mfi

Getting a price on clear protection for the front...after trans problems are solved...

CorvetteArchives

UGGG...bad memory...I had a stone fly up and gouge the original paint and cracke dthe fiberglass..2 days after I had it fixed I parked far away at the mall (we call it Vetteville) and got back shortly thereafter to a car parked next to me and a gouge EXACTLY on the still relatively fresh paint!!!
I called the cops and he was like "how can you be you sure it was this car? I responded just look how it looks like it lines up with the door and I still don't know why he did it.... but as a lark he tried their door.... it was unlocked and swung open matching the gouge exactly! Some ^&^%^ lousy mom had wacked the vette getting her little brats out of the back!!! GRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

Nick DL

So what did the cop do after opening the door?


That's a beautiful car, congrats. Now just drive it & enjoy it!

mfi

That was the plan..its at Vette Doctors..waiting for the verdict...

Cntroes

Yeah,

I can feel for you as I just drove my '85 out of the paint shop today, and it's perfect paint in every way. Scared to drive it, nope, hell that's why I bought it. Yes, it will see it's first door ding, fly rock or bird **** dropping stain sooner or later, but you can do what you can do to protect it from the elements, but if that includes leaving it parked in the garage because it has new paint and now it must be on display only, not for me unless you bought that car for that purpose only. I'm gonna have fun and enjoy this fresh super shiny finish and get the new seat skins on as well, and she's all complete for a pretty reasonable price. Enjoy your ride or keep it covered in the garage if you prefer for car shows, or if it really bothers you, sell it, make a few bucks and the next guy will enjoy your hard work and money spent to make her beautiful.

Charles

anciano

The curse of the pristine car has haunted me too, so much so that's it's almost a relief to get the first shopping cart ding.

We bought a Lexus to replace an aging Maxima daily driver, but now we are thinking we should keep the old Maxima just for long-term airport parking lot use when we travel overseas. It's plain stupid to be so paranoid, but.....

If I had one of those $8K paint jobs people talk about on the 'Vette I'd be a nervous wreck pretty much all the time. If I had a Ferrari I'd need a permanent valium IV drip.

Buddha said that the cause of all suffering is attachment to things that are impermanent...who knew he was predicting flawless paint jobs?

Eakster

If I know I have to park in some mall, I don't take the vette..

mfi

Considering this thing now spends most of its time in shops..I'm pretty much getting over it...I always wanted to fix up a car and get it painted...this thing just won't cooperate..getting tired of the whole ordeal...

ch@0s

You can't buy an old car expecting not to work on it. Most of us are mechanically inclined and enjoy working/upgrading our cars. When something breaks I look at it as an opportunity to do so.

I have owned my car for over 3 years and only driven it 1000 or so miles but I have enjoyed working upgrading it very much.

I you can remember "righty tighty lefty loosy " with our help you can manage most of your repairs yourself.
Hang in there.. the more you fix the closer you are to enjoying it more often.

My12thVette

I had a 2008 C6 that had to be sold last year due to some medical expenses. I was always afraid to park it any place where I could not keep on eye on it. Go out to eat...must sit by the window. Raining outside..we use the beater Explorer (yes, dressed up too!!). I was owned by the car instead of the other way around. Now, having after a health crisis everything is in proper order. Buy a car you like and use it. I am looking at C4s with high miles, I'll make it look nice and enjoy Corvette ownership. Never going to keep it perfect for the next guy and lose a bundle.
Just my 2 cents.

Cliff Harris

I've told people for years with a new car to get a hammer and pound on their doors -- bam! bam! bam! They're going to get dinged eventually anyway so you might as well get it over with and then you don't have to worry about it any more.

My brother told me one of his girlfriends got a new car on Friday and went to the mall on Saturday morning. She parked it way out in the middle of nowhere -- the parking lot sweeper hit it.

cv67

btdt

mfi

I've been working on cars ..oh about 30 years. I've owned this thing for 7 and have spent many hours/days fixing everything on it..the opti ..was fun..when it comes to transmissions it has to go to the shop..now its at another shop, not sure the place that built it got it right..or it would not have broken after only 8000 miles..now it won't shift right..might still have to go back to them if the place I have it now determines that its an internal problem and not an adjustment..took all the joy away from finaly getting it painted...would just like to drive the thing for a little while now...

mtnmanut

OMG--TO THE O.P. QUIT YOUR WHINING. SELL YOUR VETT. I BET SOMEONE WILL BUY IT THAT WILL APPRECIATE IT. THEN RUN OUT AND BUY YOURSELF A PRIUS, IT SOUNDS LIKE A FITTING VEHICLE.

Thorr

I have followed this thread out of shear curiosity. I know why I bought my car, to drive it. Why did you buy yours? To look at it? I will be painting mine, as soon as I can get some time for it in the paint booth, and after it's painted I will drive it, if it gets chipped, scratched, keyed - seriously I'll just paint it again. These cars are meant to be driven, straight up driven. If they were all meant to be in museums they'd have no engines, or movable parts, just drive the car and quit whining about it. It's an old car, it needs work, you knew that when you bought it. Yup mine needs work too, that is how I escape paying a therapist.



J

desertmike1

would you like a slice of cheese!!!!

a few nicks....and a few drips are a sign of usage!

dukeallen

well used looks equals loved and enjoyed. Plenty of road rash on mine...I touch up the worst and ignore the rest, it looks good and gives me I smile every time I take the cover off for a ride

mfi

Yeah yeah..I'm going to drive the damn thing..and now that its fixed..I can...and it looks like I found a new garage to store it in with much easier access..so I can DRIVE it more...

desertmike1

right on dude...

Ward Cleaver

Maybe it's because I live in a small town in a rural type of area, but we've never had our cars banged and scratched while we've had them, nor do I consider it something a person should just "get used to" if they're going to have a nice car.
We've had 4 new Buicks since we've been here (currently have a 2012 LaCrosse), and the previous 3 have looked great when we've traded them in.
I sold a Ford Expedition earlier this year that I owned for 10 years, and it looked in excellent condition when I sold it (it's still one of the best looking Expy's in town).
I bought a 24,000 mile '96 in pristine condition last August. I've been driving it daily for almost a year and it still looks like it did when I got it.
However, I do take extremely good car of my cars and am careful where, and how, I park.
Expecting to get nice a car scratched and dented just because you drive it is not part of my mentality. I can have something nice and enjoy driving it, and have been doing so for the past 14 years that we've lived here.

Of course, I live in an area where "good 'ol boys" in pick-up trucks will still lift their hand in a friendly wave when driving by a stranger on a two lane road, and people generally tend to respect other people's property. However, if you drive an hour away to Charlotte, it's a totally different story.