Blood, sweat and oil: Trenton Hall and his Stingray Corvette

By Brenden Warlick

Photo of Stingray Corvette taken by Trenton Hall

If the “Fast and Furious” series has highlighted one thing it is that family matters. Trenton Hall is an OHS student that has an incredible looking car. While a 1977 “Stingray” Corvette is a dream to many, the story between Hall and his car runs deeper than a material connection.

This car has been in the Hall family for generations. After years of idleness, the car was resurrected by Hall and his father.

“It was originally from my grandpa, and it was sitting in a field for 25 years, so me and my dad started restoring it back when I was 15,” Hall reminisced. 

Photo of Stingray Corvette taken by Brenden Warlick

Hall is three years into this project and he is still finding new things to work on. However, the passion to work on the car has not always been so prevalent. When the project initially began, Hall did not know much about working on cars. Despite that, working with his father and learning a plethora of new skills has motivated him to keep going. 

“I want to keep it running and fixing [it].” Hall elaborated,”So I can pass it down to my future generation, my family one day. It means a lot, and I do have a lot of memories working on [it with] my dad.”

Many car owners have a deep connection with their vehicle. Hall has worked on this car for three years, and the oil from the car practically runs in his veins. So obviously, he has named his car.

“This is Black Betty. You know the [song]? Yeah, [the car] came out the same year as Black Betty,” Hall declared.

While the meaning of that song is hard to pinpoint, it is clear that this car means everything to Hall. It is a car with the blood of his family ingrained into each bolt, a symbol of his dedication and a monument to his time with his father. On the back windshield there is the name of a man, along with the birth and death dates.

“That's my [Uncle's name.] … He died in a car crash. … It was my grandpa's car beforehand, so he put that on there to honor him.”

Hall’s car has been forged in a cocoon of love. Materialism often has a bad connotation, but this story is proof that objects can be a beacon of love. Hall’s family may have built this car with care, it is also evident that Hall was raised by this love.

Photo of Stingray Corvette taken by Trenton Hall