I bought my first Corvette (a 1981) in 1999 when I was 34 years old. I kept researching for how to make it handle better, get more power, etc but couldn't bring myself to "ruin" an original Corvette. So, when I came across my 1990 for a screaming good deal, I couldn't pass it up. Now, in less than 3 months I've put more miles on the 1990 than I did on the 1981. It has dawned on me that the 1990 cost half what I paid for my new SUV, gets better gas mileage, and is A CORVETTE. I'm driving it daily except when it snows. I now realize that rather than buy one Corvette and own it forever and keep modifying it to make it what you want, I'll just keep buying a better one every 2 years or so. Next up will be maybe a '92 LT1 or a '96 LT4 or maybe a ZR1. After that probably a C5. Eventually, I'll buy a new one. But, in the mean time, buying them when I find good deals, then selling them before I drive the wheels off them means I get to drive an awesome car and really not spend that much money doing it.

Am I onto something here? I always thought (before ownership) that I'd buy one and baby it and keep it forever (like a wife?) but now I realize it's more of a girlfriend thing :D - trading 'em in every couple years is the way to go! And, in a way it's better for the hobby because I'm keeping them original.

 

Or do what I did, have two, one for the street and one for the track.

You can never have too much.

 

Yes, I've been coming to that same conclusion recently myself. Plus, buying Vettes that are over 8 years old allows you to drive them for 2 or 3 years and then turn around and sell them with very little to no depreciation hit...
And it allows you to drive "new" stuff every few years - at least new to you!


[Modified by 87Heaven, 10:16 PM 11/29/2002]

 

I am probably the wrong person to chime in here but... I generally do not part w/ a car once I decide it is "the one"...
I have had my 89 since new and have bought 2 more since (don't know how I sold my wife on the idea, but... )
Sounds like you found a plan that works for you and it is VERY true that you will NEVER get your money back for mods so, invest wisely :yesnod:

 

i dont see myself selling my 94, its my first and if i ever want another vette thats exactly what it will be is another, not a replacement.

 

It depends on how you see the car. Sounds like you see it as cheap disposable transportation. If you carry that logic a little further you may save even more money by driving a much cheaper car and save on gas too.
No one way works for everyone. Someone else can enjoy driving my vette after I'm dead but not before then. As you can see by my signature I'm not into the leave it original thing but different strokes for different folks. As far as getting your money back on mods. if you are talking money no way but I feel like I get my money back every time I fry some horse meat. :D

 

dick i want to drive your vette so leave it to me in your willl :eek:
jay :lol:

 

My wife recently said why dont you get a newer Corvette in the future,I thought it over and decided my 1994 has everything i want in a corvette if not i will modify it

 

How true. :yesnod:

 

I think 87Heaven hits it right on the head! :chevy :cheers:

 

Yea, a vette is like a good wife/girlfriend, get one, spend lots of money , have fun. Get rid of it and get another. Only thing, the first vette won’t cost you money, the first wife will. I would like to sell my 88, and get o the one vette I would keep. 93 Ruby :crazy:

 

I am on number 2. There was no way I would part with my '92. Yes, I think a C3 will do nicely next. Maybe my wife will not notice it if I get same color as one of the other ones. :yesnod:

 

I think it depends on just how obsessive compulsive you are and what side of the depreciation curve you're on. The early C3s are going up now in value, but the mid-late C4s are still going down. I think some of the early C4s have pretty much bottomed out. It also depends on how much time and sweat you have into a car. My C3 I'm restoring myself. I think I want to sell it when I'm done and get a '70 yellow LT-1 convertible, but when the time comes I don't know if I'll be able to muster up the courage to actually sell it after having logged that many of thousands of hours working on it. :jester My C4s a daily driver, and it might be easier to sell, but I still want an early C4 because I'm getting involved with the NCRS C4 judging and they're presently judging 84-86, and starting on the 87-8? manuals. I don't think I could find one much better than the one I've already got in terms of price for the level of originality in that year range. Mine's stock & original down to the plug wires. :rolleyes: It will be tougher to find a better early one, especially since it has to be a yellow convertible and the few on the market are snatched up pretty darn quickly. :lol: :seeya

 

Well, it's interesting to hear what different folks think. I guess my thing is that I am not a custodian for the car, like a museum keeper. I am going to drive and enjoy it. And, when the time comes that I can buy another one and be better off in it rather than rebuild the one I have, I'll do that. Once you go through that one time, you realize it's not so horrible to "abandon" your car.

I don't mean to offend anybody with the comments I've made above. I suppose my comments will offend some folks, though. Just like a comment made above to me offended me for a few minutes. But, then I remembered that different folks have different approaches and they are probably pretty sure their way is right, just like I think I'm right.

One thing we all agree on is Corvettes are great cars, whether you're driving one, restoring one, preserving one, showing one, or racing one (or more).

When I see somebody driving a Mercedes or BMW, etc. I kind of smirk and wonder why the :reddevil anybody would pay for one of those when they could have <insert whatever year Corvette or even Camaro, Trans Am, etc.> I personally consider the Corvette the ultimate statement of the American sports car. There are other folks out there who think they can't afford a Corvette so they drive a Camaro SS or Trans Am Ram Air, etc. In the vernacular, "it's all good".

Based on the comments, I'd have to say that I have not really "learned to own a Corvette". I've just learned how I am going to own them. I'd say there are about a hundred different ways to own them. None are wrong.

 

Actually it's only gonna benefit you if you know alot about vettes mechanicwise. I can actually agree with you in my case.......I've learned so much about c4s from my mechanic I feel confident I can do just about any repair myself. I'm just a lazy azz and I dont wanna get my hands dirty. LoL. Doing what you say is possible if you make sure the vettes you buy are in relatively good shape and you have to always be prepared. If you never had many problems before. Good........you got lucky. But c4s in general have to constantly be maintained unlike simple "cars"...........these are not cars. They're vettes. Even though they may look and act like a "car". The repair can be alot more expensive in the longrun.........not to mention upgrades etc. In your case......if you just wanna drive em and not really modify em........you might have yourself a deal if you maintain it well and do your own repairs. The most expensive aspect of these vehicles is not obtaining them.........but MAINTAINING them........and in that respect.......keeping them. I always have respect for any vette owners I see on the road.........especially fellow c4 owners. People who don't own em simply have no idea how rigorous and expensive it can be to take care of them like they should be. To be honest with you I think it would be much more expensive in the long run to own c4s and/or c5s. But it's money well spent in my opinion. I've learned to love the super-high maintenance with these vehicles. Vette owners are probably the one true type of vehicle owners that REALLY know their vehicles as a result. And that can only be a plus. Plus like you said..............you also get to drive a C O R V E T T E.