Micksmydad

Anyone just drive their C2 and enjoy the car without being all caught up in restoring? I’ve grown attached to the imperfections over the years and now just focus on mechanicals rather than cosmetics.😃

Nowhere Man

I find a unrestored car just drives better then a restored car.

LouieM

Plenty of us do just that. My favorite T-shirt says on it "NCRS -Not Correctly Restored Stingray." I keep my '67 looking nice and as close to stock as possible, but mainly just drive it.

jim lockwood

I fix it when it breaks. The rest of the time I just drive it.

I don't have the energy, the patience or the motivation to undertake a restoration.

KingRat

I prefer unrestored cars. When I first bought my '67 the engine bay needed some fixes like the fuel lines and a tune up. BUT I drove the car regularly. Now that it is restored, I have not put a mile on it.

leif.anderson93

If one wants to, they can do both. My '67 with born with engine, trans, rear end and many other dated components, was body off frame restored/completed back in 2012. I drive her whenever the weather permits (about 5000 miles per year). I did this for myself. When I was a high school grad in 1967 I couldn't afford a new Corvette...but, always wanted one. I have owned several Corvettes over the years but never the one I had always wanted...a '67 L79 equipped like mine is. I get to relive my youth every time I drive her. I, basically, have a brand new 1967 Corvette that I enjoy the originality of and the pure joy of driving her...OFTEN!! BTW, I have driven her over 30000 miles in the last 5 years alone. They were meant to be driven. I just went about it a bit differently then some. To each is own.

427Hotrod

Mine is just a fun Hot Rod. I drive it regularly and race it when I can. In fact....heading to a local cruise-in in a few minutes. Lots of non-original stuff on it....but it's still a C2 Vette with all the good fun that comes with it.

JIM

Steve Stone

Many CF members know our story and how I am the original owner of my '63 triple black convertible. Current mileage is 572,000 and have driven it 168,000 miles since the beginning of the 2007 driving season. The only time it had to been taken apart was in 1981 when the salt gods ate the frame and broke it. This year we showed at the World of Wheels at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in February. Had to trailer it there since it was inside for the event. My wife and I did attend several shows and non-show events this year where we drove it to the events and back: e.g. Eddie Cochran Albert Lea, MN, Back to the Fifties in St Paul, MN. We do have several future shows on schedule that we will drive to: e.g. Lancaster, OH Corvette show in September is just one of them. We plan to do other non-Corvette things while in Ohio after the show. Today we took a drive over to the Mississippi River and back, 260 miles. My Vette looks pretty good for an old dog, but reliability is goal one. You can not drive looks.

Safe driving to all,

Steve Stone (original owner 1963 triple black Sting Ray convertible, 572,000 miles)

Kerrmudgeon

Leno says to restore them to 100% and then drive them down to 90%.....rinse dry repeat!
I find it easier to just keep them clean and repaired after they're de-Bubbatized.

Bluestripe67

I have had my '67 since '73. I had 61k miles, but now has 235k miles.I have upgraded some mechanicals, put a couple of personalized touches on the car so I can continue to drive it many miles each year in dry weather, hot or cold. Drive the miles and you'll get the smiles! Dennis

leif.anderson93

And, completely subscribe to that philosophy!!

R66

We go to car shows to see the Mona Lisas not to show R66. R66 is a 20 footer at best and will not win the trophies. As a base model, some consider it to be not a real Corvette Sting Ray. That's alright, as we drive it every week when it is not raining or too cold for the top down, real Corvette or not. It is getting harder to work in the 68RS in my cruising schedule.

My cars are treated like my wife: kept in good working order, used for the original intended purpose, papered within reason, and dressed up as I chose. The only difference is, I can drive the car hard and not pay the supreme price for a month or more.

If it makes you happy, do it before you die.

Ron

tuxnharley

Yup - that describes me and my 67 perfectly!