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28 years ago I brought my '59 home, and my 5 year old son(left) and 7 year old son(middle) took their first ride.....Me at 32 at the wheel.
June 1986.....
Today, that 5 year old son pictured above is now 33, and his 2 kids.....Son 9yrs(left), Daughter 5yrs(middle), sat in the same seats that he and his brother did over 28 years ago. I put my hardtop on today. My 33 year old son helped.
I printed them both out on a single 8x10 to show then and now for my granddaughter and she wouldn't part with them in her little fingers for the rest of the day yesterday. She kept walking around showing everybody.
She and her Mom & Dad were going to frame them when they got home last night.
Last year we all went to Daytona for the Turkey Run show. Walking back I told her when she gets older and gets her license, she can drive my '59. She loves it. My son said to me....."HUH! I had to wait till I was 28 before you let ME drive it!"
I chuckled and said......"Girls are better drivers than boys." He laughed.
You and all of us have much to be thankful for. To be in such a great hobby with good friends.
Your post was very nice and great memories for you and your family.
A few pics at different angles. I took a ride to my friend's house to pick up some parts from the Maryland/Long Island trip. It's been 28 years since I drove with the HT on the car, other than temporarily onto moving trucks when changing home locations a few times since.
I Like It !
Lots more headroom and much quieter ride, and the side windows fit perfectly. When I did the side window adjustments many years ago I guess I done good.
In spring I'm planning to install a new soft top so I don't mind the rag being folded up for winter. It's done well for the 22 years since I did it. Back clear plastic window had faded and now blurry with age so it'll be time for a new soft top.
Been looking for a color combo for my project 58. Love the white, silver, red combo. Looks like I found my colors. Thanks, love your 59.
Frank
Originally Posted by rich5962
A few pics at different angles. I took a ride to my friend's house to pick up some parts from the Maryland/Long Island trip. It's been 28 years since I drove with the HT on the car, other than temporarily onto moving trucks when changing home locations a few times since.
I Like It !
Lots more headroom and much quieter ride, and the side windows fit perfectly. When I did the side window adjustments many years ago I guess I done good.
In spring I'm planning to install a new soft top so I don't mind the rag being folded up for winter. It's done well for the 22 years since I did it. Back clear plastic window had faded and now blurry with age so it'll be time for a new soft top.
Thanks Norman, et al. It's really only a 10-footer. The paint is tired and checked, the body has never been off of the frame, and lots of little blems that give it a bit of "character". The last paint job was 1970, by the owner who lived in Springfield Illinois.
some history....
In 1986 I was on a customer visit near Manchester Airport in NH, near where I lived. It was a great excuse to stop by Lussier's Corvette City there in Manchester on the way home to Nashua. It was a drizzly early June evening. I pulled up to the closed business as it was around 8 PM or so as i worked late with my customer. There it was, sitting there basically just as pictured in the 1986 photo above. It was wet with drizzle, under the parking lot lights. I fell in love. I walked around it for a half hour. I had to have it.
It just so happened it was a few days before my birthday June 10, 1986. Hmmm, my GF since we were teenagers, and now wife of 10 years, always asked me what I wanted for my birthday. You know where I'm headed..... Since our teenage courting days, I always said...."I want a '59 Corvette." She'd always get me a Matchbox toy or a '59 model or something similar. This time...........I wanted the real thing.
It just so happens I was remodeling the kitchen for her at the time. All new cabinets, appliances, etc. Perfect payback time. I got home from Manchester that night, and I asked if she got me the '59 toy car yet for my birthday. She said no. I said, "....don't worry, tomorrow night after work we're taking a ride to Manchester to Corvette City." She grinned. We went there with the 3 boys in tow. Did the deal, and I drove it home with my oldest of the 3 with me. It was a blast. After the oldest got the ride home, I took the 2 younger boys for a ride.....the photo above. She had to move the Torino out of the way after she took the picture so I could cruise around the neighborhood.
Back in '91 I did a "by-phone" and letter owner search. I got the previous title from Lussier's, a Ohio owner's name on it, but never searched back until 5 years went by. I found about 5 prior owners, then found the last one, a nice retired gentleman named Jack Zimmerman, who bought it as a nice driver in the late 60's. The car came with it's '61 Corvette 270hp engine when he bought it. He told me who he bought it from a local in town named Gene Walker, but I never found that man. Search ended.
It was a hardtop only then when Jack bought it. He told me he wanted a soft top for it, and found one at Hershey that year. He had the re-paint done, installed the soft top, and the dual fours intake and carbs also found at Hershey.
The rest is history. 28 1/2 years now and counting.
Thanks Norman, et al. It's really only a 10-footer. The paint is tired and checked, the body has never been off of the frame, and lots of little blems that give it a bit of "character". The last paint job was 1970, by the owner who lived in Springfield Illinois.
some history....
In 1986 I was on a customer visit near Manchester Airport in NH, near where I lived. It was a great excuse to stop by Lussier's Corvette City there in Manchester on the way home to Nashua. It was a drizzly early June evening. I pulled up to the closed business as it was around 8 PM or so as i worked late with my customer. There it was, sitting there basically just as pictured in the 1986 photo above. It was wet with drizzle, under the parking lot lights. I fell in love. I walked around it for a half hour. I had to have it.
It just so happened it was a few days before my birthday June 10, 1986. Hmmm, my GF since we were teenagers, and now wife of 10 years, always asked me what I wanted for my birthday. You know where I'm headed..... Since our teenage courting days, I always said...."I want a '59 Corvette." She'd always get me a Matchbox toy or a '59 model or something similar. This time...........I wanted the real thing.
It just so happens I was remodeling the kitchen for her at the time. All new cabinets, appliances, etc. Perfect payback time. I got home from Manchester that night, and I asked if she got me the '59 toy car yet for my birthday. She said no. I said, "....don't worry, tomorrow night after work we're taking a ride to Manchester to Corvette City." She grinned. We went there with the 3 boys in tow. Did the deal, and I drove it home with my oldest of the 3 with me. It was a blast. After the oldest got the ride home, I took the 2 younger boys for a ride.....the photo above. She had to move the Torino out of the way after she took the picture so I could cruise around the neighborhood.
Back in '91 I did a "by-phone" and letter owner search. I got the previous title from Lussier's, a Ohio owner's name on it, but never searched back until 5 years went by. I found about 5 prior owners, then found the last one, a nice retired gentleman named Jack Zimmerman, who bought it as a nice driver in the late 60's. The car came with it's '61 Corvette 270hp engine when he bought it. He told me who he bought it from a local in town named Gene Walker, but I never found that man. Search ended.
It was a hardtop only then when Jack bought it. He told me he wanted a soft top for it, and found one at Hershey that year. He had the re-paint done, installed the soft top, and the dual fours intake and carbs also found at Hershey.
The rest is history. 28 1/2 years now and counting.
Rich
Great story, love the history! 1959 is my favorite also since I was 15. Mine is a soft top only car, but would love to have a hardtop.
11-27-2014, 07:52 PM
My '59 then and now pictures
