Anyone ever had a family member/friend ask to borrow your vette?

[G Winter]

My wife drives OURS about any time she wants. I asked my dad, 80 yrs old if he wanted to drive. He couldn't get out to the car fast enough.:L He farmed for over 45 yrs so the six speed was not a problem and he enjoyed it to the point were I would have missed a great time by not offering. I have let reletives drive with me shotgun and most people I would allow if they actually knew how to drive a stick, few people do these days. My brothers I would allow to drive alone but very few others that I would. The look on thier face when they get to drive a vette for the first time is priceles.

 

[Zippy]

I've had couple of people ask, but if they are so rude as to ask a question like that, they just proved to me they are NOT respectful enough to drive it!

On the other hand, if I trust someone, I offer them a chance to drive it.

 

[DanHammer]

I've had a few co-workers asked if they can take a seat at the driver side and some friends who have gotten behind the wheel while parked, but no one has asked if they can drive it. My oldest son, who owns a BMW M3 and Audi A4 3.0 liter ... he is the only one who have driven my vette and he said it's too fast for him ... a lot faster than his $56k BMW M3. I have driven my son's BMW also and it is fast too ... but no substitute for my vette ...I love that V8 deep sound and the way it kicks you back in the bucket seat when you nail it ... my son likes my Sunshine too much that he already asked me to sell it to him if I get tired of it ... that will be the day!!! Not for a while.

Dan

 

[78SilvAnniv]

When I was in CA a few weeks ago, I got to meet Bud and Rare81. Bud offered my mother and I if we each wanted to drive Rare! I can't drive a stick, and Mom said she probably forgot how, so Bud took each of us for a ride up and down the country road. He even did a burn out with each of us in Mom's driveway.

Did I mention Mom's driveway is at least 500' long?
Heidi

ps...I loved the ride, and Mom returned positively grinning from ear to ear!

 

[cjs2]

When I got mine, my wife drove it (because she gave it to me so she had to drive it home) but she refuses to drive it now. She is afraid she may "hurt" it. My sister and her husband drove it, and my best friend. All these drives minus my wife were supervised. A couple people have asked, and I laughed.....

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

None of my friends would ask but they are all welcome to have a go in Thunder. When I had the 63 my best friend always had a set of keys. The car spent almost as much time in his garage as it did in mine.:eyerole

I urge my wife to take Thunder but she is afraid of the 383 and says that it takes too much pressure to push the gas peddle down. With a 7:1 weight to HP ratio she could be correct.

 

[Heavy Duty]

I let my brother drive mine this past labor day. Of course I was in the pax seat with him. Being that he is a Harley driver, he was very impressed with the get-up and go of the vette and how well it handled. Both of my sons want to drive it real bad. They keep hinting at me to let them take it to the drag strip. I keep telling them "no-can-do". I bought my vette for crusing. Also, I know that the minute they are out of my site Mr. Goodyear will be all smiles. I keep telling them that if they really want to drive a vette to trade the WS-6 for a Z06. Then they would have a real car and then I could ask them if i could drive their vette or we could swap cars from time to time.

 

[vee93]

Oh, sure. A guy who'd like the two of us to start dating has asked a few times. My brother actually thought I'd just toss him the keys when he asked. Ask ohn, fellas..., it ain't gonna happen. Ride, yes--drive, NO! H*LL NO!!! But I did break down and let Momma drive the Vette one sunny, just-us-on-the-road of a loooong straight away. Well, she got a grinny outta it--after she nearly snapped my head right offa my neck when she floored it. That..., that was interesting.

 

[berky2500]

Only three others have driven our cars besides my wife and I. It seems as if everytime someone drives my 85 (which has only been my wife and my sister) something breaks. Not because they do something wrong, I think it is just because the car doesn't like anyone else driving it. Twice I've found that my wife has let others drive my Grand Sport, but what am I going to say, it's hers too and she loves to show it off. Maybe when she gets her own, I can keep others hands off of mine, but I really don't mind certain people taking it for a test drive.

 

[taegdh]

My mother may have raised a fool, but that was my brother!

I let the wife drive it in the driveway once and she claimed it was too much for her..

NFW I will let my son drive it.

 

[Kwikerthanu]

I've had a few kiddingly ask to borrow it. I don't think so, is my reply. It's not that I'm stingy, but this is my baby, and I certainly wouldn't loan one of my children to anyone. My wife can use it when ever she wants, but hasn't yet, as the weather hasn't been very nice lately. Heck, I'm still getting used to it myself as I've only had it a week. Any of my other cars, have at it, but not the baby.

 

[SSTibet]

I had my wife drive it once; she was scared to hell with the size and power of the car and that was it. My older brother drove it once and loved it. Nobody else asked to drive it; they prefer the passenger seat... I would say "no" anyways!

