September, 2015.pub - Grand Valley Corvette Association

Hi G.V.C.A.
September, 2015
Well it looks like our summer is starting to wind down. Some trees are already starting to change
up north.
So, if anyone is interested in putting on a color tour this fall, start putting it together. It doesn't
have to be an overnighter. You could put on a fun one day event.
We have had a couple of events since our last meeting. A group of people went up to Mackinaw
for Crossroads and we also had the Metro Cruise this past weekend. We hope to have some reports at the next meeting.
Just a reminder, our next meeting (Sept. 10th) will be back at Kool Chevrolet (7:00 pm).
It is also getting that time again to fill board member positions. There will be three open positions
at the end of the year, so please step up to the plate and help run the club.
That's all for now, hope to see you all at the next meeting.
Gordon Wilcox
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President:
Gordon Wilcox
5989 Terrace Park Drive
Rockford MI 49341
(616) 299-1013
topgun4@charter.net
Treasurer
Jill Host
2965 Castle Rock Dr. NE
Grand Rapids MI 49525
(616) 361-7990
harryhost@att.net
Newsletter Editor & Webmaster
Paula Down
8502 Carriage Lane
Portland, MI 48875
(616) 780-0815
VP of Competition
Bob Faar
4707 Rock Valley Dr. N.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
231-388-0089.
Secretary
Char Gabbert
7604 Noffke Drive
Caledonia M I 49316-8828
(616) 891-5867
gabbertchar@yahoo.com
Governor
Jeff Janus
6650 Twin Springs Ct.
Rockford, MI 49341
(616) 560-5200
jjcpj@aol.com
rfarr57@yahoo.com
VP of Membership:
Todd Tamminga
2625 Cedar Grove South
Jenison, MI 49428
(616) 669-8718
todster2@aol.com
corvettegal@wowway.com
Kool Chevrolet Club Sponsor
David Bailey
3770 Plainfield NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Phone 616-364-9431
Grand Valley Corvette Association
General Membership Meeting
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Held at Townsend Park, Kent County
President’s Report: President Gordy Wilcox called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. The Club
provided pizza this evening.
Secretary’s Report: Char Link is filling in for Char Gabbert, who is absent tonight. Gordy asked
for approval of the July meeting Minutes as reported in the August Newsletter. Motion passed.
Treasurer’s Report: Jill Host gave the Treasurer’s Report which was approved and seconded.
Membership Report: Todd Tamminga gave the Membership Report. Current membership stands
at 120. He received a thank you from the Veteran’s Home for the Club’s participation in their July
25th event.
Governor’s Report: Gordy reported that there was no new Michigan Region or NCCC news.
OLD BUSINESS
Date
Event
Received a thank you from Down Syndrome for GVCA’s recent donation.
July 10/11 Super Chevy Show at Martin. There were no GVCA attendees.
July 12
Lakatos FTL. Janine reported it was a beautiful day! 20+ cars attended.
Thanks to Tony and Janine for a great route and fun-filled day.
July 25
Low Country Boil at Wilcox cottage. Thanks to the Smits and Davis (cooks).
Thanks to Gordy and Dawn for hosting a really fun event with great food.
Gordy gave pontoon rides, and we had a bonfire in the evening.
July 25
Veterans’ Home Classic Car Event. Todd reported there were 3 members’ cars.
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Future Event Schedule:
Date
Aug. 15
Aug. 20
Aug. 21/22
Event
Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise.
River Boat Cruise. Launch at 6:15 p.m. Lori reported a sell-out!
Kentwood/Wyoming Metro Cruise. Opening party at Pal’s Diner,
both Thursday and Friday nights.
Aug. 21/23 Mackinaw City Corvette Crossroads. One group leaving Thursday, 8/20.
Second group leaving Friday, 8/21. Members staying at multiple hotels.
Aug. 23
Track-Day event at U.S.-131 Motor Sports Park.
GVCA invited to participate in Porsche Club’s track-Day event.
Sept. 12
Creston Car Show – all day event.
Sept. 13
Res Life Church Car Show from 2 – 5:00 p.m. $15 entry fee.
Sept. 23 to
Oct. 11
Art Prize in downtown Grand Rapids.
