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codynaomiswireart · 6 years

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“Gauze in the Wound” - Part 10

Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9

“Crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you have to decide what to do.”

~ C. S. Lewis, The Silver Chair

“I cannot believe you fools!” the Commander shouted to the line of agents that stood at attention before him, most of them flinching back as he ranted on, and doing their best to keep their balance on the swaying deck beneath their feet as the ferry glided southward along Corona’s western coast. “How!? Tell me, HOW did some of Saporia’s top operatives manage to let a mere child slip right through their fingers!? AND let themselves be bested by an old man!?”

“I’m right here you know,” Xavier muttered under his breath from where he sat chained to the mast, though no one around him took any notice of his comment. Xavier tried to fight passed the cotton ball feeling inside of his mouth as he spoke, still feeling a bit heady from the sway of the ferry and the effects of the knockout formula he had been stung with shortly after the Separatists had cornered him in the alley behind the forge. But even with these unpleasant sensations, Xavier couldn’t help but try to throw in a quip as he listened to the separatists quarrel amongst themselves.

“Well, maybe if someone thought to cover the back entrance instead of assuming the fences would’ve been enough to prevent any escape,” one of the lady agents snapped in the twins’ direction, “then maybe we would’ve gotten our prize!”

“Oh really!?” the lady spy hissed back through clenched teeth, her brother looking ready at any moment to restrain her from lunging at her accuser. “Well, maybe if YOU hadn’t hesitated to knock out the old man when we first got into the forge, then maybe we would’ve had a chance to grab the kid before he even knew what was going down!”

Several more shouts and rebukes broke out amongst the line of agents, but were soon silenced as the Commander shouted, “ENOUGH!” and everyone’s mouths snapped shut as he rubbed and pinched the bridge of his nose in clear irritation.

“By the blades of our ancestors, I would be perfectly within my rights to throw the whole lot of you incompetent buffoons overboard right now! This was supposed to be one of the most crucial missions ever pulled off in our lifetimes, and you all blew it! Do you have any idea what this is going to cost our campaign now that our first real viable advantage over Corona is out of our reach!?”

“With respect sir,” the male spy now made to speak, not showing any fear as the Commander looked sternly back at him. “Our mission was not a complete failure, and the Demanitus steel is not entirely out of our reach. We did bring back one of the very blacksmiths who worked on the blade after all.”

“Aaaah yes. Him. Really!? Do you really think he’ll actually be able to replicate the blade for us without the formula?”

“Oh he will,” the male spy continued, now eyeing Xavier with a sideways glance. “That is, he will, if he wants to live.”

Xavier merely gave a knowing smile at this. He had been expecting this kind of thing of course since his mind had cleared enough for him to realize where he was and what was happening. “I’ll go ahead and make this easy for you right now,” Xavier said in reply, doing his best to sound assertive as all eyes turned to him and he swallowed to clear his throat, and shook his head to clear it a little more before speaking. “You…you can do whatever you want to me, but…but I will n-never help you. The steel and its formula belong to Corona, and I am the king’s man. I would sooner die rather than help you.”

“Hmm…” the male spy hummed thoughtfully, now beginning to pace in front of Xavier as he laid a hand on the hilt of his sword. “‘Tis very noble of you to say so master blacksmith. I admire that, really. It isn’t often that we are faced with such courage as yours. However…” Here the man drew his sword from its scabbard, pointing it at Xavier’s throat, but Xavier didn’t even flinch as he felt the tip of the cold steel touch his skin, and simply did his best to hold eye contact with the man as blinked away the salty sea air from his eyes. “You may not be willing to help us if your life hangs in the balance. But…what about if the boy’s was?”

Xavier raised his eyebrows at this, but did his best to not let his resolve falter as he asked, “And…what makes you think you can even threaten him now? Varian is safe behind Corona’s walls.”

“Not as safe as you might think old man,” the male spy continued, pressing the sword a bit further to Xavier’s throat. “We all know Corona’s security forces are stretched thin as it is, and Saporia has more than just a few spies and arsonists within her ranks. Assassins, rogues, snipers, bounty hunters, mercenaries; we could easily employ someone to do the job to capture or take out a singular target like that. If you refuse to cooperate.”

Xavier frowned at these words, trying hard to discern through his tired mind whether or not the man before him was exaggerating things. Indeed, if Saporia had such skilled fighters at their beck and call, as the man seemed to suggest, then why hadn’t they taken out the king himself years ago and be done with things? It didn’t make sense that the separatists would spend all this time skulking in the shadows en masse when a single skilled archer or infiltrator could’ve done the job years ago.

