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"Twins Pace the '
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Greetings!
Well, it's cookin' here in Jersey, but it's cookin almost everywhere in the northern hemisphere. What the hey, that's what Summer is all about!
Here's what I have to share with you this month...
* Illustrated Corvette Series No. 137
The 2008 Corvette Pace Cars
"Twins Pace the '08 Indy 500"
* Vette Videos:
1. Three videos featuring Emerson Fittipaldi.
Two interviews and a special tribute some from Emo's pal, George Harrison.
2. 1978 Indy 500 Official Pace Car Donuts - NOT a promo from Dunkin Donuts!
3. 50 Years of Corvette Racing - A neat collection of vintage Corvette racers, as well as the C6.R. - Fun Stuff!
4. BadBoyVettes.com - Corvette History Revisionists? Pay close attention to the graphics on this collection of vintage Corvette racing photos.
5. The Olden Days of Indy 500 Pace Cars - Contemporary Corvettes have no need to be beefed up to pace the Indy 500. This video shows all that went into getting the '64-1/2 Mustang ready for Indy duty.
* Let's Play Corvette Odd-Ball:
Did Chevy ever make a turbine-powered Corvette?
* Rumor Mill:
C7 Corvette preview in new "Transformers" film?
It's a Gas, Gas, Gas!!!
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The Latest Illustrated Corvette Series: ICS No. 137
2008 Corvette Pace Cars
"Twins Pace the '08 Indy 500"
2008 was a banner year for Corvettes. To start, the base '08 Corvette got a 30 horsepower bump to a whopping 430-horsepower, plus the option of the Z06 solenoid operated exhaust system that adds an additional 6-horsepower. Remember sports fans, that's "net" horsepower, not the old "gross" power ratings of the olden days. Translated into the old muscle car days of measuring power, you're looking at an engine well into the 500-horsepower range!
Then there is the 427 Limited Edition Z06. And if that's not enough, a Corvette paced the Indy 500 for the 10th time (an Indy 500 record) and the 5th time in a row for a Corvette pacing the 500!
Want more? Not only did a Corvette pace the 500, there were TWO Corvette pace cars on hand - the production-base black and silver salute to the 30th anniversary of the first Corvette pace car and a prototype E85 Ethanol-powered Z06. The only things that had to be done to the Z06 for pace car duty was a slight adjustment to the fuel system and the powertrain computer controller, and a strobe bar mounted on the roof.
The alkie-burning Z06 had more than enough power to rocket the pace car to over 200-mph. At least, that's what two-time Indy 500 winner and pace car driver Emmerson Fittipaldi had to say about the E85 Z06. It wasn't that long ago that the Indy 500 race cars were not that fast!
What does the future hold for Corvettes pacing future Indy 500 races? Pretty good, I'd say. Of course, we won't know till this December, or so. There are some very impressive cars out on the market now that could be contenders for '09 Pace Car duty. There are some very stout Mustangs from Ford and Shelby, as well as the large, but powerful Hemi Dodge Challenger.
But my speculation for the '09 Indy 500 pace car has to go with the '09 ZR1. Here's why. The new ZR1 has more advanced performance goodies than any other production car on the market. The 620-horsepower supercharged LS9 engine is the most powerful engine to EVER come out of Detroit and it's the only car that's faster than the E85 Z06 that paced this year's Indy 500.
A few words about the special "Gold Rush Green" paint. This is arguably the most unusual paint ever sprayed inside GM. When we see unusual items like this, it's often a trial balloon to test the public's reaction to possible new options. From what I have heard and read, everyone that has seen the Gold Rush Green Z06, says it is stunningly beautiful. Will "Gold Rush Green" paint show up on the '09 option list? Chevrolet just might surprise us. They might even have other color-change paints already sprayed on Corvettes that are being focus group tested right now.
Here's some pure bench racing speculation for the '09 Indy 500 Corvette pace car: 2009 ZR1 Corvette with a prototype 427 LS9 engine that runs on E85 Ethanol. Hmmm.. We just might have to toss this one into "The Rumor Mill" section.
