American Roadster

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Click any image to enlarge if you wish. I am such a sucker for the contrast of hot paint and chrome.


I cannot think of another American made automobile that has the huge dedicated following that the Chevrolet Corvette has. The 1932 Ford has a hefty following but most are customized hot rods like the ZZ Topp Eliminator featured on their albums and in the videos. I mean, just how exciting is a fully restored duce coupe? These guys do the best custom work in my opinion.


On Saturday I went with my friend and neighbor to the local Midwest Corvette Chevy Show at the Porter County Fairgrounds south of Valparaiso. He owns an original red ’67 Camaro SS convertible that is fully restored. What’s interesting to note is that he is the original owner. His friend, Don, came along. Don has owned a few Corvettes (and currently owns a 2005) and is an expert on identifying everything there is about Corvettes. I was with two true dedicated Chevy car buffs and learned a lot.


For instance, I did not know that the resale value of a classic muscle car is determined by color. They constantly referred to “resale red” paint jobs because red has more resale value. There is a wealthy cult of classic car collectors who buy and trade vehicles based on restored vs. original. An original is a car that has never been touched, absolutely no new paint or customization. All original means all equipment must be verified by certified experts (most of which are retired Chevy engineers) along with the paint. Just because red is a hot color, there's nothing wrong with this split-window 1963 coupe. 63 was the only year the Corvette Coupe came in the split window config.


Tires are an exception but you can purchase old-style bias-ply tires that are exact replicas.These autos bring the highest price. If you look at them closely they all have “original” scratches and dings. Many were bought by owners who only drove them in fair weather and some are owned by the original buyer.


There were about twenty originals in a building that had such little light I could not get a photo without a tripod and I hate using a flash. The very highest priced Corvettes are originals that were factory customized with special engines and suspensions. These were very limited production runs.

Most Corvettes at this show were restored or customized. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

I took a few hundred photos but my favorite subject is focusing on close up detail work and emblems. Just adding more to my collection.

I don't pretend to be a 'vette expert, just an admirer. So if you are inclined to correct any details published here, go for it.
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