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And thanks to you forum fellows for “luring me in” over the last seven months. The Corvette sells itself, but a little help doesn’t hurt. The forum has been a great source of information for a N00b like me, and I appreciate it.
This is my first Corvette. In hindsight, it almost didn’t happen. It wouldn’t have happened if local dealerships were the only alternative to purchase. I live in southern CA, and dealer markups can be nosebleed steep. I reached out to Rick Conti at Coughlin right after the 03/03 increase, and was able to take advantage of a pre-increase price offer. A couple of emails. A couple of phone calls. Done. A few days later, I had an order number for the Corvette that I wanted.
Yes, the wait sucked, but Rick sent a couple of cool email zingers along the way, like, “Hey, they’re not building Corvettes today. Know why?” Nope, I did not know why. “Because the Z06 Team needs some time on the Production Line.” And who wouldn’t happily get out of the way for that?
I had several questions around build week, and both Rick and Bethany answered them handily. As soon as my Corvette touched down at Coughlin, I had some new wallpaper.
My only hiccough was financing through my credit union. A couple of procedural / communication disconnects induced some trepidation on my part, but Rick waived them off like he’d seen them a hundred times before. The day after financial gears meshed, my Corvette was on a transport truck; heading West. It was push-button easy. Rick took all the initiative. I felt as important as the fourth wheel on a tricycle.
Delivery day could have been a bummer, but wasn’t. Unexpected changes at work popped up, and my back-up wasn’t available to take delivery of the Corvette at home. “No sweat,” said Pilot Transport, calling up Google Earth, “Does anybody park in the last row of parking spaces, behind your Shipping building?” Nope, nobody but me. “I’ll bring it to you. See you around 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.”
First glimpse I got of my new Corvette was a couple of inches of wheel and tire. I wonder if they plan it that way? Talk about teasing a guy.
There was a beautiful red Stingray in the upper berth. Don’t know who the next lucky guy was, but I’ll bet he’s happy, big-time.
I’m pretty sure the gentleman that delivered my vehicle started goofing on me at this point; hiking up the cover on the car for a slow reveal. The words vehicular striptease came to mind. Ultimately, I was rewarded with engine start, which is a truly beautiful song.
The cavernous truck augments your experience a bit in terms of light and sound. You’ll never be short on sound again, that’s for sure.
I wasn’t expecting what was waiting inside the Corvette. In addition to the official documentation you’d expect, Rick had snuck some cool Corvette swag inside the vehicle, too. Hats, posters, pens. It was a little like Easter. An unanticipated touch for such a busy guy.
DMV steps could have been a bummer, but weren’t. Rick asked where I’d be doing my DMV paperwork, and that’s the office that called me a few days later when the title arrived. I dropped by the next day, and walked out with plates, feeling like I stole something. I had already smogged the Corvette after it entered CA. The vehicle passed without issue. I had also had the vehicle inspected at the local DMV office. I paid the remaining CA taxes on the vehicle, and extended the temporary registration, just for yuks.
I can't imagine needing another Corvette. But if I do, I know who to call. Sorry for the length of the post, Gents. Here she is at home.
I enjoyed your story, I felt like I was along for the ride. I've purchased two Vette's from outside my "local" community and I can attest that it can either be one of the easiest or most difficult transactions your'll ever complete.
Rick has a great rep here on the CF and more importantly to the entire Corvette family, he's a true ambassador.
Oh and your LRG Stingray looks stunning. Now let the mod's begin.
I had mine transported to me from an out of state dealer as well (not Rick, but another really good guy). No issues and THOUSANDS below local dealers.. When are the local guys gonna learn that a better deal is just a "click" away...?
06-29-2014, 05:49 PM
First Corvette – Big Thanks to Rick Conti
