When Corvettes were daily drivers
#3
What are you trying to say?In about 40 years will you be showing a 2019 vette with the comment,"remember when 2019 vettes were daily drivers"? I drove my straight axle vettes winter and summer,rain snow whatever.Only once did I get stuck on a side road in the snow.My friend got creamed under a traffic light by a red light runner and he walked away.Was this accident (with that c-3 ) his fault,did they walk away?I just don't understand the point of showing a wrecked vette inferring they weren't good daily drivers.
#4
Racer
Are you sure that the car in the pic is a '71? The color looks very similar to 1970 Laguna Grey, a one-year color. FWIW, mine was my daily driver from 1970 to 1975 when I bought a new van to customize and put the Vette on "limited duty" (where it has remained for the last 44 years).
Jim
#5
Race Director
not traction control. It is the camera and computer that tells the car it is being driven by an idiot and it should give said idiot a break and hit the brakes. Cars used to be so heartless and made us do everything ourselves.
Last edited by derekderek; 02-07-2019 at 08:53 PM.
#7
Le Mans Master
My '75 was a daily driver from 1992 to 2002. Rain, snow, whatever. Used to drive up the snow covered roads to Mt. Baker to go skiing. Cross country twice.
#8
they weren't good daily drivers actually they sucked !! lets be honest here they ride terrible they leak oil, they rusted out, T-tops leak etc...….. when GM made this car the lifespan on these cars was about 10 yrs tops after that they fell apart
#9
Race Director
My friends father drove his 69 - 427, 400 every day, to work, pulled a boat and drove to Texas twice a year. (afraid to fly) . He had the car over 10 years - sold it and got a Camaro about 1982. The Vette probably had over 100k miles.
My 71 does not leak ? 72 does not get out in the rain.
My 71 does not leak ? 72 does not get out in the rain.
Last edited by BLUE1972; 02-07-2019 at 11:52 PM.
#11
Racer
Drove nothing but modern cars prior to my C3.
it's my main car now. Clearly, not too bad.
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VERYSOON (02-08-2019)
#12
Safety Car
My daily driver has been a Corvette since 1970 when I bought an almost new 69. The thing is, I lived in a place called Winnipeg or Winterpeg back then and it regularly hit minus 40. We used to joke that summer last year was on a Tuesday. I couldn't afford another car and drove it to work and everywhere else every day as it was the only car I had. Four studded snow tires did the trick and that was a factory black 69 427/400 auto coupe with 1800 miles when I got it. Oh boy...
C3's actually have really good traction if you compare it to a C5 or even worse, a C6.
I don't live in Winterpeg anymore but still have a couple of Corvettes. The last one was number 35 and I still drive them in the winter as long as there is no salt and it's cold enough that it's not melting. C3's actually have a really good heater and walking out into the garage to sit and stare at the cars isn't my idea of a good time.
C3's actually have really good traction if you compare it to a C5 or even worse, a C6.
I don't live in Winterpeg anymore but still have a couple of Corvettes. The last one was number 35 and I still drive them in the winter as long as there is no salt and it's cold enough that it's not melting. C3's actually have a really good heater and walking out into the garage to sit and stare at the cars isn't my idea of a good time.
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#13
Pro
Member Since: Apr 2014
Location: Orlando, Dundee, Val-des-Monts PQ
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CanadaGrant, you are so very correct- they have great traction! In the 70s my 74 was my only car, went to New Smyrna beach every weekend in the summer, drove south to the "Mafia" house where the sand was soft. Never got stuck where friends with camaros, mustangs even 2 wheel drive trucks would be constantly needing help getting out. Mark
#14
Instructor
take a look at the passenger compartment, not so much as tweaked enough to break the door glass, looks pretty safe to use on a daily basis to me. My 81 is/will be again a daily driver once I finish it. If I buy a car it's because I want to drive it, not look at it, or hope it will become my retirement fund some day.
#16
Le Mans Master
The original owner of my '71 used it as a daily driver from 1971 to 1975 (27,000 miles). I used it as a daily driver from 1975 to 1978 (27,000 miles), parking it in downtown Tampa and at various telephone offices. So at 54,000 miles I only drove it occasionally over the past 41 years and it now has 55,382 miles. Original interior, paint, soft-top, etc. Yes, it has all of the dings, scrapes, and chips of a daily driver.
Photos from 2016:
Photos from 2016:
#17
Le Mans Master
The original owner of my '71 used it as a daily driver from 1971 to 1975 (27,000 miles). I used it as a daily driver from 1975 to 1978 (27,000 miles), parking it in downtown Tampa and at various telephone offices. So at 54,000 miles I only drove it occasionally over the past 41 years and it now has 55,382 miles. Original interior, paint, soft-top, etc. Yes, it has all of the dings, scrapes, and chips of a daily driver.
Photos from 2016:
Photos from 2016:
So I HAVE to ask.... WHY have you not driven it more then 1500 miles in 41 years? Disabled or ???
#19
Just another Corvette guy
I have owned many Corvettes, always used them as daily drivers and have not had these negative experiences.
#20
Le Mans Master
So unfortunately, I kept the damn thing and keep it insured, tagged, washed and garaged. If I would have given it away 41 years ago, I would be $$ ahead.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!
Edit: In reality, I probably kept the car because every time I see it, I feel 24 again.
Last edited by 71 Green 454; 02-08-2019 at 05:10 PM.