FLORIDA

How old were you when you bought your first Corvette?
I was 25 when I bought a 1964 roadster for $1800 in 1975. It was a driver but not original for a 11 year old car. 327 was replaced with a 283, 4 speed T10, Camaro seats, needed a new top and body had been repainted. I rebuilt the rear end and all new parts in the front end. Built a 1966 327, 365 HP that I had from highschool days. Sold the car for $3600. in 1978. Top dollar for a perfect 1964 was $6000. back then. I was in CT at the time and even drove it in the winter.

C1 driver

I was 22 when I bought a new 1968 small block with T-top in August of 1968. Drove it year round in Boston. Parked outside. Used Pirelli studded snow tires in winter.

kellsdad

As I approached graduation from college in 1971, I visited the local Chevy dealer to ask about a new Corvette. The conversation went like this:
Me: "How much is a new Corvette?"
Salesman: "Will you be financing the car?"
Me: "Yes."
Salesman: "Can you afford the insurance?"
Me: "I don't know. How much is it?"
Salesman: "How old are you?"
Me: "23."
Salesman: "About a hundred a month."
Me: "No, I can't."
Salesman: "Come back when you are 26 and married. The insurance is cheaper then."

The year I turned 26 I bought my first Corvette, a 1972 Ontario Orange T-top with an LT1 engine and a 4-speed. It was great.

RatDog

I bought my first and only Corvette in 2012 at the age of 66 .

-- Steve

docent

I bought a Red 63 Roadster, with the two black racing strips on the hood, and rear deck. I paid $1400 here in California from a dealer that took my 66 Mustang 289 (3 speed) in trade.
I only had it for a year, because it kept me broke from paycheck to paycheck. The final draw was - when I was racing a 68 Roadrunner(383) and blew my 4:11 rear end out. I was leading by a half car, and shifting into 3rd, when it blew. My Dad was pissed, and lent me $100 for another 3 member with 4:55 gears.
I traded the vette in for a 68 Chevy Chevelle.
End of story
Docent

bluzrocker

I was just 19 ..and so lucky traded a dune buggy straight up for a 67/L-71 Roadster..Didnt really know what I had..but was a pure stock, original tires, 27,000 miles green w/ white stripe and top,electric windows tele wheel... vinyl int
.....Im on my 3rd 67 BB roadster...

Bluzrocker

Vetteman Jack

Bought my first one when I was 31. On my ninth one now.

5thvet

I was 21 fresh out of Vietnam and cash in my pocket to burn.......

NURVUS

I was 19 years old in 1986 and bought a 1975 Corvette from the original owner!

Plasticman

25 at the time, and I traded in my 63 XKE for a lightly used 66 Vette convertible in 1969. Was an E-6 in the Navy at the time, just back from Viet Nam.....and even then, trying to get parts for the XKE was "difficult", like a 1 year wait for a radiator header tank (surge tank).

Have had Vettes ever since.

Plasticman

ack fia

I bought my first Corvette in 1963. It was a 1960 FI that already had a 327 and holly carb. I don't think #7154 made it.

norway66

I bought my first one in 1987 .
I was 21 year old . Fantastic feeling , felt like a world champ.
It was a -73 T-top 350 aut. candy red .
The only one(of 19) I have own with aut. trans.

1COOL60

I bought my '60 in 1971; I was 19. Paid $750 and drove it home. Still have it.
160

Black_Magic

I bought my 1st Vette - 1964 Coupe Black/Black in 1964 at age 21.

I'm now 71 & have 3 Corvettes 1965 - 1979 - 2011

Maybe to young but NEVER to OLD

George

Here is pic after Vette was stolen, wrecked & recovered.
I had front modded during rebuild -- common in 1965.
Shortly after pic I got engaged - married - pregnant - sold Vette
Still got same wife - maybe I should have kept - never mind - just dreaming.

thoyer

Bought the 71 LS5 at 43

Bought 1st C6 at 46 (sold at 49)

Bought 60 at 47

Bought 2nd C6 (Z06) at 49

Bought 58 this past Sept at 50

Late bloomer I suppose??

Tom

John S 1961

16 the summer of 1978, Worked all summer in construction, saved every penny and had half the purchase price of $3000, Dad popped for the rest (unbelievable these days). 1961 vintage, a real basket case but it drove, One very rough car, didnt matter to me, still have it. It has not been restored.

My Corvette My Dad:
My 1961 Vette is so cool I just love to talk about it, I have it because of my Father: I have owed it since 1978, that summer before my senior year in high school. I worked in construction and managed to save up $1500. My father was the greatest sport in the world. After I found this really rough vette across town for $3000, (and didn’t know anything about them) he kicked in the balance. Looking back it really amazes me because not many people do that sort of thing any more (especially for 16 year olds).

Well the real experience began, on the way home I noticed that there was hot oil pouring down on my foot from the crappy line to the guage, (PO had really cobbled this thing together). Next after about 3 months the powerglide gave up because there wasn’t any kind of cooler on it! What did I know? dad bought a trans rebuild and the shop put in a cooler. By the time I finished HS I had used the car some but went to college (in my Mom’s Fiat 124 spyder).

My parents let the Vette be stored in their garage while their cars sat outside (this is Phoenix remember). One summer I rebuilt the engine and converted it to a 4 speed (in their garage). All the while being stored in their garage. I only spent four years in college and reclaimed the Vette full-time following graduation. I guess here I am saying that my father was cut from a different mold.

He was an Air force officer jet pilot, finished college in three years, joined a fraternity and ROTC. He was married very young with two young kids, his first wife died at the age of 26 of Hodgkin’s. A few years later he married again and had me. My father was always a very social person, loved golf and the country club, throwing parties and made a career as a salesman-real-estate broker and was on the Scottsdale city council for three years, president of the country club and board of realtors. He never let money (or lack of it) stand in the way of a good time or what had to be done or who had to be taken care of.

It’s not just today that people have realized that we don’t live forever and that we could be gone at any time. Maybe fighter pilots learn that at a young age after a guy or two they know “buys the farm”. My father passed away at a far too young age of 69, 500 friends and family came to his memorial, Maybe more now than ever I think about what my father would have said or done in situations I encounter in business and the world and it seems to work out. Play it cool, think things through, the guys that hustle play in the games and get the jobs.

But my whole Vette thing is because of him, planting a small seed long ago, I could never afford to buy the Vette I have now. Well enough of that (snivel) As far as the Vette; The next 15 years or so I didn’t really use it much, Insurance was just too much (hadn’t discovered haggerty) and it really drove bad. About ten years ago I started on a project to redo the engine again and get fixed all the bad things (this took about five years). It was the impending birth of my first daughter that drove me to finish and get it rolling again because I figured once the baby comes free time goes. Families do come first. So now I have disc brakes, power rack and pinion steering. I drive when the weathers nice with my girls.

dahogan

59, its never to late

1974purchase

first and only when i was twenty in 1974. still have it today, though plans are to sell it.

rongold

It was 1974. I was 27, and recently married. I bought my 67 for $500 from the family of a kid who blew his brains out with a shotgun. Unfortunate for him, fortunate for me to be in the right place at the right time. I still have it after 40 years.

C-1 Generation 2

I was 56 when I bought the 62. My original plan was to buy a 1966 new when I was 19 but Uncle Sam changed my plans. My family was first priority after my time in the Army.
Now I have the 62, 2010 GS and a 79 Z28.