FIRST OF ALL, i wouldn't drive one of those UGLY, OVERPRICED, BIG WINGED SUPERBIRDS even if you paid me!!! as for vettes...love em, drive em, take pride in em...thats what they are made for, aren't they?

To me, "Driving" a car means different things to different people. Some people consider putting 2000 miles a year on a car "driving" it. It is all in your point of view. If the car never see's the light of day, then I agree, what is the sense in owning it. But in the case of the Superbird for example, the cars is rare for all intensive purposes, and if anyone tells me that the would take it out on rainy days or drive it through the winter, I would have a great deal of trouble believing it.

My '76 'Ray is neither rare(other than maybe original color), extremely desireable, nor in pristine condition, but there will be a significant amount of money invested in it when it is done. It will be driven on a daily basis. It will see rain, and more than likely it will see some snow. On the other hand, if it were a '69 L-88 car, my attitude would probably be different.
I personally think that if anyone here, for example, found a C3 with only 3000 miles on it(be it a C.E., a L-88, 454 convt, or a '76 L-48 car), at a reasonable price, it would be hard to pass up. No one would tell the owner how they really should go drive it and call me when it has 30,000-70,000 miles on it.
There is a reason why cars with low milage sell for higher prices.
That Superbird is one of approx 2500 built in 1970, we have to ask how many were built in that color?, what interior options did it get?, is it HEMI powered? Now factor in that many of those 2500 Superbirds had the wing and nose cone removed and sold as Road Runners because they just wouldn't move off the showroom floor. How many of those "Road Runners" were run into the ground, or totalled? How many of those Superbirds were totalled? We haven't even got to people cutting them up to for drag cars. You can see how the number of 'Birds can thin out.
I can remember seeing two of them running around Toledo Ohio back in the late 70's, neither one looking very good, did they end up restored?
If you wanna drive it every day then do it, and if you only wanna bring it out on the fifth Sunday of every month then do that.

In the end, Jp42Vette is right;

"It's your Baby, you are the one who paid your money for her, & if you wish to store or drive her, that is your freedom to choose"

|UPDATED|2/2/2003 6:14:21 PM|/UPDATED|

drive em... the rare cars are already museum cars! (or fakes)

I'm really surprised nobody spoke up on the "save it" side. I'm definitely a driver, but if that superbird is really an original hemi car, it might be worth preserving. But that is one of the very very rare exceptions. I have seen million dollar Ferrari's at shows, too, and they might be better off on trailers.

If you enjoy seeing rare old cars being driven hard, I highly recommend you find a VSCCA (Vintage Sports Car Club of America) event near you. I have seen people driving vintage jags, bentleys, bugattis, etc., like they were meant to be driven, around real race tracks. Trans-Am cars of the late 60's are just becoming vintage-elegable, too.

Joe

|UPDATED|3/3/2003 9:44:46 PM|/UPDATED|

Hey-You HAVE to drive them. I have a '69 435hp 427 coupe that I did a total top to bottom body off on. I drive it anytime I can. It has the original motor with side exhaust that I run up to 6500rpm when I can because it just sings. I am now am in the process up returning to glory a '69 L-88 motor race car with a great history of international races, some 24 hr Daytona races as well as some 12 hr Sebring races. When I get it finished this year it will be out on the track racing against the other vintage warriors in Group Six. SO....DRIVE ON! John

jsrische said: Hey-You HAVE to drive them. I have a '69 435hp 427 coupe that I did a total top to bottom body off on. I drive it anytime I can. It has the original motor with side exhaust that I run up to 6500rpm when I can because it just sings......

John, thats great that you drive it when ever you can, my point is that "driving it" means different things to different people.
Do you drive it in the rain? Does it get driven in the winter?
Do put 2000+ miles/year on it? 5000+ miles? 10,000+?
I guess I'm saying "driving it" is determined by a persons own outlook on the cars market value, sentimental value, and/or willingness to risk damage through someone elses carelessness or mistakes. If a person drives their Corvette, Mustang, Camaro, Cuda, or Pinto 20,000 miles/year, thats great. If that person decides that the $45,000 to $120,000 that they spent on a 30+ year old car is not worth risking driving all the time, I can't fault them.

i got caught in the rain yesterday. drive mind all the time, thats what i bought it for.

I love to drive my C3, but not as a daily driver. I don't drive it from November to April, nor in rain. It's definitely a cruiser for after work and weekends, but that's what I got it for- a treat to myself to melt away stress. Whatever anyone chooses to do with their car is okay by me, whether it's driving it or staring at it in a climate controlled atmosphere.

I am a supporter of the drive it or lose it way of thinking. I have a '81 driver. I love the style of the '81. No its not all that powerful but it looks good. It has 74k on the clock and is the most reliable car I own. I drive it as much as possible. It has new stone chips from each trip I make. If I spend the money to get it repainted I probably wouldn't drive it as much for fear of ruining the paint job. So I'll keep touching it up and enjoy every mile I put on it. Why own something with 4 wheels if you aren't going to turn em? Vettes were made to be driven......

privategod said: John, thats great that you drive it when ever you can, my point is that "driving it" means different things to different people. Do you drive it in the rain? Does it get driven in the winter? Do put 2000+ miles/year on it? 5000+ miles? 10,000+? I guess I'm saying "driving it" is determined by a persons own outlook on the cars market value, sentimental value, and/or willingness to risk damage through someone elses carelessness or mistakes. If a person drives their Corvette, Mustang, Camaro, Cuda, or Pinto 20,000 miles/year, thats great. If that person decides that the $45,000 to $120,000 that they spent on a 30+ year old car is not worth risking driving all the time, I can't fault them.

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- Bill,

Well said. Everyone has their own perrogative on how to enjoy their Vette. I agree!
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- Doug