I waited at the entrance of the parking garage for Rick and the Corv-8 to emerge. I stood there reviewing the details of the car in my mind; mid-mounted 350 cu. in. Chevy small-block with electronic fuel injection, lowered suspension, disk brake conversion, beefed up 4-spyder gear transaxle and an array of Crown conversion parts including sway bars, headers, and quick steering arms. An involuntary impish grin spread across my face as I remembered that the car had been Dyno-tested at over 300 hp. 

The high idle rumble emanating from the Corv-8's twin taper tip exhaust pipes resonated off the building as I lowered myself into the passenger seat. The interior was pristine, and as I buckled in, I scanned the array of VDO performance gauges in the dash pod and center section, over the radio. Vital functions would be properly monitored in the midday heat and traffic of Daytona Beach. Rick activated an array of switches under the dash, lowering the power windows and we were ready to rock! 

Corv-8 conversions often have improperly designed cooling systems, run hot and have overheating problems. Not this bad dog! After warm up, the coolant temperature settled nicely into normal range and stayed there!

With the 350 small-block only inches behind the front seats, I expected interior noise levels to be high. Surprisingly, even under hard acceleration, the interior was relatively quiet. With the windows down, we heard the exhaust note more than any sound from under the engine cover, which Rick designed provide both good fire protection and sound insulation.

There wasn't time to complete the the installation of the air-conditioning or the stereo in time for Daytona, and neither system was missed as we cruised and enjoyed the unique character of the extremely well executed performance machine.

Above, Rick smiles beside his favorite Corvair. Later, on Saturday night at the banquet, we'd see that same smile again, and that of Rick's wife, Janet, as they learned the Corv-8 had won gold in the Concours. When Rick moved to the podium to accept the award, Janet proudly jumped up to snap a picture, and it was obvious she enjoyed the well deserved moment as much as Rick did.