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A TRUE Corvetter passes
I am sad to report that my friend, Jim Van Dorn, has died.
My God, what a shock and a loss. Jim was known to many in the Corvette hobby as a friend, one of the earliest members of the original ZR-1 Registry, organizer of a number of ZR-1 events in the early years of that part of the hobby, a Corvette service shop owner with a big heart and a willing hand to help any Corvetter in need, the original “Pirate” of “Pirate Racing, outspoken commentator of all things Vette both on the Internet and in print, the guy who put on those great BBQ’s during NCM event weekends, an absolute authority on the C4 ZR-1, Father of three wonderful kids and generally, a damn fine individual. I was honored to have been his friend for more than 20 years. In one of life’s cruel ironies, at age 59, Jim died in his sleep, during night of 13-14 May, on the eve of the National Corvette Museum's "C4 Gathering" weekend. Twenty years ago, he organized the “Legend Lives” event at the NCM which began the tradition of a weekend event for C4 ZR-1 owners. Over two decades, what Jim started grew into a three-day event for all C4 enthusiasts, jointly sponsored by the ZR-1 Net and Grand Sport Registries. My friend, Jim Van Dorn, will be greatly missed by his children, Jim Jr., Erin and Kristen and by all of us in the Corvette hobby who greatly valued his friendship. Let’s all take a moment... ….then raise our glasses–raise ‘em real high, people–to “The old Pirate”, Jim Van Dorn.:cheers: Indeed, the Legend lives”, Van Dorn, and you had a part in keeping it alive! |
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Oh no. I am sad to hear of this :cry:
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That's horrible news - he was still a young man! Jim was such a friendly and kind man - sorry to hear this news.
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All, when I started my search for my ZR1 2005 he gave me the true 411 on 90 & 91's. He told me I was a "Real Driver" when I e-mailed him I drove my ZR1 TO Antioch & Los Angles California & Los Vegas Nevada & Seattle Washington more than once from Vancouver Washington (Portland Oregon).
Manfred E...... 91 #906 |
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It is a shock to hear of this. Jim's name was synonymous with the ZR-1, from the enthusiast side, when reading about the ZR-1 in the early days. It is truly sad to hear this.
Godspeed JVD. :saluting: |
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Saddened to the core to hear this. We lost a great guy in Jim, hopefully there will be a gathering at his place this weekend to commerate his life. I have one of his pirate racing stickers. I think this is a great time to put it on the car.
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I just saw that bad news on an email sent from BG.
We have lost one of the great ones in our family. I will never forget during my life that summer of 2008 when I first met Jim, with my brother Toni in our fist trip from Spain to Bowling Green. He did us an unforgettable couple of days, just for us, he left all his duties in the shop, stayed with us on the Assembly Plant, on the Museum that was still on expansion....a true wonderful days. And on my later travels to the USA I always passed by Bowling Green to salute him and talk a while about the Corvettes and the ZR-1. And will also never forget the Gathering bbq's of the Thursdays in his shop. Jim, my friend, will never forget you. Wherever you are now, here we will keep the legend alive !! Pirate forever. |
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Our best wishes to his family and frends.
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My friend Ramon (93 ZR1 Barcelona) explained way better than I could ever do who JVD was. Jim was a generous & warm human being. He had that gift of getting people together, he was a real 'gatherer'.
Founding member, he's made the legend live for the last 20+ years. Here's my humble tribute to his Corvette 'sanctuary'. Pics speak louder than words to describe his Corvette passion. See you on the other side bro. |
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I do not know what to say, shocking
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Thoughts and Prayers to Family and Friends ... I know he and Doug Johnson are burnin' Stogies & sipping' Purple Beer in that "Final Gathering" in the sky (save me some, Bro). Another Great gone before his time ... Semper Fi & GodSpeed Matey ... you will be missed, :saluting: Hawk ^v^ '91 #415 PTBAP Sent via ESP from my iBrain PS ... I'm sure a 'JVD Memorial Gathering' or brick is in the works by someone. Maybe rename one of his signature events? Standing-by to assist ... |
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I will miss Jim and his Corvette commentary. When I got into the ZR-1 hobby in 2008, I learned about Jim from the Heart of the Beast and the NCM. He worked on my first ZR-1, a red '92 when I autocrossed it during the 2009 Gathering, in the rain. He allowed me to use his garage as a car wash, as I often cleaned my '95 ZR-1 at his place at subsequent Gatherings. Lastly, I was very fortunate and honored to drive his Black Widow ZR-1 during the Gathering in 2014, just so he could see it compete one last time before it was sold.
