Any car guy would love a C2 Vette in Goodwood Green. But this is more than just a great classic car to the Vice President. Watch this video.
⚡️ “Joe Biden got to take his '67 Corvette out for the third time as VP” ⚡️#JayLenosGarage https://t.co/u0lZfobckP
— Jay Leno's Garage (@LenosGarage) October 21, 2016
Every time he sees this car, he's reminded of his father whom I'm sure he loved. Every time he sees this car, he's reminded of his wedding with his first wife who died tragically. Every time he sees this car, he's reminded of his son Beau who also died tragically. I can't fathom the memories and emotions this hunk of iron and fiberglass stirs in him. The smells of combusted leaded gasoline and burned rubber, the clatter of sixteen pushrod-activated overhead valves and almost unfettered exhaust, the feel of the road through the bottom of the seat and the huge skinny wheel, the whole experience has to be moving every time he gets behind the wheel.
Maybe you never worked on a car with your father, or your father never had an American car with a big V8 and a convertible top, or maybe you saw your father every day so your only quality with him wasn't the drive to and from his house on Saturdays. Maybe this video doesn't choke you up from 1:15 to 2:20. Maybe you aren't a car guy. But if you are, you understand why I went from misty-eyed at the 2:10 mark to full-on "FUCK YEAH JOE!!" joyousness at the 2:27 mark.
I'm going to miss Joe Biden. I hope that in a few months he gets to drive his cherry Vette as much as he wants and that he enjoys everything it evokes inside him.
we're all gonna miss joe, man. i'm the last thing from a gearhead, but i love the design aspect of cars. that corvette is flat out beautiful. so much more interesting to me than the newer muscle-bound ones.
ReplyDeleteAwesome.
ReplyDeleteI have wanted a Corvette since I was 8. I've never even driven one. Seems like it's time.
Retired guy up the street from me has a Marlboro Maroon 1967 Corvette convertible with one of the lesser 427 engines. He also has a 1967 Austin-Healey 3000, a relatively new Audi A7 and a handlebar mustache. He is a role model.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered where Evan Lloyd went when he died.
ReplyDeleteChuck D says LL belongs in the RnRHoF before Tupac. I agree but I'm biased because of my advanced age.
ReplyDeleteThat's why guys in my car club call me "The Cruiser".
ReplyDeleteCatching up on yesterday's thread. The Ravenous Pig is indeed awesome. One of a number of quality spots in Winter Park which is one of two areas of the greater Orlando I'd choose to live if I had to live in Orlando (College Park being the other).
ReplyDeleteI also never knew Whitney's parents went to Rollins. Pretty cool, small college. Really good academically, solid sports programs and full of hot, rich, snobby girls who like blow. I mean, that's what I've heard.
My old man had a 67 Mustang until my late teens. Not a restored one but one he'd had since 67. By the time I can remember it had no AC, no working radio and one of the doors only opened occasionally. I loved that car though and my Dad drove it until it wouldn't let him anymore.
I'd put KRS-ONE in before LL and Tupac but what do I know.
ReplyDeleteThey should've called him "The Dork."
ReplyDeleteWinter Park is sweet. I think it wants nothing to do w/ Orlando. Lots of money there, and lots of cougars in form-fitting tennis outfits.
ReplyDeleteThis video is awesome--and there's a cameo by GCLP at the end!
ReplyDeleteI love Uncle Joe--he's legit charming in real life too.
My dad had a Triumph convertible in college, and my parents were feeling nostalgic in their 40s so they got another old Triumph convertible. Which I wrecked in high school. That was not a good day.
I'm not a "car guy" and really don't care about driving fast but I do love a convertible and that old vette is sweet.
Whenever I hit the push start of my Murano and shift the automatic transmission into "D", I am reminded that my wife made me sell my Z. This feeling subsides in the winter, when I can basically drive over and through the snow that the plow guys block my driveway with.
ReplyDeleteAnd you didn't meet any Southern car guys at our school because it was 1/3 populated with NY and NJ kids (and the VA kids went to high schools where they were required to wear a uniform).
I'd love to have a 911. That's it. But know I will never buy one unless I had sick amounts of money. It would play w/my conscience...couldn't do it.
ReplyDeleteMy forerunner turns 7 on new year's eve...have been itching for a new ride for the last year. Will probably end up with the Toyota for at least another year or 3, however I did just the other day drive the new Jaguar F Pace (Prestige model) It's pretty cool. The engine sounds lovely. But I'll continue to think of the dozen or so reasons why I shouldn't buy it, and it's not even an unreasonable purchase.
Car guilt is tricky. We ponied up for a nice SUV for the wife, but it was only $10K more than a Honda Pilot. Our second is a VW. It's fast enough and fuel-efficient. I'm on my second VW lease, and it's an angst-ridden experience b/c the dealership tries to bend you over on damages when you return the car, unless you swap into another lease. I'm thinking certified pre-owned w/ my next vee-hicle.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea if it's considered a great car from a performance standpoint, but I've always loved the look of the early 80's Corvettes.
My flight to Newark from Houston is delayed b/c somebody shat on a seat cushion on the inbound flight, and they have to find a new one. That couldn't have been a pleasant experience.
ReplyDeleteThe early 80's Vettes (1980-1982) are probably the most lowly regarded in terms of performance. If you dig those Coke bottle C3s then the ones from the late 60s/early 70s (e.g., 1969) are the move.
ReplyDeleteis joe biden dead?
ReplyDeleteYes, Dave. Where you been?
ReplyDeleteI'd agree that Winter Park wants nothing to do with Orlando, TR. Can you blame WP residents?
Random WP story. A friend of mine grew up there. When you're coming into its residential neighborhood there's a sign that reads "please drive with extraordinary care". One night he and another friend were fucked up and vandalized the sign so it read "please drive extraordinary car". It took months for the city to get around to fixing it. I still chuckle to myself when I see the sign.
And car guilt is weird. I decided that since I basically drive for a living it's worth it for me to spend more on a nice car with a good certified pre-owned maintenance package since my car needs more service than the usual and I'll save money on that service as well as oil changes, washes, etc. And that's why my wife drives a Honda Accord and I drive C300.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that rationale is perfect but it's what I'm going with.
DeleteI won't buy a car unless it has a tape deck. I finally gave up on finding one with crank windows.
ReplyDeleteI want a convertible, but I once had a soft-top Jeep and don't like the idea of not being able to store anything in the car b/c I can be robbed by somebody w/ a butter knife. Quandary, but a convertible has a trunk, I guess.
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of hardtop convertibles. If you get the Hemmings app you can find tons of crank window cars.
ReplyDeletemy 12 year-old just said, 'suck it, dad, mom ordered pizza'. this whole disciplinarian thing is going pretty well.
ReplyDeleteRob...I like you. Disciplinarian probably isn't your thing.
ReplyDeleteyeah, we've established that
ReplyDeleteToday is the 29 year anniversary of the greatest moment in the career of Tom Lawless. And, not coincidentally, the greatest bat flip of all time. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I suggest you google it.
ReplyDeleteA bye week for Florida means the wife and I are hitting up Epcot food and wine fest. Today also happens to be the first day in months with temperatures below 80. Nice timing.
ReplyDeleteTis a perfect day in F L A
ReplyDeletethe food and wine fest at epcot might be my favorite thing at disney. it's glorious.
ReplyDeleteIt really is. I drunkenly ogled the menu last night. I'll be fat and drunk by mid afternoon.
ReplyDeletezson got his first pair of hockey skates today. So begins my descent into misery.
ReplyDeleteyou going all zmarv zmarinovich on him?
ReplyDeleteIt was all his idea. I don't even know how to skate so no pressure from me.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from the Sneeki Tiki bar in Stuart FL. I wholeheartedly agree that FL in fall is nice.
ReplyDeleteDjzuh, I'm sneeki wasted.
ReplyDeleteStuart is a sneeki good Florida town. Also where I purchased my first fake ID.
ReplyDeletejoe biden is NOT dead. when i googled joe biden r.i.p. i got this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/videos/a31238/watch-vice-president-di/
As Rob can attest there are many themes shirts from groups of people at food and wine. None of today's editions beats my new Rap-A-Lot Records shirt though.
ReplyDeleteToad the Wet Sprocket is playing here today. /sad trombone
ReplyDeletePeople are randomly waking around and being like "is that Toad the Wet Sprocket" and the wife and I are cracking up every time.
ReplyDeleteAll I want is to walk on the ocean, but something's always wrong and I fall down.
ReplyDeleteJust ran into two friends of my former roommates from college (who became friends of mine through many weekend visits) on the ferry from Epcot to our hotel. Life is pretty cool, sometimes.
ReplyDeleteyou're staying in one of the resorts near the lake (or whatever it is)? we're thinking about that for our next trip. need some travel wisdom from you.
ReplyDeleteThe Cubs win was so much fun.
ReplyDeleteMade me cry and I'm a Nats fan.
And I heart Theo
Joe Madden is a cool dude.
ReplyDelete