"Love Is Blue"

Glenn's 1966 Pro Street Vette

Please Rate my vehicle & sign guestbook with your thoughts of it

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL PAGE CONTENTS:
Page#2: Construction Of 'Love Is Blue'
Page#3: Interior & Sound
Page#4: Parts Fabrication & Installation - HARD PARTS
Page#5: The Early Years Of My 1966 Corvette
Page#6: Trips & Journey Taken In 'Love'
Page#7: Other Corvettes I've Built Over The Years
Page#8: Cheesecake Photos w/ 'Love Is Blue'
Page#9: Construction of 1/25th tribute scale model of 'Love Is Blue' by: Ron Drechsler

MORE new photos posted! 

Photos from the Russian Magazine "Auto Tuning" with "LOVE IS BLUE" filling the cover, (below).

Also check out the new page #9 featuring a tribute 1/25th plastic scale model built of Love Is Blue!!

 From slowest to fastest...'Love Is Blue' is right at home with both!

The Direct TV blimp showing Love Is Blue on it's screen above right.

STS 126 Endeavour after arriving on the pad waiting to head into space, Sept. 19, 2008, below left,

STS 125 Atlantis & STS 126 Endeavour both on the pads behind Love Is Blue prior to launch, right.

 

 

 

...Says it all, and the most common view other's get of this ride!

 

Front tires: Yokohama AVS 345/35/ZR15 "custom blue lines" on Centerline Convo Pro 12"X15"
Rear tires: Hoosier Pro Street Radials 29X18.50R15 on 15"X15" Convo Pros by Centerline.

 
 

 

 

Now wrapped in a full custom home built body, designed, built & painted by me. The front & rear clips lift off of the mild steel tube space frame chassis built by Mike Loescher of Finish Line Racing. Sporting a 468cu.in. iron big block with Big Brodix 2 aluminum heads, custom pistons & Carrillo 'H' beam steel rods, Comp Cam solid lifter roller cam, backed by a JW Performance 'built' Turbo 400 trans w/ reverse manual valve body controlled by a B&M Mega shifter. A Ford 9" rear end with Strange center section & 31 spline axles, 3:50-1 gears, Tru Track locker, held in place by a 5 bar link, Koni/Eibach coil over setup.

 

 Let me show you my life's labor of LOVE.

Check out my videos from these photos of me driving by, this 'Stomp & Go' and videos shot from inside this blown beast as I do some burnouts and go through a couple of gears under MY VIDEOS!!

 

 

 

Don't fight the crowds! Enjoy a detailed history of my car in the comfort of your home. There are 8 pages currently with almost 800 photos to enjoy.

 

My wife, Kat, helping to clean it up for another showtime.

Kat showing off 'Loves'' recent trophies

& Glenn showing off more of 'Loves'' recent trophies.

 

Gainesville Dragstrip 1994. Exhibition passes.

 

1989 - 2008: Still racing many years later!

 

Speed World Dragway - Orlando, Florida - January 2007
Unloading in the pits

 

Suited up & ready to race again @ age 62. 40 years of drag racing and still going strong.

 

Sitting in the long staging lane, checking the gauges prior to a shakedown run.

Be sure to check My Videos for the passes I made @ Speed World.

 

Water box & staging.

 

Note the wrinkle on the sidewall on the second photo below.

Back again at Speed World Dragway in Orlando, Florida - May 2008!

 

The old 3x2 bbls set up (L) 1992 to 2004, vs. the new 2X4 BG 750 Mighty Demon set up below.

'Jiffy Tite' quick release fuel fittings & Moroso fuel pressure log.

 

Nitrous Express Fuel Rails. SIAS exhaust gas probe sensors in the headers & Taylor 10.4mm "409" Spiro Pro Race Wires.

 

Custom addition to the rear of the 'Shot Gun Bill' scoop I had made that holds the boost & fuel pressure gauges.

 

Rear of the Vette topless (as it usually is) on left. On right, with emergency canvas top on. 1989 Ford Tempo taillights. 4 Suppertrapp SS mufflers, now without the diffusers. NHRA mandated master kill switch is located left of tag area.

 

 

Underside shows the four tube, 2-1/2" stainless steel exhaust system (w/ crossovers to all four pipes and unique NASCAR inspired four-across flat collector for extra ground clearance I designed and had built.) (The 'G-Force Street Fighter' 5 speed is now replaced with a JW built Turbo 400).

