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Car show season is once again upon us, and this year Corvette Online kicked things off with the Temecula Rod Run in Temecula, California. Hosted in the city’s historic Old Town, gearheads from near and far gathered to show off their rides, partake in the local grub, and enjoy the live music.
What’s great about this event is that it brings out an entirely different side of the Temecula Valley, which is primarily noted for its vineyards and world-class wineries. Prior to checking out the show for yourself, you’d never guess that Temecula has such a strong car culture.
While the show is full of diehard car buffs and more killer rides than you’d ever guess, casual observers can join the party, too. The Temecula Rod Run encourages those who are young or inexperienced to take it all in as much as it does for lifelong enthusiasts.
While wandering the event, you’re greeted with beautiful cars and genuinely friendly, approachable owners who would love nothing more than to sit down, grab a couple of cold ones, and talk cars with you.
As a matter of fact, that’s just what we did when we arrived. No doubt, out of the several hundred cars being shown off there were plenty for us to drool over, but (naturally) we had our eyes peeled for Corvettes.
The Temecula Rod Run attracts a vast range of American muscle, sports cars, and cruisers – ranging from old-school rat-rods to late ’60s and ’70s street machines. There isn’t much of a limitation to what style of car can be shown, either; wild customs to killer restomods to concourse-level restorations – if it’s classic and it looks good, you’ll see it here. Thus, as you’d expect, we were presented with an incredible assortment of iconic Mopars, Fords and Bowties.
While finding Corvettes wasn’t necessarily a needle-in-a-haystack sort of task, they were definitely far and few between compared to the mix of other machines present. This relative rarity added to the “wow factor” of each Corvette we did bump into – and each one was more glorious than the last.
But, as difficult as it was, we had to pick three of our favorite ‘Vettes at the Rod Run. Here are the three that stood out to us:
1. All-Stock 1965 L76, Keepin’ It Classic
The first Corvette we came across was located right in the middle of the show. However, with it nestled between a cluster of other cars and a few bushes, we might have actually overlooked it if not for the impeccable Nassau blue paint.
Once it did catch our eye, we knew we had to stop and get a closer look. The owner, David Meredith, was posted up in a lawn chair right behind the machine, entranced by his own car (and we can’t really blame him).
David told us that the car is all factory stock, with the original L76 engine option and all suspension and driveline components exactly as they came from Chevrolet. Behind its 327-inch, 365-horsepower mill sits the original Muncie M20 four-speed transmission.
Disc brakes sit at all four corners, tucked behind the signature knockoff wheels. Naturally, he intends to leave the car as is – his only plans for it are to keep it up and running.
The previous owner had the car for 15 years, but David has only had it since January of this year. He explained how he’d always wanted a classic Corvette, but had been seriously looking for a C2 for many years.
But, as just about any gearhead can identify with, life kept getting in the way; every time he found one, the timing wasn’t right. Eventually, David found this ’65 and knew it was too good to pass up. He finally pulled the trigger and made his dream come true. From what we could tell, he couldn’t be happier.
We asked David what he likes most about the car, and he said “I love driving it, sitting in it, looking at it… I just love it.” But while he’d be perfectly content drooling over it all day (and frankly, so would we), he makes sure the car gets loved like it was supposed to by driving it three or four times a week.
In our opinion, this is exactly the sort of relationship an owner should have with their Corvette – one where the blissful mesmerization doesn’t ever seem to wear off. It seems like that’s what David’s in for with his C2, and we’re sure that he will enjoy it for quite a few years to come.
2. 1962 Restomod, The Best Of Two Generations
The next Corvette we came face-to-face with ditched the “all-original” approach entirely. Unlike David’s old-school C2, this 1962 C1 went almost entirely custom – it was incredibly low, wide, and hard to miss.
Also unlike David’s C2, this ‘Vette wasn’t tucked away to be lost in the crowd, but instead was sprawled out on an open stretch of the street right in the middle of Old Town, as if it had its own clearing to show itself off. This, of course, isn’t to say that it was lonely; the entire time we stood near the car, people were gathered around to get a closer look. The car could certainly draw a crowd.
The owner, Dale Thurman told us that car was, in fact, widened six inches in the back (three on either side) to accommodate larger tires. This gives the Corvette its unusual stance; it’s not something you’d expect to see on a C1.
