Doug Watson’s 1979 Chevrolet Corvette

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As Jeremy Clark points out about the love affair with cars, “It’s what non-car people don’t get. They see all cars as just a ton-and-a-half, two tons of wires, glass, metal, and rubber, and that’s all they see. People like you or I know we have an unshakable belief that cars are living entities. You can develop a relationship with a car and that’s what non-car people don’t get. When something has foibles and won’t handle properly, that gives it a particularly human quality because it makes mistakes, and that’s how you can build a relationship with a car that other people won’t get.” Take the 1979 Corvette. It probably caused owners more headaches and heartaches. Not from the car, but from trouble with middle-age crisis, such as palimony suits, broken marriages, bribing traffic cops, alibis, excuses, and too many road trips to Vegas (activities that should have remained in Vegas). Such was the consequences of the fervour and appeal for the car. I can’t speak for Doug Watson, an owner of such an alluring car, but I would assume that I would have a drawer full of unpaid speeding tickets.

In 1978 Corvette added a few exceptions to its predecessor, such as the swooping fastback rear glass for aerodynamic styling and greater visibility. This change also increased cargo capacity from 7.8 to 8.4 cubic feet, but Chevrolet didn’t add an opening rear glass hatch until the 1982 Collector Edition. Sales for 1979 reached an all-time high at 53,807 unites. A record that still stands today.

Never before had so many Corvette buyers been so willing to spend so much for so little performance was viewed incredulously by critics. Engine options for ’79 were: the base L48 5.7-litre V8, which is normally faster than passing gas, made only 195 net hp, or the top performer, the L82 5.7-litre, which produced 225 net hp, that is the engine that Doug’s Corvette originally came with. Road tests from the time gave a 0 to 60 time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 134 mph for the L82, not overly fast by today’s standards, but pretty quick for the day.

Skeptics from Car and Driver and Road & Track couldn’t understand the appeal for such stratospheric costs - over $13,000. Don’t forget, in the 1970s, that was one-quarter the cost of a house. Mind you disco, Kung Fu fighting movies, polyester, and the Ford Pinto were also in vogue. Having said that, the ’79 model set a benchmark for superlative design, especially evident in seductive ocean dark blue or midnight black, for it was, and still is, one of the sexiest American cars ever designed. “I had been looking for a ’78 or ’79 Corvette for about a year-and-a-half,” comments Doug. “I picked these years since a rubber bumper C3 met my budget range and I always liked the look of these models because

I felt the addition of the fastback window gave the C3 a sleeker silhouette. I also wanted the ‘Pace car’ front and rear spoilers that became an option in 1979.” Doug was looking for more power than stock as well as a 4-speed manual. When Doug purchased the car in 2019, the L48 engine had already been replaced after 60,627 miles with a 355 cu. in. Built by a race shop. “I also wanted A/C but I haven’t used it yet since I always have the windows down so I can listen to the music of the engine rumbling. And speaking of music, I haven’t had the radio on once for the same reason.”

The 1979 model was equipped with the usual assembly of standard Corvette accoutrements, including alloy wheels, power windows, rear defogger, A/C, tilt/telescope steering wheel, power door locks and a Delco AM/FM stereo. The car was fitted with a large-bore engine of short-stroke design with rugged cast iron heads, manifolds and cylinder block. Accolades were thrown around for its highway stability and impressive low-speed torque to avoid overheating during around town cruising. Dual snorkel air intake and larger diameter dual rear exhausts were a nice touch.

THE BODY I’VE ALWAYS WANTED

“The car was in very good shape when I bought it. The previous owner had the engine upgraded to a .03 over 355 cid small-block built by Ajax Race Engines that puts out a whopping 325 hp. This is a bear in wolf’s clothing and a Foliofax of racing pedigree, yet Doug has kept the original Corvette’s sleek, sophisticated street cred. If there is one thing that wears away on most classic Corvettes, like a B-listed Hollywood star, it is the seat upholstery. They have since been replaced. On-the-other-hand, Doug almost lost the front emblem. He discovered, to his horror, that it was barely clinging on only by friction whilst driving on the highway for 250 miles. “I soon added the missing speed nuts.”

The accessories on this car is like a Bucket List for a show car. “The car, in its traditional molded Fiberglass body construction, reinforced with a steel substructure, is adorned with Flowtech ceramic headers, Magnaflow SS mufflers, MSD CD ignition and distributor, GM Vortec heads, GM performance intake, Comp cam, roller tip rockers, and a Quick Fuel 750 carb. “I had rebuilt the transmission, front and rear suspension, brakes, and the 3.55 differential over the last nine years,” indicates Doug. “The carpet and seats were done in 2007.

I’ve kept the original Corvette dark blue, but it is due for a repaint and my intention is to add white Baldwin Motion stripes. One thing is for certain, it’s a driver, bar none.” When I observe Doug’s a car, or any car that is designed without a straight line - I realize it is curved-perfection. So I am taken aback as to how precise the fabrication and installing the completion must be to ensure a seamless fit. To restore such an assiduous design, it must be a nightmare, especially when fitting the doors and hood.

Since 1953, every boy, with oil in his veins, has dreamt of owning the pride of Chevrolet, a Corvette, and Doug was no exception. “This car is a culmination of a 53-year old dream. In 1966, when I was 11, the girl up the street from me, dated and then married, a guy who owned a maroon-colooured 1966 427 Sting Ray Coupe with side pipes. Seeing and hearing it on a regular basis ignited my Corvette love affair. Soon after that, I had my first and only ride in a Sting Ray - a silver vision - a 1966 model with a 327. The experience further cemented my obsession. But I could never afford the luxury of owning such an impractical sports car, so I drove more “sensible” vehicles, especially after marriage and parenthood. This past year, after years of listening to my moaning about wanting a Corvette, my long-suffering wife gave in and graciously helped to fulfill my dream.

The car couldn’t have had a longer historical road trip. It emerged from the assembly line from Corvette’s St. Louis plant on September 18, 1979 and was transported 2,258 miles to Squamish, British Columbia. Nine years later it crossed a nation (2,763 miles), ending up in Ontario. Doug is the fifth owner in Ontario, yet his car looks like it just rolled off the dealership floor. The previous owner had it since 1998. “I still get Goosebumps just looking at it, touching it. As far as driving it, well, that’s Christmas, my birthday and winning the lottery all in one. I still have difficulty believing I can drive it anytime I want, weather permitting. It always leaves a fixed grin on my face when I’m behind the wheel.” One thing that surprises Doug is that the car is a magnet, less for the old guys, but rather from little kids. “They love it and shout out their approval as I drive by. I have also fielded a lot of interest and questions at various car shows from the twenty-something crowd. It’s encouraging to see young people so interested.

What I worry about are governments pushing legislation (i.e. carbon tax, electric cars, driverless cars, etc.) that may end our desire to keep these classics. It would be a shame if we weren’t allowed to drive them.” In the meantime, Doug makes the most of his Corvette. “It is fast enough and a little loud and obnoxious, but what I love about it is that I drive the car, it doesn’t drive me. In my opinion, that’s the way a sports car should be.”

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