When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Took a 200+ mile road trip today, saw one C3, one C5 and at least a half dozen C8's. The gentleman in the orange C5 was the only wave returned to me. On the plus side, a passenger in a Kia Soul stopped next to me asked what year my coupe was and said "It was beautiful", and a short trip yesterday to our favorite fish and chips place got a honk from a C7. I'm almost tempted to post some angst filled screed on the C8 forum, but now that I'm home watching the Mariners take it to the A's I'll let it go. After a hot day with the top off the '84 we found an indoor farmers market in Wenatchee, WA. Mrs. Boomer appreciated the air conditioning since the one in the car don't work (yet).
Took a 200+ mile road trip today, saw one C3, one C5 and at least a half dozen C8's. The gentleman in the orange C5 was the only wave returned to me. On the plus side, a passenger in a Kia Soul stopped next to me asked what year my coupe was and said "It was beautiful", and a short trip yesterday to our favorite fish and chips place got a honk from a C7. I'm almost tempted to post some angst filled screed on the C8 forum, but now that I'm home watching the Mariners take it to the A's I'll let it go. After a hot day with the top off the '84 we found an indoor farmers market in Wenatchee, WA. Mrs. Boomer appreciated the air conditioning since the one in the car don't work (yet).
Took a 200+ mile road trip today, saw one C3, one C5 and at least a half dozen C8's. The gentleman in the orange C5 was the only wave returned to me. On the plus side, a passenger in a Kia Soul stopped next to me asked what year my coupe was and said "It was beautiful", and a short trip yesterday to our favorite fish and chips place got a honk from a C7. I'm almost tempted to post some angst filled screed on the C8 forum, but now that I'm home watching the Mariners take it to the A's I'll let it go. After a hot day with the top off the '84 we found an indoor farmers market in Wenatchee, WA. Mrs. Boomer appreciated the air conditioning since the one in the car don't work (yet).
I don't really think about waving, when I first got my C4 I did but now I just Give them a Thumps up if the drivers looking my way if not I just look at the car to see what style they did to their Vette. Its all good. I didnt make the car I just Drive it and smile when I hear my Custom Exhaust .
I think the comradery among car owners has waned over the last decade. It's not just the Corvette crowd. I bought a 95 Miata in 2002, having to sell it in 2022 because I can no longer drive a 5 speed. For years everyone waved, 1st gen Miatas involved flashing the headlights. Eventually no one waved. Its just a sign of the times. I think the only groups still participating are bike riders and Jeep drivers.
Maybe its somewhat of a regional thing. Here in western WI/Twin Cities MN I've seen plenty of waves, even from the C8 owners. Perhaps it's a because it isn't too often that I see a C4 around me and a combo of "don't see a C4 too often" combined with "hell yeah, that guy is getting the old Corvette out for a drive" so it gets noticed by other owners. (It is a 40 year old car, after all.)
Some wave, some don't. I was driving the c5 in a pounding rain on a freeway near Chicago in the dark when I got passed by another c5. The lady passenger put her hand out the window and gave me the wave. I flashed the lights in return. Above and beyond there!
I try my hardest to stick to the quieter country roads where hopefully I see less cars in general, but I did get a wave a couple weeks ago.......and I returned a wave as well.....I was so surprised to get the wave that I didn't notice if it was a C5 or a C6.....LOL
the worst non-wavers were the c5’s back in 2001-2002 era
many were prob former non-mechanically inclined c4 owners that could no longer associate themselves with the c4 that they didnt know how to fix (and that hurt their ego)
many of those same non-wavers of that era are likely either dead, or laid up in some nursing home today waving when they need a straw
for their food so they can eat it
The wave has been hit or miss for me so far. The only one I ever got was from a C7 around my neighborhood. C5 drivers for some reason flat out don’t like me, and C8 drivers won’t even look at me (I did talk to a C8 owner today though, an older gentleman. He had an awesome story).
Weirdly enough, I waved to a C8 while in my daily driver (a frickin corolla) of all cars, and he waved back? Maybe people dislike the C4 that much.
Regardless, the Corvette ownership experience is an exclusive club in my eyes. Even if you don’t wave, I know you still like Corvettes, same as me.
I have a pretty good experience around my roads. Get more waves in my C4 than i used to in my C7.
But just a thought.
Ill bet many a C8 owners do not even recognize a C4 as a vette. Many people don’t know what kind of car it is other than a sports car despite the script on the back bumper.
As an older Corvette owner/dirver, I'm 77, and when I'm in a lot of traffic I'm very concentrated on the traffic and not the cars on the other side of the street. If I don't wave it's because I didn't see you. Even out on the highway sometimes I don't recognize a car as a Corvette. I don't see that many Corvettes here in Southern Ohio. I suspect there are many other owners my age that have the same problem.
I wave; if they wave back, great. If they don't, so be it. Not going to let it wreck my drive.
I bought my C4 in '97, and back then, I remember on the Vette mailing list (yes, before forums), people complaining about those in brand new C5's never waving.
It always seems that those in the latest generation Vette don't yet get the wave, hence why so many C8 drivers rarely wave...at least in my experience.
I wave to every vette, not the driver, and watch the vette as it goes by, hardly notice anymore who is driving and waving or not, likely their windows are up with AC on so tough to see inside anyway...
and I wave to any classic car out for a cruise. Those guys will have windows and top down and always wave back.
when I'm in a lot of traffic I'm very concentrated on the traffic and not the cars on the other side of the street. If I don't wave it's because I didn't see you.
This is a good point, and I'm sure this is the case some time.
Originally Posted by bac22
I wave; if they wave back, great. If they don't, so be it. Not going to let it wreck my drive.
I always wave, I sometimes get waves back. Sometimes they wave first - I wave back but I usually have my windows up so I'm not sure they see it. I hope they do. I know I get silly happy when I get a wave.
I was 19 years old in 1969 when I bought a new 69 convertible. I believe back then more people were buying them as a sports car and using them as such. Everybody waved back then. We all had a common interest.