grantv

I think most people do realize trucks aren't cheap, but I get grampi50's point... a truck is a utility vehicle, saving miles on a utility vehicle by putting those miles on a sportscar does seem counterintuitive to me in a way also.
Our minivan is our utility vehicle, same stuff, different pile. We stack miles and abuse on the van. I drive my Z daily regardless, as it is "my car".

3sACROWD

I could spin the table and ask why in the world would someone buy a sports car to park in their garage and save for someone else?

My utility vehicle gets used for just that and getting me through the winters. My Vette gets used when the capabilities of my truck aren't needed. Sure, I could own something other as a second vehicle but why?

Bottom line is I own a Vette and enjoy using as I see fit. It is great looking, reliable, affordable, gets good gas mileage, and is a blast to drive. When this one wears out, I may look for one that someone "saved" just for me.

kzoo-z

I am totally on board with 3sACROWD's economics. He potentially doubles the life of his $48,000 truck while at the same time reducing his fuel cost all while driving a Z06 during the warm months in Mi......what's not to like?

grantv

Hey I do get 3's reasoning also.. I drive my Z daily, ain't saving it for anyone else either.

C5wilts

3sACROWD

I find this topic humorous. If we took this to a general public forum, we would see similar banter. If I removed the name Corvette and simply stated Chevy, there would be nothing but crickets heard. Total and complete silence.

​​​​​​WARNING:. the comments below are not for the faint at heart. Proceed at your own risk.

When you boil it down, a Corvette is just another car. It is mass produced and parts can be found at your local auto parts store. You can even have the oil changed at a Jiffy Lube, drive it in the rain, and washed at an automatic car wash. It is just people's perception that make it stand out. No different than the carbon they pull out of the ground and call diamonds. If nobody said it was special, nobody would care.

Grampi50:. If / when you get your Corvette, I hope it lives up to everything you hope it to be. Whether you choose to look at it, drive it only on nice days, or drive the wheels off of it. You may just find yourself asking why did I wait? For me, the time was right, the price was right, and it fits my needs. My only regret is I didn't get to put all of the miles on my Z06.

​​​​​

GroundFlyer

Mr. Black

I wanted a relatively cheap car I could modify to my hearts content and not be "ruining" anything of collectability or of high value. When I say modify, I am speaking of good clean fun performance mods. I'm not taking about spray painting stuff and making covers for doodads in the engine bay or big thumpin stereos. That's not my thing.

I've had far more expensive cars and still do to this day, and I just end up feeling guilty about beating on cars that still are worth a lot of money. I've kind of always been that way. The cheaper the car the more fun I have with it. Some of the most fun I've ever had with cars was with Fox body Mustangs. I have had many cars since my last 89GT and have been looking to get back into that kind of more care free fun for about 13 years now.

Also, I've been around modified cars for about 30 years now and have always been intrigued by Corvettes. Never really knew anybody close with one and had never even been in a ride in one. Hell I'd honestly never even sat in any year Corvette. Found this one for sale and test drove it. Was hooked immediately.


EDIT, don't confuse my post with abuse. I don't abuse my stuff.

grampi50

Believe me, I'm not waiting because I want to. When I retire in a little over a year and a half, I'm selling back like 300 hours of vacation time to my employer, then in turn they will hand me a check for $10 grand. That will be the other half of my Corvette money and I will be able to pay cash for it. I plan on driving my C5 whenever it's nice out, and I plan on taking many trips around the country in it. It will be in the garage during the winter months as they salt the roads here. I do take pleasure in keeping my vehicles looking nice, but I also love driving them. Mine will be garaged and well cared for, but I don't think it will fall into the "garage queen" category...
As far as the Corvette being just another car...I've heard other people say that and I understand where it's coming from, but I tend to believe the Corvette is not just another car...it's been regarded as America's premier sports car since it was introduced in 1953...yes, its gone through its bad years, and only the rare models/years are collectibles, but all wear the Corvette name and deserve to be treated with a certain level of respect. That doesn't mean I think every Vette should be kept in a vacuum and protected like a museum piece, but I also don't think they should be treated like throw-away cars either...

Mike98SilVert

Apparently you're not a car guy let alone a Corvette guy. You are entitled to your opinion just as everyone in this thread is entitled to their "humorous" opinions. You're mocking Corvette people for being passionate about Corvettes on a Corvette Forum. So why do you own a Corvette Z06 if it's just a bunch of mass produced parts to you?
The Corvette is an American Icon and has been in production for 66 years for many reasons, but not because of peoples perception. The Corvette stands out for many reasons. Car guys are passionate about automobiles, trucks and anything on wheels. Different cars have special appeal to different people for many reasons. There are many different cars, trucks and motorcycles that appeal to me.

Pounder

Well Said !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

Centerline1999

I'm an equal opportunity car guy. I've owned them all.... GTO's, Camaro's, Mustang's, Nova's, and a whole lot of Mopars. I do admit that Mopar muscle cars of the '60s are my passion. That said, I bought my first Corvette, a '66 427/4 speed fastback in 1971. That damn thing was fast as hell and would pass anything but a gas station. Had to sell it when the wife told me she was pregnant but vowed I'd eventually buy another.

In '89 I bought an '81 C-3. Mirrored "T" tops, 350/350, deep metallic red. Nice car but pretty anemic with only 195 hp. I rebuilt the 350, added side pipe headers, a nice cam and a good set of heads. That improved its performance almost like night and day. My son was just going into high school when I owned that car and he loved it. He was a great student and had maintained straight "A"s through elementary and jr high so I told him if he maintained straight "A"s through high school, the day he graduated I'd give him the car. He did very well.... until he discovered girls, so No Corvette for YOU!

I always felt kind of guilty about not giving him the Corvette and now 25 years later he's married, has 4 kids and a big house to pay for so it's not like he can afford one. I decided to pick up my '99 for the specific purpose of leaving it to him when I kick the bucket. It will hopefully be 40 years old or older when that happens... but you never know. At least I know he'll eventually have the Corvette I promised him.

Flightwriter

I sold one of the first C5s in the state of New Mexico back on the official release date of March 7, 1997. The commission off that sale ($1988.12, I still have the pink pay receipt) convinced me to stick with selling cars a bit longer than the six weeks I'd put in up to that point, which in a very roundabout way led me to where I am today. It also spurred my personal affinity with the C5, which was the first "livable" Corvette that I genuinely liked not just for its horsepower rating.

Fast forward to January this year, when I began idly searching for a potential replacement for my '08 Miata. Shortly after that, I dreamed one night (seriously) that I had a 50th Anniversary 'Vette. The idea stuck in my brain, so I began looking around for a C5 of my own, and preferably a 1SC coupe with a 6-speed. My early searches were not encouraging; while there were plenty of used C5s available, most were convertibles and all but one worn-out example were automatics.

Three months after I'd launched my C5 search, I was within a day of signing the papers for a black '04 automatic convertible - pretty much the complete opposite of the car I wanted, but I'd tracked down its previous owner who filled me in on its well-maintained history - when I happened to check the website for a Chevy dealer up in Santa Fe, and my '03 Anniversary coupe was the very first vehicle listed under its Used listings. The dealer had just taken it in on trade, in immaculate condition and just 20,500 miles on the odometer. The previous owner had traded it and an equally pristine 1990 C1500 454SS (with all of 29,000 miles on its clock) for a C7 Stingray. After some back-and-forth with the numbers it was mine!

aj98