April 2014 - CORVETTE ATLANTA

A p r i l 2 014
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Automotive Group
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In This Issue
CA Board of Directors / President’s Notes / Club Points.........01
Feature Photo:
Stingray Corral at the
Jim Ellis Show
(see ar ticles & photos on Pages 4 - 6)
Spring Corvette Expo / Cruise-in / NCCC Convention /
Officer Reports . ................................................................ 02
Look for Us There..........................................................08
Calendar of Events / Activities.......................................... 03
Geezer Auto Show ? / Did You Know? / NCM Blog..........09
NCM Report / Car Show Recap......................................... 04
Birthdays / Anniversaries / Web Sites / Corvette
Pictorial Recap of the Car Show........................................ 05
Restoration Ad................................................................ 10
C7 Up Close & Personal Recap......................................... 06
Jim Ellis Chevrolet Ad.................................................... back
For Sale / St. Patrick’s Day Parade / May Road Trip....... 07
2014 Corvette Atlanta, Inc.
Board of Directors
Elected Board Members:
President ...............Dave Brownell
[email protected]
VP-Activities...........David Morgan
[email protected]
VP-Membership......Larry Vaitkus
[email protected]
VP-Competition .....Don Parks
[email protected]
Secretary ................Amy Parker
[email protected]
Treasurer ................Betty Parks
[email protected]
Members-at-Large .Nancy Morgan
[email protected]
Appointed Board Members:
Governor.................Betty Parks
[email protected]
NCM Ambassador...Ed Clark
[email protected]
Webmaster..............Mike Heaphy
[email protected]
Editor.......................Betty Parks
[email protected]
Parliamentarian......Carolyn Nugent
[email protected]
Sponsor Liaison......Dan Nugent
[email protected]
Consistently ranked among the top National Council of Corvette
Clubs (NCCC) affiliated clubs, we are active in a variety of
Corvette enthusiast endeavors – such as club social activities,
road rallyes, car shows, displays & amateur competitive solo
driving – we try to have a good time in everything we do!
If you think owning & driving a Corvette is something special
& you like being around others who feel the same way, please
consider joining our club.
Club meetings are held the 1st Tuesday of each month. For
more information about Corvette Atlanta, please contact the
VP-Membership or any other officer listed above.
President’s Notes
Dave Brownell
I hope that the annual Atlanta scourge of pollen has abated by
now, allowing you lucky Corvette convertible owners to put the
top down and enjoy the noises of wind and engines that you
longed for during the colder weather. Of the six Corvettes I have
owned, only two were convertibles, but I remember each most
fondly because top down driving was more fun. I have tried,
unsuccessfully, to convince myself that taking off the removable
hardtops on my others was almost as much fun. Maybe some
of that wistful memory was caused by having those two ragtops
in an era when my hair was longer and of one color, and life was
a bit more carefree. Still, driving a nicely-balanced, economical
and terrifically-powered American-built sports car remains almost
exclusively reserved for Corvette owners, no matter how you keep
the rain out. So, with the advent of great warmer driving days
ahead, make some time to open up the lid, no matter what the
style, of your car and enjoy the world around you.
While you’re planning, give some thought to doing it with other
Corvette Atlanta club members. We’ve got some road adventures
to neat places planned, and most are an easy day’s drive with
friends. Most also include a few new places to have a meal and
some great conversations. Some trips may be done in conjunction
with other area Corvette clubs. Then we’ll have our Mid-Summer
treat of the annual Lake Party at the Morgan’s Lake Oconee getaway to look forward to. The big Corvette event of the year will
be the National Council of Corvette Club annual convention that
will be held in Savannah during the last few weeks of summer.
Betty Parks can answer questions about the convention and may
offer some ways you can participate, either as an observer or
as volunteer help. Sometimes it takes a visitor to show you the
Georgia gems we have around us and rarely take full notice of.
So, put down or take out, that Corvette top and hit the road. A
well-tuned Corvette is hard to beat by anything else on the road.
As the new Chevy commercials say “Find New Roads” just about
sums it up. Rest assured that your friends in Corvette Atlanta are
going to be doing the same.
2014 CA Points Standing
Don Parks, VP-Competition
Club points have been tabulated through the Jim Ellis Car
Show from the eleven functions.
