CVC June 2013
A Touch of Glass, June 2013 Central Valley Corvettes
A Touch of Glass, June 2013
Central Valley Corvettes
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF<br />
CENTRAL VALLEY CORVETTES<br />
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA<br />
(CHARTERED NOVEMBER 12, 1991)<br />
VOLUME 23 NUMBER 6 JUNE <strong>2013</strong>
The Central Valley Corvette Club was<br />
chartered in 1991 for the owners of the only<br />
real AMERICAN sports car, the awesome<br />
CORVETTE. It's a social organization with<br />
activities that provide enjoyment for the true<br />
Corvette lover.<br />
MONTHLY MEETINGS ARE HELD<br />
AT 6:30 P.M. ON THE 3 RD TUESDAY<br />
OF EVERY MONTH AT YOSEMITE<br />
FALLS CAFE, 4278 W. ASHLAN AVE,<br />
FRESNO CALIFORNIA. INTERESTED<br />
CORVETTE ENTHUSIATS ARE<br />
MORE THAN WELCOME TO<br />
ATTEND THE MEETINGS AND MEET<br />
OUR MEMBERS.<br />
Club activities include monthly meetings,<br />
car shows, weekend Club activities,<br />
overnighters, picnics, road rallies, summer<br />
cruises, holiday get-to-gathers and more!<br />
Eligibility for membership in <strong>CVC</strong> is<br />
defined in Article III, section 1 of the<br />
bylaws in part as follows: "Membership in<br />
Central Valley Corvettes shall be open to all<br />
Corvette owners who are sponsored by a<br />
member in good standing. Additionally, a<br />
prospective member must, within a three<br />
month period , attend two consecutive<br />
meetings, participate in two club sanctioned<br />
social activities, pay current membership<br />
dues and initiation fees, and be approved by<br />
two- thirds vote of membership present at<br />
any general membership meeting by secret<br />
ballot<br />
Sponsors shall be responsible for advising<br />
prospective member of results. All<br />
members must submit proof of personal<br />
insurance in accordance with California<br />
State Law upon application for<br />
membership, and all members must be a<br />
member of the association providing club<br />
liability insurance for CENTRAL VALLEY<br />
CORVETTES.<br />
A prospective member who does not have a<br />
sponsor will be provided one by the<br />
membership committee. Non-members may<br />
not participate in more than three meetings<br />
or two sanctioned activities.<br />
<strong>CVC</strong> membership dues are $67.00 plus an<br />
initiation fee of $35.00. Membership entitles<br />
two members at the same address voting<br />
privileges at meetings (provided they are in<br />
good standing) and membership rights.<br />
Please feel free to contact the membership<br />
chairperson, Diane Hayes (559)-559-591-<br />
0844 or any officer on the following page.
PRESIDENT<br />
Craig Hansen (Pam)<br />
559-645-0513<br />
hansenrt66@att.net<br />
VP-ACTIVITIES<br />
Pam Hansen (Craig)<br />
559-645-0513<br />
hansenrt66@att.net<br />
VP-PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
Jeff Levine (Sarah)<br />
559-222-8148<br />
lonewolf3@comcast.net<br />
SECRETARY<br />
Terri Parks (Fred)<br />
559-324-9760<br />
fredandterri@comcast.net<br />
TREASURER<br />
Fred Parks (Terri)<br />
559-324-9760<br />
fredandterri@comcast.net<br />
PARLIMENTARIAN<br />
Linda Laningham (Chuck)<br />
559-896-2637<br />
Laningham@hotmail.com<br />
MEMBERSHIP*<br />
Diane Hayes (Mike)<br />
559-591-0844<br />
dimi62@comcast.net<br />
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS*<br />
Charlie Fosnaugh<br />
559-299-0547<br />
fosnaugh@comcast.net<br />
Raffle Tickets<br />
Ruth Danielsen<br />
559-298-5225<br />
redanielsen@aol.com<br />
NEWSLETTER EDITOR<br />
Pat Garrahan (Patrick)<br />
559-275-9304<br />
patricia.garrahan@att.net
Pam and I are unable to attend the <strong>June</strong> monthly<br />
club meeting, but we will be there in spirit. With<br />
both the president and the VP of activities gone, we<br />
will leave you in the capable hands of VP of public<br />
relations, Jeff Levine. Prior to accepting the<br />
nomination for <strong>CVC</strong> office last October, I was<br />
already booked to attend a convention in<br />
Charleston, West Virginia on behalf of the<br />
International Right of Way Association of which I<br />
am president of the Central Valley chapter.<br />
About 200 miles from Charleston is Cincinnati,<br />
Ohio where I was born on <strong>June</strong> 3, 1955. Our family<br />
moved to Stockton in March of 1956. We’ve not<br />
been back since. But for as long as I can remember,<br />
I have always wanted to return to Cincinnati and<br />
visit the house we lived in at 8675 Cottonwood<br />
Drive, see Christ Hospital down the street where I<br />
was born and catch a ballgame at Crosley Field.<br />
The house looks much the same today as it did in<br />
our black and white photos taken when we lived<br />
there. The hospital, while in the same location has<br />
been completly rebuilt. Crosley Field was<br />
abandoned by the Reds in 1970 and demolished in<br />
1972. The Reds next home, Riverfront Stadium,<br />
lasted about 35 years before it was imploded to<br />
make way for another new facility. So on <strong>June</strong> 14,<br />
<strong>2013</strong> it will be the Reds and Milwaukee Brewers at<br />
Great American Ballpark. Little did I know it would<br />
take 57 years to finally fulfill an item on the bucket<br />
list.<br />
Pam and I will be accompanied by my sister who is<br />
14 years my senior and she can fill in the blanks.<br />
Also on the itinerary is a visit to the suburb of<br />
Norwood, Ohio where GM assembled automobiles<br />
for seven decades, including the Chevrolet Camaro<br />
and Pontiac Firebird. In 1987, GM shuttered the<br />
plant. Our 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible was<br />
built at Norwood on <strong>June</strong> 3, 1969 which was my<br />
14 th birthday. The plant is long gone, but just to see<br />
where it all took place, I still find intriguing.<br />
Other stops before reaching the convention include<br />
the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, the Rock<br />
and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Niagara Falls,<br />
the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown NY and<br />
the Performing Arts Center and Museum in Bethel<br />
NY which was the site of the famed August 1969<br />
Woodstock concert.<br />
Our last stop will be Gettysburg PA to view the epic<br />
Civil War battlefield in which over 50,000 union<br />
and confederate soldiers died in July 1863. The<br />
outer wall of our bedroom at the bed and breakfast<br />
we will be staying in still contains several bullet<br />
holes from the three day event 150 years ago.<br />
It promises to be a memorable trip. Now if only we<br />
could exchange our run of the mill rental car for a<br />
Corvette!<br />
Craig
Central Valley Corvettes General<br />
Meeting Minutes<br />
May 21, <strong>2013</strong><br />
General meeting was called to order at 6:31 p.m. by<br />
President Craig Hansen.<br />
Minutes from the April General meeting were read<br />
by Terri Parks. Motion was made by Scott Parkin<br />
and seconded by Ed Kroeker to accept the minutes<br />
as read.<br />
Membership Chairman Diane Hays introduced our<br />
guests and potential members Del Walker and<br />
Susan Cursi. They are friends of Jan and Gary.<br />
Treasurer Fred Parks gave the May's Treasurer's<br />
report.<br />
Vice President of Public Relations Jeff Levin<br />
reported the on the birthdays and anniversaries of<br />
the club members.<br />
Vice President of Activities Pam Hansen had<br />
members report on their past runs. She reported the<br />
future runs as the Word from Home car show,<br />
Phoenician Gardens, El Cid's dinner run,<br />
Chowchilla Steakhouse dinner run, Auburn/Nevada<br />
City, Solvang, and Alaskan cruise.<br />
Debbie Garrison reported on the success of the<br />
Cancer Walk.<br />
Sergeant of Arms Charlie Fosnaugh collected badge<br />
fines of $1.25.<br />
Our "In the News" reporter Jan Pflepsen reported<br />
the news concerning our Corvette families.<br />
Parliamentarian Linda Laningham had nothing to<br />
report.<br />
Old Business: Craig reminded members to submit<br />
