Topless Americana

TOPLESS AMERICANA

Robin from Omaha sent in these pics over a year ago. I don't remember exactly but I think he might have been visiting some friends along the southern shore of Long Island. Regardless, look at this all-American beauty!

This is a 1966 Chevy Corvette convertible in some aftermarket blue (the closest factory color I could find was Marina Blue but that's not as dark). These mid-'60s 'vettes are some the of the quintessential years of the brand.

Dig this long nose with the hideaway headlights. The engine would originally have been a 327 V8. There was a 427 available as well but the hood would have a prominent bulge just to fit it.

This is one athletic, sexy ride. As with all Corvettes the body is fiberglass, engine up front, and drive wheels in the rear. The big wheel wells and rounded fenders make this thing look like it's going to pounce at any second. Those rims are from a late '70s 'vette.

Behold one of the worst gas cap placements for paint jobs ever - right in the middle of the trunk! This flip-up fuel door looks super cool, but dripping on the body is pretty much guaranteed.
That body-width line above the gas cap is the hinge side of a lid covering the space where the convertible top lives when you lower it. To access that hidden well you simply lift up on the rear edge of the top which will disengage and swing forward. Then there is a button under the front of the lid behind the seats to unlock the lid. It opens to the rear, allowing for the entire top to fold back into the space behind the seats. When you close it again the look is sleek as the top is completely hidden.

1965 and 1966 Corvettes were almost identical from the outside but there is one telltale clue: the Corvette script on the front driver's side of the hood means it is a '66. The '67 looked similar but those 3 big gills on the side would be 5 smaller ones. If this were a 1964 'vette there would be two indentations on the hood on either side of that middle spear. 

This is a perfect example of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". The 1965 Corvette sold like crazy. Then this 1966 comes along with basically zero changes and it continues to sell like nobody's business. The combination of lightweight, sexy body and enormous motor proved irresistible to the public. The next generation would come along in 1968 looking like a mako shark. It would continue all the way up into the '80s, proving that Chevy had a real winner on their hands for decades. 

Show Car Sunday returns with a quaalude era 'vette

SPIRIT OF '76

Out on Eastern Parkway I ran across this Boogie Nights era ride:

This is a 1976 Chevrolet Corvette in Light Blue. With hat big rubber schnoz you can immediately determine that it's at least a '73. Previously there was a trim chrome bumper just in front of the headlight doors, but federal safety regulations called for a more robust unit. Luckily this swooping body lent itself to the added bumper better than most.

It's a little unnerving to stare into these open eyes. Does this car want to fight?

This is perhaps the ultimate American sports cars; 2 seater, big engine, long hood short deck, and T-tops!

This swooping Coke Bottle design heralds back to the Mako Shark II concept car from 1965.

This represents one of the longest lasting body styles of any domestic auto, running from 1968 to 1982. In fact I can't think of another car that spans the '60s to the '80s without major changes. The Jeep CJ maybe.

If you're going to have a Corvette you might as well go all the way. For me this means T-tops! This era also cam in a full convertible which looks great.

Though the Corvette emblem has changed over the decades a few styling cues remain constant. They always have the crossed flags; one is the checkered flag meant for the winner of a race. The other is a strange amalgam of the bow-tie Chevrolet logo and a fleur-de-lis which was added only because the name of the car company is French.

'76 only steering wheel was hated because it resembled the same one used in the Vega. It actually created a little outcry from people who thought the mighty 'vette deserved a better wheel. They quickly changed course offering a "cooler" steering wheel for '77.
The cockpit of the Corvette is pretty great though, especially with that gleaming white upholstery. Too bad it's an automatic.

This ride is wearing the classic Chevy Rally wheels which could be found on Chevelles too going back to the late '60s.

1975 the rear urethane bumper became a large seamless unit incorporating the taillights. In 1980 they added a small wing to this rounded rump to make it a touch manlier.

In '76 the rear corvette emblem replaced individual letters spelling out the name.

1978 would see a larger fastback rear window as opposed to this recessed notch.Laugh all you want at that luggage rack, but if you went on a trip with a 2 seat sports car you might need it!