Jim was always giving, and inspiring. I will miss him, but I will always remember him. :cheers: Sorry I could not make the Gathering this year, sometimes work gets in the way. |
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Very sorry to hear of this. What a legacy he has left for his family and for the ZR1 community.
Prayers and condolences to all in their loss. :saluting: JVD |
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What a sad day,to hear such news as this. Man,this sucks.
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Jim,
I will never forget the gratitude you showed a bunch of Army guys while deployed to Afghanistan by hosting an auction at the famous "JVD BBQ" 5 years to date. The video and phone call you set up for my family was priceless... I will miss our conversations we had with Hib and the stories and support you showed to me and my family. Our prayers are with the kids during this time and we salute you JVD! :saluting: 'Stad |
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I am very sad to hear this news. I have read a lot about him and his accomplishments. I have read many great stories about the type of guy he was and it was always complimentary. I am sorry I personally never got to know him but I respect the person he was by so many positive commentaries about him. He was truly a pioneer of the ZR1 and has helped many fellow forum members with his amazing knowledge.
He will truly be missed. Condolences to his family during this very difficult time. Ed Ramos #3028 |
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Goodbye 'O my Captain, Goodbye.
Until we meet again. TomC a.k.a, "Crabs" |
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Godspeed, Jim.
Never met you but have read a lot about you. Happy Trails..... |
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We will certainly miss Jim.... I met him for the first time on Wednesday - we spent over 2 hours chatting in his office that afternoon.
Jim was planning to donate some historical items to the NCM during the banquet this year. With heavy heart..... Mark |
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Terribly sad news. Jim was among the first experts I had the pleasure to speak with when I was looking for my first ZR-1 20 years ago. Genuinely good person. Our prayers to you and your loved ones. Godspeed Jim Van Dorn.
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I only met Jim once. He definitely left a lasting impression. Two years ago at the Gathering he loaned his shop, tools and lift to Frank Shelton so he could make a quick exhaust hanger repair on his Callaway after our drive up from Texas. What a great atmosphere he had going in that shop.
Wish I'd known you better, Jim. RIP |
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Today I wore my Pirate Racing Tee-Shirt in JVD's honor.
It goes back into the poster frame with all the memorabilia that he sent me of Pirate Racing. I won't wear it again. 59 is too young, much too young for the long sleep. JVD was a bit of a Gentleman Scoundrel, he never cared a whip for what anyone else thought of him, he did what he did and asked for no excuses or explanations or forgiveness. If he didn't like you, he didn't like you. If he liked you, he liked you from the very first second he met you. I was lucky that way. We had a bond from the first time we spoke. He was the Pirate Captain, and I was one of his Crew. I met the Captain though a chance eBay purchase, a ZR1 labeled door sill for "Girlfriend" when he was clearing out the storage when he moved from California to Kentucky. I remember asking some stupid question and a certain kinship just seemed to open up right from the first email. We never met face to face, but we spoke many times on the phone and via email. He had some stories to tell, yessir. And he always did. Wish I had recorded some of them. I remember calling him when he was selling "The WeekendEndr", asking if he'd take payments. (the answer was an emphatic "No" but I had to try). "The Captain" and I just got along, every time "Girlfriend" would hiccup and something wasn't quite right I'd call him and he'd just tell me to take her out and flog her some and see if she'd do it again. Usually it was just my imagination and he'd always blame it on me not driving her enough. Always good advice. I will miss that. I'm jealous of the people that actually worked with him, they got to see/hear him every day. I'll bet they have some pretty good stories to tell. "The Captain" was that way. Your "Crew" will always miss you Captain. Be safe and Godspeed. I suppose I'll see you soon enough. 'Crabs |
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I did not know Mr. Van Dorn but my sincere condolences to his family and friends.
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I never met Jim, but the things he accomplished contributed tremendously to the Legend of my favorite car. He was a kindred spirit, and lost way too soon.
