RCCC July Newsletter 2013.pub

Cruzin
River City Corvette Club E-News Letter
God Bless America
July 2013 Volume 19, Issue No. 7
rivercitycorvetteclub.com
CRUZIN’
E-Newsletter
Twenty One Years and Counting
“Cruzin’” is the newsletter of the River City Corvette Club (RCCC) of the Chattanooga, Tennessee and surrounding area; created by appointed members for the benefit of the membership. All rights reserved except where expressly waived.
For RCCC membership information contact Jerry Ray at
[email protected]
2013 Officers
President: Robin Peterson
[email protected]
Vice President: Ron Kellogg
[email protected]
Treasure: Nancy Price
[email protected]
Secretary: Mike Nabors
[email protected]
2013 Board of Directors
Ron Hasting
[email protected]
Norma Harless
[email protected]
Joe Rath
[email protected]
Evie Usalis
Tim Nutz, President 2012
[email protected]
2013 Membership Chairman
Jerry Ray
[email protected]
2
Table of Contents
From the President’s Desk
4
Getting’ Our Kicks on Route 66
5 -6
2014 edition C7 Corvette debuts with premiere edition
7
Tullahoma Car show
8
Chattanooga Church Car Show
9 - 10
Welcome New Members
11
Activities and Car Shows
12
Support
Our Sponsors
Integrity Chevrolet
#1 on Automotive Row
2110 Chapman Road
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Sales: 866-475-3976
Service: 866-543-1020
Certified Corvette Technician
http://www.integritychevrolet.com/
Chris Williams Insurance Agency
Chris Williams-Agent
FARMERS
Auto * Home * Life * Business
7161 Lee Hwy. STE 600
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Bus:423-664-9044
Fax:423-499-0043
http://www.farmersagent.com/
cwilliams8/
1-800-689-6498
http://www.weshipyourcar.com
Email: [email protected]
http://www.adamspolishes.com/
O'Charley's - Hixson Pike
(423) 877-8966
Dairy Queen
5433 Highway 153
Hixson, TN 37343
Southern Restaurant - Hixson Pike
(423) 842-5649
3
West Coast Corvettes
1-888-737-8388 ext 201
http://www.westcoastcorvette.com/
From the President’s Desk
Due to the wonderful weather we've had this past
month, I was thinking of adding new "Bling" to our C5.
Maybe some floaties and an outboard motor ? We
could start a sister club called River City Pontoons. I
am kidding of course, but the weather has had a
major effect on our activities.
As you all know, the Firecracker Rod Run on July 4th
was canceled due to the weather, as was most all
other events in our area. This show has now been
combined with the "Punkin' Fest" to be held October
5th.
A few activities have taken place such as the
Cleveland Cruise In, and a Club dinner at Countryside
Cafe'. We also had members attend two car shows.
Robin Peterson
Jean Nutz placed 1st in her Class at the Tullahoma Car
Show and Guy Morgan, Tim Nutz, Bill Harless and Ron Kellogg all placed at
the annual Chattanooga Church Show. Congrats to all who brought home the
"Hardware".
Our Annual Classic Car Show on the River is August 3rd, less than a month
away. We are still taking applications for Vendors so if you now of anyone who
would like to have a booth, please have them contact me.
We will be discussing this Show and our upcoming trip to the Bluebird Cafe' in
Nashville at our regular Monthly Business Meeting July 18th, Hixson
O'Charley's, 6:00 pm to order dinner and socialize, meeting starts at 7:00. See
you there !
Robin Peterson, President River City Corvette Club
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Gettin' our kicks on Route 66
by Susan Pierce
A trip down Route 66, America's Mother Road, should be on every
Corvette owners' bucket list. 2,448 miles of Americana, Neon, and
Drive-Ins through 8 states is THE ultimate road trip.
Ernie and I had the opportunity to cover Route 66 in our Corvette from
California to Oklahoma City, east bound, a few years ago. This year
we decided to complete the trek by starting in Chicago, west bound.
Armed with a GREAT guide book, EZ 66 Guide For Travelers, by Jerry McClanahan, we got a very unseasonably cold Chicago in May start
to our trip. Lou Mitchell's restaurant, downtown Chicago, is the eastern most point of Route 66 and where our adventure began. Quickly
passing through the south side of Chicago, only peering out the window to see areas that many had warned us to avoid, we made our
way to our first official stop - Ice Cream at the Rich and Creamy in Joliet, Illinois. This would be the first of many, and I do mean many,
stops to all things Route 66 over the next 9 days.
Route 66 meanders through mid America giving a view into days gone
by. We saw many art projects, murals, museums, and people's own memorials to the Mother Road as
well as the remains of towns that once thrived on people taking a road trip. Some places of particular
interest were: The Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac, IL, all things Abe Lincoln, Rt. 66 Hotel
and the Cozy Dog Drive-In, birthplace of the corn dog, in Springfield, IL. Missouri brought The Gateway
Arch, Meramec Caverns, and loads of scenic driving. Entering Kansas at Galena we met Tow Tater, the
inspiration for ToMater in the movie Cars. Then in Oklahoma we visited the Will Rogers Memorial and
Museum, the home of Micky Mantle, the Route 66 Interpretive Center, and made a stop at the home of
our guidebook's author, Jerry McClanahan, for a visit and autograph. Interestingly, the Cleveland, TN
Corvette Club had visited Jerry and left their card about 2 weeks before us.
Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985. It is not maintained in some areas and many sections have
been replaced by the interstate or simply grown over and are not passable. Many of the towns just withered and died once the interstate was in place. Then there are those that are trying to survive and preserve the dream of driving across our great country. The sight of a Corvette traveling America's highway
garnered waves, shouts, ooohs and aaahs from many as we made our way across a piece of history.
Some areas were difficult to locate and at times it could be confusing, but with a top notch navigator any
man should be perfectly comfortable with the drive.
There are many, some unique and some just plain strange, photo ops to be experienced on this half of
America's Highway including many "Giants" of the road such as a giant Paul Bunyon holding a hot dog, a
giant Abe Lincoln driving a covered wagon, a giant Rocketman, and a giant pop bottle. We saw the
world's largest catsup bottle, the world's largest rocking chair, the world's largest totem pole and of
course no trip down Route 66 would be complete without stopping to take a photo of the famous giant
blue whale. We ate some really good food, and some not so good, while talking to many people who just
love the idea of keeping Mainstreet USA alive. We met many foreigners who came to the US,
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Gettin' our kicks on Route 66
by Susan Pierce
rented a car and were drivng America's Road just like we were. They came to this country to experience
something that we have at our doorstep every day. Route 66 is truly a treasure to be shared with the
world. We even met up with a bus load of fifty senior citizens from Wisconsin taking in the entire route,
Chicago to Santa Monica, over a 2 week period. There were too many museum tours, car collection
tours, historic bridges, sites on the National Historic Register, gas stations turned into Route 66 memorbilia exhibits, and just funky stuff to share in a brief article.
As the Route 66 portion of our trip was winding down and we were approaching Oklahoma City we had,
probably, the most memorable experience of the entire adventure. As we were nearing Arcadia, OK the
guidebook said to be on the lookout for "John Hargrove's fantastic Oklahoma County 66 Auto Trim and
Mini Museum. Stop by and visit if the gate is open." It was, so we did! And what a fantastic stop it was.
John has created minature replicas of many items on Route 66 on his property. His acreage is covered
with all sorts of things related to cars, airplanes which he builds and flies, Coca Cola, and just about anything else you can think of. It became obvious pretty quickly that no one had stopped in lately and boy,
was he ready for some visitors. But he was not a lonely old man rambling around, he knew something
about everything. Our conversation and tour ran the gamut from how to change an engine in a Model T
to how to grow iris' (which by the way I now have OK iris' in my GA garden! a parting gift from John). By
the time we left John, about 3 hours after we arrived, we knew about things we had never even considered before, like when, where and how to take shelter in case of a tornado, which came in handy over
the next few days we were in Oklahoma.
From Ringgold, GA to Oklahoma City, OK our Route 66 trip carried us across more than 1,600 miles,
many of them 2 lane black top where people had gone before us seeking the American dream. If you
ever get a chance, you should head out down Route 66 and visit the sites, experiences and people that
are written about in books, shown in movies and sung about in songs. Be sure to stop by John's place.
Tell him Ernie and Susan sent you!
Editors Note:
Every Corvette owner should have on their bucket list driving at a leisurely pace and allowing time to stop
and smell the roses at least part of Route 66, the Mother Road.
Norma and I drove parts of it from just west of St. Louis, MO to Joplin, MO and surrounding areas in August 2007. It was one of the most enjoyable drives I have ever made. We saw the tee pees, the towns
that were Americana back in the day with the neon. It was sad to see parts of the old Rt. 66 with grass
and weeds growing in the asphalt as they were no longer maintained.
I would highly recommend your Corvette drives include route 66 or at least some part of it. It is something I will always treasure.
6
2014 Corvette C7 Debuts With “Premiere
Edition”
The launch of the 2014 Corvette Stingray was anticipated by car collectors the world over for months,
or even years, and many wealthy people have more money than patience. So we know that many of
them wasted no time placing their order as soon as the new ‘Vette was revealed. But good things
come to those who wait, and those early birds may regret their decision upon hearing this announcement.
To celebrate the new Corvette, GM will be selling a limited run of 500 “Premiere Edition” 2014 Corvettes. Not only will these cars be highly collectible and loaded with options, but they come with their
own luggage set too. Sometimes, it pays to be patient.
The Premiere Edition Corvette will be a range-topping 3LT model, and is only available in the Laguna
Blue color option. There are Stingray logos and reminders all over the car, from the wheel caps to the
door sills. All Premiere Edition Corvettes will have a numbered plaque, and come with a matching set
of luggage for those long road trips.
Equipped with the 450 horsepower LT1 V8, the Premiere Edition Corvettes also comes equipped with the Z51 Performance
Package. This package includes Magnetic Ride Control and drivetrain coolers for track days. An exposed carbon fiber roof
and trim decor help establish this as a serious collector and road-trip car for Corvette fans. The Premiere Edition Corvette
hasn’t been priced yet, but exclusivity is rarely cheap.
