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My story might be in the thread that TX427C3 posted a link to.
My neighbor, in 1971 bought a new LT-1 corvette coupe from Byrne Bros Chevrolet in White Plains, NY. I was 16 years old at the time, and that first ride in that car got me hooked on the corvette.
A year later, that car was involved in a major wreck on the Saw Mill River Parkway in Pleasantville, NY.and was totaled. With the insurance payoff and some more cash, my neighbor ordered a new 1972 model from the same dealership.
I stayed in touch with him through the years that passed and when I was discharged from the US Army in 1978, I inquired about buying his ‘72 LT-1, a couple of years later, I get a phone call from him to see if I was still interested, of course I said yes right away and picked it up the next day!
It was in pretty rough shape when I got it, unfortunately it had been stored outside under some plastic tarps and the windshield part of the birdcage was severely rusted and a family of squirrels and chipmunks had taken up residence inside the car. I decided to let the experts handle the restoration and fortunately for me, a good shop, A&R Corvette, in Patterson NY, was only 20 miles from my house!.
The car was finished in 2005 with just 38,000 miles on it, and I have been trying to maintain it as best I can since it came out of the restoration shop.
here’s how it looks today, still enjoying it every time I take it out for a ride.
Regards
Roy
My story might be in the thread that TX427C3 posted a link to.
My neighbor, in 1971 bought a new LT-1 corvette coupe from Byrne Bros Chevrolet in White Plains, NY. I was 16 years old at the time, and that first ride in that car got me hooked on the corvette.
A year later, that car was involved in a major wreck on the Saw Mill River Parkway in Pleasantville, NY.and was totaled. With the insurance payoff and some more cash, my neighbor ordered a new 1972 model from the same dealership.
I stayed in touch with him through the years that passed and when I was discharged from the US Army in 1978, I inquired about buying his ‘72 LT-1, a couple of years later, I get a phone call from him to see if I was still interested, of course I said yes right away and picked it up the next day!
It was in pretty rough shape when I got it, unfortunately it had been stored outside under some plastic tarps and the windshield part of the birdcage was severely rusted and a family of squirrels and chipmunks had taken up residence inside the car. I decided to let the experts handle the restoration and fortunately for me, a good shop, A&R Corvette, in Patterson NY, was only 20 miles from my house!.
The car was finished in 2005 with just 38,000 miles on it, and I have been trying to maintain it as best I can since it came out of the restoration shop.
here’s how it looks today, still enjoying it every time I take it out for a ride.
Regards
Roy
My story might be in the thread that TX427C3 posted a link to.
My neighbor, in 1971 bought a new LT-1 corvette coupe from Byrne Bros Chevrolet in White Plains, NY. I was 16 years old at the time, and that first ride in that car got me hooked on the corvette.
A year later, that car was involved in a major wreck on the Saw Mill River Parkway in Pleasantville, NY.and was totaled. With the insurance payoff and some more cash, my neighbor ordered a new 1972 model from the same dealership.
I stayed in touch with him through the years that passed and when I was discharged from the US Army in 1978, I inquired about buying his ‘72 LT-1, a couple of years later, I get a phone call from him to see if I was still interested, of course I said yes right away and picked it up the next day!
It was in pretty rough shape when I got it, unfortunately it had been stored outside under some plastic tarps and the windshield part of the birdcage was severely rusted and a family of squirrels and chipmunks had taken up residence inside the car. I decided to let the experts handle the restoration and fortunately for me, a good shop, A&R Corvette, in Patterson NY, was only 20 miles from my house!.
The car was finished in 2005 with just 38,000 miles on it, and I have been trying to maintain it as best I can since it came out of the restoration shop.
here’s how it looks today, still enjoying it every time I take it out for a ride.
Regards
Roy
that's an amazing story,
that's literally my plan ( except the part about the crash)
im 16 (18 if the moderators are reading) I plan to buy one now spend a few years driving it and when I turn 19 / 20 join the army, spend 4 or 8 years get out have some money and enjoy my corvette. Does that sound like a solid plan ?
I remember that he sold part of his coin collection in 1976 to buy his very first Corvette… I was never interested in cars at that point in my life (I was 13), but man, that car! I was all in at that point. I was determined to work and save until I could buy my own. I did just that and bought my very first Corvette when I was 17. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-carlisle.html
It's good to have a plan.....everyone's is a little or a maybe lot different.
Most people's plans change a bit or a lot as time goes by.
But that's O.K. as that's what makes life so interesting!!!!!
I know why I've always been into El Camino's, but I'm not sure exactly where my love for Corvettes came from.
The first model car kit I ever built was a 1960 El Camino, this was in 1960 and I was 6. My first car when I got my license in 71 was an El Camino (I still have it). I know my love for Corvettes goes back at least as far as my love of El Camino's, and maybe further.
