That's awesome!

My thoughts exactly. My father owned my car for 40 years and I'll own it for 40, or at least until one of my sons gets it (daughter claimed the Camaro).

It'd be neat to keep it in the family for 100 years.

 

I've had my '66 for almost 16 years and I'm not looking to sell, but everything has a price. If someone offered me "stupid" money for it, I would seriously consider selling. Like someone else said, there are plenty of them out there to buy. That being said, I don't have any long term family connection to it, so that is not a factor with mine.

 

... That's what I say... it's just a car. Any serious $$cash$$ offers


-Bruce

 

Glad to hear your tests were okay. The health issue is a big one. You never know when the bomb may drop. I've lost 3 friends in the last 2 months that were my age. 2 to cancer and one had a MI. My sister was just diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and she never smoked or lived in a household with a smoker.

 

I agree! My son will be 60 in 2061 when the car turns 100!

I understand the "it's just a car" sentiment. Not bashing, but for those of us with 'generational' cars, it *IS* more than just a car. When I work on the car with my son, we'll talk about Grandpa, and how resourceful he was in repairing things.. and he gets inspired to learn how to fix things..

And, thank you for your service Matt

Fred

 

I don't think I'd ever sell mine (took me 45 years to get it) but there was a period of time earlier today while working on the parking brakes that I would have given it away <LOL>.

Steve

 

Interesting in that my wife and I had a discussion this morning that touched on this. We are very tardy in getting a will put together and without children I mentioned that I don't know what I would plan for my cars since I will probably never part with them. She said she could (if I passed first I take it) but she wasn't sure about the yellow 66. She said it seems like we have had it all our married life and not sure she could part with it - might have to just let it sit in the garage and visit it every so often. I actually didn't know she was that attached to it.

 

Thanks Fred, you're a gentleman.

My sons love "Grandpa's car" (even though I bought it...), and the garage smells different after the car has been run. I remember that very smell from when I was a lad after my pop would come home from a drive. It's funny how those memories stay with us.

I have a 5th gen 2SS/RS Camaro that I ordered new and while it's a sweet silly fast car after some mods, it isn't an emotional thing for me.

However, my kids DO see the Camaro as a Big deal, since they remember the day I picked it up. This is what makes this car stuff so special. I'm keeping them both and need a 65/66 coupe in the next couple years...

 

Offer me 25k more than it's value and it's yours! Then again, "value" is very subjective.

 

Bought my 66 Roadster new. It has been one constant in my life through thick and thin. It is part of me. I can't even think of selling it for any price. TRUE LOVE IS TRUE LOVE. Even a different Corvette in better shape or worth more couldn't replace her. I almost traded her for a 85 Ferrari many years ago but just couldn't. No- we were just made to be together.

 

We currently have 8 autos...7 of them could easily go for the right price...Definitely not my '66. It'll always be the last chapter in my book of cars!

 

I'll pile on. I understand for many it's just a car.
In my mind when I combine that this particular car was 1) my favorite year 2) my favorite color WITH a two tone combo interior trim tag I love (and am setting right) and 3) was nice enough to drive but not restored it made it hard to sell several times over the last few years when I thought it might bring strong money over what I paid.

Since I drove it home (570 miles in a day, a great bond in itself), i now have the memory of my dad getting to ride in it once before he passed unexpectedly at 64. I have the memories with my wife in it, driving the river roads to Asheville, I have seen both kids play throughout it in the garage, and my son sing The Beach Boys while steering through the neighborhood.

And, I was nearly killed in it after being struck by a semi at my left ear, on the interstate! Now it's almost fixed.

Would I sell it for a premium? Maybe on the right day, for something absurd, like double what I think my little '64 is worth! Then again, maybe not...

 

For me, after owning my 58 for 27 years, what it took to sell, was a move from PA to NC, and I couldn't take all the "old" cars. I put both the Vettes on the market, and I decided which ever one sold first, I'd take the other one off the market. I regretted, instantly, when the 58 sold. I should have brought it w/me to NC.

 

Good stuff! My dad was a big fan of the Beach Boys.. My son and I listen to them (via MP3) while we drive as a memento. The other day my son asked me "what does 'He's hot with ram injection' mean?"

 

I'm pretty sure it's "Ram induction" - a cross ram manifold on that 413 ci Dodge. The Stingray had fuel injection.

He's hot with ram induction but it's understood
(Oooo pump it up now)
I got a fuel injected engine sittin' under my hood
(Oooo pump it up now)

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/beachboys/shutdown.html

 

It's Ram induction. It has to be one of the coolest looking (and performing) intake manifold designs on the planet. Dan has a few pics on his car posted if you search the archives. I can look at these cars all day and never get tired.

Larry

EDIT/ADDENDUM: Although I owned a 65 BB MOPAR, the closest I got to "ram induction" was using one of these special air cleaners for my car. Tests done during the day indicated the MOPAR engineers got it right on the baseplate design (alone) which had nearly ideal airflow characteristics. HOT ROD Magazine claimed 7 hp increase over typical air cleaners/filters of the day. Adding the long tuned ram tubes into the design produced a LOT more torque and HP...............besides having a coolness factor that was unbeatable on the street or strip. I still have the old air cleaner/filter saved up in the attic along with a lot of other car stuff. Brings back a few memories of racing during the 1960's. FWIW.

MOPAR also had factory prototype cast iron headers during this time for these engines. Don't know if any made it to the street, but they were just as unique and cool as the long ram tubes......maybe even more. They also had a special racing trans fluid for their Torque-flites and a special gear fluid for the rear. I still have a few cans..........used to run it in my cars. B&M later introduced their "Trick-Shift" trans fluid which did the same thing. The neat/cool thing about the MOPAR fluids were the instructions on the cans about using in fuel, alcohol, NHRA, NASCAR cars and the HP increase they claimed when doing so. Some great history.

 

You guys are right of course - I mixed up the lyrics..

 

Some thread replies mention long term ownership creating a visceral connection to these cars. Now 44 years on of ownership with no real need to to have to or want to sell my car, I would consider myself in that camp too.

So many memories of fun times and places in the '64 continues to this day. While selling would add a nice chunk to the bank account, then what? . . A bank statement would take all the fun away.

Turn the key to fire up the car is a trip back to the 1960's, for me. Revered classics now, muscle cars, Corvettes or otherwise were making noise in print and song. .. It was a special time. Some good, some bad things happened in that decade. If you came up in that era, you would understand.

'Head out on the highway, looking for adventure' ala Steppenwolf. .. I think I'm gonna keep her.
John

 

My '64 does the very same thing for me as well.

I'm going to keep mine too.

-Bruce

 

Good post.

Many folks ask me which of my two Corvettes I like most, the 2011 GS or the 1967??

I tell them I like both.............the 2011 GS is fun, and I know it will get me home at the end of the day.

But when I drive the 1967 with the side pipe roar, I'm 18 years old all over again.

Larry