Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

[Steven B.]

To expand on Bruce's;

What was the Year, Specs/RPO's of your first and subsequent Corvettes---and the story of how you got it?

Pics?

[John H.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

My first was a '53 I bought off a used car lot in Columbus, Ohio in 1959. Drove it back to Michigan, yanked the six/PG and sold it to a buddy for his Dad's truck, painted it black, converted to 12 volts, dropped in a '57 Buick "nailhead" V-8 with 3x2's and a Harman-Collins roller cam and a '37 Buick Century 3-speed (same as the LaSalle), and a 4.11 center section.

Two months later replaced the 3x2's with a 6-71 blower and two WCFB's - it ran 12.20's at Detroit Dragway, Motor City Dragway, and almost nightly on Woodward Avenue .

Had many others since, wish I'd kept the '65 327/365 A/C Tanker I restored in 1974; found it buried in the snow on a used car lot in Sharon, Pennsylvania.

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

I purchased my first and only Corvette in February of 1971. I still own it and received a Top Flight at the Novi regional last spring. It is, a silver '69 coupe with A/C, PW, PB, PS, auto trans, rear defogger, red lines, front fender louver trim, tilt/tele, alarm, AM/FM, tinted glass. I was fresh off of active duty and just had to have one of these new fangled T-Top cars. I was 25 when I purchased the car and had to wait until my 26th birthday later in the month so I could get insurance. My insurance agent told me that if it had anything bigger than a base engine "...don't call me because I won't write the insurance." I also had to have an automatic since I would be driving to and from work on the Long Island Expressway every day and there was no way I wanted to use a heavy clutch in that traffic (in 1976 I moved to Michigan). A picture of me and the car taken by my dad in March of '71 at the entrance to Fort Totten in Bayside is attached.
Jeff

[John N.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

My first was a '53 I bought off a used car lot in Columbus, Ohio in 1959. Drove it back to Michigan, yanked the six/PG and sold it to a buddy for his Dad's truck, painted it black, converted to 12 volts, dropped in a '57 Buick "nailhead" V-8 with 3x2's and a Harman-Collins roller cam and a '37 Buick Century 3-speed (same as the LaSalle), and a 4.11 center section.

Two months later replaced the 3x2's with a 6-71 blower and two WCFB's - it ran 12.20's at Detroit Dragway, Motor City Dragway, and almost nightly on Woodward Avenue .

Had many others since, wish I'd kept the '65 327/365 A/C Tanker I restored in 1974; found it buried in the snow on a used car lot in Sharon, Pennsylvania.

John
Congratulations on your NCM HOF. Look forward to the event in September. What is the RPM of your Sun tach. Do you know what years had the red football?
Regards

[Dan A.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

My first was a '53 I bought off a used car lot in Columbus, Ohio in 1959. Drove it back to Michigan, yanked the six/PG and sold it to a buddy for his Dad's truck, painted it black, converted to 12 volts, dropped in a '57 Buick "nailhead" V-8 with 3x2's and a Harman-Collins roller cam and a '37 Buick Century 3-speed (same as the LaSalle), and a 4.11 center section.

John do you know the VIN and if the car still exists?

[Steven B.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

John
Congratulations on your NCM HOF. Look forward to the event in September. What is the RPM of your Sun tach. Do you know what years had the red football?
Regards

John, I have one with the red football that was installed in my '57 in the '59-'60 timeframe.

Steve

[John H.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

What is the RPM of your Sun tach. Do you know what years had the red football?
Regards

John -

I THINK it was an 8K tach, but I'm not positive - I sold the car in 1961.

[John H.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

John do you know the VIN and if the car still exists?

Dan -

It was in the mid-30's as I recall, but I sold the car 47 years (and about 15 moves) ago and don't have any records of it - didn't matter in those days. All that mattered back then was buying a pair of Atlas Bucrons on Friday (for $18.00) and hoping they'd last through the weekend.

[Dick W.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

1961 230 hp, 4 speed, radio, white walls, posi, and soft top only. We took this car in trade Nov 1962, for a new 1963 IHC chicken truck. I bought it for what the actual cash allowance was, $1,800 1961 #2 built LT-1 tunnel ram, Crane roller, vertex mag, Mondello heads, Carillo rods, 6 tail lamps, 1974 with more motor than the second '61, 64 365 hp ac coupe, '66 425 coupe, '69 L/88 Duntov/Bloomington Gold, '72 454 coupe

Link the Honorable Hinckster, would buy a new set of tires on Friday, Monday after school would be at the cap shop getting the rears capped. It would amount to 4 new tires every three weeks or so. I took every thing I made working part time to keep tires on the car.

