**Random Interesting Facts Thread**

[Onebadcad]

^^^ she just died

[dvarapala]

Originally Posted by Onebadcad

^^^ she just died

[RMVette]

Originally Posted by Onebadcad

^^^ she just died

Oh no!!! Just saw that.

[AUTOHOLIC]

Originally Posted by Onebadcad

https://www.capitalone.com/cars/lear...-corvette/1554


11 Things You Don't Know About the Chevrolet Corvette
It may be America's most famous sports car, but with seven decades of history behind it, there's a good chance you don't know everything about the Corvette.

The Chevrolet Corvette has had an illustrious run for close to 70 years. Along the way, it’s become one of the most well-known vehicles in automotive history. While most of us think we know all about Chevy’s two-seat sports car, we’ve managed to unearth a list of the curious, fun, and fuel-injected facts that helped make the Corvette the American automotive icon it is.


1. It Helped Launch a 1950s Design Trend
Along with a few other General Motors models in 1953, the original Corvette helped pioneer the wraparound windshield—in retrospect, not the most significant invention to roll off the assembly line. However, as one of the first mass-produced cars to use this design, the stylish two-door Corvette cleared the way for the wraparound to gain popularity during the 1950s. Persistent issues with distortion and less-than-ideal structural integrity put an end to this type of windshield after a few years.

2. GM Had a Special Corvette Lease Deal for Astronauts in the 1960s
The relationship between NASA astronauts and the Chevrolet Corvette is a long one. According to reports, Alan Shepard was the first astronaut to show up to NASA training in a Corvette, his 1957 model. This happened in 1959, and three years later, GM rewarded Shepard for becoming the first American in space by giving him a new 1962 ’Vette. Jim Rathmann, the winner of the 1960 Indy 500 and a Chevrolet dealer in Melbourne, Florida, furthered the relationship. With approval from GM’s corporate brass, Rathmann arranged “special” lease terms for any NASA astronauts who wanted to drive a Corvette. In 1969, three members of the Apollo 12 crew ordered matching 427 Stingray coupes (nicknamed the “AstroVettes”) with a gold-on-black color scheme custom-designed by astronaut Alan Bean.

3. A Coupe Only Became Available 10 Years After the Corvette Debuted
The second-generation Corvette, which debuted in 1963, offered customers the choice of a coupe or convertible body style for the first time. This version was a complete redesign based on GM design chief Bill Mitchell’s 1959 Stingray race car concept. The coupe version of the production Corvette (wearing a “Sting Ray'' badge) featured the infamous “split-window” design, which triggered conflict between the styling and engineering teams. Almost half the Corvettes sold that first year were coupes, and concerns that the design hindered rearward visibility led to the split-window lasting for just 1 year before being eliminated.

4. Pop-Up Headlights Lasted From the Second Through Fifth Generations
That 1963 Corvette was also the first to feature hideaway headlights. This styling feature was incorporated into the second-generation model by GM design legends Larry Shinoda and Peter Brock. The pop-up headlights became a fixture on all Corvettes until the debut of the sixth-generation Corvette in 2005, which wore fixed headlights.

5. For Nearly 20 Years, the Corvette Had No Trunk
From 1963 until 1982, the Chevrolet Corvette had no trunk or rear hatch. The car featured a cargo area behind the seats—which was small on the convertible models—accessed from inside the vehicle only. The 1982 Corvette Collector’s Edition featured a hinged glass rear window that made it easier to toss luggage into the cargo area, and this design feature remained in place for more than 15 years. In 1998, the Corvette convertible featured a separate trunk with outside access—the first trunk on a ’Vette since the 1962 models.

6. The 1983 Chevrolet Corvette Is the Rarest of Them All
Unicorn alert! There’s only one 1983 Chevrolet Corvette in existence. How did this happen? Production of the 1983 model was delayed due to emissions compliance and factory retooling efforts, so GM elected to introduce the fourth-generation ’Vette as a 1984 model instead. Before GM made this call, brochures for the 1983 model were already published. Chevy even built 43 pre-production cars, of which all but one was destroyed. You can see the sole 1983 Corvette on display at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

7. The Corvette Is the Most Reliable Pacemaker
The Chevrolet Corvette has been the pace car for the world-famous Indianapolis 500 more than any other car in history—an astounding 18 times. The first time the ’Vette hit the high banks was in 1978, which marked the inaugural model’s 25th anniversary. The Chevy sports car’s most recent appearance was during the 2021 race. Over the years, several production Indy 500 pace car special editions have been sold to the public.

8. Since 1968, the Coupe Has Delivered an Open-Air Driving Experience
With the threat of federal safety rules banning convertibles, every 1968 to 1982, third-generation Corvette coupe came equipped with T-tops to appeal to open-air-driving fans. Over the first decade of production, the removable roof panels were made of fiberglass and were painted body color. In 1978, T-top panels made of tinted glass were offered as an option. By 1986, the convertible Corvette was back, and celebrated as one of the Indianapolis 500 pace cars.

9. A Sub-3-Second Corvette Is Nothing New
Chevrolet claims the 2015 Corvette Z06 can hit 60 mph in 2.95 seconds, and the recently announced 2023 Corvette Z06 has an advertised zero-to-60-mph time of 2.6 seconds. But GM knew how to build a sub-3-second Corvette way back in 1969. That’s when engineers showed off a prototype with a 7.4-liter, LT-2 V8 that was estimated to produce 625 horsepower. According to MotorTrend testing, that car cleared 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds.

