Dick Guldstrand was in great form and I enjoyed his genuine enthusiasm about being at yet another Corvette event. I did not know he was attending and when he walked by on Thursday, he stopped and noted several small sheet metal stampings we had on display stating "Boy you know you are old when you recognize all these little pieces". That was my intro to meeting him and besides his genuine Corvette enthusiasm, was his fondness, humility and admiration when speaking about other Corvette folk, particularly racers like John Fitch.

I recalled that 25 years ago after I got out of LAX airport, I drove my rental car right past his shop in Culver City and he said "Why didn't you stop in?" And I was a dope for not doing so. I thoroughly enjoyed his book Corvette Thunder and recommend it to all if you are a Corvette lover. He was Roger Penske's first driver and a hell of a one before and after.

Below: Saturday a local St Charles resident showed me this piece of Corvette history. He admitted removing this 5x9 inch aluminum name plate from a set of dies in the Applied Composites plant in St Charles Illinois just a few year ago. He related they had two other local plant sites besides St Charles and that he had made "fiberglass" parts for Corvettes while he worked for them. Also Ram Air Pontiac hoods and parts for those parcel vans with extended head room. About 40 different Corvette die sets he was aware of, including fenders, hoods and surrounds. The 1976 date on the tag told me it was SMC parts, but he stated they called it FRP (fiber reinforced plastic). This die was around 35,000 pounds and the plants had their own steam plants necessary besides the huge presses forming these parts. This one made the outer hood skin only on 1977 (part number 375834). He related cutting the plastic sheets smaller for smaller pieces like fenders and mentioned adding sheets together when the part was a top surround. One of his jobs was to dispose of the blems, and the top surround blems were just too large for the dumpster and thus needed to be cut in half. An alternative solution was to take them home after giving the shift foreman $5 a piece. Said he could walk to work and actually see the plant from his apartment. He claimed in 2001 to showing a stack of 30 to vendor from Florida who gave him $100 each.

He asked me my opinion on this tags value and I estimated $100 to perhaps a $1000 but only to the right buyer.

Below: I swear this is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Before the recent 35th annual BG event in St Charles I read the contract that trade show exhibitors are provided concerning the Corvette content of their exhibits. I assume this is to screen out inappropriate content. Inside the MegaCenter indoor exhibits, I was perusing the display shown below with life size mannequins, including Willie Nelson, Elvis and Marilyn Monroe.

I asked the proprietor “Do you have Zora?” And he answered, “No, but we can do ‘er.” I replied, “You can do ‘er?” And he replied “All we need is her photograph”. I said it would be a long search for one.