[DanEC]

I like to visit car shows and wander around looking but I'm not big on being a participant. I've seen enough un-attended children, dogs, bicycles, skateboards, teeny-booper fender sitters, and just plain idiots to last me the rest of my life. However I did venture out to a cruise night in my ERA a couple months ago since a bunch of my car buddies were I think, questioning if I had ever managed to get it finished. I have to admit I was a little touched by the 9 or 10 year old boy who dragged his mom up to my car and looked it over good until he spotted the Cobra emblem on the trunk. His eyes got big and he turned to his mom and started on about "This is a Cobra. This is the coolest car ever made. I've never seen one. Is it real?" After answering some questions, showing him the engine bay and letting his mom snap his photo standing next to it - he went on his way a happy camper. I'm not a children person but afterwards I wish I had taken him for a quick ride.

A note on those open hoods - older Corvette owners deal with a well known problem with the sun reflecting off those GM chrome air cleaner lids that act like a perfect reflecting prism and will focus sun rays on the underside of the hood, burning a nice stripe right down the underside and topside of the hood paint as the sun angle changes. It's a good idea to put a towel or something over those chrome air cleaner lids if you like to open your hood.