OverBudget

Hi all,

This forum has been a great help to me over the past 3 years in building my dream car. The car is 97% done (is a car ever done?). Because my business has done so well, I was able to virtually have an unlimited budget to build the car. I have more than (2) new Z06's invested in the car.

Well, because I spent so much, it has made it more difficult to want to drive it that much or thrash it. I do enjoy it, and my wife use it for short sunny jaunts (there is no top or windshield wipers, so it is a nice weather car only). It has taken the class win in the Portland Roadster show the only 2 times I have showed the car.

Well, I am selling one of my businesses and we are going to be buying a 2nd place in Scottsdale, AZ. Part of that process is buying furniture for the place, house domestics, and we will probably need 2 cars for the time my family and I are down there.

I started thinking... (scary). If I rarely drive the vette in Portland, and Scottsdale is sunny 325 days a year, why not transport the car down there and make it my 2nd car for when I run around. The other car could be the family hauler (Suburban or something). The issue I realize, is that I need to mentally commit to doing so and what will happen to the car (paint chips, wear, etc.). It will mean the car won't be "perfect" anymore and I probably won't bother showing it. The upside is I would enjoy the car I built and probably so will a lot of other people who get to see and experience it.

I know this is my call, but I wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts.

Thanks,

James

62Jeff

Balance the enjoyment you'll get, against the angst and worry from driving.

I have a 62 that I restored in 1983. I busted my rear to make that car as perfect as I could. I've driven that car less than 1000 miles in the past 24 years, because any driving I do jeopardizes the "show car" abilities of the car, and serves to undo some of my hard work. Driving that car is often an orchestrated event - with a check of the weather radar, and sometimes even a pre-drive of the planned route in a different car to ensure there aren't any water repairs being done (don't want to drive over water and muddy the restored chassis).

I have a 65 that is very, very nice but not restored, has a door ding here and there, a dirty chassis, etc. I drive that car whenever I want, whereever I want, sometimes on a whim, and enjoy the heck out of it. Certainly I get more daily enjoyment out of that than the 62, but thinking about driving the 62 regularly just makes me think of all the work I'll have to do AGAIN if the car deteriorates.

Do what makes YOU happy and what sits well with your gut.

Jeff

327Heaven

Go for it James. Sounds like a great plan

Share your baby (the vette that is ) with the lucky ones who'll catch a glimpse of her. To me owning a garage queen is a waste of one's building talent and the pure fun factor that goes with showing off our rare rides. Good luck on your move to Scottsdale.

Sky65

Driving a show car sounds a bit scary to me. I think it would take some serious mental/emotional adjustment to enjoy the ride. That is one reason I bought an incorrect driver quality car. I enjoy it every day. Not just show days. I think Jeff has the right idea. A show car and a driver. At the end of the day, as I'm sure all will say...It's your car. Do what makes you happy. Good luck.

Bluestripe67

Take it to Arizona, enjoy it under near perfect conditions, and make sure it's safe when your not there. As stated before, show it to the public, care for it, and enjoy it. There will be times as you ride around AZ in the Sburb, you will say, it's a great time to have the Vette, wish I had brought it. Life can be damn short so you don't want to look back and say, "I wish I had done this or that". Dennis

DSR

Cars are made to drive! Put that garage queen back on the road. Dave

1955 copper

It's great to build and have a show car or trailer queen , but after the pride and awards it brings and it's over then what?
Then if you don't drive it your just storing it for some one els. Remember everything you own is on loan, some day some one els will own it.

1Redctoo

I love looking at the show cars but I LOVE driving my '66 driver .
I have the fun of taking it to small local car shows but it is by no means a show car . Everyone seems to enjoy it at the shows and I get to drive off in it at the end of the day . Hopefully you'll enjoy both !

Kensmith

I spent 4 1/2 years building my 32 Ford SHOW CAR! After all the money, time, awards, I realzed how much I didn't like the car because I was afraid every time I took it out for a drive. I basically only drove it to shows. After owning it for 8 years, closet full of awards and trophies, I sold it to buy my 65 coupe. I will spend time and money on the 65, but no where near to the extent I did on the 32 as I want to just have a very nice, cruise-in driver that will look great but I will leave before awards time and not worry about anything. Much more fun that way. If you have money, don't care about awards and like the car, drive it or sell it and buy a nice driver.

65 DENCO

Drive it like you stole it. Thats what they are for. Or buy another one not as nice since money is no object. Either way drive a Mid Year everywhere, like when old vettes were FUN!!

Plasticman

Go for it, or sell it, and buy a "driver" instead.

Plasticman

GCD1962

Cars are meant to be driven. If you don't drive it you might as well park it in your living room and look at it like a piece of furniture. You can also subscribe to the thinking that if you drive it and later want it to be a show car, just do it over again. Chances are you will take care of it when you drive it and it wouldn't need that much to bring it back to 100%.

Another way to look at it is, what would a new car cost and would that offer as much satisfaction to you? Maybe not Corvettes, but there are many cars out there from the 60s, 70s that are fully restored and almost like showroom new that are far less than most of today's unishape cars that everyone buys.

w1ctc

Garage queens are great. The more the better. The fewer old Vettes on the road, the more notice those with drivers get.

capevettes

Sounds like you want to drive it. The options are drive it, sell it or turn it into a museum piece. Since money appears to be no object, I would drive it. Life is no dress rehearsal

Seaside63

Imagine pulling up to the nicest restaurant or country club in Scottsdale and tossing the keys to the valet!

And were else do you think they're gonna park that baby?

A $120,000 SL Mercedes or even a $170,000 Bentley won't get the attention and respect that your Corvette will.

Paul L

I would sell it and buy a C6 for daily driving.

*Edit* - Let me try that again. My 1967 is not a show car but it is very nice. But it was painted two years ago and I hesitate to drive it. To the extent that I may sell this summer and get a low-mileage C5. Too much invested in paint etc. to be damaged by driving. Sad, but true. We fix these cars and then back off from what we made new with pain and big $. I had a minor stone chip on a new front repro bumper ($425) last summer and went nuts. These are high-stress cars.

66jack

Sell it and buy about 30 ricemobiles

jack

oldschoolvette

drive it.

1coolC2

Amen!

I received a phone call Saturday morning to find out one of my employee's in Washington state suffered a heart attack (he's 47 years old) He made it through ok but man....that will scare the crap out of ya!!
Enjoy everyday like it's your last one here. Drive that thing...it's a car for god sakes, that's all...a car. If something gets damaged, it can be fixed..maybe even better than it is now.
My advise is this, back it out into the road and light up the tires until there is a great big smile on your face (and massive cloud of smoke) and then you realize it's over and did not hurt really bad. Kinda like ripping off a band-aid really fast... Problem solved

Russ T Gate

Life is to short to not enjoy what we have worked so hard to get. If you can afford to build it you can afford to insure it. Drive it and enjoy it.
Russ