A Tale of Two Corvettes…

Mitch Schneider
March 17, 2020

This particular blog post is the result of a conversation with a reader and a good friend. It started out with a reference to one of the central elements in Misfire, the lead character’s black Corvette convertible. And, how I was never really a big Corvette “guy” until I resurrected one.

To understand the black Corvette, you really have to appreciate the story of the white Corvette that preceded it. That Vette was a 1981, C3: white, with red interior that belonged to a compulsive/obsessive aerospace engineer. I took care of it for more than a decade before both the owner and the vehicle just seemed to disappear. It was pristine.

It seems the owner had come home from work one afternoon, parked the car in the driveway, and it hadn’t been touched since. Ten years later, his wife called before leaving California. She insisted that her husband insisted that if anything happened to him, he wanted me to have the Corvette.

There was only one problem… Despite the fact she insisted it was her husband’s dying wish, I didn’t want it!

Nevertheless, I had it running before the tow truck driver had a chance to drop it.

After ten years of sitting it was falling apart. The interior was destroyed. The suspension was dead. The victim of a decade of benign neglect.

Resurrection or Restoration

Restoring it didn’t make any sense. At least, not to me. Even when new, it was a pig!

What changed my mind was a customized 1958 Corvette with a high performance, LS1, small block, under the hood.

I saw that and went, Hmmmm!

I completely rebuilt the front and rear suspension. Shoe-horned a modified 1995 LT1 engine and 700R4 transmission into the vehicle. Grafted all the computer controls into the Corvette’s central nervous system. Painted it arctic white paint and added some barely visible ghost flames.

The result was a spooky fast, 350 horsepower vehicle that got 28 miles per gallon on the road when I could keep my foot out of it! Which was rarely…

It was so fast and so fun I actually enjoyed the hell out of it.

The only problem was it had none of the safety equipment we’ve come to expect and depend on, like airbags. And, none of the restraints a normal human being would with driving it! Think, Mr. Toad, and his Wild Ride!

The service manager of a local Chevy agency aware of the White Corvette and Lesley’s disdain called one afternoon. A year-old black C6 Corvette convertible had just been turned in. It was beautiful. Had airbags and no miles on it. I bought it. Then, proceeded to trick that one out!  ;-{)}

I had two Corvettes: one I built. And, one I bought! Now, I have none.  :-{(} And, I sorely miss my early Sunday morning canyon runs (If you’ve read Misfire, think Drexel Canyon).

Not sure where all that came from… But, I’m sitting here smiling, so it can’t be all bad!

Related Stories

Arrow-up