Bruce’s 1989 Coupe (first Corvette)

     I’ve been a car guy all my life, especially sports cars.  I’ve always preferred handling over acceleration.  My obsession with Corvettes started in 1992, but the story starts in 1989.  At that time I was married.  My wife's cousin’s boyfriend, Greg,  just bought a 1989 Corvette Coupe.  At a family function, he took me for a ride in his new Corvette.  This was the first  time I’ve ridden in a Corvette.  I thought the car was pretty neat!  He and I got along well together – he was a car guy too!  At all family functions, we would spend the day talking cars.  Eventually, we became very good friends.

     Over the next few years, the four of us would spend weekends at our house.  One weekend in the summer of 1992, he brought the Corvette.  While the girls went to work out at the gym, we spent the better part of the day going over the Vette.  He showed me every switch, button and gauge – I love that stuff.  We looked at the engine, under the car, everywhere.  I was very impressed.  Finally we took the Vette for a ride.  He drove for about a mile, then pulled over and said, “Bruce, do you want to drive?”.  Of course,  I said “YES”.

     This was great.  The first time I ever drove a Corvette.  He asked me if I knew any winding roads.  I knew a few in the area, so off we went.  The first curve was approaching, I lifted off the gas and went to apply the brakes to slow down.  He didn’t know the road, but he knew his car.  He told me to keep my foot on the gas and just drive!  WOW!!!  The car felt like it was on rails and glued to the road.  It was incredible.  I love cars that handle.  I was very, very impressed.  When I got home, my wife took one look at me and said, “You want one don’t you?”.  The answer was a resounding “YES!!”.                

     That’s when the Corvette bug bit me, but that’s not the end of the story.  Over the next two years, while I was saving to buy my Corvette, I got divorced.  I finally bought a 1981 Corvette Coupe.  Nice car but, after one year of ownership, I wanted to upgrade the car.  To make a long story short, I dismantled the entire car, body off restoration.  In 1999, Greg was selling his 1989 coupe to buy a 1999 coupe.  He asked me if I wanted to buy the car.  I told him no thanks.  I wanted to get the ’81 back on the road.  He sold it to a fellow fireman.

     Two years later, December 2001, Greg told me his old 1989 coupe was for sale again.  And again he asked me if I was interested in buying it, since my ’81 was still in pieces.  This time I said yes.  Two days later December 31, 2001, the 1989 coupe was in my driveway, and has been there ever since.  Who knew back on that summer day when I first rode in that 1989 Corvette Coupe, that some day it would be mine!  After all, how people can say they own the FIRST  Corvette they ever rode in, and the FIRST Corvette they ever drove.