reports on their runs for the newsletter.<br />
Charlie Fosnaugh reported our website is under<br />
construction.<br />
Craig reminded members the first 50% of the<br />
Mystery run costs are due tonight.<br />
New Business: Patricia Garrahan asked if members<br />
would be interested in window decals.<br />
Craig asked members if there's interested in a run to<br />
the coast and Hearst Castle the weekend after<br />
Christmas.<br />
Next Board meeting will be at the home of Fred<br />
and Terri Parks on May 23th at 7:00 p.m.<br />
Craig and Pam will not be at the <strong>June</strong> general<br />
meeting. So, Jeff will be running the meeting.<br />
Charlie asked if there was anyone interested in<br />
seeing the new Star Trek movie.<br />
Skip Severance reported on some of the new<br />
technology of the C7.<br />
The motion to adjourn the meeting was made by<br />
Judy Capurro and seconded by Lupe Dawson.<br />
Meeting adjourned at 7:13 p.m.<br />
Raffle: Thank you to the following members for<br />
donating raffle prizes; Bird, Campos, Comer,<br />
Dawson, Fam, Fosnaugh, Garrahan, Debbie, Keith,<br />
Skip, and Vickie Garrison, Hayes, Krebs, Kroeker,<br />
Laningham, Null, Olson, Parkin, Pflepsen, and<br />
Severance.<br />
Respectfully submitted by,<br />
Terri Parks, Secretary
Gotta Run?<br />
Hey guys, it’s me again. Many thanks to those of you who have scheduled some new runs.<br />
Everyone, be sure to check them out below and get them on your calendar. We still need a run<br />
leader for the Chowchilla Car Show if you are interested let me know. Gotta Run!?! Be<br />
blessed, Pam<br />
<strong>June</strong> <strong>2013</strong><br />
Fri-Sun 6/7-9 Auburn-Nevada City, Garrahans and Garrisons<br />
Sun 6/30 Word From Home Car Show to support our troops,<br />
Hansens<br />
July <strong>2013</strong><br />
Saturday 7/6 Phoenician Garden’s, Fams<br />
Fri-Sun 7/12-14 Solvang, Capurros and Laninghams<br />
Sat 7/27 Potluck, Capurros and Laninghams<br />
August <strong>2013</strong><br />
Sat 8/3 El Cids, Oakhurst, Comers<br />
Sat 8/10 Chowchilla Steak House, Capurros<br />
8/18-28 Alaska Cruise – Goodalls and Garrahans<br />
September <strong>2013</strong><br />
Saturday 9/21 Chowchilla Car Show (?)<br />
October <strong>2013</strong><br />
Fri-Sun 10/4 – 10/6 President’s Mystery Run, Hansens<br />
Sun 10/20 Mystery Dinner, Capurros<br />
December <strong>2013</strong><br />
Thursday 12/12/13 Christmas Party<br />
12/27 – 29 Cambria Christmas, Comers – Hansen - Hayes<br />
March 2014<br />
3/29-4/13/14 Southwest Tour II, Hansens
WHEN: <strong>June</strong> 7-9, <strong>2013</strong><br />
TIME: 8:00 a.m.<br />
MEET AT HERNDON AND 99 by the TACO BELL<br />
Make reservations at BEST WESTERN Golden Key<br />
530-885-8611 CUT-OFF DATE May 7, <strong>2013</strong><br />
Rooms are under Central Valley Corvettes.<br />
1 King Bed @ $90.99 + Tax or 2 queen beds @ $110.99 + Tax<br />
COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST<br />
For more information contact:<br />
PATRICK OR PAT GARRAHAN<br />
559-275-9304<br />
OR<br />
SKIP OR VICKIE GARRISON<br />
408-666-9816
6 th Annual Word From<br />
Home Car Show<br />
Freedom Celebration to<br />
Support Our Troops<br />
Sunday <strong>June</strong> 30, <strong>2013</strong> 5:00 P.M. til Dark<br />
35849 Ave 13 ½ Madera Ranchos<br />
Call Pam Hansen (559) 474-2330 to enter your classic car
Come Join Freddy and me for Dinner!<br />
WHERE: Phoenician Garden<br />
1025 E. Herndon Ave.<br />
(SE Corner of Herndon and First)<br />
WHEN: Saturday, July 6, <strong>2013</strong><br />
at 5:00 P.M.<br />
We will go for frozen yogurt after dinner.<br />
There will be a sign-up sheet at the next meeting or you<br />
can contact me.<br />
Paula Fam 559-449-8548 or E-mail:<br />
fma103136@aol.com
SATURDAY, JULY 27, <strong>2013</strong><br />
Join us for a Potluck at Judy and Gordon’s house!<br />
3022 Hornet Ave.<br />
Clovis, CA<br />
Come early for appetizers and a little socializing at<br />
2:00 P.M.<br />
We plan to eat at about 5:30.<br />
There will be a sign-up sheet at the meeting<br />