You can also read the complete '08 Corvette Pace Cars story HERE.
The article will appear in the November 2008 issue of VETTE Magazine on the very last page.
To see the LARGE VERSIONS of this month's prints, just click the images.
You can order the ICS No. 137 parchment paper print directly from The Illustrated Corvette Series website and simply use the PayPal payment buttons for payment.
Or you can order with a credit card by calling us
TOLL-FREE at: 1-800-858-6670.
There are two versions of this month's series installment.
Below is the alternate layout.
(Illustrated Corvette Series II No. 137)
Both versions are available HERE.
All
of our prints measure 11" x 17", are printed on tan parchment paper,
are signed by the artist and cost $19.95, + $4.95 S&H. For an additional $10 you can have any of our prints personalized! An excellent gift for that hard to buy for Corvette person in your life.
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Vette Videos
Classic sights & sounds of Chevy's
Plastic Fantastic!
Welcome to our growing collection of YouTube and GoogleVideo
links to some interesting Corvette videos. I have 7 Vette Videos to share with you this month. These are lots of fun. So, here we go!
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Interviews with '08 Corvette Pace Car driver, Emerson Fittipaldi, a special Emo song from George Harrison, and a conversation with Emo about ethanol.
Two-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi drove the '08 E85 Z06 Corvette pace car. Emo talks about the Indy 500 race, the E85 Z06, and his involvement in ethanol production in Brazil.
To enjoy this Emo Video, CLICK HERE.
Fittipaldi was good friends with former Beatle, George Harrison. This charming video features a very long haired Harrison playing an alternate version of "Here Comes the Sun," retitled, "Hello Emo." It's funny, but none of the comments under the YouTube video window are in English.
To enjoy this Emo Video, CLICK HERE.
Our last Emo video is another interview with Emo while driving the E85 Z06, plus conversation about enthanol fuel use in Brazil. Cars in Brazil run on E100 - that's 100% ethanol!
To enjoy this Emo Video, CLICK HERE.
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1978 Official Indy 500 Pace Car Special Donuts
No, this isn't a new tasty treat from Dunkin Donuts. If you must do donuts in a classic Corvette, do it in a large parking lot, that's slightly wet. Spin very carefully!
To enjoy this Vette Video, CLICK HERE.
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50 Years of Corvete Racing
This is a very nice video tribute to 50 years of Corvette racing. There's plenty of C6.R footage as well as vintage video from years gone by. If you like racing Corvettes, you'll love this video!
To enjoy this Vette Video, CLICK HERE.
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BadBoyVettes: Corvette History Revisionists?
You have to pay attention to the details on this one. BadBoyVettes.com has a very distinctive skull logo. These guys had too much fun with their skull logo and Photoshop. Note how their skull logo adornes a collection of vintage Corvette racing photos.
To enjoy this Vette Video, CLICK HERE.
Bet you didn't know that they sponsored Duntov's '57 Corvette SS racer. NOT! But it looks cool!
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The Olden Days of Indy Pace Cars
Okay,
this video isn't about a Corvette, but it's a delightful presentation
of what manufacturers had to do to get their production cars up for the
challenge of the 120 mph pace car speed.
This video persents
the 1964-1/2 Mustang convertible. The car had a beefed up suspension and a
450 hp engine. The '08 pace car Corvette is bone stock and is capable
of running over 60mph faster than the '64 Mustang. I especially like the shot of the
Mustang with 6 people on board. Two in the front, two in the back, and
two sitting on the trunk lid!
For modern day pace cars, no sitting on the trunk lid!
To enjoy this pace car video, CLICK HERE.
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Let's Play, "Corvette Oddball!"
Quirky Vette Factoids
Question: Did Chevy ever seriously consider a turbocharged Corvette?
Answer: The short answer is, "NO!" They may have talked about it over lunch, but Chevy never got into the turbine craze of the late '60s.
