96GS#007

C5 mule in C3 clothing....

1993C4LT1

But that looks like a C2.

mickey5

So much depends on what you can afford at the time.
How can anyone gripe about the price of the Corvette when you look at the price of any car that compares performance wise. BARGAIN !!!![/QUOTE]

What other used performance car can you buy with a top that comes off or goes down and a big fuel injected V8 for under 10K?

Aaron Keating

I wonder what the -current- demographic is for the C4.

27 here, with my first 'vette. And it was a C4. Other than the god awful trunk, it's been nothing but a fantastic choice

96GS#007

Hidden headlights....C3

sluggballz

My first was a yellow '79 L48 when I was 20. I later sold it for the down payment on our first house. My soon to be wife was pregnant with our first son, and no matter how hard you try, you can't raise a family in a corvette! After my wife and I separated last year I bought my '95 convertible. I was 43. Now, other than my two sons, nothing makes me smile more than that polo green plastic fantastic! And for the money, there is no way to beat the performance...............

K111969

I bought My first vette,a 91 vert, Oct 2012 at the age of 42. I didnt buy it because it was all I could afford, I bought it because i wanted it. I looked at a 200? zo6, a 94 base coupe and a 68 basket case big block blower motor vert project before I went back and bought the vert. I love it. a friend just bought a 2012 Grand Sport vert and said he would never go back to a C4....His loss.

Snaps

Ive Owed 3 and buying another tomorrow... So I guess that will put me at 4? Currently driving a C5 Zo6 and buying a C4 to beat on. Ive been blessed with the ability to fight for my country and make some change. Oh any im 24.

DinoBob

I bought my 1986 Coupe in November of 2012 at 43. Two college age kids and a three year old. Sold my 1960 Buick to get the Vette. Not a bit sorry.

mike100

My dad was 46 when he got a new 91 ZR-1 back in 91, but he had also owned a new 67 427 car before because his grandmother bought it for him (lucky bastard).

ccrvtt

My first experience with a Corvette was at age 9 when the neighbors uncle showed up with a '58 or '59 - Red with white coves. I was hooked.

Growing up near the Michigan State campus in the '60's we would see a lot of different sports cars, usually driven by well-off 20-somethings or tweedy-looking professors. But those were Porsches, Healeys, TR3's, etc. The Corvette guys were a little flashier and would often prompt the reaction, "He needs it."

When the C4 came out I still had not owned a Corvette. I had recently divested myself of a pair of MGB rust buckets, gotten married and responsible, and deferred the dream.

I bought my '95 coupe at age 59 after a 50-year wait. I've had it for 3 years now & will never sell it. It may be the only thing of value that my son will inherit.

I do a little on-ramp racing and wildly impressed a couple of rice racers and some guy tailgating me in an Impala. I guess they were surprised to see an old fart driving or maybe they were looking at my wife (still hot at 56).

I sell auto parts and have a small but loyal group of customers with Corvettes of varying vintages. Most of them are within 10 years of my age. The cars are a bargain and affordable enough to justify them as toys for obsolete children.

And as for the snarky comments about the seats - I have the sport seat option and no fat-*** is going to be comfortable in those.

tomtom72

Not trying to be obtuse but any year corvette if bought brand new was a bunch of money. I would think only people with a large amount of "fun money" could afford a new vette?

I know my 72 LT-1 cost the original owner almost $7,000.00 out the door, yea the price of the car was less but after sales tax and all the other stuff it was very close to $7,000.00 and that's a ton of money in '72.
Same thing on the C4 I own now. The original owner had to part with $10,000 just to order her in Jan of 90. Then when the smoke cleared he was out $66,000 to have her in his garage by 6/90. You have to be well off to have that kind of money to waste on toys.

It was all I could manage to get a loan on my 72 in 1977 and I had to borrow like $3,500.00 after putting $2,000.00 down on Her....that was only possible with my Dad co-signing the loan for me. I must have been nuts! I know he thought it was the stupidest purchase I ever made to that point in my life. I was 24, and probably not too smart! LOL

I was older when I bought my 90 back in '04, but still that car cost me like $28,000 by the time I paid for it and the sales tax & registration & 1st year's insurance! It took me a long time to save up that kind of money and I spent it in less than 30 minutes.

To my thinking a new corvette or any other toy like it will always be the territory of the well off person. The used ones get the rest of us and we're on a budget!


Tom

Jbws86928

If I would have bought new , I would have wanted an 86 vert,75 vert or a 2000 FRC. Oh well I guess I will settle for my 90 coupe that won't stop for anything even a gas station ( I like that ). Probably should get the brakes fixed. Brakes are fine and when you can do over a 100 and still get great gas mileage the C4 RULES !!!! And I am no spring chicken !!!!

Larrye

I can relate to CCRVTT, delayed the dream for a long time. Loved Vettes from an early age, first one I ever drove was a 1971 454 in the late 70's. Obtained my first at age 53 last spring, a well cared for, higher mile '85. Kids finished college and left home, could finally breathe a little!

Currently A GM parts manager at a Buick-Cad store, but started in 1979 at a Chevy store. Most of the late C3's and C4's sold new were purchased by older doctors, business owners or mid to upper level managers making good $$$. Most of the younger, less affluent buyers were taking delivery of new Camaros.

Bought my '85 because like many of us, it was what I wanted. I remember when the C4 was introduced working at the Chevy store and had the opportunity to drive several new ones. I was hooked. Just took a few years to make the dream a reality.

jecht

Great post.

Many of my generation (I am 29) drive the imports due to the media craze over drifting and Fast/Furious/Gi60S. The economy hasn't helped. The Vette is a Boomer car, for better or for worse. I love it though, regardless.

aj1988

I stopped by a Chevy store in 62, hey a 16 y/o can always dream, and talked to the salesman. The price on a 300 hp 4sp was $3600. Most grown ups were making less than $500/mo so the car would have cost over 1/2 a years income before taxes.

This has never been a young persons car. When I got mine in 67, I was 21 and mine was a 63, most of the people in the Vette club were in their 40s.

I worked at EDS when the C4 came out and even with our discounts the people buying the cars were 40/50s. And if we ordered a new one the discount was 20%.

I think something never discussed is that almost everything is standard on the cars now. My 63 was armstrong power steering, no a/c, manual breaks, and an AM radio. Glad the original owner at least got heat which was an option back then.

Txbobcat

I bought my first a 70 vert w 4 speed when i was 25 because of married and insurance costs. I could have bought any new car then but opted for the vette used holding more value plus fun. I bought my 92 Vert 6 speed 8 years ago. Kids are gone I have a 70 GTO vert a 72 GTO hardtop a 64 Impala SS and a 65 Pontiac vert. I love all my cars but my C4 6 speed is a lot of fun. I turned down a bunch of automatics