Originally Posted by McGirk94LT1

While its not necissarily fair i make a blanket statement like that, im not talking like a 10 year old. Its what I see witness and hear about. So maybe its a locality thing, but maybe not. I have always thought drag racing shouldnt be a crime. However yeah there are too many people my age that dont understand there is a time and place for everything, and some of the crappy roads in most states arnt the place for it. Just as you say im being ignorant because of my age maybe you are as well. I think its great im seeing so many teen age guys log on to the c4 forums and c5 forums sayin i got my first car i bought myself. Its great that not everyone resorts to a stock engine accord with a turbo attached and thinks its the end all be all. However ive seen enough to know that, while some of the best drag racers ive ever seen, and those in other racing circuits are older, when it comes to street cars I stand by my statement. Mainly do to the issue of money. Most these wealthier guys that retire and pick up hot rodding or continue hot rodding as a hobby go to the 9/10ths in building their cars. How many guys below 40 or even 50 have you seen with a 30's coupe with a blower sticking out of the hood? Cars that make an honest 500-600hp and probably 800lb ft. And they have full 13" brakes and MT slicks out back. Yet even with all the "right" running gear you think they really get on a car like that hardly at all? Experience is a good teacher I completly agree with you on that. More you do it the more consistant you get. Lets take something on the street that is just as extreme, the current 8, 9, and 10 second street bikes. How many older guys ride them? Very few that I know is a fact. Part of it is they learned eventually a bike like that could kill you if you keep acting dumb, and want something different in a bike something... yes thats right slower. But lets compare my dads riding to my own. My dad has riden for 45+ years, never dropped a bike, and riden the whole schibang of bikes(current bike is a low 12 second cruiser). Ive ridden 3 years now but riding with him for years and years ive watched all the people that make the wrong mistakes. I can tell you right now that im a hair less likely to go down on a 8 second bike then he is. His experience will save him in all the areas mine wont, but my reflexes and willingness to judge corners from a more "sporting" I guess you could say stand point are better then his.

The waxing thing??? How many 40+ guys have primer special cars... you have GOT to be joking if you thinking waxing and showing your car is a young guys forte. I just had to laugh at that. Lets come to the real world for a second. Ill say im pretty ashamed at most of my and younger then my generations taste in things. I was raised pretty old school despite what you might think. The huge wings, Kia Souls of the world, and pink rims are what a lot of younger guys think is cool... why im not sure maybe its just marketing mind control who knows. But the girls are of the same generation and they go with it too. Having a mustang now is not the same as having a mustang in 1970. It seems to be a running joke on here that more daughters have them then their fathers now a days. The only people who really talk about and show their cars to others, are the ones usually talking to other true car guys.

The other reason I know the older crowd(remember I did say im talking the over 50 crowd here) dont use the super vettes for their... purpose I guess you could say is because of the mentality I see and hear all the time. I found there are 3 kinds of vette owners. The possers who own it maybe 2 years because they wanted to show off then sell it cause it scares them(or own it for 10 years and drive it 2000 miles), the guys that are true car guys or usually more specifically vette guys, and those that drive it as a status symbol but arnt quite either of the other two. They have the one mentality that drives me crazy. They get challenged but a worked Mustang and they always say they just laugh it off or ignore the other guy. Like you said most younger guys dont know when the right time to go fast really is, so now that your older and wiser and know you can race on this specific road with no hassle, why are so many sticking their nose up at the other guy? Its a vette, yes a status symbol to most but first a formost a fast car. I stand by what I said, if you dont drive it fast you should have spent the same 80k on a loaded Cadillac because all you did was just save the next guy that buys your car a huge tons of cash... so maybe I shouldnt complain hmmm...

All im sayin your askin me do I really think younger guys have the skills to handle a zr1, and yes some do. Maybe more then you think, maybe not. But skill wasnt anything of what I was talking about, im just talking about slamming throttle every once in a while. You even supported what I said. Maybe the young guy doesnt have the sense to not bring it up to 130 on a horribly paved road but at least hes doin it and truely drving the car. You may be the exception and I truely applaud you for having a driving spirit, but your just that. And if you can shoot down what I just said Ill agree with you. But I think lt4's description of the evolution of the vette fits amazingly well.

Originally Posted by vant

Well I don't drive a C6, but I do have a C5 Z06, mainly because it is the lightest Corvette (3,118 lbs curb weight) going back to the '63 model year. I was sold on the raw and visceral race car feel which is, disappointingly, somewhat less pronounced in the 6th generation models (feels softer and too much like a grand tourer for my tastes).

I will be enticed to buy a C7 if the curb weight comes in under 3,000 lbs and has excellent steering feel and driver feedback. It seems to be getting harder and harder to find a true driver's car. People are more interested in computer controlled transmissions, gimmicky electronic features (that aren't very well thought out in most cases), or wall-to-wall alcantara / pimp daddy interiors.

Originally Posted by mustclime

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1986-corvette1.htm

1986=3101lbs

Originally Posted by I Bin Therbefor

As an older performance oriented person, I admit to being confused by the enthusiasm over stiching on seats, paint on wheels and decal kits making "new" editions.