September 2013 - Page 18 of 21 - C6Performance Journal

September 6, 2013

Carbon Fiber Roofs Constrained on 2014 Corvette Stingray Orders

As production of the new C7 continues to ramp up, GM has announced a another round of option constraints for the 2014 Corvette Stingray. The constraints tell dealers which options are not currently available for the listed Target Production Weeks.

The new round of constraints cover the Target Production Week (TPW) of 9/30/2013-10/6/2013. The options are:

01483 AE4-SEATS, COMPETITION SPORT, BUCKET, National Qty Available = 0
01485 C2Z-ROOF PANEL, REMOVABLE CARBON FIBER, National Qty Available = 0
01486 CSM-ROOF PACKAGE, CARBON FIBER, DUAL, National Qty Available = 0

We knew about the Competition Sport seats which Chevy has been telling us that they won’t be available until later this year. But the delay in the exposed Carbon Fiber Roofs (C2Z) which also causes a delay in the Dual Roof Package (C2M) when the Carbon Fiber roof is selected is sure to cause some buyers to rethink their orders.

If you ordered the painted roof (C2Q), transparent roof (CC3) or the body color dual roof package (C2Q) you’re good and in fact you might see your order move faster as those who wanted the Carbon Fiber roofs will be forced to wait until supply picks back up.

We’ll continue to watch these and will pass along any information that shows either the constraint was removed or that it carries over into other Target Production Weeks.

If you haven’t yet ordered the 2014 Corvette Stingray, check out these recommended dealers who have 2014 Corvette Stingray allocation:

These three dealers not only support CorvetteBlogger.com as sponsors, but they are also supporting Corvette owners by selling Corvettes at MSRP.

Source:
Corvette Action Center

September 6, 2013

[VIDEO] Corvette Museumâ€™s 2013 Hall of Fame Induction Videos

[VIDEO] Corvette Museum's 2013 Hall of Fame Induction Videos

Photo Courtesy of the National Corvette Museum

At the Corvette Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the National Corvette Museum for the class of 2013, Wil Cooksey, Werner Meier and Johnny O’Connell, each had a video tribute shown with interviews, testimonials and archival footage showcasing their contributions to the Corvette Brand. Each inductee came to the Hall of Fame following a different path but their passion for Corvettes are shared as the videos show.

So if you couldn’t make it to Bowling Green for the ceremony, we have the three videos so you can get know the Class of 2013 a little better.

2013 Corvette Hall of Fame Inductee Wil Cooksey

Wilmer Cooksey Jr. served as Corvette Plant Manager from February of 1993 until his retirement in March 2008. As the first African-American to earn the position and the man who held it the longest, he brought a life-long love of Corvette to the job. Believing in the phrase that “none of us are as smart as all of us,” he worked with the United Auto Workers Union and listened to customers to make the Corvette exceed the expectations of all who dreamed of having one someday.

Born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1942 Wil accomplished much in his life. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and a Masters degree in industrial engineering. He went to Officers Candidate School as well and served as a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army where he was awarded the Bronze Star for his efforts. He is the winner of a number of honors including “Black Engineer of the Year–President’s Award”, “Achiever of the Year”, “Black Achiever in Industry” and now takes his place in the Corvette Hall of Fame.

2013 Corvette Hall of Fame Inductee Werner Meier

Werner Meier’s very first car was a new Corvette. His love for the car would eventually guide the direction of his life taking him from his family’s garage where he would work on cars with his friends, to one day starting Masterworks Automotive Services. Now regarded as one of the best in the world at restoration, Werner has worked on over 100 Corvettes, including cars built for Harley Earl, Bill Mitchell and others. Cars from his collection have been put on display at the National Corvette Museum, the Gilmore Car Museum, the Lingenfelter Collection and even the GM Heritage Center. His work and dedication to the hobby have earned him a place in the Inaugural Bloomington Gold Corvette Hall of Fame.

As committed to the future of Corvette as he is to its past, Werner’s efforts through car shows and with the Boy Scouts of America have inspired future generations to make their first car a Corvette too. For his devotion, passion, and dedication to the Corvette lifestyle, we welcome Werner Meier into the Corvette Hall of Fame.

