Part of the fun of owning a classic Corvette is digging out the history of the car before you bought it.
Michigan Collector Seeks “Ancestry†on this 1969 L88 Corvette Convertible
Part of the fun of owning a classic Corvette is digging out the history of the car before you bought it.
For a Michigan doctor, the search for his car’s ancestry has already turned up quite a bit of information, though he is hoping to unearth even more.
“This is not just a used Corvette,” Michigan surgeon Michael Wiater says.
Definitely not. He’s the owner of six Corvettes but says his 1969 L88 is definitely the plum of his collection.
After all, only 119 L88s were made by Chevrolet that year out of nearly 40,000 Corvettes.
Wiater was able to trace back the history of the car to 1983 when he bought it, but he wanted more.
In March 2011, newly released records revealed that the Corvette was first sold at a defunct dealership outside Philadelphia, Pa., Coupe Chevrolet of Flourton. Wiater’s newspaper ad in July 2011 seeking the first owner hit paydirt when he found out that an industrious 18-year-old muscle-car buff named Ken Klinger who worked in a pizza shop and lived with his parents had saved up his money to buy the car. He raced it on Philadelphia’s streets and at Atco Speedway and other tracks before selling it in 1972 to his employer, Royal Buick of Cherry Hill, N.J..
Klinger remembers seeing the car in Cherry Hill after that, but it was painted yellow. Wiater has since restored the car to its original metallic blue.
But then the L88 disappeared until 1983.
Hopefully, Wiater will be able to solve the mystery of the missing years before long. He notes that the original motor is gone and would love to find out what happened to it.
If you know anything about this car, please email courierpostonline columnist Jim Walsh.
Source:
Courier Post Online.
Related:
[VIDEO] God Bless America: L88 Corvettes on Parade
The Corvette King of Napoleon, Ohio
My Corvette Ride: The Last 1969 L88 Corvette Roadster
Factory Incentives on Chevrolet Corvette Get Sweeter Still!
Add up the savings in these scenarios:
Buying one of the remaining 2012 Corvettes in stock by October 31 – you now get $2000 Customer Cash PLUS $1500 Dealer Cash PLUS $2000 if you have a Competitive Lease OR $3000 if you already Own or Lease a Corvette. Or, you can give up the $2000 Customer Cash and get 0% Financing for up to 60 months (or 2.9% for 72 months). GM Employees also get an additional $3500.
Buying a 2013 Corvette by October 31 – you get $1500 Dealer Cash PLUS $2000 if you have a Competitive Lease OR $3000 if you already Own or Lease a Corvette. And, you can have 3.9% Financing for up to 60 months (or 4.9% for 72 months). GM Employees also get an additional $2500.
The Competitive Lease Conquest Program vehicle must be a 1999 or newer non-GM product. Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Saturn vehicles are all excluded.
The Corvette Owner Loyalty Program is not compatible with the Competitive Lease Conquest Program.
There is still a good supply of 2012 models available. For example, our showroom still has ten. To price out one of our vehicles, or have us locate a Corvette for you, comment on this post (which will be kept confidential), email us at Bill AT CorvetteBlog DOT com, or simply call 313.531.7100.
Oregon Man’s 1985 Corvette Stolen Twice in 24 Hours
An Oregon resident has one hot 1985 Corvette.
That’s according to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office who recovered the early C4 Corvette after it was stolen the second time in 24 hours.
Late Saturday evening, the unidentified owner of the Corvette called police to report his 1985 Corvette had been stolen and he was able to identify the direction of travel. Deputies in neighboring Marion County found the Corvette on Sunday morning crashed in a ditch. The owner was contacted and when he arrived to pick up his Corvette, the deputies left the scene.
But the owner then left the Corvette to retrieve an unknown item that he had forgotten. When he returned, the Corvette was missing once again.
Sgt. Kevin Guilford of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office told the Albany Democrat-Herald that their office received a tip Sunday afternoon that the Corvette had been seen in the neighboring town of Lyons, Oregon. Deputies contacted Terry Trachsel who barricaded himself inside his trailer and claimed he would blow up the trailer if anyone tried to enter.
Police were able to talk him out eventually and he was taken to jail without further incident where he was booked for unauthorized used of a vehicle. The Corvette was once again returned to its owner.
Authorities have not said if Trachsel was considered a suspect in the original theft of the Corvette and the investigation is continuing.
Source:
Albany Democrat-Herald
Related:
A 1968 Corvette Stolen a Decade Ago Found in Aussie Shipping Container
Thieves Steal a Blue 1975 Corvette in Florida Heist
1965 Corvette and a 1970 Chevelle SS Stolen from Northwest Washington State
“This Was Then, This Is Now†C7 Corvette Tail Lights
Jalopnik Rear November
The top photo is what the Jalopnik Blog showed us in November 2011. The second photo is what they are showing us now.
They are very similar, and seem to differ only by the intensity of artistic perspective. I don’t know about you, but I think it looks great!
