Dick Blake / Waterford, MI
Welcome to Dick Blake's two-car garage. Of course, to fit two cars in means he'd have to get rid of his lathe, bandsaw, buffers, mill, grinder, and other cool machines and tools. But we like it this way. Blake, as he's known to most around the Pontiac, Michigan, area, has been fiddling with cars, boats, snowmobiles, and anything else with an engine and wheels all of his life. From stomping Woodward in his '59 Pontiac with a 421 in the heydays to snowmobile drags on Pontiac lake to blasting across Williams Lake in his 22-foot nitrous-tickled 502 Eliminator, Blake just digs hot rods.
1. While waiting for your custom bracket, pull up a chair and enjoy a beverage.
2. This '79 L82 four-speed 'Vette received the Blake treatment inside, out, and under. The 350 was massaged by Paul Mercure and treated with a set of Dart Pro1 heads, and a roller hydraulic valvetrain, and it retains the stock intake and Quadrajet. On the dyno it rolled out a stout 397 hp with 422 pounds! That's a lot of fun to romp with on Woodward.
3. Having a Bridgeport and a lathe in your garage doesn't automatically upgrade your gearhead status- unless you can prove how to use it. Blake isn't afraid to whittle away at a chunk of aluminum to craft a bracket for whatever he or his friends are working on.
4. What's up with the Honda Trail 70? When Blake needs time off from the Corvettes or other projects he turns his attention to the Hondas. He gets a kick out of 'em and they keep him out of trouble.
5. Buffing wheels get worn out at Blake's garage. If it's aluminum, it gets polished. If it unbolts, it gets polished-from Honda engines to 'Vette wheels.
Blake's retired from the GM Proving Grounds transportation division and keeps busy with house restoration projects as well as this '79 Vette and a long-term '56 Vette project. The chassis of the '56 is complete along with the drivetrain and the bodywork is right around the corner. As you can tell by the garage, the '56 is sure to be detailed to perfection.
'Have a cool garage or know a buddy with one? Send info and photos to Car Craft, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048, or e-mail them to CarCraft@sourceinterlink.com.