[William C.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

'58 original 3 speed 250hpFI no radio (found the original owner after I had it a while) came to me with 327/365hp and 4 speed in 1966. Drove for the next three years a sole source of tramsportation, including towing a '52 Oldsmobile to Indy and back twice for the NHRA Nationals. Sold to a friend who drag raced it and eventually lost track of it. Then a '61 project, a '60 driver, a '65 327 365hp green-green coupe kept for about 12 years, a 74 base motor coupe with all options bought new in '74 sold in '76 took a burgandy-burgandy '65 coupe in trade, '67 427/390 with A/ C, 68 427 400 with POP and title back to original owner (bought at Nicky Chevrolet) 66 427/425hp one convert, one coupe, ' 62 FI car bought from a dealer friend in Michigan, driver needs restored, new '84 delivered in spring of '83, '65 FI coupe bought summer of '84, new '85, a few others I've forgotten along the way, and an '89 bought summer of 2003 Crossed Flags winner at Boston.

[Steven B.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

I bought my 1957 at noon, November 21 from the third owner. The car new was 245 HP, 3 speed, 3.70, Polo White, red interior, black soft top, white hardtop, wonderbar, whitewalls. When I negotiated from $1750 down to $1675 (A heck of alot for a '57 then!) it had Sun tach, 61 4 speed, Atlas Bucron 7.10 cheaters on the back, white pinstriping on the upper dash, red and white under the hood. I have original 3 speed boxed. The car is now in my garage. I have full owner history and nearly weekly communicate with the fellow I bought the car from. Ordered 1977 August 6, 1976 from Crumback-Symons, New Haven, IN. 72 Medium Red, black leather, L-82, TH400, 3.55's, blackwalls, FE-7, convenience group, A/C, etc. All factory options except cruise. I have all documentation and it is in my garage. I saw it come off the truck. Ordered '78 Silver Anniversary for my Dad in Sept. 1977. L-48, TH350, Trailering Package, AM/FM/CB, 3.08, 225 Good Years, 12,000+ miles, all original except oil. In the garage now. I have all documentation and saw it come off the truck.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

first corvette was a new 1959 crown saphire with a hard top,base engine and a 3 speed and too many since then to list. the 2008 is #11 new one and i think this one may be a keeper just like mrs clem my wife of 50 years.

[Joe R.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

First Corvette was a 1964 Roadster, white, red interior, no motor or transmission. As a matter of fact, no front end but the seller was nice enough to give me a 63 front clip along with the deal. Bought it from the Judge in Pulaski, Tn. in 1969 for $275.00. Other options included a 4.56 posi rear. Someone had tack welded chicken wire on the back of the backing plates and put on a dual master cylinder. Gee, wonder what that was all about?

Glued on the front end, dropped in a BB, 4 speed and painted it pearl white. Sold it for $1800.00. We thought we were rich! What do you think those chicken wire backing plates and master cylinder would bring today?

Been a long line since then of trashy old Corvettes. Never had a new one! Always wrecks and looking forward to the next one in line. Got my eye on a 1963 with FI and those same old backing plates with chicken wire tack welded to the back. Think I can get it for $275.00?

JR

[Steven B.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

First Corvette was a 1964 Roadster, white, red interior, no motor or transmission. As a matter of fact, no front end but the seller was nice enough to give me a 63 front clip along with the deal. Bought it from the Judge in Pulaski, Tn. in 1969 for $275.00. Other options included a 4.56 posi rear. Someone had tack welded chicken wire on the back of the backing plates and put on a dual master cylinder. Gee, wonder what that was all about?

Glued on the front end, dropped in a BB, 4 speed and painted it pearl white. Sold it for $1800.00. We thought we were rich! What do you think those chicken wire backing plates and master cylinder would bring today?

Been a long line since then of trashy old Corvettes. Never had a new one! Always wrecks and looking forward to the next one in line. Got my eye on a 1963 with FI and those same old backing plates with chicken wire tack welded to the back. Think I can get it for $275.00?

JR

Probably a little more than $275---but tell you what I'm 'gonna do; I will take those evidently "home made" and incorrect old backing plates off your hands for 50 bucks so you can get the "correct" ones. Do you have the lining? I got a deal for you if you do. I just did a similiar favor for a guy who had some funny looking old rubber (probably made form old tires) things attached to his front brakes. I even traded him the correct springs for his that someone added an extra leaf to. I am currently working with a guy to trade a "new" repro correct tach for the one in his '57 that is an 8000 RPM AC unit from who knows what. 'Be glad to help whenever I can.

Steve

[Joe R.]

Re: Specs/Options of 1st & subsequent Corvettes

Probably a little more than $275---but tell you what I'm 'gonna do; I will take those evidently "home made" and incorrect old backing plates off your hands for 50 bucks so you can get the "correct" ones. Do you have the lining? I got a deal for you if you do. I just did a similiar favor for a guy who had some funny looking old rubber (probably made form old tires) things attached to his front brakes. I even traded him the correct springs for his that someone added an extra leaf to. I am currently working with a guy to trade a "new" repro correct tach for the one in his '57 that is an 8000 RPM AC unit from who knows what. 'Be glad to help whenever I can.

Steve

Steve, with friends like you I just thank my lucky stars every night when I say my prayers. I'll bring all that stuff to Kissimmee.

JR