But the more Xavier thought about, the more complicated the situation actually was. Saporia’s victory didn’t just depend on them taking out the king. For indeed, though such an act would certainly be a hard blow to Corona, the position King Frederic left behind could simply be filled by Queen Arianna, or even by Rapunzel herself as the head of state if the worst should happen. And the likelihood of carrying out three successful attempts on the lives of the royals (let alone one) would be virtually impossible, especially given the Captain’s own vigilance in keeping them all safe. And what about the other nobles loyal to the king and his family?

No. If Saporia was to win their underground war against Corona, they would have to ensure a total victory by a well-planned coup of the entire ruling government, or else a victory of conquest over her people by force. It seemed that the remnants of Saporia’s fighting forces were actually considering the second option as a viable one, and having a whole battalion armed with Demanitus steel shields, armor and weapons would surely make this idea not so far-fetched as it may initially seem.

In short, so long as they could get the means by which to craft their own Demanitus steel weaponry – while also short-circuiting Corona’s ability to do so – the Separatists of Saporia stood a good chance of gaining an upper hand, and perhaps even eventually taking Corona by force. This all depended then not only on the separatists having the formula for Demanitus steel, but also ensuring that those from Corona who knew how to make it were in their own charge…or else not able to craft it for Corona themselves.

“There’s still one problem,” Xavier now said, attempting to stifle the foreboding feeling growing in his chest as he thought about these things. “What makes you think that I would still be willing to help you when Varian’s life – as well as all the others’ of Corona mind you – would be under threat still once you got a hold of this weaponry? H-how much blood would have to be spilt in any event before you all are satisfied?”

“Do not insult us old man!” the man suddenly growled hard through clenched teeth as his eyes turned flinty. But he also opted to draw away his sword and smartly slide it back into its sheath as he continued to speak. “Contrary to popular Coronian beliefs master blacksmith, we Saporians are not savages! We’re not out to decimate Corona’s population. If they are willing to surrender quickly in light of whatever superior armament you craft for us, we of course will negotiate terms of peace with as little bloodshed as possible. And once the royals are deposed, they may go on living in the dungeons or in exile. But we refuse to stand by and let the already spilled blood of our ancestors be put to shame so long as Corona continues to exist. Besides, it’s not like ol’ Fred has been that great of a king now, has he? In fact, I seem to recall that it was due to his own negligence that Corona is currently in the straights that she’s in now. What sort of a king would allow his kingdom to fall into such disarray before seeking out any solution, eh?”

Xavier was silent. While he considered Frederic to be a good friend, he too honestly felt rather conflicted about how the king had handled the situation with the black rocks. Especially after all the time he had spent with Varian and listening to him, Xavier knew that the king was certainly not blameless in all that transpired in the last several months. To be sure, King Frederic could’ve done much better by his people, and even by Rapunzel herself when it came down to it.

But overthrowing King Frederic? That was absurd! Frederic had a lot to answer for, yes, and he wasn’t out of the woods yet by any means. But after the Battle of Old Corona, he had been trying to rectify things to the best of his ability, had allowed Rapunzel to go on her quest to find a solution to the rocks that plagued the landscape (not only in Corona but also in lands beyond), and had also provided the financial and material means by which they made the successful Demanitus steel in the first place. Despite his disappointments in him, Xavier knew that doing anything that would hurt King Frederic and his family like this was not the answer, whatever the separatists (or Varian himself) may have thought about it.

“I can see you need some time to think this over,” the man towering over him finally said. “You can give us your answer later on once we make landfall in Equis. For now, perhaps it’s best for you to sleep on it.”

With that, the man gave a quick snap of his fingers, and Xavier felt a quick sting in the side of his neck once again before his world faded into a cloudy black.

Andrew glared daggers at the assembly before him as he was brought into the conference room for the emergency meeting being held by the king. As the only known member of the Separatists of Saporia currently held captive in the castle, Andrew was of course brought in for interrogation concerning the attack on the capital earlier that night. Not that he knew anything about it of course (as far as his brethren were concerned, he was as good for them for the time being as a captured pawn was on a grand chessboard), but his presence had been insisted upon nonetheless.