I don't believe in heaven, but I do believe that your spirit lives on in the people who remember you, the people who's lives you touched. In that sense Jim will leave a lasting legacy of good will. That's all that the rest of us can ever hope for ourselves. I know how I'm going to salute his memory. The next time I turn the key in my ZR-1, I'm going to find an open stretch of two lane pavement on the edge of town and let her rip. I'm not fool enough to think that he'll hear it wailing, but it sure as hell will make me feel better. Hammer down......:thumbsup: |
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Boy, "tccrab" you just described my friend Jim to a "T". Great words! At the C4 Gathering Banquet last night (Sat 17 May) Jim's three children, Erin, Jim Jr and Kristen, surprised everyone by attending. The Registry had asked me to give a tribute to Jim because I was told that the three kids really didn’t want to say anything but I talked Jim Jr. in to getting up in front of that crowd to talk about his Dad and make a presentation to the Museum of the Corvette memorabilia that Jim had planned to donate had he been there. Originally, the Registry had asked me to make the presentation, but getting Jim Jr. to do it (which I’m sure his Dad would have appreciated) ended up working out very well. I think it helped Jim Jr. and it really made the audience feel good in this time of trying to make some sense of such a tragic and sudden loss. I was proud of Jim Jr. (don’t call him Jimmie anymore). It was tough, but he gave a really nice insight to his Dad and his families’ feelings about Jim’s closeness to the Corvette hobby. Wow. I hadn’t seen Erin or Kristen since before Jim moved out of CA back in 03. They’ve grown to be two very pretty, poised and just really nice women. The reason I was at the Gathering was to moderate the panel-discussion about the Record Run of 1990 the Museum scheduled for Saturday morning. On Friday, I rewrote the first five minutes of my introduction into a tribute to Jim. That worked out very well. The people attending the session appreciated it as did the panelists who all knew Jim well. At the Gathering, the ZR-1 Net and Grand Sport Registries had already scheduled a tribute to members who had died in the last 12-months to be held Saturday just before lunch. They came to me that morning and asked if I’d make a short tribute speech during that session. That was tough because I don’t like to work “ad lib” in a situation like that obviously I wasn’t saying no. It ended up working out quite well and I actually enjoyed being able to say a few words all of Jim's Corvette friends in that environment. There will be no services for the Corvette community other than last night at the Museum which ended-up a celebration of Jim’s connection with Corvettes and Corvette people. As Erin Van Dorn told me it may have been impromptu but since “everyone” was in town for the Gathering, it was as good a time as any to have ZR-1 and Grand Sport people reflect on the loss we all suffered, the great friend Jim was and the wonderful association he had with our hobby. They are going to do a second event of some sort in the next week or so for Jim’s non-Corvette friends in Bowling Green and this summer, in California, they’ll do a third memorial event for Jim’s family and friends in CA. I think Erin is monitoring Jim’s email and Jim Jr. has Jim’s mobile phone so, if you have JVD's contact info, those are a couple of ways you can contact those kids if you want. |
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Saturday morning was a great tribute Hib.
I left shortly after the memorial but would have without a doubt stayed for the banquet if I knew Jims kids were on the way. |
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So this is my story...before leaving for BG I had a questionable rotor, had some small cracks that had been stable for a long time..well, I think a crack worsened, and I could feel it in the brakes, so I limped it into BG, and Jerry, myself, and everyone else just sort of said oh well, we will talk to JVD, and I know we all thought in our minds that he would take care of me.........so I mentioned it to the first person I saw, (Jeff) and he told me the news........needless to say I was shocked, but I just tell this story to just try to put even a small bit of his importance to our community in light. This is just a very very small portion, but the way we all thought he would take care of us, just says so much about him. I had only met JVD once, and I am saddened for all of you who knew him well. Hib you guys did your best to honor him, and I think you did a good job.
RIPJVD :cry: |
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Genuine, Gregarious & Generous just happen to be the first words that come to mind when I think about my friendship with Jim.
Many things come to mind when I think about what Jim was known for, events that he organized, Thunder at Stillwater and The Legend Lives, his support of our military, the cookouts that he hosted, the sheer number of people with car issues that he helped, his Pirate racing program.... and on and on. None of that filled Jim's pockets..... in fact it was just the opposite. He did it out of sincere generosity and an uncontrollable desire to contribute. For all of Jim's gregarious mannerisms that announced his presence, he was also sensitive if his willingness to contribute was stifled. One never had to wonder if Jim had a private agenda. He was what I like to call a WYSIWYG guy, an old computer term that was short for "What You See, Is What You Get!" I liked that in Jim. At the 25th Gathering, I was struck by the number of us that had talked to Jim in the 3 or 4 days prior to the Gathering. Jim's health was troublesome and if you knew him, you knew he was in a life altering state of pain. Those recent conversations were a blessing to us all. Jim's legacy will live on. Even though Jim is gone,I seriously doubt that there will ever be another Gathering that he will not be present in the hearts & minds of many of us. Here's to Jim, a friend I proudly acknowledge.:cheers: |
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Only met him once, RIP Jim.
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I had the pleasure of meeting Jim several times over the years, first at the Legend Lives in Stillwater, at the 1996 Carlisle when we tried to get 500 ZR1's together, I had a oil pressure sender fail, Larry Merow was too busy to be bothered, but Jim came to the rescue, we had no tools so off to the swap meet he and I went, he found a correct plug
and a wrench that would remove the sender, this allowed me to drive back to Texas, where I got the sender replaced under warrenty. Jim would not take money, so I gave him the wrench I bought at the swap meet. That's the type of guy Jim was, always willing to help his fellow Corvetters. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. |
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My only contact with JVD was through e mails and it was a blast! We were discussing the California smog nazis and their antiquated ways. JVD had a way with words and was a delight to read. I wish I could have met the man.
RIP Jim and... my condolences to his friends and family members. |
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http://www.bgdailynews.com/obituarie...afbed1b63.html
All, We will sorely miss Jim as a part of our community, but we will never forget what he accomplished to forward the ZR-1 among automotive enthusiasts around the world. As such, the ZR-1 Net, ZR-1 Net Registry and the Grand Sport Registry (which Jim founded) are jointly dedicating a brick in Jim’s honor at the National Corvette Museum. Donations can be made through the ZR-1 Net Registry website at: http://www.zr1netregistry.com/Market...stryStore.aspx With heavy heart, Mark |
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CT Machining just donated $20 towards Jim's Brick. He is and will be sorely missed :cry:
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Van Dorn and I were such good friends. It's been difficult for me to accept that he's gone over to the other side. I miss the guy a lot. All the kind words posted here are helping me move on.:)
Hopefully, Jim's three kids, Erin, Jim Jr. and Kristen have read this thread and are getting a better idea of the number people who knew and respected their Dad. Quote:
Jim was a strong supporter of the National Corvette Museum. Yes, he had reservations, sometimes, about how the NCM was managed, but he had great caring and respect for the institution which is the NCM, in part because it preserves the best of the Corvette hobby for all those Corvetters who will come after us. While Jim was alive, he placed several bricks–three of them of which I know–for he and his family. Your joint ZR1N/ZR1NR/GSR brick will be another. Jim was a Lifetime Member of NCM so the Museum will place an IMO brick for him, too, something the NCM does for any Lifetime member who dies. See the image below. http://www.zr1.net/forum/album.php?a...pictureid=2888 Needless to say, Jim will be "well-bricked" at the NCM and rightly so. Tomorrow, 20 June 2015, the Van Dorn children have scheduled a celebration of Jim's life here in California for his relatives and California friends and Corvetters. It's being held in Indio, CA just a few miles from where Jim used to live in La Quinta and near where the original Automasters was located, in Palm Desert. I was honored when Jim's youngest, Kristen, called me and asked if I would come tell some JVD stories at the celebration. Might be a little tough to do that while staying composed, but I want to do it. Right now I have my '95, with the 500-hp (413 SAE at the wheels) Automasters StreetSkinner engine package, in storage at an off-site location where we've been keeping it while it's up for sale, but I'm going to get that car out of storage and drive it to Jim's memorial. Not only that, I'm going to wear the classic "JVD Uniform" which is, of course, shorts and flip-flop sandals. No doubt, JVD–who's probably sitting over on the other side, cocktail in hand, right next to Doug Johnson, who's smoking a big cigar and drinking a beer–will appreciate my attire. |
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Yesterday I attended Jim's memorial in Indio CA. Jim's kids asked me to be the first speaker and tell some JVD stories. I got to be the first up because they hoped I'd "break the ice" and that others would also come up to speak. It worked. A while bunch of Jim's relatives and friends told stories.
In attendance were Tom Peters and Tom "Turbo" Sullivan, both former ZR-1 owners and former Van Dorn customers. Also there was Tim Riley, Jim's best friend from B.G. and Bill "ZFDoc" Boudreau. I thought a few here would appreciate reading my little speech about Jim. Quote:
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Cool stories Hib! Made me smile:). I never had the honor of meeting JVD but from the first days of my Z addiction, his name was well known. I still have that issue with him doing the burn outs in my collection. Thanks for the stories of a genuinely cool gentleman:thumbsup:
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For those of you who never met Jim, here's a picture that my wife took in 2014 at the NCM homecoming. From L-to-R is Hib, myself, and JVD.
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u...psqluu0e0f.jpg Once again we had an issue with our Vette while in Bowling Green, and Jim took the time to get things fixed up. He'll be missed! Gary |
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Great guy. My wife and I met him at his BBQ. He will be missed. RIP
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