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@PLC8 - I feel your pain......or aggravation. I bought my first Corvette when I was 32. It was my daily driver and I didn't care what people said. I was working 50-70 hour weeks and traveling a lot for my job while they were working 40 hours and going home every night to their families. I retired at 55 and all I heard for a while was "it must be nice." I remind them about my long work weeks and that I moved my family 800 miles away from our families for 13 years to be able to do it. That usually shuts them up. My wife and I also built our last house last year on seven acres of hardwoods in a rural area. Our backyard is just a pool and the concrete/landscaping around it. Our neighbors all own more acreage than us and we are surrounded by horse farms, cattle farms, etc......
We've invited some friends over but we have no problems going to see them vs asking for the jealous comments. We worked too hard to put up with it. Like you we have very little debt and live very comfortably. It's a lot different than the little one bedroom apartment we first lived in where we had a bedroom suit, a couple of beach chairs with a parson's table between them, a television, and a kitchen table. My Mom thought we were living in poverty!
It's kind of funny that you mention your 3500. I have a 2020 2500HD that I drive to meetings for two charitable organizations where I serve on their boards. I don't want to "flaunt" my C8 at these places because most of the people there don't have what I have worked hard my entire life to be able to get - and you are right. It cost about $8k less than my C8. A few of them who I know won't give me a negative response have seen my C8, but I keep it to a minimum just so I don't have to listen to it.
I've had my C8 for four months and it has 2200 miles on it so it's not just sitting. I would say at your age if you are saving money, running your business well, then enjoy the fruits of your labor. Nobody wants to be the richest guy in the cemetery!
Only two people where I work know I have the car. I bought it for me, I didn't buy it to try and impress anyone. I don't need to deal with ignorance of a bunch of people thinking I make too much money, etc. Just a lot easier to never talk about the car and go about my business.
When I read this thread I can't help but think "boy, there sure are a lot of insecure people out there." I think there's a lot of psychology around their comments and it's not your fault, it's theirs. Part of it is the jealousy. Part of it is opportunites missed. And part of it, maybe most of it, is that you've unseated or upended the "hierarchy"...it's a surprise to them, and a minor threat.
I remember talking to a older, very, very, wealthy guy once who had several sons who probably all shared in their dad's wealth, and he was talking about cars or something (I don't remember how we got on the topic) and since I had just come back from Italy and saw the Mille Miglia come roaring through and I took videos of the cars stopped in town, I showed him some of the videos and he suddenly fell silent and then he said "...yeah, but did you do...(whatever)." He could have said "very nice, I'm glad you had a chance to enjoy it." But I struck a nerve and I didn't expect that at all from someone in his position. I'm sure his sons have also had opportunities like this but I upset the "hierarcy."
The only way anyone knows I have it is if the(y) have come over and we went to the garage which is typically what we do . I have heard so many negative comments about why I would need such a car ,Why would you buy something like that etc . So much negative I guess it’s jealousy but it sure is a downer anyone else experience this reaction from anyone .
Let me get this straight: These people come over to your garage and diss on your cars??
I have friend who has 3 Porsches and he calls it my "Fauxarri" and teases me about "not being able to afford a real exotic" lol . it's all in good fun though
Not so much family and friends for me, neighbors…..Try owning a 97 Viper GTS-blue/white, a 360 Ferrari, 17 Shelby Gt350, 20 C43 AMG, and then a 21 C8 at the same time……and having to rent a additional garage and rotating cars out to drive them.
No real nasty comments, just crap like you can only drive one at a time, why so many cars ?
The DMV must love you ! etc. The insurance must kill you……
Now I have sold off the Viper and the Ferrari in the past 16 months, so I am less of a collector now.
Now this was in a upper middle class neighborhood, some had the BMW’s for the wife, some Rovers, etc.
In the end as others have said, your success makes them feel less successful. Most of friends are better off than me and many have exotics, so no jealousy for the C8. Men are very competitive in the possessions and image of success arena…..so that is what you have to deal with today.
Sadly so many people are caught up in outdoing the next guy (and there is always someone with more) that they can not enjoy what hey have and be happy with it.
Most all of us had little or nothing at one time, so we started at the bottom. OP has done well for mid forties, so others are jealous.
I have friend who has 3 Porsches and he calls it my "Fauxarri" and teases me about "not being able to afford a real exotic" lol . it's all in good fun though
The Difference between a "Friend" and an "Acquaintance". It is 3AM and your other car brakes down on the freeway. You call a Friend and he will answer phone and come and pick you up. You call an Acquaintance and he won't answer phone and next day at say 11, he will call and say he missed your call. Enough Said LOL
You need some new friends, and I think that will find some pretty soon, because your values are changing and your friends either are excited and happy for you, or they don't get it.
Years ago, I had a 944 Porsche and I heard "it must be nice" many times from so called friends. I always had to explain I'm making car payments like everyone else.
Then I bought my first Corvette and joined a Corvette club, and never looked back. What a fun bunch of people.
You worked hard to build a successful business, you bought a C8, life is short, that's all I need to hear and I like your values. I think there are a lot of Corvette owners that can relate to that.
Go for it, you deserve to be proud of it.
I have friend who has 3 Porsches and he calls it my "Fauxarri" and teases me about "not being able to afford a real exotic" lol . it's all in good fun though
That's funny too, unless he owns some of the few rarer models of Porsches considered 'exotics'.
The Difference between a "Friend" and an "Acquaintance". It is 3AM and your other car brakes down on the freeway. You call a Friend and he will answer phone and come and pick you up. You call an Acquaintance and he won't answer phone and next day at say 11, he will call and say he missed your call. Enough Said LOL
An acquaintance will bail you out of jail. A best friend will be in the cell sitting next to you saying “ I didn’t think she was a cop either.”
01-29-2022, 01:12 PM
