I was born to love cars. I know many say that but I was born in the right place and the right time to grow up with a passion for cars from the start. My Father worked for Goodyear Tire and I founded my racing passion there. My Great Uncle who was like a Grand Father to me was a lead GM engineer retired. I also grew up in a neighborhood where it was filled with gear heads and racers along with a number of Corvettes. My father had a new Chevy a year later every year due to my Great Uncle. He would buy a Buick and Chevy every year and then give the old one with maybe 2000 miles on it to my father. The ordering of these cars was an event I got to assist in even at an early age. He would order sight unseen and I remember going later August to see these cars before the public were let in. At this time I got to see the first Corvettes too. This drove my passion to buy a Corvette at an early age. Every year the dealers would give away Corvette Go Carts and I would enter only to come up empty. I went on to have a number of fun and rare cars over the years. I knew many Corvette owners and got to ride and drive in some of the greatest ones that were ever build. My passion for my Neighbor's dads Triple Black FI 59 is still in my mind. I still have my first new car a 1985 Fiero V6 I got just out of collage. It has gone on and become a national award winner a number of times at the Pontiac National. Life goes on and buying houses and other family things that come first came. A number of my Fiero Club members were trading up and buying Corvettes. One of them was selling a Red 2002 Convertible with low miles. I drove the car and it was all I wanted it to be. However I had a son who needed to go to college. So I passed. So when he graduated I told my wife his school is paid and I want to get a Corvette before I was too old to get out of one. She relented. Having just rebuilt her kitchen helped LOL! I told her this may take some time and I was looking forward to the hunt actually.But the first place I went I found the same type car my Buddy sold and I passed on. It has everything his car had and was the same Torch Red. The Car had been traded in for a C6 and has only seen 1600 miles from 2016-2023. It was in good condition and just needed some simple things done that were well in my wheel house. We struck a deal and now I have finally joined the Corvette club. I'm glad I got the one I did but I do wish I had more of a hunt to drive and see other cars but this one checked all the boxes. My garage already has a 12' X 24" C4 Billboard and posters that I had collected for years. I never noticed but I had collected many C5 items over the years too never knowing that was what I would buy. Even a number of Hats and jackets including Andy Pilgrims Pratt and Miller Team jacket from 2001. I love taking my Corvette out. I could show it but I will leave that to the Fiero. This one I have had a lot of fun and even have been in the Pro Foot Ball Hall of Fame Parade driving Hall of Fame players in the enshrinement parade. Corvettes hold a long tradition with the parade and it is fun to be a part of that. I'm not a club member kind of guy and I may not be the typical Corvette owner but I love this car. I may up grade to a C6 GS some day but it would be hard to part with the car I have now.