The meeting had yet to officially begin, so for the moment everyone present was abuzz talking to each other about all that had transpired that night, though Andrew did notice that the kid (in handcuffs like himself) who sat right beside him seemed to have been left out of the conversation. Though in looking at the kid’s demeanor, it was probably for the best, or else the boy preferred it that way. The kid sat with his elbows braced up on the table, his hands clasped together in front of him, and his forehead leaning against them with his eyes shut, as if in prayer and/or deep, worried thought. Going by the flushed color of the boy’s cheeks, it looked as if he had just got done having a good cry or breakdown or something some minutes before, though he was still and silent now – taking deep breathes in and out, as the raccoon perched on his shoulders moved up and down slightly in tandem with the motion, occasionally nudging at the boy’s cheeks with his nose or one of his forepaws in comfort. Andrew had of course heard by now of the emotionally unstable alchemist that had caused the king a whole lot of trouble a few months ago, and Andrew heard that he had been quite young, but he didn’t realize just how young.

“Tch! What a cry baby,” Andrew couldn’t help but think to himself in disgust as he looked down the kid, who was oblivious to (or deliberately ignoring) any curious eyes that watched him. “Why’s he here anyway?” Andrew wondered. He knew the kid wasn’t on the best of terms with the royal family. Could he have somehow been involved in the attack? Perhaps if he was an ally, they could find a way to escape together! Goodness knows being imprisoned here in Corona was dull beyond belief.

“So, some night, huh kid?” Andrew began, attempting to strike up a conversation to hopefully get some information from him, though also being conscientious of the guards that stood directly behind the two of them. “Man though, it’s about time we had some excitement around here. The dungeons were getting super dull I have to say. Not like this meeting is going to be much better, but at least they had the decency to have refreshments on the table. The name’s Andrew by the way! And you are?”

But the boy didn’t move, and gave no indication that he even heard Andrew, though his raccoon puffed up a little in defense from where he stood balanced on his master’s shoulders.

“Hey!” Andrew tried again, a bit louder this time. “I asked you a question!”

“Hey, leave him alone!” the guard who Andrew recognized as Pete barked at him from where he stood behind the kid’s chair. Still, the kid did not move, and now his raccoon gave a low growl at Andrew’s probing. But Andrew didn’t pay any heed to that. (“Why would they let the kid keep such a pesky animal around anyway?” he wondered, though he kept that much to himself.)

“Fine. Don’t talk to me. Whatever,” Andrew said tersely. “Though didn’t your parents ever teach you that it’s impolite to ignore your elders?”

Andrew couldn’t help but feel a small chill go through him as now he finally got a reaction. It wasn’t a large reaction by any means, but it was very deliberate. At these words, the boy turned to give him a sideways glare out of the shadow behind his long dark bands, and Andrew was sure that if looks could kill, he would’ve been a dead man where he sat as he saw the look in those icy blue, pink-rimmed eyes. But the moment quickly passed as without a word the kid merely went back to his original posture, once again still and breathing steadily, his eyes closed.

“Ugh, what I weirdo,” Andrew muttered under his breath, knowing Varian would’ve heard him, and getting another sharp word from Pete to be silent.

…But Varian didn’t care. He didn’t have the energy to care, for shortly after getting the news about Xavier’s capture, Varian had been quickly escorted to one of the bathrooms, where he proceeded behind closed doors to completely fall apart. It was embarrassing to him, in retrospect, but at the time so much had happened so fast that it seemed to be the only appropriate response. Varian now swallowed hard, still tasting the last of the bile that lingered at the back of his throat, and tried his hardest to recollect himself as Xavier had taught him.

Xavier…

Finally, things started happening as the meeting was called to order, and Varian listened keenly to everything that was said, and was asked to give his testimony on what had happened at the forge. Though he looked a tired mess, Varian was able to give his account in a relatively steady manner, and though his voiced hitched a bit when he talked about Xavier being left behind as he ran to get help at the castle, he was surprisingly unemotional as he gave the facts of what had happened. As he sat back down after relating his side of what happened, Varian was startled as the strange prisoner beside him was then asked to answer the assembly’s questions on account of him being one of the Saporian separatists.

“All right then Hubert-” the Captain began.

“Please,” the man interrupted with a smug expression. “I prefer Andrew if you don’t mind.”

“I do mind, and we’re calling you Hubert,” the Captain retorted back, giving Varian the feeling that there was a bitterness between the two men that ran deeper than the usual hostility between the Captain and the other prisoners. “Now, as we were saying, Hubert, your associates have taken one of our citizens captive, and they made off with him on one of the merchant ferries located at the docks-”

“One of my ferries!” Nazeem suddenly snapped from his place at the table. “And if you don’t give us the information we need to get it back, so help me I’ll see to it that you pay for its loss!”

Varian frowned hard at this statement. Of course the self-centered merchant would be more concerned with the loss of his property than the potential loss of life of one of Corona’s most beloved citizens. So much for his apologies yesterday.

