In this Fan Car Friday post we will be taking a look at a 1969 stingray, and the lucky owner behind it. Fan Car Friday is a segment where we want to share with the world the automobiles that our fans restored. These cars are not for sale and we have absolutely no affiliation/relationship with the cars, the build or the owners, we saw the photos and felt they should be shared with the world to inspire others on their build. Or, simply put, its great eye candy for those of us who can’t make it to car shows or meetups as often as we would like. All posts are made with written consent of the owners.
The fan car this week is one that is going to spark some passionate responses. Just remember, when we were 16 most of us would do anything for a vehicle like this. The Corvette has been passed through a number of owners, but has always remained within the same family. In this history there are three main people, the purchaser (The grandfather), the first legacy owner (Jared’s father) and then onto Jared. At its start, it was originally purchased by Jared’s grandfather with the intention of his wife using it as a daily driver. While it may have been fun, it wasn’t exactly the best grocery getter in the world. She once went out to get groceries and forgot she had driven the corvette. She was soon reminded how small the space was when the bag boy innocently asked “where would you like me to put these?”. Impracticality added with a growing family led the Corvette to being parked for some time.
Once Jared’s father was old enough to drive he was able to use it on and off throughout high school with strict approval and curfews from his parents beforehand. He was quickly enthralled with the car. While Jared’s father swears he would never even think of speeding a mere mile above the limit, he was still once pulled over for “the intention of speeding” from a police officer. It was a small town in Cicero, IN and he had turned a corner at the one spotlight in town to an open road except for a crossing set of railroad tracks. That’s when he saw the blue lights in his mirrors. He wasnt given a ticket, he told the police officer he had not done anything wrong and the intention of flooring it on this open road was ridiculous because the hump for the railroad tracks would quickly end that teenage fantasy. Fortunately he wasn’t given a ticket. Unfortunately though, the Corvette was parked once more as college and his future wife started to become his new passions.
Jared’s grandfather had always been a car guy, he raced at the dirt track and knew how to tinker around cars. So after many years of this sitting behind a factory Jared and his grandfather got it running again and was told “One day this will be yours” after from going from his grandfather, to his father, Jared was excited to be the next proud owner. He started counting down the days until he could drive it. Almost every waking moment he would be reading articles online, buying any magazine with a corvette on the cover and stick to a channel anytime he saw a corvette on it. It was 9 long, grueling years later that Jared was able to legally drive a car on his own. After all those years, after all the excitement and after all the anticipation was built up in his mind for the overwhelming majority of Jared’s life….. The car still blew away every expectation he had in his mind about driving it and then some.
Jared has been offered good money and even a trade for a 2017 Z06 for this beauty. While he may be seen as just another millennial, he has earned and deservesour respect because Jared would rather die than not let this car go to his kids one day. He wants to keep it in the family. Forever. Jared’s favorite thing about the car is how it “feels like [I’m] driving a beautiful, powerful time machine into the past”
I was never lucky enough to Owen one but I did get to drive one a BB 427 I was told it came out as a 500+ HP car.that’s a question I had wanted to ask Dan did Chevy make a few vettes in 69 that were listed as 500+ hp I was told the eng. Would barrie a 500hp Dyno so they came out 500+ please let me know…thank you so much p.s love the show never miss it Dan you are the man on all things auto…I,v learned a lot of way to look for the right and wrong things when buying
Great story love hearing about great cars being passed down from one family member to another and the history involved. This Fan Car Friday segment is a fantastic addition to your already informative Newsletter which by the way is excellent.
I was at your shop on the day of the Eclipse took the tour of the shop and your beautiful collection of collectibles and also watch the show weekly. Very impressive keep up the hard and dedicated work Dan and crew. Dan you have got to be very proud of what you have accomplished and built and the knowledge your are passing on and sharing is priceless.
Beautiful car! I have a passion for Corvettes, always have, although I’ve never been fortunate enough to own one. You’re one lucky young man Jared! I hope you have joy with this beauty for years, and are able to pass it down one day.