2013 Corvette Hall of Fame Inductee Johnny O’Connell

To many, race car driver Johnny O’Connell embodies what Corvette Racing is all about. Behind the wheel he is determined, focused, fiercely competitive, relentless and obsessed with victory. Outside of the car though, he is approachable, fun, engaging, and always ready to talk with fans about what makes the Corvette so great. He should know as his accomplishments include four wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans along with being the overall winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2001. He is Sebring’s all-time winner with one overall victory and eight class titles along with being a three time ALMS Champion with 38 ALMS wins. After Corvette his success in racing continued with Cadillac Racing in the World Challenge Championship. While driving for them, he also serves as a popular commentator for ESPN, and at the same time was named Vice President of Global Operations at the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving.

“I love driving fast, and I love people.” Johnny says. “In my time with Corvette, I was able to do what I love for people I care about.”

You can see all members of the Corvette Hall of Fame at the National Corvette Museum’s website.

Source:
National Corvette Museum

September 6, 2013

Dealer David Thomas will sell ’57 Chevy at Mecum auction

Former Plano Subaru dealer David Thomas will offer a restored 1957 Chevy Bel Air tonight at the Mecum Auction in Dallas.

September 6, 2013

Dealer David Thomas will sell ’57 Chevy at Mecum auction

Former Plano Subaru dealer David Thomas will offer a restored 1957 Chevy Bel Air tonight at the Mecum Auction in Dallas.

September 6, 2013

Corvettes on eBay: LS-Powered 1954 Corvette Restomod

How would you like to drive a 1954 Corvette with approximately 500 horsepower?

Here’s your chance as a restomod version is currently up for sale on Ebay Motors, with a Buy It Now price of $49,500. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, there have been no bids on the car, which goes off the auction block on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 6:28 p.m. Pacific Time.

In describing the car, the current owner says it’s “a great car, a fun driver and dead nuts reliable.” He says he drives it 350 to 500 miles a week as his daily driver in the Los Angeles area.

It will sit in traffic all day without any issues, he claims, and happily go sideways under boost in second gear, time after time.

He found the car, the 2,072nd Corvette made in 1954, and bought it from a guy who had purchased it as a rough project and was having it painted at a body shop that went out of business. When the bankruptcy proceedings finally allowed him to get the car back, it was missing several parts, including the motor, transmission, seats, radiator, and more. That’s where the current owner stepped in.

Discovering that it would cost more than $100,000 to restore the car, which would then be worth just $60,000 and “no fun” to drive, in his estimation, he decided to go the restomod route.

“This car is built in the style of a vintage road racer but powered by a turbocharged LS motor,” he says.

The complete power train came out of a 2002 Silverado. It’s an LS based 4.8 litre (294 cubic inch) with an iron block backed with an NV3500 5 speed manual transmission. The motor was disassembled and inspected, and the block was power honed and new rings and bears installed. The stock cam was swapped with an LS9/ZR1 camshaft from GM. This cam provides a stock idle, great vacuum and helps to build cylinder pressure very quickly. The ZR1 makes 638 horsepower using this cam grind!

The interior is largely stock with the obvious exception being the Porsche 550 Spyder seats (fiberglass) and the 1956 Corvette steering wheel. He says he chose the seats because they fit the theme of the car very well; they were one fifth the price of real 1954 seats and also because one can actually sit and fit in the car with them. The stock gauges are augmented with an oil pressure gauge, a manifold pressure gauge (boost), and a water temp gauge all from Stewart Warner.

“Although it might look good in the pictures, the panel fit is not good at all,” the owner admits. “After seeing some good ’54 Corvettes at Pebble Beach this year I can say that this one is not much worse than a really good stocker, but that ain’t saying much.”

Extra parts also come with the car, including the spare tire cover, the horn button, wiper transmissions, complete stock trunk latch with key lock, fuel tank cover, front park/turn light assemblies (complete), and a front end rebuild kit from Rare Parts.

To be a top notch restomod, the owner believes it needs the body brought up to par with the rest of the car. “If I were estimating the job at my shop I would say $20-$25k for a really good, show quality job including paint and straightening all the trim to fit perfect,” he says.

“If the car were done this way I think it would bring north of $100k in this market. The only other ’54 restomods of similar build quality I have seen for sale have ranged from $150k-$399k asking so I don’t think these estimates are unrealistic. Of course, you could just leave it exactly as it is and drive the wheels off of it; the car really is a ton of fun!”

