cob vette news · lingering effects of the uaw strike in 1969, which caused a four-month delay in...

CORVETTES of BUFFALO 1

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF

www.corvettesofbuffalo.com

COB VETTE NEWS Since 1981

Volume 40, Issue 2

Notes from the President

As all our babies sit under their blankets waiting for

spring, things are already revving up at COB as

members have already started their planning for this

year’s events. Norma and I have just hosted the first of

3 Winter Dinner Cruise nights at Buffalo Brew Pub

which was a huge success with 35 members attending.

Remember February 1st is the day to register if you are

planning to attend this year’s NCCC convention, July 5-

10 in Indianapolis. Linda & Bruce Graham have

organized this year’s pizza party for the February

meeting and Dick Brownlee will be announcing the

winners of his Super Bowl Pool. February 12th a Factory

Tour of Platters Chocolate and Luncheon is planned by

Norma Joseph. The Winter Dinner is back April 1st

hosted by Debbie Schafer & Rose Ricigliano. Nancy

Conroy & Bernie Futch are planning a Chicken BBQ on

May 17th and Mike Buccilli and I have begun planning

for this year’s Vets and Vettes car show at Russell’s

Chops and More on July 1st. George and Karen Sparks

have really stepped up to organize a new event this

year, a miniature golf tournament, the club’s annual

picnic and last but not least our clubs Christmas Party in

December. Norma and I are also planning trips to Vets

at the Beach in Syracuse and to Lancaster Ohio for the

Corvette Gathering. For more information on these

events watch the newsletter or contact the organizers.

So, fasten your seat belts it looks like it’s going to be a

busy year.

Save the Wave

Bob

February, 2020

Notes from the editor

It’s 1971 and the ban on TV and radio ads for

cigarettes goes into effect. The 3rd moon

mission, Apollo 14, lifts off on January 31st.

Starbucks opens Seattle and April sees 500,000

anti-war protesters in Washington. Jim Morrison

of the Doors dies from an OD in Paris.

In September we witnessed the Attica Prison

riots where 32 inmates and 10 guards die.

At the movies we watched “The French

Connection” and “Dirty Harry”. On the radio we

listened to “Joy to the World” and “Maggie

May”. On TV we watched “All in the family” and

“The Waltons”

The Bills go 1-13, the Sabers post a 16-43 record.

The 1971 Corvette was a lower powered almost-

twin of the 1970 edition.

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CORVETTES of BUFFALO

Officers President-------Bob Joseph-------------716-440-6091 Vice President-Lowell Rothenberger-716-560-4819 Treasurer-------Maryanne Pastore---716-694-9024 Secretary-------Karen Rothenberger-716-675-9467

Board of Directors Sue Blum-------------------------- 716-903-5753 Debbie Schafer ------------------716-551-6999 Mike Blum-------------------------716-907-8863 Jim Kuczmarski-------------------716-633-9290 Dave Spencer---------------------716-353-2457 George Sparks--------------------716-432-8799 Jim Decker ------------------------716-652-2169

Committees Membership Barbara Lipome 716-691-8845 Newsletter Larry Dudeck 716-634-7391 Phone Comm. Lynda Graham 716-741-3350 Sunshine Comm. Karen Rothenberger 716-675-9467 Diane Skeide 876-1197 Webmaster Lynn Kelly 716-681-7931 [email protected] Activities Dir. Lynda Graham 716-741-3350 Club Photographer Dan Krakowski 675-5880 Dave Spencer 353 2457 Face Book page Manager Dan Wroblewski 585 318 4480 Liaison for Out of Town Corvette Clubs Mike & Lee Buccilli 716-648-2037 *********************************************

Meeting every second Saturday of the month at First Presbyterian Church

9675 Main St. Clarence, NY, 14031 Meeting starts 7:00 p.m.

***********************************************

Visit us at: http://www.corvettesofbuffalo.com/

Send Newsletter Articles To: Larry Dudeck

E-Mail: [email protected]

Submissions must be in by the 27th

Late submissions will be published the following month.

February Anniversaries

14th Louis & Roseanne Merzacco

17th Bob & Norma Joseph

18th John & Tracy Kowalske

21st Peter & Rose Ricigliano

February Birthdays

2nd John Biggie

Donna Harrer

Diane Miller

7th Carole Rotando 9th Paul Brozyna

20th Skip Polowy

22nd Debbie Schafer

23rd Janet Craft

24th Maureen Polowy

http://www.corvettesofbuffalo.com/

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Some of the activities for this month

Feb. 8th Monthly meeting and pizza party

Feb. 12th Factory Tour at Platters Chocolate

Feb. 19th Winter Dinner Cruise

The COB Dinner Dance is back, Please save the date Saturday April 4. Details to follow at the February 8th COB Meet. Sincerely, Debbie Schafer

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=pizza+clip+art+free&id=58CA38240D8C1F2A799A4C81133AE861797ED370&FORM=IQFRBA

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Errors in the 2020 Membership Lists

To All Corvette Members: In printing the 2020 membership lists, it was discovered

that I failed to make some changes. To help everyone make these changes on

their 2020 lists, the corrected lists will be on our COB website in the “Members

Only” section in printable form. Thank you for your understanding and please

accept my apologies.

Karen Rothenberger

Good Morning Everyone, I have finalized plans for the Factory Tour at Platters Chocolate on February 12, 2020. We will start with lunch at Soliday’s Restaurant at 6935 Ward Road at N.F. Blvd. (5 minutes away) at 12 noon. The tour is scheduled at 1:30pm at Platters Chocolate in the Wurlitzer building. A sign-up sheet will again be available at the February meeting. Anyone unable to attend the February meeting please let me know if you would like to attend. Thanks. Norma Joseph

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COB Florida Get Together

Feb. 12, 2020 The Wyse’s

2167 Crofton Ave

Davenport, FL

2pm

Rsvp by 2/5th [email protected]

Bring your suits for hot tub/pool

Also, if you would like to play 9 holes of golf or drive balls

at the clubhouse in the morning let me know so I can set

up tee times for around 10am.

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CORVETTES OF BUFFALO MEMORIAL MINI GOLF OUTING AND CRUISE

On Sunday, June 7, 2020, Corvettes of Buffalo will hold a memorial golf outing to Clubhouse Fun Center, 70

Jay Scutti Blvd, Henrietta NY 14623.

The caravan will start at the Walmart, 5735 S Transit Rd, Lockport NY 14094. Please gather at 9:00am for a

prompt departure at 9:15 am. Frank Pastore has graciously agreed to lead our caravan. There will be

unlimited use of go-karts, bumper cars and mini golf from 11am until 1:30pm. Participants will be given 30

arcade tokens.

At 1:30 pm, a Backyard BBQ will be served on site. (BBQ Chicken, Pulled Pork, Vegetable & Pasta Medley,

Potato Salad, Lemonade, Iced tea and water) Everyone will have a chance to go through buffet line with ample

opportunity for seconds.

There will be Pepsi products, snacks and ice cream available for purchase. No outside food or drinks may be

brought in. No alcohol is allowed.

The cost for the event for Corvette Club Members is $20.00 per person with the balance to be paid by COB.

Cost for NON- CLUB MEMBERS is $35.00 per person.

Payments for reservations will be accepted until the regular club meeting on May 9.

If you do not wish to caravan, the Fun Center is easily accessible via NYS Thruway, Hylan Ave exit off I-390 just

past Marketplace Mall.

Sign- up sheets will be available at the scheduled COB monthly meetings. Norma Joseph will be collecting the

$20 per person payment.

Specific questions can be directed to Karen Sparks 716 432-8114

Hope to see you all there!

George Sparks

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CHURCH DONATIONS

In the months to follow, needed donations requested by the church are as follows:

FEBRUARY – canned meats, tuna, spam, SpaghettiOs, spaghetti sauce

MARCH – laundry products and toiletries

APRIL – evaporated/ condensed milk, cereal, condiments

MAY - dinner food (boxed dinners, boxed potatoes, rice, hamburger helper)

JUNE - paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, paper napkins)

JULY – condiments, canned meats, tuna, spam, SpaghettiOs, spaghetti sauce

AUG – PICNIC – NO DONATIONS

SEPTEMBER - laundry products and toiletries

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Lunch & Factory Tour

Meet for Lunch at

6935 Ward Rd. at N.F. Blvd.

908 N.F. Blvd Wed. Feb 12, 2020

Tonawanda NY Lunch 12:00pm

(Wurlitzer Park) Tour 1:30pm

Winter Dinner Cruise

4360 Milestrip Rd. Blasdell

February 19, 2020

6:00pm

Signup Sheets for both at the February meeting.

Contact Bob & Norma Joseph for more info.

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Daytona Speedway Trip to the Rolex 24 Race

January 25-26th

This was my first time attending the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and my first visit to Daytona

International Speedway. When I was invited to attend with Etienne Kojsza, I immediately said yes! We both wanted to

see the new C8-R Corvettes making their first racing appearance to kick off the 2020 season. As you can see from the

included pictures, our Special Speed Insider Passes, included access to Pit Road, the garages, UNOH FanZone with track

area access (prior to the race) and premium covered seating on the infield to watch the 24- hour racing event. We were

able to get very close to all the race cars (and Drivers) as they were being prepared for the race and even during the race

if a garage was needed for a repair to get them back onto the track.