Nov. 28
GVCA Christmas party. (Details to follow)
NEW BUSINESS
There was a discussion on possibly buying brick(s) at the National Corvette Museum (NCM) for
deceased past members of GVCA. It was stated that -- in order to be eligible, individuals must
have been a member for more than 3 years and were current at the time of their demise. Surviving
family members have the option of refreshing their loved one’s brick as needed. We will be
checking old News Letters and Minutes regarding the purchasing of bricks at NCM.
Gordy asked if anyone is planning a Color Tour for this year, either a one-, two-, or three-day
event. Contact any Board Member if you would like to chair this event.
The September meeting will be held back at Kool, Thursday, Sept. 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Swap and Sell
Jim Westerhuis is selling a white ’07 GMC Acadia. Price reduction to $12,500
Ty Mason is selling a ’07 C-6 Red Coupe
See website for complete details.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
Submitted by,
Char Link
For Char Gabbert, Secretary
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
SEPTEMBER
10
12
13
12-13
GVCA Membership Meeting—Kool Chevrolet Dealership—7 p.m.
Creston Car Show— More information later.
Redemption Life Car Show—See Flyer
2015 GRATTAN RACETRACK DRIVERS EDUCATION—see info in newsletter
13 to Oct 11 Art Prize in downtown Grand Rapids
OCTOBER
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GVCA Membership Meeting—Kool Chevrolet Dealership—7 p.m.
.
NOVEMBER
12 GVCA Membership Meeting -Kool Chevrolet Dealership—7 p.m.
28 Christmas Party at Rockford Cabin
DECEMBER
10
GVCA Membership Meeting— Kool Chevrolet Dealership—7 p.m.
All bold items are GVCA sponsored events
Michigan Region of NCCC Corvette Clubs Home Page and Link to Calendar
http://www.michcorvette.org/index.html
Cards and get well wishes or expressions of sympathy, please contact
Jan Czerney at (tjbaar@comcast.net)
Important
From your editor
I am diverting from my usual plan of sending this email out to the Yahoo Group only as
some people might not be receiving it through the group. This only concerns current GVCA
members, not prospective members.
Please take minute to check that you are getting the GVCA yahoo group messages. If you
are not, I need to know so I can check why. If you haven’t signed up for the GVCA Yahoo
group, please let me know so I can send you and invite. The August newsletter was sent out
to you through the group along with an email regarding the boat trip.
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GVCA Members who showed their Corvettes at the Veterans Carnival
Thanks
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2015 GRATTAN RACETRACK DRIVERS EDUCATION – On a roll for over 40 years!
Registration is OPEN for the 2-day Lloyd LaHuis Memorial Grand Prix of Grattan event,
hosted by the Western Michigan Region Porsche Club of America on Saturday and Sunday –
September 12 – 13, 2015.
Registration: http://www.clubregistration.net
Join us for a fun event this September!
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Ted Blacklidge, Event Chair
sgrafex@chartermi.net 616-637-7997
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FOR SALE
2007 GMC ACADIA
SLT, FWD , 19 in Chrome wheels with new Michelin tires.
97,000 miles,
$ 12,500 OBO
616-399-3180
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FOR SALE
2004 Acura TL
fully loaded with Navigation, hands free phone, etc.
84,000 miles
$8500 OBO
616-881-1691 Ann or David Moore
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FOR SALE
2007 Monterey Red Metallic Corvette
57,000 miles
Cashmere Interior
3LT
$26,000.00
Contact Ty Mason at 616-498-6608
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John Meyerhoff and Mary Carol Plott’s Corvette Collector Love, Pt 1
Kindred Spirits Find Love and Corvette Passion:
John Meyerhoff and Mary Carol Plott’s Corvette Love Affair
by Scott Teeters as republished from Vette Vues
For most people, getting a Vette is a “dream come true.” We often hear, “I’ve always wanted a Corvette!” Or, “I finally got my Vette!”
For most, that’s it. Check “Corvette” off the bucket list. And it’s usually men, but not always, that lust for Corvettes. Then there are the unusual couples where he has a Corvette and she slowly gets the fever, then they get “his and hers” Corvettes, which is always a delight to see.