10. The Most Powerful Modern Corvettes Cost More Than $100,000
The most expensive production Corvette ever was the 2019 ZR1. Equipped with a supercharged, 6.2-liter V8, this version generated a stunning 755 horsepower, making it the most powerful production ’Vette ever. The ZR1 had a base price starting at $121,995 for the hardtop and $4,000 more for the convertible. Check off all the options on the menu, and a loaded ZR1 could push toward $150,000.

11. The Newest Model Is Unlike All the Versions That Came Before It
Since the first model rolled off the assembly line for the 1953 model year, all generations of Chevrolet Corvette have featured a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration. That is until the debut of the current eighth-generation model. This version, introduced for the 2020 model year, is the first production mid-engine Corvette. It’s also the first Corvette since the 1980s to come without a manual transmission option. Instead, this ’Vette runs up the gears via an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic.

VERY well presented. Unlike MOST of these history blurbs I have seen over the years this one is accurate and I did not notice a single mistake or “ myth.”

[WydGlydJim]

There are only on average 11 minutes of actual after the snap action in a 3 hour football game......

[jw38]

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Give a man a 10mm socket...and he'll sure as fuck lose it.

[IB4TL]

[slewfoot]

Originally Posted by IB4TL

Attachment 114245

Listerine was invented to be a floor cleaner & people learned later that it cured bad breath.

1800's #TidePodChallenge

Good for curing head lice in kids or crabs for you whore dogs

[A/E]

When Skateboard Wheels went from Clay to Urethane in the Early to Mid 70's . . .



Skateboarding then truly became a Cultural Phenomenon . . .

[86RAG]

Originally Posted by Louie Detroit

Farts travel at 7 miles per hour.

Sperm travel out of the body at a speed of around 28 miles per hour during ejaculation.

[04 commemorative]

Bats are the only mammals that flap their wings to fly, unlike flying squirrels which glide.

[A/E]

Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. the a fictional character on Cheers played by John Ratzenberger was not originally scripted in the series' pilot episode, but the producers decided to add a know-it-all character and Ratzenberger was casted.

Cliff was originally a security guard, but two days before the pilot's filming he was changed to a postman; the producers thought a postman would be more knowledgeable than a security guard.

[Burro (He/Haw)]

Giraffes are 30 times more likely to get hit by lightning than people. True, there are only five well-documented fatal lightning strikes on giraffes between 1996 and 2010. But due to the population of the species being just 140,000 during this time, it makes for about 0.003 lightning deaths per thousand giraffes each year. This is 30 times the equivalent fatality rate for humans.

This is a real concern for us. We’re proposing legislation to have lightning rods installed at any and all Giraffe locations. Mexico will be paying for it.

We’ve also started the GLM movement to raise awareness to the systemic ridicule we’ve been subjected to due to our long neck. We expect reparations.

[Bruze]

Biological fact #1:

Vaginas all feel the same.* It's everything else attached to the vagina that makes the difference.












*Somebody will say that "No, some are tighter than others," because nothing online is ever taken at face value and MUST be nit-picked.

[Burro (He/Haw)]

because nothing online is ever taken at face value and MUST be nit-picked.

When did you finally have this epiphany? A while ago I hope.

[slewfoot]

Originally Posted by IB4TL

Attachment 114243

Who Invented the Chainsaw?

While Andreas Stihl of the Stihl company invented the modern chainsaw in 1926, he doesn’t get the credit for developing the first-ever chainsaw. That accolade goes to Dr. John Aitken and Dr. James Jeffray in the 1780s.

While Dr. Aitken and Dr. Jeffray’s chainsaw was a much smaller hand-powered chainsaw, it had all the same elements that you can find in a modern chainsaw.

It had a chain and small teeth on the blade, and it rotated in the exact same way that a modern chainsaw does. But while people use modern chainsaws almost exclusively for cutting timber, these first chainsaws never made it near wood. Instead, doctors used them during childbirth!

[Bruze]

Originally Posted by Giraffe (He/Him)

When did you finally have this epiphany? A while ago I hope.

I've been online since 1994 so yes, it's been a long time. Probably since before you were born.

[Burro (He/Haw)]

Originally Posted by Bruze

I've been online since 1994 so yes, it's been a long time. Probably since before you were born.

Source?

1962? Yeah, probably.

🤣

[04 commemorative]

Originally Posted by slewfoot

Who Invented the Chainsaw?

While Andreas Stihl of the Stihl company invented the modern chainsaw in 1926, he doesn’t get the credit for developing the first-ever chainsaw. That accolade goes to Dr. John Aitken and Dr. James Jeffray in the 1780s.

While Dr. Aitken and Dr. Jeffray’s chainsaw was a much smaller hand-powered chainsaw, it had all the same elements that you can find in a modern chainsaw.

It had a chain and small teeth on the blade, and it rotated in the exact same way that a modern chainsaw does. But while people use modern chainsaws almost exclusively for cutting timber, these first chainsaws never made it near wood. Instead, doctors used them during childbirth!

I read it was used for amputations

[IB4TL]

Originally Posted by 04 commemorative

I read it was used for amputations

I didn't know about this part either....