Misunderstanding
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,600
Likes: 181
From: Durham ON
I have a '65 coupe and I drive it every day. To work, shopping, up north on weekends etc. I've put on 6000 miles in the last 8 weeks. I don't care what people say or think, it's just a car and I use it just like other cars I owned, Hemi GTX, big block Chevelle, SS elCamino and about 25 winter beater's. Current winter ride '89 chev van. If people don't like what I drive that their problem. Dave
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 12,468
Likes: 1,548
From: Camp Verde AZ
C1 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
2017 C1 of Year Finalist
My point is, I don’t think C2’s were ever in reach of the average guy. They were very expensive new, expensive to maintain, expensive to insure and probably the most impractical, production car ever made. You can’t even conveniently go to the market and put a couple of sacks of groceries in the trunk. It’s always been a special car for people with special bank acts.
My '61, which i bought at age 16 was almost affordable to me at $500, plus adding a motor and trans.
And I liked the impractability (not sure if this is a word); when I was with 5 or 6 friends, I had a good excuse why we all couldn't pile in MY car to go to the bar or where ever.
Doug
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
My, my, look at all the in-fighting just in this Forum. My comment about not being "average" was referring to the numbers of mid-year or even total Corvette owners in the population of car owners. I drove 2 20 year-old cars and an 18 year-old Blazer before I bought the 1966 BB for my 50th birthday. Why? Strictly because it's cool and the only muscle car that I like enough to own. Like I told the guy who asked me why it had a '67 hood and Monte Carlo wheels, "It's not a race car and it's not a show car. It's just my car."
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
From: SF Peninsula CA
I’ve been quoted several times and none were positive. Creative writing was never my forte, but I stand by what I said. C2’s (only because that is my area of interest) were never cheap. They only seem cheap because of inflation, but you have to compare prices of the time. A Corvette cost over twice as much as a Chevelle, and were produced in much smaller numbers. It is true that cars lose half their value in just a few years, so if someone could pick up a C2 in the early 70’s for 2k, that does not make it cheap. Joe average could have picked up a good used car, without looking very hard for about $500. They were selling new Pintos for $1999 or $2499 (or something like that) back then, and for the same money you could put a down payment on a house. Now, it won’t even cover the closing costs. Maybe we have different ideas of what Average Joe is. I would not consider someone who can see the beauty in something rough, and turn it into a gem, very average.
Last edited by lcpaca; Jul 26, 2007 at 05:58 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,194
Likes: 27
From: Monroe Twp, NJ
If your middle class and can do most of the mechanical restoration yourself than you can own a C1 or C2. If you are not mechanical and can not do the restoration work yourself self the Corvette is a upper class owners car.Since many newer Corvettes are leased today, it makes the hobby available to middle class workers. If your below middle and upper class you drive a 84 like me.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 234
Likes: 2
From: Fernandina Beach FL
This is as good of an excuse as any for me to proudly proclaim that I occasionally take my 65 coupe to the grocery store to do my grocery shopping. I load up the back with 3 cases of soft drinks and 4 or 5 bags of groceries. I do enjoy treating that car like a real vehicle. I've had more than a few conversations with local shoppers who are surprised to see me loading it up with stuff.
Jeff
Jeff
I take mine to Home Depot all the time and have put bags of fertilizer in it. Although I try to keep it original and nice, it is just a car and it should be driven!
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,252
Likes: 48
From: Lake Saint Louis Mo
1.
My father-in-law shared something with me many years ago. A neighbor commented on how he must be rich because he bought an RV. The neighbor was a fisherman and had a bass boat. The guy across the street had a country home and another spent his money on a golf club.
They all spent about the same amount of money on they're own interest and yet envied or resented the other guy for what he had.
2.
My 60 is worth more then I've spent on it. (not an expensive hobby)
3.
If you have the ability, work ethic and are smart enough to restore a C1, C2, your probably gonna end up rich anyway!
Larry
My father-in-law shared something with me many years ago. A neighbor commented on how he must be rich because he bought an RV. The neighbor was a fisherman and had a bass boat. The guy across the street had a country home and another spent his money on a golf club.
They all spent about the same amount of money on they're own interest and yet envied or resented the other guy for what he had.
2.
My 60 is worth more then I've spent on it. (not an expensive hobby)
3.
If you have the ability, work ethic and are smart enough to restore a C1, C2, your probably gonna end up rich anyway!
Larry
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Brett Foote
One gear at a time
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 5,207
Likes: 24
CI 8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 13,634
Likes: 3,581
From: NorCal
Yeah, solid-axels and midyears are way beyond the price range of the average guy. I've never had people act as if I'm snooty when in my 67. I think I'm smiling so big all the time that people just enjoy the car along with me.
One gear at a time
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 5,207
Likes: 24
CI 8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09
I haven't hauled too many groceries with the 62, but I did use it's trunk to take a 327 block to the machine shop. It's also hauled all kinds of home and garden supplies.
Figure it's not pretty enough to just park and look at, so we drive it... a lot.
Figure it's not pretty enough to just park and look at, so we drive it... a lot.