Since 1971 when I first started driving cars, I have had 43 cars.  One of my first cars was a red MGA.  I traded it for a $400 Husky motorcycle.  I had a '56 Chevy that I sold for $300.  I've also had Porsche, Custom Vans, 4-wheel drive SUV's and to this date, not a single photo.  Unfortunately I was never smart enough to keep one that could have appreciated in value.  When I first saw Jim C's '59 and he told me that he bought it in 1970, I knew then that this was a story that had to be told.

Could you please describe the condition of the car when you purchased it?

"At best I would have to assume that you would probably rate the car a 3 on a scale of one to ten, ten being the best", says Jim.  "It was canary yellow, the interior had been painted black with spray paint and it ran.  Most of the chrome was in the trunk and that was about as good as it got for the amount of money I had.  The guy was asking $800 for the beast, and we got lucky and drove it home for $750."

How long did you spend looking for this Vette?

"About two years" says Jim.  "At first it was out of the question, my mother was of the opinion that I didn't need a race car.  I had very little money but both came around after awhile".

Was this your first Vette purchase?  "Yes", says Jim.

Can you share any interesting stories behind finding this Vette?

"My dad was a car guy and he occasionally helped some of his co-workers on their cars.  This one guy who flew with my dad had a '59 Corvette and my dad helped him repaint it.  I remember sitting in the car while they were working on it and just shifting gears and making engine noises.  It sounds pretty stupid now but looking back it was really a blast.  I was hooked, I had to have a '59 Corvette and so the hunt was on".

What if any changes, restoration or upgrades have you done?"

"We completely restored the car a few years ago.  I believe that we started on it in late 1996 and finished it in late 2000, a few other projects sort of got in the way while we were doing it, like building a house.  It was never my intent to have a trailer queen, I wanted it to get down the road and look good at the same time."

Can you share in words the level of your "Corvette Fever" or special personal attachment to this car?"

"My level is probably just on the short side of obsessive.  My interest in Corvettes has always been high since I was just a kid.  I thought they were absolutely the coolest car on the street, and still do.  The '59 was the first Corvette I owned and I had a '60 for a short period of time but sold it due to a lack of garage space.  We have had the '71 for several years and got the '66 in 1999.  The C5 came to us in February of 2003.  We opted to purchase it when we realized that the newest Corvette we had was thirty three years old."

"The ''59" is my favorite and it was my first.  If it had not been for my dad's help, it would probably still be canary yellow today.  How bad is that, thanks dad."

Do you have any special thoughts that you would like to share with the club members?

"The first Corvette club I belonged to was the Indianapolis Corvette Club and I believe along the way I have been associated with a last six other clubs from Indiana to California.  I joined Vintage Vettes of the Ozarks in 1991 and shortly there after Karen and I were married and she became a member."

"Our club has always been more of a social club than anything else.  Basically, I think that all clubs are social clubs in one form or another and that's ok.  Vintage Vettes is composed of people from all walks of life and origin.  Where else can you go, drive really great cars and have fun with people that you call your friends!"

Purchased July 11, 1970

Place of purchase

Indianapolis, Indiana