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85vette · 06-20-2007, 10:46 AM

Does everyone remember their first ride in a Corvette? Of course you do! I'm sure everyone has a story. Here's mine.
In 1976 I was stationed in Naval Air Station Moffett Field, Ca. I was a new recruit and was lucky enough to get orders to a P-3C squadron (submarine hunters).Being a 19 year old kid from a small town in north Florida, I was quite overwhelmed with California, AND my new introduction to the U.S. Navy.
When I got to my permanant squadron I made many aquaintances and met new friends. One such friendship has lasted my whole life. Dan Fraley and I hit it off right from the start. We both had a common interest.Cars... fast cars. We were both airframe hydraulic mechanics (AMH) in the Navy, but that was just what we were classified as. One thing I learned about the Navy, You do pretty much everything that needs to be done, regardless of NEC (Navy enlistment code) or rank. It teaches you never to feel like you're truly above anyone. I've swabbed decks with an E-8 (senior chief petty officer) before.
Anyway, getting back to the story, Dan and I pretty much lived and breathed cars from the time I met him. He had a 1970 Chevy Nova at the time and I had a 1972 Rally Nova. When he got his it had a well worn 283 that someone before him had put in it, mine had a 30 over 350 with a street cam, quadrajet, Mallory dual point, and dual exhaust. Dan got a line on a 396 out of a wrecked 1970 Chevelle SS and promptly had it on an engine stand at the base garage. (I think we spent more time here than anywhere else on base.) I don't remember what all parts he installed on that 396, but let's just say I had never been in a car with that much power! His Nova still had the factory gearing from the original 250 inline six, probably 2.50's. Anyway, that car was scary. Another guy in our squadron had a Yamaha 1100 motorcycle that was hands down the fastest motorcycle in production that year. He was bragging about how fast that thing would run one day and Dan told him that he was pretty sure his Nova would outrun it on the top-end. That night, after we got off work, around 11:30 or so, we left the base and we're coming off the ramp going onto 101.... here comes the guy on the 1100! Dan drops it down to first (we were already going 45-50mph). The Yamaha's front wheel left the ground and here we go! We stayed with the motorcycle through the first three gears, but right after Dan shifted to fourth, the bike slowed abruptly. We saw the guy at work the next day and he told us that he got out of it at 150 mph, that was way too fast for him!
One of the Chief Petty Officers in admin had a 1963 split window coupe and he approached us about rebuilding the engine in it. Dan gave him a price that was acceptable and we started on it at the base garage. It still had the original 327 engine, but the factory fuel injection had been replaced with a Holley. It had wide fender flares and 50 series tires on the back. The flip-over headlights had the seams filled and four sealed beam headlights were mounted in a tube grill below. A true California custom if I've ever seen one, this one was tastefully done. The paint was recent, a metallic maroon that went well with the original black interior. It still had the Wonderbar radio. Back then we had NO idea how much these cars would one day be worth! We got the engine rebuilt and told the Chief we wanted to drive it for a week or so to seat the rings and make sure there were no leaks or anything, and he was OK with that. So there we are, tooling around San Jose, Palo Alto, and the Santa Cruz area, just havin a blast driving this awesome Vette! Talk about turning heads, wow! We went up to Santa Cruz on those mountains roads, I had never ridden in a car that was so awesome! From that moment on, I was hooked. One day I would have one of these! We gave the Vette back to it's owner and he was quite pleased.
At the time I had just bought a four wheel drive truck and on a salary of about $400.00 a month I was barely making it. A month later the Chief with the Vette asked us if we know anyone that might want to buy the vette. (he had a 59 that he drove all the time and a 68 that his wife drove) He was retiring and didn't want to ship the car home to Michagan. He told us that if one of us wanted it, he'd let it go for $4500.00.
I immediatly put for sale signs on my truck, but, no takers. I don't know what ever happened to that Vette. I often wonder if it is still in existance. Dan and I built several more cars in the next few years until I came back to Florida in 1980, but I'll always remember that Vette!
And then there was the 1970 Plymouth Superbird.....

