- Jul 15, 2012
- 2,039
- 537
While like most guys I was interested in cars when I was growing up. But oddly never Corvettes. My first foray into being a sports car owner was a 1982 Datsun 280 ZX NA. Not a powerhouse but I always considered them to be a beautiful car, affordable and a great deal of fun to drive. As funny as it seems to me now, it was originally two-tone brown and I had it repainted in, as I recall, 1980 Corvette yellow, oddly enough apparently it was called "Happy Yellow"! For some reason I have a yellow fetish, probably starting with a Chevelle that I saw in my college parking lot back in 1985 and I never lost my love for this color. Subsequent vehicles were a 1999 Dodge Dakota, in Solar Yellow, a 2005 TDI New Beetle in Sunshine Yellow (not the right shade or tint but still yellow!) and finally a 2008 Sentra SER in yellow.
I considered getting a 300 ZX TT as my next sports car back in around 2000 I think it was but getting married and buying a house kind of put that on hold.
As life does go sometimes, I was diagnosed with cancer in January 2006. Treatment ended in May 2007. August 2007 followed with with a nasty divorce which resulted in some cashflow difficulties. Then employment problems! I always tell people if you think you are having problems in your life right now lend me your ear and I can probabvly make you feel better about your life by telling you my story!
I still never really developed a liking for Corvettes as time when on. The C5's were not all that bad looking but still not my cup of tea and I even strayed further toward considering a Supra or RX7..............but then in 2005 I started to see pictures of the new C6 and have to admit that I fell in love! of course there was the minor issue that these cars, the Z06 in particular, were going to be sticker priced at about $110,000 depending on how they were optioned and not the sort of thing that I (agronomist) would probably ever be able to afford. But one always has dreams!
Sadly the 1st year of cancer treatment, which is normally 80% effective, failed to work for me and so I was told I only had one other treatment option but is is only 40% effective and "is the hardest treatment program we can subject a patient to". So I didn't head into this with a very good attitude and basically was expecting to die. The 2nd year treatment exceeded the degree of suffering that I had even imagined in my wildest dreams!
I do remember one of the things that I told myself when I was checking out of the Cross Cancer Clinic in Edmonton in May 2007, that I was going to go to the Chev dealer on Whyte Avenue and start the process of getting a Z06. My gift for having made it through the treatment.
As luck would have it I never completed the order and thankfully did not have a Z06 as part of the "maritial estate" that would have to be split!!
The usual nasty divorce ensued in which we both made sure our lawyers had a banner year. But that ended in October 2010 and I started the process of rebuilding my life.
But always in the back of my mind I told myself - if I made it to the 5 year period post treatment and remained cacner free I was getting that car!
So checkup after checkup, ever 6 months and in April 2012 I had my last checkup and they told me "we don't ever want to see you back here again". Six days later I flew to Vancouver and looked at and bought a 2006 Z06 with 19,000 km for $43k and then had a life changing 1500 km drive to my home in northern Alberta!
I had only a few opportunties to drive the car as I do farm and May and June were taken up with farming activities so outside of going to get my son, a 55 km drive, and occasionally to town to get the mail it was not until July that I was able to spend more time in driving the Z06.
It amazes me that they were able to produce such a car and that even at $110,000 would be such a fantastic bargain. I so vividly remember going out with the saleman and then after we drove for a short while he pulled over so I could drive. Shifting into 2nd gear and flooring it and scaring myself silly and I think it was a good 5 minutes before my heart stopped pounding. The salesman neve realized that when I first saw the car I knew I would be buying it.
The area I live in is populated by the Mustang/Camero crowd. Honestly I can't imagine how mis-guided these people are. The would rather buy a car like than than a 6 year old garage queen Z06 which is going to give them a much different car experience.
There are a few other Corvettes in the area. There is another grey C6 Z06 in the area but I have not been able to find the owner yet. Some C5 convertables, a C4 coupe (even yellow!). It is so much fun that while the Mustang/Camero/Challenger drivers never seem to wave, when I meet another Corvette owner there are always broad smiles and waves exchanged.
The reaction of people to the car is so enjoyable! From kids who stare and would be textbook cases of being "gobsmacked" to guys yelling how much they like the car and women who would never have giving me a second look who now look and smile at me. Thankfully before I got the Z06 I already found a wonderful lady to have in my life. But I'd be lying if I said the attention is not a fun experience.
