SonOfGaladriel

I've asked this once before, but now that I am actually close to my first corvette purchase (1969 Silver/black coupe, SB, driver quality) I'm getting a bit gun shy and looking for some confirmation.
For the chrome bumper owners out there: Is the experience of actually owning and driving a chrome bumper equal to, or better than, all the dreaming and anticipation of chasing one down?
Did the car hold up to your expectations once you got it and started driving it?
How often do you drive it?
How long can you cruise in it before you wish you were back in your modern car?
How long do you still sit in your garage just staring at it?
Is it still worth all the maintenance expenses over the years?
Love to hear some experiences to boost my courage to pull the trigger on my first classic car. I plan on driving this beauty as often as possible, fair weather permitting. It won't be a daily driver, but I can see myself taking it to work a couple of days per week.

early shark

I will tell you that the exterior styling of the car is a real WOW factor. I also very much like the interior quality of the car, however my cars are 1971 models. I have owned 3 1970's, 3 1971's and 2 1972's so these models are my preferred years. I can tell you there is nothing like these early sharks, they are unique.

Navy01Coupe

My buddy has a 69 and after 6 years of working with him on his, I now have a 70 (as of March). So…your answers are:
Yes
Even better.
Every weekend and sometimes during the week (weather pending).
My modern car is a 01. The 70 is a non-a/c car…so I’d say until its around 95 degrees.
More than I should.
TBD, but I assume yes.

Pull the trigger and ENJOY!!

Stanko73

LMAO! I have owned my 73 for 10 years now and love it more and more every day washing it, waxing it, "FIXING IT" and taking her out for a rumble! Puts a smile on my face every time. I don't get much of a summer here in the north so yes I do go to the garage stare and tinker with it all winter long. My nerves were shot when I purchased the car but every time I turned that key...worth every dime(s)

Easy Mike

If you are having second thoughts about purchasing one of these cars, pass for the time being.

I have purchased three. I had no second thoughts about purchasing any of them.

Good luck.

keithinspace

Better than. I am so happy to have my little slice of history in my garage, knowing that I don't have to worry about them continuing to appreciate and getting 'out of reach' before I found "mine".

Absolutely. Exceeded every expectation I ever had. An absolute joy to drive. Mine is manual steering, manual brakes, and manual transmission, so it is a very visceral experience each and every time. There is absolutely no comparison to a modern car, for better or for worse. That is part of the experience.

When mine was on the road (see below) I would take it out every chance I could. Over the course of the 6 or so months she was officially on the road, I put a solid 1,500 miles on her.

My car (3.70 gears and 4 speed) is not so much an interstate car. I ABSOLUTELY ADORE driving around town, but interstate is less satisfying. Mine is an A/C car, but it is currently not working. 95 degree days with a black interior can get a little uncomfortable if you're in traffic. My heater core is currently disconnected (leak), so I can't do much in winter months either. But when I'm in that 50 degree to 90 degree seam (6 months of the year), my Corvette is the car of choice with me. Hands down.

Once I get the A/C and heater working (projects over time), 4 season driving will definitely be in the cards.

I spend a lot of time looking at my car. I have lunch with her sometimes.

Gosh. An easy yes, but the time OFF the road is a little frustrating.

I had an ignition issue that took $1k to fix. No biggie, but it cost me 6 weeks to diagnose, fund, order, and install.

My car pooped out from what I thought was a fueling issue, so I invested $1k into fixing it. Ran into several other things that were cause for concern...bearing shavings in the heads among other things. Decided to tear apart the engine. I'm now 10 months into that project. To be fair, FUNDING has been the shortcoming.

I'm 3/4 of the way through it and am doing it RIGHT. 500+ hp 7k RPM race engine. But it will be a $7,000 project by the time I'm done. That includes a new sidepipe system (headers to inserts), new clutch, and the ONLY things I'm re-using are the block, pistons, main bolts, valve covers, intake, and brackets. EVERYTHING else is new and significantly upgraded. I'll be a little surprised if it is complete before the fall driving season.

And I haven't gotten into the trailing arms, the minor dogleg rust, the minor birdcage rust, the interior, the brakes, or any other.

Things breaking as a SURPRISE sucks because it takes time to get funding in place.

Things being replaced as a project...with all the parts on-hand...is VERY satisfying no matter the cost.

I'll probably have a $40k car when I'm done. Invested. It'll never be more than a $20k car, and I know that. But I'm having an absolute blast taking her apart and putting her back together again.

So...an easy yes...BUT.

I will politely offer this, though: If I didn't derive satisfaction from working on the car myself, ownership of a 1970 Corvette would SUCK EGGS. I would get so freaking tired of paying people to fix the stupid thing...couldn't image it.

LeMans Pete

Have you test driven one yet, or just looked? A test drive in these nice summer months may help you decide if it's worth it or not. Most '69s don't have AC, and if you find one that does, chances are it doesn't work very well/at all.

I drive mine in the spring, late fall, and the occasional nice winter day. I will only drive it early in the morning on summer days - these cars are hot.

keithinspace

This is a very true statement. The heat soak through the floorboards and transmission tunnel can make them feel like you have your heater on. Great on a 60 degree morning. Not so much on a 98 degree day.

SonOfGaladriel

Always the voice of reason, and I am grateful to you for that!
I've always been one of those guys that over thinks things, sometimes to the point where I've walked away from some really good opportunities due to last minute second guessing. Sometimes that has worked out well for me, other times I sorely regretted not going for it.
I do like just about everything about this car. But, as I've said, I've never owned a corvette, let alone a classic car, so I really don't know what to expect. Looking for one has become an obsession over the past several years and now I've found one that is everything mechanically and cosmetically I was hoping to find, at a price very close to my budget.
Glad to hear that everyone who has replied so far is very pleased with their purchase and their experiences with their car.

