Love at First Sight……turns ugly….but lasts 6yrs
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The roundabout comes into sight with the engine singing in 4th. Wait….not yet…..now, I jump on the brakes hard and slot third, still nothing coming, I’m going to get a clear run. Off the brakes and back on the power, my little red Italian thoroughbred slices through the roundabout with the tyres squealing as I drift towards the curb on exit. I hold my breath, it’s possible I might have finally misjudged it this time but then the front tyres grip and I’m through. It’s 1992 and I’m late picking up my girlfriend from her part time job at Pizzahut. I pull into the carpark to wait up and as I sit there in my pride and joy, a 999cc Fiat Uno 2 door (with 44bhp!) it happens. The Shamen’s Ebeneezer Goode is blasting through the stereo but I start to hear a rumble. Looking round expecting to see a Harley Davidson I see it for the first time. A beautiful blue curvaceous beast of a car. A Corvette Stingray. One day I’m going to own a car like that.
……..
It’s Wednesday the 29th December 2010 and I’m sat at my desk in a near empty office bored stupid. During the intervening 18 years I’ve got through :-
Another Fiat Uno (5 door with sunroof this time!)
Rover Montego 1.6
Vauxhall Cavalier 1.8
Vauxhall Astra 2.0
Audi A6 2.8 v6
Toyota MR2 T-Bar Turbo
BMW 5 series 2.0 E34
Mitsubishi Shogan 3.5V6 SWB
Nissan Skyline R33 GTS
Vauxhall Cavalier 1.8
Toyota Hilux (single cab, battered to hell and one of my all-time favourites despite a 55mph top speed)
Mitsubishi L200
BMW 5 series 3.0 E39
Nissan Skyline R33 GTR (heavily modified inc full roll cage and running 600bhp)…….also too low to get onto drive so had to park at parents’ house 15 miles away!
BMW E43 M3
Nissan 300ZX twin turbo (lightly modified 350-400 bhp……also too low to get onto drive…..you’d think I’d learn!)
Mercedes C43
There’s no work to do so I decide I might as well turn to my favourite site and see what’s happening on PistonHeads! I click the link to an article about 10 convertibles for the summer and as I’m scrolling down, there it is……..a blue Corvette Stingray!!
I click the link to the advert and spend the rest of the day dreaming about getting behind the wheel………….
More to follow
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/lt5j57Ld.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/t6z6s7Qi" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/t6z6s7Qi.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/FauAwpC6" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/FauAwpC6.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/tKUFKIAV" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/tKUFKIAV.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/mANvIfZp" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/mANvIfZp.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/3AP40ibz" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/3AP40ibz.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/gssqPFGK" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/gssqPFGK.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/ONxJeqeZ" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/ONxJeqeZ.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/2PiCMwXB" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/2PiCMwXB.jpg)
……..
It’s Wednesday the 29th December 2010 and I’m sat at my desk in a near empty office bored stupid. During the intervening 18 years I’ve got through :-
Another Fiat Uno (5 door with sunroof this time!)
Rover Montego 1.6
Vauxhall Cavalier 1.8
Vauxhall Astra 2.0
Audi A6 2.8 v6
Toyota MR2 T-Bar Turbo
BMW 5 series 2.0 E34
Mitsubishi Shogan 3.5V6 SWB
Nissan Skyline R33 GTS
Vauxhall Cavalier 1.8
Toyota Hilux (single cab, battered to hell and one of my all-time favourites despite a 55mph top speed)
Mitsubishi L200
BMW 5 series 3.0 E39
Nissan Skyline R33 GTR (heavily modified inc full roll cage and running 600bhp)…….also too low to get onto drive so had to park at parents’ house 15 miles away!
BMW E43 M3
Nissan 300ZX twin turbo (lightly modified 350-400 bhp……also too low to get onto drive…..you’d think I’d learn!)
