1953 #276 Back on the Road

[Steven B.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Russ, these pics are great! More will be fine! The Gran Sport is from a Buick. Bonneville was mentioned. You should take it there and see what it will do! Take it this Aug. and I will see you there.

Steve

[Mike G.]

Cloth vs Mat

Was looking at a black '54 at the Tucson Kruse auction yesterday. The upper rear fender and pod areas showed cloth weave patterns.

Was cloth used at all in these early cars?

[Tom P.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Russ,
I think it's great that a car which is so "worshiped" by the NCRS crowd is in a driver condition as well as driven. GREAT!

Also, I'm amazed at the POSITIVE comments that have been posted by NCRS members. To this day, I still have a great deal of apprehension toward the overall NCRS membership as a result of so much snobbiness toward me by them in past years because of my non-correct 56.
It's refreshing to see a different attitude from NCRS members.

Keep up the good work!!!

By the way, aside from the 5 Corvette Grand Sports, The Gran Sport was a mid-size (A-body) Buick cousin to the Chevelle SS back in the late 60s-early 70s.
Just like the killer 70 SS with the LS6 454 (70 ONLY), Buick's equivalent was the 455 Stage I GS (70 ONLY).

[Michael A.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Ok, I'll take a stab at answering my own question. I'm guessing a "wibit" is a rivet. If that' is correct then you must be a "wascally wabbit".

Brains are still slow here in the frozen tundras of Illinois.

Cheers

[Russ U.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Russ,
I think it's great that a car which is so "worshiped" by the NCRS crowd is in a driver condition as well as driven. GREAT!

Also, I'm amazed at the POSITIVE comments that have been posted by NCRS members. To this day, I still have a great deal of apprehension toward the overall NCRS membership as a result of so much snobbiness toward me by them in past years because of my non-correct 56.
It's refreshing to see a different attitude from NCRS members.

Keep up the good work!!!

By the way, aside from the 5 Corvette Grand Sports, The Gran Sport was a mid-size (A-body) Buick cousin to the Chevelle SS back in the late 60s-early 70s.
Just like the killer 70 SS with the LS6 454 (70 ONLY), Buick's equivalent was the 455 Stage I GS (70 ONLY).

Thanks for the nice note, Tom. And for the info on the Buick Gran Sport. Dave Elie liked performance, so he must have added the GS emblem for that reason.

I have only been an NCRS member for 5 years or so, and I have never seen the snobbishness that you mention. I know others who share you viewpoint, however. I suspect the passage of time has matured the hobby. As C1s become scare on the road, I think people can enjoy looking at an unrestored car to see what changes the early drivers made to the car. And I think the younger members of NCRS, especially those of us who did not grow up with early Corvettes, really enjoy seeing unrestored cars.

Russ

[Russ U.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

By the way, aside from the 5 Corvette Grand Sports, The Gran Sport was a mid-size (A-body) Buick cousin to the Chevelle SS back in the late 60s-early 70s.
Just like the killer 70 SS with the LS6 454 (70 ONLY), Buick's equivalent was the 455 Stage I GS (70 ONLY).

Dave Elie's wife, Linda, tells me that David also owned several Buicks, and that there is a pic of #276 circa 1965 wearing the GS emblem. A quick google search shows that the Buick introduced the first GS optioned car in 1965.

Here is the circa 1965 pic with the GS emblem. (I can date the pic via the license plate sticker). Dave's mom is the passenger in the car.

Russ

[Roy B.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Ok, I'll take a stab at answering my own question. I'm guessing a "wibit" is a rivet. If that' is correct then you must be a "wascally wabbit".

Brains are still slow here in the frozen tundras of Illinois.

Cheers

Your slow but you got it

[Roy B.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Russ,
I think it's great that a car which is so "worshiped" by the NCRS crowd is in a driver condition as well as driven. GREAT!

Also, I'm amazed at the POSITIVE comments that have been posted by NCRS members. To this day, I still have a great deal of apprehension toward the overall NCRS membership as a result of so much snobbiness toward me by them in past years because of my non-correct 56.
It's refreshing to see a different attitude from NCRS members.

Keep up the good work!!!

