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why did you buy your first corvette??

2K views 25 replies 17 participants last post by  Michael GS#357 
#1 ·
when i was growing up,rt.66 was one of my favorite tv shows,and when i saw that vette well i was hooked,the style,engineering,and pride that comes with the keys told me all i needed to know,whats you story.as allways(save the wave)kenny. and why what your driving now:partyon: kenny 1984
 
#2 · (Edited)
When I was about 15, a guy lived down the street who was in trouble with cops constantly. This guy's problem (at least the only one I knew of at the time) was he built street racing machines. One of the first that caught my ears, yeah ears was 58 Candy Apple red Vette. It sounded like heaven ...real throaty with a lope lope lope idle. He later offerd to sell me that car for $500. I never had the $$ and couldn't go to Dad for the money cause Dad (RIP) was bustin his buttocks to keep a roof overhead.

I later found out that this guy was a bad egg and had also been boostin cars and the local Tastee Freeze.

Any way that made me want a performance car, not a Vette. My first car was a 60 Ford 4 door 292 V8, 2 speed automatic that ate oil. I had a string of winner cars, 53 Ford 6 cyl, 3 speed, the headlights were held on by aluminumized tape...a 63 rambler 6 cyl 3 speed that I'd try to street race with on Ogden Ave in Berwyn/Cicero, IL.

I had several other step up in class cars but nothing with any balls.

Then I got married.......closest thing was an Electra T Type.

Back in 00 I had the good fortune to be able to have saved some $$ and wanted a performance car. I looked at Rustang verts but my son suggested a Vette. My wife actually agreed! They seemed to be holding value a lot better then than now and way better than a Rustang.

Game, set and Match! No looking back now!
 
#3 ·
stilcrazee said:
When I was about 15, a guy lived down the street who was in trouble with cops constantly. This guy's problem (at least the only one I knew of at the time) was he built street racing machines. One of the first that caught my ears, yeah ears was 58 Candy Apple red Vette. It sounded like heaven ...real throaty with a lope lope lope idle. He later offerd to sell me that car for $500. I never had the $$ and couldn't go to Dad for the money cause Dad (RIP) was bustin his buttocks to keep a roof overhead.

I later found out that this guy was a bad egg and had also been boostin cars and the local Tastee Freeze.

Any way that made me want a performance car, not a Vette. My first car was a 60 Ford 4 door 292 V8, 2 speed automatic that ate oil. I had a string of winner cars, 53 Ford 6 cyl, 3 speed, the headlights were held on by aluminumized tape...a 63 rambler 6 cyl 3 speed that I'd try to street race with on Ogden Ave in Berwyn/Cicero, IL.good for you,but a vette is a vette

I had several other step up in class cars but nothing with any balls.

Then I got married.......closest thing was an Electra T Type.

Back in 00 I had the good fortune to be able to have saved some $$ and wanted a performance car. I looked at Rustang verts but my son suggested a Vette. My wife actually agreed! They seemed to be holding value a lot better then than now and way better than a Rustang.

Game, set and Match! No looking back now!
:partyon:
 
#4 ·
I am just like the rest of you car nuts. When small I used to go to the car dealer down the street to see the new models come out(everyone used to come out with there new models at the same time) and I would dream that someday I too would have a "dream" car for myself. First car was a 55 chev :) and that was the first car in my family since 1947. Riding high but reaching for something better, next was a 60 catalina w/383. Then marriage and I start the other direction:( Long story shortened, took another 25 years for me to get my "dream" car, a 70 corvette LT-1 w/370 hp. Loved that car but was smittened by the grand sport . Now have my ultimite lover #357 GS :thumbsup:
 
#5 ·
I started out like most with a 55 Chevy 2 door hard top . It was a glass fendered wonder that ended up doing alot of street racing (way out in rual areas) and would go 8000 RPM on the street. It caught some big boys off guard.
Then I moved on to NHRA Drag Racing with the stock classes. Stock aint stock, my 65 Chevelle would carry the wheels through 1st gear (the 6.14s and letting the clutch out at 7200 didn't hurt) .
Then it was back to a 55 Chevy post for awhile followed by a 55 original Nomad. The Nomad was a great auto but the 265 powerglide just didn't have the feel.
Last but not least I came across my 57 Vette, it needed alot of work but there was something about a 57 with dual 4s and a 4 speed the just seemed to be right. Since then I have had it on the road touring as far south as Orlando Fl. Great car, I wish I had moved to the Vettes years earlier. :excited:
 
