Oh well, it looks like it's time for a little "true" Corvette story here.

The time was 1977 and I was a good looking young man of 24 and was going to buy my first Corvette, and a new one at that. I was born in 1953 and decided that I was going to buy a new Corvette to coincide with our 25th year for each. Besides my first wife had money and she decided I needed it too.

Anyway, I was at a car show in Nashville TN and met a man from somewhere in the area of Memphis. He was a textile mill owner and was quite well off. His estate was quite extensive and was called Corvette Castle. Some of you from the area may know the gentleman of which I speak. His house had five or six garage doors on the front of it and was of the thousands in square feet.

Oh by the way at this time he owned over 24 corvettes. You got it, one of every year up to the forth coming 25th anniversary that hadn't been released yet.

He had several cars at this show and had a large photo of his estate and a picture of the all the garage doors on front of his home where he housed most of the cars. I was totally amazed at this mans good fortune and his passion for Corvettes.

Now here comes the sad part of the story. He was just a super nice guy and I was telling him of my intention of ordering a new 1978 Corvette. I am a classic Corvette man myself, that means White with Red Leather to me. He tells me that GM is going to make two Limited Edition Corvettes for 1978 and that the two tone Silver Anniversery was one of them and that it would be highly sought after upon release. However,the one to order would be a Black and Silver Limited Edition 1978 Indy Pace Car.Then he tried to tell me that it would be about $13,600 and when it hit the ground at the dealer that I could sell it for at least $25,000 and double my money.He even gave me the dealers order code for it so I could order it!

I could literally clear a new Corvette by ordering the Pace Car and selling it, then buying the Classic White & Red that I wanted. Well guess who didn't listen and went and ordered the Classic White & Red 1978 Vette.................me.

OK,believe it or not this is a true story and if my ex-wife was speaking to me she would tell you it was true also.

Anyone from the Memphis Tn area remember Corvette Castle?

Oh yeah, now the real sad part of the story comes. We divorced in 1980 and guess where the Classic White Vette went? :seeya yeah, it went bye-bye. JIM

 

:sad: :nonod: say it aint so ! :nonod:

 

Yeah, it's a true story, and I guess I should tell you the "Rest of the story" while I'm at it.

She married one of my friends with a gold 340 hp '63 split window and I missed him for quite sometime................................ ....

Yes it's all true! Jim

 

I add this because of the Pace Car referance.

There is a movie called "The Junkman" that was made after the
original "Gone in 60 Seconds" by the same guy. In one shot it shows his office / garage, and in one brief instant you see at least 8, 78' Pace Cars lined up. Now since Gone was made in 73-74. I believe that Junkman was made in 82' when the Pace Cars were still fairly new. These Pace Cars were parked amongst other Corvettes, along with many other classic and exotic cars. These movies were made on his own dime, using all his own cars. Everything in this garage was his!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


[Modified by DaBo, 10:11 PM 3/18/2002]

 

So Jim, Now that you and Corvette are nearing age 50 are you thinking about getting another new one?? :) Me and corvette have the same birthday too! I am thinking about it, but not too likely.

Also, did you tell that story for Wally? He is over in C1/C2 looking for that story! MJ

 

I'll be 28 this year and I'm just hoping on being able to buy a 3-4 year old vette in about 4-5 years. I love the 79, but I want another vette. :cry

 

Well, I'm going to be 50 on 2/4/03. My present wife thought I should buy a new (and get this) White / Red 2003 for my birthday. She makes all of the money, cops don't make that much here, she's in the medical management field and makes over twice what I do. Well, she said that she would buy me one if I would help her pay for it, and if I really wanted one.

I like the new C-5s but they just aren't me. I drove a 2001 stolen recovery my friend had for a while until we sold it. It was a bang up ride, but it just wasn't me. What I liked about it was the performance and suspension ,wheel & tire superiority over my C-3, so why not upgrade mine to it's standards?

Anyway, I told her that I needed a new shop a whole lot worse and that I really loved my '80(50K car white / red), it just needed about 10,000 dollars worth of "improvements". Hence the new Fastburn 385, the offset TAs, Wheel Vintiques Billet Corvette Rallye Wheels (17" & 18"), G-Force TAs,New suspension, Aluminum Radiator,Electric fans, New crossmember and a custom exhaust.That's why I've been bugging you guys about all of these parts and application opinions.