By the way, aside from the 5 Corvette Grand Sports, The Gran Sport was a mid-size (A-body) Buick cousin to the Chevelle SS back in the late 60s-early 70s.
Just like the killer 70 SS with the LS6 454 (70 ONLY), Buick's equivalent was the 455 Stage I GS (70 ONLY).

I never get the snobbiness look from member but do get a few looks from newer members as if I destroyed my 55 having wire wheels ,bubble top and added accessories and why I bring it to a NCRS meet.

[Darwin O.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Yeah, that's a pretty awesome ride! I love the fuzzy seat covers - reminds me of my 66 Malibu in the 80's. This car is an excellent example of the road-warrior version of the hobby. Love it.

Cheers!

[Steven B.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Dave Elie's wife, Linda, tells me that David also owned several Buicks, and that there is a pic of #276 circa 1965 wearing the GS emblem. A quick google search shows that the Buick introduced the first GS optioned car in 1965.

Here is the circa 1965 pic with the GS emblem. (I can date the pic via the license plate sticker). Dave's mom is the passenger in the car.

Russ

'used to see those wheels in Sears catalog and at J&G Speed Shop. Raders, as I recall.

[Bruce B.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Russ;
What are the small gizmos at each end of the front license plate bracket?

[Russ U.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Russ;
What are the small gizmos at each end of the front license plate bracket?

I dunno. They disappeared from the photos in the late 60s.

Russ

[James G.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Looks great Russ. You need to get together with Mick Swezey, who owns 1953 vin #93.

Now most of us know Mick as the owner / driver the 57 fuel injection 684 race car that Jerry Austin, Bill Thomas and Bob Bondurant owned and raced back in the day and he still vintage races today.

Well in 2007 while I was at the Sears Point (Infinion for you new guys) Wine Country Classic I visited with Mick to get that great history and story on the 57.

Seems Mick bought old vin#5055 from Bondurant in 1962 and raced it in Northern California until 1966 when he almost flipped the car at Vacaville in a racing accident that put the car on its side for 20 feet, then landed right side up. The driver door handle is still scraped from that day.

In 1986, Noland Adams talked Mick into restoring the car for the 1987 Monterey Historic Races that would celebrate Chevrolets 75th Birthday. He did, and as they say the rest is history.

So you ask me, what about 1953 vin #93. Well, When Mick got his SCCA driving license in 1960 he owned a 1954 Corvette (he thought). He had purchased this car used, and it had an added manual three speed transmission, but the old original 6 cylinder Blue Flame 150 engine was still under the hood. He installed a roll bar and went racing.

WOW !! I said, just might be one of the oldest Corvettes that ever raced.

It gets better he exclaimed. After he purchased the 57, he discovered how to check the frame vin # to the paperwork (the vin tag was missing). BINGO.......THE VIN NUMBER ON THE CHASSIS IS 53F001093 !

My last question, "Where is that car today ?" Mick said very calmly, "In my garage at home just begging to get restored for the race track at least one more time"

Mick lives in Castro Valley. You are in Santa Rosa. You both own two of the neatest 53's and 57's on the planet. I am jealous.

You both need to become friends.

[James G.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

Here ia a poor picture of 1953 Corvette vin #93

[Tyler T.]

Re: 1953 #276 Back on the Road

By the way, aside from the 5 Corvette Grand Sports, The Gran Sport was a mid-size (A-body) Buick cousin to the Chevelle SS back in the late 60s-early 70s.
Just like the killer 70 SS with the LS6 454 (70 ONLY), Buick's equivalent was the 455 Stage I GS (70 ONLY).

Actually Buick had 14 cheater GS's built by Ollie Olson for the outlaw drag strip wars in 1966. They were 401's punched/stroked to 469 CI with trans and supension mods that made them high 11 sec cars in 66/69(Owners bought car Buick 'arranged' for the mods for free). Here is a shot of one that has been rescued. Owner also has a 70 Stage I GS and this car is faster.

http://www.sirgalahad.org/tyler/buick/FF11_After.jpg

In 68 the owner was street racing a 68 Corvette, turned 2 rod bearings and parked the car with 4800 mi. Friend bought it 2000 and put it back on the road.

If any of you know any old Buick types who knew of these cars we would like to hear from them. The original owner died in 2002, we have some documentation but could use some more.

Tyler