes finned aluminum bolt-on wheels and non-DOT redline tires. The interior of the L88 is still mostly original.

In addition to its 430-hp, 427-cid L88 engine option, the car features an M22 “Rock Crusher” four-speed manual transmission, a 4.11 rear end, J56 heavy-duty brakes, J50 power brakes, factory side exhausts and the F41 Special Suspension. It is believed to be the only 1967 Corvette L88 convertible to retain its original body panels.

The car won a Regional NCRS Top Flight award in 1997. It took part in the 2008 Bloomington Gold L88 Invasion. Documentation for this rare first-year L88 convertible included the factory tank sticker, vintage racing photos and raceway time slips, including the first time slip issued after its maiden run at Puyallup Dragway.

Explaining the record price

According to John Kraman, the consignment director for Mecum Auctions, the sale of the car was a very emotional experience brought on by Buddy Herin being sick.

“Buddy’s stellar attitude, in spite of his terminal illness, drove what happened on the auction block,” Kraman explained. “He wanted $2 to $2.5 million and got $3.2, and other cars in the collection sold in excess of their reserve. Corvettes from the ’60s with a racing history are blue chip investments.”

The sale price of Herin’s L88 reflected a significant increase in L88 prices since 2010, when Mecum sold the first L88 built at its August Monterey sale for $1.25 million.

Corvette restorer Kevin Mackay, who said that he once bought the L88 for $70,000 and then sold it, revealed that another recent private sale of an L88 “went through the roof.” Mackay said he felt that any significant car is strong in the Corvette market.

“The first C3 sold at Barrett-Jackson for over $1 million,” he pointed out. “I think the run-up is just beginning and will go the next three to four years.”

Corvette parts and accessories supplier Mike Yager jokingly guessed that the sale went to “someone with a lot of money and a garage to fill up.” Yager admitted, “I had set my top prediction at $2.5 million, and it blew by that almost immediately.”

Former Corvette chief engineer Dave McLellen was philosophical about the auction price. “There’s no way to predict that kind of thing,” he said. “Our prototype Corvettes were multi-million-dollar cars and we just drove them like we stole them, but you’re not going to buy a car for $3 million and do that.”

Performance car builder Ken Ligenfelter — who owns 80 Corvettes — said of the record price, “I think the Corvette market is in great shape; some baby boomers are selling their cars and it all looks good, but I’m still sorry I passed up a lot of good L88s.”

Chevy fans should check out these resources from Old Cars Weekly:

• Corvette: The Great American Sports Car
• Standard Catalog of Chevrolet 1912-2003
• Just Chevys: True Tales & Iconic Cars from America’s No. 1 Automaker

The post $3.2 million Corvette a ‘blue chip investment’ appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

CONCORD, N.C.– Has it really been 60 years since the world fell in love with Chevrolet’s Corvette? Fans of “America’s Sports Car” will have a chance to rekindle that romance with a dynamic Corvette 60th anniversary display at the Sept. 19-22 AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway that every die-hard Chevrolet enthusiast and sports car fan will appreciate.

The fall AutoFair features more than 50 car club displays and more than 7,000 vendor spaces that offer a plethora of automotive parts and memorabilia. More than 1,500 collectible vehicles of all makes and models will be available for sale in the car corral that rings the 1.5-mile superspeedway. In addition, up to 200 cars will be auctioned by Dealer Auctions Inc., and kids can enjoy face-painting, bounce houses and other games and entertainment in the huge Play Zone.

The Corvette was born in 1953 with a limited run of 300 Polo White units built by hand from lightweight, experimental fiberglass panels. Following the European pattern for sports car design, that first generation (produced from 1953 through 1962 and now referred to as the “C1” or “Corvette generation 1” by enthusiasts) came only as a roadster with precious few creature comforts. It was powered by a sturdy but sluggish six-cylinder engine until 1955, when it received Chevrolet’s much-anticipated small-block 265ci V-8. The rest of the world has been playing catch-up to the Corvette ever since.

The car we now call the C2 Corvette appeared in 1963, although its official model name was borrowed from GM styling director Bill Mitchell’s personal race car, the Stingray. All Corvettes made from 1963 through 1967 wore a “Sting Ray” badge and, in profile, resembled a shark in attack mode. They also were available in either coupe or convertible and featured a grocery list of performance and comfort equipment to appeal to Chevy’s more traditional buyers. Mechanical improvements marking the C2 included concealed headlights for better airflow at high speeds, independent rear suspension, and a more powerful lineup of V-8 engines ranging from 327ci to 427ci.

The C3 ran from 1968 through 1982 as a coupe and through 1975 as a convertible, but with an interesting third option – the T-top coupe with removable roof panels‚ – that offered buyers an enticing compromise. This generation’s styling was lower and pointier than ever and featured the marque’s first pop-up headlights. Oddly, the 1968 Corvette was not marketed as a Sting Ray, but the name would return from 1969 through 1976 as one word, Stingray. Engines grew larger again, ranging from 350ci to an astounding 454ci V-8 that cranked out 450 horsepower, but not for long. The American auto industry had to meet strict federal standards for emissions and safety, which had the effect of watering down the Corvette’s performance for nearly a decade.

When the C4 debuted in 1984, it was praised for its fresh, minimalist styling, track-ready suspension, and powerful modern 350ci V-8. Gone was the ’70s-era T-top; in its place was a solid one-piece Targa roof panel that could be stowed in the Corvette’s roomy luggage area. A true convertible C4 would resume in 1986. With its “4+3-speed” manual transmission, run-flat tires and anti-lock brake systems introduced during its 1984-96 run, the C4 was the first truly computer-designed and managed Corvette.

The C5, which ran from 1997 to 2004, had two items Corvette engineers had been dreaming about since the 1950s: an aluminum V-8 engine and a transmission relocated to the back of the car for ideal weight distribution. At 179.7 inches of overall length and a wheelbase of 104.5 inches, the C5 was also the largest model to wear the Corvette’s crossed-flags badge. The body was as smooth as a wet bar of soap, which contributed to a top speed of 181 miles per hour and amazing 28 miles per gallon of gas.

Corvette engineers produced another world-class supercar with the 2005-13 C6, which carried a 364ci V-8 that produced 400 horsepower and could reach 60 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 190 miles per hour – all while returning 26 miles per gallon on the highway. Designers took away the Corvette’s traditional hidden headlights, replacing them with high-intensity fixed units that give the C6 front a predatory stare-down appearance. Chevrolet built the final C6 in February of this year in order to prep its Bowling Green, Ky., plant for production of the fastest standard Corvette in history.

The new-for-2014 C7 Corvette Stingray is a technological marvel on par with any European supercar but for a fraction of the sticker price. It also marks the first Corvette generation not available or serviceable through all Chevrolet dealerships. By visiting one of the specially trained and equipped C7 Corvette dealers, an enthusiast can drive away in a two-seat dream machine powered by a 455-horsepower, 376ci V-8 that shifts through a seven-speed manual transmission for $51,000. That drivetrain is cradled in an aluminum chassis and covered by a carbon-fiber roof and hood, all of which have been sculpted into the most aggressive envelope since billionaire Bruce Wayne combined a Stealth fighter with an urban assault vehicle. Zero-to-60 times are in the sub-4.0-second range, and top speed is expected to nudge 200. Even with acceleration in the jet fighter range, the Stingray still manages a miserly EPA highway fuel consumption of 29 miles per gallon – the same as a Honda Accord sedan or Toyota Matrix economy car.

The Corvette 60th anniversary display at the Charlotte AutoFair will feature a 1957 fuelie, ’63 split-window coupe, ’78 Indy 500 Pace Car replica, supercharged ’13 ZR1, anniversary edition Corvettes, 100th Anniversary of Chevrolet 2012 Centennial Edition Grand Sport and many more examples of the “Plastic Fantastic.”

Hours for the Sept. 19-22 AutoFair are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday. Ticket prices are $10 per day for adults, and children 13 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Fans who buy a ticket for the first three days get the fourth day free. Parking for the event is $5.

For more information on the four-day event, contact the speedway events department at 704-455-3205 or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

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‘Vette fan? Check outCorvette: The Greatest American Sports Car.

Chevy fans should also check out these resources from Old Cars Weekly:

• Standard Catalog of Chevrolet 1912-2003
• Just Chevys: True Tales & Iconic Cars from America’s No. 1 Automaker

The post ‘Vettes to take center stage at Fall Charlotte appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Iconic comedian, talk-show host, and noted Corvette collector Jay Leno commandeered motorcade of classic ‘Vettes from years gone by whilst behind the wheel of the new, highly anticipated 2014 Stingray.

Leno, who reminisces about his first ‘Vette, and Hendrick both lauded the new Stingray which is the first Corvette to bear the “Stingray” name since 1976.

To VIEW: Click here or on video above.

The post H-H-H-Here’s Jay… and Rick Hendrick in the 2014 Stingray appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Story and photos by Brian Earnest

Jim Thibodeau probably isn’t like most Corvette owners. He didn’t dream about owning “the Great American Sports Car,” and he wasn’t even window shopping when he bought his 1960 Corvette 29 years ago. In fact, he didn’t even want the car. He had to be talked into it by his sister, who owned the car and needed to get rid of it.

“She worked on me, yes she did,” Thibodeau laughs now. “She had to talk me into it a little bit, but it worked out well for me. I’m not sure it worked out for her!

“I already had [a hobby car]. I had a ’56 T-Bird and that was my toy, and I didn’t really think I needed two of them, but it’s been quite a collection with the two classics like that.…”

The Roman Red convertible had about 56,000 miles when Thibodeau took the keys, and it now shows 78,000-plus on the odometer. The car had been freshened up with a new paint job and an engine rebuild while his sister still owned the car in the 1980s. Since then, however, the car has had only a little routine maintenance and remains Thibodeau’s weekend road trip machine and occasional show car. The thrill of zooming down a country road with the top down on a sunny day has clearly not worn off after so many years.

“It’s been a lot of fun. A great car, great car. It’s kind of an American classic,” he said. “The new ones today are incredible with all the technology. It’s unbelievable. This one has the look that everyone wants, but not the technology of a new car — the handling, air conditioning, all of the features the new cars have. But people do love this. They love the look. It really is the classic Corvette look.”

Thibodeau became familiar with his car when his sister still owned it. He had no designs on owning one himself, but he began to appreciate the car after his sibling bought it from the original owner — a collector who had a fleet of eight or nine Corvettes. “They owned it for three or four years and I helped them a lot with the restoration that she did on it,” Thibodeau said. “I knew it was a nice, solid car, and after I purchased it, I bought some books and learned some more about the Corvettes, and it’s a wonderful, wonderful car.”

Over the years, Thibodeau has replaced the dash pad once and the off-white convertible soft top twice. The car came with the optional removable hardtop, but Thibodeau didn’t use it and didn’t really want it, so he made a rather unusual swap. “I actually traded that for a hot tub about 25 years ago. I was single at the time and I thought the hot tub was a better deal,” he said. “I never used the hardtop at the time. I put it on in the winter when I stored it. I don’t think the hardtop is a very practical thing to have. It takes up space, and I got a lot more use out of the hot tub!”

Chevrolet’s legendary sports car had begun to cement its legacy by the time it entered its eighth model year in 1960. The “first-generation” ’Vettes had been continually updated and tweaked since 1953, and for 1960, the cars retained the same body lines and dual-headlight countenance that was born in 1958.