#6 ·
I started out like most with a 55 Chevy 2 door hard top . It was a glass fendered wonder that ended up doing alot of street racing (way out in rual areas) and would go 8000 RPM on the street. It caught some big boys off guard.
ive grown up around 55 6 and 7 chevy's and had a big block 65 chevelle too, i restored a 55 nomad at 13 and now have my 70 l 46 that was a graduation present from my dad(best one in the world) for high school, i never wanted a vette till i saw mine coming down the street for the first time, it was love from then on, weve had good times($$$$$$$$) and bad times(seized water pump that took out a radiator,shroud,crossmember, fan,water pump, and clutch- and byron with the 388 bustin a half shaft and tearin the trailing arm in half,broken shock,busted fiber glass and bent suspension pieces) and i wouldnt trade a day of it for anything. but know im looking to buy MY OWN vette and make the payments and have fun goin to bowling green with my dad and all my friends on here and the forum, and yes i always wave even if they dont wave back.

:buhbye:
 
#9 ·
I grew up arond my dads 59 impalas. When i turned 15 we were gonna build a 86 cavaleir with a built small block for my first car. That fell through so i decided on a camaro. One day, before i bought a camaro thankfully, my dad told me bout a 79 vette. Bought it 2 weeks after my 16th b day. I have put a lot of work into it ove rthe last 3 years but it has been worth it. Especially the fact that my senior year in highschool i had th choose WHICH vette i wanted to take to school.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I grew up in a town where the Corvette was not seen very often. A Corvette sighting was VERY RARE!! I used to drop whatever I was doing to go look at a Corvette. One day at the Chevy dealer I was getting a used car. As the salesman went to do his "check with the manager" deal, I saw a shiny new Yellow ZR1 sitting on the showroom floor and I thought "No Way, a Vette!!" :surprised

I opened her up and sat my rear in that nice soft black leather. This was the first time I ever sat in a Corvette! Just as I was getting comfy the salesman came back. I couldn't afford the ZR1 or even a non-ZR1 Vette but I knew, right then and there, that I would have a Corvette one day. :thumbsup:

Finally, just over 4 years ago I was able to afford a used Corvette and bought the '87 I have now! :cheers:
 
#11 ·
Always wanted a Corvette when I was in high school and then the C4's came out and that was it. For the longest time I had a poster of a ZR1 in my room and spent years dreaming that one day I could have the $$$ for one. Maybe I couldn’t afford a ZR1 but a nice C4 would do. Six years ago I bought my first one, a 91 vert.

Hopefully I'll never be Vetteless.

:cheers:
 
#12 ·
Is it true the when a Vette owner sells his ride he goes into withdrawl if it isn't replaced within a matter of days?





_________________________________________

"If you don't have one, you JUST wouldn't understand"
 
#13 ·
:( Yes, nothing worse than an empty garage. Made me realize how many times I just looked at her (70 vet). My wife just doesn't get it . Then it comes, the need to get another one and I mean asap. Ah, now everything seems right again.(96 GS):) :) :)
 
#14 ·
Well, here goes, I had no intention of buying a vette... At all...
I used to have a 95 Camaro Z28 ended up doing some street racing in it and built a 383 Lt1 out of it, about the same time I was done and working out bugs the 98 Camaros came out and running real strong for the amount of mods you could put on them. I ended up getting a 2000 Camaro SS when they came to the showroom, but the dealer didn't want my 383 LT1, and I quote "Race Car", so I decided to keep them both...
About a year later I decided having (2) of basically the same cars wasn't worth the insurance and hassle of keeping them both running and deciding which one to drive ect..... but i couldn't find a buyer for my 95 with out taking a big big big loss, until i went to my buddies dealership and he took both off my hands for the money I wanted and ended up buying a 2000 Z71 truck (i thought i grew out of the sport car, fast trips, and tickets)

I was wrong again, I needed a sports car, something to fly around in, so I came across this girl who was going to college and she wanted to sell me her 92 limited edition mustang convertible cheap (yes a mustang) so my original intentions were to swap the mustangs wimpy 5.0 with a SBC, well I figured in all the cost and it wasn't worth it... I ended up selling the car (just wasn't me) made a few G's