“Nazeem, please!” King Frederic said in response. “We’ll get around to talking about the damages done during the attack, but we have other priorities to attend to first. Please, continue Captain.”

The Captain nodded, turning again to Andrew. “Now listen here Hubert, we need you to tell us where your associates have taken the captive in question. As a separatist yourself, you must know where they’re headed with him. Cooperate with us, and we may see about lessening your sentence here to the dungeons.”

Varian’s blood began to boil as Andrew merely shrugged in response to this question. “What makes you think I must know where they’ve taken him? I haven’t received any communication from my comrades since I’ve been incarcerated here.”

“But you must know where their base of operations is,” the Captain growled at him.

“Eh. Sometimes it’s here. Sometimes it’s there. Would be pretty stupid for us to stay in one spot for very long now wouldn’t it? And hey, if they’ve gone out to sea, you pretty much have no chance of tracking them once they’re out of Coronian waters. Tch! If you ask me, I’d say you’re guy’s as good as dea- Gaah!”

Suddenly, at that moment, before anyone could register what was happening or do anything about it, Andrew felt himself get grabbed harshly by the front of the shirt, and came face to face with a very infuriated Varian.

“DO NOT FINISH THAT SENTENCE!” Varian all but screamed in his face. “TELL US WHERE THEY’VE TAKEN HIM RIGHT NOW YOU SCUMBAG OR I’LL-!”

But Varian too was interrupted as Pete and the other guards present pulled the two men apart, for by now Andrew had quickly recovered from his shock and would’ve taken a swing at Varian (and likely Varian would’ve retaliated) had the guards not intervened and dragged them both away from each other and away from the table, their respective chains clinking together noisily in the scuffle.

“EVERYONE, PLEASE!” King Frederic bellowed over the din, everyone going still, though both Varian and Andrew breathed hard as they glowered at one another from their corners of the room.

“Varian, we do not tolerate such violent outbursts in this court!”

Though still shaking with rage, Varian did look down at the floor, genuinely ashamed. He had let his temper get the better of him again, and he knew Xavier wouldn’t have liked that. So much for trying to be the “noble opponent.”

“Kid’s as crazy as Cassandra,” Varian heard Andrew hiss under his breath, earning a hard glare from the Captain in response. Ah. So that explained things a bit.

“Captain,” the king now said as Queen Arianna looked up at him with concern from where she had remained seated, “I think it would be best of Varian returned to his chambers for the evening. We can discuss more about his actions later after we’re done here.”

“I agree your majesty,” the Captain concurred. “Pete, if you would please?”

“Right away sir,” Pete replied with a brief salute, and took Varian firmly by the upper arm as he made to bring him back to his room, and the two of them and Ruddiger could here Andrew’s interrogation resume behind them as they left the meeting hall.

There was a long, awkward silence as Pete escorted Varian back through the hallways of the castle towards his room. Through the windows they passed by, Varian could see the first traces of the sky turning lighter after such a long, hard, and dark night. Definitely one of the worst of his life.

Andrew couldn’t be right. He couldn’t be! There had to be some way to get Xavier back! But Varian knew they were running out of time, and judging by the destruction and sabotage that had occurred around the city, on the docks, and on the other sizeable sailing vessels, it would be quite a while before Corona would be able to spare and muster any sort of viable fighting force to go and get him back. Especially with so many of their troops divided between the capital and Old Corona…though Varian fought to not think about that too much. That couldn’t be helped now.

So, what were they to do? Once again, Varian was left with a horrible feeling of helplessness, and of being alone. Given all that had happened, it was most likely that the city would go into lockdown for the next several days (or perhaps even the next week), and all energy would be spent aiding the local townsfolk, securing the city, and making repairs on everything that had been damaged. All right and practical of course, but was there nothing Varian himself could do now? Wasn’t there anything he could possibly-?

Suddenly, Varian’s eyes went wide as he remembered something.

When he had been brought back into the castle earlier that night, the guards had taken the sword and the formula packet from him to be put in the Captain’s office…but they hadn’t bothered to frisk his pockets.

As casually as he could, Varian laid a few fingers on the outside of one of his pockets, wondering if he was remembering things correctly. But as he felt the slight bulge in his right hand pocket, he knew he was indeed recalling correctly.

His hachimaki was still tucked away in his pocket!

[“I know it’s only a little thing, but perhaps it may be of some help to you in the days ahead.”]

