cob vette news - corvettes of buffalo€¦ · bob february, 2019 it’s 1959; dde is still potus...
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO 1
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF
www.corvettesofbuffalo.com
COB VETTE NEWS Since 1981
Volume 39, Issue 2
Note from the editor
Notes from the President
Well February is here, and we are all waiting in
anticipation for the verdict from Punxsutawney Phil.
Unfortunately, we all know how that goes so I guess we
leave the trickle chargers and covers on for another 6 weeks.
Be patient Cruzan season will be here before we know it.
Remember that after the February meeting is our annual
pizza party organized by Skip and Maureen Polowy, if you
plan on attending be sure to let them know so they can plan
accordingly. Also, I would like to thank Mel & Norma for
hosting refreshments for the club meetings going forward.
Now is the time to organize events and trips that you
think the membership would enjoy. Get them to Linda
Graham and get them on the COB event calendar that we
will be compiling in March.
Frank Pastore is organizing a trip to the Woodward Dream
Cruise in August and Norma Joseph is putting together a trip
to Put-n-Bay Ohio. Corvettes at Carlisle and the 25th NCM
Corvette Caravan are also on the agenda of some of our
members in August. Planning is underway for our All
Corvette Show on May 29th the COB Picnic August 11th and
the 15th Anniversary Caravan is again being planned for
September. Several events are already planned but let’s
come up with more. Keep the wheels turning this summer!
Registration opens 2/2/2019 9am EST for the NCCC
convention in Denver, CO. For more information see the
NCCC website. Consider it, this would be a great trip to enjoy
the scenery of our country and have a great time with other
Corvette enthusiasts not to mention serious seat time.
Living the Dream
Bob
February, 2019
It’s 1959; DDE is still POTUS and the cold war
is still hot. Alaska and Hawaii become
states; Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500.
Meanwhile we were watching Rod Serling’s
“The Twilight Zone” on TV and “North by
Northwest” with Cary Gant was the number
one movie for the year. Johnny Horton’s
“Battle of New Orleans” battled Bobby
Darin’s “Mack the knife” for the top tune.
The 1959 Corvette is better than ever.
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
Officers President-------Bob Joseph-------------716-440-6091 Vice President-Mike Buccilli—--------716-648-2037 Treasurer-------Maryanne Pastore---716-694-9024 Secretary-------Karen Rothenberger-716-675-9467
Board of Directors Frank Pastore-------------------- 716-693-4654 Debbie Schafer ------------------716-551-6999 Bruce Graham -------------------716-741-3350 Lynda Graham -------------------716-741-3350 Skip Polowy ----------------------716-201-1889 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 Ken Bushley 716-826-8812 [email protected] Activities Dir. Lynda Graham 716-741-3350 Club Photographer Dan Krakowski 675-5880 Dave Spencer 492-4541 Face Book page Manager Dan Wroblewski 716-542-2041 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 Kowalske21st Peter &
Rose Ricigliano
February Birthdays
2nd John Biggie
2nd Donna Harrer
2nd Diane Miller
6th Dennis Buckley
7th Carole Rotando
9th Paul Brozyna
20th Skip Polowy
22nd Janet Craft
22nd Debbie Schafer
24th Maureen Polowy
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
Mark your calendars for this
Terry and I will be in charge of the CoB’s 2019 summer picnic that will be held on Sunday, August 11, 2019 at Gratwick Fire Hose in North Tonawanda (same place as last year). Thanks. Jim Decker
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
February Pizza and Wings Party
After our February monthly meeting at the Clarence Presbyterian Church, the club will be hosting our annual
Pizza & Wings Party.
It’s a great opportunity to congratulate the new 2019 Officers and Board Members, socialize with your fellow
members or get acquainted with newer members while enjoying some great Buffalo pizza & wings.
All members and perspective members are welcome.
There was a signup sheet at the January meeting so we know the headcount and order enough pizza and
wings for all! If you did not sign up and will be joining us in February, please contact:
Skip or Maureen Polowy (716) 201-1889 or by email: [email protected]
The cost for the pizza, wings, coffee and bottled water is $2.50 pp and you can pay at the February meeting if
you have not already done so.