• The BEST attended events so far:
- 48 members (55%) - Awards Banquet
- 40 members (45%) - Jim Ellis Car Show
- 37 members (42%) - Super Bowl Party
- 32 members (36%) - February meeting
• 69 members (78%) have attended at least one function so far
• 16 members (18%) have perfect meeting attendance
• 2 members (both officers) have attended ALL 11 events. Way
to go David & Larry!!
• The top 3 positions include:
#1 - 44 points - Lisa DeKalb, Frank Merrifield
#2 - 39 points - Mike Heaphy #3 - 37 points - Ed Clark, Jack Filippone, Dan Nugent,
Steph Strauss, Tom Wright
1
Editorial Reflections Betty Parks, Editor
I owe a HUGE thanks to all the contributors to this month’s newsletter,
especially to Ed Clark for ALL his multiple, insightful articles. Think
I’ve tapped ALL his extra articles to fill this edition. Hopefully his
creative mind will start its magic to draft ideas for future articles. I do
have an extra article from Dave already for next month - so I’ve got
a slight start for May!
40 club members who attended, participated, and worked the Car
Show. Additionally there were others who couldn’t attend but did
provide financial support. Your continued support and efforts do not
go unnoticed!! The show was a TREMENDOUS success. Please
pat yourself on the back for a job well done! As our stickers state “Corvette Atlanta does it better” . . . and it shows!!
If you’ve liked feature articles from previous months and would like
to see them as regular columns, please let me know. I’m not afraid
to BEG for repeat writer support!!
Please continue to submit your articles as this is the club’s newsletter
- contributions from its members are imperative to keep it going.
Your continued support of the newsletter by submitting articles and
photos to me by mid-month is greatly appreciated!!
Due to space constraints, I was not able to list the names of all
Competition Report
Don Parks, VP-Competition
Past Competition Events:
The competition has started for some of us!! Would love for more
folks to join us...
Membership Report
Larry Vaitkus, VP-Membership
The Membership campaign at the Car Show was quite successful!
After signing up 5 new members, we now have 93 members.
I would like to welcome the following new members:
Mar. 15-16 - Palm Bay, FL - Perfect Florida weather - College
parking lot with fun course. Nothing really hard to navigate - so fun
to autocross! Saturday night was another Pizza party (beer for the
guys/ LIIT for the ladies). Pure FUN!!
Al and Mary Bathurst - They live in Grayson and have a 2012 Arctic
White with Red interior Grand Sport.
Mar. 22 - St. Augustine, FL - Another day of perfect Florida
weather - First Coast Technical School. A great place to autocross
on a small (but fun) road course. Imagine Fire/Rescue/Ambulance
drivers navigating a road course! The club was represented by the
Greers and Parks.
Upcoming Competition Events:
I would also like to welcome back Ted Brooke to the club. Ted is a
former member of Corvette Atlanta (1990). He lives in Cumming and
has a 1982 Black Corvette and a 2004 Torch Red convertible.
Southeast Region: The first regional events will be April 19-20
in Nashville, TN (14 Low Speed Autocrosses). The flyer will be
posted on the NCCC-South website shortly. Other events that have
been sanctioned so far are:
May 24 - 26 • 21 Low Speed Autocrosses - Knoxville, TN
July 4 - 6 • 21 Low Speed Autocrosses - Knoxville, TN
Nov. 1 - 2 • 14 Low Speed Autocrosses - Huntsville, AL
Nov. 28 - 29 • 10 High Speed Autocrosses - Roebling Road
Raceway (Corvette Atlanta’s events with Florida)
Dec. 6 -7 • 14 Low Speed Autocrosses - Huntsville, AL
Remember - participating in the Southeast Region events helps the
club earn points towards the National competition as well as you
earn points towards the Club’s points standings.
National: Events in the South (other than in the Southeast Region):
include the following:
May 3 • 6 Low Speed Autocrosses - St. Augustine, FL
May 4 • 7 Low Speed Autocrosses - Punta Gorda, FL
May 17
• 6 Low Speed Autocrosses - St. Augustine, FL
May 17-18 • 14 Low Speed Autocrosses - Grissom AFB, IN
May 31/Jun 1• 7 High/7 Low Speed Autos - Putnam Park, IN
June 7-8
• 14 Low Speed Autocrosses - Greenville, SC
June 21
• 6 Low Speed Autocrosses - St. Augustine, FL
June 28-29 • 14 Low Speed Autocrosses - Greenville, SC
Consult the NCCC website for the complete list of National events.