Modifications to the car? None to date. Thankfully 505 hp seems to be enough for the time being.
Also no Vipers in this area so it is also sort of fun to experience that other boyhood dream - to have the fastest car in town!!!!!!
The license plate????? N0CANSR of course!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a number of questions to ask about the car but that it is it for now and I appreciate the space to ramble..............
Garry
I considered getting a 300 ZX TT as my next sports car back in around 2000 I think it was but getting married and buying a house kind of put that on hold.
As life does go sometimes, I was diagnosed with cancer in January 2006. Treatment ended in May 2007. August 2007 followed with with a nasty divorce which resulted in some cashflow difficulties. Then employment problems! I always tell people if you think you are having problems in your life right now lend me your ear and I can probabvly make you feel better about your life by telling you my story!
I still never really developed a liking for Corvettes as time when on. The C5's were not all that bad looking but still not my cup of tea and I even strayed further toward considering a Supra or RX7..............but then in 2005 I started to see pictures of the new C6 and have to admit that I fell in love! of course there was the minor issue that these cars, the Z06 in particular, were going to be sticker priced at about $110,000 depending on how they were optioned and not the sort of thing that I (agronomist) would probably ever be able to afford. But one always has dreams!
Sadly the 1st year of cancer treatment, which is normally 80% effective, failed to work for me and so I was told I only had one other treatment option but is is only 40% effective and "is the hardest treatment program we can subject a patient to". So I didn't head into this with a very good attitude and basically was expecting to die. The 2nd year treatment exceeded the degree of suffering that I had even imagined in my wildest dreams!
I do remember one of the things that I told myself when I was checking out of the Cross Cancer Clinic in Edmonton in May 2007, that I was going to go to the Chev dealer on Whyte Avenue and start the process of getting a Z06. My gift for having made it through the treatment.
As luck would have it I never completed the order and thankfully did not have a Z06 as part of the "maritial estate" that would have to be split!!
The usual nasty divorce ensued in which we both made sure our lawyers had a banner year. But that ended in October 2010 and I started the process of rebuilding my life.
But always in the back of my mind I told myself - if I made it to the 5 year period post treatment and remained cacner free I was getting that car!
So checkup after checkup, ever 6 months and in April 2012 I had my last checkup and they told me "we don't ever want to see you back here again". Six days later I flew to Vancouver and looked at and bought a 2006 Z06 with 19,000 km for $43k and then had a life changing 1500 km drive to my home in northern Alberta!
I had only a few opportunties to drive the car as I do farm and May and June were taken up with farming activities so outside of going to get my son, a 55 km drive, and occasionally to town to get the mail it was not until July that I was able to spend more time in driving the Z06.
It amazes me that they were able to produce such a car and that even at $110,000 would be such a fantastic bargain. I so vividly remember going out with the saleman and then after we drove for a short while he pulled over so I could drive. Shifting into 2nd gear and flooring it and scaring myself silly and I think it was a good 5 minutes before my heart stopped pounding. The salesman neve realized that when I first saw the car I knew I would be buying it.
The area I live in is populated by the Mustang/Camero crowd. Honestly I can't imagine how mis-guided these people are. The would rather buy a car like than than a 6 year old garage queen Z06 which is going to give them a much different car experience.
There are a few other Corvettes in the area. There is another grey C6 Z06 in the area but I have not been able to find the owner yet. Some C5 convertables, a C4 coupe (even yellow!). It is so much fun that while the Mustang/Camero/Challenger drivers never seem to wave, when I meet another Corvette owner there are always broad smiles and waves exchanged.
The reaction of people to the car is so enjoyable! From kids who stare and would be textbook cases of being "gobsmacked" to guys yelling how much they like the car and women who would never have giving me a second look who now look and smile at me. Thankfully before I got the Z06 I already found a wonderful lady to have in my life. But I'd be lying if I said the attention is not a fun experience.
Modifications to the car? None to date. Thankfully 505 hp seems to be enough for the time being.
Also no Vipers in this area so it is also sort of fun to experience that other boyhood dream - to have the fastest car in town!!!!!!
The license plate????? N0CANSR of course!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a number of questions to ask about the car but that it is it for now and I appreciate the space to ramble..............
Garry
