Today we’re pitting two diametrically opposite versions of America’s sports car against one another with the fight to the death between the wild Corvette in the movie Corvette Summer and the stock Corvette(s) from early 1960s television show Route 66. While they’re both Corvettes, they certainly are nowhere near copies of each other. Before we go down that road, let’s check the results of yesterday’s match up!
[box_dark]The 1970 Z/28 Camaro From Gumball Rally VS The Ambulance from Cannonball Run
Result: The Cannonball Run ambulance DEFEATS The Gumball Rally Camaro
It was a tight match, but Gary Busey’s acting and the cool looks of the car couldn’t stave off a hard charge by the ‘bulance[/box_dark]
From 1960-1964 Americans tuned into watch two guys cruise all over the country in a Corvette having adventures along the way. The name of the show was Route 66 and to some degree it was one of the things that helped to cement the image of the Corvette into people’s head’s as an iconic American car. The guys drove a new ‘Vette every year that the series was on, starting with a 1960 model and finishing up with a 1963 and 1964 example. Obviously the ’63 and ’64 cars were hugely significant as they were Bill Mitchell’s landmark “Stingray” design. Chevrolet provided the cars to the show and it was a great move because to this day, people still reference the show and the coolness of the characters traveling the highways and byways of America in the car. While the show was not about car chases, high speed action, or other racy stuff that would have shown off the Corvette’s performance, the fact that the two lead characters were always appearing at a different location around the country completely romanticized the idea of life on the road and freedom. The main characters, Tod and Buz would roll into a town, take work, or somehow find themselves in the middle of a story line that they’d help complete. Like we said above, this car, this show, and these guys were the complete opposite of the machine sitting across the ring, sidepipes rumbling. Can straight up cool defeat totally crazy? We’ll see!
Looking like something that there are not exact words in the English language to describe, the 1973 Corvette that was transformed by Mark Hamill as a shop class project in the 1978 movie Corvette Summer. We’ve probably all see the “film” but if you haven’t, here’s the synopsis. Kid builds car, car gets stolen, kid chases car down, kid steals car back, kid gets girl, car, and happy ending (to the movie you sick bastards!). We can only guess that Hamill’s character was on a heavy, and we mean HEAVY regimen of mind altering drugs when he decided to take a 1973 Corvette, convert it to right hand drive, add all the doo dads to the outside of it, add huge flares, custom tail panel, and ditch the popup lights. The car had an L48 350 in it according to what we’ve read about the movie example, so it wasn’t a really hard hustler, although it ran good enough for Hamill to win a wild car chase where the machine had side pipes, rear exit exhaust, a front spoiler in some scenes and no spoiler in others. Continuity was not one of Corvette Summer’s hallmarks. Although, we’re not sure what any of Corvette Summer’s hallmarks were.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT! PLACE YOUR VOTES BELOW! WHO WINS THIS DEATH MATCH? THE SUBTLE AND COOL ROAD TRIPPING ROUTE 66 CORVETTE(S) OR THE WILD OVER THE TOP CORVETTE FROM CORVETTE SUMMER? VOTE BELOW AND TELL US WHICH CAR SHOULD MOVE ON AND WHICH SHOULD GO TO CORVETTE HELL!
RT 66 for sure.
Route 66 He didn’t get the girl, he got a HOOKER!!
Corvette Summer baby
Rte 66
Corvette summer baby!!!!!!!!!!!
Route 66 Corvette.
RT. 66, they need to work the corvette summer car into fast and furious
Correction: they need to pulverize the hideous Corvette Summer car in Fast and Furious . . . .
RT 66 ‘Vette . . . all the way . . . and TWICE ON SUNDAY!
Route 66 all the way.
Can’t bring myself to voting for the Corvette summer abortion
route 66
Corvette Summer.
The movie that set the stereo type that all ‘vette owners are trying to live down to this day.
Exceed the need! Corvette Summer.
“I drive my first car at nine. I overhaul my first transmission at ten. At thirteen I turn the quarter mile in under 12 seconds…and I wait till now to get laid?” – Corvette Summer
Sure, the Corvette Summer Vette suffered from the usual problems that every movie car has from being more about looking good on camera and lacking any real deal performance or build quality (I have seen several in person while working on set and they are all shit boxes.); but the wild Stingray was the most over the top custom street machine ever to hit celluloid. It’s whole purpose was attract attention while cruising Van Nuys Blvd. It was never a race car and many people cant get their minds off the drag strip.
The coming of age story of Hamil’s character was great as well.
Route 66, NO question!
I like the Corvette Summer car. I know it’s over the top, but it was a fun movie, and it’s got something.Never seen Route 66, and not likely to.I have a bunch of those turbine mags,most of the cars I’ve picked up the last 10 year’s were wearing those.
An absolute NO BRAINER IMO . The ” Route 66 ” Vette ( any of them as there were at least three ) Hands down over that OTT Pep Boys and Elmers Glue modified travesty posing as a Vette in ” Corvette Summer ”
@ Silver68RT – Several cable stations nationwide are repeating the Route 66 series in its entirety … but very early in the AM … like 3:00 am so you’ll have to DVR it …. watch a few . It was and still is a classic . It was part and parcel of my conversion to GearHeaditis .. 8)
Route 66 all the way. That other thing looks like a miscarriage.
Corvette Summer is . . . Abortion. That. Lived. URP! . . . Choke! . . . Gag! . . . Woah! . . . Heave! . . . (Spray chunks)
Vote ROUTE 66 Corvette all the way! Tod and Buz RULE!
Route 66
RT 66
Can you imagine driving that Corvette Summer vette today ?
It’s the RT 66 vette … But he needs some rims = |
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This one’s a no brainer. Buz, Tod and Rout 66 all the way to the Santa Monica pier!!!
I’m so glad they put out all the seasons of Rout 66 on DVD. It really gives you a glipse into America at a very special time. Then it was possible to go from town to town, get work, earn enough money to move on to the next town. Great scripts with some of our best, then (now famous) up and coming actors. If you don’t have them, get them. You won’t regret it.
Corvette Summer. 1000%
Have not seen Route 66 since it was on, in the 60s! Loved the car then, love it still. Corvette Summer is a whacky, but fun film, but that is one of the ugliest cars built! Gotta go with Route 66 on this one!
I’ve never seen RT66 but have seen pics of the Corvettes on the show.
RT66 all the way!
RT66
Todd and Buzz kick Hamels ass and the stupid ass chain steering thing he had going on.
The two ‘Vettes are from entirely different generations. That being said, they are both winners! G.M., I’m sure wouldn’t allow modifications to their loaner cars. Hubcaps & whitewalls were ‘cow-a-bunga’ then. In all fairness to “Corvette Summer”, it was a high school kid’s fantasy car, not a famous, custom designer’s calling card. Who of us really had a true vision of cool back then?
Corvette Summer. It may look dated and over the top, but it was badass for the time.
Besides, who is old enough to have ever seen Route 66?
Superior Mags, Mercury Tubes, Garriel Shocks……. I think I blame Corvette Summer for my car obsession.