The truck just wasn't doing it for me so i went to go look at the last year 2002 Camaro ss again, gonna trade the truck in, went up there and there she was a 2002 Corvette in Electron Blue (NEVER looked at the camaros), I knew I would be getting engaged the next spring so I went and talked to the G/F she went with me, she sat in it and said "Do what makes you happy, but I will tell you one thing, I LOVE THIS CAR" so the deal was done, I walked in and said Ill take one please:laughing:
 
#15 ·
Is it true the when a Vette owner sells his ride he goes into withdrawl if it isn't replaced within a matter of days?
ahhhh grasshopper the unwritten rules of vette ownership state that a vette is never sold to buy another vette you just buy it anyways. and keep the other one
 
#18 ·
Well I bought my first Vette ... because I could!:cool:

Actually I had always wanted a Corvette. Three years ago I was pulling some hefty OT on a contract in Phoenix and there were so many in the local paper that I just had to "check it out"...big mistake. On a rainy Mon. morning a Corvette dealer let me sit in an '89 Vette...that was all it took. The seats felt like they were custom fit, the digi-dash was awsome and the view from the cockpit was sweet.

From there to my 35th Anniversary was a short path; and I've never looked back.
 
#19 ·
Always wanted one since I got out of service. Family showed up and it never worked out. Kids are gone now - at my age it is now or never, so I went for now. Wife hates it (has a thing for 4 doors) but the rest of the family loves it. Grandson fell in love with it !! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :excited: :thumbsup:
 
#20 ·
Oh grouchy 67 , do I know how you feel. My wife thinks anything that moves her with 4 wheels is all you need. We've had this .....shal I say disagreement , about cars since we were first married and finally when the kids were gone I did the same thing as you and I think you very very correct to think the way you do. First thing you know you come down with cancer and then it might too late. Enjoy it now brother !!!!!!
 
#21 ·
first vette

Funny, my trade as a mechanic should have pushed me away from wanting a vette. Most all tech's I worked with including myself hated to work on them. Test driving the cars after repair work was done tends to change one's mind about them. Ever notice there is no middle ground with people when it comes to corvettes, you never hear anyone say "eh, corvettes, there ok" you either love them or hate them.
 
#23 ·
Re: first vette

mytoy74 said:
Funny, my trade as a mechanic should have pushed me away from wanting a vette. Most all tech's I worked with including myself hated to work on them. Test driving the cars after repair work was done tends to change one's mind about them. Ever notice there is no middle ground with people when it comes to corvettes, you never hear anyone say "eh, corvettes, there ok" you either love them or hate them.
well when it comes to working on mine,i find that when i feel i am getting to far in over my head ,then its time to call in profess.but otherwise working on my vette is on of the most enjoy of my time.i at least know how ,why,and when.good for records keeping to.as allways (save the wave) kenny 1984:partyon:
 
#24 ·
It's Jeff's fault !!! :D

My first sports car was a brand new 1990 Firebird Formula I had for about 3 years. I went through a couple cars after that in a short period before buying a 92 Z-28 back in 94 which I had up until 2000 when I bought the vette.
Spent too much money and time modifying that car, the only thing left on the car that was original was the body & interior.
This was also when an old friend of mine with a Grand National got me into drag racing.
Shortly after Jeff and I started burning proms and spending WAY too much time together working on his vette-lol. I remember one Sat in particular we pulled his original motor & trans, finished putting his new shortblock together, got that and the trans back in the car and had it running by about 6pm. It just seemed easier to work on than my Fbody and my back didn't hurt at the end of the day from leaning over fenders. I had also been fighting with the pos 700R4 in the Camaro for well over a year by now.
That's when I really started thinking about getting rid of the Z28 and stepping up to a vette. It just seemed like the next logical step I guess. After the 3rd rebuild on the trans in less than 1-1/2 yrs I was done. I was tired of sinking $ into it and decided to cut my losses.
Just for the record, because I know Jeff is going to read this when he gets back from his trip later this week, I wanted a black coupe. HE is the one who talked me into the convertible I now have. I think he should spring for a hardtop so I can race at Rt 66? :stick:
 
#25 ·
I grew up basically drooling over the C4 through high school (and part of college). Always wanted one but could never quite afford it while in school. 2 1/2 years ago, I went out and got engaged. My Dad (who's owned quite a few) said "if you don't do it now, you never will." That was good enough for me! Went out and bought a couple months later. :cheers:
 
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