But that’s not this story. This one is better.
I was talking with a man at a car show in Sebring, FL and told him that I write for Vette Vues and he said, “You know, there’s a guy
in Lake Placid that, I think, has one of every generation Corvette!” I thought, “Whoa! I have to find this guy.” A few months later when I
finally met John Meyerhoff I learned that he did not have one of every generation Corvette, but he’d like to have one of every generation and
he’s very close. It turned out that the story was even better because I learned that John and his lady, Mary Carol had at one point TEN Corvettes between the two of them. Their garage is maxed out and they can’t add on to the garage due to local zoning. To get a C7, John decided
to let go of his red-on-red 1960 Corvette because it was the roughest riding of all the Corvettes they have. So, now they’re down to nine Corvettes, five are John’s and four are Mary Carol’s.
To do the story and cars justice we’re doing this in two parts. For Part 1 we’ll focus on John’s cars, but first there’s the love story, and I
don’t just mean for the Corvettes, but for each other and their Corvette lifestyle. Duntov used to say that he wanted “his” customers to ENJOY their Corvettes, and that’s exactly what John Meyerhoff and Mary Carol Plott have done for the last 10 years. Here’s how they met.
If this isn’t “fate” I don’t know what is. It all began in 2005. Mary Carol resides in Lake Placid, Florida and John was escaping the harsh
upstate New York winters by staying in nearby Avon Park. At this point, both John and Mary Carol were widowed and have been life-long
Corvette enthusiasts. John had his ’96 Grand Sport convertible with him and decided to go to a car show in Lake Placid at the Tower Restaurant (now closed) on Rt. 27. John pulled into the parking lot and looked for a parking spot. Then he spotted a good-looking silver ’81 Corvette with factory side pipes and parked his Grand Sport next to the ’81. And then he saw the owner of the silver ’81, Mary Carol, all decked
out in her leathers. John said to himself, “Whoa!”
So they introduced themselves to one another and talked Corvettes through the car show. All the while, Mary Carol’s friends are whispering to her, “Ask him if he wants to go to dinner with us after the show!” Mary Carol said, “No, I’m not going to do that.” Her friends
were always trying to fix her up with a “nice guy.” So her friend took charge and said, “John, why don’t you join us for dinner after the
show?”
There’s a lot of car show activity in the Sebring, Florida area in the spring, so John and Mary Carol continued seeing each other at
car shows. Before they knew it, their mutual love for Corvettes and cars, spilled over and became a loving relationship. Unlike most couples
where the husband is the car person and the car stuff is contained in his man cave, you can tell that John and Mary Carol are “car people” as
soon as you walk into their beautiful home. As you can see from the photo of John and Mary Carol, Corvette photos of their cars, art, die cast
cars and engines adorn the walls and fireplace hearth. What you don’t see in the photo is that in the rest of the living room there are numerous car show trophies, most of which are Mary Carol’s! John says, “Oh, she’s a killer on the details and little touches when it comes to getting one of her Corvettes ready for the show.”
Now that we’ve met John and Mary Carol, let’s meet their Corvettes. We are “showing” John’s Corvettes here in Part 1. Next month
we’ll focus on Mary Carol’s Corvettes. John owns the following: A 1966 427/425 4-speed Sunfire Yellow roadster, a 1969 427/400 4-speed
Burgundy roadster, a 1996 6-speed Grand Sport roadster, a 2001 Magnetic Red roadster, and a 2008 6-speed Jetstream Blue Z06.
Mary Carol owns the following: A 1967 427/400 4-speed automatic Marina Blue coupe, a 1971 350/270 4-speed roadster, a 1981 350 3speed automatic, and a 2001 Z06 346/385 6-speed.
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Here’s how John’s Corvette obsession began. In the early 1960s John was an officer in the Navy and drove a 383 4-speed
1964 Plymouth. His best friend and fellow officer, John Tchinski owned a 1963 Sting Ray. The longer John was around his
friend’s Sting Ray the more the Corvette was “working” on him. Finally, around Christmas 1965, John ordered a new ’66
427/425 4-speed Mosport Green roadster.
