I understand what you're saying, but consider this. While cars today, are more reliable, overall, than the cars of 60-70 years ago, they're also FAR more complicated. And the newer they are, the more complicated they are. So when they do malfunction, it's not all that easy to get it fixed, and back on the road.

I remember the first real "road trip" I took, back in 1980. I had a two year old Chevy Nova, at the time, and it had one those "new fangled for the time, HEI ignitions. It was the first car that I had, with an electronic ignition, with a module, that if it quit, it killed the engine. I bought a spare module, and carried it with me, "just in case".

Today, if your car quits, and it's fairly new, you pretty much need to be towed back to a dealer, as the cars are so specialized. And if you happen to have an imported car, finding a dealer nearby, could be an issue.

 

From one old man to another: I get your point and can appreciate your experience (I'm 64). I won't get another Harley because my wife can no longer ride due to her back, besides I don't trust most people on the hway due to text/phone use that wasn't an issue some years ago, and I'm hoping that eventually I will get everything straightened out w/my Vette. (if that's possible)
You finally get to a point where you have too much invested to sell it and that it's hard to find one locally or even nearby( I drove over 400 miles for this one) that matches your criteria. I did look on Autotrader for a Speedway white w/gray interior and there were none to be had nationwide-which means mine is somewhat of a rarity. There are certainly not many white ones on the roads here in my area that I've come across in the last few years of owning mine. I do realize that owning a Vette comes with repairing and maintaining it as needed so I have a substantial "Vette fund" that is there when I need it. I just don't WANT to use it and in some cases I shouldn't have to use it as some things should not "break" to begin with,-- EBCM , harmonic balancer , OPS , dash lights, etc....--(thanks GM).
I'll take stock on my situation after I install the new OPS this weekend and hopefully that will happily put me back in the saddle once again.( at least for a while ) I love my Vette like my wife--even though it still pisses me off sometimes I don't know how I'd live w/o it/her.

 

We had to sell our Goldwing Trike because of my wife's back also, so I know where you are coming from. We've been married almost 51 years and she comes first.
We used the proceeds to buy our 03 vert and haven't looked back. In fact, we just followed our motorcycle friends on a 130 mile round trip breakfast run last Saturday with the top down. We loved it!
I knew going in the C5's were getting old and I told my wife we may have to spent some money to keep it up and she said OK.
I will sell it though if it starts to give me grief. Ain't going through that again.
Good luck!

 

Congrats on the longevity of your relationship. We just hit our 30th in Aug--were together 11 years before we got married. She just lets me do my thing as long as I don't mortgage the house and she has an open Cato account. That's the secret of a long marriage---compromise

 

thanks