i guess I don't fit the stereotype of a typical Vette owner as I'm still in my 30's, (even if just for over another month longer!) I bought mine at 35 and fulfilled a lifelong dream. I would have owned one at 16 if I could have.

 

I'm 26, got my 79 when I was 24.

Buuuuuuuuut, I think the "old men" stereotype is very true. Last place I lived I got invited to the only corvette club, 9 out of 10 guys there were 55+ I would bet.

There is great knowledge to be gained from the old timers, but a definite social difference when hanging out :]

 

Go POKES!!!!! LOL

 

Here is why I think a lot of older guys own older muscle cars or Vettes. I am 47, I grew up working on cars with my dad. We built hotrods, rebuilt drivers, added cams and heads, tuned carbs and did body work and paint. Those things are still doable on the older cars that I have experience with, but the new models are not so user friendly. If I never build another motor or never tune another carb, in the rest of a 22 year old life they will never come close to building the amount of old school motors I have. By 22 I had 4 cars that were extremely fast and even at 19 had a 1958 Chevy stepside show truck. Topping 70 cars owned now and over 200 engines built to some extent...Not saying young guys can't do the work at all, just saying thats what we "old guys" grew up on, and for me thats why I own an older Vette, they are beautiful and fun to wrench on! And I still like classic rock and old metal!

 

I'm a stereotype for sure! Had a '63 roadster in my 20's, restored a '64 coupe and a '68 roadster in my 40's and now run a '79. I'm now 71 but feel young again behind the wheel. Vette owners of all ages are the best! Save the wave.

 

I actually bartered for my first Vette in 1977, when I was 23. I worked with a guy who had a low mileage 74 (YELLOW) Corvette and I had just replaced my (totalled) 74 455 TransAm with a new 1977 T/A (what a disappointment).

Anyway, he and his wife had just had a baby and he decided that he wanted a 4 seater sports car instead of the coupe. So one day he asked me if I was interested in trading even - the 74 Vette for my six month old 77 T/A. At first I thought no way, but the values were about the same. I definitely wanted out of the 77 T/A (hated that POS) and the bank was ok with it, so we just swapped titles. I kept it for several years.

Anyway, except for a couple of years, I have had a Vette since I got the 74 in 1977. Hopefully I will continue to have one until I am too old to drive.

 

Interesting thread. I'm 34 and that's not "old" by any measure but as stated before, age is relative. I started in the radio business when I was 13 so I was hanging around people in their 40's and 50's. Within a few years I saw that older crowd as my peers, not my elders.
By my late teens I was drivng vettes and hanging out with older vette owners. I still had my little group of small town high school buddies to drink, smoke dope and chase skirts with but I hung with the old dudes just as much.
After attending some interesting shrine conventions, etc. I found the old guys partied harder than my friends that were my age. Now at 34, I feel more comfortable in a crowd of 50 and 60 year olds than my own age group. We have more in common.
I go to the beach and hit the **** clubs for good music and a laid back atmosphere. A can't hang with a lot of friends that are my age. Immaturity, dumb financial decisions, club hopping, and trying to dress and act like they are 21 tears my nerves up.
I'm happy driving my "old man" C3 and my "old man" Jags and hanging out with old farts. Older folks have better taste in music. They share some of the same hobbies like fine watches, handguns and guitars.
They are much more cunning with the lingus. Keep in mind social attitudes in 1964. They worked a LOT harder for the nookie than kids do today.

 

I'm 28, bought my 78 when I was 26.

I actually came into Corvettes after a long history of owning Japanese sports cars. My pride and joy was a 91 Mazda RX7 Turbo II that ran 12 second 1/4 miles. To get there of course meant having a T04 Turbo and the car wasn't all that drivable on the street. After agonizing over the constant need for repairs that were often expensive I started searching around for a better value for my money.

After a lot of searching I came to the conclusion that the Small Block Chevy was the absolute king for bang for your buck. I guess it was a matter of deciding what body I wanted it in.

Being younger I was pretty dead set on driving a car that did not have a solid rear axle, it felt like too much of a downgrade as compared to even the low end import sports cars with sophisticated 5 link suspension. Then I came across the late 70's Corvettes for well under $10000.

I see C3 owners dog on the suspension and brakes for being crude and outdated, but I was happy to start with 4 wheel independent suspension and huge 4 piston calipers. I pulled the trigger and bought one.

2 years later and the car has gone through a few rennovations. This time around it's getting just short of a full restoration so I'm hoping the car will give me many more years of enjoyment.

 

Bought the car in 1995, had it ever since and almost done with the resto. I'm 38 now. 'over here' you are considered a show off, egotripping gas waisting polluting ****head. I get the same reactions when I'm driving my 2010 Ram. Now that's a stereotype, well sod them they are mine and I love them. (in short these cars are not linked to people's age here, just to show how cars are perceived differently from country to country)
Nick

 

For keeping the stereotype of Americans alive.

 

31 here bought my 77 2 years ago but I also have big touring harleys since I have been 24 and corvettes have nothing over them when it comes to stereotypes
btw you should see some of the looks I get when I roll up to my office with either one of my harleys or my vette sporting some pretty loud hooker side pipes (im a merrill lynch broker )

 

Well I'm 60, it still surprises me to hear that, and got my '78 when I was 54. So come to think of it I fit the stereotype and am damn PROUD of it.

 

Dam going on 40 years of vettes... You sir are an enthusiast! I plan on keeping my 1970 forever. It's my first restoration and I plan on the second restoration of the car being my last with plenty in between.

 

got mine for my 16th birthday in 2011

 

40 isn't old kid, it's just a number. It's all in how you feel.

 

When I was 13 years old, the "Shark" body style of the C3 was introduced. I LOVED it, and always wanted one. So finally, 30 years married and 6 sons later, I bought my first Corvette at 56 years old!
My wife and I have built a few cars together, but we always needed a back seat to haul kids around. Now we finally reached that point in life where a two seat car will work for us, and we can`t WAIT to get this baby rolling!
Right to left.... "His, Hers, and Ours!"

 

I'm 57 and still have never owned a corvette.......the 1973 belongs to my wife....yea, I get to work on it, clean it and fill it up......and drive it as long as she is with me.....maybe I can have my own when I grow up.

 

As others have said, it is great to see the younger guys n gals taking up the hobby. I work with highschool kids from all over the province and they love my '72 but not much interest in newer models. The typical response is they are my dad or gramps car. Damn I still remember eagerly awaiting the next episode of Route 66 to see the car again.

 

I don't fit the stereotype either cause I'm 15 and bought my 82 about 5 or 6 months ago. I've always wanted a corvette but always thought I wouldn't get one until later in my life. But I found an amazing deal and am very happy

 

I'm 46, bought my 1980 'vette in March 2008, right before the bottom fell out. I sure don't feel old, but I will admit that I do have to wear reading glasses now to read fine print. They say the eyes are the second thing to go as you get older. I don't remember what the first thing is......hold on, it'll come to me........nope, can't seem to remember it.


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott