Barry

 

 

Even though I grew up in the Detroit area and almost every dad on the block worked for one of the Big 3, I was never really a motorhead.  When it came time to help my son find his first car, he really wanted to get an old American classic rather than ricer like all his buddies.  Since it would be his first car, he was on a tight budget.  We were living in Atlanta at the time so we attended the Corvette Expo when it was still in Knoxville.  We came across a blue '73 in the "for sale corral."  My son light up like a light bulb the moment he saw the car.  It was out of his price range but I could see how he connected with this car - I'm an old softy that way.  Since it was a '73 L48 Coupe with some "issues," it wasn't real expensive.  But it was quite original (numbers matching)  and had some nice options: C60, J50, M20, N37, N40, and U69.  We haggled with the seller throughout the day and eventually closed the deal. 

 

For the next year and a half, my son, wife and I performed a frame-on restoration and turned it into a nice driver.  I turned the title over to him last year and he still has it.  The whole experience got me very interested in the Corvette restoration hobby and the NCRS.  I then set off to purchase my very own first Corvette.  I always loved the LT4 and wanted a red/black or red/red convertible.  In 2008 I found a somewhat ragged (98K miles) but very original red/black convertible on a wholesale lot in Memphis.  This is my current project car.  I have the interior fully restored (it was by far the worst part) and I'm now working on the engine bay.  I plan on top flighting the car then driving it like I stole it!

 

Back in 2008 I would have never dreamed that a chrome bumper big block Vette would be within my budgetary reach.  But this ain't 2008.  I came across this car (I posted a picture on with my profile) last fall in Fenton, MI. at a price I couldn't pass up.  Other than the carb and intake, all the primary drive-train numbers matched.  I'm currently driving and enjoying the car while I collect the parts necessary for a future frame-off resto.

 

    -Floyd-

 

By adding my '69 to the registry I'm hoping to discover some of its history and connect with a previous owner.  I know that the car was originally sold through Placke Chevrolet in S. St. Louis.  Unfortunately Placke went out of business many years ago.  I also have contact with the previous two owners who held the car for about the last 12 years.  Now I just have about 30 years of history to discover.

 

The only documentation that came with the car was the owner's manual.

 

    -Floyd-

 

I've tended to go for quantity rather than quality.  All three cars were 'project' grade when I bought them.