The base engine for 1960 was the 283-cid V-8 that produced 230 hp with the help of a single Carter four-barrel carburetor. A pair of dual-quad setups that produced 245 and 270 hp were also available. For buyers who wanted to pony up $484 for fuel injection, there was a RPO 579 option rated at 275 hp and RPO 579D listed at 315 hp. Only 859 of the 10,261 Corvettes built for the model year carried fuel injection.

A three-speed manual Synchro-Mesh transmission with a floor shifter was standard equipment. A two-speed Powerglide automatic was available, as was a four-speed manual, which was ordered for Thibodeau’s car. His car was also one of 1,211 1960 Corvettes equipped with the 245-hp dual quad setup.

“It’s got the four-speed with the two four-barrels, which is kind of rare and adds horsepower to it, but it doesn’t do the gas mileage much good,” he joked. “That’s OK, I’m over that by now.

“It’s not a heavily loaded car or anything. The Wonderbar radio still works, and it does have a heater.”

The car could have been ordered with either a black or white top. Thibodeau has put two new white tops on his car. “I did that myself, with the help of a couple people,” he said. “It’s not too hard, but it takes a day.”

A tachometer, outside rearview mirror, seat belts, dual exhaust and electric clock were among the other standard features for 1960. The concave instrument lenses, which were introduced in 1959, reduced reflection. The optional four-speed manual transmission had a T-shaped reverse-lockout shifter with a white plastic shifter knob.

For paint choices, buyers could chose between Roman Red, Horizon Blue, Honduras Maroon, Ermine White, Sateen Silver, Cascade Green and Tuxedo Black. Ermine White was the most popular with 3,717 cars. Thibodeau’s car is one of 1,529 painted Roman Red.

A new aluminum clutch housing cut the Corvette’s weight by 18 pounds for 1960. A larger-diameter front anti-roll bar and new rear bar enhanced ride and handling characteristics of the 1960 model. The independent front suspension had coil springs, tubular shocks and the new anti-roll bar. A live axle with leaf springs was employed in back, and hydraulic drum brakes were found on all four corners.

Even though they are sometimes compared to each other, Thibodeau has found his Corvette and Thunderbird to be entirely different animals with much different driving experiences.

“This car I would say handles better than the 1956, but all cars improved as they got [newer],” he said. “This is more of a sporty feel. It corners real flat and is not as soft a feel as the Ford Thunderbird. I like both of them. I can’t say I like one better than the other.

“The ride is very solid. It handles very well for a car that’s 50 years old. It’s a bit of a workout with the clutch. There’s no power steering. It’s got the big steering wheel, which they put in there for leverage. Without power steering, it’s hard to steer, but it’s a fun driving experience, really. It’s unique.”

Thibodeau said he drove the car almost daily during the first three summers he owned it. Many of its trips over the years have been to and from the golf course where the car’s large — for a Corvette, anyway — trunk comes in handy. “Two sets of golf clubs will fit in here and I’ve taken it to the golf course probably a thousand times, and it’s been very practical in that respect,” he said. “You can use it as a grocery getter, and I’ve used it to get groceries, too.”

Thibodeau drives his ’Vette regularly, but not as much as he did back in the 1980s when he first bought it. Still, he’s glad he never took the car apart and gave it a complete restoration. That might make him less inclined to jump in it, drop the top and head out for a weekend joy ride or even a cruise to a car show. As it stands now, the car is in ideal condition to do either.

“It’s a great-looking driver and I’ll take it anywhere,” he said. “I don’t have a problem driving it anywhere. If I spent a lot of money on a restoration, then you worry about everything and life is too short to worry about little things. If I get a stone chip, it’s not a problem. But if you go crazy on a restoration, then you worry too much.

“I’m a pretty low-key personality, I don’t worry about much, and that’s the way I want to keep it.”

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The post Car of the Week: 1960 Chevrolet Corvette appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Story and photos by Al Rogers

The Aug. 16, 2012, issue of Old Cars Weekly featured a forlorn 1965 Chevrolet Corvette roadster found languishing in the grass at a secret location. Not far from that 1965 roadster rests this 1967 Corvette roadster in a similar setting, but unlike the previously featured ’65 Corvette, there’s hope of resurrection for this ’67.

