Cyber challenged old foggy needs help

[Jeff396]

I just read your bio. I am jealous about the '59 t-bird convertable. There just don't seem to bee that many convertables around from that era. I've been in this hobby for about 6 years now and have only seen one, the rest were hard tops. Anyway, post a picture if you can, I'd love to see them./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Jeff

 

[Jeff396]

Here's my other "toy".

Jeff

 

[looch]

Jeff, Not only is that a nice vette, but an awesome shot, too - calendar quality. What year is it? I used to be a jockey for a GM dealer when I was a student. I had chance to get behind the wheel of a '63 split window coupe - it needed to be gassed up.

 

[Jeff396]

It's a '65 with a "they never put that engine in a Corvette" 396. Can't tell ya how many times I have heard that. Unfortunately I cannot take credit for the photo. About 4 years ago I was fortunate enough to have a photographer from Vette magazine come out and take the picture. Funny thing was that it never appeared in the magazine until this past December. The photographer thought it had a good chance to be the cover as it was taken in front of the Catalina mountains in Tucson AZ on one of the fer times the snow level came almost down to 2500 feet (the level of Tucson). I think it might have made it if we could have gotten closer and gotten the mountains focused in a bit better but it's still a great shot. I'm glad you liked it. You can see the rest of the article on line at this address:

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.vetteweb.com/archives/features/0102_features01.shtml>http://www.vetteweb.com/archives/features/0102_features01.shtml</A>


Jeff

 

[MikePA]

<font color=blue>"they never put that engine in a Corvette"</font color=blue>

I can't think of too many Chevy engines that haven't been in a Corvette at one time or another. Let's see;

Blue Flame Six - Yep
283 - Yep?
305 - Nope
327 - Yep
350 - Yep
396 - Yep
427 - Yep
454 - Yep

 

[Jeff396]

Then there was the lady that swore up and down that they owned a T-bird just like mine with a retractable hard top. Even when I point out that the trunk is too small for luggage much less a hard top it doesn't make them go "Hmmmm". Of course the Vette is much worse because the screwy Vette people seem to take pleasure in trying to find things about your car that aren't right. I never quite understood that, which seems to be a strictly "Corvette" thing. Sure can take all the fun out of it if you allow it to get to you./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif I guess that's why I don't hang around with too many Corvetteers...the goofy hats with the ears is where I draw the line!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Jeff

 

[MikePA]

My aunt and uncle had one of the Fords with the retractable hard top when they first came out. Fairlane wasn't it? Alas, I never saw it and they sold it long before it became a collectors item.

 

[Jeff396]

I've seen a few. Pretty neat concept except for the fact that the trunk had to be lengthened a good bit to take the top even with the front section that folded under. Made the car look a bit funny. You ought to see the mess that operates the top on that car as well as my T-bird...there are four hydraulic pistons and two electric motors with a bunch of limiting switches thrown in for good measure. One time my top stopped working. The top would go down but the trunk lid stayed in the up position. A guy in my club said to slightly adjust the limit swithch...didn't work. I know, I'll take it apart and clean the contacts! All of a sudden when I separated the halves all of the springs went twang. It took two of us with all four hands to get it back together and working properly. As it turns out the dialectric grease solved all of my problems. I think the chapter in the T-bird book covering the top mechanism is the largest in the book! They just don't make 'em like they used to....good, bad, not sure...

Jeff

 

[Jeff396]

Oh, just noticed your ? next to 283. I think the 283 was the first v8 put in the Vette and stayed there from '54 until '61. '62 saw the beginning of the 327 offering. Could be wrong...wouldn't be the first time!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Jeff

 

[looch]

The '63 that I mentioned came orginally with a 327 Turbofire (235 hp), so that sounds right.