Bill and Sheryl Riley - They live in Lilburn and have a 2005 Silver with
Cashmere interior convertible.
Please help us make they feel welcome and part of the Corvette
Atlanta family!!
Activities Report
David Morgan, VP-Activities
Here’s a listing of upcoming activities:
May 03, 2014 - Car show at Day’s Chevrolet in Acworth, to help our
fellow Corvette Club, Classic Glass. They help us, so, we should
help them. Attend if you can, as it is a good show. Go to their web
site for sign up details.
May 10, 2014 - One day road trip that ends at Copperhead Lodge
for lunch. Tom Wright has info regarding the scenic route up,
which is great fun for the Corvette driver and most frightening for
the passenger. On the last curvy mountain road, where Nancy
was keeping up with a speeding Ed Clark, I told Nancy(AKA the
DRIVER), “ I am wearing out the floorboard over here on my side of
this Corvette, putting on the brakes for you”. This should be a good
chance to enjoy a fun ride and good meal at a new place.
May 10, 2014 - Car Show at Olde Towne Tavern & Grille in
Lawrenceville hosted by Corvette Cruisers of Atlanta. It’s their
3rd annual Corvettes for a Cause - fund raiser for Belinda Lamb.
Additional information and flyer is available on their website:
www.corvettecrusiersofatlanta.com.
May 17, 2014 - Corvette Atlanta Eats Out at Benihana on Peachtree
Street. Reservations ARE REQUIRED!!
June 14, 2014 - Corvette Atlanta Eats Out at Greenwood Restaurant
in Roswell.
2
Calendar of Events
April 2014
1
CA General Meeting - O’Charley’s Restaurant, Tucker*
5
Saturday Night Out . . . - Athens Pizza, Decatur*
5
Galaxy Diner Cruise, Chamblee
6
Caffeine & Octane Gathering, Alpharetta
6
Road Runner Cruise-In, Roswell
12
6th Annual Car Show, Jim Ellis Chevrolet, Chamblee*
12
Tucker Cruise-In, Tucker
15
CA Board Meeting - Amy Parker’s home, Decatur
19-20 14 Low Speed Autocrosses, Nashville, TN*
24-26 NCM Bash, Bowling Green, KY
25-26 NCCC National Meeting, St. Louis, MO
Saturday Night Out . . .
Photos from March/April
Submitted by Lisa DeKalb
May 2014
3
Classic Glass SuperVette Show, Days Chevrolet, Acworth
3
Galaxy Diner Cruise, Chamblee
3
6 Low Speed Autocrosses, St. Augustine, FL
4
Caffeine & Octane Gathering, Alpharetta
4
Road Runner Cruise-In, Roswell
6
CA General Meeting - O’Charley’s Restaurant, Tucker*
10
Road Trip to Copperhead Lodge*
10
Corvette Cruisers’ Corvettes for a Cause, Lawrenceville
10
Tucker Cruise-In, Tucker
17
Saturday Night Out . . . - Benihana, Atlanta*
17
6 Low Speed Autocrosses, St. Augustine, FL
20
CA Board Meeting - Amy Parker’s home, Decatur
24-26 21 Low Speed Autocrosses, Knoxville, TN*
June 2014
3
CA General Meeting - O’Charley’s Restaurant, Tucker*
7
Galaxy Diner Cruise, Chamblee
7-8
14 Low Speed Autocrosses, Greenville, SC
8
Caffeine & Octane Gathering, Alpharetta
8
Road Runner Cruise-In, Roswell
14
Saturday Night Out . . . - Greenwood’s, Roswell*
14
Tucker Cruise-In, Tucker
17
CA Board Meeting - Amy Parker’s home, Decatur
21-23 Road Trip to National Corvette Museum*
21
6 Low Speed Autocrosses, St. Augustine, FL
28-29 14 Low Speed Autocrosses, Greenville, SC
* denotes events that are sanctioned for Club points
Activities - Saturday Night Out
Nancy Morgan
The upcoming “Saturday Night Out” activities are listed
below:
• May 17 - Benihana Restaurant - 6:00pm
2143 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta • 404-355-8565
RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED!!
• June 14 - Greenwood Restaurant - 5:30pm
1087 Green St., Roswell • 770-992-5383
Remember there will be a sign-up sheet passed around at the
club meetings and if you can’t be there, you can call me (404294-0633) or email me [email protected]. I’ll be glad to put
you on the list and give you all the details.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Thanks for sharing, Lisa!!
