New SOLID TIMES · 2010. 8. 23. · ashtray pocket removed in preparation for the TKO-600 install. The vendor states that some C1s will require no modifications even to the ashtray

SSSACC Newsletter – August 2010 1

SOLID TIMES

Volume 1, Issue 3 (http://sssacc.org) August 2010

TREMEC 5-SPEED/OVERDRIVE UPGRADE FOR A 1961

CORVETTE

By Frank Dreano

I own an all-original, number matching, 270HP dual quad 1961 Corvette with a solid lifter

283 small block motor that I drive quite a bit on Florida’s turnpike. The only thing preventing

complete enjoyment at interstate speeds are the high engine revolutions – typically, 2800

RPM at 60 MPH. And, folks will run you over even at 75 MPH around Orlando. So, after

agonizing over the decision about replacing my original Borg-Warner T-10 4 speed with a Tremec TKO-600 5 speed

overdrive for about a year I decided to do it. I got tired of hearing that little solid lifter small block so wound up at

Interstate speeds and to be honest, the low end could certainly use some more “punch.” After consulting with some

technical experts and describing my car to them with its 3.70 rear end, I decided to go with the TKO-600 (.64)

overdrive transmission. This would result in slightly lower RPMs than I thought was optimal at turn pike speeds,

which the TKO-500 (.68) would provide, but the TKO-500 would result in a first gear so low as to be useless. Keisler

has a Speed Analyzer on their web site to compute various RPM vs speed results depending on the product selected

and other parameters (rear gear, tire size, etc.): www.keislerauto.com

I set aside funds for the purchase and finally pulled the trigger as a 2009 Christmas present to myself. I bought the

entire C1 kit from Keisler which included the driveshaft, clutch kit and reproduction C1 shifter. I went with the 10-

1/2” clutch just to have a little more ‘grab’ than original and, unlike upgrading to an 11 inch, no other components

have to be changed out. I had checked out two other vendors who offered similar kits but neither of them offer a

reproduction C1 shifter handle like Keisler’s nor did they have the same amount of experience that Keisler has for this

product line.

I also separately bought a new clutch fork (with the spring already attached), clutch fork boot and the pivot ball stud

that sits behind the fork. NOTE: You HAVE to at least use a new clutch disk with the tranny swap because the kit

employs a different spline count from the original ’61 equipment (a disk is included in the kit).

I toyed with the idea of installing the transmission

kit myself or camping out at one or another of my

Corvette buddies’ garages who have a lift and

getting them to help me; but, the more I considered

it the more I thought I’d better farm it out to

someone who was already familiar with the swap.

After checking out Corvette Masters in Maitland,

All of the items inside the two red areas were

replaced (except for the original flywheel which was

reconditioned and re-ringed) in the swap in addition

to the transmission, driveshaft, shifter, speedometer

cable and other kit components. It’s highly

recommended that anyone considering this upgrade

follow what I have done in purchasing new clutch

components and reconditioning the flywheel.


Florida and negotiating a price, I took the car and all the components for the swap to their shop. Robbie (the shop

owner) and Chris really treated the car like it was their own. I got daily pictures emailed to me on progress and a

status phone call every single night that the car was in the shop. If any part of the original car had to be touched I got

another phone call to discuss the options and make a decision. They carefully preserved and repackaged the original

transmission, shifter/linkage and driveshaft for safekeeping.

The trusty, original, aluminum case Borg Warner T-10, driveshaft and old clutch assembly were snatched out quickly

with no problem. Then the fun started. The original flywheel needed resurfaced and the ring gear around the flywheel

was worn and had been ‘flipped’ once already. So, the flywheel was removed and sent out to another shop to be

reworked and re-ringed. Waiting on that work added a couple of days to the job. This is an extra cost that almost

every installation will require; putting all

new components in without freshening up the

flywheel is asking for trouble. The

reconditioned flywheel was bolted up and the

ashtray pocket removed in preparation for the

TKO-600 install.

The vendor states that some C1s will require

no modifications even to the ashtray. I don’t

see how that’s possible….you will almost

certainly have to trim off the bottom of the

fiberglass ashtray pocket and cut down the

chrome ashtray insert for appearance sake.

The kit instructions say to cut the ashtray

pocket off near the very bottom just as the

corners curve up and then attach that bottom

piece back to the body. As shown in the

picture below, Corvette Masters prefers to

cut off the ashtray pocket up higher so you

have a decent hunk of the pocket to glass back to the existing tranny hump if the car is taken back to original some

day. They fabricate their own custom piece to epoxy up to the ashtray pocket and gave me the original cut off ashtray

pocket for safekeeping. The modified ashtray is, of course, essentially useless after this transmission swap but who

smokes in a classic C1 anyway?

Be sure to Check out page 11 for NEW SSSACC events!!!!


It is imperative to determine the bell-housing

“run-out” before the final install so all the

clutch components and bell-housing are test

fitted and a dial gauge used to determine the

“run-out.” Keisler’s instructions cover this in

depth. If the run-out is out of spec, offset

mounting dowels will be needed for

mounting the bell-housing; my car did not

require these and was well within the

specified requirement.