Jay71

I love my 71 ! I don't regret the purchase one bit. I drive around locally, just cruising and enjoying myself. Take a test drive ... you won't be disappointed. The best part is staring at it when it's parked in your driveway ... simply breathtaking !

SonOfGaladriel

I've actually test driven a few, but those test drives were always short and with the owner sitting next to me, talking about the car. I've never had the opportunity to take one out for any length of time by myself so I could fully enjoy what its like to drive with just my thoughts and the feel of the car.
I have test driven this particular car one time, but like before, it was with the owner on a short drive.
That's why I'm not sure how these beautiful cars drive for extended time periods.

keithinspace

Mine rides VERY well. It handles quite well. It goes straight, doesn't jiggle, and is what I would consider to be VERY comfortable to drive. No issues.

3 straight hours of listening to the sidepipes at 2,800 RPMs? Not so much.

The heat buildup by my legs? Tolerable.

-Going to the grocery?
-A 1 hour backroad blast with 12 other Corvettes with my local club?
-A cruise to get my hair cut with my son?
-Taking a family member out for a joy ride?
-Being in the Christmas Parade?
-Finding an excuse to return something to RedBox?
-Taking my awesome wife out on "date night" to Tapas and the movies?
All absolutely priceless and made better by having my car.

LoneStarV

Chrome bumper all the way ftw. Chevrolet built the very last Corvette in 1972....after that is was all downhill with those stupid Ralph Nader safety bumpers ruining the lines of the Vette....i tried to go that route....even had a C4...later C3 owners won't like my opinion

c69vete

We have taken our 69 on the power tour and to Bowling Green. Even on 8-10 hour driving days, with the original seats (in good condition) we were comfortable. I currently have Fiero seats in it and they are even more comfortable.
I say jump in. If you can drive it now, great, make it yours as time goes by. GL

Summerfun

I am the bottom of the barrel Corvette owner....rubber bumper, so I look up to chrome bumper cars.

This is what I can tell you, if you're married or have a girlfriend and don't mind listening to them whining at you and can handle them torturing you from time to time, more often than not.....then jump in and get one!

These particular cars are like women, they need constant attention and you need to pay attention to the signs they put out for you to see. If you're not tuned in to these signs, they can bite hard. If you reciprocate and give them the love and attention they crave, they will treat you really well and let you touch them and appreciate them.

If you abuse them too much they will take all your money.....not half of it :-))

They are gorgeous to look at, they smell wonderful.....can't beat the smell or rich gas and oil and rubber smoke. They will put a smile on your face that is worth every hour of sweat from elbow grease that you have put into them.

If you can handle another woman in your life get one and treat her like one. She will fill the void that that the other woman can't fill and she will do that really well if you respect her.

I have zero regrets and my c3 has taught me some valuable lessons about women, just ask my pocket book :-)))

LoneStarV

"I am the bottom of the barrel Corvette owner....rubber bumper" ...I wouldn't say that by any means. It's a personal taste thing. I have a friend who has a 73 and wouldn't consider my car. Another has a 78 and he feels the same way. The interiors got better as the C3 progressed. We can thank Ralph Nader and the tree hugger brigade for everything else.

Faster Rat

I looked for mine for 18 months and have owned it for 9 years. I will probably never sell it. I would rather pass it along to my son than donate a bunch of money and all my labor to some stranger. It has been both challenging and rewarding to work on. However, I am tired of spending money on it. Enough is enough. I never get tired of staring at it, even though it is in storage now. I did the very same thing with my '95 Harley Softail Custom. They are keeping each other company...and just resting for a while. The car is an absolute blast to drive. It is loud, powerful, hot, shakes and with the original interior...still smells like a 44 year old car. No A/C, no power brakes and the radio no longer works. If it was not a completely rebuilt big block, 4 speed, side exhaust coupe...I would probably not be so enthusiastic. However, I seem to always be listening for unusual sounds and waiting for the next thing to go wrong. I guess this is simply the price of admission to the old car club. Not for the faint of heart or those with thin pocketbooks.

keithinspace

I've heard that before. My wife and I now have an understanding about Corvette spending. It was a little tricky to navigate those waters for a while there, though.

Of course that 'understanding' is why my engine build will take easily a year and will probably stretch out to next spring.

Unfortunately, this is a true statement. The little things cost a lot. And there are a LOT of little things.

This is the best argument for purchasing a COMPLETE AND FUNCTIONAL CAR. Even if it isn't a NCRS top flight car, having all the parts there is absolutely critical. You see those cars out there that are just missing 'a few trim pieces'? Look at the price of trim pieces for either the interior or exterior. Staggering. The little grills in the nose of my car? $1,200. Each emblem? $50 min. That's not even the expensive stuff.

vettebuyer6369

Its nice hearing different peoples' experiences, but the fact is, none of their histories will be quite the same as what you will experience.

Mike makes a good point... if you are still hesitant, maybe you shouldnt buy it. Only you know this.

However, I'm going to take a different tack. Stop thinking about how it might be and buy the damn thing.

If you feel you have found the right car and that you arent settling, and if you arent getting suckered into paying too much like many first-timers, then the absolute worst case scenario is that you will find out first hand that Corvettes and/or old cars arent for you.

You will NEVER know this until you own one. There's no amount of threads or questions or support from other Corvette owners that will tell you how you will react to Corvette ownership.

Buy one. Try it on for size. If you dont like it, you will probably get a lot of your money back. Win/win.

LoneStarV

YOLO! You-Only-Live-Once!! Buy it and DRIVE it...enjoy it...work on it. 20 years from now comes next Tuesday(ask me how i know) so don't be that guy 20 years from now talking about the Vette he never pulled the trigger on.