Cousin visits “Birr’s Eye View”!

My cousin, Floyd Hanes, took a ride–and I mean a ride(!)–to visit us for the first time at Kelly Lake in his ’08 Corvette from Two Rivers where he resides–my hometown. He ordered the the black-on-black Vette new 2 1/2 years ago complete with 430 HP!

Now, I’ve owned my ’69 black-on-black Corvette Stingray 350 cubic inch/350 HP 4-speed manual tranny for 18 years. While Floyds ’08 has just about every creature comfort on it you can think of, including TRACTION CONTROL (can be clicked off, but watch out!) to harness those 430 horses! My 350/350 Stingray’s only option/accessory… come to thiink of it, there isn’t any options; the top is even operated manually! Yes, it has an AM/FM radio, but I think that was standard! There’s no power steering, no power brakes, no air conditioning, no ‘traction control’… the reason being many purchasers back then during the “muscle car” era didn’t want any horsepower lost in creature comforts! There weren’t any catalytic converters in use back then, either, to restrict any exhaust flow; giving them the unique throaty muscle car rumble.

However, with Floyd’s 430 HP, you can add all the power options you want. Might I add that HP was rated differently back in ’69. Now HP is rated at the road after all power option loss is subtracted from the equation. Thus, the reason for not ordering air, power brakes/steering, etc in ’69!

Now for the ride! I slid into the cockpit, feeling tight and secure–’secure’ being the operative and comforting word! Seat belts fastened, Floyd fired up the horses and eased her back to the roadway. With a wave to Shirley–and not with any warning–Floyd nailed the throttle–I guess to impress Shirley and scare the bjesus out of me–claiming the devil made him do it–as we stuck off hard-back in my seat. Thank God the traction control was on! Floyd quickly decelerated to speed limit, braking as the 18″ rear tires and 17″ front tires grabbed on. A ride to the highway where Floyd got it up to #@* quickly; few hugs around some curves; cruise back around Kelly Lake for a little sightseeing, and home. Shirley came out to greet us as I got out and kissed the Pope–I mean the ground! What a ride in what has always been known as: “America’s only true sports car”! Vettes were introduced in 1953.

Floyd loves his ’08 (he’s had a b/b ’05 convertible, ’75 and a few other Vettes I can’t recall ). He’s quite proud of this black beauty. I thought he’d like to see it featured here. He asked if I’d ever thought of buying a new one. I told him I’m stuck in nastalgia and I’m in the process of going through mine again; I’ll keep it ’til I can’t get in nor out of it anymore!

We had a great visit, grilled out and reminisced, and toured the lake via pontoon. Floyd road off into the sunset reining in those 430 horses! Roger