Corvette Central has issued a recall for two fuel pump flex lines that were PURCHASED AFTER 8/30/11.  They have the part numbers 351415 and 351144,and are used on 1956-62 Corvettes.  These flex lines may leak due to a faulty crimp on the hose end.  If you purchased one of these products after 8/30/11, please stop using it immediately and contact Corvette Central (800-345-4122) for information on how to return it.

General Motors has issued a recall for  5,755  2011-12 Corvette coupes for potentially faulty hatch hinges that could break loose in a crash.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the rear hatch hinges on cars built between January and September do not meet federal weight capacity requirements.  The NHTSA campaign ID Number is 11V491000.  GM will notify owners per the comments in the official release below.

Report Date : October 9, 2011 at 12:45 PM
NHTSA Campaign ID number : 11V491000

Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
CHEVROLET / CORVETTE 2011-2012
Manufacturer: GENERAL MOTORS LLC Mfr’s Report Date: OCT 03, 2011
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V491000 NHTSA Action Number: N/A
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
Potential Number of Units Affected: 5,755
Summary:
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET CORVETTE COUPE VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 24, 2011, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1, 2011, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NUMBER 206, “DOOR LOCKS AND DOOR RETENTION COMPONENTS”. THE REAR HATCH HINGES MAY NOT MEET THE LOAD REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN THE SAFETY STANDARD.
Consequence:
THE REAR HATCH COULD SEPARATE IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy:
GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH REAR HATCH HINGES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 7, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.
Notes:
GM’S SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS 11258. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

The event, coordinated in conjunction with the Registry of Corvette Race Cars (RCRC), took place August 21, 2011 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  Over 40 significant racing Corvettes were present (including the Corvette C6.Rs that raced the previous day in the American Le Mans event), along with noted racing drivers including Tony DeLorenzo, Bob Bondurant, Dick Guldstrand and many others.  Enjoy!

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Corvette Central is pleased to introduce correct push-down antennas for C1 Corvettes, available in three versions: 1956-58 (early), 1958 (late)-60 and 1961-62.  Our new assemblies not only reflect the attention to detail that judges are looking for during shows, but our dedication to producing the highest quality parts possible.  As an example, the antenna tips on all three versions of our C1 antennas are identical to factory specifications.

161021 (1956-1958E)
Correct push down mast antenna as original. No rings on mast.  Fully extended, the mast is 45 inches. Normal height, not extended, is 11.5 inches. The mast pushes down into the antenna approximately 2 inches as they did from the factory.

161017 (1958L-1960)
Correct push down mast antenna as original. Features rings on mast.  Fully extended, the mast is 45 inches. Normal height, not extended, is 11.5 inches. The mast pushes down into the antenna approximately 2 inches as they did from the factory.

161016 (1961-1962)
Correct push down mast antenna as original. Fully extended the mast is 26.5 inches. Normal height, not extended is 15 inches. The mast pushes down into the antenna approximately 5 1/2 inches as they did from the factory.

Watkins Glen is known as the “birthplace of Sports Car racing in the US” after World War II.  “The Glen”, as it is commonly called, is a road course race facility owned by the International Speedway Corporation.  It has hosted road racing events for almost every sanctioned class (including many that include Corvettes) for over 50 years.

The town of Watkins Glen (population 4,654) sits in a valley at the foot of Lake Seneca in the scenic “Finger Lakes” region of upstate New York.  In 1948, in the interest of organizing a place to host auto races, officials laid out a 6.6 mile circuit.  The start/finish was on Franklin Street, still one of the main thoroughfares in town.  The course climbed up to and through Watkins Glen State Park and descended steeply back downtown.    In 1951, GM stylist Harley Earl was invited to display his Buick Le Sabre at the Watkins Glen races.

Harley Earl and his Le Sabre show car

Inspired by the spectacle, he went home and designed the Corvette.  The rest, as they say, is history.

The Corvette's Motorama Debut

When it opened in 1953, the new 4.6-mile (7.4 km) course also used existing roads in town. The Watkins Glen Grand Prix Corporation was formed to manage spectators, parking and concessions. This arrangement lasted three years before a 2.35-mile (3.78 km) permanent race course was constructed on 550 acres (2.2 km²), overlapping part of the previous course.  It was designed by Bill Milliken to be a smaller version of the original street circuit and laid out by several engineering professors from nearby Cornell University.  Along with the annual Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) race, the track hosted its first professional race in 1957 (NASCAR Grand National Division) and became truly international when the Formula Libre race attracted some of the best road racing drivers in the world, including Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, Phil Hill and Dan Gurney from 1958 through 1960.

Aerial view of the town of Watkins Glen

The original course map for Watkins Glen

Racing fatalities on public roads brought these courses to an end.   A new closed course was designed and opened in 1956.  This latest circuit, known as Watkins Glen International, has hosted legendary Sports Car, Formula 1, Indy Car, NASCAR and Sports Car Vintage Racing under the sanction of SVRA.

Aerial view of Watkins Glen International

Pictured below are some RCRC members and their cars at a recent SVRA event held at Watkins Glen.   Ric Rivette, Ken Mennella and Jeff Bernatovich collectively have 10 more Corvettes at home.  Club memberships include the Solid Axle Corvette Club, the NCRS Adirondack chapter, the Syracuse Corvette Club, the Westchester Corvette Club and the Seneca Lodge Racing Club.

Frank Morelli and Ric Rivette race a 1961 C1 in Group 4

Ken Mennella races a 1963 C2 Grand Sport Replica in Group 5

Jeff Bernatovich runs a 1996 C4 GT1 tube frame chassis in Group 11

Here are some other Corvette racers seen at the Glen over the SVRA weekend.

Bob Wechsler

Tony Parella

Jim Glass

Edward Sevadjian

Clair Schwendeman

The Apex Corvette Racing Team is a regular at Watkins Glen.

Please share your questions and comments!

Written in collaboration with

Lineup at Monterey Historics

Corvette race fans take note!  Corvette Central is pleased to announce an alliance with the Registry of Corvette Race Cars (RCRC).  The RCRC was formed to “…preserve the heritage of Corvette race cars that keeps the Corvette legend alive”.  The organization maintains an active registry of all Corvette race cars, from C1 through C6, in various racing series, including but not limited to the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and many others.

Corvette Central will be publishing feature stories covering topics of interest from within the RCRC, with the goal of building awareness for Corvette owners and enthusiasts.  Look for updates here in the CC Blog, as well as Corvette Central’s Facebook fan page.  We have also established a gallery that will showcase many different Corvette race cars (most still actively racing) and events across the country.

The first installment will be an overview of Watkins Glen, the “birthplace of sports car racing” after World War II.  Stay tuned!

After class wins at LeMans and a few hiccups at Lime Rock, the 2011 season is shaping up to be as exciting as ever for the Corvette Racing team.  For your convenience, below is the complete 2011 schedule for the Corvette Racing team.

Where other manufacturers versions (pictured above on right) simply add double stick tape, our versions (pictured on left with arrows) go the extra mile with true mounting tabs just like on the originals.  The result is mesh grilles that will work on all C5 Corvettes, including the Z06.

Get your set today!  Part # 335120.

Corvette Central is proud to introduce a new online catalog developed exclusively for Corvette performance enthusiasts: Corvette Central Performance.

Corvette Central was established in 1975 to provide Corvette owners with uncompromised quality parts and accessories for every Corvette.  While we will never stray from that mission, we are always striving to better meet the demands of every type of Corvette owner, including those who want to attain improved performance from their already potent cars.   Our team of performance specialists has developed a catalog of the most innovative performance products available for all Corvettes, from C1 to C6.

Customers searching our online catalog will recognize some formidable performance part manufacturers, including Pfadt Racing, Kooks Custom Headers, Air Flow Research, Callaway and many more.  From simple upgrades to thoroughly researched and developed performance packages; from exhaust and electronics to superchargers and suspension, Corvette Central Performance will be able to meet the demands of this ever-evolving group of enthusiasts.

In addition to one of the most comprehensive performance parts catalog inventories in existence, we have developed Corvette Central Performance to be a technical reference center for Corvette owners.  We have partnered with journalist/Corvette guru Chris Petris and SCCA champion Corvette racing driver Danny Kellermeyer to bring you exclusive and frequent technical how-to articles and advice for maximizing the performance on your car.  We will continue to add new features to Corvette Central Performance as it evolves.

We invite you to visit and bookmark www.CorvettePerformance.com today.

Corvette Central and CorvetteCentralExhaust.com are pleased to introduce the Doug’s Headers line of exhaust components for C2 and C3 Corvettes.

Doug’s Headers, the most respected name in the header industry since the 60’s, began in 1958 as a small muffler shop in East Los Angeles, California.  The company expanded rapidly into a shop that designed and built innovative headers for muscle cars and many of the sport’s top drag racers. Cars with the famous “Headers by Doug” decal were consistently among the top performers in their various classes.

Doug’s Headers Corvette Side Mount Headers and Side Tubes are made for the 1963-1982 Chevrolet Corvettes and are available for both Small Block and Big Block powered cars. Doug’s thick 3/8” flanges and heavy 16 gauge tubing ensure peak performance and long life.  Other industry-leading features include machined sealing beads, polished primary tubes, CNC mandrel bent tubing, TIG welded ports and precision formed collectors.

Click these links to CorvetteCentralExhaust.com for more information.

For 1963-67 Corvettes

For 1968-82 Corvettes