Mercedes C43
There’s no work to do so I decide I might as well turn to my favourite site and see what’s happening on PistonHeads! I click the link to an article about 10 convertibles for the summer and as I’m scrolling down, there it is……..a blue Corvette Stingray!!
I click the link to the advert and spend the rest of the day dreaming about getting behind the wheel………….
More to follow
ks to them, get it bought.I spend the next few days poring over the photos and desperately trying to justify owning a left hand drive American classic. Eventually I pluck up enough courage and give the seller a call but surely it’ll have sold after it’s been featured on the main site……it’s still for sale but it’s down in Southampton and I’m in Shropshire. I spend a few more days thinking about nothing else, joining the Corvette owners club and asking lots of questions. A great bloke in the club says he’s local and will meet me at the sellers if I want a 2nd opinion. It’s all arranged and before I know it, I’m driving down to Southampton on a frosty morning in the middle of January to look at a 37 year old left hand convertible (well T-bar)…..what am I doing!
I get to the address and there’s no sign of life or cars. I’m still early so park up round the corner and wait, trying to supress my nervous excitement and desperately trying to remind myself to be objective. I’ve taken sensible precautions, my dad is in the passenger seat and has spent the past 18 years shaking his head at almost all my previous purchases so can be relied upon to point out all the problems. While we wait he chips in with a few comments about it being left hand drive, it’s 37 years old and I’ve got zero mechanical skills, how am I going to get parts, will I get insurance, fuel economy will be bad……. Plus Simon, the bloke from the owners club will know his stuff.
Just then a lovely red Corvette pulls in behind us and I jump out and meet Simon. It’s the first time I’ve actually seen a corvette since that original encounter back in 1992 and I can’t believe how excited I am. We jump back into our car and pull up at the house. Still no sign of any cars but there’s a garage so it might be tucked away. I ring the door bell and I’m greeted by an elderly lady. I’m sure I’ve got the right address, I’ve checked it at least 5 times in the last 20 minutes!. “Hello, I’m here to view the Corvette that’s advertised” I say, “Ah, yes I’ll just get my son”…..phew. John comes to the door, he must be in his mid-fifties with long hair, not sure what I was expecting but so far it’s not quite what I was imagining. He takes us round to the garage, opens the doors and there it is. It’s beautiful. It’s dark inside but it’s looking as good as the photos on the outside. We have a good look round and then he starts it up. VROOM…..warblewarblewarblewarblewarble. What a noise! “I’m afraid it’s a bit noisy but I like the cherry bombs” says John. I’m sold.
The next thing I know I’m sat in the passenger seat trying to decide whether to giggle like a little boy or scream like a girl as we hurtle down the road and I realise I’m a lot closer to the oncoming traffic and there’s no seat belts!!!
“Do you want to drive back” asks John. “Sure” I say. Not sure I can remember much about that initial drive I’m afraid but I’ll never forget pulling back into the drive, jumping out and turning to my Dad in hope that he might still be able to talk me out of it. He’s stood there grinning like a 10 year old!
2 Weeks later I’m on my way back down to Southampton to collect the car.
I get to the address and there’s no sign of life or cars. I’m still early so park up round the corner and wait, trying to supress my nervous excitement and desperately trying to remind myself to be objective. I’ve taken sensible precautions, my dad is in the passenger seat and has spent the past 18 years shaking his head at almost all my previous purchases so can be relied upon to point out all the problems. While we wait he chips in with a few comments about it being left hand drive, it’s 37 years old and I’ve got zero mechanical skills, how am I going to get parts, will I get insurance, fuel economy will be bad……. Plus Simon, the bloke from the owners club will know his stuff.