Corvette Masters has enough experience with

these swaps that they were comfortable doing

it with the engine in the car. By loosening

the exhaust manifolds, motor mounts and

removing the top ignition shield and

distributor cap they were able to tilt the

motor back the required 9 degrees to allow

the new components to bolt up. In some

cases the engine fan might have to be

removed to avoid the shroud when tilting the motor; however, we didn’t need to do this on my car as it turned out.

The “tilt” actually went quite easily and exactly as the instructions that come with the kit described.

I should say at this point that I have a very

straight, very original car so once the new

tranny was in it lined up exactly with the

predrilled holes in the new crossmember

provided in the kit. Now it was it was time

to install the new driveshaft/yoke. That

also slid in easily but with the transmission

bolted to the crossmember via the pre-

drilled holes the large driveshaft yolk

banged the driver’s side of the tranny

tunnel pretty solidly. This is apparent on

the left side of this picture which was

taken from the rear of the car.

Of course, the kit instructions tell you to

‘slot’ the crossmember holes to get the

driveshaft centered in the tunnel with no

less than 1/8” on each side. In actuality,

the holes for my car had to be slotted

nearly ¾” of an inch which gave me about

¼” clearance on each side of the driveshaft. I think a little more engineering time spent by Keisler on the

driveshaft/yoke design could save kit owners some grief in this area. There should be a way to reduce the size of the

components at the front of the driveshaft in the tight area where they have to fit.

Neither Robbie nor I were crazy about the slotting approach and possible movement of the transmission at some point

in time. Robbie decided to replace the kit crossmember rubber mount with a urethane version he prefers and then

fabricated and welded a bracket to the crossmember that essentially closed up the open part of the slotted holes

surrounding the mounting bolts. This will prevent any movement in the future and was an extra item that Corvette

Masters did on their own which I thought was great.


This small rectangular piece can be clearly

seen in the picture to the right.

Finally, with the issues were worked out,

the transmission was filled with the GM

SynchoMesh fluid and the car started with

no weight on the wheels (up on the lift) and

the transmission repeatedly exercised

through the gears for about 15 minutes as

Keiser recommends. The next step was a

test drive by Robbie of Corvette Masters for

a couple of miles to make sure all was well.

I picked the car up after it had been in the

shop for a week and what follows are my

initial impressions of the new upgrade.

First off, shifting with the original linkage-

based transmission with those long metal

rods definitely has some ‘slop’ in the

mechanism that a rail-based transmission

does not have. Hence, the ‘notchy’ feel

described by Tremec owners – this is indeed the case. However, I like the shorter, more precise throw and by all

accounts it gets much smoother after about 1500 miles.

The TKO-600 with the 3.70 rear now provides a first gear that is a delight. Pulling away from a stoplight when facing

uphill no longer provides the drama of “slipping” the clutch enough to get the car moving without stalling and NOT

slipping back into the car behind you! The 5

th

overdrive gear was a bit tricky to use at first and the tendency to use it

at too low an RPM resulted in the car bogging on acceleration or when encountering hills. I found that the very

minimum RPM to engage the overdrive was at 1,600 RPM or higher. This is where my Duntov 097 cam starts to

“come on” and the car behaves well at those revolutions….and you can cruise all day at Interstate speeds and low

RPMs. 1,800 – 2,000 RPM puts me well into Florida turnpike speeds at 70-75MPH effortlessly.

Long trips are now a lot less stressful on the engine AND the driver. Cost ? I knew you’d ask; about $3,500 for the

entire C1 kit including upgraded pressure plate and throwout bearing. Then there was the flywheel reconditioning, the

tranny installation and other sundry items…so I think $4,200 is a good starting figure to work from if you are

considering this upgrade.

However, Keisler now has a new 5-speed, overdrive offering for C1s (still in prototype) that is supposed to be $800-

$1,000 less, fits more easily, shifts better and is lighter, but the bugs are still being worked out. It doesn’t handle the

same maximum horsepower as the Tremec TKO series though (there is always some kind of trade off)! The Kiesler

web site has information on all their products: www.keislerauto.com

FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT

By President Mike Russo

Greetings SSSACC members. I know some of you

attended the SACC national convention in Kentucky

and others of you were at the NCRS national

convention in North Carolina. Hope all of you had a

great time.

Corvettes At Carlisle is coming soon; August 26-29 in

Carlisle, PA. I know that many of you have already

been to the show, but if you have never been there, I

know you would absolutely love it. SACC has a tent

and parking for all members’ corvettes at Gate 3.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Even though Karen & I are in PA during the summer

months, I’m told I should come to Florida to get cool.

It’s been so hot that we haven’t done much in the way

of driving Corvettes.


I know Brad Bean and his committees will have a lot

of info in this newsletter about the upcoming SACC

national convention our chapter is hosting in

Kissimmee, Jan. 30

th

– Feb. 1

st

, 2011. Please support

Brad & company and plan to attend.

Finally, I’d like to thank a few members who have

joined the Florida chapter, but live many many miles

away. These members joined really to support the

club. You know who you are, and I thank you.

Stay cool!

Save the wave,

Mike (Snip) Russo

JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE WORLD…

By Ron Dill

In April, John Luther joined his local Corvette Club for

a Cruise to the end of the world – well, actually, not

really the end – but, close. John and his fellow

travelers ventured about 450 miles south to Key West

where this picture was taken at the Southernmost Point

in the Continental United States.

John says his bullet proof ’57 performed admirably – it

took the group 11 hours to get to Key West and

without the group to slow him down, John made the

return trip in 8 hours. Boy – 19 hours listening to

those side pipes buzzing in your ears – John, you be

the man!

CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS

By Ron Dill

The 2010 SACC National Convention in Bowling

Green has come and gone – for those of you that

missed it – ya missed a good time. While we drove in

heavy rain for about 300 miles on the way into

Bowling Green, it had stopped by the time we got there

and we were treated to nice, although HOT, weather

for both the Convention and the Corvette Home

Coming.

About 75 participants (members and significant others)

attended the convention which was held in the Holiday

Inn Express in Bowling Green – perhaps 6 miles from

the Plant and Museum. Very nice hotel, it has a 7

story Atrium complete with water fall. Very pleasant

place to sit and enjoy your “adult” beverage as you are

thinking about how hot it is outside.

As you enter the hotel, you are greeted by one of the

’57 Vette statues that you find at various locations

around town. This is to be part of a series for

“Corvette City” – they started with the ’57 and will

continue on with other models in the years to come.

The paint jobs on each statue are different – this one

shows that all roads lead to Corvette City and the

statue at the Museum honors our military.

The Convention opened with the traditional

registration and incoming reception. Here we got the

news that Noland wouldn’t be with us this year as he

was home in the hospital. He had, apparently, gotten a


chill when flying back from some appearance and that

had developed into either a case of Pneumonia or

Bronchitis. By the time the convention was over he

had been sent home and seemed to be well on his way

to being “mended.”

The hotel had reserved a spot for us to park our cars

right out front. It was nice to see those old cars in the

place of honor. And, everyone attending the

convention knows that the Sunshine State Chapter was

well represented as we unfurled our banner right next

to the honored cars. I realize the banner would have

looked better on a C-1 – but, hey, ya do what can with

what ya

got!!

Our first

road trip

was to the

plant. Lots

of changes

since we

were there

in 2003.

The Cadillac

XLR is no longer produced and the plant that used to

have 1,300 employees is now down to about 500.

During the traditional Plant Tour and we were standing

there watching the final inspection point just before the

cars were started for the first time. From there, they

were to be driven to the next computer work station

where the brakes and engine are tested under load.

The guys had checked out a new ZR-1 and then it

would not start -- so 5 or 6 GM guys pushed it off to a

parking spot near the line so somebody else could

trouble shoot and get the car running. Our young tour

guide said he had been giving tours about 6 months

and that was the first time he ever saw a car that didn't

start right up. We all were a little surprised, but since

we were kinda used to our cars not starting – we

thought “No big deal, happens all the time.”

The very next car in line was being checked when one

of the guys noticed that the body panel line from the

front fascia to the hood was not quite right -- it wasn't

as smooth as it should be. So, a guy walks over and

picks up this padded 2x4 and a BAH (the technical

term for a Big #$# Hammer). He laid the 2x4 on the

part that stuck up a little and gave it a couple of

whacks with the BAH. That adjusted the alignment to

their satisfaction and they started the car and drove it

to the computer test station. We all watched this with

intense fascination – you could have heard a pin drop


for about 20 seconds after the implementation of the

BAH adjustment.

From the plant it was on to the Museum, where we

parked in the circle in front of the entrance. We found

that there lots of nice changes to the museum since

2003 as well. Starting with a new gift shop and Café.

And, as you walk down the hall to the Café you find a

nice collection of new cars awaiting their new owners -

- the Museum Delivery option cars. You could not

help but be envious as you made that walk…………

Some very nice displays in the Museum – several

which portrayed the C-1s.

And, it was nice to see Noland’s picture hanging in the

Hall of Fame.

As well as

finding that our

Corvette ship

model presented

in 2003 to the

museum was enjoying a

very prominent location

in the museum displays.

And, without too

much trouble I was

able to locate the

SACC Brick in the

walk outside the

Museum.

The next day, bright and early, we were off to

AutoMasters – a GM Repair shop just down the road

from the plant. Here we enjoyed a spirited discussion

about local Bowling Green Politics and the Plant. The

Plant is nearing the end of their 30 year lease and

negotiations are underway on the next agreement. As

you might expect, both sides are posturing in an

attempt to get the best possible terms in the new lease.

From there we went to “Culvers” an OUTSTANDING

fast food restaurant. Perhaps not the high point of the

convention – but durn close – at least, in my

estimation.


After lunch, we visited “Quick Fuel,” a local

manufacturer of Holly style Carburetors. They make,

along with other more practical carbs, a huge 1450

CFM unit which

would certainly look

cool atop your 283!!

Very interesting

tour. They build

new and rebuild old

carbs – so if your

Holley needs a little

work, give the

Quick Fuel guys a

call. They test every carb before it is boxed on their

big block run up engine. And, by this time next year

will have a

small block

test engine as

well.

Next on the

busy agenda

was the

traditional

Banquet –

“pre-game”

activity

included

music by

SACC’s own “Doc” Hollada. Followed by an excellent

meal – I’ve been to about 5 conventions and thought

this meal was, without

question, the best one

yet.

