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I have posted this before but with new members it may stimulate some new response for either C1s or C2s.
Here is mine.
Back in the day with the annual body style changes it was a big deal to keep the cars secret until unveiled the first Monday of October for the dealer introduction to the public.
Chevrolet sponsored the TV show Bonanza back in those days. On the Sunday night that it played before the dealer new car introduction they would run the show commercial free and save all of that time for the end of the show when they would give you a sneak preview of the cars that would be shown at your local dealer the next day.
In 1962 when I was 12 years old I really had never paid much attention to cars until the night I speak of above.
I was watching Bonanza sitting on the floor and they announced the “brand new 1963 model Chevrolets” the screen went black and we thought something was wrong with the TV. Suddenly a white (at least on our black and white TV) 1963 Corvette coupe appeared on the screen in side profile then entire room around it was black and car was brightly lite, on a turntable slowly turning the entire car to show every angle. it turned to the rear showing the split window and when it got to the front the hidden head lights rolled up. I was MESMERIZED. it was AWESOME!!! I remember thinking to myself, “when I grow up I am going to have one of those cars” It was the beginning of my life long love affair with automobiles. The funny thing is, of all the Corvettes I have owned I have never owned a 63.
As a child I had several terrific uncles, but there was one who was held in especially high esteem. I seldom saw him because he traveled the world as a Marine Corps pilot, but he always sent me the coolest birthday gifts. I think it was 1957 when I turned 10 that he sent me a large (1:16 scale) model of a 1953 or 54 Corvette with working electric lights. I never knew such a car existed and I had certainly never seen one in my small rural town. I wanted to know more, but no one in my family knew anything about them. It was three years later when my older sister returned home from college with her fiance in his 1958 Corvette. I knew then I would have one some day some how.
I grew up in very rural New Mexico in the 1950s. We were in Albuquerque in the fall of 1955 when my sister and I saw our first Corvette. It was a new 1956 black Corvette with the white inserts. The Corvette was my dream car until the spring of 1964 when the Mustang was introduced at the local Ford dealer. There was a Ford Cobra there which instantly became my new dream car. I never got a Cobra, but I am on my third Corvette.
My Dad used to tell me about taking me into a Chevy dealer to see the new Corvette they had just gotten. He said I was fascinated by the gold "V" over the side script. So that would have been a '55 model.
The first one I clearly remember was a new '58 parked in a back alley. A little too gaudy for my tastes today but not back then. I wanted that car!
A white '62 fuelie that was owned by they guy who lived in the house that backed up to ours. Sadly, it and the garage he kept it in caught fire in the '70s. IIRC, the fire started as a result of a fuel leak in the '62. The garage was rebuilt and still stands today, but I think the '62 was declared a total loss. Which seems somewhat ironic when I consider that the car would probably be worth more than the garage today.
A very small picture from a magazine in my uncle's bedroom. He was away in the Navy and I was probably 5 years old. I was a mid 60s Corvette. Earliest recollection of nearly any car that held my attention.
It would have to be in 88-89 when dad was looking at mid year project cars and in 89 when I was five he found and bought a 67 he could afford. that following year I started kindergarten and my teacher had a brand new red ZR-1. ( her husband owned a busing company and was well off) the following year she had a new yellow ZR-1. and that same time dad started to take my sister and I to Carlisle events to show us what his car would look like finished. but I still liked the "new" C4's better
In 1968, when I was eight years old, there was a movie on television called ''Hotrods to Hell'' which featured 58 Corvette Gasser. From that day on I have been fascinated with Corvettes.
As a child I had several terrific uncles, but there was one who was held in especially high esteem. I seldom saw him because he traveled the world as a Marine Corps pilot, but he always sent me the coolest birthday gifts. I think it was 1957 when I turned 10 that he sent me a large (1:16 scale) model of a 1953 or 54 Corvette with working electric lights. I never knew such a car existed and I had certainly never seen one in my small rural town. I wanted to know more, but no one in my family knew anything about them. It was three years later when my older sister returned home from college with her fiance in his 1958 Corvette. I knew then I would have one some day some how.
I had that same toy, also from a favorite aunt and uncle. It was my first introduction to Corvettes. As I recall, not only did the headlights work, the doors, hood, and trunk opened. And there was a tiny silver colored tool set in the trunk. This would have been around 1953-54, I think, and I would have been 7 or 8 years old.
I'm sure I saw early vettes but the memory that stuck with me the most was when a high school classmate showed up in a 65 roadster. I told myself that someday I'd own one of those and for my college graduation gift to myself some 10-12 years later, I started my quest and eventually found my 65 coupe.
