When did YOU know someday you would own a CORVETTE ?

[Hog]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Come on, some of these time lines just don't add up!!!

Someone is 78 years old, another is 68.

peace
Hog

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Hog

Someone is 78 years old, another is 68.

peace
Hog

OK!!!
Kind of like my brother and me.
We need more storys!!!

[JThomas]

Being a kid raised in Detroit, cars were always a big deal. My father was employed by the Chrysler Corporation so we were used to seeing and talking about cars such as the 300, Sport Fury, Dodge Chargers, Plymouth Road Runners and the like. But I have these older cousins that drove cars such as Camaro Z-28, Mustang Mach 1, etc., so as a child I bought model cars and dreamed of the day I could own something as cool as the cars my family members were driving.

I had always seen Corvettes and thought the Mid-year cars were really what I wanted, but in 1976, when I was thirteen, a cousin bought a brand new White/Red Corvette coupe. This was the first Corvette I was ever able to get close to. I thought the car was fantastic! Then in 1978, my older brother, who worked for Chrysler, ordered a 25th Anniversary Edition Corvette. I remember it as if it were yesterday. I tried to get him to order the car with the L-82 and a four speed, but he chose the automatic and base motor instead. I knew then, some day I would own a Corvette and get it just the way I wanted it. I began to save my pennies and my plan was then to find a Mid-year, hopefully in good shape and fix it up.

That plan never came to fruition, but in 1992 I found that the time was now right to finally buy that Corvette. Life was good, I had some extra cash and was in a solid relationship, so my girlfriend and I set out to find this life’s dream of a Corvette. We were at a dealer and I’m looking at all the Corvettes and my girlfriend says to me, “What about this one over here”. It was a 1989 Charcoal Metallic Coupe. Automatic, glass roof, low miles priced right. Done!

I thought it couldn’t get any better than this. I knew there was such a thing as the ZR-1, but hey, for my first Corvette I was feeling pretty good about my “new” purchase. I drove that car for two years then sold it. Plans were in place to get married in the Fall of 1994 and the Corvette was a luxury that didn’t quite fit into the picture at the time. My wife and I were married Labor Day weekend in 1994, the same weekend the National Corvette Museum opened. I tried to talk her into going to Bowling Green that weekend and she said, “You must be out of your mind”. I then told her, I would have another Corvette some day and she said “probably so, but I will have a house and a child first”.
Done!

In 1998 Rachel was born and I had finished the nursery and remodel of the basement. I turned my attention to Corvette once again. In the Spring of 2000, I came across this stunning Silver and Black 1997 Corvette coupe. Purchased from the same dealer I had bought the 1989 car from. It was a beautiful car. It fit my theme of silver cars, going back to the 25th Anniversary car my brother had ordered, and it had performance like the ZR-1 that I thought I would never own, and the price was right. I bought that car and again thought to myself, it couldn’t get any better. Jennifer and I took our first trip to the museum in that car in the Summer of 2000 and in 2001, our son Evan was born and the Corvette spent more time in the garage and covered but I soldiered on.

In the Spring of 2002 I got caught up in the excitement of the 50th Anniversary of Corvette. Hoping the car would be gold, I made a promise that I would order myself a 50th Anniversary Edition car, get all the bells and whistles I could and it would be my last Corvette, never to be driven by another. We went to Bowling Green for the unveiling of the 50th Anniversary car and when I saw the color of the car I was disappointed. However I turned and there on display was a U88 Medium Spiral Grey coupe. My wife and I looked at each other and said, “That might work”. It fit the silver theme I had for Corvettes, it still had the 50th Anniversary badging on it, so we returned home with our silver ’97 and thought do we really need to do this? I came to the conclusion that yes, we should do this, so off to the dealer to order this new 2003 Corvette, Medium Spiral Grey, Black interior, glass roof, 6-Speed and Z-51 suspension, and the R8C Museum delivery, Done!

I promised my wife this would be the very last Corvette. We enjoyed that car for four great years and along came the C6 Z06. This car, had 505 Horsepower, the motor measures 427 Cubic Inches, top speed of 198 MPH, aluminum chassis, wider fenders, fixed roof! I remember thinking, how do I justify this? It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, who needs all of that? The answer, I do. So the only question now was how do I get Jennifer to buy into this? Answer, let her choose the color. She chose black, and that was fine with me. Bye bye 50th Anniversary coupe, hello to insanity!