or you can sign-up by calling 559-294-7050<br />
or E-mailing jgcapurro@comcast.net
We’re going to cruise Bass Lake and then head<br />
to<br />
El Cid’s in Oakhurst for dinner.<br />
Saturday August 3, <strong>2013</strong><br />
Reimer’s Candy and Ice Cream<br />
has opened a store next door to El Cid’s.<br />
How convenient is that!<br />
Meeting in the Target parking lot at<br />
River Park: 3:00 P.M.<br />
Sign-up sheet will be at the next meeting or you can contact:<br />
Dale or Sue Comer at 559-683-6710<br />
or E-mail dscomer@sti.net
COST WILL BE $600.00 PER COUPLE AND $435.OO FOR SINGLES.<br />
This includes lodging, one breakfast, 2 lunches, transfers, all<br />
admissions and tours.<br />
WE COULD GO WEST, NORTH EAST OF SOUTH…OR ALL FOUR<br />
DIRECTIONS! WE COULD GO HIGH OR WE MIGHT GO LOW…BOLDLY<br />
GO WHERE <strong>CVC</strong> HAS NEVER GONE BEFORE! RESERVE YOUR SPACE<br />
TODAY! 50 PERCENT DEPOSIT BY MAY MEETING AND 50 PERCENT BY<br />
AUGUST MEETING.<br />
CALL 645-0513 OR E-MAIL US AT<br />
HANSENRT66@ATT.NET.
CENTRAL VALLEY CORVETTES<br />
BULLETIN-JUNE <strong>2013</strong><br />
CRAIG HANSEN JUNE 3<br />
SHARON CONDLEY JUNE 17<br />
MARY ANN WHITSON JUNE 18<br />
GAIL TAVARES JUNE 20<br />
CRAIG AND PAM HANSEN JUNE 14, 1979 34 YEARS<br />
MOTHER KNOWS BEST<br />
John invited his mother over for dinner. During the meal, his mother couldn't help noticing how<br />
beautiful John's roommate Julie was. She had long been suspicious of a relationship between John and<br />
his roommate, and this only made her more curious.<br />
Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more<br />
between John and the roommate than met the eye. Reading his mom's thoughts, John volunteered, "I<br />
know what you must be thinking, but I assure you, Julie and I are just roommates."<br />
About a week later, Julie came to John and said, "Ever since your mother came to dinner, I can't find the<br />
beautiful silver gravy ladle. You don't suppose she took it, do you?" John said, "Well, I doubt it, but I'll<br />
write her a letter just to be sure." So he sat down and wrote, "Dear Mother, I'm not saying you 'did' take<br />
a gravy ladle from my house, and I'm not saying you 'did not' take a gravy ladle. But the fact remains<br />
that one has been missing ever since you were here for dinner."<br />
Several days later, John received a letter from his mother which read, "Dear Son, I'm not saying that you<br />
'do' sleep with Julie, and I'm not saying that you 'do not' sleep with Julie. But the fact remains that if she<br />
was sleeping in her own bed, she would have found the gravy ladle by now.<br />
Love, Mom."<br />
PLEASE REMEMBER TO WEAR YOUR BADGES TO ALL<br />
MEETINGS, CLUB EVENTS AND RUNS.<br />
SUPPORT YOUR CLUB RAFFLE AND BRING A RAFFLE PRIZE
To all of you <strong>CVC</strong> members I say thank you for your<br />
contribution regarding what is going on in your lives……<br />
The first response was from our friend Charlotte who tells me that Don is buying a motor home for their<br />
travels ans she is going to help with the driving…..that’s scarry!!!! I certainly hope she remembers that<br />
they need gas to drive – considering she ran our of gas in her corvette!!!!<br />
Charlotee also tells me that Don has been diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease, is now on medication and<br />
seems to feel a little better.<br />
The latest exciting news for the Laninghmas is that they are going to be great-grandparents again in<br />
December. Congrats!!!<br />
Our dear Keith Garrison is going to have surgery on May 23 rd to repair two tears in his Meniscus. Keith<br />
got a big surprise when he learned he had a fracture in this knee. Aren’t the golden years fun and full of<br />
surprises?<br />
Debbie is participating in the Relay for Life this coming weekend, the 18 th and the 19 th . We are very<br />
proud of you. Do well.<br />
Peggy Cook sent this message to all: “After a successful car show, Bob and I are ready for a much<br />
needed rest. So we have headed for the lake for a week. Thanks to all of my Corvette friends that joined<br />