Following the meal we

were treated to a

musical interlude with

Moore and Moore, an

act imported especially

for the occasion from

Nashville.

The annual membership

meeting contained a couple of things of interest.

1. The Arizona Chapter will host the 2012 Convention

in Scottsdale, AZ. It will be held in January 13-14-15

in conjunction with the Barrett Jackson Auction.

2. The new Carolinas Chapter received their chapter

SACC Banner. They have 21 or 22 members from N

and S Carolina; however, I believe the bulk of their

membership is based around Raleigh.

3. Brad made a pitch about the 2011 Convention in

Kissimmee. He handed out registration forms and the

information hand out to everyone.

4. The Treasurer (Sebring Bill) briefed that we had

about $65,000 in the bank and that we were solvent.

While it is true that we have that money – it is not

necessarily available to be spent. $10 or $11,000 is

advance paid dues and not actually recognized as

income until it actually is earned – i.e., during the year

that the dues were due. In addition, about $35,000 of

the 65,000 goes to pay for the printing and distribution

of the On Solid Ground issues that are still due out this

year. Of the $20,000 left, part goes for our National

Insurance and part pays for someone to maintain the

SACC Membership Database. And, our bylaws

indicate that we are required to maintain a certain level

of money set aside for emergencies – such as losses

associated with a convention, etc.

5. Max had tried to recruit somebody (anybody) to

take over as National President as he wanted to step

down. Since he was unsuccessful in that effort and

rather than just quit and leave us in the lurch – he was

unanimously reelected SACC President. Now, I

expect that in 2 more years he will step down

regardless. So, if you would like to be a National

officer – now is the time to throw your hat in the ring.


6. Brad's Vice Presidential tour of duty is up next

year and he has indicated that he will not run for re-

election. So, here is another opportunity to help steer

SACC into the next millennium. The line starts just in

front of me.

That was pretty much it for the SACC portion of the

week’s activities – we adjourned until the January

convention in Kissimmee.

Following the SACC Convention the National

Corvette Home Coming commenced. Many of our

members took advantage of the vendors, the displays

and had entered their cars in the shows. Part of the

Home Coming activity included a Cruise. Our own

Sebring Bill and his passenger Doc Hollada were in the

cruise in Bills ’57. It is my understanding that the

White C-6 following Bill out of the lot could not

“Keep Up!” A claim I believe – having seen that little

red ’57 operate on Warp Drive.

A NOTE ON STA-BIL

By Ron Dill

Prior to one of the convention road trips, we had a spirited

discussion in the parking lot about the benefits of Ethanol

supplemented fuel. There were about 50 drivers there and it

was pretty clear that NO ONE liked the Ethanol gas in their

cars. There were many claims of white corrosion in gas

tanks, fuel bowls, and gas lines from people that have been

using the Ethanol gas.

In addition, Bob Pinkney, lost the diaphragm in his fuel

pump on his ’61 on the way out to Bowling Green. He

believed it to be an Ethanol related issue; however, it is

entirely possible that was an original pump and if so, then

Ethanol can’t be blamed entirely for that failure.

During the discussion the issue of the use of Sta-Bil fuel

additive came up. And, the basic opinion was that it was a

beneficial thing for our old cars. However, the thought was

that we should be using the green marine Sta-Bil instead of

the pink stuff you find in most auto parts stores. The marine

version is supposed to be good for 2 years as opposed to 8

months for the pink. And, in

addition, it is supposed to have

additional safeguards built in to

prevent Ethanol fuel related

problems.

The discussion then turned to

what gas should we be using in

our old cars to mitigate the effects of Ethanol. The

conclusion seemed to be that Sunoco 260 was the solution.

However, I found, after some search on the Internet, that 1)

260 wasn’t available everywhere, and 2) it was not clear

from my research that 260 did not contain Ethanol.

So, what are you going to do? It looks to me like we are

destined to find Ethanol in our gas until someone comes up

with a better solution – a solution that makes the lobbyist in

Washington more money than the Ethanol folks are paying.

For myself, I’m switching over to the green Sta-Bil – I really

don’t know that it really helps – but, I don’t expect that it

hurts any.

GOOD ADVICE!

By Ron Dill

As I was wandering around Phil Barbaro’s garage

during the May Mid-Atlantic Tech session I happened

upon this poster on the wall. It was simply entitled the

“Corvette Owners Ten Commandments.” They made

sense to me, so I thought I’d share them with you.

The Corvette Owners Ten Commandments

1. Always stop and lend assistance to a fellow Corvette

owner.

2. Never take your Corvette out if there is a chance of

inclement weather for the next 24 hours.

3. Always clean and polish your Vette before any

Sunday ride, no matter how short it is.

4. Never let anyone eat, drink or smoke in your Vette.

5. Always make sure all occupants clean their shoes

and lift them over the door sill mouldings when

entering your Vette.

6. Never let any gas station attendant clean your

windows, check your oil, or put gas in your Vette.

7. Always park your Corvette away from any other cars

in the lot or take up at least two parking places.


8. Never let anyone else drive your Vette, even if it is to

move it a few feet.

9. Always take your Corvette to a reputable shop to have

any work done or do it yourself if you can.