 

The air tubes pick up the high pressure air under the car and exits it out the top vents, thus applying down force without spoilers. A big thanks to John Greenwood (IMSA driver & 24 hr Daytona winner) for his suggestion on this design idea. It really worked up to 180 mph, but that's where I lost my nerve!

Eric Christensen, owner of BNO, setting up 'our' baby for a trial break-in run on the dyno. He builds my engines, dyno tunes them, and maintaines the Strange rear end parts.

 

BNO Performance Automotive & Dyno Shop, Located at: 2427 Guava Dr., Edgewater, Fla. 32141 Phone: (386) 427-0390

 

MCCI/JET HOT, thermal, ceramic coated, headers. The thermal probes from SIAS. Pete was a really cool person to work with & is into drag cars.

 

Shifter holds the line lock button. The 'D' shaped steering wheel holds the nitrous & purge buttons! 10lb. Halon fire system in pass door. SIAS manual exhaust gas temp switch & gauge in center console. Military style flip up switches to control the various electrical systems such as fuel pumps, water pumps, nitrous, fans, etc.

 

New style seats with latest logos I designed. Time Machines, 9134 Eden Ave., Hudson, Fl., Phone: 1888-869-9577, did the stiching. (see pg.3 for construction of interior & more interior shots)

 

"I Can't Drive 55" & "Smoke 'Em Till The Wheels Come Off" decals. Childish, but oh, so true.

Anti collision LED brake lights (from a GMC Surburban), built into deck.
Old radiator exhaust vents since replaced with those Fiero grills on right

 

Two access caps. One is a stock 1966 Corvette lid (opened), used for access to the radiator's filler. The lower cap (w/ the "Love Is Blue" logo) is for filling the 18 gallon custom built fuel cell.

 

 

Notice the color difference in the two paint jobs here. Man that House of Kolor Kandy Blue sure pops!
Visible through the old grills (L) are the twin custom built aluminum radiators and Spal 12" puller fans built (by Be Cool) later replaced in 2008 with a new set by Tom DeWitts Radiators after I 'ballooned' the 'Be Cool' ones. (Not their fault)

 

Here is the Koni-Eibach coil over combination along with the C-4 front suspension (that I sanded and polished) and the Ford 9" rear with all the radiator housing and fuel cell removed.

 

Rear body clip being lifted off the car and resting on it's specially built rack.

 

Mike Loescher, owner of Finish Line Racing, built this custom aluminum diamond plate fuel cell. He ALSO built the chassis. Great welding skills, Mike!

 

Twin Holley Blue pumps and Fram filters (left photo) for separate nitrous & fuel systems before being replace with new Aeromotive units, right.

New fuel sump and lines. Blue tank is for water overflow from radiators.

 

 

 

Homemade motor plates, brackets, tubes, lines, etc. Old carb set up is on left, new updated set up is on right.

 

MSD-Digital-7AL2+ Ignition Box, HVA Coil, and Boost Control Box, all by Autotronics Control Corp. (MSD).

 

Joe Stranger, the electrician who helped me with some of the more complicated wiring and kept me from burning my vette to the ground. Joe works for Ropps Electric 311 N. Dixie Freeway (U.S.#1) New Smyrna, Fla., Phone (386) 427-3762 Thanks, Joe!

 

 

 

Nitrous Express rail and purge system installed & set up by Eric, head of D&E Total Performance 1955 Guava Dr. Edgewater, Fla. 32141 Phone (386) 402-8996 DANDETOTAL@EARTHLINK.NET. Drop by and see Dennis & Eric Konieczny's brand new multi-bay facility. They handel Nitrous & CO2 filling and carry a complete line of Hi Perf accessories including Bully Dog. He drag races a very HOT 5.0 Mustang, but I still like him anyway.

 

The massive drive shaft loop tied into the space frame & custom driveshaft from Gary's Drive Line 1643 State Ave. Holly Hill, Fla., 32117 Phone (386) 672-2900. I've destroyed a couple of transmissions, but never one of his drive shafts...yet. Thank you, Gary Osteen, you ol' "Dirty Bird".

 

Yet another broken trans!! This is the third one I've broken in the past few years. Here's whats left of one 'blow-proof' G-Force 5 speed manual transmisssion from my vette.

 

I switched to a built Turbo 400 automatic with manual reverse valve body and a custom 2600 RPM stall converter, built by: JW Perfomance Transmissions, Located at 1826 Balwin Street Rockledge, Fl., 32955, Phone: (321) 632-0247

 

 

A famillar sight to a lot of us: spending a lot of days & evenings, laying on our back with arms in the air...all in the name of 'LOVE'. Notice however, as always, there's one of my good friends right in the thick of things to help. Thanks, this time, goes to Mike Dean.

 

The door's air intake. (That grill in the door is from an MR2.)

 

The people on Daytona Beach go wild when they see it coming towards them.

 

 

 

These 4 shots are of a burn-out I was allowed to do while down at the Kennedy Space Center for the space shuttle launch on Nov.3, 1994. Chill, the road was closed. It's a real rush when you drop the hammer on this ride. 'COLOR ME GONE, BLUE'!

 

"Oops!"

 

While 'Mr. Policeman' wasn't too happy about the burn out...

 

...Larry & Vince, the Crash Test Dummies, gave it: "Two Big Thumbs Up"! Way to go guys.

 

Then I watched the shuttle lift off. What a sight!

 

 

I returned for another launch, this time 'Discovery' on May 31, 2008. Always a great experience to see the space shuttle go up on that loud flaming rocket!

 

 

NX rail system adjustable with jets from 100 to a 500 HP shot on B&M blower manifold (currently at a 250 HP hit)

JUST ABOUT THERE!! Putting valve covers back on after adjusting the Crane aluminum roller rockers. 

 

Bug's View of my new 'SHOTGUN BILL' airscoop.

 

 

View past the 2X4's & air cleaner from the driver's seat. Note Power Tour decals from 2004 & 2006.

 

 

New 'stinger' paint design.

 

'Marbalizer' effect goes down the top & underside of the deck as well as on the inside fender wells.

 

"Car Crazy"? Check this tattoo I had put on my arm for my 50th birthday that matches a drawing I painted on the left wheel well. I designed the tattoo, which starts with red hearts @ 1966, turning into blue each year till 1970, where they represent 2 years each thru the remaining years. The tattoo has been updated several times since, with more hearts up to the present year 2008! I also added a setting sun to it recently (R) to indicate the twilight years of my life, since I will turn 64 years old in September,'08. But I'm still just as "Car Crazy".

 

My friends; Jerry Harris (F) & Mike Dean (R) are always available to help. Dave Percy (w/ the wild handlebar mustache R top), has a great technical mind. He has some of the neatest diagnostic tools I've ever seen to help that mind figure out some of my more dificult technical problems. 

 

 

 

FRIENDS.
Without the help of good friends like Jerry Harris, Robert "Bear" Johnson, Mike Dean, Larry Godbold, and others mentioned elsewhere, this project would never have gotten where it is today. They always come when I need more help!

Yet another time the 'crew' helps swing the rebuilt motor back in. Another group of friends helping to put the blower assembly back on top of the motor after we got it in. Thanks goes this time to Dason, Devin, Jerred and Landy here (photo R).

 

 

The main CREW!
L-R: My good friend and helper, Mike Dean, my chassis builder, Mike Loescher of Finish Line Racing, another one who's always there to help is Jerry Harris. That's me and my engine builder, Eric Christensen of BNO Performance on the far right. These are some of the main guys who have been there over the past 2 decades to see that this projects keeps going forward when I needed help. Thanks, Guys!

 

"LOVE IS BLUE" IN PRINT; MAGAZINE ARTICLES OVER THE YEARS!

My X-wife, Sharon, (L) in 1968 sets TRACK RECORD backwards!

Not to be out done, I turned very quick times for 1969,frontwards! frontwards!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corvette Quarterly feature, Fall of 1975.

 

Regional National CCC Autocrossing Champ 2 years straight! In one of the toughest classes; 'raced prepared' full-on type racers! But I DROVE MINE there!!

 

You bet I raced this beauty,HARD!!

 

Vette Magazine feature, April 1981.

 

Auto X Magazine article Feb. 1986.

 

Hot Rod Magazine article on unfinished car, April 1992.

 

 

Hot Rod Power Festival: Aug 28, '94, Article in Hot Rod magazine 1994.

Corvette Fever Magazine article Feb. 1995.

 

Super Chevy Magazine multi page feature, April 1995.

Steve Reyes (R) shooting the feature photos for Oct. 1994 Super Chevy Magazine.

 

 

Ted Jones (Left) from ESPN's TV program, supervising the taping of my car for one of their shows, circa 1996.

Turkey Run @ Daytona Speedway. Filmed by Purto Rico TV station as well as for trailer used by the event for TV ads.

Photo (below) is of Pekka Leino, a photographer from Finland, as he shot photos for a feature in a Finnish car magazine called 'V-8', April 1997.

 

"Long Haul Gang" sign; Dallas Tx., to Green Bay, Wisc., & Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour 2004 passes.

 

 

2009 Updates!

While attending an event in Kissimmii Florida @ Old Town Octbober 2008 I drove LOVE off the end of the trailer and damaged the front end!!

I took her to the great folks @ American Super Cars in Spring Hill Florida and had them do the repairs and repaint as my health has caught up with me and I just couldn't do the work I've done myself all these years any longer. Phil Somers did an outstanding job (as I knew he would after the work on his wild V-7 Twin Turbo 1963 Vette that won GM's Design Excellence Award @ SEMA 2007) and he repeated my paint & graphic designs perfectly. Thanks Phil, and thanks to Grundy World Wide Insurance for the no hassel quick settelment of my claim for the damage!

 

 

Phil Somers repairing the fiberglass damage from driving car off the front of the trailer @ Old Town

  

Phil Somers of American Super Cars applying the base coat and the finished paint

  

 Loading LOVE up @ American Super Cars in Sspring Hill Florida after body repairs & paint

 

Phil's wild Twin Turbo mid-engine 1963 Vette built by his company ASC for SEMA that he said took styling ques from my 1966 Vette LOVE IS BLUE

2008 - Last year Updates

The Russian magazine Auto Tuning is out on the shelves as of May 2008!! The Cover is a full page spread and stunning, plus there are 4 other pages inside on the Vette!

It states (in Russian) on the cover: "Between them they have over 100 years together, Grandpa Smith & his Corvette".

 

 

 

Here is Jeff Wilson of STT Photo taking those photos. Check Page 8 for more photos with model Amanda Lodge.

 

At the end of the glamour shots, we tooks some long smokey burnout shots and video. Check MY VIDOES for the wild burnout videos.

 Sept. 15, 2007 Spectacular Event!!

We're back from Corpus Christi, Texas, where my Vette was 1 of 305 Vettes that set a Guinness Book World Record on the flight deck of the USS Lexington "The Blue Ghost" CV-16 on September 15th, 2007 for the benifit of the Wounded Warriors Project! What a moving and wonderful event this was.
Be sure to check out more photos from this event on: Page#6 under; Trips & Journey Taken In 'Love'.

 

 

WOW! Check these once in a life time shots of Love parked with the Space Shuttle Endeavour, Sept. 19, 2008 on the launch pad right after roll out. Endeavour is parked next to Atlantis on the pad to be launch later this year after Atlantic goes up to the Hubble telescope. Not everyone is lucky enough to get this close for photos with a space shuttle on the pad and this is the last time in history to have BOTH shuttles on the pad at the same time. VERY SPECIAL PHOTOS INDEED!!

...and here are some I took on the public side of the causeway with both shuttles' Atlantis and Endavour in the background. This will never be possbile again with two shuttles on the pad at the same time in the future.

Be SURE to also check out Page 8 for the internet magazine, Fast & Sexy (fastandsexy.com) photos from the shoot we did in Dawsonville, GA. September, 2007, that were posted October 2nd, 10th, 15th, 23rd, 25th, and 'behind the scene photos on the 31st 2007, You'll also find the photos for the Russian magazine. The ladies are worth looking.

 

2009 Updates!

Love Is Blue appears in the March 2009 issue of Chevy Hi Performance Magazine!

 

Have you got a wild custom from the 'old school'? Go to my group page & check it out@: http://groups.cardomain.com/groups/10351/pages/10452 and click request to join. When I approve it, you'll be in the group for others to find your "old school ride".

ADDITIONAL PAGE CONTENTS:
Page#2: Construction Of 'Love Is Blue'
Page#3: Interior & Sound
Page#4: Parts Fabrication & Installation - HARD PARTS
Page#5: The Early Years Of My 1966 Corvette
Page#6: Trips & Journey Taken In 'Love'
Page#7: Other Corvettes I've Built Over The Years
Page#8: Cheesecake Photos w/ 'Love Is Blue'
Page#9: Construction of 1/25th tribute scale model of 'Love Is Blue' by: Ron Drechsler