67 Corvette 427

Yep, my neighbor at LRAFB was a Texas Boy named Bonn Tanner, I just love that guy... hated motorcycles and was worried about me, told me about motorcycle wrecks, (there are those who have had wrecks, and those who will!)

He an IP in the C130 like my Dad, a Captain, had a lovely Texas girl name Joelynn, who also took care of me, I mowed their yard etc, etc......

any way, Capt Tanner was playing "Frisbee" and stepped in a whole and had a very bad sprain, the clutch went out on his Ti-yota. I was 14 and had a "learners permit", and he very reluctantly asked me to drive him to down-town Jacksonville, Ark in his Nassau Blue, 1965 roadster with the 396 cubic inch, 425 horsepower "porcupine moter"....

It was a full 5 minutes before I could drive away, (I heard that thing start around 4 AM every morning), had the choke and heat riser blocked off, I killed it 2 or 3 times, and complained because it pulled badly to the right, he pointed out the the road was "crowned", two lane black-top out the "back gate"......

He was a little "annoyed" that I was pointing that out, went to town, got the clutch for the Ti-yota, and headed back to base....

We hadn't gone a block and came to a red-light at the bottom of a steep hill... I was sitting at the red-light when the light was just turning green and some "dumb-azz" hillbilly came flying over the top of the hill about sevendy miles a hour......

Well, my high performance n-stinc took over and I put the "balls to the wall and popped the clutch" on that chick. By the time I banged second, that hillbilly was still trying to stop that damned old truck with little success, but that Vette was beginning to look like a space shuttle launch, hardly moving at first, but then shortly going "super sonic"... as I was reaching Mach 1.1 that hillbilly was getting his truk slowed down, I was able to come out of the power and grab 3rd gear, only then was I able to look over at Capt Tanner???

I'd give a $1,000 dollars right now to have video tape of that whole damn thing, maybe even just to see the look on Capt Tannner's face? to this day I don't know if he realized how close his beloved Vette came to being "pranged" and it was a quite ride home, LOL

The only vehicle I had ever driven before was an 8N Ford tractor, and my Dad's new 70 F-100 Sport Custom with a 3 on the tree and a 302 small block? but something awesome had come over me in that moment of great crisis?? and I was "HOOKED".. I'll never forget that Nassau Blue Vette, and I'll never forget the look on Bonn Tanner's face, I was never invited to drive the Vette again??? but that was enough....
As the twig is bent....so grows the tree, right BillyMagg?
 
I'm just a pup compared to most of you all, but I lusted after those Stingrays too.

Then I sat in one and even at 6' felt like I was buried in the ground.

Even so, I've had daydreams of discovering a barn-find '63-'65 convertible and building it out as a Grand Sport tribute but with modern brakes and such. Though, as stated above, even a junker will be expensive.

130107103945-gallery-most-valuable-corvette-1963-grand-sport-youtube.jpg
 
I liked the side fender shark gills it was a '66 with a 427/435hp with trips. Always wanted one.

Now the only car collection is my slot cars 1/32 with the kids. Home - Electric Dreams I can own andvdrive any car.
 
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The only Vettes in my life are my dad's, he has a 58, a 65, and probably a couple others I don't know about. He's definitely a car guy, you never know what you will find when you go visit.

He let me drive his first 58 once, but he hasn't let me drive the current one.

I'm lower on the totem pole with my poor man's 55 210.
 
Had a Marina Blue 66 Convertible. Just a 327-300. It was a fun car and had been owned by a High School English teacher.. Bought it from her in 68. Over the years I had a 58, a 62, 63 Coupe and the 66. Didn't like the 68s etc. One of the most fun cars I ever had was a 57 T Bird.... Fast?? Not really but between it and the XKE they were the ones the gals liked the best.
 
Mine is a 16 Z06 650 hp, white, black carbon top, black stinger stripe, black mirrors, blue interior, 7 speed manual.
Reaaaally like it.
 
Bought a used Polar White Coupe 67 after Viet Nam in 1970 from

Ft Sumter Chevrolet in Charleston. Paid $3390 w/17000 miles...

My first AIR car:-) 300hp/327, AC, PS, PB,EW, and a slip n slide Powerglide..

Good gas mileage too. Tires lasted FOREVER.. 3:08 rear Posi and

a Powerglide didn't produce many or ANY burnouts.. l remember

the first time l tried to find the BATTERY.. Finally located it inside the

inner fender well on the driver side... Replacing it required taking drivers

front wheel off... Then removing the inner fender liner fastened with a zillion screws...

Even with that little 327 under the hood it was really crowded in there...

Most threw the ignition shielding away the after their first tune-up.

Sold it around 1974 after the first baby came... Really nice car. l still miss it..

My hotrod these days is a 2wd 2010 FJ CRUISER. Not a high performance

car by any definition. Still quite stylish tho
 
The big blocks sure had the torque and with positraction would put you in the next lane if you got down on it.

A friend had a 66 with the big block while I optioned for the 327 engine.

I had a 66, 69 and a 78 which I still have. The older ones can take a trailer hitch which is bolted into the rear end. I pulled a boat with my 69 from VA to CA and back. The 69 350 had chrome rings and a 11 to 1 compression ratio. It had over 440K miles when I sold it.

My 78 I used to pull a trailer for hauling water and other things like compost.
 

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Not a 427...

...but since we are seeing pix of lotsa Corvettes, here's The Big Girl on the day I picked her up. Corvette 'Museum Delivery' in Bowling Green, KY, May, 2015.

She's a very unique vehicle. Night Race Blue, Kalahari interior, 3LT, Z51, A8, and more. Though exact numbers are not maintained by GM, extrapolating available numbers suggests she may be the only Corvette EXACTLY like her.

Even if not one of a kind, I dig her. Just over 15K now on the odometer; always fun to drive.

Be safe.
 

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...but since we are seeing pix of lotsa Corvettes, here's The Big Girl on the day I picked her up. Corvette 'Museum Delivery' in Bowling Green, KY, May, 2015.

She's a very unique vehicle. Night Race Blue, Kalahari interior, 3LT, Z51, A8, and more. Though exact numbers are not maintained by GM, extrapolating available numbers suggests she may be the only Corvette EXACTLY like her.

Even if not one of a kind, I dig her. Just over 15K now on the odometer; always fun to drive.

Be safe.


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Would "Wow!" be considered a suitable comment here?

If so, consider it said.
 
...but since we are seeing pix of lotsa Corvettes, here's The Big Girl on the day I picked her up. Corvette 'Museum Delivery' in Bowling Green, KY, May, 2015.

She's a very unique vehicle. Night Race Blue, Kalahari interior, 3LT, Z51, A8, and more. Though exact numbers are not maintained by GM, extrapolating available numbers suggests she may be the only Corvette EXACTLY like her.

Even if not one of a kind, I dig her. Just over 15K now on the odometer; always fun to drive.

Be safe.

Beautiful!! I'm planning a road trip to NCM this summer.
 

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