First Vette Experience?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,590
Likes: 48
From: W MI
First Vette Experience?
I'm just curious what was other peoples first Vette experience.
This was my dad's car, and the first Vette I rode in:
80sRule
This was my dad's car, and the first Vette I rode in:
80sRule
Last edited by 80sRule; Aug 30, 2006 at 09:36 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,566
Likes: 4
From: Mt Laurel NJ
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
That car reminds me of my first Vette; a black 65 coupe w/o air. My friends refered to it as "The Oven" because if would get so hot inside in the summer time. It was a 327/350 HP, 4-speed. Traded it in on a 70 coupe, Red/saddle, 454 w/ air!! Great car, but 5 miles to the gallon was hard to take, even in 1973.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 389
Likes: 0
From: Sayreville New Jersey
First ride in a Corvette was in the back of my brother's '63 Split Window Coupe when I was 7. Caught the bug then and always wanted one and 33 years later I scratched off a NJ Lottery Ticket and won $10,000. I presented it to my wife this way: "Remember how you always say if we win the lottery I could buy a Corvette?". Well after 27% in taxes less I bought Vette #1 a '78 SA 4-Speed car and now 3 1/2 years later I just moved on to Vette #2 an '87 4+3 Coupe with 45,000 miles that I bought from my 2nd cousin the cars 2nd owner for the past 12 years.
-Pete.
KEEP DRIVING!!!
-Pete.
KEEP DRIVING!!!
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
First ride was in a C3 I bought (was supposed to go to my brother).
I always admired them as I was growing up (especially the wild flared street freaks of the 70s and 80s)
but was never really into them, too busy going through my Camaro/5.0 GT phase. I swore Id never own another vette til I could have something late model, now Im hooked on these damn things. 
I always admired them as I was growing up (especially the wild flared street freaks of the 70s and 80s)
but was never really into them, too busy going through my Camaro/5.0 GT phase. I swore Id never own another vette til I could have something late model, now Im hooked on these damn things.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
5 Best & 5 Worst Corvette Daily Drivers
Joe Kucinski
The Headlights of Every Corvette Generation Explained
Joe Kucinski
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!
Joe Kucinski
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,001
Likes: 1
From: sd
First ride was in a 1985 two tone blue vette. Think 14 yr old kid and STAR WARS. I loved the dash. Now I have an 85 and a 2000 C5. It's an addiction that can't be fixed.....well unless I find more money for my next fix....another corvette.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,858
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria CA
Uncle's '86 vert. About 7 years earlier I actually went with him to go see it when he went to go buy it. I was his interpreter. Fast fowards several years. He would let me borrow it while home on leave. I ended up buying it off him. It's the same one I have now.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 11,992
Likes: 1,331
From: Middletown, DE
FIrst time I was in a Vette was a new 1976 -- my boss' car at the time. I was the passenger and did not drive. I hated the seats, the ride and pretty much everything about it. Wasn't even that fast. I thought the 280Z of the same period was a much better car. (That's before they all rusted out, of course). Pretty much turned me off to Vettes for a long time.
Never got in a Vette again until April '05 -- the one I now own. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it and the rest is history.
Never got in a Vette again until April '05 -- the one I now own. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it and the rest is history.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,698
Likes: 0
From: Just the Tip... Just to see how it feels...
My first Vette ride was when I was probably ten or eleven, in my sister's bestfriend's boyfriend's red C4. My dad called me down out of my room and told me to go outside, as I was walking out (knowing my obssesion with these cars) he told me that the car wasn't for me.
It was awesome. Few years later I promised myself that the first vette i drove would be my own, which I later accomplished.
It was awesome. Few years later I promised myself that the first vette i drove would be my own, which I later accomplished.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 26,196
Likes: 0
From: Orlando FL
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
First experience was in my buddy's 84 coupe, first time driving experience was in another buddy's 88 coupe 4+3...thats when I realized how much I wanted one. I bought my 89 a month later.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,705
Likes: 30
From: Chesapeake Beach Maryland
2015 C5 of Year Finalist
I don't have any photos, but in 1978 I owned a brand new 77 Z28 Camaro and my girlfriend's older sister's boyfriend, had a 71 Vette. It was a big block, but I don't know what engine that car had in it, but it would pound the road pretty good. I always loved Vettes but had never driven one until one day he asked if I'd like to trade cars for the day....
Let me see... Camaro or Vette? Anyhow he let me drive that car to school and use it that night when my girlfriend and I went out. I don't know how bad he ragged my Camaro that day, but it just didn't matter while I was driving that Vette.
I didn't get my own Corvette for many years after that experience, but I always lusted over them. Not no more!!
Don Haller
Severn, Maryland
Let me see... Camaro or Vette? Anyhow he let me drive that car to school and use it that night when my girlfriend and I went out. I don't know how bad he ragged my Camaro that day, but it just didn't matter while I was driving that Vette. I didn't get my own Corvette for many years after that experience, but I always lusted over them. Not no more!!
Don Haller
Severn, Maryland
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,475
Likes: 270
From: Kingman AZ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Cruise-In VIII
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
My Dad was a foreman in the tool and die department of one of the local Fisher Body (GM) plants. He had an apprentice with a new 67 coupe who gave me a ride home from work. I was really impressed with how fast it went around curves. Had to have one after that but had to wait another few months to buy a used 65 vert.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
From: Victoria BC
Wow, this thread takes me back some...
I have been head over heels in love with Corvette's since I could walk. I always looked at them as a "white unicorn"; the thing you wanted so bad but for some reason never could get.
Late in the 80's, around 1989 I'd guess, my roomate at the time bought a low mileage '86 black on black droptop from California. It had like 27,000 miles on it. I loved that car. No, scratch that, I lusted after it. Always compared every other car I owned to that one, the one I could never have.
On several occassions he let me take it out to run errands or whathaveyou. That made things even worse. It became an obsession for me....
Anyways, I just let that little thought run around in my head for 17 years or so and recently my 40th birthday was coming up, work is going very well and me and my wife talked about it and decided to just go for it. Now we have our beloved '87 roadster, and it's pretty much the exact same car my buddy used to have (except ours is red).... sure, it's got more miles on it, is a little more worn in spots, but to me this car can do no wrong by us.
White unicorns are not completely impossible to find, if your heart is true and you are patient.
I have been head over heels in love with Corvette's since I could walk. I always looked at them as a "white unicorn"; the thing you wanted so bad but for some reason never could get.
Late in the 80's, around 1989 I'd guess, my roomate at the time bought a low mileage '86 black on black droptop from California. It had like 27,000 miles on it. I loved that car. No, scratch that, I lusted after it. Always compared every other car I owned to that one, the one I could never have.
On several occassions he let me take it out to run errands or whathaveyou. That made things even worse. It became an obsession for me....
Anyways, I just let that little thought run around in my head for 17 years or so and recently my 40th birthday was coming up, work is going very well and me and my wife talked about it and decided to just go for it. Now we have our beloved '87 roadster, and it's pretty much the exact same car my buddy used to have (except ours is red).... sure, it's got more miles on it, is a little more worn in spots, but to me this car can do no wrong by us.
White unicorns are not completely impossible to find, if your heart is true and you are patient.