August 2019 Issue of Car and Driver Puts Much of This Danger in Perspective

I am not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful - EDITOR

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 1 Corvette

2019 Corvette Atlanta Board of Directors Elected Board Members President Dave Brownell [email protected] VP-Activities Amy Parker [email protected] VP-Membership Tom Wright [email protected] VP-Competition Don Parks [email protected] Imperfection is beauty, Secretary Judy Adcock madness is genius and it's [email protected] Treasurer Betty Parks better to be absolutely [email protected] Member-at-Large Lea Ann English ridiculous than absolutely [email protected] boring. Member-at-Large David Adcock [email protected] Appointed Board Members Governor Betty Parks [email protected] NCM Ambassador Ed Clark [email protected] Webmaster Mike Heaphy [email protected] Guest Editor Marilyn Monroe [email protected] Parliamentarian Sondra Wright [email protected]

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 2 August

Today, since it was a warm and sunny Saturday and the Caffeine and Octane show was coming up, I thought that it was a good time to poke around the 1967 Corvette that I intended to drive to the show. Always suspicious, I am not averse to crawling under any of my old cars before a drive, just to make sure everything looks to be the way it ought to be.

.Today, the oldest Corvette I have seems to be in fine shape with nothing dripping or loosely hanging down. While I was dirty and had the oil change ramps out, I slid under a bunch of the other family cars and trucks, just looking for potential trouble. The good news is that I did not find anything that I did not already know about. But I did start reflecting on how much factory original equipment was still there on the GM products we own. Every one of the GM pickups still had their factory exhaust system intact. That’s saying something because two of the trucks (88 and 89) are three decades old and have, respectively 700,000 and 600,000 miles on them! My personal Chevy truck has way over 300,000 on it, and other than a lot of brake parts, one new transmission and two radiators, is mostly the way it came from the factory. It still doesn’t burn much oil and I cannot tell if there’s a rattle anywhere in the body. These three trucks seem to be all the testimony I’d need to buy a new one when I have to. Our newer family trucks are much younger, but at more than a hundred thousand on all four of them (one has 220K and it’s only five years old), the luck with the Chevy/GMC brands seems to be continuing. Corvette-wise, the story is much the same with the newest (now twelve years old) and the middle-aged ones (1993 and 1985). In fact, and I have said it here before, the 85 could qualify as a Toyota when it comes to reliability and cost of ownership. It’s now almost thirty five years old and one water pump and radiator replacement is about all it’s needed other than brakes and tires and under hood rubber parts to make it to almost 150,000. Sure, it rattles and leaks rain water, but it still has to be the most fun and economical performance car for the money I have ever owned. As the old Packard slogan said “Just Ask the Man Who Owns One.” By now, I have owned six Corvettes and there's only been one that I wouldn’t do all over again.

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 3 continued

At age 15 I started working on cars, first at a corner gas station and then at a new car dealership during my college years. I can still see the signs that we posted in the garage bays to let the customers know how to take proper care of their cars. Chassis lubrication every thousand miles, oil changes every 2-3000 miles, and tune-ups and valve adjustments every ten thousand (VWs would need this at 3,000 to prevent sucking a valve through a piston!). It was not unusual to suggest bearings and rings about at 50,000 miles, and new timing gear/chains if your Chevy V8 made it past 100,000 without breaking one. Of course, fuel and water pumps were easier to change in those days, but getting either to go 40,000 miles required heroic luck. Exhaust systems, both mufflers and pipes seldom lasted two years in city driving. But, if you lived up north, salted streets would perforate your car’s sheet metal parts by the time you needed that third set of exhaust parts. At today’s labor rate prices, a tune-up every ten thousand might be enough to make you think seriously about selling it before the next one comes due. So, in summary, I think that newer cars, properly maintained, are much better values than their older predecessors were. But do they have the same demanding character and challenges? Not by a long shot! But that’s why we still love the older ones, perhaps because we still know enough to keep them running. And crawling under any one of them on a surprisingly nice weather day is one of my pleasures in life, just if there are no surprises.

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 4 August

Is your Corvette out to kill you?

We're resigned to drive on the current day streets of Atlanta. All sorts of physical threats are out there. Most trucks and all buses are bigger than us in our plastic cars. But most of us have long ago lost sight of what's in or surrounding us in our Corvettes. Done the wrong way, our beloved cars, could easily contribute to our demise. Fascinated by their style, speed and physical beauty, we lose sight of the fact that they swim in chemical soups of lubricants, coolants, refrigerants, adhesives, paints, waxes, upholstery treatments, battery acids, solvents and hydraulic fluids. All cars have them, and if done wrong, they could kill you.

The Upfront column in the August 2019 issue of Car and Driver puts much of this danger in perspective. Other than the mobile dangers of Atlanta drivers, here are some of the things the casual or weekend mechanic ought to keep in mind. Most importantly, remember that the most dangerous force in the garage or driveway is gravity. Cars, equipment and tools falling off of lifts, jack stands, or shelves onto us is the most common form of garage-related deaths.

But when it comes to that automotive chemical soup, the Car and Driver article points out four of the most dangerous chemicals lurking in modern cars (not just Corvettes). We'd all be wise to heed them:

Gasoline. It is all around us and therefore easy to underestimate. Mixed into modern fuels are about 150 different carbon-based chemicals, including benzene, a known carcinogen and toluene, which can affect the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. All of us who pump our own gas ought to know this and protect ourselves from fuel splashes and spills.

Brake fluids. The dangerous stuff in this fluid is diethylene glycol, which is odorless and colorless but tastes sweet (note to small children, dogs and cats). In high concentrations, it will attack the brain, liver and kidneys. Keep it from flowing into storm drains by disposing of old stuff responsibly.

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 5 continued

Is your Corvette out to kill you?

Asbestos. Things are a lot better than just twenty years ago. But in old cars (meaning 1970 or older), it was still found in brake parts, insulation, and sound deadening mats. Inhaled asbestos dust can become trapped in your lungs, abdomen and heart, leading to mesothelioma . On average, the survival time after diagnosis is a short 12 to 21 months. Be wary of buying counterfeit parts from foreign sources which may have made it into the country illegally.

Lead dust. Thank goodness for our catalytic converters which required gas to become lead-free for cars since 1975. But lead dust can still be found where batteries and radiators are worked on or are dismantled. Lead poisoning can affect every major system in our bodies, including heart, lungs, bones, kidneys, intestines, reproductive organs and both the nervous and immune systems. Nervous system damage is usually irreversible. Be especially careful around fuel additives which may still contain lead.

So, if you thought that the only way your car might kill you is doing something stupid at speed, think again. You're surrounded by threats. Just do your best to keep them in mind and outsmart them.

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 6 Corvette

August Strode Retirement

Wendell Strode, the Museum’s leader for the last 23 years has retired. The Board of Directors formed a search committee to find the best candidate to replace him and used the help of a search agency to do so. They were looking for a proven leader with skills that are needed by the Museum to continue its successful programs. They have found the man for the job, Dr. Sean Preston, who will start as CEO/President soon. Wendell Strode will celebrate his retirement as a part of the 25th anniversary of the Museum this year.

Sean is a family man, grew up in Georgia, attended UGA (I will have to overlook that) as well as Troy University and received his doctorate at Liberty University in Educational and Non-Profit Leadership. He is also a “car guy” who currently owns 6 cars including a ‘55 Chrysler, a ’61 Studebaker Hawk, a ’88 Jaguar XJ6, a ’91 Alfa Romeo and two Corvettes, a ’72 and a ’54. He has a good background in education and non-profit leadership which should work well in his new role. He has expressed an early goal of expanding the NCM physically to allow more exhibits and to expand the membership base.

There is more information about him in the Jul/Aug/Sept 2019 America’s Sports Car magazine and on the NCM web site. Let’s all wish him well and continue to support the Museum.

The Museum’s 25th Anniversary Event is over August 25-31 and many Corvette enthusiasts will be arriving by caravans from all over the US. It is still possible to attend if you wish however a number of the daily events are either sold out or close to being sold out. The issue of the Museum’s magazine noted above has lots of information about the Anniversary celebration as does the NCM web site.

A side note for your future use is the US House of Representatives has designated June 30 as National Corvette Day. The date is a recognition of the date the first Corvette came off the assembly line in 1953. This is different from the national “Drive Your Corvette to Work” day which is the Friday closest to the end of June.

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 7 Corvette

August C8 Reveal

After a number of prior attempts, Zora’s wish for a mid-engine Corvette has finally occurred and I was one of many who stayed up late to watch the reveal event on a computer screen. I wondered initially if I was on the correct site as it sounded like a tribute to the Apollo Moon Landing. GM/Chevrolet apparently chose to use the difficulty of engineering/design/aerodynamics/etc. of the Apollo program to illustrate what they had gone through in developing the C8.

Most of you probably watched the show on the 18th or have seen numerous internet articles about it. I am attempting here to give you a summary of key items and a few of my thoughts. First of all I like the C8 even though it departs in many ways from tradition. It still looks like a Corvette but may be difficult for some seeing it on the road to quickly identify it verses several existing mid-engine supercars like some McLarens. Orders can be placed now with production starting later this year. Base price was reported to be less than $60,000. Option prices not yet disclosed.

