A 1968 Corvette convertible 427, with a four-speed, hidden in a north Alabama garage since the late 1970s after a police chase? What kind of folklore is that? Urban legends have a way of surviving the years. In car guy circles, urban legends can take a somewhat true story and stretch it, until it becomes simply unbelievable. But, this story was true! The search for the truth ended, where the aforementioned police chase did, in a barn that had seen far better days. The doors on the ramshackle building opened for the first time ever, to anyone outside of a small, family circle. A red 1968 Corvette with an unbelievable story.
This story began in 1974, when our hero, Mike, aka "Big Block Mike," needed a car. Mike was a high school teen who lived north of Birmingham with Corvette fever, working at a part-time job at the S&H Green Stamp store. Lucky for Mike, a dealership that specialized in Corvette sales, service and restoration, was temptingly located close to his job. Stern negotiations and $2,900 later, the dealership pronounced him into a lifetime marriage to this 1968 Corvette.
The only options we could spot on the barn-banished Vette were the 427 ground-pounder and the removable hardtop. This muscle machine was made to run without a lot to worry about.
Big Block Mike used the car for transportation and fun. One night at the local cruise haunt, Mike was challenged by four guys in four cars. Usually, one hot rod would call him out then hand over his hat, but this time four were ready to run. They drove to a secluded area and Mike lined them up, one after the other, and took their ice cream money.
A brief monetary gain for the fun of racing. That “fun” cost him clutches and rear tires at rates greater than if he had bought any other car.
The only problem with everyone knowing you drive the fastest car in town - is that everyone knows you drive the fastest car in town. People talk and during the 1970s, the Citizen’s Band Radio craze was everywhere. CB’s were the latest, really cool thing. Then, the police got them. That is not good for a young hot rodder with a big block Vette.
After outrunning local law enforcement embarrassingly bad, south bound, Big Block Mike turned around and met them again, this time, north bound. This stunt angered the cops even more, as Mike’s friend listening on a newly acquired police scanner overheard.
Could we say it was another guy in a red Corvette convertible? No, that small town thing came back to haunt Mike very quickly. So, that left one option… Grow a beard, join Green Peace and have them ship Mike, and the Corvette to Alaska for whale watching duty.* Then again, there may be another option. Hide the car. So he did. And it is still there.
5 YEARS LATER
We went back to document the relocation of the Vette due to the threat of the now dilapidated building coming down on top of the Corvette. Junkyard Life was invited to witness the grand move. How could we turn that invitation down? A 427 Corvette? This is the ultimate in automotive excavation!
Now, extracting an automobile from where it has been sitting for three or four decades is not without its challenges. The Polyglass tires refused to hold air. Three 15-inch Rally wheels and one GM steely we had in the Junkyard Life stash served rolling stock duty for the relocation. The loading went surprisingly well after that, despite a few more expected problems. Nothing these guys couldn’t handle.
It isn’t everyday we get to take the spark plugs out of a Vette and spray a ton of anti-seize penetrating oil into the massive bores of the 427. So we took advantage of that opportunity as well. Is that Junkyard Life style or what? So stay tuned as we let this beast sit for a couple of days and let the magic oil do what it can, so maybe… just maybe, we can turn the motor by hand and see if it will budge. If it does, then a whole new line of fun begins!
We hope to see Mike driving the Big Block Corvette again. It's his dream to drive it one more time.
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29 сен 2024
