Some people just don't have a clue.

[tak]

Bought my first Vette about a month ago, an 82. Not my first toy (project) by far, have a restored Roadrunner sitting beside it. Any how, showed my 2 sisters the car, one is 41 and other 28. This is the responce I get,,, WOH, that's cool, (long pause now) what is it ?
I can MAYBE understand it from the 28 year old a MINI COOPER owner,but come on, have they never seen a VETTE ?

Any other good stories out there ?

 

[94conv.]

When I purchased my first vette, a 92', I took it to show my buddy and his wife, his wife ask where you put the gas in and I told her the far left turnsignal lens opened and the filler was behind it. We laughed but my buddy eventually told her the truth.

 

[72VETTE454]

DITTO

I own a bright yellow '72 convertible. I was in the drive thru of my bank last summer. I'm in the bank often enough that a few of the tellers know me by sight. This one particular teller is probably in his early 30s. As I sit in front of the window at the drive thru, he says "nice car". Of course I say, "thank you". Then he says, "what is it"? :eyerole The only explanation I have is that to all of us car guys and car gals, it is simply second nature to always notice cars and to know what the make/model is of the particular car that we are looking at? Maybe we just take for granted that we know the difference between a Mustang, or a Camaro, or a Viper, or a Cadillac, etc. Maybe this guy can look at trees and determine the different "species" of trees. Maybe he knows the difference between a Robin and a Sparrow... I'm rambling, you get the point. The only thing I know is that as I'm going through the gears of my 4-speed with the top down in the middle of Summer, this is what I look like . And I couldn't care less what kind of birds are flying around or what types of trees that I'm driving under. Boy, do I miss driving my car!

 

[duke94]

To a lot of people, a car is just an appliance to get them from point 'A' to point 'B' and have no clue what ANY kind of car is, let alone a Vette.

 

[GerryLP]

My wife ekpt confusing the last generation Camaro with the late C4's...go figure!:W ;squint:

 

[vett boy]

When I bought my first Vett my dad said nothing he walked around it looked it over big time.After a long pause he said "son if you'd a saved your money a little longer you could have bought a Ford "And he was serious.

 

[zgator]

I get little kids in the 7-10tr range and when they see my car their mouths hit the ground.You can tell thry have never see a C3.Cool car mister,what it is?I tell them it's a corvette and some have said is it the new one!!That I love,seeing eyes as big as a salid plate.If I'm stopped I'll let them come over and get a real good look at it.To me an 82 isn't that old, but to them they act like there wasn't any cars back then

 

[Artsvette73]

Not that I ask the question... but I can't tell one rice burner from the other. And I really don't care to know.:ugh

 

[tak]

Not that I ask the question... but I can't tell one rice burner from the other. And I really don't care to know.:ugh

Maybe to get the younger generation to take notice in the older and much cooler car, I should put a couple of 5" phart mufflers on the old vette.

 

[Rmodeler]

Then you would really be in style!!

 

[tak]

NO, I'ld have to paint the hood black and put a cheap JCwhitney ground effects kit and a set of rims on it that stick out so far that in the rain they throw a rooster tail on the car beside me, then I'll be in style !!

 

[chevy6673]

well my dad walked by my first vette ,a black 1973 and said so you got another car.. but my 17 year old DAUGHTER can... spot one a mile away..same with most muscle cars.. she makes me very proud when i picked my son up from school at age 7 the kids thought it looked like the batmobile ..now he is 14 starting to get into cars after sports

 

[BruceBed]

well my dad walked by my first vette ,a black 1973 and said so you got another car.. but my 17 year old DAUGHTER can... spot one a mile away..same with most muscle cars.. she makes me very proud when i picked my son up from school at age 7 the kids thought it looked like the batmobile ..now he is 14 starting to get into cars after sports

I had a similar experience with my daughter when she was 16. She thought my Vette was old and embarrassing.Then the boys came around to visit my daughter. The boys knew what it was and "your dad has that Car?" They were floored that her "DAD" had something that cool. All her friend/acquaintances know the car. Now it's my 16yo sons turn. I've got to get him interested-
that 's the last thing I do before I ride off on my final sunset.

