Motorists, Beware! No More 5-MPH Cushion!
Here's Lookin' at You!
DRIVERS, BEWARE!!!
Several weeks ago, while listening to Gerald Clemente on a talk show radio program, Gerald mentioned that the previous weekend in the State of Virginia, almost 7,000 traffic tickets were issued in ONE WEEKEND!
As townships and states all across the Union are feeling the pressure of this Depression, they are turning to police to help raise money through vehicle or traffic citations. Small towns are installing surveillance cameras at intersections that can catch drivers cutting a fast yellow light, running a red, not coming to a full stop, not stopping behind the line, etc. The camera catches license plate numbers and a computer sends the ticket in the mail. I think that soon they’ll just debit your checking account. Continue reading
Corvette Oddball: Did Chevy Ever Build a Drag Racing Corvette?
Dateline: 8.10.2010
Answer: Not for actual drag racing competition. (now THAT would have been interesting) But they did build a dragster Vette, just to show off a little.
69 454 ZL-1 Corvette Drag Racing Engineering Study
(SPECIAL TREAT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST!)
The introduction of the four wheel, independent suspension in the ’63 Sting Ray was a major breakthrough for road racers, but left drag racers with tons of rear suspension broken parts. Let’s face it, the production independent rear suspension was never designed for those brutal drag racing starts. Corvette engines, small and big-blocks have never had a problem producing lots of power. Too much power for the Corvette’s rear suspension.
Although there were a few successful drag racing Corvettes that included Bo Laws, Astoria-Chas, and Bernie Agman, most drag racers used the solid-axle Camaros, Novas, and C1 Corvettes.
At the ’70 press introduction in the Summer of ’69, Chevrolet had a specially prepared ’69 Corvette engineering design study set up for drag racing. Actually, it was the same car used the previous year to show off the ’69 ZL-1 engine. Duntov and his crew wanted to show off the awesome power potential of an even bigger ZL-1.
Chevrolet’s Hib Hufstader and Tom Langdon built the flaming orange, drag race prepared Corvette with a 454 cubic-inch version of the all-aluminum ZL-1 with a modified Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic, open 180-degree headers, and racing slicks for the press to “play with.”The menacing-looking Monaco Orange ZL1 was a press darling. Duntov enjoyed keeping the automotive press happy. Continue reading
A Naked Corvette? – Driveable Chassis ’67 Big-Block Corvette
67 Big Block Corvette Chassis
Let’s Play, “Corvette Oddball!”
Quirky Vette Factoids
by K. Scott Teeters
Question:
Do you really need a body for your Corvette?
Answer: Not really, but it’s nice to have one.
A Naked Corvette…
This car has been seen at many Corvette shows. over the last few years. It’s just too quirky to not share. The car is a fully functional ’67 big-block Corvette… with no body – just the fully running chassis. It must be a BLAST to drive! Continue reading
World’s Only Turbine-Powered Corvette
1978 Turbine Powered Corvette
The Spirit of Andy Granatelli’s 1967 Indy 500 Race car lives on in a 1978 Turbine-Powered Corvette.
By K. Scott Teeters, illustrator and author of Vette Magazine’s The Illustrated Corvette Series
Did Chevy ever seriously consider a turbo-powered Corvette?
Car designers have been playing around with the notion of a turbine-powered car since the dawn of the jet age. Continue reading
A Four-Door Holden Corvette? Get Me a Barf Bag, NOW!!!
A Four-Door Corvette? What???
by K. Scott Teeters
Holden's Commodore HSV W427
Holden’s new Commodore HSV W427? – Bing! Zoom! To the MOON! Get it Outta Here!
Talk about an act of desperation!
GM’s tired old car guy, Bob Lutz has spoken! But I can’t believe what I’m reading. Lutz says that a Holden-based four-door Corvette is a possibility. They’re getting all warm over the Corvette-powered Holden Commodore HSV W427. Obviously, with a Z06’s 427 LS7 engine the car will be bloody fast. Continue reading
Corvette Oddball: Did GM ever explore more than 8 cylinders for Corvette?
Let’s Play, “Corvette Oddball!” Quirky Vette Factoids
Question: Did GM’s Chevrolet ever explore more than 8 cylinders for the Corvette?
By K. Scott Teeters, creator of Illustrated Corvette Series as seen in Vette Magazine
Answer: Briefly, but not deeply.
The Dodge Viper certainly gets a lot of attention, thanks to its stunning good looks and impressive V-10 engine. Over the last few years we’ve seen high-end, luxury concept cars sporting V-10, V-12, and V-16 engines. But you know how it is with overcooked concept cars.
Back in ’92 Corvette Engineering must have been in a press-teasing mood. They decided to show the car mags their latest engineering study that stretched a late-model Corvette to accommodate the 55.5-inch long, 601-C.I.D. Falconer aircraft engine that cranked out a leisurely 660-horsepower and 782 ft./lb. of torque. Continue reading
Corvette Oddball: Did GM ever consider a rear engine Vette?
Let’s Play, “Corvette Oddball!”
Quirky Vette Factoids
Question: Did GM’s Chevrolet ever seriously consider a “rear-engine” Corvette?
By K. Scott Teeters, creator of Illustrated Corvette Series as seen in Vette Magazine
Answer: Ah… yes, but fortunately, not seriously. I covered this unusual engineering study car in The Illustrated Corvette Series as installment No. 42. Take note of how tiny the car was. Here’s the story…
Car companies make prototype cars all the time. Most of these machines are never shown to the public. Continue reading
“Corvette Oddball!” Grumpy’s Toy – A Corvette?
Let’s Play, “Corvette Oddball!”
Quirky Vette Factoids
Grumpy’s Toy- A Corvette?
by K. Scott Teeters
Hey! No mailbox hood scoop and Lakewood traction bars???
Question: Is the “Grumpy” Corvette for real?
Answer: I’m going to make a broad assumption that everyone reading this knows who Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins is. If not, we’re going to have to suspend your drivers license for a month while you take Muscle Car and Nostalgia Drag Racing Sensitivity Training Classes. Test at the end.
But seriously folks, Bill Jenkins is a true living legend, right up there with Zora Arkus-Duntov, A.J. Foyt, Don Garlits, and lots more. Da’ Grump doesn’t live too far from the Carlisle Fairgrounds – just up the PA Turnpike a ways. Back in 2007at the Corvettes at Carlisle Show, it seemed that the bright guys from K. C. Kerbeck, in Atlantic City, NJ thought it would be a lot of fun to dress up an out of the box, $44,950 Corvette with a few official Corvette accessory items, add some stripes, letter the car with “Grumpy” and “JENKINS/KERBECK” graphics. Then, to really send up the flag, they got the grumpy one himself to come by on Saturday, sign autographs, and grunt through endless bench racing stories. Continue reading
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