Winter Blues

[geekinavette]

Engine rebuild for sure! Also hoping to do a suspension "freshening up", and some wiring repairs. It'll be out of comission pretty much all winter ('til March or so). I wouldn't take it more than a couple of miles from the house anyway...the weather around here gets VERY unpredictable. It can be 60 deg at noon and snowing heavily by 4:00pm...and not be considered unusual.

Bill

 

[cruzer99]

Oh......HOW I LOVE SUNNY CALIFORINA WHERE WE DRIVE OUR VETTES YEAR ROUND..........Just thought I would gloat just once.....or maybe twice...........NO ICE, SALT, OR SAND EITHER...

 

[6 Shooter]

Oh......HOW I LOVE SUNNY CALIFORINA WHERE WE DRIVE OUR VETTES YEAR ROUND..........Just thought I would gloat just once.....or maybe twice...........NO ICE, SALT, OR SAND EITHER...

Ron - Go Ahead and Gloat as Much as U Want !

I like 2 look @ it as hibernation, not the winter blues. I lived n Hawaii for a few years and I kind of like a little winter down time.

I must say, it's a bit easier 4 me 2 handle winter down here n Southern MO than the Boys up North, we have a much milder winter. There's plenty of nice days to drive the Vette 2 work and even some great opportunities for a few Saturday or Sunday afternoon cruises.

So just go ahead and gloat, I'll hibernate when I can and keep miles off my Lovely Red Head !

Later,
6 Shooter

 

[billybob]

cruzer82,

Ya I wish I could drive it year round and get annoyed by the smog nazis on a regular basis

I'll put it away for a few months and when it comes out puffin all that good stuff, I'll remember you CALI boys and girls :L

Bill

 

[rgtrough]

Hey Chockey, I see you are from Binghampton. I bought my '74 coupe from a guy in Walton. Drove that bad boy straight back to Ohio. 650 miles 29 year old car and it used less than 1 qt of oil. Plan on spending the winter redoing the interior, making the engine bay pretty, and strengthening the suspension. New paint in the spring. Beautiful country where you live.:cool

 

[cruzer99]

The other day I was cruzin down the FREEWAY (we call it a freeway because nobody would pay to drive on them), on a sunny Calif afternoon (raining today), and happen to look down at the "cruse control" and wondered why they would put a cruse control in a Corvette. Who ever came up with the idea of "cruse control" in a Corvette had never driven one......Just a crazy thought from the left coast... :duh

 

[Dad]

Why put it away???

They make mud and snow tires for the darn thing, drive it.

 

[MoeJr]

There is a guy who lives up the road from our shop that drives his 95-96 year round in snow and everything. I am fortunate that the little house communtiy we are a part of doesn't use salt on any of our streets so I can drive the vette around the compound once in a while to keep it working good. However I put my 77 Pontiac Grand Prix up on stands for winter but the Vette will stay down to be used. The Poncho doesn't have any computer electronics to go bad during the winter like the Vette.

 

[chockey]

I have really enjoyed everybodies thoughts but now a few of my own. I live in probably one of the highest taxed states, we ended up with the Clintons and Hitlerly Clinton is a Senator here :blow (a lot of dumb people voted for her), being from New York people think the whole state is like New York City.

We have 4 months of bad winter but 30 minutes to the nearest ski slope, 10 minutes to some of the best hockey, 1/2 hour for great ice fishing, 3 1/2 hours from Broadway shows, 4 hr from Niagara Falls, 20 minutes from incredible trout fishing, rush hour traffic means 5 extra minutes, no earth quakes, no forrest fires, 50 feet to some great deer hunting(back door), no smog and just 3 hour up the road there is Canada, wonderful folks and great beer. Just a little over 2 hours to Carlisle where some of the greatest folks from CAC visit. Upstate NY is like Maine just a little south but they have a wonderful sea coast we have the mountains.

rgtrough you bought your Vette in Walton, wow take I88 north exit going east20 miles down the road is Walton hidden in the woods where the vehicle driven most to the county fair is a farm tractor and some of the greatest apple pie to die for.