Next time we need to be
sure to get pictures with
YOU in them!
3
NCM Report
Ed Clark, NCM Ambassador
Photos courtesy of the National Corvette Museum
All eight Corvettes that fell into the infamous NCM Dome sinkhole have been found and
removed from the hole. The condition of the cars seemed to get worse and worse as they
were recovered. The first out was the blue ZR-1 which looked almost unhurt giving some
hope for the rest of the cars. The last car out on April 7, a Mallet modified 2001 Z06 that was
donated to the Museum at the end of 2013, apparently had been under a good bit of dirt,
rock and concrete and had the appearance of the flattened cars you sometime see on semitrailers on the way to recycle. What a sad site!
Where do things go from here? The Museum staff and all the major players are holding
meetings to discuss the current status and all other available information to decide the
route to follow. The intention is to have the Dome completed before the August Anniversary
Celebration and all of the “Great 8” cars on display in the dome for that event. There have
been a lot of opinions expressed about restoration of the cars from GM’s offer to restore them
all to leaving them “as is” as their condition is a part of the cars’ history now. The condition
of the Mallett Hammer makes you wonder what if any parts of the car can be used in a
restoration short of a few small pieces that might not have been damaged. I guess we will
hear much more about this over the next few months.
Upcoming events include the Museum in Motion 2nd Annual Tail of the Dragon Tour on April
27-29. Last year’s participants were strong in their praise of this event and if you haven’t
driven the dragon it is an interesting stretch of highway. Following that in Bowling Green is
the C4 Gathering on May 15-17 and the Barn Raising IV on May 22-25. Need a few days
looking at gorgeous scenery? The NCM Cruise to Alaska occurs June 20-27. A good bit of
information is available on these events on the Museum web site as well as other events
later in the year. The plans for the Caravans are well along in their preparation as is the 20th
Anniversary Event at the Museum in August.
Our club trip to the Museum is now scheduled for June 21-23, 2014 with the drive up on
Saturday, volunteering at the Museum on Sunday, a visit to the Assembly plant on Monday
morning and then driving home that afternoon. I am looking into some other activities for
consideration on the trip there such as a stop at Jack Daniels. A concern I have now is the
threat of a strike at the Assembly plant which is apparently being considered which would
eliminate the Assembly plant tour if it happened. Stay tuned for updates and more detailed
information on our trip.
6th Annual Jim Ellis Chevrolet Charity Car Show
WOW - What a great show!!
A special thanks goes to Mark Frost, his dealership staff and Amy
Frost for making the show work so professionally. Everything that we
discussed and/or requested was handled in a timely and effective
manner. Once again - the radio advertisements made us the envy of
the other car clubs.
I’d also like to thank those that volunteered with me to meet with Mark
as we set our show plan and then helped put the plan into motion Dave, Dan, Ed, Larry, and Chris. We developed a theme around the
Stingray - then and now -- and got support for the ‘C7 Up Close and
Personal’ seminar as well as the Stingray Corral. The club got behind us
and provided the much needed support to make it happen.
On to the show -- Saturday, April 12th - like last year, the weather was
perfect - sunny, mild temperature and while the pollen count was high 2,702, it was down from 4,054 the day before!!
Club members arrived early and began setting up their positions in
anticipation of a huge crowd of participants and spectators. Like last
year, we had 40+ entrants pre-registered for the show and ended up
with a total of 90 cars (19 from Corvette Atlanta!). We have so many
cars in the Stingray Corral that its boundaries for continued to expand!
There appeared to be more spectator traffic this year. From all
observations, they seemed pleased with all the beautiful cars that were
on display everywhere!! Tom Wright, who volunteered to handle the
Betty Parks
50/50 raffle, talked spectators as participants into participating in the
raffle. The money was won by one of the spectators.
Once again - the food was outstanding and a bargain even though there
was a new ‘plate’ price. Carolyn and her team had another sell-out!. Jim
and Frank helped Larry and Ed man the club’s Membership Booth and
NCM table. Five new members were signed up at the show - GREAT
JOB!! Dan and Ed made sure that the participants in the C7 seminars
were on time for the discussion.
Amy headed up the door prize efforts and continued the begging and
pleading for enough give-away items for participants in the show. The
“adopt a bucket” campaign, using Firehouse Sub’s pickle buckets,
continued from last year. Thanks to everyone that came aboard with
financial or product support.
