Daily Slideshow: What I Learned From Spending a Day in a Classic

They’re powerful

For something made so long ago these cars haul ass. Thankfully, the charm of an early era muscle car is enough to get you out of any ticket. Seriously, you have to consider when these came out to put it all into context. Driving around in a Vette in the 50s was all about making a statement and going fast—something that hasn’t changed no matter what year it is.

Swiss Watch Interior

One of the first things I noticed was the quality and bespoke feel that the inside of a 50s Corvette has. Gauges in these cars are rustic and metallic. Everything stands out like an artistic piece of industrial metal that serves more purpose than to simply shine and be beautiful. This is a theme that would carry through into another point later on. 

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ride is amazing

Having spent a lot of time as a vintage mechanic at one point in my life, the C1 is actually a very well behaved car when it comes to road manners. You definitely feel that you are in an older car, but it’s robust and tracks well. The wheels stay firmly planted to the road with cornering capability a lot higher than you might think.

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Everyone Loves This Car

At every light we stopped at people would stare. I have only been in one other car that garnered this much attention and they only made 25 of those. Vintage Vettes really do turn heads like few cars on Earth can. Every time someone could get their window down in time to talk, they did. It was a friendly experience that differed from Ferraris or Lamborghinis: in those people look at you and judge. In the C1 they simply smile and give you a thumbs up. 

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Simple To Work On

After stopping at a gas station to fill up, the owner was talking to me about how he does a large amount of the work on this particular car himself. No stranger to mechanics or older cars I was surprised to find there are few specialty tools and the cars are easy to work on. Old Corvettes really do have it all: the best looks, speed, vintage charm and mass appeal. I love the 1st generation Corvette and dream about owning one someday. It was an experience I will never forget. Hope you enjoyed reading.

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