06-20-2007, 10:46 AM	#1
85vette Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: On the road Posts: 2,130 Name :	Do you remember? Does everyone remember their first ride in a Corvette? Of course you do! I'm sure everyone has a story. Here's mine. In 1976 I was stationed in Naval Air Station Moffett Field, Ca. I was a new recruit and was lucky enough to get orders to a P-3C squadron (submarine hunters).Being a 19 year old kid from a small town in north Florida, I was quite overwhelmed with California, AND my new introduction to the U.S. Navy. When I got to my permanant squadron I made many aquaintances and met new friends. One such friendship has lasted my whole life. Dan Fraley and I hit it off right from the start. We both had a common interest.Cars... fast cars. We were both airframe hydraulic mechanics (AMH) in the Navy, but that was just what we were classified as. One thing I learned about the Navy, You do pretty much everything that needs to be done, regardless of NEC (Navy enlistment code) or rank. It teaches you never to feel like you're truly above anyone. I've swabbed decks with an E-8 (senior chief petty officer) before. Anyway, getting back to the story, Dan and I pretty much lived and breathed cars from the time I met him. He had a 1970 Chevy Nova at the time and I had a 1972 Rally Nova. When he got his it had a well worn 283 that someone before him had put in it, mine had a 30 over 350 with a street cam, quadrajet, Mallory dual point, and dual exhaust. Dan got a line on a 396 out of a wrecked 1970 Chevelle SS and promptly had it on an engine stand at the base garage. (I think we spent more time here than anywhere else on base.) I don't remember what all parts he installed on that 396, but let's just say I had never been in a car with that much power! His Nova still had the factory gearing from the original 250 inline six, probably 2.50's. Anyway, that car was scary. Another guy in our squadron had a Yamaha 1100 motorcycle that was hands down the fastest motorcycle in production that year. He was bragging about how fast that thing would run one day and Dan told him that he was pretty sure his Nova would outrun it on the top-end. That night, after we got off work, around 11:30 or so, we left the base and we're coming off the ramp going onto 101.... here comes the guy on the 1100! Dan drops it down to first (we were already going 45-50mph). The Yamaha's front wheel left the ground and here we go! We stayed with the motorcycle through the first three gears, but right after Dan shifted to fourth, the bike slowed abruptly. We saw the guy at work the next day and he told us that he got out of it at 150 mph, that was way too fast for him! One of the Chief Petty Officers in admin had a 1963 split window coupe and he approached us about rebuilding the engine in it. Dan gave him a price that was acceptable and we started on it at the base garage. It still had the original 327 engine, but the factory fuel injection had been replaced with a Holley. It had wide fender flares and 50 series tires on the back. The flip-over headlights had the seams filled and four sealed beam headlights were mounted in a tube grill below. A true California custom if I've ever seen one, this one was tastefully done. The paint was recent, a metallic maroon that went well with the original black interior. It still had the Wonderbar radio. Back then we had NO idea how much these cars would one day be worth! We got the engine rebuilt and told the Chief we wanted to drive it for a week or so to seat the rings and make sure there were no leaks or anything, and he was OK with that. So there we are, tooling around San Jose, Palo Alto, and the Santa Cruz area, just havin a blast driving this awesome Vette! Talk about turning heads, wow! We went up to Santa Cruz on those mountains roads, I had never ridden in a car that was so awesome! From that moment on, I was hooked. One day I would have one of these! We gave the Vette back to it's owner and he was quite pleased. At the time I had just bought a four wheel drive truck and on a salary of about $400.00 a month I was barely making it. A month later the Chief with the Vette asked us if we know anyone that might want to buy the vette. (he had a 59 that he drove all the time and a 68 that his wife drove) He was retiring and didn't want to ship the car home to Michagan. He told us that if one of us wanted it, he'd let it go for $4500.00. I immediatly put for sale signs on my truck, but, no takers. I don't know what ever happened to that Vette. I often wonder if it is still in existance. Dan and I built several more cars in the next few years until I came back to Florida in 1980, but I'll always remember that Vette! And then there was the 1970 Plymouth Superbird.....