Car designers have been playing around with the notion of a turbine-powered car since the dawn of the jet age. Chrysler stunned everyone in '63 with their Ghia-built, bronze Chrysler Turbine Car. At the '64 - '65 New York World's Fair you could actually take a slow ride in the bronze beauty.
Parnelli Jones drove the STP Turbine Indy Car to a heart breaker,
with a $20 bearing putting the car out with just 2 laps to go!
The turbine engine sat NEXT to Parnelli!
Then in '67, Andy Granatelli floored the racing world with his STP sponsored Indy 500 racer. The car was built in total secret and was completely in line with Indy 500 racing rules, so they couldn't preclude the car from racing. Parnelli Jones drove the 550-horsepower Pratt & Whitney-powered, four-wheel-drive racer and SMOKED everyone on the track that day. That is, until a $20 bearing broke on the second to last lap, costing the team the race.
The following year, Granatelli came back with a wedge-shaped STP sponsored turbine racer. But the Indy 500 rules makers caved to pressure and placed so many restrictions on turbine-powered Indy racers that they were no longer competitive. Thus ended the short and very interesting era of the Indy turbine cars. Since then, turbine-powered cars have been not much more than a novelty act.
By the late '70s, Andy Granatelli's son, Vince, was running "The Pit Stop Service" shop in Van Nuys, California. Friend Herb Orlowitz, owner of Corprajet Leasing, loved fast jets and commissioned Granatelli to build him a fast, turbine-powered car.
The Corvette was chosen because it was the only car they could find that would accommodate the long turbine engine. The engine, by the way, was the same unit that Granatelli used in the '67 Indy turbine car. The front end of the car is essentially a shell to cover the engine. Talk about a lowly start, the Pratt & Whitney turbine engine was originally designed to be a power generator for oil drilling rigs. (Kind of like the trash compactor character in the new film, "Wall-E")
Granatelli connected the turbine engine to a modified GM Turbo 400 automatic transmission with a beefed up drive shaft. Exhaust for the car was tricky. The single exhaust vent of the turbine was connected to a wide, shallow box that was mounted under the car. Turbines flow a tremendous amount of air, precluding any kind of tubular exhaust system. The exhaust vent at the rear was as wide as the underside of the car. The heat coming out of the back of the car must have been stupendous. That s one way to discourage tailgaters!
The rear luggage space was taken up with 6 car batteries required to spark the engine alive. The stock Corvette disc brakes were replaced with heavy-duty NASCAR vented racing brakes. After the car was started, driving technique around town consisted of lifting your foot off the brakes to let the car move forward. (That must have taken some getting used to) The exterior of the car was completely stock with silver and black paint, factory front and rear spoilers, and Centerline wheels. For an odd-ball car, it was very good looking.
After all that, "how fast," you ask? The first day at the drag strip crunched the drive shaft. With a repaired drive shaft and a soft launch, the turbine Vette ran the quarter-mile in 12.0-seconds at 111 mph. The claimed top speed was 180 mph. The total cost of the car was never published, but you can guess that it was A LOT! Motor Trend magazine covered the car in the November '79 issue. To the best of my knowledge, that was the only ink the car ever received.
When I was researching this car in the Net, I was surprised to find nothing at all. Zero! Not a mention or an update as to the car's whereabouts. So, if you know anything about this Odd-Ball Corvette, I'd love to know and will publish an update.
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Got a "Corvette Oddball" factoid or an unusual Corvette that you'd like to share?
Zip me off an e-mail at, lightoak@comcast.net and I'll include it in a future newsletter.
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MotorheadGear.com Store Update!!!
A few months ago we told you that we teamed up with website development company, SolidCactus.com to help us build a state of the art Yahoo store. We cleared a big hurdle this past month by completing the homepage layout and design. We're very jazzed about this new enterprise.
Now that the layout and flavor of the site is complete the maestros at SolidCactus are busy toiling away with the background programming. Our estimated launch date is now September 15, 2008.
MotorheadGear.com will have over 625 Corvette, Muscle Car, Nostalgia Drag Racing, Sports Car, and Vintage Car art prints available. Plus, die-cast cars, DVDs, CDs, jackets, shirts, caps, steel GM car emblems, vintage signs, neon car signs, and much more.
We'll have more to share next month.
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BEAT THE HEAT at you're next Corvette car show with one of our 10'x x10' Corvette tents!
It's the next best thing to air conditioning.
We also have 10' x 10' Chevy Bow Tie and
Checkered Flag tents!
The link for the Corvette Bar Stools & Tents is HERE.
The link for the Chevy Bar Stools & Tents is HERE.
Here's the address for our eBay "Corvette Gear" store...
http://stores.ebay.com/Corvette-Gear
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Red Hot From the Rumor Mill:
C7 Sneak Peak: "Transformers Sequel?"
Looking VERY swoopy!!!
Could it be? Is this the new C7 Corvette? Obviously, we'll just have to wait, now won't we? First off, this could be just a movie car - not much more than a kit car built on an existing car chassis. Would Chevrolet loan out a C7 prototype? It's doubtful, but one never knows.
Autoblog.com has published 5 images that were taken on the set of the new Transformers sequel, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." I didn't see the first transformers movie, but I read that for the kind of film it is, it's was pretty good. Having seen this, I'll have to add it to my NetFlix que.
But, let's talk about the car. Go HERE... and you can cycle through the 5 images. Go ahead, I'll wait...
I told ya, pretty cool! Pretty HOT, actually! It definitely looks like a Corvette. It's also very small. Almost from the beginning of the Corvette saga, critics have been carping about how BIG the Corvette is. Many in the sports car community feel that all sports cars should be the size of an M.G. Obviously, we don't agree.
See what I mean, this is a little car.
Mitchell was always a snappy dresser. Silk suits and all that stuff.
Corvette prototype cars are often about 7/8's scale, but when looked at without any other cars for size reference, they tend to look bigger than they really are. The '59 Cadillac is a great example of what I'm writing about here. GM's Chief of Styling, Bill Mitchell, was a master at proportions. By itself, the proportions make the Stingray Racer look huge, but it really wasn't. Mitchell's '59 Sting Ray Racer was a small car. The Mako Shark II show cars were small - about 7/8's the size of the production C3 Vettes. It's a pattern I've noticed with GM show cars and concept cars.
Lucky kid!!!
This car was even used in a forgetable Elvis Presley movie titled, "Clambake."
Concept cars usually push the edge out, but then again, we have been seeing lots of concept cars with the new high-performance LED headlights. Note
the thin headlight strip along the leading edge of the front fender on
the front 3/4 shot. Several Cadillac concept cars use this style
headlight. Once you break away from round or rectangular headlights, any place with an unobstructed forward view is a possible place for headlights.
Check out the above image of the movie car being painted. If the man painting the car is average height, note how the roof is just above the man's belt line. This is one short car.
Over all, I like what I'm seeing with this car.
As far as what's under the skin, it's all speculation. My guess is that there will be a lot of ZR1 construction aspects built into the C7. Which give a thinking person good reason to wonder if there will be a C7 Z06 or a C7 ZR1. Hmmm...
I'm getting warm!
If you hear of something juicy, e-mail me at: lightoak@comcast.net
PS - Check out this HOT "Bumble Bee"
Z-28 Camaro concept car, HERE.
(You'll have to scroll down a tad.)
Stay tuned!
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Coming Up In The Illustrated Corvette Series
Here's what's coming up in the series for the next few months in VETTE Magazine on the very last page...
No. 138 - '08 427 Z06 Special - '66 427 Big-Block Comparison
(August 2008)
No. 139 - C5 / '57 Q-Corvette Connection
(September 2008)
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Thanks for being here. Have some Summer fun. Drink lots of water and make sure your Vette gets plenty of water too. We don't want our Corvettes getting parched.
Hey, I got Vettes to draw!
See ya next time.
Scott
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