My new "backup driver"
1995 Corvette LT1 48,000 original miles - Not many mods yet, just brining it up to speed with other new sports cars.

A Short Background

For the longest while I was a one car kind of guy, I didn't need and didn't want to have more than one. Projects of the automotive nature tend to be easier to manage with only one car. Then the 383 stroker in my firebird blew to peices, fragging the bottom end. At that point I learned why most people end up with two cars at one point or another, for me I'd say my self induced infliction came a bit too soon. Or just in time, time will tell.

After the Firebird went into the shop once again, i went months without a car, for a while I drove a v6 Dodge Dakota owned by my grandmother. That is until the engine in it blew not once, but twice while in my possesion. At that point I begun a feutile search for a "Backup Driver", I started of with modest expectations. The "standard" cars came to mind, a four door, something efficient that goes A to B and that's it. Turns out I'm not really the "A to B, 'nuff said" kinda guy either, go figure.

After growing bored of looking at the standard daily beater junk, I came across a 1995 vette for a heck of a deal - but still out of my price range. So I kept looking for something cheaper, but that would hold up. Kias and the like, cheap, disposable, use 'em, abuse 'em kinda cars. I couldn't pull the trigger, instead I shot myself in the foot instead (figuratively speaking) and decided to go chat with the car salesmen about the pretty black C4 sitting on their lot.

Evidently the car was fairly new, this was right after christmas and I guess the last thing on their minds was keeping track of inventory - I say this because almost no one knew the car was on the lot, or where it came from. It was a gorgeous car though, the deepest black i've seen, MINT condition, and only 48k miles on it. As it turned out the previous owner even left a bit of documentation in the car. This thing was garage kept, and driven by a responsible woman. For under $11,000 - this car was a steal.

After going through the routine with the salemen and the manager, on my own they refused to finance me. At that point the loving granmother that she is stepped in and decided to help me out with getting into a loan. That or she enjoyed the idea of me no longer having an excuse to blow up one of her cars - NOT that anyone could blame her. I had previously retired a 1985 VW cabriolet, a 1979 Mercedes 240D, a 2001 Dakota THREE times, and a 1988 Formula 350. Only one was due to a wreck, the 1988 Formula 350 that was MY first baby. You can read about that on another of my pages.

So as I left with one of the biggest smiles on my face, and the salesmen complimenting me on how lucky I was to be able to purchase their dream/toy car at my age - I still couldn't believe I finally joined the Vette club. Alas I had also introduced my self to a healthy sized car payment, but none-the-less it will be worth it in the end.

And this is where she began...