Garage Queens....
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,976
Likes: 6,202
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
I don't know, but the thread title got your attention enough to open it up!
I just dont understand a person who has a car like a C5 and then only drives it a hundred miles a year.
I don't get it. Is he afraid he's going to hurt it? Afraid of a rock chip? Afraid he's lowering the value by putting miles on it?
These are things I'm willing to get to the bottom of.
I just dont understand a person who has a car like a C5 and then only drives it a hundred miles a year.
I don't get it. Is he afraid he's going to hurt it? Afraid of a rock chip? Afraid he's lowering the value by putting miles on it?
These are things I'm willing to get to the bottom of.
I work with a guy who bought a new one, has put almost zero miles on it because he was afraid of "putting miles on it" and is now looking at selling it. He's also confused why the offers are half what he thinks it's worth. I don't understand these people.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,928
Likes: 55
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
As far as garage queens are concerned, it's up to the owner. For some owners it's a life long dream before they join the after life and for the rest they were made to be driven.
The only sad thing is that the average vette owner is well over his prime. GM should come out with a mid level vette for the younger generation that can't afford today's model.
The only sad thing is that the average vette owner is well over his prime. GM should come out with a mid level vette for the younger generation that can't afford today's model.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: Cali
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,928
Likes: 55
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
A garage queen is only worth something to the next buyer who will wind up paying half of what the car was bought for. So the second buyer is the smart one.
While l love vettes they are not exotic's they are Chevy's!!!!!!! Now if you have a classic then that is something else but vettes are not Porsches and l'm not talking about the cheap Boxster's.
The thing that is annoying is when l am in a group of vette owners and one person sticks his chest out and say's "how many miles do you have?" When nobody really cares unless you have over 100,000 miles on the clock!
Being that every 7/8 yrs or so the body changes and that's the time to dump what you have and move up into the new body.
So the bottomline is to drive it and use it as a planter.
Good Luck
While l love vettes they are not exotic's they are Chevy's!!!!!!! Now if you have a classic then that is something else but vettes are not Porsches and l'm not talking about the cheap Boxster's.
The thing that is annoying is when l am in a group of vette owners and one person sticks his chest out and say's "how many miles do you have?" When nobody really cares unless you have over 100,000 miles on the clock!
Being that every 7/8 yrs or so the body changes and that's the time to dump what you have and move up into the new body.
So the bottomline is to drive it and use it as a planter.
Good Luck
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,928
Likes: 55
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
To me this is not silly but again it's my opinion whatever that means.
Where l live the 35-45 yr olds are buying Porsches not vettes.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,728
Likes: 142
From: Iowa
The Vette was for the youth and not for the older generation because of the costs. GM can build a vette cheaper like Porsche built a Boxster to reach a broader field of people.
To me this is not silly but again it's my opinion whatever that means.
Where l live the 35-45 yr olds are buying Porsches not vettes.
To me this is not silly but again it's my opinion whatever that means.
Where l live the 35-45 yr olds are buying Porsches not vettes.
For the majority of the US, a $50k+ car is pretty darn expensive. And of course that's why there is such a high amount of older Vette owners. It should be kept that way. Again, making a lower cost version to suit the younger crowd would just be silly.
Like someone else said, that's what used cars are for.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,057
Likes: 99
From: Southeast, Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
i guess my 78 pace car would qualify as a "garage queen". it gets driven to car shows and my club events, etc. probably about 1000 a year. my 04 CE convertible gets driven a bit more often. it averages about 5000 a year. i'll put 400 miles on it over a long weekend, then 50 miles for the rest of the month, lol. it's not a daily driver so mileage is never consistent.
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,685
Likes: 1,330
From: Machineguns, because I don’t compromise
I'm in the process of polishing /upgrading my engine. So it will surely become a garage ornament.
It's nice enough that I can just stare at the motor for minutes at a time. The body lines of this lowered Zo6 under the lights of large neon sign can be just as intoxicating as the beer I'm drinking while looking at my Corvette late at night when my wife and son are sleeping.
I drive it now maybe 2k miles per year, it used to be daily driven (27k in 2 years) but now it's more "special" when it time for a spin.
It's nice enough that I can just stare at the motor for minutes at a time. The body lines of this lowered Zo6 under the lights of large neon sign can be just as intoxicating as the beer I'm drinking while looking at my Corvette late at night when my wife and son are sleeping.
I drive it now maybe 2k miles per year, it used to be daily driven (27k in 2 years) but now it's more "special" when it time for a spin.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,928
Likes: 55
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
I agree, l wish l had more time to drive mine but l don't being that l have a coupe. I like to take my wife's Audi (convertible) weather permiting but it's tough fighting her. She puts between 350/450 miles a week on it.
Being that the C5's are now worth less then $22,000 at best it now pays to drive them hard and rack those miles.
Being that the C5's are now worth less then $22,000 at best it now pays to drive them hard and rack those miles.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 243
Likes: 1
From: Tucson AZ
Whatever floats your boat. People have Vettes for different reasons and none are wrong as long as you enjoy your car. I bought mine to drive, somebody else bought theirs for a show car. It's all good.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 948
Likes: 0
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 45,000
Likes: 585
2004 CE with 14500. I am trying to see how long I can stay under 20k. Once it hits that mark, I'll probably juts drive it any time that I don't see rain in the forecast. Something about 20k just makes it an ordinary used car in my mind.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 30,360
Likes: 4,582
From: Bonita Springs, Florida
My black car has become a daily driver since I started my Corvette accessories business. But I bought a second C5 back in January - I drive it very occasionally....it's a '98 Pace Car with less than 20K. I think I've put about 1300 miles on it since the beginning of February.
Why does the idea that someone chooses to drive their car occasionally and not put a lot of miles on it offend some people so much?
I believe if you aren't hurting someone else - and you're not violating written law, then do whatever the Hell makes you happy. If buying a Corvette and then having it become garage art makes you happy - go for it. If racing it at HPDE's makes you happy, go for it.
If driving it hard and never washing it or waxing it makes you happy go for it. What does it matter to anyone else?
Why does the idea that someone chooses to drive their car occasionally and not put a lot of miles on it offend some people so much?
I believe if you aren't hurting someone else - and you're not violating written law, then do whatever the Hell makes you happy. If buying a Corvette and then having it become garage art makes you happy - go for it. If racing it at HPDE's makes you happy, go for it.
If driving it hard and never washing it or waxing it makes you happy go for it. What does it matter to anyone else?
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 367,963
Likes: 24,705
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
My last one was pretty much a garage queen for the final five years I owned it. My next one (picking one up on Thursday) will be driven much more.