T38Pilot

My 2004 Z06 finally made it back to the United States in excellent shape thanks to Uncle Sam. I took it with me to Germany and Corvettes still stop traffic in Europe and people want to talk to you about them and have you pop the hood and "look at that big v8." Gas prices will pop your eyeballs too it was about $6.85 a gallon when I got there and $4.25 a gallon for super plus when I left if my conversion from euros/liter is accurate!
I am going to miss the autobahns tremendously and the ability to cover 120 miles in an hour on a Sunday morning. I have found the Corvette can run 140 mph all day and the oil temp will stay around 220 and the coolant will be even cooler. The readout says the mpg at close to one hour at 140 mph was 11.7 mpg on gently rolling terrain in 5th gear. It just didn't have the oomph and deceleration in 6th I liked it in 5th. On the autobahn the heads up display is a godsend because at 120+ you don't look in the cockpit much. Germans love Corvettes I found out! Corvettes in German are like Ferraris in the US - go to a restaurant and it will be parked in front with finger smudges on the window from people looking at it. One weekend in Munich I had four business cards with offers on my Corvette, even though they had no idea of the mileage. One offer was almost enough to buy a new 2015 Z06, unfortunately the military has rules about selling your car overseas.
Before I left for the states I got in 4 laps at Nurburgring. The first lap was done with one of the former drivers from the Ring Taxi and he turned an 8:31 on a 50F day without scaring me (it was very expensive to have him as a tutor but worth every euro), He gave me great advice. I had done it hundreds of time on Playstation so I had the track memorized. What you don't get in Playstation is the dips, bumps and slopes on the track surface that make it challenging the first time around. He rode with me on the second lap and I was 58 seconds slower but didn't push the car. The third lap was by myself and my best of all 8:54. This is an experience I would recommend highly to anyone who is stationed in Germany or travels there for vacation. Best of all is how reliable the Z06 was in my three years in Germany - one set of tires, oil changes and front brakes - that's it. Now my high speed runs will be limited to hwy 90 to Comstock.

95rtturbo

Very cool experience! Thanks for sharing!

73Corvette

Thanks for your service and for sharing a very story...I have to say I'm a little jealous.

Dang...80's going to seem slow

Fast Cop

Welcome back to the US. Sound like fun.

Vetteman Jack

How great it must have been to drive the Autobahn and the Ring. Wish they had something like those two places here in the states.

Shakeydeal

Thanks for sharing and thanks for your service.

Shakey

jose7740

In May 1983 I bought a 1984 Corvette then shipped to Germany when got assigned there in 1984 then I found the Swiss Corvette club and drove to the Nurburgring, unfortunately did not have the equivalent of around $300 to lap the ring but at least I was there and at that time the Vette was a huge hit with the Europeans, hit a top speed of 150mph in the autobahn, went to many car shows and had a really good time there.

ttiros

Great story about your vette in Germany. Thanks for sharing.

ERDOC

That is at the top on my bucket list; to make a lap or two around the Ring, even if it's in the Ring Taxi. I have heard the instruction the professional drivers give you before you get on the track is great but crazy expensive. If it's not too personal, how much is the instruction at the Ring? A ball park number would be fine.
Thank you for your service!

RueBurgundy

Interesting! So that 120mile trip cost you what, nearly $60? Haha! Totally worth it still to be on the 'bahn. And you received an offer of how much???? Is it worth slowboating my car over there to sell?!?? Maybe get a free trip and more than I put into my car? Talk about tempting.

T38Pilot

The instructional package includes 2 laps with the instructor, an inspection of your car, to include the tires, brakes and suspension, a one hour video on how to drive the Ring while your instructor makes comments, with some gruesome Ring accidents at the end of the video and an hour with your instructor discussing technique with your particular car. It also includes a fire extinguisher if you don't have one in your car, and a helmet if you don't have one for use on the track that you can buy if you want.. The cost in April was about $1300 US. For another $600 I could have got the in car video with audio and stills taken of the car at different points of the track.

T38Pilot

Over 60k US but less than 91K. Base C5s commonly go for around $40,000 US in Germany. You have to be in Germany 120 days before you can sell your car, and that's 120 days after it clears customs, unless you have a medical reason for selling or death.

Mickeyrx70

Welcome back & thanks for sharing your adventure. I drove the Autobahn myself over 30 years ago, but I was in a very slow Volvo 264 GL, and only touched 110 mph for a moment. BTW, I'm happy to learn T-38's are still flying. I flew what I was told one of the last production T-38's in UPT in 1972. It had 7, that's right --7-- hours flight time.

Pounder

Way Cool !!!!!!! we should have a Autobahn here !!!!!!!!!!!

Ludeaem

Neat story. Any pictures or video you can share?

grantv

Livin the dream, seriously. That would be amazing...

Blow Torch

Awesome story and info
That would be a BALL!!!

4XLR8N

Dang! Autobahn AND the 'Ring...so cool.

I'm sooo jealous!

T38Pilot

Yes, the T38s are getting old, but Northrop overdesigned the airframe for student hamfisting and over Ging. We had one over G ed so much the engine rails and mounts bent, but it made it back safely with no other damage to the airframe. Probably everything from the canopies, to the ejection seats, to the engines, have been replaced numerous times. Probably the only original parts are the wings and landing gears. Instrumentation has been updated and we teach more angle of attack awareness than airspeed awareness than the 1970s era Air Force UPT did. Not everyone gets to fly the T38 like in the old days, it depends on your classification.
Talking with some of the older IPs here, they used to see a lot of newer Corvettes on the flight line, but there are more C5s here than any other model. I think pilots like popping open the lights on the C5 like spoilers on an airplane I loved Germany, and I'm glad I was there in my Corvette!!!
One thing about the autobahn, you have to keep your eyes glued to the rear view mirror. It's illegal to flash your lights in the daytime and considered crude autobahn etiquette. I was doing 130 one morning and a red Ferrari passed me with at least 70 mph of overtake. Overall driving etiquette on the autobahn is something you would rarely if ever see in the US - lots of courtesy and give and take.

4XLR8N

Cool stories! Thanks for your service overseas.

Unfortunately for you, you will be welcomed back to the States with roads full of a**holes and clueless people. Courtesy does not exist here, at least not in measurable amounts.