We look forward to seeing you at the February meeting!
Skip and Maureen Polowy
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
New member
I was not familiar with Corvettes but when I learned Ken had a couple of them and
was getting ready to restore them, I offered my assistance. The journey took us to
many Corvette shows and National Conventions, from Monterey California, down
to San Antonio Texas and Norfolk Virginia. People were passionate about showing
and judging Corvettes and Ken liked to judge and inspect the cars. I helped
tabulate judging scores at some of these shows and seen the joy on owners faces
when they received their awards. The classic Corvettes are great but Joining
Corvettes of Buffalo and experiencing their host of activities and meeting new
friends will be fun.
Sue Reville
Corvettes of Buffalo Winter Dinner
Do you have cabin fever? How about joining us for dinner, at Max’s American Grill in the
Holiday Inn Airport, 4600 Genesee St. When? Wednesday, February 20th at 6pm. I will have a
signup sheet at the February meeting, if you are unable to attend, contact me if you would like
to join us for dinner. I need a head count for Max’s by February, 11th. Hope to see you there!
Norma Joseph, 440-1040
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
History of the Corvette, part 7
The 1959 Corvette had a production run of 9670 units. The not-so-obvious difference
between this year and the 1958 was the deletion of some chrome on the trunk lid and the
removal of the fake louvres on the hood.
During the development of the 1959 edition, Zora Duntov had a plan to change the engine
block, heads and transmission case to aluminum. In addition, he would employ a dry sump for
the engine which would allow the car’s overall height to be a mere 46”. As the number of
Corvettes approached the 10,000/year mark, Duntov also tried to sell management on
building the bodies from steel. The final car would be lighter, stronger and stiffer. The same
tooling could be used with sheet aluminum in case Chevy wanted to offer a light weight GT
version. Duntov figured the weight of the steel bodied Corvette with a dry sump engine built
largely of aluminum would weigh in at 2500 lbs.
The changeover to steel body tooling would cost a great deal of money so the idea was nixed.
The RFG tooling would suffice; especially since minor changes, such as hood scoops and
louvers could be added or removed at little cost.
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
Performance for the 1959 Corvette was not much different than its predecessor.
The 1959 Corvette performance with the 290 HP engine with a 4.11:1 rear end.
0 – 30 mph, 3.1 sec ¼ quarter mile 14.0 sec @ 90 mph curb weight 3204 lbs.
0 – 60 mph, 6.8 sec Top speed 128 lbs. /HP 11.04
0 – 100 mph, 15.5 sec Braking 60 -0 mph 169 ft. MPG 14.0
Other refinements to the 1959 edition included repositioned arm rests and a T-handle lockout
on the shift lever to prevent accidental engagement of reverse. The instrument cluster
underwent a change from flat lenses to concave, which eliminated distracting reflections. Also
for 1959, the addition of rear trailing radius rods would prevent the rear springs from
”wrapping” under hard acceleration as well as improving the ride and general handling on
rough roads. The most noticeable change was in the comfort of the newly designed seats and
for the first time, sun visors were available. The new tachometer was redlined at 7000 rpm.
The least desirable change was the addition of a small package tray under the passenger’s
hand-hold. Not large enough to be useful but low enough to do some serious knee damage in
the event of a collision. As in all earlier Corvettes, the lack of seat belts would be sorely
missed when the owner did any high speed driving through curves.
Note the package tray under the grab rail.
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
Sometimes, less is more.
1959 Corvette’s cleaned up trunk lid as compared to the 1958 version.
The 1958 Corvette.
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
A list of options available to a Corvette buyer. The base price was $3875 for the 220 HP
version with the 3-speed manual gear box.
