March 2002 - Grinding the Corvette Axe

[kustomvette]

i agree rob ,i have seen it time and time again,but i always will do it even if it is to just **** them off.i even give the wave driving my extreme s-10,talk about the weird looks then!! people are strange ,what can ya do................joe

 

[98TXRed]

The Wave Tradition goes down in Flames

I learned about the Wave from this site almost immediately after getting my Vette about 9 months ago. I’ve been preaching to my wife about the Tradition of the Wave. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I was out of town and she took over driving the Vette (it’s a dirty job, but someone has to). She saw another Vette and decided to join the Wave Tradition. She told me that the guy had a shocked look on his face like she was trying to pick him up (and didn’t return the Wave); she said “Never again”. By the way, my wife is a good-looking woman, so it wasn’t from disgusted (yes, I’m lucky since she also bought me the Vette).

So much for expanding the Wave Tradition!

 

[DkBG]

On our trip to the museum Mon, & Tue. I bet I waved at fifty Vettes . None waved back .

 

[sac001]

Always wave, if you get one back even better! When I first got my vette, I was thinking the same, that new vette drivers just didn't wave to the older vettes. Then one day I'm trying to pull out onto a busy road, and along comes a new vette convertible, not only did she wave first, but she slowed down and waved me in front of her!

I don't care if they wave back, but I always smile and wave. My kids also always wave, even from the minivan, they'll give a thumbs up, imagine the surprised looks they get from that!

One of the other thrills I get is when the kids wave to me and yell out "cool car", a smile and a wave makes their day, and re-generates the love and tradition. Incidently, I don't think there is a kid in the neighborhood who hasn't ridden in my vette, and if there is, I'm sure to hear about it.

Save the wave

 

[Dad]

sac001,

You had part of that right, the new vette drivers, not the drivers with new vettes, would be more correct. The older vette drivers, not the same breed anywhere. My first was in '57, now I'm in my '98, still waving. I sometimes think it may be the sign of the times, just don't have time to do that wave anymore.

Next month I’m going to set my cruse at 35 MPH, turn on my left turn signal, drive on the road most of the time and on the centerline the rest of the time. Look between the dash and the steering wheel, make abrupt turns into drug stores, stop in the road when I need to figure out where I am, BUT, I will wave at you, that's if I can see you. Now, what were we talking about??

Oh yeah, did I tell you I'm finally going to retire. :t

 

[DkBG]

I thought you Buckeyes drove like that everyday ! Congratulations on retireing . Lets go for a cruise sometime . Cliff

 

[JaggeedFire]

Hello all....newbie here. Ive found the same only among new cars. Every c1-c3 'rs have waved. I wave at all 'Vettes, no matter what im in. Hope some day they all catch the addiction!!

Save the wave!

Nicholas

 

[Rob]

Welcome to the Corvette Action Center Nicholas.

 

[mcditalia]

Good article,

I don't think I've done so much waving in my life before I got my motorcycle and my vette.

Just to expand on the comments that were already said. On my bike ( I have a zx-6, "rice burner""crotch rocket", whatever..... Its a motorcycle for christ sakes!) I quickly found out about all the little clicks that people want to be categorized in. While all or most sport bike riders would usually wave to me the Harley crowd would not while I just waved at all bike riders, not because of the brand of bike they had but because we obviously shared the open road. There are some cruiser guys that give me the wave and I do the same, again because we share a common interest/passion/vision, whatever you want to call it. I think it's pretty sad when I ride mi bike and Harley guys are just too cool to wave back. I almost laugh at how tough they try to seem with their scouring facial expressions. But then I noticed on some of my longer rides that some Harley guys don't even acknowledge their own kind.

Getting back to the vette wave. I think your going to find ass**** in every part of society that you look, whether its the Ferrari crowd, Vette crowd, whatever. These are the guys that buy cars, motorcycles...etc. soley to be egocentric and not to become a part of a larger understanding/culture which most people are enjoying on the road and with other fellow enthusiasts.

Enjoy the ride!
MC

 

[bluecoupe]

It does get confusing. I try to waive to other Corvettes unless I am hanging on for dear life pushing toward 1 G in a curve. Sometimes I borrow my son's Jeep Wrangler and these Jeep guys wave to me. I have to think for a split second then realize I'm in a Jeep. I am so used to waving to Corvettes that when I see a Corvette and waive when I'm in the Jeep or my other cars. They must think I am crazy. :crazy
I used to ride motorcycles including several Harleys. I would always wave to all makes of motorcycles. If you have the ba**s to ride you deserve a wave

 

[maddadd69]

The Wave

I am not new the the vette scene. I got my first vette in 1973 a blue '72 coupe. Since then I have had a '61 in need of restoring but driven regularly, a '75 Silver coupe, and now my 2001 Mag.Red coupe. Right from the beginning when ever another vette passes me I always wave and always have. It's part of the Corvette culture and always has been. I completely agree with Rob that it should continue. I have posted on this subject in another thread before so I won't get too wordy here!

SAVE THE WAVE

Morgan

p.s. had anyone heard from or about hotrod. (he hasen't posted since august) when i read his reply here this morning i send him an email. if anyone has any info please let me know because i would really like to talk to him.
thanks

 

[Patrick]

Hark! Is that a Wave I see?

I am fortunate enough to now be in my second Corvette. When I purchased my first one, the salesman actually took the time to explain the wave tradition to me- from what I gather, this is somewhat rare. I've been waving at every Corvette I come across on the road ever since.

Some wave back, some don't. I don't spend any time fretting about those that don't.

I enjoy receiving the wave back in return. As Rob so eloquently said, the wave is an expression of appreciation in a marquee, and all it's heritage, and all its performance. Those that get the point of the wave are the enthusiastic Corvette owners, not the showoffs. And those enthusiasts are the ones I like to believe have the philosophy I want to share.

Save the wave, everyone!
-Patrick

 

[hAZcAT]

I will wave to any vette, or cool sports car, any Bronco or cool 4x4, (I have a great bronco it goes everywhere even on top of my sisters 97 camero) about the only thing I won't wave to is a rice boy car (those with more stickers showing than paint, hard to wave when laughing that hard) but I do love the idea that I put a sticker on my car and it goes fast, but that is another story..

 

[froggy47]

Hi Rob,

It's not just some Vette drivers, it's also some golfers, boat owners, you name it. There are jerks in any sport or hobby. I just ignore 'em.

 

[redc4corvette]

Don't feel bad when someone doesnt wave, where I live your luckey if anyone on the road even knows what a corvette is.But that is Maui not a lot of vetts over here.

 

[doylede]

Rob,
I can't speak for other C5 owners, nor can I describe the behavior of any "majority" of C4 owners.

What I can tell you is very simple and personal. My experiences as a C5 owner on-line and on-road.

On-road I try to always wave to other Corvettes because I believe that we do have a shared experience that no foreign car can duplicate. In return, I find that some C5 owners don't return the wave, but the C4 owners spurn me about half the time. Older Vette owners almost always return the wave.

On-line I find that there is a small percentage of C4 owners that are not aware of the improvements made after the 12 year run of the C4 or don't care. You know how bad some of the C4 cars were; you have referred to the reasons in your columns - government enforced polution limits, gas milage targets, etc. The result of these problems was to build some very poor performing C4's.
The total corvette experience should include acknowledgement that some Corvette years are not good performance cars. I'm really tired of C4 owners trying to claim that the C4 was the best ever Vette. This is simply not true. In fact, the C4 may be the worst ever Corvette generation for it's time.

Here's my summary. Feel free to vilify. As Kris Kristofferson said, "Everybody needs somebody to look down on... If you can't find nobody else, help yourself to me".

The C1 wasn't much until the end (60-62)

The C2 was a new breath - maybe the best Vette of all time

The C3 messed up the C2 by trying to be a muscle car instead of a sports car - way more power than the chassis could handle.

The C4 ran for so long that one comment is inapropriate. Early C4's were weak in performance to an extreme. Late C4's were still still so weak that Lingenfelter could only make 330 HP from a 1989. The chassis was so wobbly that it became a legend. "Take the tops out and the handling changes".

The C5 was a breath of fresh air. It put the sports car back in Corvette. "world class" Maybe - maybe a reach. Anyway, a huge improvement.

The C6 will really be "world class" if the promises are delivered.

 

[RC135_Tx]

Hi Rob,

It's not just some Vette drivers, it's also some golfers, boat owners, you name it. There are jerks in any sport or hobby. I just ignore 'em.

I just got my first 'Vette this January (hey, it's Texas!). I didn't know if I just thought I wanted one or if I'd really enjoy it. Now I know the answer. Permanent grin & I'm happy to wave to anybody!! Life is indeed too short to waste.

 

[koolaid117]

I had a two different Jeep Wranglers at different times. Some would wave, some wouldn't. The Jeep slogan "It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand" applies here as well. Some Corvette owners get it (the ones here at the CAC), some don't. Save a wave for me!

 

[slong]

Well said.
I wave at other Vette drivers, and some just look at you as if your dirt. Most of the time they do

 

[Stealth1]

Well said.
I wave at other Vette drivers, and some just look at you as if your dirt. Most of the time they do

I am a first time vette owner. Gotta admit getting snubbed did bother me at first but I think the snubers are either just idiots or have no car sense
at all. It doesnt even phase me anymore. I'm gonna keep on wav'n cause I love vette's.:cool