Regardless I still have to put the Vette away til April HO HUM

Chuck

 

[Dad]

Chocky,

I love your synopsis of the winter dilemma, and your State.

However, you seem to have a great outlook on how you are living with the good, bad and the ugly (Hillary). You very ably left out the “not so good” parts we all deal with in our respective States. Being on the North edge of Ohio I too get the snow and the salt that limits the Corvette driving. You also seem to have a grip on doing what you need to in the case of storing the Corvette.

In the corner of my un-heated barn is a Styrofoam 4’X7’X18’ box that has a Goldenrod gun safe heater in it, $36. It’s a low level heater that is low power drain and safe to leave unattended. In it with a cement floor, wheels off the cement, suspension normal, with a battery tender sits my ’72. Thermometer reads about 60/65 degrees F all winter long. I have to move it this Month and intend to take pictures of it to give a better idea to every one how it is put together. The first year I stored the ’72 there was rust marks on the floor from moisture that condensates on the exhaust system as well as other parts of the car. The box is not airtight and some of the heated air can exit the box, but the heat does drive out the moisture. This is my second year of storing it this way so I still have some hesitations about recommending doing it this way. The first year showed no ill effect but I was slowed up by some medical problems this year so I didn’t get it out to drive much. What I’m saying is, it shows no ill effect but I didn’t go through it looking for problems it may have created.

I got the Styrofoam from a container manufacture near by, the problem is they have a $100 minimum purchase, that’s 20, 4’X 8’ X 1.5” sheets, 10 will do it.

Save the wave!!

 

[smurfvet]

Dad, that's one heck of an idea! Looks like I might have to think about that rather than keeping an oil burner going all winter in the barn!

 

[MaineShark]

Upstate NY is like Maine just a little south but they have a wonderful sea coast we have the mountains.

I keep thinking that Maine, NH, Vermont, Western Mass, and Upstate NY should get together, form one big state, and bully the rest of the Northeast, like they currently do to us.

But, back on topic... personally, I'm keeping my Shark on the road. I just got her a little over a week ago, so it is too soon to put her away. I have a second car, so I just watch the weather, and the salt, and only drive the Shark on nice, salt-free days.

The only problem is the disappointment I feel, every time I have to leave her behind, and drive a 'communter car' instead

But I just spend the time thinking about driving the Shark, and actually listen to the radio (not an easy thing in the Shark, between road noise, engine noise, wind noise, and exhaust noise).

Joe

 

[smurfvet]

Yeah, the noise is part of the car! I've got a M-21, NO power (brakes, steering, windows, air) so I "drive" (really drive) this car. It's the fun of the experience.

A friend has a 92 that is a beautiful touring vehicle. I would love to take it to Newport NEws on a 10 hour "jaunt", something I couldn't do with the 74. HOWEVER, cruising along the south shore of Lake Ontario or going down throught the Finger Lakes, that's what the car is happiest doing.

It was out last weekend, with the 69 deg. temp yesterday.

 

[chockey]

Hey smurfvet it was an unusual weekend and with the temps in the 60's+ I took BLUE for a turn on the back roads of Pennsylvania twas a goodious day for a ride. I never turned on the radio just listened to the rumble in and out of the turns with the wind whistling. I have to try to remember this until next spring.

Just being nosey but did you happen to visit some of the winery's around the finger lakes. They make great wines and you get to sample them too.


Chuck

 

[smurfvet]

We've been to a number of the Finger Lakes wineries, but not last weekend. We just drove around the area, out to Sodus Bay along Lake Road- a good 2 hour jaunt.

There was a "tour" two weekends ago around Keuka Lake- pay 40 bucks, get two "commemorative" wine glasses, free samples at 8 wineries and a special ornament from each to go on a wreath. We missed this year, but are trying for next. The weather two weekends ago was great. Shame we missed it.

