Any family men out there with a vette?
 

I want a vette but I think the feasibility of owning one will not work with my lifestyle because I will never have a chance to drive it. I have a 1 and 4 year old and I need to take the 1 year old to school everyday so that means I would need a daily beater for my daily driving. During the weekends I'm mostly with the family so my seat time would also be limited in the vette.

Is it just not my time to own a 2 seater?

All about money to spare, if you can swing a Vette and a family type car you are good. If not, well I guess you will have to wait on the sidelines for awhile.

No time like the present? However a cts-v is a good option to consider

Really depends on your ability to afford several cars or not... If you can, get one and call it your "toy"....have a DD for the other menial tasks.. If you cant afford it..take care of family duties first and get one when you can afford it... really up to your finances..

In terms of budget, I want to spend under 60k for my next car. I can use my current office beater so I don't need to actually purchase a third car.

If I got a 4 seater like a CTS-V or C63 it would be driven a lot more but it's not something I really want. My first choices are a 2009 997 S or a C7 vette. The P-car is too showy for work and the C7 is only a 2 seater. I can get something I really want that won't be driven or get something I would like but not love but drive it a lot more.

Only need to take one to day care/school??

Can do

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...eat-in-c6.html

:rock:

life is short just get the vette :thumbs:
my 7 year old boy tyler loves the corvettes
we go to all the vette shows together and
mom stays home to watch the dog :lol:

I have a 7 yo boy and the other boy will be 4 in July. I have my Vette and the wife has an '09 Acadia...that is a total of 9 seats for 4 people...winning.

Also winning if you tell the wife that while your taking BOTH kids somewhere SHE would get to drive the 'vette.

:woohoo:

My boys are 12 and 14 and typically have to be in two different places, more often than not. I kept my Acura TL (paid for) as a daily driver and bought the Vette for my fun car. The last 14 years have been all about committing time to their activities and this year it was time for me to finally get back into my old hobby, Car Shows and Corvettes.

In a little over a year, my oldest will get his permit and I will teach him how to drive a manual transmission corvette, how to change the oil, routine maintenance, detail it, etc. I figure if my sons can drive a manual car with lots of horsepower, they can drive anything.

We decided the Vette would be fun for the whole family! :cheers:

Drove Corvettes since 1970 oldest daughter was born in 1974 youngest in 1979. No problems here but wife drove a Monte Carlo or Monte Carlo ss or buick Grand National,SS Impala rear wheel drive. In those days one rode in pass seat and one in back if needed in emergency. Oh and vette was my daily driver no other car.
z51vett

:thumbs:I would let her drive the thing but she NEVER has...not even once. "It's your baby," she tells me, "and I would feel like crap if I did anything to screw it up." My God what a reasonable wife, huh?

I had same issue when my girls were same age as yours. Didn't have the money or space to be a three car family. Gave up the vette. Given my situation, it was the right thing to do. Now all 4 kids are grown and I'm getting a C7. It has been a long wait, but worth it.
Good Luck. Being a parent ain't easy.

I have a 6 and and 8 year old, I do have a 2003 pathfinder with 155k miles on it for when I need it. The vette works perfectly when driving my self to work (80 percent of my driving), or when I am with one other family member. I take it to BJs/Costco and can easily put $500 worth of groceries in it. My wife pushed back at first but then gave in. At this point, it is absolutely fine, it works just like any other nice car would. I use the pathfinder when ever we bring the dog or whenever the kids are dirty (softball/soccer). The kids love going in the vette, and ask to go in it whenever we go anywhere.

I've had a Vette since my youngest son was 2. I drove a Vette, the wife drove a grocery getter van or whatever. Most people have two cars. Nif I had to shuttle the kids, she drove the Vette. All in how you work it out

Jim

I bought one with 3 kids, younger ones were 4 at the time, I didn't wait 'cause I ain't getting any younger!

Im only 33 and I consider myself extremely lucky to have an 09Z06; if it were not for a work take home car, and buying my moms buick century for my winter car, theres no way I could swing it. Married and two kids btw...............

I say if your wife is fine with you driving the one year old to day care in the vette...your good to go..

Otherwise if I were you with two young kids? I'd probably get the next generation Evos based mustang or the camaro ZL1 or most probably a CTS V ...

Thats an awesome two or four door and its a kick @ss ride..

Roger that! Patience/timing is key. I waited 20 years to get another, due to putting wife through Engineering school, etc. It was the right thing to do, no regrets at all! :thumbs:

I remember my first Vette back in 1988, it was a '77, and I had two sons, one 15 and one 9. My now ex wife said "this car is so impractical, it only has two seats"! I promptly replied..."yes, dear, and that's one too many". Poof, ex-wife! Actually, it was just a toy, something for my (and occasionally our) enjoyment, but she never really got it. My oldest son was into it, drove that car to his senior prom, and a lot of other times too. I have a book full of happy memories from those days working on that olda vette with my sons. Well, here I am 25 Years and 6 corvettes later, and still thankful I had a really harmless passion that was a significant part of my relationship with my oldest son. My new wife drives an '05 Z-51 coupe as her DD, the biggest hurdle after paying for the Vette is making sure your lady is into it, but be careful, you may find yourself home with the kids a lot more!

Remember, life is short and unpredictable. A Vette makes Saturday errands a joy, and is probably the best antidepressant available. Hmmm...I wonder if my doc will prescribe a 427 vert for me and see how my insurance carrier will respond....

Didn't get my vette until I was 52. 2 kids out of college was the time to buy it.

CTS V black problems solved

Buy a C4 and a keep your daily beater. Upgrade as life situation changes. You won't regret it as C4's are great cars

I have a CTS-V wagon as my DD to haul my son around, but I do take my son in my vette a lot, He loves it
You will find reasons to drive it

Every man needs some alone time and Vette Therapy. I have four boys and with every kid my weekend cars got less doors and seats.

My 8 year old son has been my co-pilot for 5 years. I waited as long as I did because of the family though.

IMO, if you have a family with young children its all about planning when you decide to get a VETTE. In your case, you will have the wife's car and the VETTE. If your wife's car has to go to the shop for a day or so, now you are down to one car with 2 seats and four people. Getting the little one to daycare, means a car seat, sippy cup, and the little accident that comes along with a little one.

I have 3 kids 5-11. I have a paid off 9 year old second car for backup.

You only live once man. Go for it...

I've got 3 kids - one son who is now 13. I bought the C6 when he was 10 and we've driven cross country to the NCM, Corvettes at Carlisle a few times and Detroit to the Woodward Dream Cruise. These trips + car shows and working on the vette have been some of the best times we have had together. Any chance you can get to do something you both enjoy is pretty special. They grow up really fast.

My boy is 12 and loves the Vette as much as me. He loves the days when I take him to school in it. With that said I have a Tahoe for the family time trips and its my wife's DD. I have a take home Charger from work and I own an old Crown Victoria for some work purposes. Man if you think the car is just gonna sit I would not buy it yet. Its gonna kill you to see it sitting in the garage and begging to be driven. I would wait if your as busy as you claim.

:iagree:

Don't get the car you "kinda" like, all that means is everytime you drive and see a vette drive by you're gonna think damn I shoulda...anyway I have an 8 and 4 year old, a daily driver for work and the wife drives an 09 Malibu, sometimes I'll be sitting around the house and get the urge to drive the vette, I'll just tell the wife, "Hey I need to drive the vette and get it out of my system!" My point is you don't have to drive it everyday you just have to have it available, even just for trips to the store....everytime I drive to the store in my vette I come home, hang up my keys and put the grocery bag down on the kitchen table and tell my wife, "Damn I love that car!" GET THE VETTE!!!

If you need a family utility vehicle that takes priority over owning a Corvette for the time being. When your needs change or when you can swing a Corvette in addition to having your family type cars then look to buy a 'just for fun' Corvette. Family needs and financial considerations always come first.

I have a mini van for family time and the Corvette for me time. Buy it when you can or you'll talk yourself out of it. I don't drive it everyday, but knowing I can brings a smile to my face.

When my kids (2 girls) were younger I had to have a 4 seater, so had a M3 convertible, so I could take them on occasion. Now that my oldest daughter is driving her own car now, I finally was able to get the corvette. It was a tough wait, but well worth it now. :cheers:

I also have a 4yr old and 1 yr old. I work alot and in the little free time I have I spend it with the kids. I always regretted selling my C5 in 2002 and started thinking more and more about getting another Corvette.

I really beat myself up over it. Why buy a toy that I would only drive on weekends? Why spend the money on something I really didn't need? Back and forth I went like this for the longest time.

I woke up one day and just decided to do it. You live once why wait if it will make you happy and you can afford it? About 5 weeks ago I picked it up from Tommy Jr and have absolutely zero regrets. I get up early on weekends and take it out and am back before the kids are up. I feel like a giddy little kid while driving the Vette! I wish I had done it earlier. My boys love it too, they help me wash it and always ask to see it. Can't wait to give them a ride one day.

I say go for it but only you can decide if it's right for you.

I'm married, with three kids...Not a problem, since we have more than just the Vette.

I have 3 school age kids (and one out the door!). I drove a Honda minivan for years....but as I got to thinking about it, 95% of the time I was alone in the minivan heading to work and back (50 mile daily commute). I got mine so that I could turn that daily grind into the highlight of my day. I still commute all by myself...but now, I look forward to the drive every day. My car sits in the garage all weekend while we use the wife's Flex for family time....and for those times that we do have to split up, there's always one parent who has only one kid (and get's to enjoy the Vette ride!). We hung on to a beater van conversion, but we never use it anymore.

You live in California...there is nothing that peels a work week off your skin like pulling the targa top off and taking the long way home on a Friday afternoon!

The only downside: I miss sneaking out to the mini-van and grabbing a power nap after lunch. That's a little harder to do in the Vette! :D

All my kids are grown 42 years and down to 26 and the youngest is the only one that showed an intrest in vetts ,so I gave him my 94 after he won the street car shoot out 32 car field with it, so some one in the family will take to the vett so you can buy a newer one,I had my race street vett and the kids would fight to ride in it until I made a racer out of it, now I have an 08:rock:

I have two kids. My son turns 5 tomorrow and my daughter will be 3 in August. They both love the Vette. I also have an old beater truck in the event we all need to go somewhere and mom has the SUV.

You indicate you want to spend under $60K so it sounds like the income is there. Have other priorities been taken care of first ?

retirement plans (401k/403B) if applicable fully contributed annually
529 plans for college for both kids funded on an annual basis
life insurance to protect your income

if you have these 3 covered ... go for it.

I have been married 21 years and have 5 children from 2 to 15. I guess that qualifies me as a "family man". I just bought an 08 Coupe, but my situation is probably a lot different than yours. Since you seem to be asking for advice from one family man to another, I suggest you ask yourself the following questions:

a) Can I reasonably afford it?
b) Is my wife okay with me buying it?
c) Is there any other reason I should not buy it?

If the honest answers to the top two are not "yes", then I suggest you hold off. Too many men ruin their finances and marriages by buying things they can't afford and/or their wives were not respectfully consulted about. It is also infinitely more enjoyable to own a Corvette when your wife is on board with the purchase, and you didn't mortgage the kids futures to buy it.

You also said: "I think the feasibility of owning one will not work with my lifestyle", which seems to answer to my third question with a "no", or at least puts it in serious doubt.

And then you ask a very good and wise question: "Is it just not my time to own a 2 seater?"

If your only real concern is putting a car seat in the car for your 1 yr old, then I would not worry about that, as long as it is safe to do (and it sounds like it is). However, if you have other doubts as to whether the timing is right to buy a Corvette right now, perhaps you should think it over a little more, and discuss it with the wife, until you get more clarity. You don't want to make a $60k decision without careful consideration. There is no reason to get into a hurry.

Another thing that might make it easier to justify is to buy one a few years old but still in good condition. They are much cheaper than a new one.

In any case, best of luck to you.

Do it!
 

Take it from me. I am 68 and had excuses all my life and now that I can probably afford it I wonder if I am too old. Make the time or you will regret it like me!

The issue is not financial, I'm all set in that respect. I've been wanting a new car for sometime but I still enjoy my E39 M5. It's a great family hauler but I've been wanting to get into a coupe for a few years now. I could wait but I have this itch.

The last reservation I have is safety. As I said before, it will need to transport my 2 yr old(she will be 2 by the time I get the car) to and from daycare. It's about a 2 mile drive each way. I checked Cali laws,

http://www.chp.ca.gov/community/chil...seat_faqs.html

So basically it states that it is legal to do so but statistically it is more dangerous. We put ourselves at risk all the time but putting your baby at a potential risk for your hobby is another thing even though her actual seat time in the vette would be very limited. Tough to say.

I bought my '13 Z last summer and have three kids under the age of 6. I too never drive it (780 miles in 10 months). I walk to work so I really never drive my daily driver either. I bought it because I have wanted one for a long time. And, I don't mind not driving it because I want to have it for a long time now that I have it. Get it if you want it and your family is good with that decision.

If you went down that road (Safest place to put a child) then you would wind up with a new 4 door pickup or large SUV and put her in the middle of the back seat. Safest place you can be

The Corvette isn't a small car (I know it's funny to say) it's actually larger than quite a few 4 door econ sedans. It has side impact air bags and various other safety features. Its large breaks and nimble handling make it easier to get out of trouble as well. Yes there are much safer cars for her to be in but there is always a trade off. To compare a base C6 is only about a foot shorter than your BMW but it's actually a couple of inches wider.

Heck you live in Cali get a bike with a child seat on it and cycle her to daycare before you go to work in the morning (Good exercise for you)

In the end you have to ask yourself what makes you happy. Life is to short to be looking for reasons NOT to do something that will bring you pleasure (Within reason of course)

If you still like your BMW maybe hold off a year or two before you get a new car?? By that time she will be old enough to ride in a front facing child seat (I forget how old they have to be for those)

I have two macaws, a Harley FLHX, and two Vettes (C2 and C6). The C6 is my DD. Do I qualify as a "family man"?

Had a similar issue, years ago. Bought a C4 with kids and it ended up in the garage, just too much. Waited till they got their license or moved out and in came the C6. Now the wife and I take trips without any kid issues. If they come along, they prefer to drive anyway, because they want to go and come as they wish. I did enjoy the C4 on golf outings, but that payment and insurance vs the time to drive, just was not worth it to me. IMO. To each his own.

Get an inexpensive practical car or mini-SUV for your non-Corvette trips.

But for me every trip is a Corvette trip.

I was addressing the OP.

Make a compromise, instead of buying new for 60k buy used for 40k and spend the other 20k on a preowned Malibu...I bought an 09 Malibu for the wife and kids, it had better safety rear passenger side impact ratings then the 09 Accord...it beat most in comparisons vs the Camry, accord, Altima and some others...I can only assumed the Malibu is a better vehicle now.

Most Corvette owners have multiple vehicles. Some for towing, others for hauling stuff or family. Corvette is not for transporting any of the above. (Single vehicle people not included of course)

U can always take one child t a time..... Dealt with the same thing years ago and went with a TransAm to get a rear seat. Ended up I didn't often end up needing to transport more than one kiddo at a time, so getting the 4 seater was somewhat of a waste and switched to a Vette-- then after a few years felt guilty and got a Shelby GT to once again have a rear seat. Still didn't use the rear seat more than a couple times a month, so went back to a Vette and couldn't be happier. But if you really need a rear seat a lot and can't have more than one car, your decision may be clear...

I've had vettes since 1965 and raised one boy, no problems there, now I'm 68 and reemarried to a wonderful lady who loves vettes and can drive my m6 Z51 without any problems, we are raising her daughters 2 kids, a boy, 8 and a girl 13. My wife has a Lacrosse and when its family time we use that. I drove the kids to school often, the boy to grade school and then back to the house and pick up the girl for her trip to middle school. Kind of a pain but the kids love the rides and its fun to take them and get in a little personal time with them. I you don"t mind a little hassle and are comfortable with that then enjoy and get the kids hyped up about the "cool car" dad has. Trust me you and the kids will really enjoy the time in the car.

As others have said, if you want it now and can afford it now, buy it now. Don't wait. I have my 'vette that I drive whenever it is just me, or me and the wife, and then my F150 Super Crew for moving the family around or picking up stuff.