...and this is what I hit.

It was an automatic transmission, L98-350 cubic inch engine with tuned port fuel injection. The car would exceed 130Mph and I exceed 100Mph on the way to and from work almost every day. Not because I was late, just because I liked the way the car felt. It was the only car I had ever driven that was just as comfortable at 110Mph as it was at 60Mph.

Three days after he delivered it to my house I was driving it out to his shop when I came to a road that was very lightly traveled and very strait. From the stop sign I was curious to see just how quickly I could get to whatever speed. It shifted out of first and there was a delay, then it slammed into second and off I went again, it shifted out of second and there was a longer delay and then a loud 'thunk'. Thought the engine was accelerating, i wasn't. I was able to limp it to Rich's shop and call for a ride. I had the local transmission shop come get it and fix it. I had destroyed every moving part in the transmission.

After getting the transmission fixed things were golden with the car until that one fait full day, November 21 1995. My family and I had just gotten home from New York on the evening of the the 20th and I still had a few days off so I was out driving around. As I came up to the intersection I was thinking about New York and in particular the play 'Cats' because we had seen it while we were there and that is what I was listening to at the time. Well, I should have been thinking about where I was and about driving, because I actually wanted to turn at this intersection to go home. As I looked up I noticed I was going about 45Mph, rapidly approaching the stop sign and there was a white Ford Explorer in front of me. I knew it was too late and I also knew I was going to hit her, hard. I came to as the police were showing up, the Explorer had flipped end over end and landed back on the hood of my Corvette. I had to break the driver-side door to get out and see what I had done.

Fortunately no one got more than bumps and bruises and both of our vehicles were totaled. I sold my Corvette to a man who owns his own body shop and am awaiting final payment on it to close that chapter in my life.