ACD

Hello All. I've always loved the looks of the C3 corvettes but am yet to drive one. Id be curious to know under what circumstances the forum members had their first drive of a C3 corvette (dealer test drive/friends car, etc.). Looking forward to hearing your stories!

twinpack

I have owened my 68 for 7 years. Never driven it or any C3. Been doing a restoration. Hope to drive next year.

cv67

Bought one for my brother in my twenties as far as actually driving

Was gone 6 mos later wife wouldnt let him have it good thing as she divorced him later.
Great looking car esp the interior just wasnt what it was pumped up to be kind of disappointed to off it went.

Still like em though.

jr73

I also have never driven a C3 or any Corvette ever. My 73 will be the first.

tomvr

I had driven several C4's in the late 80's when working for a Chevy Dealer. Didn't like the C4 then. I drove my first C3 when I bought my current car. In fact, my current car was the first C3 I drove.
I was specific. I wanted a 78 S/A paint L82 4 spd car. Lucked out...the first one I liked enough to look at was the right one.

The13Bats

I was 16 maybe 17 bought my 72 bb convertible drove it home scary blast,
,
Now 52 have a 69 454 its not running at the moment if it was and you were here insured i let you drive it around with me see if you like it

TimAT

I first drove a C3 in 1971- belonged to a neighbor. He had just gotten it from the original owner. 1969, 427/435, L-89 convertible. I bought it from him in 2006. Unfortunatly, the original paperwork and the original engine are long gone.

Mod75

Drove a 66 before going into the service, got out in 69 and g/f had a green 68 ragtop.
Finally got mine in 75

lowbuck72

In 1970 I was 17 and had a 64 powerglide C2 my dad helped me buy for $1100. My buddy's older brother just bought a new '70 and let me sit in it. I'll always remember them big swoopy fenders from behind the driver's seat and it seemed like a dream car. Fast forward to 2005 and all I could afford was a wrecked '72, which I brought back to life. I truly enjoy this car, but always wanted another C2. Not too long ago my brother bought a '63 roadster which made me very jealous. I drove it and found that except it being a convertible, I liked my '72 better. This inspired me to cut my roof off, and now i couldn't be happier.

72downunder

Drove our 72 after we bought it in 2015, absolutely love it and don't know why didn't do this sooner

Richard454

First drive- I was 15 (1978 a couple months before my 16th birthday)when I test drove a 68 SB 4 speed vert ...

Promptly wrecked it at 16- and then bought my 71 BB 4 speed vert in 1980 which I still have today.

Richard

Bills17n72

had a 66 ran in the back of a school bus ,the bus won , then I bought a 68 in jan. of71!!!

theandies

I was in the Air Force in 1985. A buddy bought a 1977 and he let me drive it a few times. That was the first one I drove but always had the Corvette itch since I was a kid. Nothing can prepare you for sitting behind the wheel of a C3 with those big fender humps and the mile long hood. It's an experience that I will never forget.

Another AF buddy had an '80. We pulled his boat to the lake with that car. If you ever want to see something funny watch someone launch a ski boat with a Vette. I drove that one a lot too. He sold that and got an '87. That car was a blast to drive.

Then I bought my C3 in 1999.

CraigH

First Vette experience was when I was 17 in 1977, did not drive it but was in a 69 L88.

Fast forward to 2009 and I was 49 and then test drove a couple of 69 350 verts a 69 427 t-top and a couple of 70 and 71 small blocks.

Settled on my 71 350.

C3 4ME

First drive was a 68 300hp 4 spd convertible, which had a 350hp cam in it. I was 16 in '87 when I drove it, it was my buddy's first car. That same car was also the first Corvette I rode in when I was in 8th grade when his mom took me for a ride. A few weeks later, I got a real ride in the car with his dad driving. I'll never forget looking out over those wheel arches and the permanent impression it made on me!

midigike

My first drive was returning a customer car to his home in 99. It was in my buddy's shop for tires, tuneup, detail. A original owner white 69 coupe with the 350/350 4 speed. Just looking over the hood and seeing the view was enough for me.

gdm78vette

First and only one I've driven is my '78 when I drove it off the dealer's lot new on January 5, 1978. Bought it without ever having driven one or a test drive.

Reaper19

First time I drove a corvette was in 1974 when I was 14 years old. I worked for a place where the owner traded in for a new one every year.

mike48750

First C3 I got to drive was a 1968 coupe, it was a 327/4speed. I was working at a Chevy dealership in 1974 and got to replace the engine so I was allowed to test drive it when I finished, fell instantly in love with the C3, what a car compared to my 62'. Mike

Rescue Rogers

My first ride in a vette was my uncles 63 back when I was 8 or so. That got me hooked on sports/ muscle cars. Fast forward to August 2015 and I see a 74 at a body shop for sale. I stopped and inspected it from the outside, rusty body mounts, carpets looked wet, weeds stuck to the underside from being parked in a field, passenger side sat almost an inch lower than the drivers side in the rear. Of course I hadn't found you guys at this point or the 10 things to know, so I called the shop owner and scheduled a test drive later that week. When I fired it up and let it idle he told me the headlights wouldnt open, wiring issues in the dash, leak on the passenger side and the floor was wet, stereo didnt work. So im rethinking its all fixable so far and off I go. I got about 1/4 mile down these wide country roads when the vette fever hit me. Onto the branch road, foot to the floor, corners of my smile stuck in my ears and I'm done for. The car was a heap. Needed ALOT of work after I did my research and he wanted $6500. So the 10 things says buy what I can afford, and I need a loan anyway sooooooo. I start in craigs list and look at vettes up to $10k, then $12k, then $15k. So I diecide on 2 different vettes. A 69 vert white with red interior for $18k with all original evrything including the shielding underneath. A real beauty in Connecticut and a sexy blue 68 with side pipes and L88 style hood up in Maine for $19k. The loan comes through from my bank, im approved into the low twentys for 80% of the price. Call on that exquisite 69 and it sold the night before......... So I call the guy in Maine. I bought it in Sept and was able to pick it up on my birthday in October of 2015. Best present to myself ever!!!

Moral of the story is dont ride in vettes if you dont want to own one!!!! Because they get ya, its a disease, kind of like herpes, you never get rid of it. You can hide it from your friends but they know you have it. There might be a shot for it, but its better to deal with the corner of my lips stuck in my ears. My face still hurts from all that smiling!!!!!! My wallet hasnt had money in it since........