 

[Peer81]

Over here in Europe the Corvette isn't that popular to not to many people recognize a Corvette when they see them. The C5 and C6 are more popular (because of more advertisement) but the older C3 and C4's are often thought to be Ferrari's. And when you see, it's a Chevrolet Corvette. Some of them walk around the car and on there return they say, I don't see no Chevrolet decals on this car Of course now the Corvette is officially exported to Europe for about 20 years the younger generation know more of them then the older. IMO

Groeten Peter.

 

[c3stingray]

As a newbie to corvettes, I have often made a mistake mixing up C4's and Trans Ams or Firebirds, not really the Camaro because of the hood. I'm embarrassed to say that last week at dusk I even mistakened a C6 as Tran Am or Firebird. No offense, it was an honest mistake. I know there is big difference.

 

[Rmodeler]

When I bought my '82', I showed it to my son(37) and he wanted to know why I bought that old car. He thought I must be having a mid-life crisis!! He lives on a second floor apartment with a balcony. He didn't say it at the time, because he thought I might throw him off the balcony!

 

[zachh]

Im 17, and I got a '79 and attempting to get another 63- 82.... If I can find one decent under $3000... good luck with that one! I cant stand tuners with grapefriut shooters! I love to rev off with 'em. I always win with my set of Hooker Sidepipes with glasspacks. I love the sound and the drive of a vintage vette! Whenever i drive mine to school, It always gets alot of attention from all the pretty girls!
I love my car..
zachh

 

[GerryLP]

Peter reminded me of another anecdote perhaps in the opposite direction, though.

Back in 1992, we received my wife's cousins from Esslingen, Germany. They lived in the country side (and I guess the whole town is comparatively-speaking a country community when observed from major cities or metropolitan centers...:ugh ).

So anyway, they came, and at the time I was in the garage, and they both looked at each other impressed that we owned a Corvette. I thought that was curiously rewarding. I remember feeling a bit like walking on pins and needles, for we wanted to ensure that their visit was memorable. I even had taken out my American beer (which is pee water to Euro's) from the fridge, and had it in water at room temperature. Instead, they wanted to try something different and local, and I broke-out the Cuervo 1800, salt, and lime.... To this day, they always send us salutations every year.

Sorry for the minor re-direction...

 

[craig32]

I've seen (and heard it all) too. After I got mine painted, I didn't put the 'Corvette' nameplate back on the rear bumper. A 10 year old (or so) kid up the street rides by on his bike with his buddy and hollers, 'Wow, nice Vette!' I also have a friend (40) that I go to games with. This guy for 100 miles will tell me what every car we approach in the dark is by the tail lights/parking lights. Freaky. He knows cars. We were talking about my Vette one day and he was telling me about one he took for a test ride when he was just getting his licsense. Something about a low miles 79 with a console plate that said 300HP. . . had to straighten him out on that. Can also relate to the foreign cars too. I went to a show last year (pouring rain) and two 'tuners' show up. These guys work together, with their identical cars. I had to ask what they were, and was informed they were 2004 Subarus. I said 'Wow, I didn't know they still made those.' I guess it's all in what you like. . . .

Craig

 

[82ColEd]

Peter reminded me of another anecdote perhaps in the opposite direction, though.

Back in 1992, we received my wife's cousins from Esslingen, Germany. They lived in the country side (and I guess the whole town is comparatively-speaking a country community when observed from major cities or metropolitan centers...:ugh ).

snip

Yep.. Country side all the way there.. :L

When i had my car in Frankfurt/M (in Germany), some people would recognize it, some would just call it an American car (because of the special, smaller plates) but didnt know what it was. But they were convinced it needed it's own tanker truck because it must be a gas guzzler.. Yea, ok.. :eyerole

Not a girl getter though, as it was (maybe still is) known as a pimp mobile. :eyerole Some girls even refused a ride home. Fair enough, have a nice walk home..

But my buddy and i had one guy convinced that my buddy was a cop (driving a Golf GTI) and i was a pimp (because of the car). He bought it for years. Everytime we showed up at the gym together he stepped out of the way..


-Stefan