An anniversary, but not a milestone.
07-06-2011, 11:50 AM
#1
Melting Slicks
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An anniversary, but not a milestone.
This hazy, hot, and humid weather got me to reminiscing. Back to the summer of '72. A time when the most played tune on AM Top 40 radio was Mouth and MacNeal's, How Do You Do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2skBGdyoMkk
It all started on Independence Day evening, a Tuesday, while driving my '70 1/2 Z28 past Hauser Chevrolet's used car lot. And there it was center stage, glistening under a hundred bare incandescent light bulbs. A Monaco Orange '69 convertible with beige top and saddle interior. Four speed, of course. With iconic Cragar Classic SS wheels. But unlike all the other pre-owned cars in that front row, it did not have a price inked on the windshield in white shoe polish.
So I went back the next day to give it a closer look. A salesman, George Moyer, came out of the little shack dangling the keys like a carrot in front of a mule, "Interest you in a test drive?" "Uh-huh" was all I could manage to spit out.
Off we went. But not too far as the gas gauge was near empty. I heard (and felt) something scrape as I made the exit out of the car lot onto the public road. "That's the headers," George said. That statement made my ears ***** up in a kind of good news/bad news way. But there were more important things on my mind.
My Camaro was billed as a sports car...Chevy's own advertizing said, "Closest thing to a Vette yet." And being young and impressionable (22 years old), I fell for it. That was a mistake. I settled for second best. But 2 minutes sitting in this Vette with its 33 degree seatback angle and I knew that Z28 had to go. THIS was an honest-to-god sports car.
Right off the bat I was awed by two things: those massive front wheel arches and the engine's torque. I knew from the flat hood and console emblem that it was a mouse motor. What made it seem like a big block, it turned out, was the 4.88:1 rear gears. I could literally skip first and second gears; just start out in third and shift once. And once up to speed on the 4 lane divided highway I also knew that the transmission's driven speedo gear was never changed to match. The speedo was off by ~30mph. So the 48K miles on the odometer was way high; depending on how many highway miles were on it.
A glance under the hood once we were back at Hauser's lot revealed a Holley square bore carb sitting on an Edelbrock C4B aluminum manifold...and that tell-tale tick, tick, ticking of solid lifters, just like my Z28. I saw enough. It was time to haggle price.
You know how that goes. The salesman states a price, less trade-in, plus sales tax and title and tag fees. I counteroffer and he has to go ask someone higher up to accept or reject. We went round and round for quite some time but finally agreed on an amount I felt good about...and could afford. If my bank would refinance my Camaro loan. I put down a $20 deposit. [Gosh, that seems so paltry by today's standards.]
July 6, 1972...I spent literally hours trying to convince multiple bank loan officers that yes, I was going from a '70 1/2 back to a '69. But I was moving up from Camaro to Corvette. Finally one said OK, I could pick up the proceeds the next day about noon.
I was waiting in the loan department precisely at high noon, with bells on. I signed away my life on umpteen sets of paperwork including a life insurance policy that paid off the loan in case I was killed. With papers in hand, I drove cross town to Hauser's lot one last time in the Z. I had goosebumps thinking that it wouldn't be long until little ol' me would become a Vette owner. Buying the Z28 just postponed the inevitable for 14 months.
We swapped cars, we swapped papers. George got the big check, $3,605.40. I drove to a gas station first to fill up with Hi-test. Then headed home.
I parked on the yard aside of the driveway. I was like a kid in a candy store. I had the hood open, both doors and the convertible deck lid, checking things out. With a smile on my face like a Cheshire Cat. Then my father pulled in. As he walked from his Ford pickup toward the house he uttered these unforgettable words:
WHAT THE F*** DO YOU WANT WITH THAT THING? And that's the one and only time in his 95 year life that I heard him use the F bomb. I guess Corvettes just have that affect on some folks!
And that's the way it was, 39 years ago this week.
It all started on Independence Day evening, a Tuesday, while driving my '70 1/2 Z28 past Hauser Chevrolet's used car lot. And there it was center stage, glistening under a hundred bare incandescent light bulbs. A Monaco Orange '69 convertible with beige top and saddle interior. Four speed, of course. With iconic Cragar Classic SS wheels. But unlike all the other pre-owned cars in that front row, it did not have a price inked on the windshield in white shoe polish.
So I went back the next day to give it a closer look. A salesman, George Moyer, came out of the little shack dangling the keys like a carrot in front of a mule, "Interest you in a test drive?" "Uh-huh" was all I could manage to spit out.
Off we went. But not too far as the gas gauge was near empty. I heard (and felt) something scrape as I made the exit out of the car lot onto the public road. "That's the headers," George said. That statement made my ears ***** up in a kind of good news/bad news way. But there were more important things on my mind.
My Camaro was billed as a sports car...Chevy's own advertizing said, "Closest thing to a Vette yet." And being young and impressionable (22 years old), I fell for it. That was a mistake. I settled for second best. But 2 minutes sitting in this Vette with its 33 degree seatback angle and I knew that Z28 had to go. THIS was an honest-to-god sports car.
Right off the bat I was awed by two things: those massive front wheel arches and the engine's torque. I knew from the flat hood and console emblem that it was a mouse motor. What made it seem like a big block, it turned out, was the 4.88:1 rear gears. I could literally skip first and second gears; just start out in third and shift once. And once up to speed on the 4 lane divided highway I also knew that the transmission's driven speedo gear was never changed to match. The speedo was off by ~30mph. So the 48K miles on the odometer was way high; depending on how many highway miles were on it.
A glance under the hood once we were back at Hauser's lot revealed a Holley square bore carb sitting on an Edelbrock C4B aluminum manifold...and that tell-tale tick, tick, ticking of solid lifters, just like my Z28. I saw enough. It was time to haggle price.
You know how that goes. The salesman states a price, less trade-in, plus sales tax and title and tag fees. I counteroffer and he has to go ask someone higher up to accept or reject. We went round and round for quite some time but finally agreed on an amount I felt good about...and could afford. If my bank would refinance my Camaro loan. I put down a $20 deposit. [Gosh, that seems so paltry by today's standards.]
July 6, 1972...I spent literally hours trying to convince multiple bank loan officers that yes, I was going from a '70 1/2 back to a '69. But I was moving up from Camaro to Corvette. Finally one said OK, I could pick up the proceeds the next day about noon.
I was waiting in the loan department precisely at high noon, with bells on. I signed away my life on umpteen sets of paperwork including a life insurance policy that paid off the loan in case I was killed. With papers in hand, I drove cross town to Hauser's lot one last time in the Z. I had goosebumps thinking that it wouldn't be long until little ol' me would become a Vette owner. Buying the Z28 just postponed the inevitable for 14 months.
We swapped cars, we swapped papers. George got the big check, $3,605.40. I drove to a gas station first to fill up with Hi-test. Then headed home.
I parked on the yard aside of the driveway. I was like a kid in a candy store. I had the hood open, both doors and the convertible deck lid, checking things out. With a smile on my face like a Cheshire Cat. Then my father pulled in. As he walked from his Ford pickup toward the house he uttered these unforgettable words:
WHAT THE F*** DO YOU WANT WITH THAT THING? And that's the one and only time in his 95 year life that I heard him use the F bomb. I guess Corvettes just have that affect on some folks!
And that's the way it was, 39 years ago this week.
Last edited by 69 Chevy; 07-07-2012 at 06:35 AM.
07-06-2011, 12:29 PM
#2
Pro
Cool story.
Thanks for sharing your story. 
I enjoyed it very much.
Sorry I can't answer your trim tag question but how about scanning some old photos back in the day when you bought it and posting them.
Or post a photo of what it looks like today so we can connect the car with the story.
Thanks.
I enjoyed it very much.Sorry I can't answer your trim tag question but how about scanning some old photos back in the day when you bought it and posting them.
Or post a photo of what it looks like today so we can connect the car with the story.
Thanks.
07-06-2011, 12:52 PM
#3
Melting Slicks
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Sorry, I didn't have a camera when it was Orange so no pics of original paint and top colors. It got repainted Tuxedo black in '75. Then this happened:
No April Fools joke. A Firestone tire blew and I hit a telephone pole. Two insurance adjusters totaled it. I finally convinced a third it was in too good a shape otherwise to total it. He agreed. $3,400 to repair.
Here's what it looked like in '94 when I photographed it to get antique tags from PENNDOT. I borrowed those two wheels/tires from a friend just for the pics. I had to move them to the other side when I shot the passenger side.
What it looks like today with ZL1 hood (original from #729219), Eckler flares and real 8.5" Kelsey-Hayes knockoffs:
No April Fools joke. A Firestone tire blew and I hit a telephone pole. Two insurance adjusters totaled it. I finally convinced a third it was in too good a shape otherwise to total it. He agreed. $3,400 to repair.
Here's what it looked like in '94 when I photographed it to get antique tags from PENNDOT. I borrowed those two wheels/tires from a friend just for the pics. I had to move them to the other side when I shot the passenger side.
What it looks like today with ZL1 hood (original from #729219), Eckler flares and real 8.5" Kelsey-Hayes knockoffs:
Last edited by 69 Chevy; 07-06-2011 at 01:02 PM.
07-06-2011, 01:24 PM
#4
Intermediate
Very cool story!
Here is a Monaco 69 with tan interior in the for sale section. The black book only lists black, but the trim code is plane as day for saddle/leather. I don't have my book in front of me, I guess 420 is saddle/vinyl?
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3s-...ocumented.html
Here is a Monaco 69 with tan interior in the for sale section. The black book only lists black, but the trim code is plane as day for saddle/leather. I don't have my book in front of me, I guess 420 is saddle/vinyl?
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3s-...ocumented.html
07-06-2011, 01:59 PM
#5
Pro
By the way, I think it's cool you and your Corvette have such a long history together.
I currently own a 70 1/2 Camaro Rally Sport that I bought in 1987 which is identical appearance wise to the Z/28 that you traded in 1972 for the Corvette.
It's hard to believe I've owned this car for 24 years already.
07-06-2011, 03:27 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
Great story! I've never been one to hang onto cars for more than 3 years, and havent bought a used car in 20 years. Then again, I didn't buy my first Vette until last year. From my cold dead hands!!!!!
07-06-2011, 05:57 PM
#7
Melting Slicks
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St. Jude Donor '09
I just turned 13 that summer. Watching that video . . . whew . . . I remember us being cooler than that. 
I did really like that song though. I was still pedaling on two wheels then, dreaming of the day that I'd have a cool vette. Most of the technology we take for granted today wasn't even invented (we had just gotten our first color TV), so dreaming was a popular way to pass the time.
I recognized your car from the latter pics from here on CF; it has evolved VERY NICELY!!!
I did really like that song though. I was still pedaling on two wheels then, dreaming of the day that I'd have a cool vette. Most of the technology we take for granted today wasn't even invented (we had just gotten our first color TV), so dreaming was a popular way to pass the time.I recognized your car from the latter pics from here on CF; it has evolved VERY NICELY!!!
07-07-2011, 07:42 AM
#11
Melting Slicks
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Here is PennDOT's definition of antique vehicle:
First, those are not Vette wheels/rallycaps/trim rings. They came on some other Chevy, perhaps a Nova. Second, I wanted it to look as 'plain Jane' as possible so the PennDOT person would overlook the sidepipes. A thumbs up or thumbs down is always "as determined by PennDOT."
C3Dani, thanks for the link. Yes code 421 is for Med saddle leather. His build date was K25=June 25, 1969...soon after the 10 week UAW strike and when new/different options were implemented since DeLorean decided to extend '69 production through the end of the year. Perhaps Med saddle was one of those options only offered after the strike and all the fact sheets still list black as the only interior with 990 Monaco Orange.
Antique Motor Vehicle - A motor vehicle, but not a reproduction thereof, manufactured more than 25 years
prior to the current year, which has been maintained in or restored to a condition, which is substantially in
conformance with manufacturer specifications.
prior to the current year, which has been maintained in or restored to a condition, which is substantially in
conformance with manufacturer specifications.
...four clearly distinguishable color photographs of the vehicle (front, rear and both sides).
PennDOT reserves the right to limit or reject certain requests.
Last edited by 69 Chevy; 07-07-2011 at 08:05 AM.
07-07-2011, 08:00 AM
#12
Melting Slicks
Great story; I'm sure I'll catch some flack for saying this but, I would trade my black '69 for a super clean '70 Z28 in a heartbeat. That was my first car so I have a real soft spot for them.
It was my first choice when I was looking for another collector car but, they had appreciated too much and I could not afford one; bought the 'Vette as a second choice.
It was my first choice when I was looking for another collector car but, they had appreciated too much and I could not afford one; bought the 'Vette as a second choice.
07-07-2011, 10:29 AM
#13
Melting Slicks
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Well the 'twist' to my Camaro to Corvette tale is akin to Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story."
I was working the graveyard shift at the time and so slept during the dayshift hours. I also live on the family farm. My father decided to do some maintenance work on one of our John Deere tractors. Rather than wake me to help, he took the task of moving out the drive wheels to increase the track for a specific rowcrop operation. Long story short, it got away from him and fell on the front clip of the Z causing massive sheet metal damage to the left fender and hood. And the custom lacquer paint job.
I straightened it as best as I could, then decided I didn't like the Z as much as Chevrolet led me to believe so never invested in the proper repairs. Plus, it always seemed like I was hauling around a car full of other folks. At least with a Vette it was just me and the chick du jour.
I still like that '70 Camaro body style. But I like my Vette a whole lot better. In fact, in my 39 years of ownership I have never once thought of selling it or trading it for something better/different.
I was working the graveyard shift at the time and so slept during the dayshift hours. I also live on the family farm. My father decided to do some maintenance work on one of our John Deere tractors. Rather than wake me to help, he took the task of moving out the drive wheels to increase the track for a specific rowcrop operation. Long story short, it got away from him and fell on the front clip of the Z causing massive sheet metal damage to the left fender and hood. And the custom lacquer paint job.
I straightened it as best as I could, then decided I didn't like the Z as much as Chevrolet led me to believe so never invested in the proper repairs. Plus, it always seemed like I was hauling around a car full of other folks. At least with a Vette it was just me and the chick du jour.
I still like that '70 Camaro body style. But I like my Vette a whole lot better. In fact, in my 39 years of ownership I have never once thought of selling it or trading it for something better/different.
07-07-2011, 02:03 PM
#14
I love reading stories like this. It has made my day! I have had approx. 35 cars in the last 15 years and my '81 is my first Vette. I was a Camaro and Trans Am guy forever and the '69 Z28 still has a soft spot in my heart (I will own another one day) However driving the Vette gives so much satisfaction, from the view across the hood, seeing the high rise fenders, to seeing other people's faces and thumbs up as you drive by.
03-11-2012, 06:48 PM
#15
Melting Slicks
This is a wonderful story. You beat me buying your's on the 6th. I bought mine on the 21st I think. I sold my new 3 year and 3 month old 69 camaro with 52,000 miles to get my 68 coupe with 22,000 miles. Lou.
Last edited by loup68; 03-12-2012 at 07:20 PM. Reason: miss spelled word
03-11-2012, 06:59 PM
#16
Le Mans Master
Great story...I was senior in high school driving around in my 65 Rag Top GTO...still miss that car.
We got a 73 BB a few years back and we LOVE it...even if it isn't a 68
We got a 73 BB a few years back and we LOVE it...even if it isn't a 68
03-11-2012, 07:31 PM
#17
Drifting
Just read this great story and didn't realize that it was not posted recently til I got to a comment. Have to say, don't know what you do for a living, but bet you could do well as a professional writer.
