Unfortunately, as we were leaving Southaven, Mississippi, just south of Memphis, we noticed that the motorhome slide room that was repaired in Chattanooga, was still messed up. This time a simple nut had not been tightened to the correct torque, in this case 150 foot-pounds. I specifically asked the tech at Lee-Smith if he had torqued the fitting, and was given a resounding "yes, sir!". Yeah, right. We managed, with help, to get the slide back into the motorhome so that we can travel, and we'll search for a large wrench to fix the problem. For now, we are stumbling around the bed, but it's livable, and at least we're able to continue our trip. Aargh!
Three hundred twelve miles northeast, we rolled into Cave City, Kentucky. We found a spot to stay at Singing Hills RV Park, just a few miles from Mammoth Cave National Park. The site was not level, the water pressure was low, and the advertised wifi was non-existent. We were so far out in the country that our ATT hotspot was unusable, so we felt like we were on a desert island! The huge saving grace of the park was the large grass play area right beside our motorhome! Sasha was in heaven!
On the way to Cave City, we sere involved in a traffic jam that set us back about two hours.
A large truck had gone off the road, closing one lane.
The plant water tower gave away the secret of what's inside!
And, outside in a place of honor, are two examples of the latest version of America's Sportscar.
Photography is strictly verboten anywhere near the plant, of course, so we don't have any pics of the assembly process. Let me tell you that we have not seen any vehicle produced with such meticulous precision. From the high-tech hydroformed aluminum frame, to the optional hand-assembled engine (each one with a signature plate of the builder. BTW, a new owner can participate in the engine build, and have his or her name added to that plate!), to the dyno testing to seventy five mph at the end of the line, Corvettes are checked, rechecked, and checked again. Every detail is noted by computer with date, time, and technician info. Consider that the assembly line is producing 16.2 vehicles per hour in a 10 hour day! There is a certain mystic about a Corvette, and has been since the first one was hand-built in 1953. The vehicle is unique in all the world, withe price points hundreds of thousands of dollars less than European competitors. Incidentally, please forward your contribution to my Corvette fund as soon as possible....it priced out at just over $80,000, and I need a bit of help....
Just down the road from the Corvette Assembly Plant we found the National Corvette Museum. This museum has a boatload of unusual and spectacular Corvettes from over the years. This '55 is the earliest model on display at the moment.
The cars are displayed in a series of sets that showcase the era in which they were built. The '59 on the right, peeking out of the garage, is identical to the one used in the first season of "Route 66" in 1960. Who can forget Nelson Riddle's rendition of the song?
Martin Milner and George Maharanis always seemed to be driving the latest model of Corvette, thanks to General Motors! Of course, their travels always seemed to go through St. Louis, where Corvettes were then produced. The show created quite a stir in 1963 when the Sting Ray was introduced and the boys had the latest version.
Corvette has a long and exemplary racing history, both in Europe and the US. In the current year, a race-prepped model is prepared for 175 mph laps right off the showroom floor!
But Donna was intrigued by the bare chassis on display. She's scheming on making a dune buggy out of it!
The Museum is famous for the "Million Dollar Plunge" in 2014. At 5:59 am, a sinkhole opened up under the floor of a display building. Part of a huge underground limestone cave system that was gradually eroded away by underground water seepage. A number of irreplaceable Corvettes were swallowed up by the sinkhole.
Donna is pointing to an ironic sign at the edge of the sinkhole!
While repairs have been made to the exhibit hall, the museum has taken advantage of the incident by identifying the extent of the hole.
The cars that were damaged in the plunge are still on display in the same area they were in prior to the cave-in.
The 1,000,000th Corvette survived relatively intact. It had been built with a white exterior and red interior, just like the first one!
However, the 1,500,00th Corvette didn't fare as well.
This ZR-1 Spyder suffered greatly in the fall.
This 2001 "Mallet Hammer" Z06 was one of two Corvettes whose whereabouts were initially unknown after the sinkhole appeared. It was eventually found under a large boulder, upside down, with it's nose pointed toward the center of the hole. It was the last Corvette removed from the hole.
1983 model Corvettes were carried over from the '82 line. Only 43 vehicles were built and labeled at 1983 models. This is the last one left.
One of the cool options available to a purchaser of a new Corvette is the opportunity to pick it up in the lobby of the Corvette Museum. There were a half dozen or so new Corvettes on the floor, cordoned off and with their new owners names promenately displayed. While we were there, a young couple took delivery of their new Corvette! With much fanfare, pictures, and satisfying exhaust noise, they drove their car out the door and down the street!
In case you are wondering, the color is called Black Rose. Donna and I have chosen that color for the one we have built. Hmmmm.....
So, after a 312 mile trip from Southaven, MS, to Cave City, KY, and another short trip of 63 miles, we find ourselves in Shepherdsville, Kentucky.
We're staying in "Grandma's RV Park" just off the interstate. The park is pretty good, with good utilities (except wifi as usual), and we're only eleven miles south of Louisville, pronounced "Looavul" hereabouts. We'll be here for the weekend and then start, once again, driving west.
Will your new Corvette replace Gus and be towed by Nessie?
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