That's right, my bitty car, all six of whose cylinders displace less than one bank of a proper small-block V-8, was parked at the corner of Corvette Drive and Duntov Way, right across the street from the throbbing epicenter of American horsepower: the Corvette Assembly Plant. I slunk back onto the highway before the Zed Drei was crushed under a falling lug nut.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
On the road again... very briefly.
Yesterday I pulled off the Interstate in Bowling Green, KY, grabbed a burger at the Hardee's drive-thru, filled the tank at the gas station across the street, and then wolfed down the burger in the driver's seat of my effete little German rollerskate with its tiny, ridiculous watch-winder of a "motor", parked almost right under this sign:
That's right, my bitty car, all six of whose cylinders displace less than one bank of a proper small-block V-8, was parked at the corner of Corvette Drive and Duntov Way, right across the street from the throbbing epicenter of American horsepower: the Corvette Assembly Plant. I slunk back onto the highway before the Zed Drei was crushed under a falling lug nut.
That's right, my bitty car, all six of whose cylinders displace less than one bank of a proper small-block V-8, was parked at the corner of Corvette Drive and Duntov Way, right across the street from the throbbing epicenter of American horsepower: the Corvette Assembly Plant. I slunk back onto the highway before the Zed Drei was crushed under a falling lug nut.
And Google streetview has a Corvette at that intersection
ReplyDeleteIt's not hard to get a Corvette in the picture around there, believe me. :D
ReplyDeleteBe safe.
ReplyDeleteWow. Zora Duntov, the genius behind the Corvette. the Carroll Shelby of his day, who dragged GM kickin' an' screamin' into the sports car world. Dreams of a wasted youth.... O:-) JohninMd(help)
ReplyDeleteI knew there was a disturbance in the Force.
ReplyDeleteHeck I would have met you for lunch and done the Corvette museum tour (for time #17).
Gerry
Admit it you left because the crowd assembling with pitchfork, tar and feathers was starting to freak you out.
ReplyDeleteIf the emotional distress of being too small gets out of hand, you can ship your ride off to the Hartge Krauts. They'll be pleased to install five litres for you, although I'm not certain they'll accept payment in U.S.funds.
ReplyDelete:)
You need to get a M3 roadster. A Z3 on steriods with much bigger tires, and 333 horsepower.
ReplyDeleteHorse Power isn't everything.
ReplyDeleteOne of the cars currently tearing up the autocross "races" is a replica of the 1963 Lotus S7. (Either a Caterham from the US or a Birkin from South Africa.) They run an in-line 4 cylinder (usually from Ford Racing).
Even in the 1/4 mile, horsepower isn't everything.
The things you learn...I always thought Vettes were known for the Big-Block? But I was a Ghia driver with a miniscule 40-horse. I remember a memorable review in the 70's describing them as a "Waring Blender"...a simile-device more recently re-used by Brock Yates to describe automatics.
ReplyDeleteBowling Green has lurked, mysterious and exotic, in my imagination since childhood, when it was a featured location in the old Car Wars RPG scenario "Convoy," smoking out biker gangs on the interstates in a Q-ship armored truck.
ReplyDeleteIt looks so... ordinary in that photo.
The museum and car plant are on the quiet side of town. Your thinking of Clay Street.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Paulines-Memoirs-Madame-Clay-Street/dp/B000TJGNB2
We pretty much keep the all Iraqi insurgents over there too.
Gerry
Don't be fooled, all parts of Bowling Green are quiet. I lived there for 28 years....hope I can move back soon.
ReplyDeleteAnanymous seems to think that an inline 4 cylinder and high horsepower are somehow mutually exclusive.
ReplyDeleteI've seen them upwards of 500 horse, anon. My guess is that the old lotus replica with the ford racing 4-banger is putting at least 350 horsepower tot he ground.
The number of cylinders is not everything.
Robert: someone swaps the v-12 into the Z3, with over 600hp.
ReplyDeleteGoober:
The Talon/Eclipse with the 2.0L 4G63 4cyl inline, w/turbo can make over 1000hp at the wheels. 800hp to the ground seems to make a fun street car, according to articles on the web and mags.
I HIGHLY recommend the SW pattymelt.
ReplyDelete