10. Never let another Vette pass without a wave of

acknowledgement, for you both know that you are

driving the most unique automobile ever built

anywhere.

You may have noticed item 6 above – it has been

a while since anyone asked to check my oil at a

“Filling Station” but I believe these

Commandments are certainly period correct for

our cars.

ITEM OF INTEREST FROM THE INTERNET

By Ron Dill

Corvette Castle For Sale: Could it be the

ultimate Vette fan trinket?

Zora Arkus-Duntov's house in suburban Detroit is up for

sale. For devotees of the Chevrolet Corvette, what price can

you put on a unique piece of history? When we say unique,

we mean it.

There is only one house in which the undisputed godfather

of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov, and his model-

beautiful wife, Elfie, lived in the Detroit area. It's up for

sale in Grosse Pointe Woods, three blocks from Lake St.

Clair.

Since Duntov's passing in 1996 at age 86, Elfie lived in the

house on the corner whose road sign "Duntov Way" told

Corvette cognoscenti that this was Mecca. The 2,600-

square-foot, three-bedroom/1.5-bath home has, like the

owner himself, a unique style. Who knows what kind of

goodies could be squirreled away in this Corvette castle?

Asking price: $325,000.

To see the listing, go to

www.weichert.com/31081539/?ldview=ldsummary

SSSACC Membership Stood at 41, on

29 July 2010

We’ve not signed up any new members since the

last issue of Solid Times.

MEMBER MAP

CLUB CARS

Club owners have Corvettes of the following

years. As of 29 July 2010, our 41 members

owned 83 Corvettes (an average of just over 2

Corvettes per member). The numbers break out as

follows:

1953 - 1 Car(s)

1954 - 5

1955 - 6

1956 - 2

1957 - 10

1958 - 3

1959 - 2

1960 4

1961 - 12

1962 - 11

Total C1 56

C2 Models 6

Others 21

CARLISLE 2010

By Ron Dill

This year will be the 50

th

birthday bash at Carlisle for the

1960 Corvettes. I hope you all have planned to take your car


to Carlisle for the bash. If you are late, be advised there is

still time. Take a look at the Carlisle productions updated

web site for 2010,

(http://www.carsatcarlisle.com/ce/events/corvettes/),

scroll down to the 50

th

Anniversary Celebration area to be

able to download the application or, call their office at 717-

243-7855 for details. The man in charge of this effort is

Joseph V. Clemente, 610-212-9607 or e-mail at

[email protected].

2011 SACC CONVENTION

By Ron Dill

The planning and organizing for the January, 2011 SACC

National Convention are well under way. Please find that

we have included an event information flyer and registration

form towards the end of this newsletter. It is my

understanding that John Battista is open for business and he

is accepting event registrations now.

The convention will be held immediately following the

NCRS Winter Regional in Kissimmee. We will have a

SACC/SSSACC tent at the Regional and if you are

attending the regional, please stop by and say hello.

While we are on the subject of the convention, Brad Bean is

our Master “Convention Planner.” He is an experienced

planner – having done this twice before with the Mid-

Atlantic SACC folks. And, as you might expect – he cannot

do this alone. He needs help in security, car parking, road

trip control, you name it. So, how about giving him a call at

(Cell) 850-499-4736 and drop him a line at

[email protected] and offer him some of your time.

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

SSSACC CLUB EVENTS!!!!!!!!

By Ron Dill

In addition to the Convention and the Regional tent

mentioned above – we are making plans for two

additional events with SSSACC participation.

Event 1, this is a repeat of our first SSSACC event last

year where we went to Sebring for the Historical

Sportscar Racing. Attendees enjoyed the event and we

have the opportunity for an encore performance. See

the event flyer towards the end of this newsletter. The

actual HSR Race Schedule and Poster have not yet

been made available on their web site – as soon as that

information is out we will send an e-mail notice to the

chapter membership.

For those of you that have not been to the races at

Sebring – be sure to bring a fold up chair. The track is

3.7 miles long and there are very few bleachers or

grand stand seats. Generally, you find an observation

point on a knoll by a corner of your choice and set up

your chair and watch the racing.

The knolls are usually green ovals in the track picture.

I like to sit at turns 3 and 7; but the view from the

porch above the pit boxes is pretty good as well.

Engine noise is loud in the porch area so bring your

hearing protection.

Please mail your registration to Karen by September

20. For additional details or information contact Russ

Sobczak at 850-383-8028, (Cell) 850-491-2158 or e-

mail at [email protected].

Event 2, in this case we plan to piggy back onto the

Marion County Corvette Club event at Silver Springs

on November 6, 2010. See the attached flyer and

registration form towards the end of this news letter.

Please send your registration and check for the fee

directly to the Marion County Corvette Club. You

will note that since this event is held on the grounds

of the Silver Springs Theme Park you must be

inside the park and your car parked by 10 AM.

Tom Blount has been working an effort to get the

SSSACC Cars parked together. So, if you plan to

attend – please let him know by October 25 that you

are coming and what you will be driving.

