Since I bought the Vette a week ago, I've had a non-stop flood of various emotions and observations. Rather than start a new thread for every little thought that worms its way through my pea brain, I'll just post 'em here, like a mini-blog.

Maybe I should just use my stupid blog!

Nah, more fun in here.

--Wag--

 

Hopefully the experience has been a positive one.

 

So, what's up!

 

I've wanted a Vette since I was ten years old. Saw a picture in a magazine or a Vette in a movie or something and was instantly infatuated with them from that moment on. The C3. Something about it that I can't explain just called out to me.

You know what I mean.

The first time I built a Pinewood Derby car, it was a Vette. It came out pretty decent for only being allowed to use a small saw and a pocket knife to build it. The dang thing won, too, surprisingly enough!

Because it was a Vette, of course!

The first time I rode in one, we were living on a dirt road and the man who owned the Vette was coming to pick me up for scout meeting or something like that. He was driving very slow on that road. The view over the hood was like nothing else before or since. The sound of that engine was unforgettable. It rattled a lot on that dirt road, though, even driving slow. That was the last time I rode in that Vette; the dirt road was more than the guy could stomach driving his Vette across.

But I was hooked from that moment on.

The next time I drove a Vette was in about 2000 when I rented one in Phoenix one day and played around in it. That cost an arm and a leg. The rental place was very good and had several exotic cars for rent. A Ferrari, a Porsche, a Cobra or some kind of Mustang, a few Vettes, several others I don't recall. I had eyes only for that C5 Vette, though. Driving it all day was a dream come true.

That was the second closest I ever came to going out and buying one outright. The closest I ever came was in about 2001 or 2002 when I bought the Z28. I had the cash, but for some reason, I talked myself into believing that the maintenance costs on the Camaro would be less than the Vette. I probably will never know for sure but the Camaro lasted for 220,000 miles until I traded it in last week for the new-to-me Vette.

It was sad to see it go.

More to come, I'm sure.

--Wag--

 

I have been fortunate enough to own several Corvettes over the past 50 years and have enjoyed almost all of them. The last of the St.Louis cars were somewhat lacking in quality control. I have an '02 and it is by far the best of the bunch so you shouldn't have a lot of repair issues. I should mention that once you get fiberglass in your blood, you are hooked. It's a lot like Malaria, once you have it you never are completely cured.

The best cure: A long road trip in the Corvette with your significant other.

Good luck with your car and don't be afraid to use it, after all it's just stuff.

Okie

 

Okie is right. Get it out and go! I have a smile on my face every time I drive mine. My bloodpressure goes down 20 points and I relax to the point of daydreaming. Enjoy!

 

Your only problem might be that many of us use the title of the thread to decide whether we can help out with some advice. I must admit, I thought from your title that you had problems with the HUD The Forum is so busy that thread fall off the first page quite quickly and become dormant.

Best of luck with your new car and I hope you get all the advice you need.

 

Driving the Vette is hypnotic. In just over a week, I've missed my turn more than once because I was simply luxuriating in the pureness of the machine. Maybe there are better machines out there, but by far, this one is the best I've had in my hands to date.

There is a problem with that, however. I've also just about plowed other cars from behind, just because I was in a dream state while driving. Nevertheless, the Vette takes care of that, too. The brakes are nothing short of amazing and stop the car just about as soon as you stomp on 'em. Good thing for me. And others!

The tires are the Michelin ZP's. So far, they seem to be suited to my needs but I have almost no experience at this performance level in cars. Off ramps are little moments when I can play a bit. I doubt I'll put this on the track. In no way am I pushing the limits! In fact, I haven't even gotten a chirp out of the tires yet; they just grab and go. Likely, it's due at least in part to the traction control system but I haven't seen any messages to that effect on the DIC. I'll turn it off one of these days and play with it.

I still need to take the top off and take the wiff on a drive up through the hills, just for fun. She'd love that, I know. I can picture the smile she will have on her face! I always love seeing that!

--Wag--

 

Other drivers are always an issue, no matter what. In any car I've ever driven, I get the same crappy driving from other people that everyone gets.

Except Vette drivers, I'm thinking.

It's very obvious. Sure, when I was in the Camaro or if I take the truck out somewhere, people will cut me off or box me in or block me out of a lane change. One of the reasons I have mixed feelings about using turn signals for lane changes.

But when I'm in the Vette, this kind of crap ratchets up VERY noticeably. I can't read people's minds to know why they're driving even MORE crappily around the Vette, but I presume there is a degree of jealousy about it. Fortunately, the car is fast enough to sneak up on people before they realize it and make the turns and lane changes before they know you're even there. You don't even have to really be a dirt bag about it!

Other cars seem to want to race the Vette a WHOLE lot more than the Camaro. There were plenty of times someone wanted to race the Camaro but now, it seems like I'm getting it every time I get behind the wheel of the Vette. And it's crazy that it's the little cars, too. Civics, Escorts, other tuner cars, big trucks, etc. I don't get it but they seem to want to race or prove they can stay in front of the Vette. I don't have any thing to prove so I let 'em go by and don't worry about it. And what is it with the guys in the BMW 3 series cars? Especially the 325i's? ALL of them want to race. They do it when I'm on the Busa, too.

Weird.

I'm still observing because part of me wants to believe this is just in my imagination and that other people don't really treat the Vette any differently than any other car out there. And yet, it just seems like they do.

--Wag--