On the Road Again

I'm telling you, the Corvette Stingray had enough curves to make a woman jealous! 

There just aren't words to describe what it looks like to open the hood of a 35 year old car and see something totally new inside.  Our mechanic, Rex, did a great job installing the engine and now she runs and sounds fantastic.  We've been advised by the greater Corvette community to take it easy on the engine for the first few hundred miles until it's been properly broken in.  It's startling to imagine that the motor now powering a '76 Vette is younger than the motor in Mike's 2011 KIA.  We weren't able to go up in horsepower (which was recommended to us by many), but instead stayed true to the 350, 195 hp crate engine.  We did what we were able to do (which was basically what we could afford to do) to keep her going.  Maybe someday we'll be able to go above and beyond.

We received a long, long list of parts which were replaced during engine installment.  I would list them all here for documentation sake, but unfortunately, I have no idea what most of them are.  The only thing I can say for sure is that at least four gaskets were replaced and all eight spark plugs (much to Mike's disappointment--he and Steve spent an entire afternoon replacing the spark plugs not that long ago).  I believe several structural items were also replaced, along with the water pump.  It looks like a totally different car underneath that hood and I couldn't be happier.

Tonight we went for a cruise and a Toyota Camry wanted to race us.  We laughed of course, having twice the cylinders he had, but politely declined.  "We're breaking in a new engine," we said.  I don't think he believed us--probably he thought we were too chicken, but that's okay.  Stella doesn't even have to be moving to catch the attention of everyone around her.  She's beautiful, you can hear her coming from a mile away, and she doesn't even have to hit 30 mph to be completely badass.  Don't get me wrong, that Camry would've gotten creamed, but Stella doesn't have anything to prove.  ;)

See?