“…Well…I do know one thing I could do with it,” Varian thought to himself, though cringing slightly at the idea that began to form in his head (and knowing it probably wasn’t what Xavier had in mind when he said those words to Varian). But if Xavier was to have any chance of being returned to them, Varian had to take action, and soon.

It was going to have to be now, or never.

“Hey, listen Varian,” Pete finally said as they came to the door of Varian’s room and he proceeded to unlock it. “I…I just want you to know that…we’re all really sorry. Really. I mean, Xavier’s always been a good friend to all of us, and…well, if we could go after him right away we would, but…you see-”

“It’s ok Pete,” Varian replied, earning a look of utter surprise from the guard at his reply (and for hearing Varian speak his name for the very first time).

“Uh…what?” Pete asked again as he and Varian both went in to the room, and Varian waited patiently with his hands held out in fists before him as Pete unlocked the cuffs from around Varian’s wrists.

“It’s ok,” Varian repeated. “I…I know you all have your responsibilities and reasons for doing what you do, and…it’s ok.”

Pete blinked down at Varian, thoroughly confused by how well Varian suddenly seemed to be taken things, especially after such an enraged outburst only moments ago, but he also detected a genuine sincerity in the alchemists words and expression.

“Oh…uh, well, I-I’m glad you…well, I’m glad you understand Varian. Though believe me when, none of us want…I mean, we all want to-”

“And I also have mine,” Varian suddenly said, and before Pete could so much as let out a yelp of alarm, Varian had opened up his clasped fists, revealing the hachimaki he had been holding taught between them. In a series of movements so calculated that Pete could barely register what was happening, Varian had wrapped one of the guard’s wrists up in the strip of cloth, gave it a strong and harsh tug, and the world suddenly turned head over heels as Pete found himself rolling helplessly over Varian’s crouched form, and then found himself gasping for breath as Varian had decked him, leaving the poor guard winded on the floor for a good few seconds.

(Apparently, the guards’ previous concerns about Varian getting just a bit too strong for their comfort were not so unsound after all...)

As Pete scrambled to get back up, Varian quickly swiped the keys from where Pete had dropped them on the floor, and scooping up Ruddiger in his arms. Varian then quickly darted out of the room and shut the door behind him, locking Pete inside behind him.

“H-hey!” Pete said between coughs and gasps for air, and banging his fists on the door. “What-what’re you doing Varian!? Y-you can’t-!”

“I’m sorry Pete,” Varian said hastily through the thick wood of the door as he unlocked the chained leash from around Ruddigers neck, and then proceeded to run back down the castle’s empty corridor, tying the hachimaki tightly around his forehead as Ruddiger ran close at his heels.

“…But I can’t lose anyone else.”

#tts #rta #tangled the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #fan fiction #gauze in the wound #varian #xavier the blacksmith #the separatists of saporia #andrew #hubert #captain of the guard #pete the guard #king frederic #queen arianna

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itsworn · 5 years

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Modernized Classics: 1964 Corvette Daily Driver With LS Power

Chevrolet built 22,229 Corvettes in 1964—8,304 coupes and 13,925 roadsters. Even after accounting for over a half a century’s worth of losses to collision, theft, and attrition, there are still plenty left today to satisfy restorers and customizers alike. Better yet, when we use the term “customizer” in 2019, we’re mostly talking about resto-modders, a.k.a. folks who tastefully retain and respect the external appearance, but go wild under the skin with chassis, suspension, interior comfort, brakes, and driveline upgrades.

But it wasn’t so long ago when customizers (often spelled with a “k”) turned the equation around, grafting hideous fiberglass wings, scoops, flares, and spoilers on the plastic body while leaving everything mechanical alone. Sadly, the result was often clownish and gaudy. But times and tastes have changed since they locked up Manual Noriega.

So, as much as we all love and respect a perfectly restored 1964 Rochester fuelie (1,325 built) or N03 “tanker” coupe (the 36-gallon fuel tank appealed to endurance road racers who didn’t have to stop as often to refuel), the plain truth remains, the rest of the Corvette herd is ripe for upgrading.

In stock trim, 1964 Corvettes just don’t drive as well as they look. Few vintage cars do. Though diehards don’t mind carburetors with manual choke cables, or drum brakes that put you in the next lane when stabbed, the core of the classic car audience has been spoiled by the new car experience. Today’s auction block results prove most buyers will pay much more for a nicely resto-modded Corvette (or Tri-Five Chevy, Baby T-Bird, 1965-’73 Mustang, GTO, etc.) than a concourse correct relic sitting on skinny 6.70-15 white walls.