1. It is a true mid-engine vehicle with the driver closer to the front wheels and the engine in the back. A shorter hood, a longer back end, a removable roof panel, large air inlets on the sides, a long sloped windshield and exhausts moved back to the sides of the rear end. Twelve color options will be available with three being new. About 5.3 inches longer than a C7 and 2.2 inches wider and about the same height. It will be called a Stingray. The sensation during cornering will change from the past as you will be sitting near the center of the turn radius rather that back near the rear wheels.

2. LT2 under glass: An improvement over the current LT1 with 490/495 HP and 465/470 ft-lbs torque depending on exhaust selected. The base car has a dry sump with three pumps and the engine is naturally aspirated.

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 8 Corvette

C8 Reveal (continued)

3. A dual clutch 8 speed transmission with paddle shifters is the only option. There is no typical shifter protruding from the console. A series of buttons and switch- es control the park, neutral, drive and reverse settings. Very quick shifting in the range of 0.1 second was reported along with a unique way to keep torque applied during shifts.

4. A trunk in the back and a trunk in the front with a combined capacity a bit less than a C7 coupe. No word I could find on if they are insulated as both are adja- cent to heat sources. The roof panel will fit in the trunk.

5. The interior is quite driver centered with digital display screens that are configu- rable. The steering wheel is hexagonal in shape with the two spokes sloping down so a true 3 and 9 hand position is possible. Three seat options are available with comfort, sporty and full race as their intent. Six interior color schemes are available with numerous stitching and seat belt options. Lots of climate control buttons between the seats.

6. Electronics continue to be plentiful including an optional Performance Data Re- corder as well as Magnetic Ride Control, and Performance Traction Manage- ment. Loads of other options including the ability to remotely upgrade to add new features are possible. The Engine control Unit has had significant encryp- tion done to it to prevent hacking or even performance upgrading by your local speed shop. 7. There are 6 selectable drive modes that can be chosen with one designed to be fully programmed by the driver.

8. The frame of the car includes many aluminum components and utilizes a center backbone structure which results in smaller perimeter frame members and thus easier access to the interior. There is a thick window behind the seats to help keep noise from the engine accessory drives out of the interior and an aluminum bulkhead. The cross body springs of all the Corvettes starting from the C2 has been replace with coil over shocks which helps lower the car and provides

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 9 Corvette

C8 Reveal (continued)

9. There will be two wheel style options initially with three different finishes for each. Chrome is not an option on the wheels.

There is a ton of other features not mentioned here that are standard or optional. The order sheet goes on for pages and a person will be able to spend lots of time selecting a vehicle’s option list. Option prices are not yet available so that $60K starting point will probably be easily exceeded if a person wishes to add lots of options. Several other models are reported to be released in the first year which may include a convertible, ZO6 and/or Grand Sport or other new item like a hi-performance model.

All the car magazines will probably have numerous articles and test results in the next few months as will the blogs and numerous web sites. A Corvette fan will have much to consider if a C8 is projected for their garage.

Other thoughts: (1) Most mid-engine cars have rather high maintenance costs due to limited access to the motor and transmission which may be true with the C8, (2) Will GM make up for the low initial cost with quite expensive options?, (3) Will there be a number of new model bugs to work out?, (4) How much standard warranty will be offered? You will probably have a list like this in your assessment of the car.

Who will be our first member to have a C8?

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 10 National Governor’s Report

Betty and Donnie are in the process of moving and will return with an update next month.

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 11 A little busy moving at the moment - back next month!!!

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 12 Club Points – Don Parks, VP-Competition

Through July, there have been 16 activities (6 meetings, Award Banquet, Super Bowl Party, 2 CAMEO's, 4 SER Autocrosses, Lake Party & NCCC Convention). 63% of our membership have participated in at least one of the events!!

Points Events 1 Mike Heaphy 46 12

2 Jim Hutchinson 38 10 Mickey Hutchinson 38 10 David Morgan 38 10 Nancy Morgan 38 10 Bob Zrolka 38 10

3 Frank Merrifield 36 10

4 Ed Clark 31 9

5 Bob Rio 26 8

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 13 CorvetteCorvette

BIRTHDAYS

Martha Murphy 7/6 Marilyn Mitchell 8/15 David Morgan 7/8 Dave Brownell 8/18 Scott Baize 7/22 Mike Heaphy 8/31 Carole Harrison 7/24 Amy Parker 9/2 Matthew Murphy 7/26 Betty Parks 9/6 Liz Baxter 7/30 Judy Adcock 9/16 Frank Stringer 8/2 Joel Forman 9/20

ANNIVERSARIES

Barbara & Ron Rotondi 7/5 Jack Filippone & Stephanie Strauss 7/6 David & Judy Adcock 7/11 Ellen & Frank Stringer 7/22 Chris & Susan Gowin 7/28 Ann & Ed Clark 8/12 Bob & Pat Zrolka 8/23 Bob & Sarah Rio 8/30 Bob & Jan Warren 8/30 Debbie & Marvin Payne 9/16 Matthew & Kristen Murphy 9/27

FOCA Noah Key (G) 08/13/03 JC Key Chase Delp (G) 09/23/09 Betty Parks

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 14 Corvette

There’s a gift card for the first person that emails Amy Parker with the name the woman in the picture (hint: former member and not one of David’s ex-wives)

Another gift card and brownie points for the first person that emails Amy Parker with the name of the location!

