On July 24th, my 2016 Camaro SS was totaled. It took a while for the dust to settle but I received a much larger insurance settlement than expected. And I walked away from the accident without a scratch, that is the most important thing. By the end of August, after the note was paid off, I netted a tidy sum to do something with, possibly something smart even. Having gotten my high school graduate off to university and with a busy work life, I put another fun car out of my mind for the time being. Maybe I was tired of the expense and storing it in the winter months. Maybe the idea had run its course.
Why do people do this?
But the Corvette has always caught my eye. Not everyone likes them or their image, but I think all of them, all generations, all years, are cool. How many products have a 66-year uninterrupted legacy, much less an automobile? And an American car, no less, with our fickle tastes. And I happen to be a Detroit guy who grew up a mile from the General Motors Warren Technical Center.
not Phil’s ’75, but close.
When I was a kid, it was the split window 63 that I wanted. Then the late C-3s. Then in high school, the new C-4. My brother Phil has a yellow Malaise Era 1975 L48 with 165hp, the lowest horsepower year ever. He got it when I was 14, a rebuilt wreck he fixed himself. Most modern minivans are faster than this car, but it was, and still is…cool. A dream…always.
But always a dream that did not seem would be attainable at any point in my life. When I was shopping for the Camaro in 2017, C-7’s were out of my budget, and the C-6’s did not represent a good value for the asking price. But with a large down payment and maybe with C-8’s coming out, it seemed like the C-7’s were now within reach. They were getting more …well, affordable isn’t the right word, but more reasonable.
In my search, what pushed me over the edge was an evening in October. I had dinner with my sister, brother and cousin…seven, ten and eleven years older than me. Great to see cousin Ted, always a gentleman. My two local siblings and I talk often, no drama, and always get along. The first 45 minutes of this long-standing evening engagement was taken up by talking about the dead, the dying, the sick, medications and various health issues some of us had, or would likely have.
All this was a major downer, and made me reflect: I only have a limited time in this mortal coil. When am I going to do some of the things I’ve always wanted to do? When I’m 79? If I live that long? With cash in hand, I decided to strike while the iron was hot, without taking away from more important financial considerations. In a year, six months, the window might well slam shut. Forever. I could swing it, now. Mrs. C was on board; I absolutely wouldn’t have done it if she wasn’t. I was encouraged by my sister in law, owner of a mid-year Corvette and project 1964 GTO.
I became fixated on a red one with red interior and a manual. Nothing else would do. Something about the red interior, Ferrari-ish. I wanted one with as few miles as possible. I thought I had to have one with the Z-51 package. Some Corvette people I know felt I had to have the Z-51, which has handling upgrades, and a small horsepower bump and other power train bits my pea-sized brain couldn’t fathom the benefits of, in engineering terms. I decided in the end I would never make use of those capabilities, not even close. I’m the guy with the right turn signal on for 30 miles on the interstate, after all. I don’t want to track it. I just want to drive it.
I found my dream Corvette down in Ocala, FL at a Toyota dealership. This process took some time. So inquiries were made, then guilt would set in, and I’d back off. About 3 weeks passed and it must have been meant to be, as it kept showing up for sale. It had 6400 miles on it and checked off all the boxes. They shaved a whopping $400.00 off the price for me, and I took it hook, line and sinker. They must of thought: SUCKER! The sales process was fairly smooth other than I had to have 15 documents notarized and sent back to Florida. Fun fact: many UPS stores have Notary services for $10 a stamp, but they were open to a quantity discount.
The pickup and delivery had more drama than I cared for. I was told the car would arrive on a Thursday between 12 and 2PM. On Thursday morning, I called the driver and he was 5 hours northeast of here, and he had no idea he was supposed to be in the Detroit area at that time slot. I was getting on a plane at 9AM the next morning so I told him he was welcome to delay the drop until three days hence. That wouldn’t work for him, and I truly felt bad for the trucker at that point. He had 500-600 miles to go in 11 hours, plus drop off’s and pick ups of other cars along the way. A lot of miles to cover.
We ended up meeting in a snowy parking lot at 6AM. It was 25 degrees. Great Corvette weather. We had a very early November 12” snowfall this year. A buddy, Chris, a certified mechanic, Mustang owner and insufferable early riser, agreed to meet me to look it over and he was there before me, all giddy. I chose him because he is very particular and refused delivery of his last Mustang for paint flaws. And there he was, in the dark, giving it the once over with his flashlight. He gave it his thumbs up. The driver went back in his cab for a few more hours of sleep. And I drove off, put the car in the garage and went to the airport. The car looked and felt…Flawless!
And here is where the stupid is as stupid does thing comes in. I’m an equal (and sometimes unequal) measure risk averse and crazy impulsive. I’ve, ahem, ridden in a C-7 once for about 10 minutes three years ago, but never drove one. Brother Phil is always a bit stingy with the keys to his cars. I think I might have driven his Corvette. Once? Come to think of it maybe not? I did briefly drive a friend’s ’71 Corvette convertible, a long time ago. And I drove a C-5 (2002?) way back. But that’s it. Gulp. Was it the ideal of the Corvette that I was really after? I read Tom Halter’s article on his afternoon with a C-7 in California a few months back and took it to heart.
What the hell was I thinking? What if I’ve made a terrible mistake? Was this a lemon? Never meet your heroes, remember? Buyer’s remorse and pangs of self loathing set in; how self-centered and…stupid am I to have such an indulgence? And how stupid to get a Corvette only to have to immediately store it for six months?
So a few nights later the next week, I finally was able to drive it. It’s…fabulous. And a totally different driver than the Camaro. It’s quieter, more refined, more comfortable, and a has a better ride. As GM’s halo vehicle, there are a lot of clever features here. The interior is miles ahead of any previous generation. But the cheap police hit hard too on the base trim LT-1. It had few option boxes checked, which means no navigation system, heated or cooled seats, and no heads-up display, all things which my Camaro had. And the alloy wheels, although not out-and-out dreadful, look a tad dated and low rent. But all in all, I think GM got a lot right on this car.
I would not say it’s light years faster than the Camaro, but it seems have a more usable power band. The shifter feels great and it feels extremely balanced. And oh brother, does it have a hammer. With it cooling here in Michigan, the summer tires are almost dangerously slippery, so I have not flung it around. I drove it 100 miles to the Lansing area last weekend, where it is now snug inside a pole barn until probably mid to late April. The drive was great and I could see it being a great road trip car, and hopefully a car we will enjoy for years to come.
What has awaited me most days in 2019.
I’ve had some pretty crappy days of late in my working life; a series of endless dumpster fires on projects to put out, some of which we didn’t even cause. It’s been a grind, with no end in sight. Holidays are the busiest time of the year for me, and it brings out the worst in people. I’ve going to leave about a week of vacation on the table. By all measures, I’m a lucky guy and I’ve accepted that I have to make some sacrifice; it’s part of the gig. In the midst of exasperation though, I stop and say to myself: I have a Corvette…and if only for a moment or two, it makes me smile.
To answer your above question regarding the 4wd converted Corvette–because this is America–the land where the limits of good taste and good judgement are tested daily.
I think the real reason is a bunch of guys drinking too much beer and dreaming about what could be. Dreams never have to make any sense.
I’d rock the hell out of that 4×4 vette. I mean, it’s over the top, ridiculous, impractical and pretty damn stupid but who cares? It looks hella fun, and thats all that really matters. Besides, from that one pic it “appears” to have some actual effort put into it, as opposed to being the quarter-assed result of beer can in one hand, cutting torch in the other.
These “trars” seem to have inspired the whole donk thing, but at least this can hit the dirt for some wheelin.
I don’t mind the idea of a lifted 4×4 car ala AMC eagles but these are always invariably done by welding a pickup chassis underneath the body, with the frame clearly visible from underneath, and ultimately limiting ground clearance. They’re just as much show as Donks to me, just rural vs urban.
I see what you mean. Just slapping a car body atop a truck frame without any fore planning or putting in the work to actually engineer something that looks and functions as a unit is pretty janky. The corvette here is hunkered down onto that frame so it looks pretty good. My first concern would be stuffing those swampers into the fenders, assuming this actually hits twisty trails. Knowing what I know about car unibodies, some are just marginal brand new and in their intended use case (3-gen F body, for example) and those tend to be targets for traring. From a longevity and safety standpoint, using the truck frame as the foundation is the way to do it, it just takes vision and craftsmanship to actually work.
As to donks…it just truly escapes me on all levels. Aesthetically, I find them appalling, from the big wheels, to the choice of actual cars to the overall lack of cohesion of the entire concept. There’s just nothing there that I can get my head around. FWIW, the traditional lowriders aren’t my bag either, personally. BUT, the concept makes sense: theyre usually long, low cars with clean lines that are built for confort, cruising and a certain aesthetic theme…lowriders take most of that (comfort on hydraulics is questionable) and just crank that up to 11. So I can at least follow the tune, even if it doesn’t make me tap my feet.
I think this is a flattering angle. If the frame were hunkered down the top of the top of the 8-71 supercharger wouldn’t be level with the hoodline, meaning the whole engine is sitting low down in a frame below the body. Also Corvettes aren’t unibodies, C3s use a separate perimeter frame.
I literally cannot separate these from Donks. It’s arguably even worse since Donks tend to get their lift with enlongated suspension components and are reversible unless there was body clearancing for the wheels to fit, hacking off a booger welded truck frame from a chassis and repairing all the mutilated points on it on the other hand? Pass. I see these things languish on Craigslist periodically and the classic “I know what I have” line is followed by a “good, and you’re stuck with it” as I click back.
Congrats on the new car! Obviously you timed its delivery for our November blizzard. Too bad you didn’t get to play with it after the snow melted, but the wait for spring will make the driving experience more pleasurable.
I bought a car on eBay in Florida ten years ago, but didn’t have to get anything notarized. Wonder what has changed since then. Some of the dealers down there have no guilt in charging $900 doc fees.
You are correct. It goes on every car new or used. I never heard of that before and found it a bit disingenuous.
I negotiated the price of the car first and told the dealer “no doc fees.” He said OK but when I went to get the car, there was a $250 charge on the paperwork. When I protested, he replied: “What do you care, the price of the car on the bottom is what we agreed upon.” He was right. Moral of the story is that these are negotiable. When you buy a Chrysler product with the employee discount, the doc fee is waived as a courtesy to the UAW. Applies even if you aren’t a member.
I always negotiate out-the-door prices, when it comes to franchise dealerships. It doesn’t matter to me how you line-item it; the total amount of money I’m willing to pay you is $X.
The dealership that sold me my advertised-as-CPO-but-actually-wasn’t-CPO 2014 Lincoln MKS explained that to me. The general manager said that they had to charge everyone the doc fee, lest they be sued for discrimination, but that they would reduce the price of the car accordingly, so that the total cost to me was what I’d agreed upon.
Congratulations of the new Corvette! Your description of love for Corvettes through time sounds pretty close to mine. I have loved them since I was a kid and still do to this day. I have been lucky enough to drive quite a few over the years, working for a GM dealership and having friends and family with them. I have actually driven every generation except of the C7 and I guess the C8 now too. Maybe one day I will splurge and get one like you.
My brother has a 2017 1SS Camaro, that was similar to your car. He bought it new in 2016 and really likes the car. Lately he has been talking about upgrading soon and is strongly looking at the C7, the Grand Sport in particular. He likes the Camaro, but thinks the Corvette will be more livable due to the better visibility. Plus the Vette is a better performer.
My Dad has a Vette that he bought under similar circumstances to you. His is older, a loaded 2012 3LT base Convertible, but he bought it as an almost new car. It was a Casino prize and the winner didn’t want the car, so he traded it immediately after winning. It only had something like 150 miles on the odometer and was still essentially brand new. Dad found the car online at used car dealer that specialized in high end cars in December. We drove to Toronto to check it out. After discussion he made the deal on the car, and the dealership was adamant it couldn’t be stored there. Dad was able to find storage at the Guild of Automotive Restorers, who picked it up in an enclosed trailer and stored it until the following spring. So he had to wait 5 months before he could even drive the car. Overall he was very happy that he bought a basically brand new car at a big discount. He still owns and loves the car today and it’s been problem free. I have driven it on several long trips and it’s been a awesome long distance car.
Wishing you a happy ownership with the Corvette!
Interesting you find its more refined than you old Camaro. I could not but hear a loud conversation from a guy advising his buddy that C4 Bette felt it had cement in its shocks, hence forget it and buy a Camaro. How things have changed.
What are your thoughts on the 2020 mid engine Vette?.
I love the C-8. GM has been toying with the mid-engine idea for 40 years and it’s great it finally came to fruition. Also, super car performance for under $60,000 USD. Purist have complained about no manual transmission availability, maybe that will change. But it doesn’t take away from an awesome package.
Ahh, why worry about a manual trans? Just boom and zoom, like an F-104.