The Rolex 24 provided time to be introduced to the Drivers and Teams, get autographs and pictures with them. Both ET

and myself signed the finish line and walked the banked track along with other Insider fans.

The C8-R Corvettes both ran strong except for a mechanical issue on the #4 Gray C8 that occurred in the early morning,

which took about 2 hours to repair. Both Corvettes finished the race and the #3 Yellow C8-R driven by Jordan Taylor &

Team pushed the Porsche Team and the BMW Team all night long. The C8-R #3 Yellow bounced from 3rd to 5th place

many times and it appeared the two Porsche drivers were blocking him from passing. The C8-R was definitely a stronger

car but, in the end, finished the 24-hour race in 4th place. The C8-R gray #4 Corvette finished 7th after losing 2 hours and

several laps when in the garage for repairs.

It was a great experience to attend such an event and see not only the race but all the displays inside the track grounds.

There were about 9-10 C8 Corvettes on display including two convertibles. And many other hands-on displays from

others, such as Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Aston Martin, Mazda, Cadillac, Acura and more...

There were four Classes of cars in the race ranking fastest to the slower, the DPI (Daytona Prototype International),

LMP2 (Lemans Prototype), GTLM (Le Mans "incl. Corvettes"), and GTD (GT Daytona "incl. Lambo").

Yes, the Corvettes were in a class faster than the slower six Lamborghini in GT class. It was a great trip, with sunny

weather. I plan to attend again in the future!

Skip Polowy

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History of the Corvette, part 19

The 1971 Corvette did not offer prospective buyers anything new in the way of design or styling features. Due to the

lingering effects of the UAW strike in 1969, which caused a four-month delay in the introduction of the 1970 model,

Chevy management elected to do essentially nothing to the 1971 edition.

This did not mean there were no changes. The major change was the edict that all 1971 Corvettes had to run on 91

octane gasoline. This meant the compression ratios of the engines had to be lowered and lower CR’s meant lower horse

power. At the same time, Chevy management decided to use Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) net horse power

ratings, rather than gross ratings previously used. What this meant for the LT1 engine was a 275 HP SAE rating vs. the

370 HP of 1970. The LS5 engine which had a gross HP of 365 now carried an SAE rating of 285 HP.

Other than this, the new Corvette was a clone of the 1970 offering. The same transmissions and rear axle ratios were

offered. A total of 21,801 units were built, only 7121 of which were roadsters. Base prices were $5496 for coupes and

$5259 for convertibles.

The 1971 Corvette could not be visually differentiated from the 1970 model.

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Corvette Chronicles: The Hand-Built Split-Window Corvettes

By ANDY BOLIG DECEMBER 27, 2019

The Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is currently undergoing a major change in preparation for the

up-coming, 2020 Corvette production. Moving the engine behind the passengers in the new model is a major shift. Not

only in the design of the car — but also, in the scope of changes, it will mean during the car’s assembly. The entire plant

will need to be revamped to accommodate the new processes.

However, before Corvettes were built in Bowling Green, they were all assembled in St. Louis, Missouri — save for the

first year of production. During that time, the first 300 Corvettes were hand-assembled in Flint, Michigan. In 1962, St.

Louis assembly was preparing for the changing of the guard that would see the first midyear cars roll off the assembly

line. The ’63 Corvette is one of the most iconic Corvette designs and was about to come to fruition. Thankfully, General

Motors had a photographer there to document the occasion.

.

https://www.rodauthority.com/author/andrewbolig/

https://www.rodauthority.com/author/andrewbolig/

https://www.speednik.com/files/2019/12/corvette-chronicles-the-hand-built-split-window-coupe-corvettes-2019-12-03_19-48-19_695980.jpg

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Some of the images appear to be on the actual assembly line while others may have been from specific pilot-line

tooling areas. Note the next car down the line has yet to have its body assembled using the overhead jig to hold the

various panels in place.

Why A Pilot Line?

Today, assembly plants are mechanized beyond comprehension. But, as GM was preparing to build one of the most

recognizable body styles in its history, things were very much a hands-on process. With so much of the car changing

from the previous production, it was imperative to make sure everything fit as expected. If any issues were found, they

could immediately be corrected on the line.

Much fitting was done by hand with sanding discs to ensure seams and panels fit properly. Repairs or pits on the

surface were filled and then finished in preparation for painting.

As such, there are typically small variances between a pilot-line car and production units that came after it. Back in

1962 — when these pilot-line Corvettes were working their way through the St. Louis plant — many of the components

used in their construction weren’t actually production parts. Both internal and external trim components were tweaked

for production to finalize the finish and ensure they fit properly with the rest of the vehicle. For the ’63 Corvette pilot-

line cars we have seen, hand-laid fiberglass was used extensively on the underside of the cars. In some instances, it was

so thin you could see light through it!

