The very first person that took me under his wing when we joined Vintage Vettes last year was Kris C. He has been my mentor and always makes himself available for my endless stream of corvette questions. I cannot thank Kris enough for his patience and Kindness.

A couple of weeks after Kris and Lynn purchased their Commemorative edition Z06 I just happened into their neighborhood hoping to catch a glimpse of this blue  beauty. To my surprise Kris was in his garage and when I stopped he offered me a ride. I had NO idea what I was in for.

As we weaved through the subdivision I was taking mental notes on how wonderful this machine really was. But my mind shifted quickly as we exited the residential world into a down shift into second. My head was thrown back. I know for a brief second my heart had stopped. My knuckles turned white and my grin was a dead giveaway to Kris that I needed more! And boy did he deliver!

This is absolutely an amazing sports car. With 405 Horses and 400 ft lbs of torque this machine will make you wet your pants if you’re not careful. And now, the rest of the story.

“15 years ago Lynn and I purchased (traded for) our 1st Corvette, a 1974 L82 Coupe” Says Kris. “It didn't matter that the Vette was in need of almost everything, it was a Vette and a life long dream had come true.

Like most people that are truly bitten by the Vette bug, it was just the start. Over the next 15 years I found myself buying, fixing up, and selling more Corvettes than I care to remember. My bother Keith and I formed a company called K & K Corvettes and scoured the Midwest for fixer uppers. Until I purchased the 66 convertible that we currently have, Lynn refused to get too attached to any of the Vettes because she knew they wouldn't be around very long. Once we found the 66 (her car) it was titled in her name only, so I couldn't sell it.

The only Vette dream not realized was owning a brand new one.  I fell in love with the Commemorative Edition Z06 when we first saw it at Corvettes 50th Birthday Bash in Nashville. The color (you know we love blue) and the stripes just did it for me. The fact that it was a Z06 didn't hurt either.  To be honest I didn't intend on buying a Z06 but as the year ended and the C6's were coming out, we found a deal at a local dealer that just couldn't be passed up.

Long story short, we now have two blue Vettes in the garage. The best of both worlds, a midyear convertible for shows and local cruise-ins and an 04 Z06 for long trips and speed. Lynn says I can never sell either one. I think I'll listen to her this time”

In 2004 Corvette engineers did a bit of fine tuning and cosmetic work on the Commemorative Edition ZO6. One of the major improvements was they tightened the suspension to reduce the roll and yaw during quick, transient maneuvers such as S curves or a series of tight turns. Bottom line is this suspension is tweaked for better high-speed transitions on curvy, twisty roads. This Commemorative Edition emulated the paint scheme of the 2004 C5-R that raced at Le Mans. It was painted Le Mans blue with silver C5-R Le Mans striping, special badges, special seat embroidery and special five spoke aluminum wheels. Another racing inspired addition was a carbon fiber hood that weighed 20.5 lbs. That’s 10.6 lbs less than the standard Z06 hood. All of this coupled with the L6 with it’s cast aluminum block and high strength aluminum-alloy pistons and aluminum heads makes this a 405 HP high performance race ready sports car.

If you ever get a chance to ride with Kris C. in his Z06. Hold On!

“Once we found the 66 (her car) it was titled in her name only, so I couldn't sell it."

KRIS SOLD IT! - NOVEMBER 2005