us on Saturday. Our show was awesome and the new location was a hit. I can’t wait to tell you how<br />
much money we made for Families For Effective Autism Treatment. I will let you all know when the<br />
totals come in.” –Peggy<br />
The Garrahans have some unwelcome guests at their house. A termite inspection revealed dry wood<br />
termites have moved in. Their house is being tented for 3 days. Patrick and Shawn will pitch a tent in the<br />
back yard while Pat has chosen to stay with her daughter. There is no structural damage. The inspcter<br />
says this is a good case for those who have yearly inspections.<br />
Gary and Jan spent the last three days playing golf at the Ridgemark Golf Course in Hollister with 24<br />
couples from Belmont Country Club playing golf. Jan’s team placed second in the Ladies Division and<br />
Gary had his best game played. This golf putting is a 30 year tradition and was enjoyed by all.<br />
Jan
It’s that time of year again when squash and<br />
tomatoes are starting to produce in your<br />
garden. If you are like me, you’re always<br />
looking for new ways to fix them.<br />
The following recipe uses both of these<br />
summertime favorites and was shared by<br />
Charlotte Renna. It makes a delicious and<br />
easy side dish.<br />
BAKED ZUCCHINI WITH GARLIC AND TOMATOES<br />
Zucchini<br />
Olive oil<br />
Fresh garlic or garlic powder<br />
Tomatoes<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
Cheese: Grated Mozzarella, Parmesan, or cheese blend<br />
Basil, fresh or dried<br />
Slice the zucchini in half. (Slice off the bottom to keep in stable.)<br />
Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic or garlic powder.<br />
Top with sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.<br />
Sprinkle with cheese of your choice (mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese or<br />
mixed blend.)<br />
Sprinkle with chopped fresh or dried basil. Bake 375 for 20 to 30 minutes until<br />
soft. (Depends on your oven.)
WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED:<br />
Men Are Just Happier People --<br />
What do you expect from such simple creatures?<br />
Your last name stays put.<br />
The garage is all yours.<br />
Wedding plans take care of themselves.<br />
Chocolate is just another snack...<br />
You can be President.<br />
You can never be pregnant.<br />
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.<br />
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.<br />
Car mechanics tell you the truth.<br />
The world is your urinal.<br />
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.<br />
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.<br />
Same work, more pay.<br />
Wrinkles add character.<br />
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.<br />
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.<br />
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.<br />
One mood all the time.<br />
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.<br />
You know stuff about tanks.<br />
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.<br />
You can open all your own jars.<br />
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.<br />
If someone forgets to invite you,<br />
He or she can still be your friend.<br />
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.<br />
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough..<br />
You almost never have strap problems in public.<br />
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes..<br />
Everything on your face stays its original color.<br />
The same hairstyle lasts for years, even decades.<br />
You only have to shave your face and neck.<br />
You can play with toys all your life.<br />
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.<br />
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.<br />
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.<br />
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.<br />
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives<br />
On December 24 in 25 minutes.