When building pilot cars, the number of actual cars built for a particular year is pre-determined. The number depends on

how many cars are needed for various testing, promotional photography, or even to hit the show circuit. It is believed

that 25 pilot cars were built for 1963 production. Of those, only a handful have surfaced. Thankfully, we have a record of

their trek down the assembly line in these photos that have worked their way around the hobby.

The above from www.rodauthority.com. You can read the full article there.

http://www.rodauthority.com/



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New CoB officers sworn in

The oath of office being administered.

President-------Bob Joseph Vice President-Lowell Rothenberger Treasurer-------Maryanne Pastore Secretary-------Karen Rothenberger Board of Directors Sue Blum Debbie Schafer Mike Blum Jim Kuczmarski Dave Spencer George Sparks Jim Decker

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Prospective member

My first experience with a Corvette was when I was about 10 years old. My mother ‘s cousin had a 67 I didn’t

get to ride in it but I did see it, I loved it.

Then, when I graduated from high school in 1975 a friend got a 1968 427 3x2 BC 400 hp 4 speed. Wow it was really fast! It put me back in my seat. I really liked the C3 shark style. A couple of years later when I turned 21 years old in May of 1978, I saw an Indianapolis Pace Car. I thought someday I will own one. In 1997 I bought my wife a red 1995. We went to Orlando in 2008 and hertz had eight C6 yellow Corvettes with a black stripe scattered around their parking lot. When I went inside there was a sign, that said, “ask about the Corvette special”. We were getting a midsize Buick, but we got the Corvette for $20 extra per day instead! It was fun. When we got home, I started looking for a C3 for me. In 2011 found a 1981 red on red 4 speed from the original owner it had been on and off the road for the past 16 years I found insurance cards in the glove box. It needed paint, brakes, tires, carburetor and some other things. My wife wasn’t too happy. I spent a bunch of money at Corvette Central to get it going. It took about a year and a half. It would be another three years before I got it painted. In 2015, I was driving past Basil Chevrolet on Transit Rd. There was a 78 Pace Car sitting out front. I locked up my brakes and pulled in. The body, paint, interior everything was beautiful with all paperwork and only 23,000 miles. It was a L48 automatic, but I already had a stick shift. I called my wife (she almost bought me one once) she said it better be in better shape than the last one you bought. When she saw it she loved it! I checked it off my bucket list. We started downsizing in 2018 and I needed to get rid of one of my Corvettes. I wanted to be able to drive it where and when I wanted to, so I sold the Pace Car (24000 miles) and kept the 1981. The 81 will be 40 years old in September, it is still a work in progress, but I love it. C3’s 1968 to 1982 are my favorites. Thank You, Tom Kicior

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Prospective member

When my husband bought his 2003 corvette Z06, he joined the club with a friend. One evening I joined the guys at the meeting and met some nice people and realized another opportunity for us to spend time together. So, I decided to join too. I like the car and look forward to participate in events in the nice weather. We enjoy cruise nights and I think we will enjoy the rallies as well. Thank you for considering me. Cindy Colello 5930 Shimerville Road Clarence Center, New York. 14032

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MAJOR SPONSOR for CORVETTES of BUFFALO

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89 Thompson Street

North Tonawanda, NY 14120

(716) 693-4800

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Cheektowaga, NY 14225

(716) 204-8413

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Lockport, NY 14094

(716) 589-5024

Corvettes of Buffalo Advertisers Pages

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BUFFALO

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NEWSLETTER AND WEBSITE AD FORM Corvettes of Buffalo offer ad space in its monthly newsletter, on its website and on our Facebook page. Please review existing ads and newsletters at www.corvettesofbuffalo.com. Our ad rates for one year, beginning with receipt of payment, are: BUSINESS CARD 1/8 page $40.00 ¼ page $75.00 ½ page $135.00 Full page $250.00

Any questions. Please contact: Jim Decker – 716 912 4217 Email: [email protected]

Thank you in advance for your support of CORVETTES of BUFFALO. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please complete: BUSINESS NAME________________________________ CONTACT PERSON_____________________________ PHONE # ________________________________ Please make checks payable to: Corvettes of Buffalo

Mail to: Corvettes of Buffalo P.O. Box 161 West Seneca, New York 14224

INCLUDE: 1) Business card and/or art work 2) Completed form 3) Payment

Office Use: Date Received__________1 yr. notification date_______

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cob vette news · lingering effects of the uaw strike in 1969, which caused a four-month delay in...

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