Even my older son does not ask for the keys, it is a dangerous car for young people, step on the gas and it is a rocket...

I don't drive other people's cars and they are not allowed to drive my baby! That's it...

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

I think that the reason that I have so few friends (2) is that I will only have a friend that I can trust with my Bikes, Cars, Dog and Wife. Everyone else is just an acquaintance.

 

[Baju Barker]

My father who was 74 at the time drove the vette with me as a passenger. He really enjoyed that. My wife drives the vette once in while, 3 times in 3 years, her choice of course. As far as girl friends driving your vette, beware. In he early 70's I had a 69 vette L-46 4 speed and was letting my girl friend drive the car. I got a call from work that the car was wrecked, ran off road into a soft shoulder and flipped end over end and landed against a tree. To make a long story short I found out that some guy was driving the car, her other boy friend. And we were going together at the time. So beware of letting girl friends drive you vette unless your in the seat beside them.

 

[boblx2a]

The only one that I know that has ever had the nerve to ask to borrow my Vette was my grown daughter. Actually I offered it, she would never have asked for it. Everyone that I know thinks that I worship that car and would never think to ask to use it. Actually that is not the case I don't mind loaning it to someone who I think won't abuse it and can handle it with no trouble. She used it to go on a retreat up in the mountains and her car was not reliable enough for her to trust it. Also I did not want to sit home worrying about her.

The places I hate to give it to are tire shops, etc. The place where I go for tires I have learned to go with them when they drive it. Usually I get wheels aligned or something so they have an excuse to drive it. I have tried telling them to take it easy but shortly I will hear the pipes roaring up the road which gives me the distinct idea that they were not "taking it wasy"!

But family and friends have never been a problem......................

 

[Randy Eads]

My wife asked me once.....

ditto .... just once!

 

[Silveradojoe]

I don't drive other people's cars and they are not allowed to drive my baby!


DITTO!!

The only ones that I would let drive the Vette are my brothers, who I feel are responsible and wouldn't "let all the horses out" in the wrong situation. And any drive would be a relatively short one, not one where I don't see the car for a few hours.

This is pretty much the same way I have felt about all my vehicles thru the years. Call me selfish, but that's the way it is.

 

[BarryK]

so far only 2 people have driven BABY. One is my mechanic as we were doing some work on her and she needed driving to test our repairs, and the other person was a very good friend who also has a '65 (and also happens to be the person who helped me learn what to look for when buying a Vette and helped me find BABY).
I've offered to let my wife drive but she doesn't know how to drive a stick and is scared to learn on the Vette - said she is afraid of hurting the car. Maybe after she learns to drive a stick on another car she will drive BABY.
I've offered my step brother if he wanted to drive since he has 3 classic cars himself, even if they are '67 & '68 'Stangs but he understands the values of classic cars and he is a very easy and safe driver (he declined). I would also allow many other family and friends to drive if they wish depending on who they are (and many others i wouldn't).
My feeling is the same as many already stated - these are cars to be enjoyed and driven, at least by people that can appreciate them, care for them, and be responsible for them as well as I do.

I don't think I'd be comfortable lending the car out for a whole day or a weekend or overnight but a simple drive to enjoy the car is another story.

The funny thing is, the people that I feel would be the most responsible with the car are usually the ones most hesitant to ask to drive it or to accept an offer to drive it. The ones asking if they can drive it are usually the ones I wouldn't allow to drive! LOL

 

[WhalePirot]

Usually I get wheels aligned or something so they have an excuse to drive it.

And you believe this 'crock'?

My wife stopped driving our Vette after it broke down and was towed the second time, back when it was just over a year old. Now, she sees it as MY car and does not wish to have any problems to come between us. She doesn't really like the car that much, but it is my toy.

I let a 'friend' drive it, before I did this last engine and have offered my brother and a pal drives. This is a lot of car and, unfortunately, is still prone to surprises, mechanically. The neighbor ('friend') is a helpful clever, mechanically-wise, but unappreciative jerk, I know now. He was much rougher with the car than I ever was, but hat is how he treats his stuff and others'. Never again!

You should know, too, that car insurance will not pay more than market value, which is not usually your replacement cost. Be prepared, or discuss and agree aforehand, who will pay the difference in case of an accident. I wish I could say that I just read this someplace, but have lived through it recently, with a good, stand-up pal, on another car.

 

[hAZcAT]

I let my little sister take the convertable to prom,
It is the only time either of my vettes have been on the road without me in it. I let my best friend drive it and a couple of others but I really don't let others drive my vettes or my hot rod, I let my dad drive anything I own, although he won't drive the vettes,