jimgessner

This past weekend January 9-11, 2014 Corvette enthusiasts ED WITTWER celebrated his birthday with good friend JIM GESSNER who is one day older. Both men are avid Corvette enthusiasts for the last 50 plus years. They invited 38 friends from across America and Canada to join them at Ed's shop, CORVETTE SERVICE, in Carpinteria, California.

The mission was to ''share'' knowledge of some of the rarest Corvette models ever built, namely a 1957 fuel injection model with the very rare AIR BOX and H.D. Brake and suspension option. 43 cars were built in 1957.

Also inspected were four very rare 1963 Corvette Split Window coupes with the rare Z0-6 Options. 63 models were built with the 36 gallon gas tank, fuel injection, HD Suspension and brakes.

Noted expert KEN KAYSER from Michigan gave a one hour review on GM Engineering history on the 1957 era. Ken was a Chevrolet POWERTRAIN engineer from 1968-2008. He also has authored a book on 1957 Rochester Fuel Injection systems.

Restoration Shop owner and 1963 expert TONY AVEDISIAN from Gaithersburg, Maryland gave the seminar on the rare 1963 Corvette Z0-6 cars. Tony has had his business TONY'S CORVETTE SHOP since 1976 and has restored over 350 early C-1 and C-2 Corvettes

Two days of history was recorded by LARRY NIMMER PICTURES . His DVD presentation will aid enthusiasts and Corvette historians. We hope this history will be saved for future generations.


The group photo. Attendees L/R include Andrew Wittwer, Bob Pinkney, Angus Russell, Frank Buck, Phil Castaldo, Chip Werstein, Art Armstrong, Larry DeJongh, John Neas, Tim Newslow, Bob Jones, Kent Browning, Jack Murray, Don Hooper, Jaime Gesundheit, Dave Gonzales, Randy Leffingwell, Greg Stephanovic, Tom McIntyre, John Justo, Brent Watterhouse, Andy Cannizzo, Ray DeCesare, Ken Kayser, Jim Gessner, Terry Michaelis, Tony Avedisian, Ed Wittwer

THE STAR ON FRIDAY WAS THE BLACK 57 AIR BOX CAR VIN #4007 THAT WAS RESTORED BY JOEL LAUMAN FOR BILL CONNELL. WHAT A TREAT TO NOT ONLY HEAR THIS CAR RUN AND DRIVE, BUT ALSO HEAR THE HISTORY OF THIS RARE CAR THAT WAS PRESENTED IN THE MORNING BY JIM AND KEN IN THEIR POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS. AFTER LUNCH,EVERYONE THEN INSPECTED THE CAR UP CLOSE ON A RACK. MANY OF THE ATTENDEES ALSO OWN AIR BOX CARS. OF THE 43 BUILT, 29 ARE ACCOUNTED FOR. OTHER SOLID AXEL ''BIG BRAKE'' CARS WERE PRESENT FOR COMPARISON.








ON SATURDAY, THE 1963 CORVETTES WERE THE STARS. THERE WAS A SILVER / RED Z0-6 TANKER UN RESTORED FROM RON TONKIN CHEVROLET IN PORTLAND, OREGON. WE ALSO LOOKED AT A RESTORED WHITE / SADDLE LEATHER Z0-6 TANKER, A SILVER / BLACK RACE Z0-6 TANKER FROM LUBY CHEVROLET IN DENVER, COLORADO.

ED ALSO SHOWED HIS VERY RARE 327/300HP/ 4 SPEED, CAR WITH AIR CONDITIONING AND THE RARE N0-3 BIG TANK. IT IS THE ONLY CAR LIKE THIS. THERE WERE TWO BIG TANK CARS WITH AIR CONDITIONING. A RED /RED CAR HAD AUTOMATIC POWERGLIDE. THIS SILVER CAR HAS THE 4 SPEED.























JACK MURRAY TALKING WITH Z0-6 REGISTRY FOUNDER BOB JONES. JACK TOLD US THE STORY HOW HE PURCHASED HIS BLACK / SILVER 1964 RACE Z0-6 OPTIONED CAR IN PORTLAND, OREGON IN 1974 AND DROVE IT TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. HE WAS SHOWING PHOTOS TO JONES WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. ONLY 29 CARS WERE MADE WITH THESE OPTIONS IN 1964. HOW NEAT TO SEE ALL THESE BIG TANK CARS AND COMPARE.

Dr L-88

Thanks for sharing Jim. Happy birthday to you and Ed. I KNOW everyone had a great time. Wish I could have attended. Thanks for the invite.

Nowhere Man

If anyone knows 63 and Z06 cars that would be Tony. He is a great source of info. Looks like a great time

SBR

Jim, I hope that you had a great birthday. It looks like there were some great cars in attendance. I love that black/silver 64!

jimgessner

An interesting note, the 63 SILVER / BLACK race car from Denver was originally purchased by ED SULLIVAN, a GM Engineer living in Denver. He sold the car after 4 months of ownership to MATT RURAN, a Colorado racer who raced the car in SCCA events as shown here on our REGISTRY OF CORVETTE RACE CAR site.

http://registryofcorvetteracecars.co.../view_cars/459

The same ED SULLIVAN, ordered a new 1964 Z0-6 optioned coupe in reverse color, BLACK with silver. The car had a little over 9000 miles when purchased by Jack from Ed in Portland, Oregon where he retired. Jack drove the car to California. I met Jack in 1973 at a So. Cal Corvette event with Bob Engle. I SMOG CHECKED the 64 at my Shell Station in Laguna Hills so Jack could get his 64 California tags and registration. He picked a personal plate 64 Z06 which were blue with yellow in those days.

Pretty neat to have those two cars in the group. The group enjoyed the minor differences in 1964 and 1963 Z0-6 factory construction.

mdz06vetter

Jim,

Looks like all had a great time! Is the DVD of the event available for sale?

Bluestripe67

Did you get everyone's Corvette DNA? That was one hell of a brain trust. Dennis

jimgessner

The ink is not dry yet. Will be a few weeks before we see and know.

Keith Carlson

Great thread and photos, thanks for sharing! Looking forward to the DVD!

Dr L-88

Put my name on one Jim.............................since I couldn't be there.

Rick Gower

Hi Jim,

Happy Birthday! Thank you for the great photo's and all that you continue to do for our hobby! With out your continual research much of the history of the corvette and the men and women who enjoy and have enjoyed them would have been lost. Thank you for sharing.


Rick Gower

jimgessner

Thanks Rick,
A good friend who I used to ride horses with said, ''WE ARE NOT HERE FOR A LONG TIME, BUT HERE FOR A GOOD TIME''
It brings me happiness to share.

Smooth66

Happy Birthday to you two! Looks like a great weekend!!

62corvette

Jim,
Email sent.
Regards,
Mike Ernst

65 fi

Jim, Belated Happy Birthday to you and Ed.

ohiovet

Jim

Happy Birthday and I wish you many more.

Bruce Bursten

jimgessner

Thanks Mike. Made an appointment for next week

jimgessner

Thanks for the lead. I met with JUNE DICKSON yesterday. Her husband BOB DICKSON race a 1956, a 1958 and a 1860 Corvette in CAL CLUB SCCA events from 1956 thru 1962.

We lost Bob in 2001. I am working with June in properly placing ''his stuff''

jimgessner

very close to production.

myred63

Happy Birthday!
I learn a little more everyday from people like you
and all the other members that are willing to take the time
to impart the knowledge they have amassed over the years!!!!!