We have been to quite a few of the wineries in the Finger Lakes- Fox Run, Glenora, Heron Hill, Dr. Frank, Goose Watch, Widmers, Anthony Road and others. They are "ok" in most cases. Another good wine region is around Westfield, NY, west end of the state almost to Erie PA. Johnston Estates is a real small, "rustic" winery, but the wines are great. Take 17 past Jamestown, go to the lake and stop.

We found that there are a lot of wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake (Canada or The Great White North, eh?) that do one heck of a marketing job. Beautiful buildings, fine restaurants, everything set up for touristy-types. We always get comments with the smurfvet.

The exchange rate is about a US buck for a buck fifty canadian, and the wine pirces are the same as local wineries, if not less for the same variety. Save a lot of bucks that way.

If you ever get up that way (it would be a weekend for you), the area is filled with bed and breakfasts, not too expensive, and nice. Might be a good weekend trip for you some day. The Finger Lakes wineries aren't slouches, by ant stretch, but there's about 15 wineries in the NOL region, all within 10 miles or so. Makes for a great weekend. I can recommend a bunch of places to go if you ever want them.

 

[chockey]

Thanks for the info, I have been to most of the wineries in the finger lake region and have traveled to Lockport and Buffalo area a lot but somehow with my mentality, Buffalo area means wings and wine doesn't go well with them, yup I tried it and a frosted mug suits it better.

Herman Weimer is one of my favorites as is Long Stem White from Lakewood Vinyards but I like your info about the NOL area. Will give a holler if I get up that way. Also smurfvet, don't know if you are a Rochester American fan but I enjoy the Binghamton Senators. Lets see Hockey, Wings, Beer yes that sounds like a good recipe for fun.

Chuck

 

[smurfvet]

What else do you do in the winter when the vette's inside? Hockey and beer for sure. Yes, i am a Amerks and Sabres fan, which is kind of hard to admit these days, both teams being the league doormats and all.:cry :cry :cry

 

[chockey]

Al I usually don't mind winter but since I got the Vette it bothers me more. I play in an adult hockey league for the last 30 years, yup I'm one day short of being as old as dirt. I will be going to the Senators games this year but will still fit in a few Cornell hockey games. Gave up hunting a few years ago but will go ice fishing a couple of times at a local lake. Mostly this winter I will be collecting parts fot the Vette. She needs new wheel bearings on the front, carb work, new door locks and hopefully a new coat of paint, gee thats all.

It has been many years and if I recall there was a hot dog place on the Sea Breeze, I think it was Bob's but not sure. there was a revolving resturant in downtown don't know if it is still there.

What are your plans for the winter? Have a great winter as it may be and if going to down be Binghamton way send an email.

Chuck

 

[smurfvet]

Don and Bob's, an institution at Sea Breeze. Still there, called Don's Original now. The revolving restaurant is long gone.

Winter is work inside the house time for me. Between fixing the lawn stuff, woodworking and odd rebuilding jobs on the Vette, most of the time is taken. Luckily, the Vette is just about done. Only nit picking issues now- minor wiring, leaks, cleaning problems.

I have two turbo Corvairs in the barn that will eventually be projects with the kids. The 62 was on the road for 10 years or so, was great fun, then became a victim of neglect. It should run, but needs a lot of massaging and paint. The 65 is original, some rust, but not bad. That needs restoration.

Consider the opening day at Watkins Glen- May 4th 2003- $15 bucks, take 3 laps of the course behind a pace car. It's fun, just let the pace car get really far ahead. Then, make up the distance! We've done it for the last two years. Got a GREAT professional picture of the car in the exit of the esses. Well worth it!

Keep in touch..

 

[Chiller]

Blues

Chockey and Smurfvet,
There is one thing worse than being from the southernteir of N.Y. during the winter. Being from the southernteir and being in the Iraq Desert! I MISS my vette! Just in case you are wondering, I'm a Marine from Corning N.Y.!
Chiller