Thanks to the fact GM used the same basic underpinnings on all C2 and C3 Corvettes built from 1963 through 1982, a thriving aftermarket has evolved to add modern upgrades beneath the skin of any vintage Corvette. Sure, some purists may cringe, but happily most of what’s done to these cars is reversible. In this story, let’s examine how Josh and Eric Buzzell of NextGen Performance in Spencer, Massachusetts brought a 1964 Sting Ray roadster into the 21st century with some basic—but much needed—modifications.

As delivered to NextGen Performance, the subject wore a 1966-’67 big-block “stinger” hood, side pipes, and American Racing Torq-Thrust D rims mounting 15-inch radial tires. The imposter even had the audacity to wear the sacred 4-2-7 scoop logo above its mouse-sized heart. Blasphemy! The 427 didn’t arrive until 1966.

The take-out engine (behind LS3) was bolted to a Muncie M20 wide-ratio 4-speed of unknown origin. The replacement LS3 is coupled to a new Tremec TKO-600 5-speed manual gearbox with overdrive.

Looking past the left rear brake rotor, the Ridetech control arm’s bridge-like construction is contoured to allow 10-inch tires to fit with ease.

Soon after being modernized by NextGen Performance, the roadster was purchased by comedian Kevin Hart, who from the looks of his Instagram page, is quite happy with it!

Eric and Josh Buzzell operate NextGen Performance and prove the future of Car Crafting is safe for years to come. They can help with your next LS engine swap.

Tech Notes Who: Josh and Eric Buzzell, NextGen Performance What: 1964 Chevy Corvette Where: Spencer, MA

Engine: The Corvette initially arrived at NextGen Performance with a mild 327 (that’s an old school 5.3L for any metric fans), but it wouldn’t last long. A 2008 was a good year for standard Corvette power plants; the base 6.0 liter / 364 cube LS2 grew into the 6.2 liter / 374 cube LS3, thanks to a factory 0.060 inch overbore (from 4.00 to 4.060), 10.7:1 compression, 42-lb/hr. fuel injectors, rectangular-shaped intake ports, hollow intake valve stems, and more. In bone-stock trim, the LS3 delivers 430 horsepower and 424 lb-ft of torque. Best of all, its all-aluminum construction slashes 50 pounds off the Corvette’s nose compared to the outgoing iron mouse. More good news is the fact the stock Corvette front dress fits the 1964 frame and engine bay without mods. The only deviation was elimination of the power steering system and AC.

Induction: The new-for-2008 Corvette LS3 induction system included a fresh intake manifold design capable of flowing 365 cfm with no modifications. For comparison, before the 2008 revamp, the best Corvette intake manifold was the 320cfm unit found atop the 2001-’04 LS6. By the way, this “best of” statement covers Corvette intake manifolds all the way back to the first triple-Rochester side-draft carburetor unit of 1953 as well as the high-rise Winters Foundry goodies of the L88 era. We truly are living in the “good old days” right now! To package the K&N conical air filter away from radiator heat and the upper radiator hose, NextGen’s Eric Buzzell fabricated a nifty aluminum gooseneck from three sections of tube. He says: “Air inlet temperature tumbles from over 180 degrees to the same temperature the driver is breathing.” This cooler air is denser and best for performance. The stock 2008 throttle body was retained. On SMG Motoring’s Dynojet chassis dyno, the red ’64 roadster delivered 351 horsepower at 5,450 rpm and 375.13 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm.

Transmission: Though not indicated by codes presented on the body tag, clues suggest this car was born with a manual transmission. The 3-speed manual was still standard Corvette fare right through the 1969 model run, and this feature car was upgraded from a wide-ratio M20 Muncie to a brand new Tremec TKO600 5-speed manual with overdrive and a 525-hp rated Street Comp clutch kit. Using a complete kit from Hurst Driveline with a Hurst Sidewinder II shift handle conversion assured trouble-free installation. Until the 1984 arrival of the Doug Nash-supplied 4+3 manual transmission option, no Corvette came from GM with overdrive.

Rearend: The 1964 Corvette offered axle ratios of 3.08, 3.36, 3.55, 3.70, 4.11, and 4.56:1, with 3.36:1 being most popular (installed on 8,338 out of 22,229 cars). Not surprisingly, the feature car has the 3.36:1 setup, which was refreshed with new bearings and a rebuilt Positraction unit. About that Posi, before Positraction became standard equipment in 1970, Corvette buyers paid an extra $43.05 for the pleasure of smoking both rear tires. In 1964, Posi was a very popular option with 18,279 out of 22,229 buyers asking for it. Of course that means 3,950 1964 Corvettes were “one wheel wonders..