The Marion County Club has arraigned for a reduced

rate at the local Holiday Inn (see the attached flyer for

details) for those of you that wish to stay overnight. In

addition, should there be sufficient interest – SSACC

members can get together as a group for Dinner at a

local restaurant. Please contact Tom Blount at 863-

687-0264 or (cell) 863-409-0657 or e-mail at

[email protected] for details.

WANT ADS

By Ron Dill

FOR SALE:


1967 Vette, For Sale. Convertible w/Hard Top, tan leather

interior, 327/350 HP, 4 speed, side pipes. Bruce LeFebvre,

MASACC # 206, Phone 860-688-3185.

For Sale 1959 Corvette, 283/290 Fuel Injected

Black/Sateen Silver coves and Red Interior. All correct all

matching, nut & bolt NCRS Restoration completed in 2010.

Absolutely no expense spared on this restoration. Will be

Top Flight Judged this Spring. Serious inquiries only.

SSSACC # 17, Brian Whitehead, Cell 301-440-8400, or e-

mail [email protected].

For Sale 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Convertible,

Penske Sunoco Racing Tribute. Blue/Black Interior. Fresh

350/450 HP w/Brodix heads & Intake. Fresh Tremec 5

Speed, Dana 44 Rear. A Stunning Auto based on a tube

Chassis with fresh C-4 brakes, running gear, Koni

Adjustible coil Overs. A perfect 10 to cruise or vintage race.

Serious inquiries only. Brian Whitehead, SSSACC # 17,

Cell 301-440-8400 or e-mail [email protected].

1964 Corvette For Sale or trade for a C-1. The price was

recently lowered to $65,000 firm. It is a rare Fuelie, Frame

Off Restoration, All Original, numbers matching. The car is

1 of 1,325 made with a 375 HP in a coupe. Vin is

40837S103678. Engine L-84, 375 HP, M20 4 Speed,

Daytona Blue, Blue Leather Trim, 370 Positraction Axle,

Quick take-off wheels, 670X15 4 Ply BW, Vacuum Power

Brakes, PB AM/FM Radio, Tinted Glass, Tinted

Windshield, Window Sticker, Jack and a lot more. Joe

Connolly, MASACC # 195, e-mail [email protected] or

Cell at 973-703-5513.

‘53/’55 Door strikers For Sale. Sold only in pairs,

satisfaction guaranteed or just return them. Bob

Traintafillos, MASACC # 205 , Call 203-888-8802.

SSSACC ON THE WEB

By Ron Dill

The web address for SSSACC on the web is

http://www.sssacc.org. If you have not done so already,

please update your favorites or book marks.

Our web curator is Ron Dill, contact him if you have

questions or suggestions concerning the design and update

of the site.

Our web hosting service provides a mail system and we

have established e-mail addresses for the club officers. In

all cases, we will use the officer position followed by

sssacc.org – for example, [email protected] and

[email protected]. The new addresses are

listed after the officer’s names located after the new member

announcement near the end of the newsletter. Mail to the

new SSSACC.org address is automatically forwarded to the

officers Internet address of record. The advantage to this is

that when an officer changes their Internet address it just

takes one entry to correct rather than having t o notify

everyone in the SSSACC address book.

SSSACC MEMBER CARS WEB PAGE

By Ron Dill

Our member car page is gradually growing – someday we

hope to have a picture of every member’s car posted on the

site – currently, there are 32 cars pictured on the web site.

Check to see if your pride and joy is there. As you can see

when you visit the site, we identify the car by year and the

owner’s last name. In addition, we can say anything you

would like to say about the car (see the text below the

picture of my ‘61, as an example). If you would like to

participate in this, please send me (the editor and web

curator) a picture of the car, or you and the car (a paper

photo will work but we’d rather have a high resolution

digital image), and whatever you would like for the caption

to say.

EDITOR COMMENTS


By Ron Dill

We hope that the newsletter continues to provide you with useful information. As we’ve indicated in the past, the basic format of this

document is flexible and, if we have information that is of interest to the SSSACC community, we’ll print it.

We will send the newsletter out early in November, February, May and August. Therefore, please send any items you may have for

publication to me by the 15

th

of the month preceding the issue in which you would like the item to appear.

In summary, this is the club newsletter – if there is something you would like to see here, please let me know.

THINGS TO DO

Where When What Who

Carlisle, PA Aug 27 - 29, 2010 Corvettes @ Carlisle www.carsatcarlisle.com

Flagstaff, AZ Sep 22 - 26, 2010 Bloomington Gold Tour www.Bloomingtongoldtours.com

Lakeland, FL Oct 15 -16, 2010 Lake Mirror Concours d’Elagance www.lakemirrorclassic.com/content/

Sebring, FL Oct 21 – 24, 2010 Historical Sportscar Racing Russ Sobczak, 850-383-8028

Ocala, FL Nov 6, 2010 Silver Springs Corvette Show Jerry Abrams (352) 625 -1133

Sebring, FL Dec 3 – 5, 2010 Legends of Motorsports http://sebringraceway.com/

Kissimmee, FL Jan 26 - 29, 2011 NCRS, Winter Regional Stay Tuned

Kissimmee, FL Jan 20 – Feb 2,

2011

SACC National Convention See enclosed flyer or the web site at

www.sssacc.org

Kissimmee, FL Jan 28, 2011 SSSACC Annual Meeting See Poster in SACC Tent for details

Sebring, FL Mar 16 – 19, 2011 Historical Sports Car Racing http://sebringraceway.com/

Novi, MI July 17 - 22, 2011 NCRS, National Convention Stay Tuned

San Diego, CA Jun 29 - Jul 5, 2012 NCRS, National Convention Stay Tuned

Hampton, VA July 21 - 25, 2013 NCRS National Convention Stay Tuned

WEEKLEY CAR SHOWS/CRUISE-INS

There are entirely too many weekly car shows and cruise-ins scheduled throughout the year in Florida to list them all here.