Source:
eBay Motors

September 6, 2013

Edmunds Compares 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray Z51 vs. 2014 Nissan GT-R Track Edition

Chalk up another victim for the 2014 Corvette Stingray.

Edmunds.com recently pitted Chevy’s latest generation of America’s Sports Car against the 2014 Nissan GT-R Track Edition.

Based on numbers alone, the Corvette shouldn’t have won this shootout of macho sports cars. For instance, the Stingray was giving up 85 horsepower to the GT-R, and the Nissan was priced nearly $50,000 higher than the Corvette.

In the end, though, it didn’t matter as Edmunds gave the nod to the Stingray.

“We expected this one to be close. It wasn’t,” they wrote.

“Though it smoked the Corvette in acceleration and in the slalom and offers a better interior, it didn’t matter if we were at the track, in a canyon or just driving home; the GT-R simply isn’t as exciting as the ‘Vette.”

Edmunds especially praised the Stingray’s steering, calling it “outstanding: quick and hyper-pointy with solid feel and precision.” They also said it wasn’t just “Corvette good” or “electric steering good,” â€“ “it’s no-qualifier exemplary.”

The Z51′s Magnetic Selective Ride Control and its multiple drive modes also impressed Edmunds.

“Select Touring mode and the C7 rides with all the confidence and composure of a Cadillac,” Edmunds writes. “Flick the knob over to Track and it’s a tail-happy terrier without a millimeter of slack. You won’t find that flexibility in the GT-R.”

Without the first consumer-driven car on the road, the Stingray has already taken over the realm once occupied by the GT-R, according to Edmunds.

“When the Nissan GT-R first showed up on the scene, it occupied a unique position. Nothing offered similar performance, technology, refinement and badassery at the GT-R’s price. Not even close. That domain now belongs to the Stingray. Nothing offers this much refinement, power, performance, tech and driver involvement at this price.”

Perhaps most telling â€“ and satisfying to Corvette fans â€“ is Edmunds’ supposition that GT-R doesn’t lose the challenge to the Corvette because it’s not $47,020 better than the Stingray.

“It loses because it’s not better than the Corvette, period,” Edmunds says.

Source:
Edmunds.com

September 6, 2013

[VIDEO] Justin Bell Drives the 2014 Corvette Stingray at Laguna Seca

Count Justin Bell of “The Worldâ€™s Fastest Car Show” on EBAY Motors among the biggest fans of the new Corvette Stingray.

After taking a red 2014 model for “quite a few” laps around the famous Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca race track in California, Bell makes no bones about his opinion of the car.

“If I sound a bit overenthusiastic, I make no apologies because this truly is an outstanding performance car,” Bell says afterwards.

He is particularly impressed with the way Chevy has carried over the aerodynamic lessons learned on the race track to the production Stingray, especially the rear air diffusers that give the car good mid-corner and high-speed balance, “which you can feel,” he says.

Overall, while past Corvettes have been somewhat polarizing, if not iconic, according to Bell, heâ€™s always felt the car was a great value proposition.

The C7 takes it to an entirely new level, though.

“For the money, I just donâ€™t think you can beat” the 2014 Corvette, Bell says.

“Performance, looks, sexiness,” he says. “This is definitely a car that will be a hit.”

While the C7 wasn’t available for Motor Trend’s Best Driver’s Car contest this year, based on Bell’s opinion, the Stingray will give Porsche a definite run for its money next year on the same track where the Germans have won two years running.

Source:
YouTube.com via GMAuthority.com

September 6, 2013

Month: September 2013

Carbon Fiber Roofs Constrained on 2014 Corvette Stingray Orders

[VIDEO] Corvette Museumâ€™s 2013 Hall of Fame Induction Videos

Dealer David Thomas will sell ’57 Chevy at Mecum auction

Dealer David Thomas will sell ’57 Chevy at Mecum auction

Corvettes on eBay: LS-Powered 1954 Corvette Restomod

Edmunds Compares 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray Z51 vs. 2014 Nissan GT-R Track Edition

[VIDEO] Justin Bell Drives the 2014 Corvette Stingray at Laguna Seca

The Neighbor’s Guest

The Neighbor’s Guest

Vancouver hosts massive ‘supercar’ weekend