04-13-2012, 04:30 PM
#19
Burning Brakes
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That's an awesome story! Do you old timers realize how stupid lucky you were to be able to buy cars like these back in the day when they were $4-5k dollars 
I know that was ALLOT MORE money then than it is now but still gas was $0.70 a gallon milk was $0.40 a gallon and a brand new house was $7k even at 3 dollars an hour you came out ahead of us making $10/hour at the same age today
I know that was ALLOT MORE money then than it is now but still gas was $0.70 a gallon milk was $0.40 a gallon and a brand new house was $7k even at 3 dollars an hour you came out ahead of us making $10/hour at the same age today
07-07-2012, 08:27 AM
#20
Drifting
Great story, brings back memories. I had forgotten that song over the years, but that's the correct timeline.
About the same time, I bought my 71 coupe from Jake Sweeney Chevrolet in Sharonville Ohio. I thought I was on top of the world. It replaced my 67 Chevelle BB.
A couple years later I was hit in the rear by some fella. The 71 was in the shop for close to six months. One Friday late afternoon I got a call from Mickey Dameron from the Garage to tell me the Vette was good to go.
I had to have it, as a early 20s single guy, so I ran down to pick it up. Looked great, sounded great, and drove great. I had cancelled my insurance for the time it was in the shop so I had to call the agent to get it fired back up. Unfortunately the office was closed for the evening. I guess you can guess where I'm going. I figured what can happen between now and the AM?
Well, that evening while travelling down a winding road the rearend got out from under me and took a tree in the drivers door. I ended up with a broken leg a totaled vette and no insurance. The remains of the car was sold to make the last two payments before free and clear.
Needless to say I was heart broken for a long time. Longer than it took to mend the leg. That was always a sore spot in my side for a loooong time. I've picked up others but they never seemed to fill the void from the 71. I have two others a 78 and a 75 but didn't replace the red 71.
Fast forward to last month. Keep in mind I need another veh. like I need a hole in the head. Ask my wife, there are probably 8 or 10 muscle cars here now. I'm looking on Craigs list for parts in general and I find a 71 coupe for $1 or trade for just the stuff I have plenty of.
So I go take a look at it just out of curiosity. I find this 71 is in great shape the original color was the same as the lost 71 as was the drivetrain, the interior other than this one had factory air and the first one didn't they were identical.
The trade was made and I brought it home on the rollback. Cleaned her up not much to do to it other than return her to the original color and build an engine of some sorts.
I have to tell you, the first time I sat behind the wheel, two things happened. One I felt like I was returning to the scene of a crime and the demons from the first loss seemed to be gone. After all these years.
About the same time, I bought my 71 coupe from Jake Sweeney Chevrolet in Sharonville Ohio. I thought I was on top of the world. It replaced my 67 Chevelle BB.
A couple years later I was hit in the rear by some fella. The 71 was in the shop for close to six months. One Friday late afternoon I got a call from Mickey Dameron from the Garage to tell me the Vette was good to go.
I had to have it, as a early 20s single guy, so I ran down to pick it up. Looked great, sounded great, and drove great. I had cancelled my insurance for the time it was in the shop so I had to call the agent to get it fired back up. Unfortunately the office was closed for the evening. I guess you can guess where I'm going. I figured what can happen between now and the AM?
Well, that evening while travelling down a winding road the rearend got out from under me and took a tree in the drivers door. I ended up with a broken leg a totaled vette and no insurance. The remains of the car was sold to make the last two payments before free and clear.
Needless to say I was heart broken for a long time. Longer than it took to mend the leg. That was always a sore spot in my side for a loooong time. I've picked up others but they never seemed to fill the void from the 71. I have two others a 78 and a 75 but didn't replace the red 71.
Fast forward to last month. Keep in mind I need another veh. like I need a hole in the head. Ask my wife, there are probably 8 or 10 muscle cars here now. I'm looking on Craigs list for parts in general and I find a 71 coupe for $1 or trade for just the stuff I have plenty of.
So I go take a look at it just out of curiosity. I find this 71 is in great shape the original color was the same as the lost 71 as was the drivetrain, the interior other than this one had factory air and the first one didn't they were identical.
The trade was made and I brought it home on the rollback. Cleaned her up not much to do to it other than return her to the original color and build an engine of some sorts.
I have to tell you, the first time I sat behind the wheel, two things happened. One I felt like I was returning to the scene of a crime and the demons from the first loss seemed to be gone. After all these years.