However, you can find many of the events listed at these web sites: www.Flacarshows.com, www.carshownews.com, and

www.floridacarclubs.com .

CHAPTER DUES

Dues are $15 per year ($18 for Canadian members) and run from January through December. Please send all dues to the

Chapter Secretary, Karen Russo, at 2077 SW Heronwood Road, Palm City, FL 34990

ADDRESS CORRECTIONS

Please check your printed name and address on the back page of the newsletter. Send any corrections to the chapter

secretary, Karen Russo, at 2077 SW Heronwood Road, Palm City, FL 34990, or [email protected]. In

addition, Karen maintains a database of the cars owned and membership special interests that help us to focus club events.

So, if you have changes there or to your e-mail address, please let him know about those changes as well.

SSSACC OFFICERS

President

Mike Russo

2077 SW Heronwood Road

Palm City, FL 34990

(215) 514-2058

[email protected]

Vice President

Russ Sobczak

3215 Enterprise Drive

Tallahassee, FL 32312

(850) 383-8028

[email protected]

Treasurer

Bob Locke

4248 Deste Court # 307

Lake Worth, FL 33467

(561) 963-2053

[email protected]

Secretary

Karen Russo


Palm City, FL 34990

(610) 331-1182

[email protected]

NEW MEMBER NOTICE

As indicated elsewhere in the newsletter, membership in the SSSACC is limited to members of the SACC. Please remember to send

your dues to the National Chapter and please provide your SACC membership number to the SSSACC Secretary, Karen Russo. The

SACC membership listing is in membership number sequence and it simplifies our crosschecking of the membership rolls when we

have that number to tie the two lists together.


The Second SSSACC Event!!

October 21-24, 2010

There are no fees associated with this event. This is pay as you go.

Tickets for the HSR Racing are available at the gate:

Daily Ticket $25

3 Day Ticket $45.

However, advance tickets are cheaper and available on line at

http://www.sebringhistoricraces.com/sebring-spring-classic-tickets.html.

Advance Daily Tickets are $20 and Advance 3 Day tickets are $35.

As long as you have a seat belt in your car – for $35 you can drive on the track

for a tour. Track tour times are noon on Saturday and Sunday.

The host hotel for the event is the

Kenilworth Lodge at 1610 Lakeview

Drive, Sebring, Florida 33870. Phone 863-

385-0111 or toll-free 1-800-423-5939 (US & Canada). Up to Oct 1, mention the

code SACC and get the $71.60 incl tax @ night rate for Friday and Saturday night.

Currently, we plan a Saturday Night Dinner at the Watering Hole Steak house – approximately 7 PM.

Either copy the following registration or cut at the dotted line, fill it out and mail it to Karen. See you all there.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Send this registration form to Sunshine State SACC by September 20 to Karen Russo, Sunshine State SACC, 2077 SW

Heronwood Road, Palm City, FL 34990, (Cell) 610-331-1182

Name ______________________________________________________________________________

Name of 2

nd

person ___________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________

City _______________________________________________________________________________

Phone ( )________________ Cell Phone ( )_________________ E-mail ____________________

_____ I am bringing a Corvette: Year ________ Color ________

_____ I am bringing a trailer

I agree to insure my vehicle and property against loss, damage and liability. I agree to assume the risk of any and all

damages or injury to indemnify and hold harmless SACC, its officers, directors, agents, employees and chapters for any

acts or omissions which may result in the theft, damage or destruction of my property or injury to me or others during or

as a consequence of the event, wherever located.

_______________________________________________________ __________________________

Signed Dated





2011 SACC National Convention Registration Form

January 30 – February 1, 2011

Kissimmee, FL

Name____________________________________ Family Member(s)________________________

SACC Membership #________________________ Chapter_________________________________

Address __________________________________ City_____________________________________

State/Prov. ____________________Zip_________ E-Mail___________________________________

Home Phone# ( ) ________________________ Cell Phone# ( )_________________________

Non-SACC Guest of Member__________________ Arrival & Departure Dates__________________

Holiday Inn - Main Gate East, 5711 W. U.S. Hwy 192, Kissimmee, FL 34746 (407) 396-4222.

Make hotel reservations by calling 1-800-327-1128 and mention Solid Axle Corvette Club convention to receive our

rate of $65.00 per night. You will be able to keep the same rate for any additional nights, before or after the

convention (based on space availability).

Please indicate the functions you plan to attend and the number of people who will attend each.

Convention Registration Fee by 12/1/10 (Includes $20.00 discount for early registration) $ 70.00

Registers 1 SACC member & their immediate family (spouse & minor children)

To receive discount rate, completed registration form with payment must be received by December 1, 2010.

Registration after December 1, 2010………………………….…………Additional $30.00 . $______

Non-SACC Guest of Member additional fee………………………….. $30.00 each. $______

Sunday, 1/30 Reception dinner at hotel ………………. #_______ persons @ $15.00 each. $______

Monday, 1/31 Caravan to the Don Garlits Museum and luncheon…… #_____persons @$35.00 each. $______

Tuesday, 2/1 Lunch following tech sessions……#_______persons @ $10.00 each. $______

Tuesday, 2/1 Reception & Banquet……..# _______ persons @ $35.00 each. $______

Tee Shirts ____SM____MD____LRG____XLRG____XXLRG………… $20.00 each $______

Convention Tee shirts may be ordered for home delivery if unable to attend,

Add $5.00 for Shipping & Handling; tee shirts will be shipped after convention. $______

Payable in US Funds only Check or Money order. Total enclosed $______

No refunds will be made for cancellations occurring after 1/16/11.

Hold Harmless Agreement: I agree to insure my vehicle(s) and property against loss, damage and liability and to provide proof of

such insurance to SACC. I agree to assume the risk of any and all damages or acts or omissions which may result in the theft,

damage or destruction of my property or injury to me or to others occurring during or as a consequence of this convention

wherever located. Send or bring proof of insurance covering convention dates.

Year___________ Vin ___________________ License____________ State__________ Exterior color ____________

Interior color____________ Trailer: Yes _______ No __________

Insurance Company ______________________________ Policy # ________________ Expires __________________

Signature________________________________ Date____________

Mail completed form, proof of Insurance and check, made payable to SSSACC, to:

John Battista - SSSACC

10205 Burnt Store Road

#75

Punta Gorda, FL 32950-7932

Convention Contacts: John Battista (302) 381-9786 or Brad Bean (850) 424-5623


2010 Membership Application

Dues are $15 per year ($18 Canadian). Membership year is January 1 to December 31,

2010. Please make all checks (US Funds) payable to “Sunshine State Solid Axle Corvette

Club”

(Last) (First) (MI)

NAME ______________________________________________ SPOUSE __________________________

ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________________________

CITY ____________________________________ STATE _____________ ZIP _______________

e-MAIL ___________________________________

PHONE ( )_________________________ CELL ( )_____________________

SACC # ________________ SSSACC # ______________

Do you own a solid axle Corvette? No _________ Yes _________ If so, what year(s) _____________

Do you own any other Corvettes? No _________ Yes _________ If so, what year(s) _____________

Club Activities Preferred, please mark with an X

_____ Shows, _____ Tours (shops, museums, etc.), _____ Road Tours , _____ Solid Axle related

information seminars, _____ Social functions.

How far would you travel for a club sponsored weekend event? _____________ miles

General Comments:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

SSSACC leadership is contacted from time to time by Chapter members wishing to contact other members in their area or with the

same year car. Unless you specifically indicate below, we will be free to share your phone number, mailing address and e-mail

address with other members requesting that information.

I do not want the following personal information shared with other Chapter members_______________.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Mail the completed application to: Sunshine State SACC, 2077 SW Heronwood Road, Palm

City, FL 34990 Questions? Call Karen Russo at (Verizon Cell) 610-331-1182 or 215-514-

2058.

* Reminder – You MUST be a member of SACC to become a member of SSSACC. *

Sunshine State

Solid Axle Corvette Club


ROAD RULES

Solid Times is the quarterly newsletter for the

Sunshine State Chapter of the Solid Axle Corvette

Club and is published during the months of November,

February, May, and August. A copy is sent to each

member in good standing.

Membership in the Sunshine State Chapter is open

only to members of the parent organization, the

Solid Axle Corvette Club. The Solid Axle Corvette

Club is a non-profit organization serving members

with an interest in 1953 – 1962 model year Corvettes.

Ownership of a Solid Axle Corvette is not necessary to

become a member of the organization.

This newsletter provides a forum for members to

communicate with other members. As a result, the

newsletter will often contain member opinions. Those

opinions should not be construed as an endorsement by

SSSACC or the parent organization, SACC.

Direct SACC Membership questions to:

SACC Membership

PO Box 2288

North Highlands, CA 95660

916-991-7040

SSSACC membership inquiries and corrections to

the address list should be directed to the club secretary:

Karen Russo


Palm City, FL 34990

(610) 331-1182

[email protected]

Please submit articles for publication to the editor.

Generally, articles for publication should follow the

broad theme of “Anything of interest to the Solid Axle

Corvette community.” Suggested items for publication

would include how-to articles, parts information,

performance issues, scheduled events, restoration or

repair information, and personal stories.

The Solid Times editor can be reached (Year Round) at:

Ron Dill, Editor SSSACC

501 Yorktown Road

Yorktown, VA 23693-3101

(757) 880-5445

[email protected]

Note: The e-mail address is a high speed, so don’t hesitate to send

pictures or large binary objects.

Sunshine State Solid Axle Corvette Club

501 Yorktown Road

Yorktown, VA 23693

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Documents

New SOLID TIMES · 2010. 8. 23. · ashtray pocket removed in preparation for the TKO-600 install. The vendor states that some C1s will require no modifications even to the ashtray