The temporary plate in the back window means somebody is gearing up for the summer months in this beast. Out of the entire history of the 'vette this isn't one of the best moments (though the '80s were the slowest and most derided) but this one is still pretty cool. To see a well-kept example these days is downright impressive. With the T-tops out this car would be hilarious fun to cruise around in.

Show Car Sunday returns with a staggering find from L.A. Rob!

MIAMI VICE OR CORVETTE SUMMER?

I mean really. Look at the picture below and think about the fact that L.A. Rob just rolls down the street one day and passes this scene. This picture alone could be the Chamber of Commerce brochure for Southern California! Let's get to it;
The lighter color car is a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray with the one-year-only split rear window. To me this is hands-down the most desirable 'vette and really one of the most badass sports cars ever to come from the States. The "lake pipes" side exhaust and wheels are aftermarket additions but the rest, including those big gills behind the front wheels, is factory. But enough of that, there seems to be one of the rarest Ferraris of all time parked directly behind it!

What this appears to be is a 1971 Ferrari (Daytona) 365 GTS/4 Spyder. The name Daytona was actually given to the car by the automotive press after Ferrari won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the 1967 24 hours of Daytona race. This car is exceedingly rare (only 122 convertibles ever produced) and valuable (trading well into the millions when they do come around). Why is it parked on the street?!?

Ferrari built the Daytona from '68-'73. Should you encounter one of these (which you WON'T) you can identify the 1971 and earlier cars by the plastic covered headlights. The '72 and '73 model years had pop-up hidden headlights instead of the covers. The Spyder (convertible) was only produced from '71-'73, so combined with the covered headlights this can only be a '71. 

Every bit of this ride is sexy and athletic. This car is notable for being the last front-engine Ferrari produced before they sold 50% of the company to Fiat in 1969. While they continued an unprecedented string of supercar successes after the merger, the models designed previously were truly hand built machines by a handful of craftsman. This is the last Ferrari built in that tradition, with body panels being hammered out on wooden frames one at a time.

It is hard to not be a bit distracted by that stunning Corvette! The race car style gas cap under the split window, 6 round taillights, and split bumpers are all class.
The 2 large vents on the Daytona hood provide air for the 4.3 Liter V12 and its 6 Weber carburetors. 

The round taillights continue as a design hallmark of Ferrari to this day. Rob says he encountered the owner who was all too happy to show off his ride, even firing it up while he was there! The owner said that this was his daily driver which makes him a king in my book. The fact that the guy sounds nice and generous with someone gawking at his wheels makes me wince a bit when I write the following inevitable truth: this is not a genuine Ferrari, but a high-dollar almost perfect replica based on a '72 Corvette chassis.

Please don't confuse this with any old kit car! In its own right this is a spectacular ride; well engineered (and possibly as powerful as an original Ferrari), beautifully appointed and assembled, and 99% correct in its approximation of the real 365 GTS/4. With only 69 Spiders imported new to the States there was always more demand than supply. Along came a company in San Diego named McBurnie who used to produce these kits in the '80s. For $8,000 you could buy all pieces necessary to transform your 'vette. If you'd rather buy the finished product ready to drive away they would sell you one for $40,000. In 1989 Ferrari won a lawsuit against the company which halted production.
Keep in mind that $40,000 in 1989 amounts to a little over $80,000 in todays money. That was enough to buy a very serious set of wheels back then, so this is no joke.

The only visible clue I can find that this isn't an original is the lack of vent windows on the front door. The McBurnie rides even came with correct Ferrari valve covers to dress up the engine (though nobody will miss the fact that it's an 8 cylinder as opposed to 12). Regardless I would absolutely LOVE to roll around town in this beast! Here she is taking off with its VICE TOO license plates. Rob said it sounded great, and I have no doubt.
*Last but not least a factoid from Rob; a replica such as this was carrying Crockett and Tubbs around in Miami Vice until Ferrari made their fury known. The producers of the series wrote the faux-Daytona out of the script by launching an RPG at it, blowing it to smithereens. Ferrari was please enough by this act to donate the Testarossa they used for the rest of the shows run.