As I wrote about in the October 2023 issue, my son Bradley got his driver’s license last summer. As a “safe and sane” first car, we decided on a 1982 Chevrolet Corvette Collector’s Edition. It was probably more my fantasy than his, but the right car at the right price suddenly appeared. I am genetically incapable of saying “no” in that situation. Besides, what a great story for him to tell all his life: “I passed my driving test and my dad bought me a Corvette.” It has not turned out to be the smartest decision we could have made. Cross-purposes […]
As I wrote about in the October 2023 issue, my son Bradley got his driver’s license last summer. As a “safe and sane” first car, we decided on a 1982 Chevrolet Corvette Collector’s Edition. It was probably more my fantasy than his, but the right car at the right price suddenly appeared. I am genetically incapable of saying “no” in that situation.
Besides, what a great story for him to tell all his life: “I passed my driving test and my dad bought me a Corvette.”
It has not turned out to be the smartest decision we could have made.
Cross-purposes
With a mere 200 horsepower from its “Crossfire” fuel-injected V8 and an automatic transmission, it has not gotten him into any trouble. He has put over 1,000 miles on the car, been to numerous shows and even displayed it at the Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance.
But as a 42-year-old collector car with only two seats, it is turning out to be impractical for his number-one need — getting together with a few friends and heading out to a movie.
In the midst of the red haze when he decided this was his dream car, having four seats wasn’t even a consideration. Teens are prohibited from driving with passengers for the first six months under Oregon’s graduated license law and that time is now past.
There are other issues. The C3’s perfect nose is as fragile as that of an Alfa Duetto. One careless “park-by-touch” incident and suddenly it would no longer be a pristine, never-hit, original-paint car. We also overlooked the absence of airbags and other safety equipment. And after spending time driving his mother’s Porsche Boxster S, Bradley also decided he wants a manual transmission.
The Corvette is just too impractical for daily use, and so it has to go. I explained to Bradley that the only way you can learn how a car fits into your life is to own it and use it. He shouldn’t feel bad when the reality of ownership turns out to be not nearly as good as the fantasy.
Teachable moments
We have installed new tires, a new A/C compressor and an alternator. The opening rear hatch glass has been adjusted so that it functions properly.
Further, Bradley got the experience of installing new shocks as well as a tune-up kit, and through watching YouTube videos learned how to repair the vacuum-operated headlights. “Harbor Freight” is now a name that means something to him.
Previously, I felt C3s were a major letdown from the iconic Corvette Stingrays that preceded them. However, I now see the voluptuous lines as a necessary step away from the crisp C2 styling and a bold, curvaceous statement that left the past behind.
As we have brought our car back into service, I have become more fond of it, oddly enough. By 1982, these Corvettes were woefully impotent and strangled by emissions regulations. But our C3 hints at the much-improved C4 that was to come.
It is equipped with a 4-speed automatic, a first for the Corvette, necessitated by trying to reach EPA-mandated fuel efficiency. Although the Crossfire fuel injection is much maligned, it was the first fuel injection on a Corvette since the ’60s. It led the way toward better electronic fuel-injection systems that would revolutionize the performance-car market a few years later.
I’m not writing a love song to this model, just noting that there are things to like about it.
Plan B
Once spring arrives, we intend to put the Corvette into an online auction without reserve. But what to replace it with?
That’s where the internet comes in. Teenagers today live online, having grown up on YouTube, Instagram and “Gran Turismo.” They have more access to information — photos, articles, statistics and videos — than ever before.
I have learned to simply watch as Bradley’s sails tilt towards one car or the next. He has thousands of cars to look at and dream about. He has discovered Bring a Trailer and sites like Facebook Marketplace, Offerup and others all on his own. He now has alerts set for E30 BMWs, Acura Integras, Toyota Supras and more. Every day it seems a new model is being considered, from “New Edge” Ford Mustangs to 1990s JDM cars that I don’t recognize.
In the meantime, our 2000 Land Rover Discovery II has been kitted out with body armor including steel bumpers front and rear and rock sliders. Plus it has airbags — and a wide rear bench seat.
I think it will be the perfect transition car for him while he continues on his search. He will only learn what is the right fit by owning and using, and then moving on if it doesn’t work out. ♥