From there, we’ve seen this movie. John meets girl, get’s married, children come along, and its “bu-buy Corvette.” But you
never really ever get over Corvettes. By the late ‘70s John got into a ’73 350/250 L82 roadster. Unfortunately, the Corvette fell
casualty to a divorce and there were no Corvettes in John’s life for 15 years.
John eventually remarried and by 2001 decided it was time for another Corvette. The C5 Convertible was getting rave reviews so John bought a new Magnetic Red roadster. John found the ’01 Roadster to be a very comfortable road car and started
racking up lots of miles. He was also getting close to retirement time. Most of us have a soft spot for our first Vette, so John
began searching for another ’66 427/425 roadster. Finding another Mosport Green ’66 big-block roadster was going to be a
stretch, but he finally found one that was close enough, in Nova Scotia, of all places. This is the yellow ’66 photographed in the
trailer.
During the time of this interview, John was just planning to head north to New York where the summers are much
cooler. He also wants to bring his Grand Sport south to Florida on his return trip in the fall. The ’66 427 is not a daily driver
kind of car. With no power steering or brakes and a very heavy clutch, it’s a workout, but its all original and somewhat rare.
John says, “It’s essentially a show car at this point.”
After full retirement, John’s wife passed and he decided that Corvettes would be his retirement. “I came up with a new
goal. I wanted one Corvette of each generation. But I was putting too many miles on the ’01 and happened to find the ’96 Grand
Sport Convertible. It was really dumb luck because although I had owned many Corvettes, I didn’t follow the manufacturing of
the cars and the special editions, so I really didn’t know what I had, I just liked the color scheme and the fact that it’s a convertible. It turns out that it’s one of four other Grand Sports with the exact same combo of options. Then to fill up the collection, I
got the ’69 427 Roadster, then got a red-on-red 1960 Corvette. So, before the C7 came out, I had one of every generation! Then I
met Mary Carol. Between the two of us we had 10 Corvettes.” He said with a big smile.
John’s attitude when it comes to his Corvettes is that if a modification will improve the car’s performance or durability
and drivability, he doesn’t mind making changes. However, with the ’66 427/425 Roadster, this car is completely stock and
John keeps it that way.
The ’69 427/400 Roadster has numerous interesting changes and improvements. The L68 427/400 is the hydraulic-lifter,
kinder, gentler version of the L71 427/435 beast. Few sights in the world of Corvettes are as impressive as the big chrome triangle that hides the 3-2bbl carbs. A roller-cam and Hooker header side pipes really open up the L68 to power levels just above a
stock L71. For drivability, John installed a Keisler 5-speed overdrive transmission, and a mono-leaf composite/fiberglass rear
spring. The most often asked question John gets about this car are its unique side pipe covers. These are custom made and cover
a set of standard Hooker Header-side pipes. The covers are a stylish solution to the age-old problem of burned ankles and pant
legs with header side pipe Corvettes.
John’s ’96 Grand Sport is a beauty right off the assembly line. The only thing John has done to the car is replace the mufflers with low restriction units and the stock, dark metal exhaust tips with bright chrome tips
The 2001 Magnetic Red roadster was the first “new” Corvette John bought since Christmas 1965 when he got his first
Corvette. While the car looks like a regular LS1-powered 2001 C5, John has had some goodies added for extra grunt. The old
tricks still work. John installed a low-restriction intake manifold, headers, a low restriction exhaust system, and performance
chip to keep all the systems working together. The LS1 comes from the factory rated at 350-hp. After the performance parts
were added, the engine dynoed at 442-ph at the crank and 372 at the rear wheels. John says, “The kick REALLY comes in above
5000 rpm.”
And lastly, John’s ’08 Z06 looks like another strikingly good-looking Jetstream blue C6 Corvette, but under the hood the
505-hp LS7 has received a few improvements. The intake and exhaust manifolds are low restriction and John installed a performance chip. On the dyno, the modified LS7 pulled 585-hp at the crank.
John Meyerhoff has had a very interesting career as a Navy officer, a basketball coach, the executive director of Phi Kappa
Tau, and CEO of the Creative Education Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to fostering innovation, creativity, and
problem solving. John is definitely enjoying his retirement with his Corvette gal, Mary Carol.
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