Chassis / Suspension: The original 1964 frame was in excellent condition and required only a cleaning before being powder coated black by Central Connecticut Coatings of Hartford, CT. The stock Sting Ray suspension was a radical departure when introduced in 1963. Up front, Corvette finally got away from the king pin suspension used since 1953. Lacking anti-dive geometry, the king pin setup hurt road course handling and was high on Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov’s list of fixes. The new-for-’63 front suspension featured ball joints (Chevy passenger cars got them in 1955) and stamped control arms from the full-size (Impala, Biscayne) parts bin. Out back, Duntov’s wish for independent rear suspension (IRS) was also granted—but with compromises. The heavy transverse leaf spring weighed anywhere from 44 to 60 pounds, depending on which suspension option was chosen. A fix in the form of a nifty 8-lb. plastic spring arrived in 1981—a little late to have much effect on Corvette’s racing legacy. All of the factory stuff was replaced in favor of a Ridetech coilover system for 1963-’67 Corvettes. With four-corner coilover shocks and rugged tubular / bridge girder control arms with a rear Muscle Bar, the bolt-in system offers superior handling with less flex and mass than stock.

Brakes: Many Corvette fans forget that four-wheel disc brakes didn’t arrive until 1965. Before that, all Corvettes used 11-inch drums all the way around. Borrowed from the full-size Chevy parts bin, they were prone to fade in competition settings which led to a series of fixes involving air ducts, backing-plate scoops, metallic shoes, and finned iron drums. None of it begins to compare to the four-corner Wilwood disc brake conversion kit installed by NextGen. With drilled rotors and six-piston / four-piston (F/R) calipers at each wheel, Duntov would have loved it.

Exhaust: The Corvette’s first factory installed N14 side mount exhaust system – that’s side pipes to you and me – wasn’t offered until 1965 for an extra $134.50. And they were not popular. Only 759 of the 23,564 Corvettes built in ’65 got them. But in the years since, they’ve become a popular add-on. Already present when the car arrived at NextGen Performance, the guys decided to retain them to let the LS3 exhale a little better. They’re fed by the stock cast iron LS3 manifolds. Before the 1965 arrival of side pipes, 1963-’68 Corvette order forms listed the N11“off road exhaust system”. These are not side pipes, but rather a louder system with larger tubing and low restriction mufflers. The N11 setup ran the entire length of the car and exited in the usual spot through the rear valance panel.

Wheels/Tires: Weld Racing worked with NextGen Performance to adapt Weld’s new 18-inch Miramar wheel design for C2 applications. The 18×7 and 18×8 (F/R) wheels are offset 4.5 and 5.25 inches (F/R) to clear suspension and brake obstructions. If you like the Miramar design and want them for your 1963-’67 Sting Ray, thank Weld Racing and NextGen Performance for sizing them to fit. Tires are Nitto NT-05’s 235/40R-18 and 245/40R-18 Nitto NT-05’s.

Paint / Body: NextGen Performance specializes in mechanical makeovers, that’s why they chose a Corvette that was already wearing an excellent Torch Red paint job. The only external modification was switching the 427 hood medallions for LS3 emblems. That said, the Buzzell Brothers spent countless hours masking the body to protect it from harm during wrenching. All underbody surfaces were coated with matte black. Fresh chrome reproduction bumpers were sourced from Classic Industries.

Interior: The stock interior was augmented by a Dakota Digital instrument cluster packing VHX gauges, including an 8,000rpm tachometer and 160mph speedometer. In the old days, sidewalk spies deciphered Corvette tachometer redlines to glean clues on engine potency. Solid-lifter mills red-lined over six grand, tame-juice lifter mills went to five grand. The stock U69 Delco AM-FM radio was a popular option and was installed in 20,934 of the 22,229 Corvettes built in ’64. At $176.50, the radio cost $68.90 more than the hottest non-fuelie 327, the 365 horsepower L76 with solid lifters and a Holley 4-barrel ($107.60). Where were peoples’ priorities?

The post Modernized Classics: 1964 Corvette Daily Driver With LS Power appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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smoothshift · 6 years

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Rented an Audi R8 on Turo for my 30rd Birthday via /r/cars

Rented an Audi R8 on Turo for my 30rd Birthday

Backstory: I became an Audi fan after Transporter 2 with Jason Statham in 2005. Obviously when the R8 came out it became a dream car. After college I wanted a new Audi A4 / A5 but couldn’t afford the insurance because adult males aren’t trusted drivers on the road so I had to stick to a commuter car 4-cyclinder Escape since my V8 Mustang GT was hitting my wallet hard. Now that my car and students loans are paid off (That grind though) I decided to forgo the A & S-Series and head right to the supercar level. I am currently a few years away from purchasing an R8 and decided to rent one for my 30th Birthday.