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 15 Corvette

2nd Saturday of every Month 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm

VetteStock 2019! Registration 10:00a - 12:00p All-Corvette Show Show 12:00p - 3:00p at

Miller's Ale House, Alpharetta GA

Saturday

September 21, 2019 (Rain or Shine)

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 16 Corvette

First Sunday of the Month 6:30 AM

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 17 Corvette

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 18 Corvette

“Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about”

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 19 Corvette

IMSA Hangs 10KG of Weight on the Corvette C7.Rs in BoP

It’s a short turnaround week for Corvette Racing and the Corvette C7.Rs as they head north of the border for the Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park after finishing P2 at Watkins Glen last Sunday.

And just because it’s the 4th of July weekend, don’t think for a moment that members of IMSA’s competition committee took the week off. Race organizers have issued a new Balance of Performance memo that di- rectly, and exclusively, targets the Corvette C7.Rs.

The CTMP BoP Bulletin shows the Corvettes will have an additional 10kg (22 lbs) of weight added, bringing them up to 1250kg in total dry weight.

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 20 Corvette

CORVETTE RACING IN CANADA: Tough Day but Corvettes Back in One Piece

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 7, 2019) – Corvette Racing arrived at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park hoping one of its most successful tracks would result in some badly needed winning momentum. Unfortunately, the team came up short in the effort for its 12th class victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Sunday. The pair of Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs finished seventh and eighth in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix. The No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R of Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen led Corvette Racing’s effort and remained in contention for their third straight GTLM Drivers’ Championship. Oliver Gavin and Marcel Fässler were right behind in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R. It was the first race for Fässler at CTMP, and finishing the race was a positive step forward. The No. 4 Corvette team suffered a crash six hours in at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and on the opening lap of last week’s race at Watkins Glen.

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 21 Corvette

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 7, 2019) cont’d The start looked promising, especially for the No. 3 Corvette. Magnussen picked up a spot at the start but the handling on the Corvettes went away quickly. Nevertheless, the Corvette Racing crews and engineers kept plugging away to try and optimize the setup on the two C7.Rs for the end of the race. Two late caution periods tightened up the field but traffic impeded both Corvettes to the end. The next event for Corvette Racing is the Northeast Grand Prix from Lime

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 22 Corvette

CORVETTE RACING IN CANADA: Tough Day but Corvettes Back in One Piece

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED SEVENTH IN GTLM: "That was not the race we wanted. We struggled with pace a lot and couldn’t make the car work. I’m not sure why yet but it is something we need to fix for Lime Rock. We will need a good result there to stay in the championship. But today was very disappointing. It’s one of the most frustrating weekends we have had in a long time. But we are confident that Corvette Racing can bounce back."

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED SEVENTH IN GTLM: “Obviously I’m very disappointed with the result today. It’s pretty clear we missed something on the setup. At no point in the race did we have the pace to do anything with the rest of the field. We have to go home, think about this and come up with a solution for Lime Rock. This was a pretty big hit in the championship for us, unfortunately. We have some ground to make up."

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED EIGHTH IN GTLM: “Today was tough for both cars at Corvette Racing. It was good we could actually finish a race; that’s been a really tough thing for us to do in the last two races. But it was very tough today. We were working away with the Corvette throughout the race to make it better. But we ultimately lacking pace. Both cars seemed to be struggling with the same thing. We’ll go back, analyze and assess to see where we can make it right for Lime Rock."

MARCEL FÄSSLER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – FINISHED EIGHTH IN GTLM: "Our expectations were certainly higher than the results show. We are certainly not-so-happy with where we finished. It’s disappointing because after (Friday afternoon’s) practice both cars were one-two. We had quite a good pace after all the practice sessions so we were wondering why we weren’t able to have that pace in the race. I caught bad traffic and lost a little bit to the front- runners, but caught up again and tried to stay close to them which we did until the pit stop. Unfortunately, we lost a little bit because the lap belt got caught in the seat during the driver change so we lost a little time. But truthfully it didn’t change the results much. It was a sad weekend for us. The upside for us is we have a car that is in one piece. But we are racers; we want more than a car in one piece…we want results."

CA REVIEW They will only care when you are gone…August 23 Corvette