Your first memories of a Vette.

[32valvZ]

I was 16 in 1984 working in a Honda, Suzuki, BMW motorcycle shop in the parts department. One of the owners bought a brand new Gold/Saddle 84. He was giving some rides to some of the employees.... I was a lucky contestant. That was the beginning of my Corvette infatuation.... Never went away and I've been lucky enough to own 9 total, 6 C4's and 2 ZR-1's of those 6.

[Hog]

One of my Dad friends had a brand new 1985 TPI Vette. He let my Mom take me for a ride to the small rural store. There were some of my friends from school on their bikes as Mom and I got back into the Gold coloured Corvette.
Mom starts it just fine, but somehow gets the windshield wipers turned on and cant get them turned off. We sat there for what felt like an eternity while she attempted to turn the wipers off.


2nd memory A different friend of my Dad named Ross was a district manager for Snap On tools. He had a brand new 1987 TPI Vette with the 700r4 trans, it was black with the plate that said Clyde-1. So Ross had me hop in the passenger seat and buckle up. We drove the same paved 80kph roadway from our shop to the same rural store. There is a straightaway that's about 2 miles long with a highly fences forest on either side. With no traffic its an ideal area for supervised acceleration runs.
On the way to the store he drove conservatively, I assumed he was warming her up. We turned around at the store and took the final lefthand curve before heading into the straightaway section. On the curve he had slowed down and then he nailed it, we got some 1st gear action, bark into 2nd and then the shift into 3rd. I remember seeing about 210kph from where I was sitting. The car sounded great and that ride was what got me hooked on GM performance. I was about 11 years old for that ride.


Fast forward to 1995 and I'm test driving a new 1995 dark red metallic auto convertible. IIRC the sticker was around $60,000 but my GM discount brought that down to just over $40,000. I remember that while the car was quicker and felt tighter, the 4l60e didn't have that wild 1-2 shift that the 1987 L98 car did. I'm so happy I didn't buy that car because a year or 2 later I was in the Infantry and certainly didn't need, nor could afford that car.

[Neat]

First memory of a vette was a 79 that my parents owned. The car was only a few years old in my earliest memories of it, and it was amazing looking. Two tone grey with the Rally wheels, it looked really sharp. Sometimes when I'd ride in it with my Dad he would say something to effect of, "Ready? It's time to turn on the turbo." Then he'd flip a switch on the dash, and a green light would come on. That meant it was time to party, and he'd floor the throttle. It turns out the "turbo" light was the rear window defroster, but as a kid that was the coolest thing.

Years later, when I was teenager, my Dad brought home the 91 ZR-1 I own now. Totally different kind of love affair to me. It was this amazing thing, nearly mythical in proportion. It was as if my Dad were Carl Denham and he had brought King Kong back from Skull island and stored him in the garage. The 8th wonder of the world resided in a medium sized garage in the middle of Nowhere, Montana. I'd try to talk about it to other kids, other kids who were into cars, and I just never could convey the absolute wonder that I felt the car deserved. In retrospect, my infatuation with the car was beyond what any reasonable person would have understood, but the immense stature of the car was absolutely real in my mind. To me, the ZR-1 in the garage was it, the Alpha and the Omega, this omnipotent thing of indescribable power and bravado. It was, without a doubt in my mind, the fastest car in the world. And God help you if you shared a class, a bus ride, a weekend, an evening, or any other amount of time with the 15 year old version of me and didn't wholeheartedly agree.

[MickeyD]

Summer of 90, I was a confirmed Mustang guy at 26. Owned a 83 Mustang GT and then an 86 SVO. Great car. Bought a Blk/Blk/Blk Convertible Cobra. So excited! Didn't make it out of the parking lot, brakes were grinding. Went and drove another one after getting my money back. Same problem. Vettes always seemed out of reach and I was a Ford guy. Went to Cal Worthington Chevy just to look. On show room floor was a 90 Red/Blk ZR1. I had heard the hype. But with my income and a $30k additional markup, I was done. However, sales guy showed me a Blk/Blk 90 LT1. Drove it and I was hooked. Salesman was great. Best I've ever dealt with. Gave me a great deal. No haggle, just gave me his rock bottom. Should have had women all over me, but alas not even a vette can make up for this much ugly. Oh well. I have owned 7 since, but my sights never left that showroom Z. I now have 3 Z's with one being the 90 Red/Blk. But even 3 Z's can't overcome the ugly!

Mike

[lfalzarano]

When I was a pup, every Sunday on nice days, there would be a C1 convertible parked. Each year thereafter, I saw next model in the church parking lot.

One day my brother showed up with a 62 Red on white. I was hooked after that on Corvettes.

My first was a beige on black 427 hurst 4-speed with line lock, scatter shield and Hooker side mount headers and white convertible top with s chrome roll bar. Awesome beast. Had to sell it before the kids got their licenses ($13K)

Found my ZR-1 at Rogers Corvettes in Orlando in 2000 with only 6K miles. It is Red on “Arrest Me” Red! It was all original.

I debated making it a garage queen, but decided to drive it everyday to work and enjoyment. She has done 18 laps at Daytona and 8 laps at VIR. Great car.

Working on replacing the 2nd water pump now. Marc rebuilt one and it’ll get installed next week.

Grandkids love to be picked up from school with the top off.


Lou