rfn026

Do you own your Corvette? Or, are you the steward of the car?



Richard Newton

ChattanoogaJSB

Interestingly article Richard.

I'm an owner. It's my car, it isn't rare, and I won't hesitate to modify it to suit my tastes.

Many owners of garden variety old Corvettes fail to enjoy them because they perceive them to be so scarce. Even our numbers marching garden variety cars!

stewardship is something I would feel if I owned- say- a 67 l88, but not so much a 427/390. A 63 z06 but not a fuellie.

In my mind, stewardship is "usually" at odds in people's minds with using an object- not always, but often. The best stewards (like Garrett) are not afraid to put the object to its intended use. I would put jack rousch and his p-51's in that same category.

I wish I had been alive in the '70's when people were enjoying these old cars more often as...cars!

Bluestripe67

As usual Richard, great educational reading! I'm an owner. Dennis

tuxnharley

As far as I am concerned, I'm an owner. The term stewardship has gotten way overblown in our hobby. People seem to use it to inflate the sense of importance of what we are all doing here - playing with expensive toys.

"Stewardship" should be reserved for something truly rare - an original Grand Sport, a Cobra Daytona Coupe, a Ferrari 250 GTO, a Van Gough, a Picasso, etc, not a mass produced item of 20,000 or so units per year.

Otherwise using the term "stewardship" is just stroking ones own ego......

jim lockwood

I'm definitely an owner.

I've owned and driven Corvettes for 47 years (and actually, many are the same Corvettes) so to me they aren't that special.... just old, used Shev-a-lays which I've had forever.

I have them to drive and to selfishly enjoy, not to polish and worship.

fyreline

I'll take the opposite tack here - just for the sake of argument. I do consider myself somewhat of a steward of my 1962. It's a bone-stock, numbers-matching car in very nice (but not 100-point) condition. It gets driven sparingly, goes to about a half-dozen local shows, and gets treated very well. Do I enjoy my car? Yes, I certainly do . . . but then again, it isn't my only Corvette. Would I ever resto-mod it or cut it up? Nope.

The reason I said I consider myself "somewhat" of a steward is because I do agree that I own my car. I keep it as it is because that's what pleases ME, I'm not doing it for the next owner. I drive it as much as I want to, and living here in snowy, salty Central New York, it sleeps in heated comfort all winter while we are at our Florida home. At the current rate, it's 64,000 original miles won't grow very much or very fast. Years from now - many years, I hope - my three sons can decide what to do with my cars, including this one. Someone will be getting a very nice, very original and complete 1962 Corvette passed on to them . . . a car I took care to keep that way. So, I guess by some folks definition, that makes me a steward. So be it. The fact that it was my own decision as to what to do with the car, and how, and when, in my view reinforces the "owner" aspects. I think the one thing that describes the issue best is this: I have never done, or NOT done, anything to the car I did not want to do, and I have never limited my enjoyment of the car in the name of preserving it.

So I guess we both win - my Corvette and I. Just my opinion, of course.

kellsdad

If someone offered me $100,000 for my Corvette so they could blow it up in a Fast and Furious movie, I'd take the money. I guess that makes me an owner.

hedgehead

Unless the car is in a museum, replacing the delicate plastic stacks and preserving them is good stewardship.

claysmoker

Good answer.

VETT457

I agree. I'll consider myself a steward of Duntov's, et al purpose and passion for the vehicle.

Mikado463

owner ..........

Donny Brass

Lord and Master....thank you very much.

jim lockwood

You know, I'm just up the hill from you in Pollock. We ought to get together some day.

Jim

SDVette

That's an interesting litmus test. I guess I would fail it and be considered a steward... Because even though the fair market value of my car is well under $100K, the value TO ME is more than that. Since my dad was the original owner and it has passed it to me, and I will pass it to my son some day...

However, I think the term "steward" is going a bit far. It is just a material object, unlike the Everglades.

How about $1M??? Well, that might be a different story.

corvetteed

Since my "old cars" are not being held in Trust for the benefit of beneficiaries, and since I've actually sold some old cars in the recent past, I'll have to vote (since we're in a presidential year) for me being an "Owner".

64365coupe

Drive mine to work yesterday. Makes me an owner.

Larry P

I'm an owner, but, if I didn't restore it and keep it in restored condition,
it may not exist. So, in a sense, I am the steward of this car.
I will pass it to my kids or I may sell it, but while it's mine, I keep it as nice as I can.
Some day, somebody that I never met will be very happy
that I took the time and spent the money to make it available.
L88's and rare examples or a stock 230 hp 1960 Corvette,
When a 3 year old kid can't take his eyes off it and he doesn't
even know what it is, it needs to be preserved.
Larry

colo63sw

I own my 63 to preserve it because it is an original, my choice of ownership. I reject the idea that I am a steward, the meaning of that word to me implies that I don’t control it’s destiny and am not the master of the situation.

Put me down as a selfish basted OWNER. The car will not be more important than my whims. IF I ever sell it, I will prefer to sell it to someone that will continue to care for it, but if the money is right, the buyer can tear it apart and ‘restore’ it back to the condition it was before the deconstruction, only cleaner & ready for another 50 years of driving (or sitting).

I have gone full circle; if I had more money than I could spend, I guess I would be a steward and refuse to sell it to anyone that would ‘restore’ or restomod it.

I guess that makes me a slave to my financial condition. Maybe one day I will win the lottery….

Peace out.

6D2148

I own it!

3JsVette

I'm an owner. Nothing that I have is stock. They are all modified one way or another. While I do drive my cars I do care for them and get a bit carried away keeping them clean. So I guess I have some steward tendencies.