Newbie Introduction

[Derek Nicol]

Hi, may i introduce myself and my Vette..
I joined the CCCUK today. Im local to the CCC Nats Hotel. My background is 36 years riding & 2 years racing Motorcycles, i have a Moto Guzzi California Vintage, and 10 years owning & driving Hot Rods, a Pop & a 32 Coupe which i sold a few years ago. While i loved the cars i felt that i hadnt found my home in the UK Hot Rod scene but every cloud has a silver lining, that freed me up to scratch another itch that i had been putting up with for 40 years, the C3 Corvette. One of my early exposures to Corvettes was as a teenager on a family boating holiday on the Norfolk Broads, we went for a walk in a tiny village and stumbled upon a Corvette Mecca in what seemed like the most unlikely place. I remember they had a C1 there belonging to Diana Dors. Around that time i also started going to the car shows at Alexandra Palace, Olympia and the NEC. It didnt take long to fall in love with the C3 but all good things must come to an end, while i wasnt particularly taken at the time with the C3's updates in 78 & 80, the introduction of the C4 spelt the end of my interest in the Corvette brand. Fast forward to 2020 and i started looking for a pre-78 C3 and the more i looked the more i started to appreciate the 78-79 and 80-82 cars (and even gained an appreciation for the C4), how perceptions can change. Then i spotted the YouTube sales videos from 'Carrot Town Garage' and a very yellow1981 with sidepipes...

 

[stealthyflatfish]

Welcome to the. Club Derek, hope you enjoy your time here and your Corvette

 

[Oneball]

Looks lovely, so much better on the smaller wheels.

 

[johng]

That looks very nice and very yellow!

 

[Chuffer]

Car looks great Derek , welcome to the club and the world of C3 ownership . As you are close to Sharnbrook you will be in the Beds , Bucks , Cambs and Northants region like me so look forward to meeting up sometime . Love the hot rod history too .

 

[kentvette]

Welcome aboard Derek! The car looks very nice - so much better now than it did in 2013!
It's interesting that you went down the Hot Rod route first, we were planning on that back in 1989, but saw some Corvettes for sale and decided they may be more practical!

I think (hope!) that you'll find the Corvette community welcoming - we have friends who sold a Porsche 911 and bought a Vette because he liked the people more!

By the way, I like you "Introduction Section" idea in your other thread - most of the forums I'm involved with over here (Corvette and RC stuff) all insist on an intro before you get into posting other things, and I think that's a good idea.

 

[Roscobbc]

Welcome to the C3 'brigade'!

 

[Derek Nicol]

Car looks great Derek , welcome to the club and the world of C3 ownership . As you are close to Sharnbrook you will be in the Beds , Bucks , Cambs and Northants region like me so look forward to meeting up sometime . Love the hot rod history too .

Hi, thanks everyone for the welcome. Any excuse to get the Vette out is good. How often does the region meet? is it midweek evening or weekend daytime? roughly whereabouts? (im aware you may or may not be able to give exact details on an open forum). Lovin the steam loco pics btw.

 

[Derek Nicol]

Welcome to the C3 'brigade'!

Thanks. You 'know me' from Torqued Up.

 

[Roscobbc]

Thanks. You 'know me' from Torqued Up.

Hi Derek - what 'handle' do you use on Torqued-Up?

 

[Derek Nicol]

Hi Derek - what 'handle' do you use on Torqued-Up?

'Did' use... im the Baron resurfacing.

 

[Chuffer]

Hi, thanks everyone for the welcome. Any excuse to get the Vette out is good. How often does the region meet? is it midweek evening or weekend daytime? roughly whereabouts? (im aware you may or may not be able to give exact details on an open forum). Lovin the steam loco pics btw.

You should soon start to receive emails from Mike Lacey / Stuart ( Gus) Holton who are co reps for BBC&N region . They have only taken on the role since late 2020 so are trying to get things off the ground which has not been easy during lock down . Their email addresses should be on the website somewhere and sure they would love to hear from you . Mike Lacey is in Sandy and Gus is near me close to Northampton . Glad you liked the steam locos , you must have been ploughing through the forum a lot .

 

[Chuffer]

'Did' use... im the Baron resurfacing.

Love the the rods .

 

[Daytona Vette]

Welcome Derek, a nice looking Vette, it looks better with the standard slot Mags - enjoy the Club and your Vette

 

[Derek Nicol]

I received my first Vette News club magazine today... exceeds expectations.

 

[Rich]

I received my first Vette News club magazine today... exceeds expectations.

Pleased you like it. We have an excellent Editor and a Belgian club member who uses a tremendous amount of skill in pulling it all together. Next edition due out in June.

 

[CaptainK]

Hello fellow C3 owner and welcome to the club.

 

[Mad4slalom]

Hi, thanks everyone for the welcome. Any excuse to get the Vette out is good. How often does the region meet? is it midweek evening or weekend daytime? roughly whereabouts? (im aware you may or may not be able to give exact details on an open forum). Lovin the steam loco pics btw.

Welcome Derek

 

[Derek Nicol]

I completely forgot to include my first ever drive in a Corvette.. well, it was a couple of years ago..
I got bought one of those drive experience days at Bicester Heritage and had to choose two cars from about twenty or so. First drive was a 69 Camaro 454 Auto.. i did a few laps, real nice to drive. My second car was supposed to be an early 454 C3 Vette Auto but it was in for repairs so i got the substitute, a similar spec Manual (*US stick shift). The gearbox was a complete dog, as i struggled with the gears i said to the guy riding with me.. 'this things seen better days'.. he said 'no, they were like that from new' I had to laugh.

 

[Roscobbc]

I completely forgot to include my first ever drive in a Corvette.. well, it was a couple of years ago..
I got bought one of those drive experience days at Bicester Heritage and had to choose two cars from about twenty or so. First drive was a 69 Camaro 454 Auto.. i did a few laps, real nice to drive. My second car was supposed to be an early 454 C3 Vette Auto but it was in for repairs so i got the substitute, a similar spec Manual (*US stick shift). The gearbox was a complete dog, as i struggled with the gears i said to the guy riding with me.. 'this things seen better days'.. he said 'no, they were like that from new' I had to laugh.

I have to contradict the Biscester Hertiage guy and his comment 'they were like that from new' - yes, perhaps a higher mileage manual Muncie 4 speed will a challenging drive with a knackered stock shifter - but a Muncie with a Hurst shifter will be a completlely 'ball game' - admittedly not sa 'delicate' as a period UK Ford gearbox )where clutchless changes are a doddle). A correctly adjusted box with its Hurst shifter is a precise piece of kit, although admittedly not something you use a thumb and forefinger to 'shift' with.