Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Candy Apple Metallic Red Sting Ray Corvette

We all gave a quick Japanese bow in unison as the small Volkswagen Beetle hot rod came to an abrupt halt at the red light.  All five of us Charlie, Floyd and David and me were crammed in that small car laughing and yelling while Oscar or Big O as we called him, took us for a ride in his newly bought hot rod VW Beetle.  He took us and the car through its paces. He would make a hard right, we would lean hard to the right; a left we would all lean far to the left.  All in unison we would make a little hiccup jerk motion every time Big O would shift gears.  Though small that four cylinder VW car was a sure enough Hot rod.  It was tricked out with magnesium wheels, souped up four barrel carburetor, race cam, an exhaust that came right out of the engine over the motor, and a small racing steering wheel that looked even smaller in the hands of Big O.  It was faster than most 8 cylinder cars on the road.

As we waited at the stop light a do-it-yourself Chevy Nova street hot rod came up next to us bucking like a bronco waiting to let loose. It had grey primer for a paint job.  You could see where the owner had buffed it out anticipating a paint job.  He kept revving the motor and braking making the car hop a foot or two like a bunny begging us for a drag race.  Big O took the bunny bait.  When the light turned green Big O let a out a screech as the tires burned rubber. He did the best he could in that 4 cylinder German made Volkswagen beetle. We were hollering and laughing at Big O to get that tin can moving. Of course with 5 persons in the car we were no match for the 8 cylinder American muscle car. That Chevy Nova seemed like it was tapping its foot as it waited for us at the next stop light. Big O slowly and humbly approached the light without making us give the Japanese bow this time.

Just as soon as we meekly rolled to a complete stop a Candy Apple Metallic Red 1967 Sting Ray Corvette Fastback Coupe floated to a stop in between us and that dang Chevy Nova.  That was the king of American muscle cars for sure.  The red metallic paint job just glistened in the Texas sun like a million bright stars.  The driver looked plain cool. He sported sleek dark sunglasses, blonde hair swept back with a crisp white t-shirt . He had both hands on the wheel like he was holding the clamp down on that living Sting Ray, as if it would get out from under that hood.  In what was like slow motion he turned slowly toward us. He slightly nodded to us as if to say "I got this one boys" He then slowly looked toward the driver of the Chevy Nova taunting him with his mere presence.  I can remember the Corvette Emblem of 4 race flags on the side of the car. Those flags still looked like they were waving from the speed even though the car was at a complete dead stop. .  The seconds seemed liked hours as we all waited for the light to turn.   Then all of a sudden, in a blink of an eye the stop light flashed green. Those wide Corvette race tires billowed smoke like a coal plant chimney. The motor rumbled like a jet engine taking off.  That beautiful Candy Apple Metallic Red 1967 Sting Ray Corvette fastback bolted like a strike of lightning out of a thick cloud of grey black smoke.  It seemed almost like a cartoon; that shimmering red chassis chasing the motor out in front of it

You didn't see the car.  No sir you didn't.  All you could do was smell the rubber, see the smoke, and taste the gasoline of where it were it had been. All of us in that small VW bug looked at the driver in the Chevy Nova across the space and through the lingering smoke where the Corvette had been.  The driver had not even bothered to take off.  He literally had his mouth open in disbelief.  We were all left awestruck.  Oscar casually slowly took off as if acknowledging there's always a bigger fish in the sea including Sting Rays  We left that Chevy Nova driver behind dumbstruck.

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