66' 450HP Corvette

[71-LS6]

Some news guy mentioned that yesterday, was Missouri's last home football game of the season. This reminded me of a neat story about a brand new 1966 427/450HP Vette. A guy that works with my wife's trucking company, bought one of those things in November of 1965. He's 75 yrs old now, but he sat down with me last week while we were hanging out in the dispatch office. He and filled me in on a story that I'd only heard bits and pieces of, for several years.

In Sept. of 65' Chuck got wind of the new for 66', 427 powered Corvette. He went straight to his local chevy dealer in Kansas City, and ordered one. The salesman yanked his chain for almost 2 months. The guy kept telling him, "next week, next week". Finally, after being put off for weeks, Chuck lost his patience, and told the salesman; "Get me that car, or get my deposit back right now!" The salesman said, "I'll pull some strings for you, but I can't deliver the car until late Sat. night". This happened on Friday afternoon, the day before.
Turns out, that the car had a previous obligation on Saturday afternoon. It was being driven in a (homecoming?) parade, at the University of Missouri in Columbia, that day. His salesman, in order to keep the sale, drove the car straight to Kansas City, from Columbia, that night. Chuck took delivery of the car around 10 O'clock, in the parking lot of a pool hall he was at. By this time, his buddies were thinking he was full of crap because he never did show up with car he had been bragging about for two months. At that point, the car began a short (6 week) stint, as a street racer. According to Chuck, nobody could touch it, and it was only a few weeks, before it established itself as the baddest street racer around. He made it to the strip just one time, before the car was totally destroyed, in a little "New Years Eve power display". Evidently, some of his buddies did not believe that the car could get 3rd and 4th gear scratch under full power. As the guys lined up on the curb to watch him come by, he demonstrated the awesome power of the car, not knowing that the last street light, was the end of the road, figuratively, and quite literally, for his new Corvette. The street ended at the top of a 25 foot gulch, where according to Chuck, he thought "the damned thing would never stop rolling". This was back in the days where insurance was not yet mandatory. He parted out what he could, continued to make payments on his loan, and drove a junker, till the loan was payed off a few years later.

If I can ever get his wife to dig up the pictures, and the dealer invoice, I'll get them posted.

[nuch_ss396]

Can you imagine making payments on a car like this that had
a very short life & no insurance? You'd have years to think
about that last ride and cry every time you write the next check

Nuch

[MosportGreen66]

Cool story! Post photos... and invoices!
I have a '66 450hp Corvette...

[Chris396]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you imagine making payments on a car like this that had
a very short life & no insurance? You'd have years to think
about that last ride and cry every time you write the next check

Nuch

[/ QUOTE ]My dad did the same thing in the early 70's. He bought a '67 Chevelle SS 396 350hp with AC and Auto. He was showing off for some of his friends who were walking down the sidewalk when he T-boned a brand new Lincoln. He totaled both cars but didn't have insurance. He had to file bankruptcy back then.

[bulletpruf]

Had a '66 L72 Vette as well. Maroon coupe with knockoffs, sidepipes, 4 sp, 4.11s. Had a built 454. It was my daily driver during law school in the 90's. Not terribly practical, but d*mn it was fast! Thinking about getting another '66 convt; just love the lines on those cars.

Scott

[PeteLeathersac]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you imagine making payments on a car like this that had
a very short life & no insurance? You'd have years to think
about that last ride and cry every time you write the next check

Nuch

[/ QUOTE ]

Kind've a similar situation, I've always wanted a '66/L72 or '65/L78 'Vette...the reason I don't have one is I'm still paying my ex-wife's debts?!.
True story, but no tears when writing the cheques...or thoughts of the last ride either!.

~ Pete

[mockingbird812]

"...or thoughts of the last ride either!. "

[69hurstSC]

speaking of rolling cars. in Darrell Waltrip's book he talks about rolling a 69 396/375 Chevelle while trying to outrun the cops.

[Supergas990]

Pretty sure that he tells the story how he and his Chevelle ended up in his wife's front yard. The car was a demo car from the dealership where he worked.

Blair