Option Production Price
Heater 8,909 $102.25
AM Radio, signal seeking 7,001 149.80
Parking Brake Alarm 3,601 5.40
Courtesy Lights 3,601 6.50
Windshield Washer 7,909 16.15
Radiator Fan Clutch 67 21.55
Sunshades 3,722 10.80
Wheels, 15 x 5.5 214 0.00
Whitewall Tires, 6.70 x 15 8,173 31.55
Powerglide Automatic Transmission 1,878 199.10
Auxiliary Hardtop 5,481 236.75
Power Windows 587 59.20
Two-Tone Paint 2,931 16.15
245 hp Engine 1,417 150.65
270 hp Engine 1,846 182.95
Power Operated Folding Top 661 139.90
250 hp Engine Fl 175 484.20
290 hp Engine Fl 745 484.20
Positraction Rear Axle 4,170 48.45
Heavy Duty Brakes and Suspension 142 425.05
4-speed Manual Transmission 4,175 188.30
Metallic Brakes 333 26.90
Black wall Tires, 6.70 x 15 nylon NA NA
24 Gallon Fuel Tank NA NA
Color Choices and Production
Color Choice Production Color Choice Production
Tuxedo Black 1,594 Classic Cream 223
Frost Blue 1,024 Crown Sapphire 888
Roman Red 1,542 Snowcrest White 3,354
Inca Silver 957
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFwfSZDvUCw
For you fans of the new 2019 ZR1 Corvette, check out the video at “Jay Leno’s Garage”.
The video starts out with Jay driving the new ‘vette at just a hair over 200 mph. This is on
pump gas with the factory tires.
The 6.2 L V8 delivers 755 HP and 715 ft.lbs. of torque, driving your choice of a 7-speed manual
gear box or 8 speed automatic.
Purchase price includes a two day training course at the Spring Mountain facility near Las Vegas. The base model ZR1 starts at $119,995 and the convertible at $123,995.
The 2019 Corvette ZR1
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
Welcome and congratulations to George Sparks as our final Board Member for 2019. George’s appointment completes our 2019 Board and he was sworn in at the January meeting. Thank you, George!
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
For those of you who are thinking of spring…
WATKINS GLEN OPENING WEEKEND APRIL 6 AND 7 2019 RAIN OR SHINE
Addo the WGI R.A.C.E. (Racing and Community Enrichment) Foundation! More information coming soon.
Three Paced Laps $25
• No pre-purchase available; buy upon arrival to Gate 2
• Proceeds benefit the R.A.C.E. Foundation
• Drivers must have valid Driver’s License
• Gates open at 9:00 a.m., Laps begin at 10:00 a.m.
• Last ticket sales at 3:00 p.m., Final laps at 4:00 p.m.
• No Motorcycles or box trucks
• Seat belts must be worn by all occupants
The RCC participation and schedule will be worked out with the Watkin Glen staff and will be published in March. For sign-up for this event contact Steve Popple via email ([email protected]) or call 585-394-3428 to get on the list by 03/31/2019, leave a message if no one answers. Save the date if you are thinking of attending. Again, the specifics will come later. Tentative for now is Saturday the 6th with arrival at the Glen by 10:45 or 11:00 AM. Visit the Watkins Glen website for addition info and a view of this year’s season at the Glen.
Steve Popple
2019 President Rochester Corvette Club
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
Ctrl + Click on these links to review our current NEW CAR and PREOWNED inventories. NEW ------------- http://www.paddockchevrolet.com/VehicleSearchResults?search=new&bodyType=CAR
PREOWNED ------------------- http://www.paddockchevrolet.com/VehicleSearchResults?search=preowned
https://www.treadcitytire.com/index.htm
89 Thompson Street
North Tonawanda, NY 14120
(716) 693-4800
3440 Genesee Street
Cheektowaga, NY 14225
(716) 204-8413
6563 S. Transit Road
Lockport, NY 14094
(716) 589-5024
Corvettes of Buffalo Advertisers Pages
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
NOTICE TO MEMBERS
On the next page is a copy of the new C.O.B. Ad Form. The Board of Directors is asking members to consider approaching businesses they know that might be interested in placing an ad in the C.O.B. Newsletter and on the web site.
Members should only consider this if they are comfortable in doing so. The Ad Form can be downloaded and printed. All information the business needs to know is on the form. If you have any questions or comments, contact Jim Decker at [email protected]. Thank you.
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CORVETTES of BUFFALO
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_______