I have had reasonable exposure to different classic cars before, especially since we launched the InstacarHK YouTube channel where generous owners frequently let me test drive their beautiful cars. However, today is an extra-special day as this is my first time ever experiencing an American classic, or rather an American muscle. I don’t think I have ever even sat in one before, so to go straight to driving one is truly a day to remember.
What we have here is a 1973 Chevrolet Corvette convertible in a beautiful golden orange colour. It is a 350 cubic inch ‘small block’ V8. For non-American car enthusiast who would, like me, have no idea what 350 cubic inch means, it actually means 5.7 litre (1 cubic inch = 0.0164 liter, typical unique American measurement systems…) The car has 200HP which, honestly speaking, is not enough, but more on that later. The first Corvette model, the ‘C1’, was introduced in 1953. The model we have today is the ‘C3’, which is the third generation model and was produced between 1968 and 1982.
This particular C3 model is quite special. First of all, 1973 was the first year that Chevrolet had to give up the chrome front bumpers on their Corvettes and replace them with plastic materials due to new pedestrian safety laws. The 1973 model is also the only year where the Corvette has front plastic bumpers but the rear chrome bumpers remain, making it a “half & half” car, visually. From 1974 onwards, the rear bumpers had to be plastic too.
They made a little less than 5,000 units of the 1973 Chevrolet Corvette convertible. The one we have here being a convertible, manual, and with factory air conditioning puts it on the rarer side of the scale. This is especially the case when this particular car is only one of 323 that have been optioned with the “Deluxe Hard Top” option, which is basically a factory detachable hardtop.
When I first sat in the car, I immediately noticed how small it is. It really is a compact sports car. Another thing is the dials – they are downwards from the steering wheel so it is as if you are looking down a cliff to look at the speedometer and tachometer. Setting off, the clutch and gas pedals’ respective travels are normal and easy to adapt to, although more gas is needed when setting off. The gearchange of the four speed manual gearbox is short and precise.
The car sounds like what you’d expect from an American V8, although it is quieter than I had anticipated. The car’s lack of power is quite evident, although the torque helps a little. Being a left hand drive car, it naturally takes some time to get used to when driving it in Hong Kong. However, this is where the car’s compact size really helps – with no risk of going over to the other lane due to misjudging the car’s size.
All in all, my first experience with an American classic did not disappoint. A more powerful example, perhaps a “big block” of some sort, may have provided a more American muscle experience, but this car’s size and delightful gearchanges compensated for any lack of power. Many thanks to the owner for his generosity and trust in me.
Thank you as always to the team for their hard work!
Alex (http://www.taipanmedia.com)
Dave (Email: david@lemonadeandgiggles.com)
IcyJ (IG: @icyj95)
Alex C. (IG: @nofishshark)
See our review video here: