C3 Corvettes of the 2020 NCRS Winter Regional

I was able to attend only one day of the event but it was worth the almost two-hour drive from Ocala.

I arrived early Thursday, February 20th which I was told at the gate, it was a set-up day and that the event officially started Friday.

Nevertheless, I was allowed to "go in and have a look."

I spent about 6 hours there, between looking at Corvettes (mostly C3s) and looking through the new- and used-parts vendors that had already opened their booths. This year, it seemed the number of vendors had increased substantially compared to 2019.

I think that in these cases, a video is far more telling and entertaining than static photos, so I compiled a bunch of short videos I shot for my 1976 Corvette Instagram account into a 12-minute movie of the C3s that were inside the NCRS hangar.

Like I said, the vendors' area seemed a lot busier this year even though there were many booths that were in the process of being set-up or not open for business at the time. Nevertheless, those that were open were eager to chat and let you peruse their offerings.

Have you ever wondered what a C3 Corvette door looks on the inside? This display by Bair's Corvette gives you the answers.

Since apparently, I was lucky to be there the day before the official start of the event, I had ample time to really dig in boxes of old parts and negotiate with vendors.

And I was very fortunate to find a part I really needed for my Vette; the driver-side exterior door handle. And super lucky to find one made by Trim Parts still in the box. Since the vendor who had it was still setting up his booth and he didn't mind if I looked in boxes, I managed to find it stuck in a crate of unrelated parts. As they say, patience pays off!

Best of all, I bought it for $15 which is a bargain.

And even though the "new" (at least to me) door handle is a little scratched, it should polish nicely and it will look a million times better than my old original door handle.

By the way, these are side-specific, so if you are looking for one, make sure to get the one you need as they're not interchangeable.

The two photos below show the current status of my LH outside door handle. It is very scratched and pitted. And unfortunately, these cannot be taken apart for repairs or replating.

I also found and bought a complete 1968-1982 vacuum hose kit, so I'm going to be replacing a few hoses in the near future. I didn't really need it, but for $25 I had to get it.

And another item I "had" to buy was a set of rocker panels in pretty good shape. The seller had a $22 OBO price on them but I paid only $15.

Anyway, I had a blast at this year's event even though I arrived a day early. Luckily, I was allowed to go in.

I think the organizers do a very good job with the event, and they've been consistently doing so for 42 years, but I have to admit that had I not looked for the dates and information, I would've missed it.

Obviously, the info listed online was incorrect since it said that the event took place 2/20/2020 through 2/22/2020 while a banner in the swap meet area showed dates of 2/21/2020 through 2/23/2020.

In my opinion, a little internet advertising with the official information would go a long way to help Corvette fans, who may not be NCRS members, make travel and lodging plans well in advance, as well as increase attendance numbers.

But regardless, I am already looking forward to the 2021 event.

Thank you for following my '76 Vette Blog!


Resources

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• Corvette Black Book | 1953-2019
• 1976 Corvette Service & Overhaul Manual
• 1976 Corvette Service & Overhaul Manual CD-ROM