Selecting: I found out about the Turo App from YouTuber TheStradman briefly renting out his R8. I live in the Washington DC Area and thought it should be fairly easy tracking down an R8. There were only 2 available: 2011 V10 Audi R8 Spyder and 2012 V10 Audit R8 Coupe (both with the R-tronic Transmission) price difference only being $9/day I decided to go with the Spyder. The Turo App is pretty straight forward and took less than 30min to setup and began talking to the owner after reserving the car. The Owner even listed a short video providing some specs on the car that I thought was well put together: https://vimeo.com/234031360/d6fc17996e Payment: The total was $904.80 and a $1500 Security Deposit. I believe the Turo App allows owners to elect for a Security Deposit just to protect the owner as an extra insurance policy besides the traditional insurance policy you must sign up for through Turo. Which I completely agree with when the original MSRP was somewhere around $165,000 base and can be refunded once the car is returned in the same condition you drove off in it +200mi I was allotted on the dash.

First Impression: After some back and forth travel plans and getting to know the owner better he wanted to meet prior to me picking up the car just to meet in person and talk about the car. Which I had no problem meeting and seeing this beautiful car beforehand and listening to it start and hear the engine running before taking temporary ownership. As I was pulling up to the owner’s driveway he was topping off the windshield washer fluid after just cleaning and detailing the car. It looked in magnificent shape and you could tell the owner took great pride in not only this car but all of the vehicles in his driveway. After some small talk we hopped in the car, put the convertible top down and took it for a short sunny 20min drive. We reached an area where we could turn around and head back to the owner’s residence. Instead of putting the car back in drive the owner handle me the keys and let me drive it back. Yeah Buddy. The nerves quickly claimed and we began talking about the car once we got back onto the main road. The V10 525hp R-tronic easily out performed my V8 215hp Manual Mustang. The cars R-tronic when used in “Manual” mode seemed vastly superior to the “Automatic” mode. With the R-tronic switched to Manual mode and using the steering wheel mounted shift paddles or joystick shifter there is no noticeable delay in Shifting. Merely the audio tune of the engine switching back from a higher to lower RPM was the only thing I could tell as the car quickly accelerates and begs to be driven faster and faster. Driving 40mph on a curvy posted 30mph road the car lived up to its expectations. Being 5’11” I felt comfortable and secure in the seats and no side to side movement going along the windy road back to the owner’s residence. After reaching his house we got out and talked about the car for another 30minutes and I headed home. I will say this once you ride in a car like this there is no going back. The first impression experience of driving this car, even a brief amount of time, everything else seems not nearly as enjoyable and I cannot wait to get back behind the wheel again in 3 weeks.

After dropping off the car: I cannot wait to get behind the wheel of this thing again. The car was incredibly fast and roars the second you step on the gas. I got comfortable shifting between gears using both the paddle and stick shifter. The stearing at low speeds is a bit stift but not uncomfitable at all and thottle responsible is so quick. Between watching the road and RPMs to make the proper shifts you can easily make it over 80mph in a matter of seconds. I drove it both on the highway and town streets and people definetly starred at the car and one driver specifically was way to close on the highway so I let him pass once it was safe. The car has more grip to it than anything I have experienced and hugged the corners wanting you to accelerate through the turns. The fastest I traveled was 90mph on a long highway straight away at which a warning speed light came on and I backed it down to 70mph. Again I only did this once we were alone on the highway and for maybe a ¼ mile before traveling back at highway speed. Gas mileage is fairly reasonable, we went about 180miles with a quarter tank left before topping off in permimum and ended up going over the 200mile limit Turo alloted me by 28miles I owned the owner $56 which was fine with me. Overall I would say this car is 10/10, the Spyder looked and the power it produced easily impressed myself and family members that tried out the car. I let my girlfriend drive the car after picking up some lunch and she was very comfotable behind the wheel. She got stuck behind a truck but once she got onto the open highway and punched it you could tell the nerves where gone and she wanted this car. I would highly recommend anyone that has the ability to drive one of these things because once you drive this car you will forever want to get behind the wheel again.

TL;DR Rented a 2011 V10 Audi R8 Spyder for my 30rd Birthday and convinced my GF we could buy one or a Gallardo

https://imgur.com/a/5wIF7k6

#reddit #autonews #auto #cars

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