Dale said that when he bought the car back in 1977, it had been set up for drag racing. According to him, the car was a basket case. The previous owner had put in a Mopar rear-end, cut out the frame’s X-support, altered the engine bay to fit a big-block, and stripped out all of the wiring and interior.
The ‘Vette’s sorry condition wasn’t enough to deter Dale, however. He had been seeking out a ’62 for some time, and was glad he found this particular one because it gave him an opportunity to build his Corvette from the ground up.
Dale started by sending out the frame to have it fixed up and converted to accept C4 components. He then got to work implementing the ’96 Corvette’s suspension at all four corners, with Bilstein shocks and an adjustable front suspension. The engine is the LT-1 out of a ’96 C4, built up to Dale’s standards: a blueprinted, balanced and decked block; heads altered to receive LT4 valve springs; three-angled, SuperFlow valves; a Chevy hot cam; and a custom computer.
A 1996 C4’s ZF six-speed transmission changes the gears, and a custom-made driveshaft delivers power to the 3.73-ratio gears in the C4 rear-end. To bring the whole party to a halt, Dale installed 12-inch slotted disc brakes up front and 10-inch discs in the rear, which hide behind the ’96 ZR1 wheels.
The interior, Dale told us, is completely custom. VDO gauges sit behind the custom steering wheel, six speakers make up the Pioneer stereo system, and the upholstery looks fresh and compliments the ‘Vette well. All in all, the project took Dale 10 years to complete, but it’s been in its current state for 12 years.
Dale said he is more than happy with how it all turned out, and there’s not one thing he doesn’t like about it. He loves that it looks like a beefed up C1 and drives like a C4. We also love the with the way it looks, and obviously judges do, too – it has garnered an impressive 40 awards at shows over the years. But then again, it’s hard not to love the craftsmanship and creativity that went into this build.
3. Impeccable 1968 L71, The True Show Car
The 2016 Temecula Rod Run ended on a high note – this C3 was not only the last ‘Vette we got up close and personal with, but also the last car we checked out that day. Much like David’s C2, this car took a bit of searching to find; it was buried in rows of vehicles in the very back of Old Town.
When we did finally come across it, it was instantly apparent that this was one of the best machines at the show. We talked to the owners, the Lloyd family, who were as excited about the car as we were.
Everything on the Corvette is all original and in excellent condition. The show-level LeMans Blue paint with the white and silver rally stripes caught our attention right off the bat, but the closer we looked the more impressed we were with how healthy the whole car was.
Under the hood sat the factory L71 engine – a 427-cubic inch, 435-horsepower big-block, with signature 3×2 Holley carburetors – mated to the close-ratio Muncie four-speed transmission. The car is also equipped with the factory big brake option, and all interior parts – power windows, power mirrors, and AM/FM stereo radio – are original and in working order.
The Lloyd family has owned the car for less than one year, and in that time have only had to do a few things – such as replacing some minor engine components and rebuilding the carbs. Fortunately, it was already in great shape when they bought the car; it had been stored most of its life and was well cared for.
Originally, they were hunting for a classic muscle car to turn into a pro-touring build, but found this car instead and fell in love. Now, their only plans are to keep it stock, and in good shape.
Another great aspect of this Corvette is its extensive history, which the Lloyd family was able to dig up. As it turns out, they are the third owner of the car. The original owner purchased the car along with a matching 427 Corvette in white and blue as a “his and hers” package from the dealership – one for himself and one for his wife. In 1985, the husband passed away and the widow had both cars placed in storage until 1996. She first decided to donate the pair to a charity, but instead chose to sell them individually.
At that point, the Corvettes were split up. This car came to its second owner, who continued to maintain its superb condition until the Llyod family ultimately claimed it as their own. It’s uncertain where the other Corvette is, but the family is working to track it down and reunite the pair.
While the car’s history is certainly impressive, we were more impressed by the family’s dedication and determination to get to know the story behind their Corvette. The Lloyd family is truly head over heels for their car; they spoke about it and its background as if nothing else in the world mattered, and we think that’s just how it should be when you own a Corvette.
It turned out that the judges were just as star-struck by the C3 as we were. The Lloyd family received the 2016 Temecula Rod Run Best In Class award in the True Factory Muscle Class, marking the Corvette’s first show and first award.
Between David’s C2, Dale’s custom C1, and this C3, we are glad to see that the Corvette lifestyle in Temecula is alive and well.