At the end of the show - messenger bags were awarded to the class
winners and the Best of Show to Corvette Atlanta’s own Lea Ann English
(1961). Mark Frost gave out his 3 Dealer Awards - one of which included
our own Tony Williams. The Club Participation award went to Corvette
Cruisers of Atlanta (with 15 participants) - who gave back $250 for the
Shepherd Center.
A special thanks goes to ALL the 40 members who came to the show for
their support in making this one of the best shows that we had!!
4
Pictorial Recap of the 6th Annual Spring Jim Ellis
Chevrolet Charity Show - Stingrays - Then & Now
Photos provided by Ed Clark, Lisa DeKalb, Jim Hutchinson, Dan Nugent, Amy Parker
C7 Photos courtesy of Jim Ellis Chevrolet and Car Show Participants
6TH ANNUAL SPRING CORVETTE SHOW
Featuring “Stingrays, then and now”
• SPECIAL STINGRAY CORRAL SHOW AREA •
(FOR 1963-1967, 1969-1976, 2014)
APRIL 12TH • 10AM - 2PM
Registration Open: 8am - 11:45am
• Live Band • Door Prizes • Food • Raffle
“Ask the Expert” • David Fulcher
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Registration Donation:
NOTE
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PRE-REG must
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• $25 Pre-Registration • $30 Day of Show
Proceeds Benefit: Shepherd Center
People’s Choice Awards:
• Best in Class
• Best in Show
Dealer’s Awards:
• Best Paint
• Best Custom
• Dealer’s Choice
Limited to 150 Cars
Jim Ellis Chevrolet
5900 Peachtree
Industrial Blvd.
• Chamblee •
Club Participation Award: • $500 for Club with Most Cars in Show •
Mark Your Calendar
More Information
Pre-Registration Forms @ www.corvetteatlanta.org
Location:
rial
Blvd
Sponsored By:
Peacht
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31A
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31B
Tilly Mill Rd
ford
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N Peachtree Rd
N Sha
Indust
I-285
AND
Doraville
141
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Chamblee
C7 Photos courtesy of Jim Ellis Chevrolet and Car Show Participants
5
C7 Up Close and Personal Submitted by Ed Clark
Our Annual Spring Car Show at Jim Ellis Chevrolet this year had a couple of new features. A “Stingray Corral” for all C2 and C7 Corvettes as
well as C3s from 1968 through 1976 was a big hit as the area designated for them soon overflowed and double and triple parking was needed
to accommodate them all. Early arrivers were placed in the corner of the front parking lot and several were placed on the grassed area there. A
good selection of restored, stock and modified cars filled the field and it was nice to see how the cars have changed over time by having all of
them together.
Our President Dave Brownell, when removing his 1967 coupe from the grassed area after the show, had the left side muffler disengaged from the
exhaust pipe by the curb. Quick analysis of the situation, numerous volunteer helpers including several from the Jim Ellis staff soon had the car
off the curb and into the shop area for a re-engagement of the parts and it seems no permanent damage occurred – good news.
The other feature which was new was the “C7 Up Close and Personal” activity. Jim Ellis made two C7’s available for this event, one on the floor in
the drive in part of the service area and one up on a lift in a service bay. Reggie Stagmaier, Jim Ellis’ well known Corvette salesman took the lead
in explaining the new and upgraded features of the Stingray convertible on the floor. Very interested crowds were given the opportunity to hear
from Reggie at the top of each hour and many questions were asked by both current C7 owners and prospective owners as well.
Following Reggie’s presentations, the crowds were directed into the shop area and had the opportunity to see the underside of the C7. Robbie
Moreland who has responsibility in the shop area gave detailed explanations of how the underside incorporates all the features which had
previously been discussed by Reggie. Robbie demonstrated a great deal of knowledge of how the C7 is constructed and how all the parts work
together to achieve the performance level which has been well documented in the media.
Having read a great deal about the C7 myself, I was very impressed by the knowledge of both of the Jim Ellis “Corvette Gurus” and soon learned
there was much I didn’t know about the C7. We should have made a video of this education opportunity for use at a club meeting.
I hope many of you took the opportunity to attend/participate in the car show and also participated in the C7 Up Close and Personal activity. To me,
this was one of our best show events and look forward to next years.
