Head Turner
Romeo MartelloMassapequa Park, NY
'79 C3 Coupe
I rescued this '79 Corvette from a dusty garage in Long Island. It had 89,000 miles on it, an L-82 engine, a four-speed transmission, T-tops, and A/C. The interior was decent, but the black paint was fading in some spots. All the gauges worked, except the one for the oil pressure. I found that out the hard way when the engine seized for lack of oil in 2005.
Knowing the motor was going to need a rebuild, I decided to juice it up a bit. A new set of pistons, some lifters, and a cam later, the car is now pushing 350 hp. I changed the headlights and added a "Twin Turbo" hood, which I think goes well with the headlights. In October 2007, I finally decided to paint the car, and now it looks great. In March 2008, I had the interior done. I love driving the car all over Long Island and turning heads.
Low-Mile Looker
Vincent WongLong Island, NY
'02 Z06
Here is my 6,500-mile '02 Z06. The interior still smells new and looks just like when I purchased it off the showroom floor six years ago. This is my third Corvette and my second C5. My past Corvettes were a '96 Grand Sport and an '00 FRC. My current Vette dynos 385 hp at the rear wheels thanks to a VaraRam intake, American Racing headers and x cross-pipe, a 160-degree thermostat, and a tune from Corvettes of Westchester in New York. Other mods include clear turn signals, a suspension lowered on the stock bolts, 18-/19-inch Hyper Black Z07 wheels wrapped in Michelin PS2s, and C6 Z06 brakes. To keep my Z in like-new condition, I installed a full clear bra, and I keep it shined with Adam's Polishes.
9-11 Tribute
Joseph SykesVineland, NJ
'99 C5 Coupe
I'm looking at the "United We Stand" Corvette in "Glass Menagerie" (Aug. '08) and am delighted that another vehicle has been done with this theme. Still, I'm a little partial to my own "tribute" Corvette. I am very proud of my car because I started on it the day after the 9-11 attack and because it was picked by GM to appear on the 50th Anniversary Corvette commemorative CD. This picture was taken on the entry dock to the USS New Jersey on September 11, 2007. As the seventh anniversary of that somber day closes in, I am very interested in having my Corvette shown to the Vette community.
Think your Vette is Menagerie material? Just send a photo of the car, a brief (or, if you prefer, no-so-brief) description, and whatever else you'd like to Vette Magazine, c/o 'Glass Menagerie, 9036 Brittany Way, Tampa, FL 33619. You can also e-mail the information to vette@sourceinterlink.com with "Glass" in the subject line. So what are you waiting for?