We have dealt with significant changes before: loss of the split window, loss of the hidden headlights, you name it. Something has to change with each new generation. I don’t have a problem with losing round or oval tail lights. I think they have done well on the C7 Corvette. What are your thoughts?
Jalopnik Rear October
New Corvette TV Series Coming to SPEED in 2013
We received word last week about an exciting new show on SPEED set to air in early 2013. “Vette, a Corvette Series†will debut next January. The show, hosted by Drew Waters (Friday Night Lights) and Jeff Hammond (NASCAR) will focus on everything Corvette-related, both old and new. Click past the jump to checkout a short preview of the show.
The 13 episode series will air on Wednesday nights starting in January. Each chapter will be filled with, you guessed it, Corvettes and the people who love them. It will air 2 times each week: Once for the east coast and another for the west coast.
Some of the early topics mentioned include:
- A visit to Rick Hendrick’s immense Corvette collection
- A tour of the Corvette plant and National Corvette Museum
- A trip along historic Route 66
- An in depth look at Corvette Racing
- Corvette driving schools
Below is the Sizzle Reel for the “Vette, a Corvette Seriesâ€. In it we see appearances by hosts Jeff Hammond and Drew Waters mixed in with tire smoke, squealing tires, roaring V8′s, and a dazzling chrome.
You can also check out “Vette, a Corvette Series” on their Facebook page as well.
Information on this new program is still emerging so keep an eye out both here and on our Facebook page for future updates.
Source:
Vette, a Corvette Series
Related:
[VIDEO] Helicopter Crashes While Filming Corvette ZR1 Stunt for Top Gear Korea
[VIDEO] Larry the Cable Guy Visits the Corvette Assembly Plant
[VIDEO] Epic Drives: Corvette ZR1 Chases 200 MPH in Europe
Chevrolet Wins 2012 Rolex Series Engine Manufacturers Championship
A dominating debut season for the Corvette Daytona Prototype came to a close Sunday with another win for the Corvette Racing team and the prestigious 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Series Engine Manufacturers’ Championship for Chevrolet.
SunTrust Racing closed the season with a victory at Lime Rock Park, giving Corvette Daytona Prototype teams their eighth win out of the 13 races in 2012.
Contributing to the success of the season were these teams:
- Action Express Racing (two cars) – David Donahue, Terry Borcheller, Darren Law, Joao Barbosa and Paul Tracy
- GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing – Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney
- Spirit of Daytona Racing – Richard Westbrook, Antonio Garcia and Michael Valiante
- SunTrust Racing – Max Angelelli and Ricky Taylor
Chevrolet is honored to have won the Engine Manufacturers’ Championship, said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “This accomplishment, in the debut season of the Corvette Daytona Prototype, is the result of the dedication and hard work of our team owners, crews and drivers, along with that of our technical partners.â€
Jim Lutz, Chevrolet program manager, GRAND-AM Road Racing, congratulated the Chevrolet teams and all of its technical partners for winning the championship.
“The level of cooperation and dedication among our Corvette Daytona Prototype teams, in addition to the tremendous support from our technical partners were the key components of this championship-winning effort,†Lutz said. “I am very proud of the contributions made by everyone involved in this program, and celebrate this achievement for Team Chevy.”
Here are the eight wins for Corvette this season:
- Barber Motorsports Park – Spirit of Daytona Racing
- Homestead-Miami Speedway – SunTrust Racing
- New Jersey Motorsports Park – SunTrust Racing
- Streets of Belle Isle-Detroit – No. 9 Action Express Racing
- Mid Ohio Sports Car Course – Spirit of Daytona Racing
- Watkins Glen International – No. 9 Action Express Racing
- Laguna Seca Raceway – Spirit of Daytona Racing
- Lime Rock Park – SunTrust Racing.
Action will resume for Chevrolet Racing in GRAND-AM competition next year at the 51st running of the Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 26-27, 2013.
Source:
Motorsport.com
Related:
Grand-AM: No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP Wins at Laguna Seca
No. 9 Action Express Corvette DP Wins the Rolex Series’ 6-Hour Watkins Glen Race
[GRAND-AM] Action Express DP Corvettes Finish 1-2 at Detroit Belle Isle
Centennial Time Capsule Put Away for 2053
One of the many interesting activities at last Month’s Corvette Funfest was the assembling of a Corvette Time Capsule.Mike Yager, Chief Cheerleader of Mid-America Motorworks, led in the accumulation of quite a number of Corvette themed items.These items were on display in his museum prior to packing and burial.As the sign in one of my photos shows, there were historic photos, special wines, slate coasters, and even a box of Corvette cookies.Opening of the capsule is scheduled for the 100th Birthday of the Corvette in the spring of 2053.
Rev up the search engine: Collector seeks car’s ‘ancestry’
This 1969 Corvette was seen on the streets of Cherry Hill. But it was yellow in the 1970s.
General Motors recalls 40,000 cars
C7 Chevrolet Corvette\’s rump is realistically rendered With a steady stream of leaked renderings and spy shots of late, people are seemingly pretty fired up about this next-generation, C7 Chevrolet Corvette.