Mark's 1999 Corvette Website

My very first Corvette was a 1979 White on Oyster leather coupe. It had a numbers matching base (L48) 350/195hp motor with a 4 speed transmission. Options included; A/C, PS, PB, AM/FM w/ 8 Track, dual rear speakers and tilt/tele steering wheel.

I bought my 79 at the (short lived) Corvette Expo in Atlanta on Saturday, May 15, 1993. It was a one owner, very well documented, all original Corvette with just under 87K miles. The price was right and I took home my very first Corvette!!

There were more Corvettes produced in 1979 than any other year. St. Louis produced 53,807 coupes, most of which were like my base engine one. However, my 79 had one unique characteristic. It came with just one drivers side metal mirror (see pic). Only ~10% were made this way. It was also delivered with the rally wheels. However, the original owner upgraded to the slotted aluminum wheels just before I bought it.

My 79 came with the build (tank) sheet, the original order form, the bill of sale, owners manual, warranty book, tire literature and all the service history documentation.

Along with all the standard documentation, I also received a collection of letters related to the first owners troubles ordering the Corvette that she wanted. Apparently, she placed an order for a 4 speed 1978 model right at the end of the '78 production cycle. There was some sort of problem at that time getting 4 speed transmissions. The original owner's father must have been a high profile GM investor, because the letters are from him to various very high level GM executives (I wish I had made copies before I sold the car!!). She ended up with an early '79 production Corvette. AND got the 4 speed transmission that she wanted.

I knew on the day that I bought my 79 that it needed the Pace Car spoilers and sport mirrors. I also decided to paint the car at the same time. I bought the fiberglass spoilers because I didn't like the "wavy" appearance of the original urethane ones.

This was my first attempt at working with a fiberglass car. Luckily, I had a real good friend that was willing to help and had done the same thing to his 79 a couple of years earlier. We installed the spoilers and wet sanded the paint. Another friend finished the sanding and blocking and then sprayed it back to Classic White. The results were better than I had expected.....

Once I had my '79 looking like I wanted it to, I wanted to show it off a little. I took it up to the Charlotte Motor Speedway for one of the AutoFairs. I wasn't really interested in selling "her" at this time. It just gave me an opportunity to wantch peoples reactions when they walked by. I got a few offers, but nothing good enough to convince me that it was time to part ways with by first Corvette!!

For the next year or so, I spent a fair amount of time fixing minor electrical issues, cleaning up the engine compartment and performing some upgrades to the front suspension (new rubber bushings). My '79 was in excellent shape and I worked to keep it that way!!

With the new spoilers and mirrors, the fresh paint job, the detailed "original" engine compartment and an interior that looked fresh off the assembly line, I hit the show trail! OK, I only put it in three local shows over a two year period, but I did place 1st in my class all three shows. For the last show that I entered, I put the car in the "Concourse" class. My car was judged by NCRS judges. I scored an 88 out of 100 and won my class. This picture is from that show.

For about the last 1 1/2 years that I owned my '79, I might have driven it once a month. I thought at the time that I had "lost the fever" (little did I know it was only in remission!). There are two AutoFairs each year at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. I bought a space in the car corral in the Fall '98 show. A good friend had his '71 454 Vette next to me (see pic). The show was Thursday through Sunday. I sold the car on Friday afternoon. Since the guy that bought it was from out of town, he asked if he could leave the Vette parked in it's spot until Sunday. I suffered the next two days sitting there with my friend and my "first" Corvette parked next to us with a sold sign on it!
YOU NEVER LOSE THE FEVER...TRUST ME!!