Driving through the downtown area surrounding the fairgrounds was surreal. There were Corvettes absolutely everywhere. New ones, old ones, nice ones, ratty ones…there were all kinds. The beautiful Summer afternoon was filled with car talk amongst friends and screaming V8 engines being tested on the dynamometer. Bright eyed locals lined the sidewalks, watching and pointing as all the Vettes rumbled by in every color imaginable. There was even a parade on Saturday to honor legendary racer John Fitch, who in 1960 co-drove the first Corvette, the #3 Briggs Cunningham car, to ever capture a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Some of the more entrepreneurial townies who resided near the fairgrounds turned their driveways and backyards into paid parking lots and spent the weekend enthusiastically waving people in. The fact that they did this shirtless, beer in hand made it all that much more enjoyable.

See how we made out with a classic Vette and check out the many sights and sounds from the show after the jump. And if you really want to laugh, get a load of our Corvettes at Carlisle featured gallery with more cheeky vanity plates than you can shake a stick at.

After getting our fill of vanity plates, barbed wire tattoos and high rise cut off jean shorts, we headed over to some of the “Corvette Corrals” where several new and classic models were being offered for sale by their owners. This type of shopping presents opportunities and obstacles. On the plus side, you can browse what might be the largest and most diverse inventory of classic Vettes in one place at one time on the planet. And the owners are right there to tell you about the car. The bad news is that there are lot of people looking to sell you a nice, shiny fake. A Corvette to be certain, but perhaps that Corvette has parts with mismatched serial numbers (frame, engine, etc) or has seen the hot end of a blow torch for major accident repair that has conveniently not been mentioned in the advertisement.

My research has me thinking that a ‘65 Fuelie, or Fuel Injected, convertible is the right Corvette for us. While not as rare or valuable as the ‘67 427/435 L71 or aluminum headed L88, ‘65 was the last year for fuel injection (first year for four wheel disc brakes too) and only 771 Corvettes left the factory that year with the then $538 option. Authentic examples, what’s left of them, will certainly maintain their value over the long term and will hopefully appreciate as vintage pickings become slimmer and slimmer for the Corvette faithful moving forward. Sebring Silver over black would be amazing but color is less important to us than condition and originality.

Kevin Mackay, a leading Corvette restorer and 20+ year NCRS/Bloomington Gold judge, was good enough to help us look over a handsome convertible that piqued our interest early Sunday afternoon (description above). The price seemed too good to be true and the seller had no records or receipts to share with us. All he could tell us was that the car was restored about 10 years ago and there had been at least 2 owners since then. Hell, he had only taken possession of the thing 4 days ago. Good thing we had Kevin there to sort through the car’s unknown provenance. Within moments, he was feeling up the inside of the wheel wells and jamming his head inside the engine bay to search for identifying marks and evidence of authenticity. It only took him 5 minutes to discover that the engine had been re-stamped. How did he know? Apparently the font of the serial number was incorrect. A few minutes later he identified the passenger side headlight as being from another year and told us that the car had definitely been involved in a collision at some point in its past. The experience was akin to watching the forensics team from CSI: Las Vegas tell detectives all the dirty little secrets lurking at the crime scene. Maybe someone should pitch Jerry Bruckheimer and NBC on a new Corvette spinoff of the show.

We had a great time at the show but, based on Kevin’s findings, our search for an authentic ‘65 Fuelie continues.

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This classic Buick Skylark Custom was so insanely perfect in every way that I was almost afraid to breathe when stepping up to snap a few photos on this dreary Portland afternoon. The chrome, trim pieces and killer mag wheels all looked better than new. And while I’m usually a violent opponent of vinyl roofs, this one looks pretty damn good transposed against the Bahama Blue paint’s subtle sheen. 

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Anyone looking to scoop a cool Sunday cruiser?  This ’56 T-Bird, which was stopping everyone in their tracks on a beautiful afternoon in Soho, is for sale. The “peacock blue” paint job was so immaculate, it looked like it was still drying. We also dig the continental-style rear bumper they offered in ’56 despite the steering problems it caused because of the extra weight. Here’s how the for sale sign reads…

FOR SALE- 1956 Thunderbird Roadster: Frame off show quality restoration on a rare peacock blue rust free bird.  Great options include: large show detailed 312 motor with factory dress up kit and automatic transmission, fiberglass hard top, continental kit, signal seek radio, Kelsey Hays real wire wheels, all matching numbers.  Car runs and drives perfectly!!  $37,000.  call 917-509-6249

Just mention Man on the Move, and you’ll get a 20% discount…not really

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GM was good enough to give us an advance preview of the CTS-V Sport Wagon before its big debut at the New York International Auto Show. The venue was chic, the drinks were flowing and there was nearly 1,700 horsepower worth of Cadillac V-series models parked where the art used to be. Just like coupe and sedan variants, CTS-V Sport Wagon utilizes a supercharged 6.2L V8, Magnetic Ride Control, Brembo Brakes and tasteful aesthetic tweaks like 19-inch forged aluminum wheels, dual exhaust, menacing black mesh grille and lower fascia and a big ol’ buldge in the hood thanks to the Eaton supercharger bolted onto the engine. A quick walk around will tell you that this tasteful, 556 hp road rocket is neither your grandpa’s Cadillac or your parent’s station wagon. Weigh in below on which V-Series model you like best.

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So Sick. Super Sexy. Sensationally Stylish. Simply Smashing. Sensually Seductive. Sinfully Smooth. Assign what words you will, the SS is worn like a badge of honor on all worthy bowties, and worn with pride. This drop-top Chevelle was sitting pretty in a bank parking lot when I ran across the street to capture its powerful, nonchalant stance. Like the silent man with a double black-belt, leaning calmly against the bar — he doesn’t need to talk about the fact that he can kill you twelve different ways with his hands — but he can. Of course, when your muscle car comes with its own guard dog, who cares what color the belt is.

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You don’t see this everyday – papa Challenger, in all his original glory, alongside the younger, svelter offspring. Harder to believe, the cars are painted in near identical color schemes. But this automotive encounter wasn’t planned, I swear. Our Pal Andy was cruising in his Hemi Orange SRT-8 (left) and caught an eyeful of vintage Mopar staring back at him (right). Driving by without taking a picture is like sticking up a bank and not taking the money. Perhaps the best part, this is not the first time we have spotted such a righteous muscle car pose. Hopefully it won’t be the last.

Thanks Andy! Great find.

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I was going through my files and stumbled onto these amazing pictures taken during a muscle car comparo I wrote for the Summer 2009 issue of Men’s Fitness. The photo editor decided against using these images, instead opting for stock photography to accompany the review. He fed me some line about the gloomy weather not being sunny enough. Does anyone know what he was thinking? We all know that wet muscle cars look better than dry muscle cars any day of the week. They have more attitude. And the grey skies add a menacing effect to the trio’s already aggressive styling. I hope you enjoy them.

Source: Will Anderson Photography (images used with permission)

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This fourth generation Dart 270 coupe was spotted at sundown in Puerto Morelos, a quaint little town and seaport 22 miles south of Cancún. Good to see American muscle is alive and well in Mexico. More after the jump.

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