Here is the next car on my list. We have to go back a year to the summer of 1989. I had finished the spring semester at Magnolia and was preparing to go to the ROTC Advanced Course at Fort Riley, Kansas in July. I was in an advanced placement program and was going to get commissioned there after completion. I had quit my job in Magnolia and moved “home” until it was time to go. When I got home I found two Corvettes. Dad had been buying sports cars at heavy equipment auctions again.
The first was a 1974 L88 with 454 engine. It would have been a great except the front end was completely smashed.
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And the second one was this cool little red 1977 Vette with factory wire wheels, luggage rack and the sad little stock 350 engine.
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The 77 Vette had been running until Daddy and a "lady friend" has gone for a little afternoon cruise. He said the lights got really bright and then everything electrical quit working. And Daddy didn't work on anything unless he could stand between the front wheel and the engine.

When I saw the battery, I knew what had happened. The voltage regulator in the alternate had frozen and the alternator had fried the electrical system with too many volts. And of course, the battery was bloated and cooked.
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Luckily, there was the L88 for parts. I know a smarter move would have been to cannibalize the 77 Vette to fix the 74 L88. But that would have been too big a project for cars that were bought on a lark. Every afternoon after finishing up on some truck or heavy equipment, I’d work on the red Vette. And then at dark I’d drive to Arkadelphia and run for a couple of hours. Arkadelphia is a beautiful little town with two universities and is sort of situated between two rivers. And there was nice jogging trail that covered about half the town. It was also in a “dry county” back then meaning it was illegal to sale alcohol. So it was very safe to be out at night running on the trails and down the city street.
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When I had finished cannibalizing the L88 for electrical parts and bulbs, I put a dealer tag on the red Vette and began driving it to Arkadelphia every evening with the t-tops off. There’s nothing like being in a C3 Vette. It draws lots of looks and everyone thinks it’s cool. I only wish it had a place to lock up the tops securely like the Fiat had under the hood for its one-piece top.
Of course, both Vettes were soon sold after that. But I’ve always wanted one since then.