Article by: Chris Demoro, Corvetteonline.com
7
Congratulations to Jean Nutz
For Her 1st Place Tullahoma Car Show
On June 8th Joe Rath, Jean and myself traveled to the
Tullahoma Car Show in Tullahoma, Tn. The 90 some
mile trip took us right past the Bonnaroo Music Festival. We thought we saw Ron Hasting in the crowd but
not sure that it was him.
We pulled into the car show and got the full scope of
the size of this show. There were already about 200250 cars, trucks and custom vehicles in place when we
pulled in. They were trying to keep all like vehicles in
the same area so we were assigned 3 spots under a
very large oak tree. Premo spots for coming in so late.
We parked and started cleaning. Jean did her own car,
with some very talented supervision I might add. Joe
and I tended to our vehicles as well.
Jean Nutz 1st place winner in her class.
After the detailing was done, Joe disappeared and was
nowhere to be found. Well, we didn’t know that there
was a special guest at the show that day by the name
of John Schnieder from “The Dukes of Hazard” TV
show. He was there signing autographs and taking
pictures. Three times I had to yank Joe out of the line
that was about 100 yards long, just kidding Joe, it was
Jean that was in the line. There were several “General
Lee” cars there, one that was totaled from a car jump.
There was a swap meet area and other types of vendors in attendance. Food was
about the only thing that was in short supply. We met another couple that was from
Chattanooga who had a C2 and was parked right behind us. They actually lived very
close to Joe in Hixon. Since we had to leave before the awards were handed out, we
made arrangements with them that if we did win anything, they would bring it back to
Chattanooga and meet us somewhere. Well, it so happened that the lady called me on
Wednesday to tell us that Jean had won 1st place in her class. It must have been the
expert support and tutoring that was given during the detailing process. There can be no
other explanation. It was a very relaxing day and a very pleasant drive up to and back
from Tullahoma. If you have the urge and
time next year, this is a nice ride and good
show to attend.
By: Tim Nutz
Professional car detailer pointer outer.
8
Chattanooga Church
Car Show
The Chattanooga Church
held their 3rd annual car
show. This is always a fun
show with no entry fee and
great hot dogs. If you like
the hot rods and the older
classics as well as the newer cars this show has them
all.
As usual the unique happened on the way to the
show, as we entered the
parking area. One car blew
an AC hose just as we drove
by, KAAAA BOOOM with lots of smoke coming from under the car. I must
admit I thought a bomb went off. Fortunately nobody got injured and the car
was not damaged.
River City entrants did bring home the hardware again. Good job RCCC and
a great club turnout. Those placing were: Guy Morgan, Tim Nutz, Bill
Harless and Ron Kellogg. Good job everyone.
There is nothing as beautiful as a
row of Corvettes and their plethora
of colors.
I have loved the Corvette since I
was a child growing up in Appalachia’s Wild Wonderful West Virginia. One of the most beautiful states
in the U.S.
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Chattanooga Church
Car Show
One of our members, whom shall be kept
anonymous, had the best ever line for special features on his red 04 corvette coupe.
This was more enticing than a bouquet of
butter cups, if you know what I mean.
Discussing the “Special Features” of Denton Henderson’s Corvette. This story will go down in
RCCC lore for years to come. The best special
features I have ever seen listed.
Grandmother and Granddaughter helping with registration
10
Welcome New Members
Welcome new members to the best Corvette Club in the Chattanooga area.
Come join in the various activities and make new friends.
Bill and Norma Ross
2003 Anniversary Red Coupe.
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Cruise Ins and Car Shows
Club Activities:
Aug 3 OPEN Car Show, 3rd Annual Classic Car Show on the River sponsored by the River City Corvette Club.
Please post the flyer on your Facebook page and make copies to hand out
and put in businesses.
Car Shows:
July 25-27th “Corvette HOMECOMING Bowling Green, KY at Sloan Convention Center (5
Car Shows). Reunion of the 3’s => ’53, ’63, ’73, ’93, ‘03 Free T-Shirt for First 100 PreRegistered Cars , info: 270-791-2117
July 27th ,Brainerd Optimist Dragstrip Car Show (Proceeds go to Orange Grove Christmas
Party) $10 Registration Car Show or to Drag $20 more info: 423-667-1780, 423-605-0584
or 423-718-3224
August 8-10 5th Annual Moonshine Cruise In, Hiawassee, GA
August 9 – 11 Vettes in the Midwest Joplin, MO
Aug 17th (8th Annual “In Memory of Rebekah Davis) Car, Truck, & Bike Show (Rain Date
Aug 24th )9 AM- 3 PM at Battlefield Elementary School 2206 Battlefield Pkwy Ft Oglethorpe
GA $20 more info: 423-802-5970 or 605-2079
August 23 – 25 Corvettes at Carlisle Carlisle, PA
Sept 3rd 4th Annual Labor Day Show at Camp Columbus 423-847-0234
Sept 12-15 Grand Rod Run Gatlinburg
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