Thirty-eight years ago today, 25 January 1967, I walked on the car lot of Reedman Chevy in Langhorne, PA, just outside of Philly. I was three days removed from college graduation, hadn't more than a buck-two-ninety-eight to my credit, and hadn't even received my first paycheck. However, I knew what I wanted, and that was a Vette. My buddie in school brought a maroon '66 conv., 3-spd to school that previous fall, and that sealed the deal; I wanted one, too.
I can remember strolling up and down several lines of new Vettes. I bet if I said there were in excess of thirty all lined up in rows, I'd be pretty close to accurate. And I looked each one of them over and over.
I didn't know an L-79 from a sack of tomatoes; a tri-power with air from a bag of donuts, or any of the other options that I've come to know (and value) nowadays. But I wanted a convertible, "stick", and a radio. Those were my bare-bones requirements.
And I ended up with a green L-79 conv., 4-spd with radio, no power anythings, and saddle interior. I signed the paperwork that night, and picked it up two days later, Friday, 27 January 1967. I remember as I drove home that evening hearing about those three astronauts dying on the launch pad during a test that same day.
With a little help from my father (read this "a loan"), I gave Reedman $4786 and they gave me a Corvette. And I drove it everyday for almost seven years until the realities of home ownership made that impractical.
The car was painted several years ago, re-chromed and attended to in detail. Frankly, it looks today exactly like the one I drove home in January '67.
Hope this interested you.
Tom
I can remember strolling up and down several lines of new Vettes. I bet if I said there were in excess of thirty all lined up in rows, I'd be pretty close to accurate. And I looked each one of them over and over.
I didn't know an L-79 from a sack of tomatoes; a tri-power with air from a bag of donuts, or any of the other options that I've come to know (and value) nowadays. But I wanted a convertible, "stick", and a radio. Those were my bare-bones requirements.
And I ended up with a green L-79 conv., 4-spd with radio, no power anythings, and saddle interior. I signed the paperwork that night, and picked it up two days later, Friday, 27 January 1967. I remember as I drove home that evening hearing about those three astronauts dying on the launch pad during a test that same day.
With a little help from my father (read this "a loan"), I gave Reedman $4786 and they gave me a Corvette. And I drove it everyday for almost seven years until the realities of home ownership made that impractical.
The car was painted several years ago, re-chromed and attended to in detail. Frankly, it looks today exactly like the one I drove home in January '67.
Hope this interested you.
Tom
Comment