Chaz 'n Gael's 1953 Commemorative Edition Corvette Story

Our 1953 Commemorative Edition Corvette Story

Chaz & Gael Cone, Atlanta, GA

The Wait (part I)..

Saturday, August 31st

Let's see now. On Tuesday I flew to Indianapolis to pick up my donor C5 and drove five+ hours to Michigan. On Wednesday I flew home to Atlanta from Detroit. On Thursday, Gael and I drove our C5 five hours to Bowling Green for the NCM Labor Day celebration. It was just two weeks ago that she broke her leg in a fall in Monterey, CA -- and here she is, on crutches, making the journey to Bowling Green with me. What a trooper!

We had several missions for the weekend (and accomplished every one):

Jim Hornaday was surprising his wife Shirley with Museum Delivery of a 50th Anniversary convertible for her birthday!. PIX!
Jim and Kathie Summers were taking Museum delivery of their 50th Anniversary convertible! PIX!
Jim and Charlie Robertson were renewing their vows (after 25 years of marriage) and taking Museum delivery of their 50th Anniversary Coupe! PIX!
John Cafaro was being inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame and we wanted to be there for that!
The Pasteiners (Steve & Steve) were coming down on Saturday with an enclosed trailer to take Buzz & Jackie's donor C5 back with them and I needed to photograph that. PIX!
Gael wanted to meet the Pasteiners. PIX!

The "Heldorado"

Now, back to that awesome car parked in front of the building at AAT; Steve calls it the "Heldorado". It's a project suggested by Cadillac to see what a Northstar engine in a mid-engine configuration two-seater could be. This car is the real thing (driven nearly every day) and looks like it came from the 22nd century. It looks small but it's on a long wheelbase; it looks short because of the (nearly zero) fore and aft overhang:

(You can click on this image to see it larger)

I know, I know, this is about the 1953CE project -- but cars like this one (above) just reinforce my opinion that AAT knows what it's all about when it comes to delicious car design!

Monday, September 9, 2002

Today Mo Waller (she and hubby Rich own 1953CE #8) sent me pictures she took of my CE under construction!

This is mine with the rear body panels removed. The one in the background is Buzz & Jackie's:

This one shows the front end of mine (background) with the nose section and hood mounted. They do this for size/tuning; later the panels are removed and painted off the car. That's Buzz & Jackie's CE on the right.

Monday, September 16, 2002

Friend Mo Waller dropped in on AAT today and took these pictures of my CE project:

This shows the front section mounted for fit; later, all the new panels are removed, painted off the car and re-installed.

Here they are fitting the honeycomb liner for the hood; then the skin is applied in a separate operation: