Topic: Welcome Widetrack!
in Forum: Member Introductions and Stories

C3VR Founder
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-Adam Wartell
NCM Lifetime Member #1222
Founder: C3 Vette Registry
C4 Vette Registry, C6 Vette Registry
My first Vette, now owned by JB79:




I picked up my '72 convertible in 1985. I was a District Manager for Pontiac Division and all the dealers in my district knew I was looking for an “original” Corvette convertible with a stick. Now, I know I'll get some flack here but, to me, it "ain't" a sports car unless the top goes down and you're shifting gears. Anyway, one of my dealers called me at home and told me he was taking this car in on a special edition Trans Am. He said the car looked OK, so I asked him to hold it and I would be up. When I saw the car, it did look pretty good and I bought it. Four years later, in 1989, while in for some routine maintenance, the service manager called me that he saw some spots on the frame. (It took that long for the camouflage to wear off) Long story short; either cut through the plastic or take the body off. After the body was off, you could read a newspaper through where the trailing arms went into the frame. Now, the dealer and I both knew why the previous owner was willing to pay what was really "too much / too fast" trading it in on the Trans Am. But then again, since the dealer had offered me the car for what he had in it, although I made him take $200 over, I couldn't complain and over the years we always had a good laugh about it. Goes to show you, everybody thinks dealers are "shaky", but, I could fill a book with what I've seen customers do to "get over" on dealers and/or the factory. Anyway, once the body was off, I had to make a decision….Do I turn it into a show car and look at it…or make it the sweetest looking, most reliable driver possible? I chose the latter. Being a GM employee, I had plenty of help locating whatever I needed. It was through my buddies that I located the new frame, trailing arms, "A" frames and lots of other parts scattered around in GMPD warehouses. Once that decision was made, as long as the original appearance wasn’t changed, replacements and upgrades over the years have been made with the aim of reliability and durability, not show standards. My car isn’t a show car, it’s a driver. The car is still in the original paint. Sure, if you look closely, you can see stone nicks, light scratches on the chrome and some seam line shrinkage. Two years ago I had a new top and interior put in. I've really enjoyed maintaining and driving the car. I keep regular plates, full insurance and get regular state inspections so I have absolutely no restrictions on driving. I wouldn’t hesitate to drive this 41 year old car cross country…it’s that sound. Besides, I really don’t want something I can’t use and enjoy. And, if you're still reading this, I apologize for rambling...but, hey, that's what old people do.
I picked up my '72 convertible in 1985. I was a District Manager for Pontiac Division and all the dealers in my district knew I was looking for an “original” Corvette convertible with a stick. Now, I know I'll get some flack here but, to me, it "ain't" a sports car unless the top goes down and you're shifting gears. Anyway, one of my dealers called me at home and told me he was taking this car in on a special edition Trans Am. He said the car looked OK, so I asked him to hold it and I would be up. When I saw the car, it did look pretty good and I bought it. Four years later, in 1989, while in for some routine maintenance, the service manager called me that he saw some spots on the frame. (It took that long for the camouflage to wear off) Long story short; either cut through the plastic or take the body off. After the body was off, you could read a newspaper through where the trailing arms went into the frame. Now, the dealer and I both knew why the previous owner was willing to pay what was really "too much / too fast" trading it in on the Trans Am. But then again, since the dealer had offered me the car for what he had in it, although I made him take $200 over, I couldn't complain and over the years we always had a good laugh about it. Goes to show you, everybody thinks dealers are "shaky", but, I could fill a book with what I've seen customers do to "get over" on dealers and/or the factory. Anyway, once the body was off, I had to make a decision….Do I turn it into a show car and look at it…or make it the sweetest looking, most reliable driver possible? I chose the latter. Being a GM employee, I had plenty of help locating whatever I needed. It was through my buddies that I located the new frame, trailing arms, "A" frames and lots of other parts scattered around in GMPD warehouses. Once that decision was made, as long as the original appearance wasn’t changed, replacements and upgrades over the years have been made with the aim of reliability and durability, not show standards. My car isn’t a show car, it’s a driver. The car is still in the original paint. Sure, if you look closely, you can see stone nicks, light scratches on the chrome and some seam line shrinkage. Two years ago I had a new top and interior put in. I've really enjoyed maintaining and driving the car. I keep regular plates, full insurance and get regular state inspections so I have absolutely no restrictions on driving. I wouldn’t hesitate to drive this 41 year old car cross country…it’s that sound. Besides, I really don’t want something I can’t use and enjoy. And, if you're still reading this, I apologize for rambling...but, hey, that's what old people do.


Mea culpa… I’ll have to accept 2 demerits and no martini. Truthfully, I’m still figuring out how to navigate this site. I’m with you on car shows, but I prefer smaller local types where practically all the cars are driven in and most of the people are really there just to enjoy looking at each other’s cars regardless of what state they’re in. While I have the greatest respect for those who have restored cars to the highest NCRS and Bloomington levels, that just requires more discipline and time than I want to devote. Incidentally, I like your Collector’s Edition. I always thought that was a good looking ride.
“Gotta go”…have a tee time in 45 minutes.
Have a great day.