Lakeside49

In case you haven't seen this Hagerty article on our favorite hobby car ---
The vintage ad is interesting, as well -- enjoy. DV

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vid...vettes-bad-rap#

The13Bats

Fun read,
But i guess its reflected by ones age, i never saw c3s as the mid lifers go to but rather c4s and up, and i still see them that way,
Its amazing to me that about 8 out of 10 c7s i see have handicap tags/decals.

riverracer au

mid life crisis, i hope so, i bought my '72 (1st and only vette so far) when i was 45, i've now just turned 53 last mth.

i would have loved to have bought a '65, same year as i was born, but they are way to expensive for me...

so hopefully that means i'll reach 90, same age as my father when he died.

gmcman52

We purchased our 1975 Vette in 1985 from the 1st owner for $8500.00 as a daily drive for my wife and we were in our early 30's. It was the Vette or the Pontiac Fiero Gt and after Her road testing both she wanted the Vette. even after all these years the Vette is still a beauty and turns a lot of head.

Lakeside49

Charles,
thanks for the local insight. Feels true. An 80% handicapped mix seems extraordinarily high. But, let's be honest my friend. You live in Florida. Retirement mecca - and, where they are (rightfully) spending their kid's inheritance for one last, well deserved brush with the motoring stuff of legends. So, there are probably going to be more handicapped drivers plates/window danglers with ultra-low mileage Corvettes than anywhere else in the world !! Who knows, someday I may end up there - but, some of us mere mortals have a hard time justifying the cost of a very worthy C7...…. but, which simply can't keep up with the legendary design and head-turning of a C3.
Just sayin'... with backup:

. https://www.corvetteonline.com/news/...tion-corvette/

. Mr. GM Corvette, Harlan himself said so - start at minute 1:25: https://video.search.yahoo.com/searc...e&action=click

DV

The13Bats

Hah, you through me off calling me "charles" im used to "bats"

Eustis is about 10 sq miles like mayberry missing barney fife,
After 46 years in orlando i needed a move,

I do realize 80% seems high, handicapped branding around here for all makes and models is to me something of a misnomer, people with the tags or decals seem to hop in and out just fine,

While the plates and tags usually have a legend of a wheelchair bound person ill be honest in saying i havent seen a visually handicapped person getting out of their vehicle in at least 20 if not more years,

A c7 kind of stands out so i take notice and yeah its about 80% hanidicapped, but whether its justfied is a whole other story,
But im 54 and 100% of c7 owners look really old to me so they might have all kinds of reasons they consider themselves handicapped.

Greg

Yeah, the article lost me in the first paragraph....
as if the heading wasn't bad enough.
First, I never saw the C3/middle age thing either. I bought my first C3 in my early 20's.
And "bad rap"? What? Was this article written by a Mustang guy?
Gee, thanks for the benediction. Now he knows what we've known all along.

BigBlock77

I must have had my mid-life crisis at 17. I mowed a lot of lawns so I could have my mid-life crisis early I guess. Now with a kiddo in college, I might need to take up lawns again to have some Corvette project funding...

crawfish333

Some people buy Corvettes as a toy for retirement but the idea that 80% of them are handicapped is just not true here in Texas. For example most of the people in my club use their cars for some type of motorsports like auto cross, (off) road racing, etc. Some of them are seniors but most of them are very active. I would be willing to bet there are not more than 1 or 2 handicapped plates amongst our membership of more than 200. I personally am 63, but I have owned a Corvette (or two) since I was in my 40s. I am not handicapped and live a very active lifestyle. When I attend hot rod shows, I see that most of those owners are a little long in the tooth also. I guess car enthusiast are mostly older these days. One reason is perhaps the young ones don't have money to buy a special interest vehicle and they are too busy playing games on their smart phones.

BTW, There is nothing wrong with being handicapped. Just saying.

72 Project

I'm retired from the Army after 22 yrs. I have had 4 shoulder surgeries and 2 back surgeries. I have a Handicap Tag hanging from the mirrors in my Vet and Truck.

The13Bats

In zero way did i mean my remark disparaging against handicapped or c7 owners but i stand behind my assessment, 80% of c7s i see around here have a handicap tag or decal etc,
And without anything more than me guessing the only place the hp of those c7s will be seen is on a dyno if even there.

I bought my 72 when i was 17 and never knew life without a vette or two,
Im not a "corvette" guy, im a gear head who happens to like corvettes.
I didnt marry until i was 40, i have no kids but a step daughter,
I was in the music nightclub biz and still do guess shows,
While i think i know what mid life crisis are i cant say i can relate but i do believe thats what the writer was getting at a corvette is a go to car for that mid life thing but so are many other makes and models.

Lakeside49

Hi Jim,

with the most sincere and utmost respect for your service and apparent health-sacrifice in the service of our country, THANK YOU, sir!!

I only wish that I could extend my thanks and appreciation in person. They would obviously not have kept you for such a full term without your being among the cream of the crop. Since I'm not sure what branch that you served in, I am representing each of them in the attached image meant with respect.

Again, thank you - and, your supportive family - very much for your service, sir. I hope that your rehab program and team is helping you to regain your facilities

Dave

ajrothm

Yeah I hear the mid life crisis thing all of the time...SMH...

I bought my 71' when I was 29 yrs old, I had my low 9 sec C5Z when I was 35 and bought my C7Z at 40. None of these purchases had anything to do with age or crisis... I just bought what I wanted, when I wanted it. I drive them all, I race them all, I actually use them as sports cars.

I was raised up with Corvettes, my Dad has had corvettes since he was 19. I have never NOT been around a corvette at some point. Now my dad is almost 68 years old, currently owns 5 corvettes, and drives them all any time the weather is nice. The corvette thing has always been in his blood, and always in mine

red topless gator

ditto!!!!!!!

AllC34Me

May have something to do with living in Florida Bats. No way 80% of Corvettes at Corvettes at Carlisle had handicap stickers on them this year. But if they do then good for them, keeping the dream alive is a good thing.

AllC34Me

I agree. Thank you.

AllC34Me

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice.

The13Bats

I did not say all corvettes nor anything about Carlisle,
I said "around here" eustis fl, and "c7s".

If it makes you feel better the couple c3s and c2s i saw around here didnt have handicapped decals.

72 Project

Your Welcome to all those who thanked me for my service. I might have taken better care of myself if I had known I was going to live this long, but probably not.

I have been around Chevy Cars and Trucks my whole life. I have always like Corvettes. I bought my first one when I was 28.


Jim

SwampeastMike

Interesting article.

What I remember from the day is that when a C3 was up for sale it often meant a single guy was rushing to get the wedding before the birth