NICKNAMES<br />
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.<br />
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy,<br />
Bubba and Wildman.<br />
EATING OUT<br />
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only<br />
for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want<br />
change back.<br />
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.<br />
MONEY<br />
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.<br />
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.<br />
BATHROOMS<br />
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a<br />
bar of soap, and a towel.<br />
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be<br />
able to identify more than 20 of these items.<br />
ARGUMENTS<br />
A woman has the last word in any argument.<br />
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.<br />
FUTURE<br />
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.<br />
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.<br />
MARRIAGE<br />
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.<br />
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.<br />
DRESSING UP<br />
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the<br />
phone, read a book, and get the mail.<br />
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.<br />
NATURAL<br />
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.<br />
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.<br />
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY<br />
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the<br />
same thing!
Here's what the Corvette Oldsmobile<br />
Division wanted, but never had. This<br />
experimental sports car would have been in<br />
direct competition with the Chevrolet<br />
Corvette. While debating the matter, GM<br />
built three Olds F-88 show cars, each one<br />
slightly different, all with concealed folding<br />
tops. It is powered by a 324-cid 'Rocket V8'<br />
producing 250 bhp. Brought out of GM<br />
styling in pieces, and owned briefly by<br />
financier and luxury auto magnate, E.L.<br />
Cord (CEO of Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg).<br />
One version was gifted to Harley Earl upon<br />
his retirement. The only surviving F-88 was<br />
sold at auction in 2005 for $3.2 million.<br />
The XP-20 project, commonly known as F-<br />
88 was a pet project of Harley Earl (working<br />
with him was Bill Mitchell, Ken Pickering,<br />
Zora Duntov etc.). Four cars came out of the<br />
project, but only styling order #2265 (this<br />
car) survived. It was sold or given to E.L.<br />
Cord (Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg owner) in<br />
1955. Hundreds of internal GM documents<br />
and original blue prints are still with this<br />
sole survivor.<br />
The Oldsmobile F-88 is one of the most<br />
historically significant vehicles of its era and<br />
considered by many automotive historians to<br />
be a great expression of automotive design<br />
from the 1950s Golden Age.<br />
Designed during 1952-1953, around the<br />
same time as the first Motorama Corvette,<br />
the preliminary sketches of the F-88 came<br />
from veteran designer Bill Lange. The final<br />
design was done in the main Oldsmobile<br />
studio under the direction of Art Ross. A<br />
very gifted designer, Ross is given credit for<br />
the 1941 Cadillac egg crate ‘tombstone'<br />
grill, the World War II Wildcat tank<br />
destroyer, and the ‘rocket' beltline for the '59<br />
Oldsmobile. The interior of the Oldsmobile<br />
was designed by Jack Humbert (who later<br />
moved on to become Pontiac's chief<br />
designer).<br />
The first Oldsmobile F-88 was built for the<br />
1954 Motorama show circuit and followed<br />
in 1957 by the Oldsmobile F-88 Mark II.<br />
The Oldsmobile F-88 shared the stage of the<br />
Motorama show with the Oldsmobile<br />
Cutlass fastback coupe that shared an<br />
identical instrument panel. Unveiled at the<br />
General Motors Motorama on January 21,<br />
1954 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New<br />
York, the 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 was<br />
painted metallic gold with metallic green<br />
inside the fender wells.<br />
The golden Oldsmobile F-88 was a true<br />
showstopper. For six days the vehicle<br />
display and musical revenue ran, following<br />
that the Oldsmobile F-88 became part of a<br />
series of traveling Motorama shows that<br />
caravanned by both bus and truck to Miami,<br />
LA, San Francisco, and Chicago. Over 2<br />
million viewers saw the five Motoramas that<br />
season. Back in that day, after a show car<br />
had completed its Motorama duties, it was<br />
usually turned over to its sponsoring<br />
division. The division's top execs were then<br />
encouraged to eventually destroy it as they<br />
couldn't sell such vehicle, or they could give<br />
them away to favored dealers.<br />
The Mark II looked entirely different than<br />
the first F-88 and featured quad headlights<br />
and blade-like vertical tailfins. The Mark III<br />
was introduced in the 1959 and unveiled for<br />
the GM Motorama, also looking nothing like<br />
the earlier two.<br />
An experimental, high performance, two-
passenger sports convertible, the F-88 was<br />
Oldsmobile's legendary dream car. A<br />
beautiful dynamo on wheel, the F-88 was<br />
Oldsmobile's experimental convertible that<br />
GM's stylists incorporated scores of striking<br />
innovations into. This spectacular sports car<br />
featured natural pigskin upholstery, lowpoised<br />
fiberglass body, unusual rear deck<br />
design, sparkling interior trim and a special<br />
250 hp ‘Rocket' engine. The elliptical grille<br />
mouth, ‘hockey stick' side trim and bullet<br />
tail lights were designed purely period<br />
Oldsmobile style.<br />
Harley Earl, the legendary automotive<br />
stylist, designed the F-88 under the belief<br />
that it would have outsold the Corvette and<br />
forever changed automotive history.<br />
Unfortunately Chevrolet, which produced<br />
more GM products than any of its other<br />
divisions, convinced the GM board of<br />
directors to cut the Oldsmobile project. The<br />
F-88 never went into production due to that<br />
sabotage combined with lukewarm Corvette<br />
sales. The 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 was<br />
strictly ever a dream car.<br />
Meant to compete with the similarly sized<br />
Corvette, the F-88 was one of the most<br />
significant concept vehicles ever designed<br />
by GM. Lightweight; the F-88 would have<br />
outperformed even the Ford Thunderbird.<br />
The Oldsmobile F-88 featured a Rocket 88<br />
V8, 4 speed automatic hydromatic<br />
transmission, power windows and door<br />
latches, bullet tail lights, large vertical<br />
exhaust outlets for its ‘Rocket' V-8, and a<br />
distinguished wide-mouth grille, unlike the<br />
Corvette, which only had a 6-cylinder<br />
engine, a 2-speed automatic transmission<br />
and no windows.<br />
Powered by hopped up 324-cubic-inch V8<br />
from the '54 Oldsmobile Super 99, the F-55<br />
engine used a stock four-barrel carburetor<br />
with a tiny flat air cleaner. The engine's<br />
9.0:1 compression ratio plus additional<br />
modifications boosted the Super 88's 185<br />
horsepower to 250 horsepower and an<br />
undisclosed amount of torque. With no<br />
trouble handling the Oldsmobile's V-8<br />
torque, power flowed through a four-speed<br />
Hydra-Matic transmission to a 3.55:1<br />
Corvette rear axle. The F-88 took its off-theshelf<br />
components, its instruments, from a<br />
1953 Oldsmobile. Humbert turned the<br />
speedometer into a combined speedo/tach<br />
and gave the other three dials custom faces.<br />
Only four cars were ever built, and one<br />
survives today and set a world record when<br />
auctioned in January 2005 at the Barrett-<br />
Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona for<br />
$3,240,000.00. The founder of the<br />
Discovery Channel, John S. Hendricks is the<br />
proud owner who has is displayed in its own<br />
room at the Gateway Auto Museum in<br />
Colorado.<br />
By Jessica Donaldson<br />
(Ed. note: Greg Krebs forwarded an E-mail<br />
he got re: this car that said “the ’54 Olds<br />
could have ‘Killed’ the Corvette”. What do<br />
you think?)
When I went to the car show,<br />
Freida gave me the bird!
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CENTRAL VALLEY CORVETTES<br />
P. O. BOX 26591<br />
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA 93729-6591