Tall grass attempts to drown Lee and Amanda Sloppy’s Corvette, but the unique profile of the Sting Ray sports car floats above the grass tips. The Sloppys have not forgotten their numbers-matching 327-cid, 300-hp 1967 Corvette roadster as it slips into a sea of green. They have a long history with the car, which they purchased from the original owner in 1973. Amanda Sloppy used it as her daily driver for her two-mile commute to work until 1981. After they replaced the mufflers a few times and its brakes went out, the ’67 Corvette was parked in its grassy field hideout for more than three decades.

“Family life took over with the arrival of our children, campers, dune buggies and other projects [and] the Corvette was not a priority,” Lee Sloppy said.

The couple plans to start a body-off-frame restoration before year’s end to give the Corvette a second life. A new shop is under construction on their property to serve as the restoration facility for the project. Lee Sloppy, now retired from work as a GM mechanic, has the time, resources and determination to see the project through.

Almost since the day the Corvette was parked in its grassy hideout, Lee has maintained a goal of restoring the Corvette. Many offers have rolled his way to sell it, but as he put it, “No need to do that.”

We’ll be following this project and its progress in the near future. Stay tuned. In the meantime, more of the Sting Ray…

‘Vette fan? Check out Corvette: The Greatest American Sports Car.

The post Sting Ray in the grass: Neglected ‘Vette to see new life appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

LOS ANGELES – The Petersen Automotive Museum will celebrate the 60th anniversary of “America’s Sports Car,” the Chevrolet Corvette, with a tribute March 1-2.

Organizers say the most anticipated and significant event of the weekend is the 60th Anniversary Gala featuring speaker Kirk Bennion, the exterior design manager of the Corvette C7 Stingray. Bennion will discuss the C7’s radical departure in style from previous generations, allowing industry experts and enthusiasts alike the rare opportunity to gain insight into the design process and ask questions about one of the most anticipated new vehicle debuts in recent memory.

Other highlights include the Corvette Car Day Show, an exhibit inside the museum featuring the rarest examples of each generation including the very first Corvette “EX-122,” which debuted at the GM Motorama in 1953 and a series of educational panels featuring Corvette legends and industry experts.

The 60th Anniversary Gala is March 1. The Corvette Car Day Show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 2 is free to spectators. The cost for participants is $60 per car and includes two free museum admissions, free parking, a goodie bag and a limited edition medallion created by Mid America Motorworks to commemorate the event.

The Petersen will host three panels throughout two days, each with a cost of $25: The Corvette Values Seminar at 10:30 a.m. March 1; The Racing Panel Discussion at 2 p.m. March 1; and The Corvette Restoration Seminar at 10:30 a.m. March 2.

In addition to the events, a special Corvette exhibit showcasing Corvettes from every generation, along with significant vehicles from history will be on display from Feb. 27 through March 31. Notable Corvettes include:

• 1953 EX-122: the first Corvette shown to the public
• 1956 SR2: an experimental race car
• 1959 Corvette Italia by Scaglietti: an Italian bodied masterpiece rendered in aluminum
• 1960 CERV I: the first mid-engine prototype
• 1964 “World’s Fair” Corvette: customized by GM for the New York World’s Fair
• 1963 Grand Sport and a 1968 “Sundowner” Bonneville Racer: driven by many famous racers including Dick Doane, John Mecom, Alan Sevadjian, Auggie Pabst, Jim Hall, A.J. Foyt and John Cannon

Event sponsors include Mid America Motorworks, Hagerty Collector Car Insurance, Corvette Mike, Intercity Lines and Fender Guitar.

Register or buy tickets online at www.CorvetteDay.org or call 323-964-6325. Some events have limited availability and will sell out.

Also, learn more at www.petersen.org.

‘Vette fan? Check out Corvette: The Greatest American Sports Car.

The post Corvette Day celebrates 60 years of sports car appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.