MikeC

Please excuse the length, and any grammatical or spelling errors as I'm not proof reading this thing!
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This weekend after dropping my frame off to get cleaned, I stopped by Norval's house to meet him and drop off a couple of spindles that I gave him so he could use them to experiment on.

First off, Norval is a very nice reserved person. He has way more knowledge in that head then I'm sure we'll ever see here. He has a thirst for knowledge and an addiction to experimnting. If Norval sees an idea that he thinks will help immprove the peformance or drivability of his vette believe me he'll do it just for fun. To Norval, a relaxing afternoon is sitting under his car in the grass, checking and modifying his bumpsteer just because it isn't exactly what he wants yet.


Ok now to the meat and potatoes, what you all openned this thread for....... The VETTE. We walk back into is well equipped shop see the vette sleeping on some carpet in the garage. We talk about his plans for the shop and the vette, walk around it.... oggle it..... drool a little bit.... OK enough teasing with the blower cleavage... lets see that engine..... Oh yeah there we go... Norval would not go into deails of the engine too much other than some large by Huge heads and a healthy roller cam.

He gets in and fires it up, no hesitation, no sputtering, not extremely loud. Just idling like a stock engine.

AFter checking the underside of the car out on the ramps, he say lets go.... I warm it up a little bit before you get behind the wheel.

We head out onto a two lane road he's taking it easy not bringing it above 2500 rpm( his car is as fast or faster than my vette at this point). We pull into a gas station.... exchange seats, all the while every person in every car in the intersection is staring at this bright red beast.

I get in.. Buckle up and release the line lock, Put the Tremec into 1st, ease the clutch out... just about stalling it... THis clutch has about 2" of travel. I get her moving nice, taking it easy... keeping the revs down..... man the Tremec shifts effortlessly. We go for a few blocks, getting my bearings on the steering and brakes. I give her a small pull up to around 100MPH... Holy Crap is this thing fast( I never went past 1/3 throttle).

WE come up on a car..... I wait for a car coming in the other direction, much to the protest of Norval "You could have made it no problem", yeah but it isn't my car..... I downshift into 3rd give it about half throttle, Holey Sheit!!!! this thing is fast... He requests more judicious use of the throttle... OK here we go..... I feel the back tires starting to spin( this is at about 50-60MPH) the rear end sways ever so slightly as I am passing the car..... I ease her into 4th give her some gas again.... wow its like the car developed more HP I am still accelerating at the same rate..... I put it into 5th and let off and nail the brakes as we are doing around 130MPh and we are coming up on a car.... which I past and give her some more.... then ease off as we are coming nito a populated area.

He shuts the fuel pumps off a block before his house, we ease up into the driveway and I shut her down.

This car is the most docile, user friendly vette I've been in. The ride is amazing.... no squeaks, groans or rattles. We hit railway tracks at 50mph, and I thought I was in a Caddy.

The horsepower is never ending on this thing. I never looked at the tach much but I am sure I never went over 6000rpm probably not ever 5500RPM.

He said the car used to be a low 10 second car with a BBC on nitrous, a TH400 and slicks..... Car right now, I personally think would be a High 10 sec car as it sits now with the tremec and street tires.

Norval, Thank you very much again for the ride of a lifetime. I now have a perma-grin :D

79VetteMike

Hey Norval-where does the line start?

Alwyn678

Sweet I bet the car is a beast...........Not sure I would let someone who did not know the car run it like that on the street ......... :eek:

zwede

Those are the nicest cars. Easy to drive. Reasonably quiet. Ride well. And go like stink! :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

Brutus

It'd be worth the air fare just to come all the way over to Canada and let HIM drive ME around the block! :yesnod:

MotorHead

Nice, I was waiting for the part where you say "Then I woke up " :lol:

Desertdawg

Cool story, thanks for the dream.... :thumbs:

75Rag

MikeC, when we met for a pop just after the ride, I couldn't beleive how big your eyes still were .............. and that stain in your pants ..... well, not attractive. :jester

Surfer69

Norval posted a pic in the thread "post your pic here" if no one has seen his car.


[Modified by Surfer69, 8:53 AM 9/16/2003]

MikeC

My eyes are still that big.... and that stain.. keeps on coming back everytime I think about it! :lolg:

69 N.O.X. RATT

That is a cool story, Noval is one of the guys on the forum I would really like to meet.

Fevre

So my car is no longer the 'ultimate' C3? :) Give me some time and I'll see if I can regain the title. :lol:

stpman

Me to

Steve :steering:

74-Roadster

Great story! And yes Norval is one of the nicest most knowledgable people I've met on the forum. The man can do it all.

Sure wish I could drive that car someday! :D

norvalwilhelm

Guys you are starting to make me blush.
Mike one of the spindles you gave me is almost done, I cut it just above the boss for the large bolt and added a 1 1/2 inch section. It is welded and sitting on my bench now ready for finish grinding then paint. I will post pictures of the jigging, the piece before welding and the finished product beside a stock peice in a day or two.
Mike it was a pleasure meeting you too. :) :)
There are lots of guys on the forum that I would like to meet also.

ZD75blue

Great story!

I'd like to build one like that :cool:

Norval, sounds like your cars even nicer then you describe! :cheers:

bence13_33

Norval is definitely top of his game. He has helped me through many issues that I have dealt with pertaining to my car....even gave me some love advise along the way ;) . You would be hardpressed to meet a finer human being.

Mike:
I'm jealous, you've done something that I have been wanting to do, which is meet Norval in person. Of course it would also be nice to ride in his 'Vette, but I think I would enjoy the conversation with him more. I bet it was a ride you'll never forget.

:cheers:


[Modified by bence13_33, 12:52 PM 9/17/2003]

Patrick96LT4

Norval's car has been my wallpaper for the last 3 weeks. :yesnod:

MikeC

Shane,

Norval is one of the nicest people I have ever met. Generous to the breaking point(who else would let someone drive their pride and joy).
I spent a few hours with him having a couple of beers and chatting, Very nice to find someone you can hold an intelligent car conversation with. Most of my friends are either learning from me or are to redneckish.... "it ain't big nuf, put some more lift blocks in and get bigger tires." and to stupid to care about suspension geometry and chassis tech.
It was refreshing to have a conversation about suspension rather than engines(we did do some of this though).