Chip A

I’ve been around here a few months and it is clear to see that you folks are a dedicated bunch. My question to you is how and when did this happen for you? Were you a GM fan, a Chevy fan, or is it only a Corvette thing? I can tell that many of you have owned many Corvettes over the years and more than several of you own multiple Corvette’s now. How did the bug bite you, and what are the stories of how you came to the Corvette lifestyle? There must be more than a few good tales to tell. Which of you have owned the largest number of Corvettes over the years?

JKbride

Great question and suspect this will be a good thread

For me I was and still am a dyed in the wool Pontiac guy, and particularly a Trans Am enthusiast. When GM killed the Firebird line and later Pontiac I was pretty upset, it was almost like loosing a good friend.....enter the Corvette

I waited for the Camaro to come out, and I tried my level best to like it well enough to buy one....but it's just not the car for me. I started looking at Vettes and fell in love with them.

It's strange how life is, in some ways, not having the option to purchase a Trans Am was the best thing that ever happened to me in the car hobby.

fyreline

I've had Corvettes since 1970, with a few years off while my three sons were teenagers still living home (this was at the advice of my insurance agent). Anyway, two friends and I bought a derelict 1954 rolling chassis and body while we were in high school as a "fun project" . . . Ah, the optimism of youth! We figured owning ANY car would be cool, and having a Corvette would make us frosty indeed. We did eventually get it running and on the road, with a Buick nailhead V-8 and a set of used Cragar SS wheels. The dreaded problem of "OK, which one of us gets to drive it tonight?" rarely if ever materialized, it wasn't running that well or that often to be an issue and it usually took all 3 of us to get it home anyway.

Once you've "had" a Corvette (although in this case I think the 'Vette had US), you just can't settle for anything less. The amount of basic automotive knowledge we three gained on this beauty, especially welding and electrical, served us all well over the years. We all went on to other, better Corvettes and we all still see each other once in a while.

Corvettes will do that to ya.

PacificaVette

I've always liked distinctive cars---something that I could call "MINE"---unique, like no other car. I used to own customized VWs (my favorite being my "Trauma Red" Karmann Ghia).
When I decided I wanted something with a bit more power, I first considered Porsches. With my VW roots, the 914 seemed like a good starting point, but I never thought they would be a very good platform. Next, I looked at 911s, but after plenty of research, I decided that the cost to own/maintain/modify them just wasn't worth it.

My son actually first called my attention to Corvettes. I always liked the look of the C3, so I shopped around, but prices seemed out of line to what I'd be getting---usually a car that needed a ton of work.

So, I gradually came around to the C6. I looked at a few used ones, but when I saw the "year-end" prices from a local dealer (Boardwalk Chevrolet), I just couldn't hold off. I bought my VY coupe in December 2008, and it's been the most enjoyable car I've ever owned.

londonk

My uncle had a 62 when i was a kid....we had a Gm side and a Ford side of the family. I was a Corvette lover from the moment i could understand what a car was. i remember my mom buying me my first Vette! it was 1984 C4 plastic 1/8 scale toy car that was blue...lol i loved that car! it got ran over by my neighbor. My first real one was in 1995 just after graduation of high school my dad was my hero all of my life. He made sure i got the car i wanted it was a black 95 ZR1. talk about being the luckiest kid on earth! My dad hated cars he loved a chevy truck tho... but he never stopped me from my dreams. From that point on i have had a 98, 2000, 2005, 2006 Z, 2009 ZR 2001 procharged Z, 2002 EB Z, 2008 AO Z and last but not least a 13 GS 60th ECS A6.... i lost my dad in December of 2012 he was starting to like "those old Corvettes" finally! lol i must say its a lifestyle that i love

Iconic

Short answer;

Horsepower.

Long answer;

I bought a new GS 'cause it's a badass looking and handling piece of machinery.

Tonylmiller

Corvettes just kept getting better, and when the C6 came out, I just had to have one. I finally bought a used garage queen and I absolutely love it.

I had a lot of Chevys in the 60s and 70s, including a 1968 Camaro rally sport. Nowadays, I haven't had much luck with GM cars, although I have an old Chevy truck. I usually buy Japanese. However, the C6 was just too good to pass up.. I'm hoping to have my C6 for many years to come, unless I trade for a 427 convertible some day.

05Z51C6

Growing up (I'm 30), my dad had two. He had a red 1984 C4 and a red 1996 C4. He had the 84 when I was entering HS, and he got the 96 when I was 17. He let me drive both and I was hooked from there. The 96 was a stunning car...pristine. When I was 19, I bought a 1996 white Firebird. I followed that up with a 1999 Trans Am a year later. Then I had a 2002 35th anniversary Camaro SS. All along, I knew one day I would have to move up and get a Corvette. Finally, in September 2012 I bought my 2005 Z51.

mpuzach

My first Corvette experience was back when I was just seven years old. Our neighbor took my Mom and me for a ride in his then-new '58 (no age jokes, please!). The car was charcoal with red interior. I remember sitting on Mom's lap, hanging on to the grab bar over the glove box area, and loving every minute of it. Fast forward to the fall of '62 when the '63 Sting Ray was introduced. Damn, what a beautiful car! The barber who I went to had a brand new black '63 coupe. I used to ride my bicycle to his shop just to look at his car. When I needed a haircut I'd wait until his chair was empty rather than go with the first available barber just so I could talk with him about his Corvette. The great thing was that even though I was just a pesky kid he was always gracious and willing to talk with me as though I was a "real person". It was my conversations with Pat that sealed the deal and made owning a Corvette one day a certainty.

When the C3 came out he traded the '63 in for a new '68. It wasn't just any '68, it was a Le Mans Blue L88 coupe (t-top). By this point I was of driving age and I couldn't stop drooling. For a car guy, there was nothing better than that '68 L88. Still, for a mere high school student the thought of owning such a car was nothing but a fantasy.

It would be many years later before I was able to even consider buying a Corvette; by that time I wasn't too crazy about what they had become. Long gone were the massive power and beautiful-sounding engines. (We're talking C4 era.) In short, when I could finally afford a new Corvette I no longer liked them. It wasn't until the C6 was introduced that it seemed as though the stars had finally aligned for me. I ended up doing a factory order for a loaded coupe, waiting 84 days for it to be built and delivered, and finally being a Corvette owner. I've had it since July of 2005 and can honestly say that I love it as much today as I did the day I brought it home. I guess you could say that I'm living the dream. BTW, my Corvette is the only Chevy I've ever owned.

LIE2ME

Actually, I was never a Corvette guy, not even an American car guy. My life long dream was to own a Jaguar convertible (I loved the old XKEs). Well, after many years of dreaming, I finally was able to afford the Jag and bought a drop dead georgous 2008 Indigo Blue, XK Convertible...

Well, remember the movie, "The Gremlins"? In the 18 months I owned that car, I endured an unending attack of gremlins that ravaged the electical system of the XK. Dash lights went black, heater relays blew, the convertible top would drop halfway then jam either half up or half down, and the battery, oh the battery. I went through four batteries in 18 months. I would buy a new battery and the car would suck the life out of the battery in short order. Talking about "shorts", how about an "intermitent parasytical draw" even the dealer couldn't find. Finally, in despiration I contacted an automotive engineer and asked what I should do? He answered me in three words...

Sell the car.

That's where the Corvette comes in. I was getting ready to trade the XK for a three year old BMW 6 Series and my wife says, "What about a new Corvette?" I replied that I was pretty sure I did not have the $$ for a brand new Corvette but that I would take a look...

Two days later I was driving a brand new 2LT Corvette auto coupe for several thousand less then the three year old BMW was going to cost...

In the year I have owned this car, I have fallen more and more in love. It's fast as hell, comfortable to drive, well put together (fit and finish is BETTER then on my XK that cost over $95,000.00 new), utterly reliable, absolutely beautiful to look at, and did I mention "Fast as hell"?

I now have been bitten by the Corvette bug. How sweet it is, and no, this will NOT be my last 'Vette...

42Chevy

I have always been a musclecar addict. I work in the automotive field and like them all. To me it doesnt matter the brand, I can appreciate each one for what it is and love driving them. I used to have some type of old car sitting around for the weekends, but when my boys got to be driving age and parking spaces at the house became fewer and fewer I made a change to sports cars I could drive every day if I chose to. That led me to leasing my 08 BMW Z-4. I loved that car, and when the lease was up knew I would be staying with the brand, but wanted more room. Enter my 08 328i sport. I loved everything about that one....only....it needed more power. My plan was to get a 335. But then last summer I was in Houston visiting my brother in law and his son just bought a very low mileage 02 Z06. We took it out...He let me drive....I was hooked! I knew this was what I was looking for. The smile that was on my face, I believe is refered to around here as permagrin. It has gotten even bigger now that I actualy have my own. When it came time to find one, I did my research and decided I wanted the biggest motor I could get and since the Z-06 was out of my price range, I knew it would be an 08 or newer C6. I had to have an automatic/heated seats/XM radio/HUD and wanted homelink. That narrowed my choice to a 3lt car. Now I just needed one at the price I was willing to pay. I searched for well over a month and on Saturday March 2 at 5:55 I found one on Autotrader that had been reduced in price and was located about 4 hours away at Hendrick Chevrolet in KC. They closed at 6 that night but i got an email in to Jon Bivens and made an offer. Monday morning he got back to me and we hashed out a few details and the car was mine. I took off early from work and picked it up that night and brought it home. I cant stop going to the garage and looking at it. Now if it would just stop snowing so I could drive it.......

sdk

Hubby had a '68 Stingray while we were dating. He sold it shortly after we go married. I dreamed of owning another Corvette ever since. Finally last November I adopted a 2008 coupe. It was nearly 30 years between the ownership of the 2 'Vettes.

tprice

Not an OWNER YET but getting VERY CLOSE, just looking for right deal right now

I have ALWAYS loved the Vette's and has been top of my bucket list for years but on the back burner

Actually was leaning toward a HD for the "toy" but just one of those things I decided was not for me. Wife really does not like them and would never ride on one but she admitted she would drive a Vette and it would be a nice car for us to go on trips and cruise around on our weekends when we are out

Besides EVERYONE has a freaking HD but turn really turn heads drive up in a VETTE

Hope to be in one within next couple of months, just have not had time to really go look but have spent hours on the net "shopping" in fact so much so Admiral (Wife) is tired of seeing me look and is ready for pull up to work in a Vette

Joe1968ny

When I was 12 my uncle bought a brand new 1972 coup. That first ride did it . That being said it still took 39 years to buy my first vette. Better late than never.

CorvetteSparky

I've been a Corvette fan for about 50 years but for most of my life I felt they we out of reach. There's so many other financial obligations throughout one's life like career training, home ownership, children's sports and education that I had pretty much given up on owning one. Ironically the elimination of my mangement position at work made it possible. Now that I'm no longer a manager I have the option of working overtime and making extra money. The timing is rights too in that the kids at out of school and out of the house so the money is all mine.

My dad worked for GM for over 35 years and we always had Chevrolet cars as I grew up. I assume that's where my preference for Chevy's came from. The Corvette being a Chevrolet product is probably a bonus. I don't know if I would be as big of a Corvette fan if I preferred Ford or Dodge that's impossible for me to know.

flange

started with a used 75 firebird , that I still wish I had, moved up to 5 liter rustangs, then a vette. now a few years later, I am in my ultimate vette, a 427 vert! how did I get into it? went to the dealer with a big check and great credit score and they let e have it!!

KenHorse

Kind of a long story but (I think) a great read.....

When my wife was a teen, she had a Fawn Beige '62 roadster but had to sell it a few years later. Since we've been married, she's always bemoaned that she had to part with it and that she wanted another Vette.

In February 2006, I bought a new Mustang GT - stay with me here.....

On our Anniversary that year (in May), I stumbled across a clean 1995 white coupe, drove it over to my wife's office to surprise her (and see if she wanted it). She was thrilled, called all her office mates to come look at it. I went back to the dealer (this was my test drive!) and bought it. The next day, we picked it up and she drove it to work.

Coming home after work, she blew out a rear tire and I went to rescue her. Changed the tire and we went home. I told her to leave the Vette with me for a couple of days and I'd get new rubber on all corners for her (I knew we'd need new tired when I bought it) and she could use the Mustang for that period of time. So she drove the Mustang and I drove the Vette for 3 days while I got the tired replaced and a few other little things.

That weekend we went for a drive (in her Vette of course) and I said "Ya know... I want a Vette". She said "But you have a Vette!". I said, "No, I want my OWN Vette!". After she reminds me that I have a new Mustang with next to nothing on the clock, I said "Good! That will make it easy to sell!" I was hooked on Vettes!

So we started the hunt that very day and finally found an '02 Quicksilver ZO6 sitting in the back of a Ford dealer's lot! I ended up getting it for about $10K under Bluebook as they'd been sitting on it for a while and apparently didn't understand what they had. Took it home and never looked back!



Took me about 3 months to sell the Mustang and even had to take a loss on it to get out from under it. I ended up driving that crap out of that ZO6 for over a year! At that point, it had around 70K miles on it.

But wait there's more!

A year later (December of 2008), someone I knew was selling an 2007 C6 coupe for a great price and low miles (18K). It also had several upgrades, including a widebody rear, much mechanical upgrades, etc. I ended up buying it for around $10 under Bluebook (again!). We were going on the 2009 NCC and figured a lower mileage car made sense for the trip



She drove the Z06 home from the C6 purchase and said, as much as she loved her C4, she'll take the Z06 (I married a smart woman!)

Still have that '07 and did major bodywork to it in 2011. It now looks like this:




So yea... I'm hooked on Vettes and that's how I got that way!

Supersonic 427

My Corvette story started when I was 9 years old in 1962 while watching the Route 66 TV series. There was something really exciting to me about 2 good buddies traveling and exploring the USA in a new Chevrolet Corvette. I liked cars even prior to that time, enjoyed traveling by car on family vacations or Sunday rides and so forth.
I vowed I would have a Corvette and got my first one at 18 years old in January of 1972 ('66 Convertible) while serving in the US Navy. I am now on my 31st Corvette and have had them in my teens, '20's, '30's, '40's, '50's and hopefully beyond. So, the Corvette has been a "constant" in my life and they always will!

Vette_DD

Started when I ordered a new 67 through the local Chevy dealer at the age of 25.

Just bought my 7th Vette last September.

Had a long dry spell between the 1st one and the 2nd one.

Snowwolfe

I was about 14 or 15 and a guy in our neighborhood owned a blue vette, not sure of the year but do remember it had a 4 speed, 427, and I think 3 dueces on it, rated for 435 hp. Might of been a 68. Took me for a ride around the block and that was enough.

Not really a GM fan, just a Corvette guy. Finally able to afford one in 2001, kept it for 5 years, bought a 2009 and owned it for 3 years but sold it because we are moving. Just purchased (but havent picked it up yet) a 2013 GS.

NOTHING in the market competes with the Vet for the money and it is the best head turning car under $200K.