Just then a lovely red Corvette pulls in behind us and I jump out and meet Simon. It’s the first time I’ve actually seen a corvette since that original encounter back in 1992 and I can’t believe how excited I am. We jump back into our car and pull up at the house. Still no sign of any cars but there’s a garage so it might be tucked away. I ring the door bell and I’m greeted by an elderly lady. I’m sure I’ve got the right address, I’ve checked it at least 5 times in the last 20 minutes!. “Hello, I’m here to view the Corvette that’s advertised” I say, “Ah, yes I’ll just get my son”…..phew. John comes to the door, he must be in his mid-fifties with long hair, not sure what I was expecting but so far it’s not quite what I was imagining. He takes us round to the garage, opens the doors and there it is. It’s beautiful. It’s dark inside but it’s looking as good as the photos on the outside. We have a good look round and then he starts it up. VROOM…..warblewarblewarblewarblewarble. What a noise! “I’m afraid it’s a bit noisy but I like the cherry bombs” says John. I’m sold.
The next thing I know I’m sat in the passenger seat trying to decide whether to giggle like a little boy or scream like a girl as we hurtle down the road and I realise I’m a lot closer to the oncoming traffic and there’s no seat belts!!!
“Do you want to drive back” asks John. “Sure” I say. Not sure I can remember much about that initial drive I’m afraid but I’ll never forget pulling back into the drive, jumping out and turning to my Dad in hope that he might still be able to talk me out of it. He’s stood there grinning like a 10 year old!
2 Weeks later I’m on my way back down to Southampton to collect the car.
Alex-led4v said:
...and then he starts it up. VROOM…..warblewarblewarblewarblewarble. What a noise! “I’m afraid it’s a bit noisy but I like the cherry bombs” says John. I’m sold.
Sounds suspiciously like my buying strategy for anything interesting.Don'tstartitdon'tstartit...damn, you started it. I'll take it. I apologise for the dribbling. And can you help me up, my knees have given way.
Good story so far!
RDMcG said:
Excellent! This is what PH is all about. Give us updates when you get it. I am sure you will have adventures with it.
There are some cars that attract communities of owners and the Corvette is one of those. Have fun!
Keep up at the back, he bought a beautiful car in 2010, we’ve yet to reach the “ugly” bit of the story.....but are waiting with bated breath :-)There are some cars that attract communities of owners and the Corvette is one of those. Have fun!
Jim
andy43 said:
Alex-led4v said:
...and then he starts it up. VROOM…..warblewarblewarblewarblewarble. What a noise! “I’m afraid it’s a bit noisy but I like the cherry bombs” says John. I’m sold.
Sounds suspiciously like my buying strategy for anything interesting.Don'tstartitdon'tstartit...damn, you started it. I'll take it. I apologise for the dribbling. And can you help me up, my knees have given way.
Good story so far!
On a related note, there was a particular bike I had lusted after since forever (a Suzuki GT750 - 2 stroke water-cooled 750 triple). A friend of a friend had one, and it was suggested that he might part with it, so I went over, just to have a look, you understand. It was all there, patinated rather than restored, and I thought, hmm, do I really want to reduce the toy fund by several thousand pounds for this or not? Then he started it up….and oh, the cackle from that triple through those pipes. "So, er, how much was it you wanted for it? Any negotiation on that price? No? OK, how would you like the money?"
It's in the man cave as we speak
That shape Corvette has always been on my lottery radar. Not sure whether or not I could justify one. However, I do live less than 2 miles from Claremont, so, never say never.
This was me roughly 1987 and belonged to a private car collection of a well off local businessman.
The noise out of the side mounted twin pipes when it fired up.............MY GOD it sounded immense!! For a kid in the eighties driven around in old Allegros and Cortinas, it was like something from another planet. This car made me a petrolhead, no doubt about it!
Looking forward to reading more of the story as I love old Corvettes
The noise out of the side mounted twin pipes when it fired up.............MY GOD it sounded immense!! For a kid in the eighties driven around in old Allegros and Cortinas, it was like something from another planet. This car made me a petrolhead, no doubt about it!
Looking forward to reading more of the story as I love old Corvettes
Edited by Uggers on Saturday 30th December 10:12
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