Back when they were daily drivers
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Sep 15, 2022, 08:21 PM
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,988
Likes: 6,212
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
I'll throw myself under the bus... best winter move I made in a Corvette was once in 1980 I went to a gas station in the sub-zero cold and couldn't get the gas cap off the neck on my '68 roadster to put gas in. It was frozen. I drove the short distance home, went in the house and got some hot water in a glass and poured it on the cap. It quickly loosened the cap and I was able to remove it. Very proud of myself, I put the cap back on and drove back to the gas station.
I felt like a pure genius when I got to the gas station, and I couldn't open the cap again because the hot water had frozen by then.
I felt like a pure genius when I got to the gas station, and I couldn't open the cap again because the hot water had frozen by then.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,380
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
I live in the "northeast snow belt" where road salt is used pretty freely, and remember back when the philosophy behind driving your Corvette through the winter was because it's fiberglass, and won't rust. I had a friend who worked part time at the "corner gas station" in my neighborhood. He drove Corvettes for a number of years. The last 'Vette he owned was a '67 coupe, 427/400, backed by a 4 speed, and also the side exhaust. He drove it year round....HOWEVER, working at the gas station allowed him to get the car on the lift, a couple of times a week, and thoroughly rinse down the undercarriage.
(He tried to sell me that car, in '74, but at the time, I didn't have a place to keep it......)
(He tried to sell me that car, in '74, but at the time, I didn't have a place to keep it......)
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 10,046
Likes: 675
From: FL
I bought my C3 in 1992. Only car till 2002.
Drove it from WA up to Whistler BC to go skiing. drove it multiple times to Steven’s Pass to go skiing. No issues. Even drove it cross country twice.
Took it from 16,000 miles to 104,000 miles in 30 years. Only gets about 2000 miles a year now but they are a fun 2k.
Drove it from WA up to Whistler BC to go skiing. drove it multiple times to Steven’s Pass to go skiing. No issues. Even drove it cross country twice.
Took it from 16,000 miles to 104,000 miles in 30 years. Only gets about 2000 miles a year now but they are a fun 2k.
2026 Loser of the Year
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 36,601
Likes: 7,048
From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
1980
I don't have a pic...I saw an 18 wheeler exit a box store to cross over a Blvd. He looked before crossing the Blvd....but the Corvette driver must have been doing around 90mph in a 35mph zone.
The Vette driver ducked down in his car as he went under the trailer of the 18 wheeler.
It literally sounded like a 12 ga. shotgun firing when the Vette hit the spare tire under the big trailer.
The car rolled out from under the other side.
There was NO fiberglass larger than 1 sq. foot left on the car. We thought the driver was dead.
The driver of the Vette sat up and climbed out of his "new convertible?" and stood there for several minutes speechless while the truck driver checked him for broken bones/etc...he was "O.K.".
I don't have a pic...I saw an 18 wheeler exit a box store to cross over a Blvd. He looked before crossing the Blvd....but the Corvette driver must have been doing around 90mph in a 35mph zone.
The Vette driver ducked down in his car as he went under the trailer of the 18 wheeler.
It literally sounded like a 12 ga. shotgun firing when the Vette hit the spare tire under the big trailer.
The car rolled out from under the other side.
There was NO fiberglass larger than 1 sq. foot left on the car. We thought the driver was dead.
The driver of the Vette sat up and climbed out of his "new convertible?" and stood there for several minutes speechless while the truck driver checked him for broken bones/etc...he was "O.K.".
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 823
Likes: 102
From: St Louis
St. Jude Donor '13
1980
I don't have a pic...I saw an 18 wheeler exit a box store to cross over a Blvd. He looked before crossing the Blvd....but the Corvette driver must have been doing around 90mph in a 35mph zone.
The Vette driver ducked down in his car as he went under the trailer of the 18 wheeler.
It literally sounded like a 12 ga. shotgun firing when the Vette hit the spare tire under the big trailer.
The car rolled out from under the other side.
There was NO fiberglass larger than 1 sq. foot left on the car. We thought the driver was dead.
The driver of the Vette sat up and climbed out of his "new convertible?" and stood there for several minutes speechless while the truck driver checked him for broken bones/etc...he was "O.K.".
I don't have a pic...I saw an 18 wheeler exit a box store to cross over a Blvd. He looked before crossing the Blvd....but the Corvette driver must have been doing around 90mph in a 35mph zone.
The Vette driver ducked down in his car as he went under the trailer of the 18 wheeler.
It literally sounded like a 12 ga. shotgun firing when the Vette hit the spare tire under the big trailer.
The car rolled out from under the other side.
There was NO fiberglass larger than 1 sq. foot left on the car. We thought the driver was dead.
The driver of the Vette sat up and climbed out of his "new convertible?" and stood there for several minutes speechless while the truck driver checked him for broken bones/etc...he was "O.K.".
Kinda reminds me of the Griswold's in their truckster going to get their Christmas tree.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
they are tough bodies. there are many stories-true ones-of people getting every penny of value out of their vette in the last 10th of a second of the car's life. cuz the owner was around to grieve, instead of his heirs...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 805
Likes: 260
I bought my C3 in 1992. Only car till 2002.
Drove it from WA up to Whistler BC to go skiing. drove it multiple times to Steven’s Pass to go skiing. No issues. Even drove it cross country twice.
Took it from 16,000 miles to 104,000 miles in 30 years. Only gets about 2000 miles a year now but they are a fun 2k.
Drove it from WA up to Whistler BC to go skiing. drove it multiple times to Steven’s Pass to go skiing. No issues. Even drove it cross country twice.
Took it from 16,000 miles to 104,000 miles in 30 years. Only gets about 2000 miles a year now but they are a fun 2k.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,380
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
Now that I'm fully retired, we had to deal with the covid lock down, which cut back on driving, overall, but I find that I just don't drive as much as I used to. Most of the miles that my 'Vette has gotten, in the last 2-3 years, have been put on it by just going for a ride.......
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 805
Likes: 260
I understand what you're saying, but I have to admit that I don't drive mine anywhere as much as I used to. First of all, I never drove the Corvette in the winter, so that took about 1/3 of the year out of the equation. When I was still working, full time, it was a 50 mile round trip, back and forth to work. I split that mileage between the Corvette, and the Camaro that I used to own, so that did put some miles on it. After retirement, I had a part time job for several years, but the place I worked, 2.5 days a week, was only about 3, maybe 4 miles from my house. I used to take the "scenic route" to work, adding another 2-3 miles, just so the car would warm up. And again, I'd split those miles with the Camaro.
Now that I'm fully retired, we had to deal with the covid lock down, which cut back on driving, overall, but I find that I just don't drive as much as I used to. Most of the miles that my 'Vette has gotten, in the last 2-3 years, have been put on it by just going for a ride.......
Now that I'm fully retired, we had to deal with the covid lock down, which cut back on driving, overall, but I find that I just don't drive as much as I used to. Most of the miles that my 'Vette has gotten, in the last 2-3 years, have been put on it by just going for a ride.......
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,988
Likes: 6,212
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
I drove my first couple Corvettes year round, first a ‘65 roadster, then a ‘68 roadster. This was in the Boston area, in the horrible snow and ice in the late 70s. Id drive to hockey practice in college with the passenger seat filled with equipment and a stick poking out of the window, making it even colder.
I stopped driving my Corvettes in the snow pretty soon after that. As soon as I could start affording a $500 junker every year, Id drive that in the New England winters and keep the Corvettes nice. They are not good winter cars.
I stopped driving my Corvettes in the snow pretty soon after that. As soon as I could start affording a $500 junker every year, Id drive that in the New England winters and keep the Corvettes nice. They are not good winter cars.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,697
Likes: 833
From: WI
A guy I know who is older than me has some good year round winter driving 'war stories' when he bought his first corvette ...early 70's bb car, after he got his first job out of college. He claims it was actually pretty good in snow all things considered, with the right tires and finness on the gas pedal. Like a lot of people back then, it was the only car he owned.
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Joined: Jun 2020
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From: north of Chicago
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My father had a 1960 Corvette (non number matching) as his daily driver from 1966 to 1976. It was driven for 10 years in Michigan winters. I remember one snowy afternoon around 1972 spinning out on an curve with and intersection and stuffing the nose of the car up to the windshield into the 6' snow bank. had to be pulled out and the only damage was a crack above the drivers front wheel well. He did a little DYI and repaired it himself. Then a couple of years later he had a body shop re-spray the whole car.
To this day he still wishes he had that car.
To this day he still wishes he had that car.