Membership - by Larry Vaitkus

Membership ReportOur membership is holding at 101. We've had several folks come visit us at the meetings - hopefully they'll be back! If you know of any potential members, please let me know.

NCM Ambassador - by Ed Clark

Documentation provided with the purchase or sale of an older Corvette can often add a good bit to the value of the car. It is used to verify what options were installed when it was built that owners or buyers can use to prove its originality, how much the factory suggested it cost, which dealer ordered it and/or sold it and much other information . The restoration of an older car, especially if trying to obtain NCRS, Bloomington or other verification, is easier accomplished knowing how it was originally constructed. The data can also be used by an owner to evaluate how their vehicle compares to others built in the same model year.

Documentation takes many forms with the most common being the window sticker typically fixed to a new vehicle and required by law since the late 1950s. Dealer invoices and sales papers, warranty information, registration documents, loan papers, tire information stickers, radio operation information and various other pieces of documentation have come with cars from the factory for many years or were generated at the sale. An important document for verifying how the car was assembled is the “build sheet” which accompanied the vehicle during assembly and often was placed somewhere in the vehicle at the end of the assembly process.

The build sheet has come in various sizes over the years and generally contains the car’s serial number and a large amount of information used by the assembly workers to know what to install on the car. Much of the information utilizes manufacturer codes for items as varied as type of body, engine type, wiring harness used, wheel and tire type, paint and interior codes, suspension type, radio type, seat type, springs and shock codes and numerous other things that have been available through the years. Sometime the information is in understandable terms like “sport seat” or “Arctic Wht” but usually is in terms like “FE3”, “Z16”, “ZBL” and numerous others. I learned watching my 2010 being built that there are several other build sheets that accompany the drive train assembly and the body assembly that are disposed of once the marriage of the drive train and body has occurred. Those documents contain information which sometimes doesn’t make it to the final build sheet on the car at the end of the assembly line.

The other significant document is the window sticker. It contains a good bit of information such as the serial number (VIN), standard and optional equipment (which may also be on the build sheet) but it also contains cost data and depending on the year fuel economy, parts content, safety, dealer data and other information.

Beginning with the construction of Corvettes in Bowling Green in 1981 and still continuing, the NCM has had access to the build sheets and window stickers of the cars produced there with the exception of a part of the 1982 model year. To obtain the documents for your car built in this time frame, go to the NCM web site and look under the History/Tributes header for the drop down menu and click on either Build Sheets or Window Stickers for information on ordering options. The Museum now offers to provide paper and laminated paper copies of either document, and laser etched wood and cast metal copies of the window stickers. You need the serial number (VIN) of the car and the model year to place an order. NCM members get a price break.

What else can you do with this information you ask? An opportunity exists to build up knowledge of “how special my car is” by quoting production statistics for the options on your vehicle. There are books like the “Corvette Black Book” that has the quantity produced of the factory offered options available each year. Additionally, since 2004, the Corvette Assembly Plant has posted on its web site detailed information on option production numbers by body style and model that are available free for downloading. Using the production information and the data provided by the build sheet and/or window sticker, you can determine how many other Corvettes of your model year were built with a particular option. This data doesn’t go so far as combining option statistics such as “black coupes with red interior and Z51 suspension” but it is still fun to see how your car compares to others in the model year and you can reach your own conclusions on option mixes and rarity.

The Tenth Commandment - by Dave Brownell

Coveting, Envy and Jealous behavior is something we were taught not to do, probably from our earliest training and socialization. There’s even a Commandment against coveting, so the problem is obviously a big one that goes way back in time. If Cane and Abel had cars in their day, I am sure that they might have had their deadly disagreement a bit sooner. I’m bringing this up because most of us have some nice things (mainly cars for this discussion) that others may want. Sometimes, very badly. That’s usually not a good thing, unless they’re prepared to buy it & we want to sell it.

My earliest recollections of wanting something like someone else had did not involve Corvettes, mostly because it was about a decade before the first Vettes appeared. It had to do with lunch boxes in first grade. It seemed that many of my friends had nice metal lunchboxes with Roy Rogers, Howdy Doody, or Space Patrol pictures lithographed on them. I also had a lunchbox, but mine was a plastic yellow school bus with red wheels that turned. My mother thought that I’d like it, and besides, it was different. Car-wise, it might have been the equivalent of driving a Yugo or Aztek to work. It was also pretty indestructible…ask me how I knew. I pleaded for something metal like my friends had. I should have been more specific. From a downtown shopping trip, she brought home a metal, picnic basket-like oval lunchbox with Ivy League college varsity pennants on it. A first grader in 1951 had no idea what Yale, Harvard or Princeton meant, and neither did my friends. Soon, I asked if we could wrap the lunches in newpaper or brown bags just to stop the comments. I just wanted a box just like my friends had.

About ten years later, I wanted a car like my friends had. I’d been working a few years, had some money saved, and my plans were set. I planned to offer my father my entire savings for the use, and eventual purchase of the family 1957 Chevy Bel Air hardtop. It would soon be almost four year old car and I had kept it in fine condition, knowing that it would prove a bitchin’ first car. My error was that I had failed to share my intentions with Pop. Out of the blue, and with no discussion, he traded the Bel Air for a new brown Buick LeSabre four door. The Chevy was gone and the offer to share my mother’s Rambler failed to achieve orbit with me. My boss at the gas station said that his brother’s 1955 Ford Custom sedan could be had for about a hundred, but the rust would soon take it over, so I had to act quickly. A V-8, with a three speed column shift looked good, but the pavement seen through the floor worried me. I passed on the Ford. Instead, I did the unusual, made strong by the memory of a plastic school bus lunchbox. I bought a 1958 Goggomobil sport coupe, a tiny German miniature of a Karmann Ghia VW. My parents were not happy with my $250 purchase, saying that they had not raised me to be squashed like a bug on the highway. But the little 2 cycle twin cylinder car got me where I wanted to be, and other than the one time an unbelted friend put his head through the windshield when its little tire fell into a rut, it was my car statement. A few months later, I traded the Goggo for a 1958 Volvo P-444 sedan with many colors of primer spray. That was a very wise choice because that sturdy, ugly car saved my life a short while later. It would not be squashed by rolling over six times down an embankment. The accident was not my fault and the settlement was sufficient to put me into a brand new 1963 VW sedan.

I may have been the first student in my high school class to show up in a brand new car. I rather quickly realized that I did not like the comments and some of the other “coveting” that went on, even if it was just over a Beetle. A nice fifty-seven Bel Air would have been the Roy Rogers lunch box equivalent, and the Beetle was merely an updated oval with pennants on it.

Those of us with Corvettes know the thrill of driving a cool looking car, envied by some, and the strength it takes to drive it with skill and pride, and to do it without being superior in attitude. Another person’s envy can ruin your day, so keeping things in check sometimes requires vigilance and courage. These days, a well-kept 1951 Roy Rogers lunch box can be worth a hundred or more on eBay. I wonder where I might have ended up if my mother had known how important it was? Lunch box envy probably is directly related to my Corvettes, today.

Corvette Atlanta Membership Trivia - by Betty Parks

Did you know that Corvette Atlanta joined NCCC (National Council of Corvette Clubs) in 1972 with 27 members?

Did you know that the club hosted the National Convention in 1974 with 85 members?

Did you know that there are two members from 1974 are current;y members of the club? One of those members - Ed Clark (#58) - has maintained his membership since 1974. The second member - Rob McLean (#79) - was a member from 1974 - 1977 and then returned in 2007.

Did you know that Roxanne Roseberry (#115) joined the club from 1975 - 1977, 1980 and then came back again in 2002?

Did you know that Ron Michael (#123) & David Morgan (#148) have been members since 1975?

Did you know that Dan Nugent (#194) has been a member since 1976?

Did you know that, in 1977, Doug McSwain (#198), Amy Parker (#207), Don Parks (#231) & Betty Parks (#232) joined the club and have remained members since?

Did you know that Bob Zrolka (#276) & Carolyn Nugent (#284) have maintained their membership since 1979?

Did you know that your NCCC number (SE-142-xxxx) reflects what position you occupy in the club's membership roster? Since the beginning of the club's legacy with NCCC - we have joined 853 members. What number are you??

C7 Anticipation - by Ed Clark & Dave Brownell

We are sure nearly all of you have interest in what the next Corvette generation is going to be like. Articles in magazines, on the internet, in newspapers and on TV have been speculating on the C7 model over the last two years fairly heavily and further back than that to within months of the C6 introduction at a reduced level. We can say right up front that we have no insights other than what has been read or heard but thought it might be fun to list the speculation items that we can remember and later see how the car turns out verses the list. You have probably heard of others not listed here you can add. Much speculation started when the Stingray Concept movie car was introduced with the ’63 style split rear window and now that a reported “mule” in a C6 body has shown up, speculation has revved up even more. Here goes our list:

1. Will have a split rear window
2. Will offer an optional split rear window
3. Will be similar to the Stingray Concept in design
4. Will have a narrower rear end appearance
5. Body width will be less
6. The track width will be less
7. An all new platform will be developed
8. Cost will result in only an updated C6 platform
9. 3.0 liter V8 overhead cam twin turbo base engine with direct injection
10. 4.8 liter V8 overhead cam with turbo or supercharger
11. 5.5 liter V8 with direct injection base engine
12. 3.6 liter V6, overhead cam, dry sump, turbo base engine
13. LS3 as optional V8 with direct injection
14. Cylinder de-activation for gas mileage
15. E85 compatibility
16. Variable valve timing on overhead cam engines
17. Transmission back to connected to engine so cylinder de-activation can be used
18. Smaller wheels and tires (weight saving)
19. Smaller brakes (weight saving)
20. More use of aluminum and composites to reduce weight
21. Much improved interior
22. Dual clutch transmission
23. 4 wheel drive as option
24. Updated electronics
25. Designed for younger buyers
26. Spring 2012 or winter or summer 2013 release

An item that no longer seems to be mentioned, that was a major speculation earlier, is a mid-engine layout. There is also a good bit of concern on vision/ safety associated with the split rear window idea. Tadge Juechter, Corvette Chief Engineer in a presentation at the National Corvette Museum during the C5/C6 Bash in April attempted to downplay all the speculation telling the individuals in the audience not to believe anything they are reading or hearing, so we will all get to guess awhile longer it appears. Happy Speculation!

Back to Some Basics - by Dave Brownell

Every day, most of us get a bit older. And for some of us, that means getting a bit softer, and perhaps a bit more lazy. But remember those early cars you started driving in….the ones that made you fall in love with cars and some other people? Chances are that things were simpler in those days. The cars, that is. My first Corvette was a lot more basic than the latest one. It was a low mileage 1965 roadster with a rather rare three speed manual and no power steering or brakes. The top was an “Armstrong”, but I did not mind a bit. The windows were nicely cranked to exactly where you wanted them. If you wanted to pay a toll, your arm helped out. That’s also the way it became air conditioned…just let the outside come through. Not a complaint about anything involved. It was a fine beginning to my Corvette affair.

That car had to be sold in 1967 because the military draft was calling me, and it would take almost two decades to get another one. Around the time of our fourth child, I came into some extra money and was given the opportunity to buy another Sting Ray, just to park next to the family Corvair. I went straight back for a rather simple 1967 small block coupe, equipped about as sparsely as the last one. This one had a four speed, but everything seemed so familiar, the transition was a smooth and natural one. If I wanted to take to easy driving, we had several other automatics with air conditioning by that time. So, the Corvette was reserved for real driving experiences and daily errands and long family trips used the others. Besides, the other driver did not like to use a stick shift and preferred “easy” over fun, especially if dealing with the many demands of transporting kids and their friends.

I reverted a bit when Corvette number three replaced a Volvo sedan. I bought a low-mileage 1985 Z-51 coupe. When compared to the 1966 Corvair and 1967 Corvette, it seemed like I had been rocketed into the future. It had power brakes, steering, windows, seats, air conditioning and an automatic. The other driver liked it because it went fast, she looked good in it, and was a lot more fun than her Caprice wagon. She also did not have to be bothered with transporting more than one kid at a time. Her only complaint was that it was hard to get in and out of when she was eight months pregnant with child number five.

As I write this, we still have the 1967, the 1985 and the Corvair. I must have been a bit worried that I was turning soft, so in a moment of a “really good deal”, I bought an almost new 1994 with paint the color of the 1967. For slightly less than a year, they looked really stunning when parked next to each other. It was also a soft car, but it did have a manual transmission, and that kept it mostly my car…not a universally popular decision. So, when someone offered me more than I paid for it, it went away.

More years passed, the kids went to college and houses got paid off. Middle age was quickly running out for me, and when I retired from my real job of 34 years, I bought the semi-soft 2007 coupe as my retirement gift. Evil influences were kept away by the six speed manual, but it had lots of power equipment that worked well. The very kid that made getting in and out of the 1985 an ordeal was allowed to drive this one home from the dealership….time does pass quickly. But he and his brothers appreciated the manual transmission, unlike the women in the family. They even tolerate the Z-51 suspension and vented brakes on this one.

The last Corvette we added was the 1993 Ruby coupe. I must be getting softer because I appreciate the standard suspension on this one, but it also has a six speed manual to preserve my skills.

So, my modest six Corvette legacy seems to fit a Bell curve of simple to complicated and back down to semi-comfortable. I’d bet that I’m not all that unusual. But don’t tempt me with a nice ZR-1 for a very nice price. An old guy like me has only so much will-power left.

Birthday's - August/September

Articles for the C-A-Review

We are very fortunate to have folks this year that are willing to write articles for our newsletter. Please express your thanks to them for their efforts in making the publication more interesting. Should you be approached to contribute materials for one of their upcoming articles - we hope that you will look upon the request with enthusiasm and pride that you will make news and/or the cover!!