So we have started on my new shop this week. I'm getting a 24' X 36' building out back with a 16' X 24' pad out front to work on also!Can't wait to get into it and then start on the '80.

I guess it was Wally's post that made me think of this story or who ever was looking for the owner of the 24 Vettes. This was 25 years ago and I don't know what ever happened to this guy, but I want to think someone did an article on him in either a magazine or Corvette News at one time.

I promise you this was a true story and I'll have to admit that it still brings a tear to my eye....................................J IM

 

Let's see, 1978, yep that's about right. It usually takes us 20-25 years to get over a decision like that and admit it in public. :lol:

But, hey, you can always get another Corvette.

 

I've been curious and wondered all day about what ever become of this man and his Corvettes. Does anyone remember this gentleman? I wonder if the Vettes are still in his living room? Aren't some of you from the Memphis area?

Wish I'd listened to him darn it. Oh well, live and learn, snooze and lose.

Thanks,JIM

 

You probally did O.K. not buying in ' 78.

I knew two friends who did buy based on the same thing that you heard from this man. They were not able to turn around and resale them for $25,000
or $30,000.

They parked them in their garage and kept the mileage low. One held on to his for 15 yrs. and the other 18 yrs. Each sold theirs for $13,000 and the other for $13,700. Not only did they not make a killing on resale, but they did not get to enjoy driving them. What they were meant for.

That advice was in the New York Times and it proved to be bad advise.



[Modified by bamavettes, 9:22 PM 3/19/2002]

 

There is a 78' P/C not 20 miles from me that has mileage in the teens.

Paint is shot, interior is rotted, and of course. NOT for sale.

What a waste.

 

Yeah I know BAMA, but the local dealer had sold the option on his and the guy that had his deposit on it sold it in front of him for $25 K. It had stickered for $13,600.

The one I bought was stickered at $11,700. I still have the window sticker out of it. I also paid full sticker for it at Jim Reed Chevrolet in Nashville TN, The only place I could find one available and by the time I finally got to order it it was the last one that dealer could get. JIM

 

That dude was all class... but it was all LOW class. After gone in 60 seconds came out for several years he drove around in a cheap gold colored mid 60's Rolls painted with advertisements for the movie on the side. It looked like crud to say the least. But it was a total write-off for advertising. I used to see it around Manhatan Beach and Hermosa Beach all the time (I lived there then). I understood at the time, he owned a junkyard in Gardena and that is where they got a lot of the cars used in Gone in 60 from.

 

Dear Pro South,
Yes it is true about the Gentleman you met in Nashville in 1977. He had a house on James Road in Memphis TN. that had a 7 car show room inside right next to his trophy room. He was not a textile manufacturer, but an entrepreneur who was a co-owner of the newspaper "The Millington Star" & "Mr. H Speed Shop" in Millington TN. along with other interests.
He did not have one car for every year of then current Corvette Production, but what he did have was an impressive collection of various year Corvettes. He even had one of the 6 1956 Sebring Corvettes that participated in that race. He had a 1953 Corvette that was documented as the 197th Corvette ever built, there was a 1963 Coupe with the original fuel injection and turbine wheels. His "Mr. H" dragster was listed (at that time) as the fastest full bodied, naturally aspirated Corvette with a tunnel rammed dual four barrel 427. He had several generation 3 Corvettes with a beautiful '73 roadster that had a custom paint job that took a full 18 months to complete. I was a young teenager, I helped around the place by cleaning cars and when I was old enough I was able to drive quite a few of them (including the '53!) My father was a friend of his and his crew chief for his SCCA race car (a 1967 350cid B production). I got to participate as a crew member in many races and I still have the pit passes. We lost contact with him in 1980, there was some legal thing that I do not know about. His name was Ray Hamilton. I am sorry that I can't tell you what became of him. His house is still there with the outside carports, but the very large motor home with the moniker "Corvette Castle" and all of those beautiful cars are gone.

 

Welcome - your first post revived a 14 year old thread -

Interesting - too bad you lost touch with him, makes you wonder whatever happened to him and his cars.

When I disappear my kids will have everything I owned on eBay -

Any photos from back then ?

Frank

 

 

The gentleman's name is Ray Hamilton that don't Corvette Castle when I was a young boy I live there during the Summers with my grandmother who rented a room from him.

 

 

Want to see some Chevy's go visit the glyphosate guy.

 

Necro thread of 20 years.