Parts Run

Yesterday I went on a parts run. I drove to Alvin to buy a set of exhaust manifolds for the 5.3 LS engine I plan to use in the 1953 Chevy Wagon. The drive to Alvin is vastly different from how it was a few years ago. It is about a 15-mile drive from Dickinson to Alvin. Nice afternoon cruise. I used this road to test-drive cars I had modified, as it had little traffic. There are some long, straight stretches where I could go wide open throttle. Not today, however. It was a constant flow of traffic going there and returning home.

I remember when I first bought my Corvette in June 1985, I took it on this road to see what it could do. The 1978 Corvette is anemic compared to its predecessors, but it performed well at top speed. I got the Vette up to 140 easily and had pedal left to go faster. The problem with the C3 body style is that the front fenders are the same shape as the top of an airplane wing, so the front end tends to lift up at speed. When I felt the front end get lighter, I backed off the accelerator. I was pleased with the low-performing Vette. One funny thing happened on that high-speed run in 1985: I passed a compact car that was going the same direction I was traveling. I passed him at 140 mph. There were three people in the car, and I saw all three heads swivel as they watched me fly by. Right after I passed, I backed off and never tried to see what top speed the Vette would do again. Don't get me wrong, I did street race a few times, but never a top speed run.

As I drove the road yesterday, it was a pleasant drive, but lots of vehicles traveling in both directions. So different that it had been.

On a side note, the young man I bought the manifolds from is one of the many young people who are the future of the hot rod hobby. He has an early 2000s short-bed truck that he is LS-swapping. It now has a 4.3 V6. He did not need the manifolds since he is going with headers. He had a work shirt that showed he worked at a Toyota dealer. I asked him if he works there, and he responded that he is a Tech. To put it in terms that I understand, he is a mechanic. After talking with this young man, I knew the future of the car hobby would be in good hands.