Thanks again for the welcome. I look forward to the summer get together in Colorado Springs. I might even be able to help. I'm only about 180 miles away.  

My car sat for about 20 years. Nine of those years, it sat in a field. The woman that I bought the car from was a friend. I taught with her( Trudy) my whole career. One weekend, she took my oldest son for a ride in the car. The younger boy, about five at the time, wanted a ride too.  So, she took him for a ride. . He is now twenty-five. Shortly into the trip, she heard an engine noise.  She thought that she had blown up the motor. I suspect that it was the heat shield arm that mounts above the exhaust pipe. She never drove the car again.  Several "mechanics" told her that the motor was ruined. It most certainly was not. Over those years I offered to rebuild the engine many times, A little over five years ago, I called her to ask permission to look at the car, sitting out in a field at the edge of town. By that time, it had been moved to the side of a machine shed on the farm. She told me that she had decided to let me just tow it off. That was about five months before she died. Upon purchase of the car, I checked the oil, turned it over three separate times; after that, I put gas down the carb throat. The car started right up. After doing that a second time, I put five gallons of gas in the car and it has been running great ever since. The total of the  mechanical repairs that I have done since buying the car are: a starter, carb rebuild, front calipers, and transmission pump seals and gasket. The car needed replacement of the driver's rear quarter panel, repair of the passenger quarter, and replacement of the rear bumper cover.  A year or two before she stopped driving it, it was hit by a tour bus in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  In the process of painting the car, I have done a number of little fixes and replacements, like door hinge rebuilding,front spoiler replacement, and several fixed in the interior. It is a nicely optioned L-82 car with 71,000+ miles. Before she died, I promised to (1) Always keep the car in the family, (2) Keep the numbers matching drive train, and (3) make it a tire cooking screamer. She was a true Corvette lover at heart. Keeping the third promise will require a second engine and transmission.  As one Corvette owner said, owning a Corvette is a journey.

     I would say that the overall condition is a pretty good driver car. It is amazingly original. The -35F notation is still on the right hand cold air duct, and there is a grease pencil mark on one valve cover. I just took it out and washed it. It still needs the horn button put on.  Then it needs to be put in a garage; the weather in Eastern Colorado isn't going to be pretty tomorrow. Like most Vette lovers, I won't drive it when it is hot, cold, wet, or windy.  It will be a low mileage model.

     What is next on the list? I need to find a 255 R60 15 Goodyear Eagle GT II. I'm out of places to look.  Then I need to get sun visors, an Oyster leather seat cover set, and a sun shade.  Funny how easy it is to spend $1200. It is nice to be in the company of so many people who not only understand, but share the love and passion for the badge.   

     Sorry I gave such a long answer.  That is the story.