The car looks awesome and I hope you have a lot of fun.
Congrats – that is a heck of a car. I have always admired the Corvette for its styling and performance.
I actually can relate to your experience. I also just bought a sports car sight unseen, had it shipped here and almost immediately stored it for the winter. It was supposed to arrive in July but due to shipping (and other) delays it didn’t get here until late October. I cannot wait for spring.
“I also just bought a sports car sight unseen”
In the price range you have historically dealt with, this will be an interesting story! 🙂
Many happy miles!!
In Massachusetts I see Corvettes and muscle cars being driven in snow storms on a regular basis, my Challenger is my daily driver and I unearthed from a snow bank twice in the last week. Just put on quality all seasons (Michelin, Continental) and you’ll be fine.
Isn’t the Challenger GT AWD? If I only had one vehicle, lived in a 4-season state, and wanted something sporty, it would be high on my list.
Yes, but you’re limited to the V6/automatic. For some that may not matter, for me it’s a nonstarter.
The dirty secret is you can get an AWD 345 Hemi Charger….you have to get a police spec car, which means no 8-spd auto. Merc-based 5A with column shift.
Agreed on the V6! I daily a 2014 Charger R/T AWD. Last year of the ‘civilian’ AWD Hemi Chargers. Great car and nigh unstoppable in the white stuff, thanks to the drivetrain and porky curb weight of 4,500+lbs. The NAG1 5spd auto is a wet noodle when it comes to performance, though.
To the author: beautiful Vette! Congrats! Our work lives sound quite similar, and I’ve been pondering a similar midlife purchase as a reward. Perhaps a Challenger SRT or Camaro SS.
That’s exactly it. For whatever reason, the HEMI, ZF 8AT and AWD don’t work in the LX cars. That’s why FCA stopped offering the HEMI with AWD in 2015, when they introduced the 8AT. The Charger Police Interceptor is still available with the HEMI and AWD, but it retains the old Mercedes-Benz-sourced 5AT unit.
This was a very good story. I went through similar feelings (turned 50 this year) and bought my 2000 Porsche 911 with 26,000 miles on it. It was a tossup between a Vette and the 911, but I’ve wanted a 911 since I was a kid, plus it has back seats. It’s what I needed.
Your car is beautiful; I hope you enjoy it.
Congratulations! I too was surprised that there was such a difference in refinement between the Camaro and Corvette, it makes sense but I hadn’t seen it verbalized before.
My one bit of advice concerns tires, the wider they are the more noise they can make. When shopping for your next set, take noise as they wear and get older into consideration as much if not more than the ultimate grip level of the tire, you’ll notice the noise much more than the grip and the noise can get old very fast, completely changing the enjoyment level of the car.
Oh, and I for one really like those wheels!
Congrats on the new car! Looks like a fun ride thatll bring lots of fun. About it lacking nav….if you have a smartphone, in-car nav is useless, IMHO. What’s on my iPhone is much more user-friendly.
I think you’re in the right mindset. Life is just too damn short not to go big. I mean, be responsible and all but isn’t the whole point to enjoy everything you can? I’ve been debating on a little upgrade myself, while my’09 Challenger R/T has been an amazing ride, I’ve been batting around moving up to the next level. I pulled the trigger on a ‘16 Go Mango Scat Pack (392/6spd) on Monday, got the car yesterday. We only live once, so set high goals, crush them, and have some laughs, amirite?
I could write this story about me – except for the part about actually getting the Vette. Congrats it’s a beautiful car, don’t look back, you did the right thing. And if you end up not liking it or getting tired of it, trade it in on the next toy. Life is too short.
Cool cars Corvettes, they all look the part some of them go like they look some not, I like the split window model from the 60s mostly for how it looks the performance is irrelevant here you cant use it anywhere other than a race track and our lovely twisty roads are generally rough bumpy and potholed tight sporty suspension suited to nice smooth race tracks isnt really what you want and gas @ $10+ per gallon isnt very Corvette friendly either not on my income anyway, so I wont be buying one but good on you for getting one.
You sound blessed by good family that also shares your passion for cars. Beautiful car, don’t spend a minute regretting it!
