Those Were The Days

[Tom B.]

Re: Those Were The Days

Bought my 66 coupe for 5600 in 82 still have it. I remember when I could buy 67 big blocks for 1200-1700 all day long around 71

[Mike M.]

Re: Those Were The Days

a couple days ago, i began the disassembly of our 65 FI roadster which i have had since 1970. its got just a tad over 20K original miles. When i boufght it for 650 bucks in 1970, the seller insisted i take its original short block, which was laying in front of the car, in a west virginia mud puddle. i originally bought it to flip the FI unit and air cleaner ,which then were bringing more than what i paid for the old girl. thank god NCRS came along and educated me, otherwise it would be a memory.
its glen green, saddle leather(i intend to use the original interior as i believe it will get the Interior star), 375 hp with its original drivetrain. only significant option besides the regulars, is teak wheel and tele col. i added the KH K/O's years ago. when i got it, it had 4 Dayton wire wheels and a dealer installed luggage rack on its butt.
This ole 65 will probably be the last corvette i restore, at least its the last in our collection that needs restored. when and if it duntov's , it'll be # 13 i've rescued and achieved the Duntov.
it may be the 2nd to last i do, in the event i find a black 67 L88 coupe, or a black 65 375 coupe.
its been a great ride. mike

[Barry H.]

Re: Those Were The Days

Back in 1972 I bought a 1967 2 top roadster, 427-435 HP, Trans Ignition, 4 speed, Posi, factory side pipes, Black with White Interior & Hood Stinger, Orig. 3 Carbs were replaced with Alum Manifold & 850 Holley. Cost was $1800, & I traded a 64 Triumph TR-4 & received $750 trade in. Total Cost was $1050. I used it as a regular driver, so fast loud I almost went deaf or killed myself. Traded it to a "Corvette Dealer" straight up for a 1971 454 4 speed Blue Coupe & kept it for 4 years. Barry Holmes

[Dick W.]

Re: Those Were The Days

Some of these stories will sound so stupid that it could not have been us that did it, but some might enjoy hearing them.

I had a guy offer me a Marina Blue/blue 67 435 convertible and $800.00 for the 62 red/red 340 i mentioned in the previous post. I told him no I'd have to have $1300.00 difference. The day two fools met, me that I didn't take the offer and Ron Howard a friend of mine now that actually offered it.

About 1975 or '76 I was offered a '66 425, M-22, J-56, NO-3 coupe for $1,800.00 Had a new out of the box '67 bolt on's on it. No money to spare at the time, local Corvette dealer bought it, kept the wheels, sold it for $2,400?, buyer flipped it again for about $3k. I found the car about 25 years ago, well ragged out and they wanted $100k for it.

[Roy S.]

Re: Those Were The Days

Bought a 63 340hp split window in 1970 for 1300.00, sold it years later for 2500.00 thought I'd cut a fat rug. Bought my wife a 68 GT500KR convertible in 1978 for 6,000 sold it years later for 9,000 thought I'd cut a fat rug. Who knew, I thought we were driving cool cars for free.

[Kenneth B.]

Re: Those Were The Days

I am sure we all have stories about the one that we should have bought but also on the otherhand I took a 1967 White/Teal 435 conv. 2 owner with most of the nice options but the guy wanted 18000.00for it which I thought was too much money but bought it 6 months later. I took it BG & tried to sell it or 25000.00. Everyone said it was too much money. Took it back home & sold it a year later for 40,000.00. It was the year the for sale area was the boweling ally parking lot I believe.

[James W.]

Re: Those Were The Days

In late 1980 at 17 years of age I bought my '64 convertible (my very first car) for $2995 with lawn mowing money and a summer road construction job. The car was in need of a complete restoration. My dad was a big help in getting it done before high school graduation. I still own the car and a few original cars my dad bought back in the early 1970's. RIP Dad, thanks for a great childhood growing up with you and Corvettes.

[Chris H.]

Re: Those Were The Days

I got into the hobby later than most of you (1999), but I’ve got a kick myself story. In 2000 I could have bought a 63 coupe, 340 horse, silver on red, for $30k. Ugh.

[Thomas B.]

Re: Those Were The Days

In 1971, as a buck sergeant at Maxwell AFB, Ala. (state abbrev. from good old days), I sold my '65 GTO to a guy on base and bought a '64 convertible, 365-hp, 4-speed, 4.56 posi for $1,450. It was great fun until the engine came apart about a year later, followed by the differential a short time afterward. Completing college on the G.I. Bill, I had just enough to buy a new 300-hp short block. To save the expense of new lifters, I pulled the hydraulic lifter cam from the new engine and replaced it with the solid lifter cam and lifters from the old, ignorant of the necessity to place each lifter in its original position. Anyhow, it worked out well although it didn't have the screaming acceleration of before with a used 3.55 differential.

Enjoyed reading the reminiscences posted here.

[Dick W.]

Re: Those Were The Days

Going way back, I bought my first Corvette, a 1961, in December 1962 for $1,650.00. I was in high cotton, in high school with a Corvette. Won't expand on the benefits. Kept it about eight months and sold it at a dealer auction for about $2,350. Back then if you made a couple hundred dollars on selling a car, you were doing good.

Have tried for years to find the car, VIN #313, with no success. It went to Florida in 1964.

[Mark D.]

Re: Those Were The Days

In 1967 I was 11 years old and my wife was pregnant with the 1st of our 17 children. A Corvette would have to wait, and wait, and...

[Dick W.]

Re: Those Were The Days

In 1967 I was 11 years old and my wife was pregnant with the 1st of our 17 children. A Corvette would have to wait, and wait, and...

[Don H.]

Re: Those Were The Days

I think Mark has been sipping some Pappy this fine Sunday afternoon.

[Eric J.]

Re: Those Were The Days

My Parents bought a 1959 used when downstate in Detroit in 1961 (Dad was 25 mom was 21). Brought it back to our home town Marquette MI. It was the only Corvette in town. A college kid at NMU wanted that car bad (Silver/Red base HP 3 speed) Finally offered my dad $300 more then he paid for it. He sold it went home to get the title and my mother was devastated. He felt awful. The deal went through, but he promised my mom they would buy a new one. They went to the local Chevy dealer Vielmetti Chevrolet and ordered one. ($4,173 out the door) Mom picked the color (same silver/red) dad picked the engine, base 250hp (It was mom's daily driver and he didn't want to have to mess with solid lifters). He promised mom he would never sell it.... He didn't. Mom passed in 2011, Dad in 2018. Promise kept.


Mom on left dad in the middle the week they took delivery

Order form. The posi is a 3.08!

Dad in 2017 when we pulled the engine to clean it (It was pulled in 1981 so don't panic bowtie fans)

Eric

[Bert L.]

Re: Those Were The Days

Wonderful post Eric....thank you for sharing those evocative family photos and the very
interesting purchase details.