Shared Stories Unite Corvette Enthusiasts

Like many other Corvette Owner stories, mine starts way back when I was 15 years old sitting on a porch swing, telling my Mom what my dream car would be. Not old enough to drive, I was still hooked on the new Corvette Stingray’s that came out in the late 60’s. I remember my Mom saying to me, if that is your dream car – you should keep that dream and someday own one. Five years later I was out of school, married and starting a family. I still had that dream in the back of my mind, but my family came first, as did mortgages, mini-vans, and the cost of raising a family. Our two daughters were just finishing their college education, as we had reached the golden age of 50. My wife got really sick that year. Her illness gave us both a reality check in how precious life is, and how you may be here one year and maybe not the next.

When she started to feeling better, she told me it was time to fulfill my dream and start looking for a Corvette that I have always wanted. The year was 2006 and I found my first Corvette – a Yellow 2003 Coupe (50th Anniversary, not the Edition). It was loaded. After adding a few cosmetic accessories and a Corsa exhaust system (all from Mid America Motorworks), this car was my dream Corvette. Loved that car and kept it for 13 years. As the pictures show below, it had it’s own spot in the garage, and rarely was introduced to bad weather. This car was kept in immaculate shape with relatively low miles.

My Mom passed away February of 2019, and I thought it was time to let go of the Corvette dream I always had. I put a few ads online thinking it would sell right away. The 1st week I had zero calls and was getting discouraged. The memory of what my Mom told me 45 years ago about going after your dream car hit me again. Just out of the blue, I started looking online at new 2019’s and found that a few dealers were giving large discounts to get ready for the 2020 models. I found a new 2019 Stingray in Southern Missouri that I would love to have, but the dealership was offering a low dollar trade-in for my 2003. I hung up the phone in disappointment and figured that it is going to take a while to get my Corvette sold for what I was asking. Thirty minutes later, something super ironic occurred. I was on the phone with a super nice guy in Northern Arkansas. He was responding to my ad and only lived an hour from this dealership. I jumped at his fair price for my 2003 Corvette (site unseen!) It wasn’t long and my wife and I were on our way to this dealership to meet our buyer. Voila! We drove home with a brand new 2019 Corvette Stingray. THANKS MOM!

To finish this story, here is the kicker! In early June, my wife and I travel back to Mid America Motorworks in Effingham, Ill. to have an exterior LED light kit installed on our new Corvette. We met Mike Yager (CEO of Mid America Motorworks) and started up a casual conversation. We told him what we were having installed on our new car, and showed him a picture of the Corvette we just sold. Mike’s jaw dropped open in disbelief.  He said, “I just was talking to this guy three days ago at our Steak and Shake here in Effingham, Ill. “He was proudly showing me the exact same picture,” Mike said. What a small world! The irony… here is a couple from Arkansas, that happened to run into Mike at Steak and Shake, and they were sharing Corvette stories. Then we ran into Mike at his company and shared the exact same story with him. Mid America Motorworks is the prime meeting place for Corvette owners! We are looking forward to Funfest this Fall!