Following the Z06 came an opportunity to finally own a ZR-1. In the Spring of 2008 I purchased a high mileage ’92 ZR-1, Red with Black interior. I will always enjoy the C4 platform, mostly because my first Corvette was a C4, but having a ZR-1 is the ultimate C4. I enjoyed that car for three years and met a lot of wonderful people on this registry. I sold the ’92 in 2011 thinking it was fun for a while, and I enjoyed the search for parts and getting the car in respectable shape. But when I sold it, I knew I would have another some day.

Two months later, in December of 2011 I purchased my 1995 Bright Aqua and Grey Corvette ZR-1 with low miles and an awesome history. It sits along side the Z06 in the garage. Jennifer, Rachel, Evan and I enjoy the cars every chance we get. If you’re keeping score, that’s been six Corvettes, one wife, two kids, and we are currently in our second house. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Then there is the C7 . . . . . . .

[JThomas]

No other stories?

[Blue Flame Restorations]

Originally Posted by JThomas

No other stories?

Joe, yours topped most of them

[tf95ZR1]

Early 90's I got a divorce. I borrowed $$ from my parents to hire an
attorney. Instead, or maybe just with some creative accounting, I
purchased my first Corvette, a black, lowered convertible with beautiful
Boyd rims. A real "chick magnet" in that it was a head turner for most women.
Then I got re-married and traded (up) to my present ZR-1. Now,
my wife teases me that more guys than women notice my car.
Oh well....

[Fully Vetted]

Originally Posted by tf95ZR1

...my wife teases me that more guys than women notice my car.
Oh well....

It's much safer that way...

[RHanselman]

I think I was conceived in a Corvette... ouch!

I had 6 neighbors while I was growing up that had Vettes. Across the street a 66 coupe which I helped paint, across the street and a few doors down was a 58 that just sat in the street, next door a 63 straight axle drag car, behind us a 67 427 conv, a few doors up a 68 427/390 conv and then the car I tried to buy for $1200 (but I couldn't get the money) was on the next street over a 67 Conv 427 with a wrecked fender. The car was also stripped to the fiberglass...

No wonder I caught the bug...

First Vette was an 86 coupe I bought in Pilot Training. It's been ZR-1's after that until I bought my 95 LT-1 Turbo Car.

[LancePearson]

I'm laughing...at 25 the vettes would have maybe been "chick magnets." At 69 now, the women in my age group I date are not so easily impressed or interested. The Vettes are respected as my interests but they also have their own interests after going through some of what life throws everybody.

If you want to impress a really top flight gal in my age group I can pretty much assure you that the car even if it were a Ferrari wouldn't do it nearly as much as a huge stock portfolio, the ability to take them traveling all over the world, having two homes in two places, etc. If they amount to much they are independent and have learned to accomplish things for themselves and this leads in my experience to them finding and following their own interests. Some love cars but not anywhere like us guys do.

I'm not talking about turkeys now but some pretty decent gals in all departments.

So, "Chick Magnet" when I was young? That window passed a while back I think for the car to do it. Offer instead to take them to China or a week in Paris or shopping at Harrods....then you got company.

LOL.

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Originally Posted by LancePearson

I'm laughing...at 25 the vettes would have maybe been "chick magnets." At 69 now, the women in my age group I date are not so easily impressed or interested. The Vettes are respected as my interests but they also have their own interests after going through some of what life throws everybody.

If you want to impress a really top flight gal in my age group I can pretty much assure you that the car even if it were a Ferrari wouldn't do it nearly as much as a huge stock portfolio, the ability to take them traveling all over the world, having two homes in two places, etc. If they amount to much they are independent and have learned to accomplish things for themselves and this leads in my experience to them finding and following their own interests. Some love cars but not anywhere like us guys do.

I'm not talking about turkeys now but some pretty decent gals in all departments.

So, "Chick Magnet" when I was young? That window passed a while back I think for the car to do it. Offer instead to take them to China or a week in Paris or shopping at Harrods....then you got company.

LOL.

Lance,

You have to come to Japan. Ask Scott and some others......no age limit her for the young chicks; at 69 you are still a young stud in this country. I love it.............