Congrats on your C7! I have never been a “Corvette guy” but low and behold a C7 is sitting in my garage! Growing up I leaned more towards foreign sports cars with their precise rack and pinion steering and usually more sophisticated suspensions. Thus I have owned everything from a MG Midget (my first sports car I bought for $75 in the early 1970’s) to a 240Z to a Fiat X1/9 to a Honda S2000 (fun car but not a good highway vehicle) to a Porsche Cayman (nice car but disappointing in several ways plus a maintenance headache). After I traded in the Cayman for a WRX my son-in-law suggested I check out the new Corvettes. I was somewhat hesitant as I had owned a 1995 Corvette and to say the least I was not impressed with it. Anyway I went for a test drive and liked it. So I factory ordered a 2019 in April of 2018 and picked it up in June. Mine is white with tan LT-2 interior, 7 speed manual, performance exhaust, and black wheels with red brake calipers. Let me say that of all the cars I have owned, overall it is the most enjoyable one to drive. It always puts a smile on my face! It is the only car in which I don’t wish for more power! The handling as well as the steering response and precision is great and man that V8 sound with the performance exhaust set on Track is like heaven! So when the warm weather returns I know you will not regret buying it!
Congrats on the purchase (and thanks for the H/T).
All of my automotive toys have been impulse purchases (the Mark III, the TT Roadster, the SLK). Most of them I’ve sold for close to what I bought them for, so it is really not as big a financial gamble as you think it is.
Enjoy it while you can, I say!
I think this was an excellent decision; you will look back in future years feeling good about it. It was a life decision, not simply a car choice. Good for you! I admire the thinking.
Mirroring what others have said, not everything has to be so methodical and logical.
You did your due diligence to buy used (great plan with a Corvette) and the prior insurance money offset the cost. Don’t beat yourself up over it and enjoy!!
I was hit with a life changing illness at 40. When we discussed life expectancy I was told “We’ll aim for 50 and see how close we get.”
I turned 56 this October. It taught me when you see a good moment in life grab it and hang on. Don’t panic about the what ifs.
Glad you grabbed your Corvette moment.
Enjoy!
Congratulations on your Corvette purchase! Dreams do come true occasionally.
Congrats on the car, you made yourself happy. At a certain point, you should do what you want. Screw it being practical, it’s a car you wanted and you went for it. I did the same thing in 2018, when I bought my Scat Pack Challenger. My old Challenger R/T was pretty quick, and it sounded great, and I have to admit, the Harmon-Kardon Stereo in the new car is inferior in basic sound than the old car’s system’s was, it’s just a much better car all around. And because I’m old, that heated steering wheel makes a huge difference on my too many cars worked on, and too many fights hands in the cold months.
Enjoy it.
“How many products have a 66-year uninterrupted legacy, much less an automobile?” Hate to burst your bubble, but there was no 1983 Corvette available to public buyers. HOWEVER, there were 43 “pilot assembly” cars built in the late half of 1982 for a potential ’83 introduction. Only 1 has survived: Car #RBV098. Production issues with roof panel designs, along with using a much more exotic frame than the C2 & C3 Corvettes, were the reason for the C4’s delay into the ’84 model year.
I certainly understand the dilemma of the “Now or Never” situation from when I found my ’05 Astro last year or ’96 Aerostar back in 2012. It may not have been the wisest decision for me to make with both being long-discontinued (for a decade or more) vehicles, but I also knew that as time went on it wasn’t going to get any easier to find them for sale, let alone in at least half-decent mechanical condition. I kinda grew up with both of these vehicles even if my immediate family never owned them–when would I ever have another chance to ride OR drive in them? Yes, certain repair bills have made me question my decision from time to time, but the thrill of being able to cruise down the open road in one of my favorite vehicles with everything (finally) fixed–for awhile anyway–and sharing the occasion with friends & family somehow makes it all worth it. 🙂
Congratulations! What a great story, and count me as another who is surprised that the Vette is more refined than the Camaro.
I was talking just last evening with a BIL who has been to the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY and told me that one feature is the ability to watch new owners come and pick up their cars. I thought then – just how many American cars would do that – make a big event out of the pick up of a new car at the factory, big enough to make it a spectator event. The Corvette would be the one.
May you have many happy miles behind the wheel! I too wondered “should I buy a hobby car” I’m glad I did. I’m 60 now, and wouldn’t be able to buy one now.
Congrats on the Vette! I’m glad you bought something that you really wanted. As a fellow senior citizen I’m always aware that Today is as good as it gets! I wouldn’t want anyone to be reckless with their money, but at this point in life, time is more valuable than money. Enjoy your Vette, you’ve earned it.