NMCA Shares - My First Corvette

When I was about 13 there was a rental house across the street from where I lived. That year the renter was a single lady with a black C3 with mirrored T-Tops. I think it might have been a 1980 but I will never be sure. It was a beautiful car! She would be out front on Saturdays washing her car. For many years I forgot about it until I started thinking about what car I would want instead of economy cars that I had been driving for more than 20 years.

That car came back to me then, and when I turned 40 I promised myself I'd have a black C3 with mirrored T-Tops by the time I turned 50. A few months before my 50th birthday I started looking online. I found this 1979 L82 on Gateway Classic cars. There was no rust, and it looked to be in great shape according to the 40 plus pictures and a video. So I bit the bullet and bought it and had it shipped. I named her Black Betty after the Ram Jam song from 1977; "She's so rock steady (Bam-ba-Lam)". I wish I hadn't waited so long. I assumed a C3 would be expensive, some are, but most aren't. Two years later I bought a C7 for my daily driver.

Editors note: I had somewhat of a similar experience. In 1969 (I was 14) while driving with my father we saw a red 1969 Corvette go past us on the freeway. I told my father that when I grow up I planned to buy a 1969 Corvette. He gave the fatherly advice that those were very expensive vehicles and that they attracted cops. 10 years later I purchased a 1969 Corvette which I still have today.
Phil Ellison.

Source: Catherine Lambert - NMCA

Posted 5/22/20