1966 Chevrolet Corvette Long-Term Road Test

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1966 Chevrolet Corvette: Smells Like Victory

June 5, 2015

I love old cars. I love how they're primitive compared to what we normally drive. I love how they instantly transport you back to whatever era they came from. Old cars aren't for everyone though, and the Corvette will likely emphasize the line between the love-its and the hate-its.

I think the biggest hurdle for drivers to overcome will be the smell. The volume of exhaust fumes pouring into the cabin is substantial. That planted a theory in my head that people that look back at the 50s and 60s with disproportionate fondness may have been high as a kite from the fumes.

I'm not all that sensitive to stuff like that, since I've been subjected to all sorts of terrible chemicals from photography, art school, the printing industry, pool maintenance, leather dying and just living in Los Angeles.

I'm sure it hasn't had any ill effects. Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the Corvette.

Even with my lower sensitivity to fumes, I do feel the effects. About an hour after I drive the Corvette, I feel the onset of a headache. Thankfully, it hasn't developed into a full-blown, incapacitating migraine, but it gives me second thoughts about taking it on a road trip.

It won't, however, keep me from signing it out for the usual drives.

Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor