Rick_Head
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Even today, I'd take the Healy
2015 Corvette , On the edge
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aja8888
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A 1963 Austin Healy 3000 today in Condition 1 or 2 will cost about as much as a new Vette:
Price Guide Report
Bamaman
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
A friend retired young and he rebuilds XKE's and British sports cars part time.
His recently restored Healy 3000 is a $50K used car--100 point show car. He wins every show the car goes into.
Healy 3000's are very in demand sports cars. I liked the sound of them with their twin exhaust systems.
His recently restored Healy 3000 is a $50K used car--100 point show car. He wins every show the car goes into.
Healy 3000's are very in demand sports cars. I liked the sound of them with their twin exhaust systems.
If you can afford it without risking your financial future, I say go for it. Life's too short not to enjoy some toys along the way, so get it and enjoy it!
Here's my "mid-life crisis" toy, a 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 in Speed Yellow. When I bought it in 2010, it only had a little over 11,000 miles on it, and was in such nice condition the dealer had it inside on the new car showroom floor. It didn't sit there long, as I'd been looking for months for a nice 911 in something other than silver, grey, or black, so I drove it off a few days after they'd gotten it
Here's my "mid-life crisis" toy, a 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 in Speed Yellow. When I bought it in 2010, it only had a little over 11,000 miles on it, and was in such nice condition the dealer had it inside on the new car showroom floor. It didn't sit there long, as I'd been looking for months for a nice 911 in something other than silver, grey, or black, so I drove it off a few days after they'd gotten it
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Check out local corvette clubs or stop in for a meeting if it's allowed. Many older members are the ones that can afford to upgrade to the newer models. Some members only use their vettes as "sunday" drivers so can have low miles. Watch out for "race" clubs. You don't want a vette that's been used on the track or autocross.
I never liked white until the C7. For me the black accents break up all the white. Where we buy our new vettes, they said the biggest seller (2014) for them has been the Artic White. They are one of the largest corvette dealers (maybe the largest) in the US. Good luck with yours, it looks great.
The Austin Healy 3000 was a great looking car. Jaguar XKE was another head turner. Beautiful body lines.
The Goodyear's on our C6 convertible were noisy but the Michele's on our C7 convertible are still pretty noisy. Yeah, yeah it is a convertible. It's quieter in the C7 coupe.
robbridg
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My suggestion is to buy used. You save a bunch of $ up front and will take less of a hit when you sell. This is what I did when I bought my 05' Corvette 6 years ago. If I were to sell today I would loose very little.
Go for it! If you love driving you'll love the Corvette.
Ronstar
Moderator Emeritus
I would say buy used also - a low mileage C6 would be nice. I don't like the camaro rear end on the C7's
+1 on the buy used. Let somebody else take the hit for the first couple years of depreciation.
That being said, I'm going to contradict myself a little. The last vehicle I got new was way back in 1992 when I leased a brand new Jeep Cherokee (the old boxy style) when I first moved to Colorado, and I do have a mental itch to get another new car all my own.
If/when my current Jeep Grand Cherokee gives up the ghost, I probably will order a brand new one. No, it doesn't make financial sense. But after going 23 years buying used cars, I do want a brand new one for my next one.
Sometimes you just gotta scratch that itch...
That being said, I'm going to contradict myself a little. The last vehicle I got new was way back in 1992 when I leased a brand new Jeep Cherokee (the old boxy style) when I first moved to Colorado, and I do have a mental itch to get another new car all my own.
If/when my current Jeep Grand Cherokee gives up the ghost, I probably will order a brand new one. No, it doesn't make financial sense. But after going 23 years buying used cars, I do want a brand new one for my next one.
Sometimes you just gotta scratch that itch...
eytonxav
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Really like the look, white with black accents.
Here's my "mid-life crisis" toy, a 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 in Speed Yellow. When I bought it in 2010, it only had a little over 11,000 miles on it, and was in such nice condition the dealer had it inside on the new car showroom floor. It didn't sit there long, as I'd been looking for months for a nice 911 in something other than silver, grey, or black, so I drove it off a few days after they'd gotten it
Nice, I had a 96 C4S, although not a convertible. Loved the handling and braking capability (aka hands of god).
jazz4cash
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I hear this frequently, but I just don't get it. Maybe GM agreed as they have now revised the Camaro taillights.
I agree with the comments to just do it....entertainment and transportation are legitimate living expenses!
Gearhead Jim
Full time employment: Posting here.
Somehow I missed this thread before...
We've had several Corvettes over the decades, they were a significant purchase but never broke the bank.
Our current one is a 2009 Coupe with most options including the paddle shifter and Z51 handling suspension. I do some autocross racing, daily driving, and we always use it for long road trips. Typically, 15k-20k miles per year.
Reliability has been less than stellar, but we absolutely love the car.
Our first Corvette was a 1967, purchased used. We considered the newly restyled 1968 but discovered it was longer, wider, and heavier than the '67. Bigger on the outside but smaller on the inside. Smaller trunk. Poor visibility. So we bought the 1967 and never regretted it.
Fast forward through several Corvettes (for us) to 2014. The new Corvette performs a little better than our 2009, but it's longer, wider, and heavier than our 2009. Bigger on the outside but smaller on the inside. Smaller trunk. Poor visibility.
It's 1968 all over again, so we plan to stay with our 2009.
You would need to look around a bit, but there are lots of creampuff 2012-2013 Corvettes available at good prices, some of them still under warranty.
Life is full of choices...
We've had several Corvettes over the decades, they were a significant purchase but never broke the bank.
Our current one is a 2009 Coupe with most options including the paddle shifter and Z51 handling suspension. I do some autocross racing, daily driving, and we always use it for long road trips. Typically, 15k-20k miles per year.
Reliability has been less than stellar, but we absolutely love the car.
Our first Corvette was a 1967, purchased used. We considered the newly restyled 1968 but discovered it was longer, wider, and heavier than the '67. Bigger on the outside but smaller on the inside. Smaller trunk. Poor visibility. So we bought the 1967 and never regretted it.
Fast forward through several Corvettes (for us) to 2014. The new Corvette performs a little better than our 2009, but it's longer, wider, and heavier than our 2009. Bigger on the outside but smaller on the inside. Smaller trunk. Poor visibility.
It's 1968 all over again, so we plan to stay with our 2009.
You would need to look around a bit, but there are lots of creampuff 2012-2013 Corvettes available at good prices, some of them still under warranty.
Life is full of choices...
Bamaman
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I prefer to buy the first of a bodystyle change, and then keep the car/truck for a long, long time.
And the 2014-2015 models are knock dead gorgeous machines.
And the 2014-2015 models are knock dead gorgeous machines.
That's what I'm looking at , it's white with red interior z51 LT3 package.,looks like a Monday purchase.
papadad111
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The critical question - why Chevy not Ford... Ha ha
Enjoy. Life is short. You will take a depreciation hit but can always sell if times get tough
1960's Muscle cars have been good investments for me. All so far have been sold at a gain. The market is strong right now.
Enjoy. Life is short. You will take a depreciation hit but can always sell if times get tough
1960's Muscle cars have been good investments for me. All so far have been sold at a gain. The market is strong right now.
Aiming_4_55
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Enjoy!
It was tough for me to spend over MSRP, but I did. Now that it's almost a year old with 11k miles, I don't regret it at all.
Gill
Recycles dryer sheets
Enjoy your Corvette! Wife and I rode our Harleys into our 70's but gave that up about two years ago. We both had owned Corvette's in another life, mine a '65 many moons ago. In May 2013 we bought a brand new 2013 Corvette, me at the age of 74. No regrets and we love it.
Bruce
Bruce
Andre1969
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I think as we get older, a sense of practicality begins to set in. Also, I've noticed that once I can actually afford something with ease, it sometimes seems less special, somehow. Perhaps part of it is the thrill of the chase, and dreaming about something that's beyond your reach.
Back in 2004, when I was getting my condo ready to sell, I thought I was going to clear about $40,000 on it. I had a pipe dream of getting a new Chrysler 300C, with the Hemi, which had just come out as an early 2005 model. It probably would have eaten up that entire $40K, but I figured it would be a nice splurge.
Well, by the time my condo went on the market and sold, I ended up clearing about $76,000. And in a moment of perfect timing, I made the final payment on my then-current car, a 2000 Intrepid, at about the same time, so that was ~$350 a month that was now freed up. But then, suddenly, a funny thing happened. I didn't want that brand-new 300C anymore. I could've walked in and paid cash, and had plenty left over, but the desire to have it was gone.
At that time though, I was only 34 and nowhere near financially independent, so investing the money for the future, rather than splurging on a depreciating asset seemed like a much better choice.
Kickernick
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"Don't take life too seriously. You won't be coming out of it alive" - Bugs Bunny
We bought a BMW Z4 a few years back as a "date car" when we were in our mid-40s. It was the same year we paid off our house and felt like we were on track to RE by 50. We're in the last year of that now and have certainly enjoyed the roadster - as impractical as it is living in MN.
We bought a BMW Z4 a few years back as a "date car" when we were in our mid-40s. It was the same year we paid off our house and felt like we were on track to RE by 50. We're in the last year of that now and have certainly enjoyed the roadster - as impractical as it is living in MN.
WannabeRetired
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Looks sharp, Kickernick. Hope 50 is still looking good for you to retire . . . and move somewhere warm. : )
WannabeRetired
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Amg ? : )
aja8888
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Accidental Retiree
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