Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

[Patrick N.]

I have sold a couple of my Corvettes in the past, my 88 Z52 that was my 1st one, and my 05 Z51. I get regular updates from the new owners on their upkeep and mods It is nice to see the cars from time to time. Does anyone else get updates on their old rides?

[Tom R.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

My old car and still a favorite is a 67 Chevy II SS. Corvettes were around $5k back then and not affordable (to me) but the Chevy II was $3k and pretty cool car. I tinker with the thought of selling off a Corvette or two and picking up a restored SS but then they go for anywhere from $30k to $40k...but then who is counting! At the drag strip, it hit the 12 second range rather consistently. Never raced a Corvette...lots of Camaros and Chevelles. Camaros were NO contest. A close friend had a 69 orange 396 but could never take me...I think it was the 327-350 with a 456 rear end...yeah, no screwing around. Edlebrook, Holley, headers, traction bars, etc. Then there was than 427 Chevelle, black with black interior we raced on Manheim road in front of the O-hare airport. To this day I don't know what he had...but his top end got me. We lost $! But it remains a great story.

While I have looked, I have never traced it down. Sold it three years later. I had done quite a lot of fabrication to make it a drag car. Since then...I keep em original and why I like NCRS and its mission.

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67SS%20Front.jpg

[Patrick N.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

Tom, that thing looks like it is meant for business, very nice! I love the exhaust poking out behind the front wheels. Geez, the front wheels are VERY far forward!

[Tom R.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

Tom, that thing looks like it is meant for business, very nice! I love the exhaust poking out behind the front wheels. Geez, the front wheels are VERY far forward!

Front wheel placement was stock. The car was engineered for drag racing...well except the unibody construction that required reinforcement. Had to watch constantly that the rear end was not being ripped out from underneath.

[Dan A.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

My first classic car was a 1969 Z28 that I bought in 1986 and foolishly sold in 1989. It seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth until I found it this summer in Ohio (I live in Texas). I’ve connected with the owner and we have become friends of sorts. He has promised me first shot at it if he
ever sells it, but I suspect he’ll want more than the $15,000 I sold if for 34 years ago.

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[Bill M.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

I did the reverse with my 67 I located the first and second owners bothe from West Waco Texas. I kept in touch with Bobby second owner for about 10 years. He owned car fro 1968 to 81 he sent me a dozen pictures from him with the car in bell bottoms all the way to a business suit.

[Tom M.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

Sold my ‘68 327/powerglide Camaro in ‘93 to buy my unrestored 30k mi base 4sp ‘69 roadster. I found the Camaro in NH about 10 years ago but the owner seems to have gone quiet. I’d probably trade even up to have the Camaro back.

[Bob W.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

Not a Corvette (German Corvette??), but my '89 928S 4/5-speed is now in Irvine, Calif and I'm in constant touch with the now owner. I bought this car while on Long Island, sold it a few years later to a guy who drove it away. We subsequently moved to Williamsburg, Va and one day I saw 'my car' on the road and intercepted the owner. He was looking to sell it and I bought it back. However, the years had not been kind to it and I undertook an NCRS-level restoration. Once done, I again sold it and through 3 subsequent owners, I've tracked the car, or rather, those owners engaged me as I knew it inside/out.

[Terry M.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

The first Corvette I purchased new (also the first Corvette I owned.) was a Fathom Green 1969 coupe, 427-390hp, 4-speed with side pipes. I totaled it in 6 weeks and 3800 miles.

Lots of in between details, but fast forward about 30 years and an NCRS member who occasionally posts here from Massachusetts messaged me that my 1969 was for sale and the phone number from the add. I called and the sale had been reconsidered and the car was under restoration in a nearby suburb, I occasionally called the new owner -- the son-in-law of the man who bought it at auction.

A couple of years later I got a picture (I would post it if I could find it) of all the Corvettes I had ever owned (a few less than now). At that time I gave him the sales documents and original owner's card which I had retained. I unfortunately gave the original trim rings and PoP to the scrap yard where the car was taken after the "accident". The auction winner never got the PoP.