It was 1954 when I was 13. My younger brother and I were entered in the local Soap Box Derby, which at that time was held on a steep hill on the 2-lane highway (that the highway patrol closed off for the afternoon) about a mile south of town. The Derby was sponsored by Chevrolet, and the local dealer brought out a 1954 Corvette that was used to lead a pre-race parade of contestants up the hill and then to carry the final derby winner (sadly, not me) on its rear deck back up the hill to the award ceremony. I was an instant Corvette fan, but didn't get my first one until 35 years later.
My first memory of a Corvette, and actually realizing it was a Corvette, was this custom 58. It was 1972, I just started high school, and the owner of this car lived in my neighborhood. I first saw the car at the local 7-11 store, parked in the parking lot. I remember telling the owner (John) when he came out of the store what a beautiful car it was.
John worked at Holler Chevrolet (in the parts department) and had access to lots of parts for his car. John bought the car from Holler Chevrolet. AS best we can all recall, the car was there for repairs, and the owner could not come up with the money to cover the repair bill. The car was robin egg blue with a 283 engine in it at that time. John bought an 1970 vintage LT-1 short block from Holler, and started building from there.
I believe he still has some NOS parts that he bought for the 58.
Small world..it turns out that John was also the boyfriend of a girl (Lauraine) I went to high school with. Lauraine and I became good friends during high school, and I also became good friends with John. John was also a good friend with my cousin Craig. I spend many evenings and weekend days at Craig's, learning about cars, and life. It was my coming of age.
John, Lauraine and I are all still close friends today, some 46 plus years later. My cousin Craig passed away in 1984, just as I was graduating from college. Rest in peace brother.
I sold my 1966 Nova SS (283, P/S, auto - my first car) to Craig when I joined the Army in November of 1976. I wish I still had that car.
I have spent a lot of time trying to locate that 58 Vette (no one remembers, or can locate any paperwork with the VIN on it). John sold the 58 in 1975 to Fred Caparella (owner of Caprella Tires) just off of Hwy 50 (Colonial Drive) in Orlando. Sometime during Fred's ownership the front end was damaged in an accident. The hood was repaired by Roger Wells of Vintage Vettes (in Orlando, on 29th Street). Fred Caparella is deceased.
John later saw the car on a used car lot on Colonial Drive in Orlando. At that time someone had added snaps around the cockpit for a tonneau cover.
I am almost convinced that John has some paperwork somewhere (he is a pack rat) with the VIN of that car on it. But finding the paperwork is a different matter.
I am offering $500 to anyone that can provide me with the correct VIN of that 1958 Corvette. I have exhausted all avenues of research that I can think of.
My dad had just finished construction of our new house in 1959, and our new next-door neighbor had a son with a new '59 Corvette. I thought it was the greatest-looking car I had ever seen, and since that day (and through many Corvettes I have owned) I always had a special love for the C1's. Finally, about five years ago I bought myself a nice 1962 as a retirement gift, and it shares the garage with my C7 convertible. Life is good indeed.
My earliest memory is when I was two or three watching Dad work on the chassis of his 57, my first interaction with one was only a few years later my uncle gave me a ride in his 65 convertible. I still have Vivid memories of the dash and console I was mesmerized!
I now own the 57 that Dad was working on, it’s been in the family since 1962
In 57, the local dealer had a used Corvette proudly displayed next to the street for everybody to see.
Being curious why a fairly new Vett was for sale, I ran my hand under the l. front fender to check for evidence of a repair.
I found it! or should I say I found the black sticky tar undercoat that was hiding the repair. Then I knew, how it became a used car!
My next memory of a vette was a 57 steering wheel that a friend gave me in 57.
I kept that wheel for years and was the reason that I finally bought a 57 in 2013.
Age 2 days! Too young to remember, but I rode home from the hospital in Mom's arms in my Dad's '61 - still own it.
It was their only car at at time... that would soon change!
As a toddler, my neighbor Jim had a 64 convertible, I would hear it drive up, and I would run to the kitchen, and push a chair up to the window to see out. I would climb up on the chair, banging on the window & wave saying "hi car, hi car" repeatedly. I'm not sure if that is my memory, or my parents always laughing, & telling the story. Conciquently, I started bugging Jim to sell me the car at around 14 years old, he always said he would when I graduated college, & had bought a house of my own to keep it in. He was a man of his word, as I bought the car at 25 years old, nearly 20 years ago, for double his asking price, cuz he didn't know what they were worth, and I was honest. I still thank him every time I see him for giving me a goal to go after in life, and making me see that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
Last edited by Rob_64-365; 10-22-2018 at 07:55 AM.
10-21-2018, 01:33 PM
What was your first memory of a Corvette?
) on its rear deck back up the hill to the award ceremony. I was an instant Corvette fan, but didn't get my first one until 35 years later.
