I did see some Camaros yesterday.. (to make this Camaro related).. while caravan'ing to the NCM for the 20th anniversary of the grand opening. I joined up with some 300 additional Corvettes and their drivers and co drivers... when they stopped in Athens, AL for a lunch break.. then we made the 175 mile or so trip up I-65 to Bowling Green. Reminding me why caravanning with such a large group of cars is such a PITA..
I wouldn't have done it this time, but I'd been in all the others (driving my '69), but this time I drove my '90 ZR1 (#246) which I *thought* had a working air conditioner.. but wouldn't I know. it quit during that trip, so I made most of the drive (up and back) with the windows down, sweating in the 90 Plus Fahrenheit heat. The gathering in BG was one of the largest I can remember seeing there on my many trips.. but almost all the Corvettes seemed to have been produced since 2000 or so.. almost no older Corvettes. THe oldest one in our caravan (Gulf States) was a '70 model from my area. The Gulf States caravan began in the Houston Texas area last Saturday, picking up more cars as it came thru New Orelans, southern Mississippi, Alabama, etc.. They had opportunity to make some 'quick laps' around Talledega while in the Birmingham area.. which I wouldn't have minded, had I wanted to drive 150 miles south first..
Anyway, I'd paid for the trip, I got to pick up my T shirts.. see the HOLE with my own eyes.. and the damaged Corvettes.. still caked in red clay dirt.. UGH.. They actually looked WORSE than they did in the videos.. I think only the Blue Devil and the '62 are repairable.. The others are crushed to 'nothing left'... it was more depressing than hearing/seeing it when it happened...
I also bought myself a 'numbered, authenticated brick' from the Flint Corvette production plant.. it has a plaque on it... but I will mount it on a mahogany base, and mount a small model of a 1953 Corvette to it's top for display purposes. (I can always tell people that the brick was from the plant, true.. and that the mahogany base was cut from one of their conference tables..
.. anyway, after seeing the hole, viewing/photographing the cars, and doing a walk thru the Museum, making my purchases, completing my registration, and getting stuck in a LONG SLOW line of traffic after making a run over to view the new race track.. I decided to head home.. the LT5 needed some AIR blowing thru it's radiator.. and I was anxious to get home and get my butt out of that sport seat!
if any of you are near Bowling Green, seeing the plant and museum is well worth a day or two...
Gary
