Muscle Cars
A Story Of A 1966 Corvette And The US Navy
By Mark Weiseeg
I have had a friend for nearly twenty years now that I have cherished far more than I ever could have imagined. On Monday I received my bad news. My dear Friend Jim who is all of 52 had a heart attack.
I talked to him in detail the other day to once again express my friendship and love to him as he is a great guy. But, this great guy has had a secret now for many years. I knew the secret and regularly pestered him for the prize. The prize is a 66 Corvette.
My friend Jim acquired this Corvette from his dearly departed uncle. His Uncle served in the US Navy for twenty nine years. He drove this car across the country several times and even drove it as his daily driver. The car has over two hundred thousand miles on it now. The Uncle passed years ago from cancer and Jim inherited the car. You see before his Uncle died the plan was to restore the car together and then drive it together. That never happened as his Uncle passed sooner than expected. So, the prized car sits in a garage waiting for Jim to do it.
Problem is that his work schedule and his work on his farm allow him very little time to do anything else. I knew about the car as mentioned for years. I wanted it and he always declined my offers. All I wanted to do was to drive it and show it as is.
I did not want to restore it as then I would take the DNA of his uncle out. So, I had hoped he would sell it to me and I would show it and drive it as is. I wanted to do that to honor his uncle. You see I have several older cars and trucks that I left “as is” for the same reasons. So, I had hopes someday that this Vette would be mine and I would leave it alone. No, paint job, no big restoration plan, nope, just get the brakes and steering safe for the road and then do what I do best. Show the rare, cool car. With
With my blogging articles and my media presence I wanted to make the car a star and then Jim’s Uncle a star. It would be to honor a man who served his country for twenty nine years. All the things his uncle gave up to serve his beloved country was my goal.
But, when I spoke to my dear friend the other day about his health scare at only the age of 52 he made it clear he would not sell the car. Period.
I understand his reasoning to a point but at this rate his Uncle is never going to get the media star treatment I can get him. The car will just sit in a garage and few will ever know the real story. That bothers me because if you recall I just did a story on a friend who served in Vietnam and his 65 Corvette. That friend has a Purple Heart and two medals of valor. He drives his ’65 Corvette and even with his health issues he is out and about enjoying life. His name is Jack and I love him like a brother. Now this ’66 is sitting wasting away and my friend Jim just had the scare of his life. I live him like a brother as well. I included him on some very interesting adventures when we worked together. Me on the road, him at the shop. We made a terrific team.
So, this beautiful white ’66 Corvette is back in the lonely garage and according to Jim I will never be able to honor his late Uncle or Jim himself. I know if Jim saw what I could do in the public eye for this car and his Uncles memory he would change his tune. It pains me to see my friend ill. It also pains me to see a classic rotting away in a barn for no good reason. Guys like me and you folks are car crazy. We spend too much money and time on our cars but we are addicted. I love my friend and miss the daily interactions but if he could only see how I could make his Uncle famous, even in death he would change his tune.
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