I was crazy about cars from the time I could walk and talk. I have a vague childhood memory of seeing a Pennant Blue 54 on Admiral Wilson Blvd in Camden NJ. It had to be sometime in the late 50's, it had to be summer because the top was down, and there were two guys in it that just looked like they were really enjoying life. I went home and drew a picture of it (I was a decent artist and was constantly drawing cars into my late teens or early 20's). I'm sure the RT 66 TV show had an influence on my Corvette addiction too.
I had an older cousin who was a big car guy. We were close and I know he had a huge influence on me and my love of cars. He bought a new coupe in 64, which was the first Corvette I ever rode in. I remember our family physician making a "house call" on Christmas Eve in his 64 convertible. I had to look at it from my bedroom window because I was sick and my parents wouldn't let me go outside to see it. Doctor Gerry's gone now, but I know that 30 years ago he still had the 64 with only 21K miles on it and also had an 82 with 8K on it.
I've owned the 62 in my avatar since February 1976, and I'm sure all the things, events and people above helped shape my 50 year long love of and involvement with Corvettes and the Corvette hobby.
Interesting stories.
For me, I am the youngest of 5 so back in the mid 60's one of my older brothers had more cars than a used car lot. He was always buying, selling, trading for antiques, 50's, and HP cars. Of all of them, the ones that I really liked were the Corvettes- 56-59-63 SWC- new 68 coupe, he also had a brand-new Nova SS and 67 GTO I liked. He really didn't care about them, just a car to beat up and move on to the next. He likes HD motorcycles best.
The 63 SWC coupe was bought for $1800 in 1968 and was like new. I about 8 or 9 at the time and used to lay down in the back when out for a ride and look through the split windows thinking I was top turret gunner in a B17. (12 O'clock High was on TV then).
However, the car that sold me was the 6-month-old Blue/Black 68 coupe. It was like sitting in a jet, again the imagination factor kicked in. Remember, all we had then were comic books and movies. no cell phones or internet. He left the car at my Moms house on Thanksgiving, 1970. I had to look it up because I remember the Packer/Cowboy game was on TV. I went out after dinner and just sat in the car and absorbed it. Then I knew this was the car I would buy and started to save money with a paper route- remember them? I started saving at 11 and bought my first vette- not a 68 but a 67 coupe, seven years later.
I had scrapped enough money to buy a 68-70 vette since they were selling for $3500 on average then, but the 67 coupe was the one and for $5000 it was mine. I knew I couldn't afford to pay someone to work on it and I didn't trust any local hack to touch it. I had worked in a full-service gas station in high school so I had my hands wrenching early. I saw how cars were treated and the profit first mentality was the same back then as it is today. I had graduated from a state trade school and was in the machine tool trade, so I applied the experience of working on machinery to corvettes and never looked back, now 48 years later I am running my own vette machine shop and doing the work I always have. The 67 is gone now, but I still have my 69 & 72.
One of the things I was interested in back in trade school was the custom vette diff's being built out in So Cal by Pepe Estrada, Henry's, and Tom Watt. I was 15 at the time and opened the 1975 Petersons yearly to read a story on custom building vette diff's and installing 12 bolts in them. I saw the machinery in the article and recognized the methods used. This was well before I owned a vette, I didn't even have a license, nor did I ever think I would be building those same custom diff's years later. Today I own Tom's corvette parts inventory and knew Tom and his family. Small world.
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Originally Posted by Mason warden
im 16 (18 if the moderators are reading) I plan to buy one now spend a few years driving it and when I turn 19 / 20 join the army, spend 4 or 8 years get out have some money and enjoy my corvette. Does that sound like a solid plan ?
Christmas 1969 got a car hauler truck for Christmas. I was 6. On the back it had a 1963 Split window and a 1969 427 coupe. Thought those two cars were the baddest things on 4 wheels. Have a 1971 Convertible now. I've always loved Corvettes.
Last edited by theandies; May 19, 2026 at 12:46 PM.
I remember my dad buying a new 1980 corvette he took me for a ride but put the brakes on me and said no you can't drive it . So I saved and bought my own
You need to get someone to make a movie about that
I keep telling my parents money will always come back but I'll never be 16 again.
Just imagine 16 the summer of 26 on America's 250th. Would it be the more responsible thing to do with my money? No
I just don't want to miss my opportunity and be 60+ before I get one.
1960. I was 11 years old. My older brother had a 1960 4 door Corvair. His friend had a 1958 Corvette roadster white with red interior and a 283 with dual quads. His friend was going on vacation and needed a bigger car for his family. So they swapped cars for a week. Sometimes my brother would drive me around the neighborhood in it. Boy that sure lit a spark in me. Bot it wasn't until I was 60 that I got my finances in order that I was able to get my 1979 L82 4 speed.
Some time in 1966-1967 (?) I assembled the Mako shark model. Then during the Fall of 1967 I saw a 1968 Stingray near my home. Black with T-tops. An amazing sight that stuck with me.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