C7 Photos courtesy of Jim Ellis Chevrolet and Reggie Stagmaier
6
For Sale: Franklin Mint Corvette Collection (1/24 Scale)
YEARS:
53-55
57-60
63
65
67-69
75
82
84
86
88
89
93
05(Ind. Pace Car)
07(Ind. Pace Car)
TOTAL COLLECTION:
$1700.00
OR SINGLE UNITS: $90.00 each • INTERESTED?? Contact Fred Eggers @ 770-267-8174 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Ed Clark
On Saturday, March 15, 2014 four Corvette Atlanta members with their convertibles showed up at
their designated assembly spot on 16th Street to volunteer to drive dignitaries in the Saint Patrick’s
Day Parade in Atlanta. Tom Wright, Larry Vaitkus, David Morgan and Ed Clark had the tops down
on the convertibles and soon were assigned their rider by having name stickers put on the car doors.
None of the riders showed up by the time the parade started however.
Prior to the parade, we had fun walking around the area looking at the various sights including the
Budweiser Clydesdales and listening to the multiple groups of musicians who were practicing Irish
songs. People in bright green outfits of all varieties were present and most seemed to be having
a good time even without the presence of any lubricating liquid drinks being present, or at least
outwardly visible.
Did you know that there is a group in Atlanta using Irish themes
that walk in the parade with Llamas followed by a member pulling a
small wagon with scoop to clean up the leave behinds I hope came
from the Llamas? Me either but I was directly behind about 15 of
them. Remember the “Under the Grandstand by Seymour Butts”
joke from back in HS, well it applied in this case as well. The
crowds along both sides of Peachtree Street were really into the
spirit of the parade with many running out into the street to take
pictures with parade participants.
The parade organizers put our cars into the parade as scheduled even though our designated
dignitaries were not present. My rider, a City of Atlanta Lady Council member, had her name on my
doors and numerous people seeing only me in the car were commenting about how bad she looked
today or they didn’t know she was so old and similar phrases for my benefit so I waved back and
smiled when they took pictures. The parade marshals eventually pulled us over to the side and we
waited there until they arrived. This parade was much longer than others I have participated in and
the spectators were quite friendly toward the Council Member with lots of back and forth friendly
comments.
If you haven’t participated in a parade before like this one you should give it a try. Having an
automatic transmission is probably better due to the slow progress and many starts and stops but will
work with a smooth engine and a stick shift as well.
May Road Trip
Tom Wright
I’ve set up for lunch at the Copperhead Lodge on Sat. 5/10 as planned with Michelle,
one of the owners. I will tell everyone where we’ll meet to drive up to the Gauntlet in
north GA on 5/5 at our meeting.
This circular route has some of the best “wiggle” roads in north GA. This won’t be an
all afternoon trip unless you want to go elsewhere since it’s only 133 miles total. Web
site is http://www.gauntletga.com/. Keep driven’ and smilen’...
7
Spring Corvette Expo
Ed Clark
The Corvette Expo is held twice a year with the spring event this year held on
March 21-21, 2014. The location is the Sevierville Tennessee Convention Center
adjacent to the Wilderness at the Smokies Waterpark Resort. The Expo is a
combination event including a swap meet, Corvette Cruse, Park ‘n’ Show, Corvette
Corral and an Auction of all sorts of cars.
The swap meet was the draw for Dave Brownell and me as there is almost always
something you need for your Corvettes and the numerous vendors and swap
meet participants have a good variety of things to look over and possibly negotiate
a price to buy an item. Dave for instance needed a part for his C4 headlamp
rotating mechanism and found quite a few to look over. Prices were over a wide
range for what appeared on the surface to be nearly identical items and most
everything appeared to be more expensive than last year.
The Park ‘n’ Show had quite a few cars in it with a good representation of C3’s
through C7’s and about 60 cars in total. As with most Corvette shows there were
lots of questions and discussions about the cars. Both participants and spectators
seemed to be having a good time. We didn’t stay around for the Auction but quite
a few cars were in the staging area.
The drive from Atlanta to the Expo is about a 4 hour trip if you go through
Chattanooga and follow interstates most of the way and it is a reasonable round
trip in a day with two drivers. There is a good bit to see, lots of people to talk with,
and reasonable entrance and parking fees.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
The dates for the Fall
Corvette Expo event
are October 17-18,
2014. Mark your
calendar if you’re
looking for part in
the swap meet.
To Cruise-In or Not
Betty Parks
Update - 2014 NCCC
Convention
As the weather warms up - thoughts of getting out and enjoying the
Corvette abound as are the opportunities to join in a cruise-in gathering.
The veteran cruisers have been attending the “All Makes & All Models” Betty Parks, Governor
Caffeine and Octane gathering (12600 Deerfield Parkway, Alpharetta)
on the 1st Sunday of each month (all-year round) from 8am - 11am. The support for the NCCC Convention is continuing. The
More information is available @ caffeineandoctane.com
participation numbers are over 500 . . . and still growing. Day
Another 1st Sunday of each month event (from 8am - 10am) is the
Road Runner Cruise-In, located at the L.A. Fitness facility ½ mile east
of Sandy Plains intersection with Hwy 92 in Roswell (4905 Alabama
Road [Hwy 92], Roswell). Due to the limited numbers of parking spaces
(175) participant vehicles will be limited to 1972 & older. There is a Waffle
House adjacent to the facility for food, beverages and restrooms. More
information is available @ southeastwheelsevents.com/events/roadrunner-cruise-in-4905-alabama-road-hwy-92-roswell-ga
Starting April through October, the Galaxy Diner (3320 Henderson Hill
Road, Chamblee) will host a cruise-in on the 1st Saturday - 4pm - 7pm.
Enjoy an afternoon out with the whole family...eat, relax and have fun!
Awards - Door Prizes - NO Entry Fees!! See galaxydiner.com for more
info.
The Tucker Cruise-Ins run the 2nd Saturday from April through
September - 5pm - 8:30pm on Main Street in Tucker. It’s an old fashioned
town meet and greet of the car community. There is a $5 registration fee.
Go to tuckercruisein.com for updates.
passes are growing as well. Should be a great time and the
closest Corvette convention you could attend!!
The host hotel is now full but there are rooms available on the
Riverfront if you’ve not signed up yet. Please let me know if you
need any information about the schedule.
Look for Us There
Bob Warren
Our band (Under Current) will be playing at the Dunwoody Arts
Festival on Sunday, May 11th. We are scheduled to go on stage
from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. Hope those in Atlanta can make it. Should
be a fun time!!
8
Geezer Auto Show? Thursday was my turn to do my annual visit to the Atlanta International
Auto Show. As it turned out, I wasn’t the only old guy to do that.
I’ve been a regular, minus four years in the Navy, at these large
auto shows since 1954. There’s a certain thrill in sliding in and out
of new and unfamiliar cars without the implicit threat of an annoying
salesman bothering you. Apparently, this must have been the special
day for lots of us to have that sort of fun. Thursdays are especially
nice for seniors with half price parking and half the usual admission.
Old folks showed up in droves and at the noon opening time, there
must have been a thousand folks lined up in the lobby, waiting to
get in. There were mighty few people younger than 55 in the crowd;
attested by the somewhat frustrated folks trying to give away three
Dollar off coupons to the non-seniors. Out on that half-price parking
lot I encountered two chartered interstate buses filled with senior
citizens from Nashville. I asked one of the bus drivers if this was a
routine event and he said that it happens every year with older car
club members who go for the camaraderie and auto exploring but
would rather ride than drive. Apparently, Nashville doesn’t yet qualify
for the size of the Atlanta shows, so they come down here for the day.
Many had canes and there were some in wheelchairs and walkers.
This must beat going to the casinos for some of them.
Once inside, the fun began in a sea of gray hair. This year I decided
to forego my usual counterclockwise stroll through the cars and
exhibits, and go the other way. I discovered that the car bags were
better placed in that direction, and somehow the usual placements
were more interesting. By going on Senior Day, I also noticed that
the expected plethora of kids and parents with iPads and iPhones
were largely absent. No futile attempts of a father to interest a young
son or daughter away from rapt attention to their device was noted.
Instead, it seemed that many of these senior folks had their iPhones
taking pictures of cars that must be under some consideration of
purchase, along with an accompanying photo of the price list beside
the car. I must have seen that a hundred times, so lots of these
Did You Know...?
Dave Brownell
people were actually shopping for a next car, not simply trying one on.
The economy must be coming back in some circles because even the
sales staff seemed happy about the attention their cars were getting.
Lots of interchanges were overheard between husbands and wives
(girlfriends?) over the price and features, mostly of mid-level cars.
The super-expensive cars were getting some of the action, but it was
largely focused on the usual Camry/Prius/Regal/Fusions you’d expect
to see with solid senior interest. Cadillacs were also doing well in
attracting their attention, even if it meant sliding from walker to the
driver’s seat. Metallic red paint can do wonders in catching an eye,
but you’d better have a nice door opening to go with it.
I did spend some semi-professional time around the Corvettes. There
was both a coupe and a convertible attracting the attention of the
not-quite seniors in the crowd. You’d see the usual looks between
husbands and wives when they got to the Corvettes. He’d have the
sad, puppy dog expression that he practiced with his parents as a six
year old. She’d finally look a bit more objectively at the car, running
a hand over the door and seats, saying “Oh, well, we’ve waited long
enough. If you really think this will make you happy, then go ahead
and spend the money.” I think I saw that little drama happen three
or four times, almost as if they were reading from the same script. A
younger couple, more like you’d see in the Chevy ads, would not be
so fortunate. A less tolerant wife would point her man to the SUVs
parked near the Corvettes, and you know how that played out.
So, my take from this year’s show is that seniors with money still may
have needs that go with their postponed dreams. I should take my
sociologist views back to the show on a rainy Saturday afternoon, to
see if parents, their kids, their iPads, behave differently. I suspect it
would be a whole ‘nother show with less affluence in the air. More
pickups and fewer sporty cars, except in the shelved dreams of all
those husbands and fathers.
Betty Parks
Did you know that special discounts are available for NCCC members? The following companies have formed an alliance with NCCC for
discounts on their products.
If you’re interested in learning more about the discounts offered by each company, you will need to log onto the NCCC website and look for
the “Discounts for NCCC” on the left side (or log into www.corvettesnccc.org/Friends.html). Then you can visit the companies’ website by
clicking on their logo (while on NCCC’s website).
The companies include:
Allied Van Lines
Brakeworld
Canvas Art
Car Art Work
Car Guys Flooring
Chevy Corvette Keychains
Choice Hotels
ClassicCars.com
EmpireCovers
Extreme Supply
Hagerty Insurance
GRYYP
Hawaiian Island Shine
LogoBall Pro
Members on Vacation
Motorbooks.com
Nationwide Auto Transport
Neon Clocks USA
only-flags.com
Racing Furniture
R1Concepts
RoadRUNNER Magazine
Safeguard, Inc.
Seat Armour
Sears Commercial
SharedBook
Southern Car Parts
StreetSide Auto
Trackn.com
Ventura
Vette Collectibles
NCM Blog: Check out this nice blog post about the Museum and really great photos of their exhibits and display cars! (There’s a lot
more than just sinkhole info!). http://www.hovermotorco.com/2014/04/the-national-corvette-museum-more-than.html
9
April & May Birthdays
Paul Barros....................... Apr. 1
Carolyn Nugent................. Apr. 1
David Adcock.................... Apr. 3
Rob McLean....................... Apr. 4
Chris Gowin....................... Apr. 6
Sondra Wright................... Apr. 19
Amy Frost.......................... Apr. 24
Don Parks.......................... Apr. 25
Dan Todd........................... Apr. 30
Bonnie Lass....................... May 4
David McCreery................. May 4
Jan Warren....................... May 9
Nancy Morgan.................. May 16
Ann Baize.......................... May 17
Dee Gowin........................ May 24
Roxanne Roseberry........... May 25
Jim Hudson....................... May 31
FCOA Members
Travis Delp........................ May 23
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Y’ALL!!
April & May Anniversaries
Al & Mary Bathurst.......................
James & Marci Hill (17)................
Jim & Dee Gowin (41)..................
Charlotte & Millard Davis (33).....
Angela & Paul Barros (16)...........
Frank & Dorothy Merrifield (43)..
Dan & Rosie Todd (40)..................
Mark & Amy Frost (16).................
Michael & Donna Greer (11)........
Apr. 23
Apr. 26
Apr. 28
May 2
May 17
May 23
May 25
May 30
May 31
CONGRATULATION!!
If you have not provided your info yet and want to be
listed here, please submit your date to the editor!
Web Sites:
Corvette Atlanta – www.corvetteatlanta.org
- www.facebook.com/groups/CorvetteAtlanta/
NCCC – www.corvettesnccc.org
Southeast Region NCCC – www.ncccsouth.com
NCM – www.corvettemuseum.com
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10
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