Another fast forward and I talked the owner into having the car judged at an NCRS event. I got to judge the Mechanical section at an Indiana Chapter meet. Although the car was not restored to NCRS standards it scored a strong Second Fight mostly because the paint was too good. It was the way they wanted it for show and shine events. He also said it was too costly to do an NCRS style restoration.

All in all a lot of fun for me to be in touch with the car and owner. Even if I only owned it for a brief time, it was my first. You never forget your first.

PS: There were a lot of other close calls where I almost reconnect with the car. I have prepared a long story for Vinnie to put in The Restorer, but these kinds of human-interest stories are not very popular among the membership. While I was Editor, I got more than a few complaints about publishing these sorts of stories. I can't find that photo, and the whole story is now "old news" in my life. And now I have lost a computer with that story in it and recovery, even though I have the hard drive, is not going well. All reasons for these episodes languishing.

[Michael J.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

Since I built my LS-9 at Wixom, my name is on a plate on the engine of that 2012 ZR1. So, as it changes hands, I do get notes from the new owners on CF. It is fun to keep up with it as it travels around, gets modified, etc.

[Duke W.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

I'm sure all my former vehicles ('72 Vega GT, '81 diesel Rabbit, '84 MBZ 190E 2.3, '65 Honda CB 160, '73 Honda SL 350) were turned into rebar long ago.

Of the seven cars I've bought in my lifetime, all new, I still have four, plus the last bike, a '83 Honda CB1100F, last of the air-cooled inline-fours.

The one I wish I still had is the SL 350 (a Honda motorcycle, not a Mercedes)

Duke

[Jim L.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

You folks are funny!

Sure, I "keep in touch" with my old cars. Every day I go into my shop, I greet each and every one of them, including my FIRST car, a five-seven Shaker I bought December 14, 1966 from the second owner. I bought that car when I was 18 and told folks at the time I would never sell it. They laughed. Who's laughing now???

For those of you who have bought and subsequently sold your old cars, you have my sympathy.

[Larry E.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

Here is a picture of my Hugger Orange 69 Z28 certified by Jerry MacNeish. Car was sold several
years ago. Current owner from PA called me out of the blue and had nice chat with him. Decided to
just settle in on C2's. Thanks>Larry

[George H.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

My first Corvette, I purchased new from Raymore Chevrolet in Central Square NY. It was the new C2 1963 Roadster (hard top only) black with black interior, 327-340hp, 4-speed; Vin # 30867S112794. Picture attached. I paid a little over $4,200 when I ordered it. I traded that ’63 in on a new 1964 Corvette convertible that I purchased from Salina Chevrolet: Vin # 40867S111085. Attached picture is the sales invoice showing both Corvettes.
A few weeks ago, I Googled just the Vin # on my ’63 and what I found out blew me away! It’s in the UK and has been fully customized! It sold six years ago 23 Sept, 2017 by Historic Auctioneers at the Brooklands Motor Museum, Trafford, GBR. Sale price was 56,000 lbs. / $75,577. Just Google the Vin number and click on site showing the sale. View auction to see several pictures. What a makeover.
Now where is my ’64?

George Hunt
NCRS Florida Member
73-74 Tech Manuel team member.

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Sales Invoice 1964 Corvette.jpg

[Patrick H.]

Re: Do you keep in touch with your old cars?

My first Corvette, I purchased new from Raymore Chevrolet in Central Square NY. It was the new C2 1963 Roadster (hard top only) black with black interior, 327-340hp, 4-speed; Vin # 30867S112794. Picture attached. I paid a little over $4,200 when I ordered it. I traded that ’63 in on a new 1964 Corvette convertible that I purchased from Salina Chevrolet: Vin # 40867S111085. Attached picture is the sales invoice showing both Corvettes.
A few weeks ago, I Googled just the Vin # on my ’63 and what I found out blew me away! It’s in the UK and has been fully customized! It sold six years ago 23 Sept, 2017 by Historic Auctioneers at the Brooklands Motor Museum, Trafford, GBR. Sale price was 56,000 lbs. / $75,577. Just Goole the Vin number and click on site showing the sale. View auction to see several pictures. What a makeover.
Now where is my ’64?

George Hunt
NCRS Florida Member
73-74 Tech Manual team member.

https://www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2017-09-23/cars/ref-151-1963-chevrolet-corvette-c2-roadster/