1966 Chevrolet Corvette Long Term Road Test | Edmunds.com

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,316
edited May 2015 in Chevrolet
image1966 Chevrolet Corvette Long Term Road Test | Edmunds.com

A 1966 Chevrolet Corvette has joined our long-term test fleet. It's been around since our company was founded so we're going to have a little fun seeing how it's held up.

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  • defyant15defyant15 Member Posts: 74
    edited May 2015
    Awesome choice and what a beauty! Excited to read about this car in future posts!
  • sharpendsharpend Member Posts: 177
    Great photos!

    As with any car, try hard to not get in a wreck. But older cars are an order of magnitude less safe than a modern car. Take care.
  • frank908frank908 Member Posts: 48
    Those photo are hil ari ous
  • cam30eracam30era Member Posts: 3
    You might want to consider adding power brakes. The kits are not expensive.
  • boffboff Member Posts: 91
    Great choice! Great pix! Buy radials!
  • kirkhilles1kirkhilles1 Member Posts: 863
    Very, very interesting choice. I like it. Now, here's the thing. This can't be one of those cars that you just use it for some photo shoots, you've got to DRIVE this thing. I don't want this to be gathering dust like the Miata (remember her?). I want to see this thing put 20,000+ miles on it. I want to hear opinions of what its like to drive 50 year old technology plus a car that has 50 year old parts on it that are not available anywhere. I want to hear how you fix it when it breaks and what regular service is like. Otherwise, you just spent money on a piece of artwork.
  • s1ginss1gins Member Posts: 51
    Very nice, how many miles did it have when you bought it?
  • frostyzoobfrostyzoob Member Posts: 8
    Great choice! I'm looking forward to reading about this!
  • opfreakopfreak Member Posts: 106
    I think you should list the MPG, just to let us know.
  • kokomojoekokomojoe Member Posts: 150
    It's a 66 Vette you don't need to say any more.
  • dderosadderosa Member Posts: 21
    Beautiful. I love the photos.
  • zimtheinvaderzimtheinvader Member Posts: 580
    edited May 2015
    this is the best!

    Please follow kirkhilles1's suggestions and really drive it, we want to hear what it is like on a daily basis.

    As someone that puts over 7,000 miles a year commuting in a car that is only 7 years newer than that I know old cars are awesome but also sometimes a source of "wait, what was that (sound, smell, feeling)?" so it keeps life interesting.
    No matter how much you replace or repair there will always be new things to wear out after that much time. Especially when driven like a new car not a weekend toy.
  • bonzjrbonzjr Member Posts: 44
    I know off the top of my head that at the very least the 1960 Chevy Corvair and 1961 Pontiac Tempest (remember "My Cousin Vinny?") both beat the Corvette to the four-wheel independent suspension set-up (there may have been cars before those two, but hey, that's for your research peeps to figure out ;) ). You guys are "car guys" but gotta do better research. :)

    Regardless, love the car. Bold choice. I really look forward to reading about your time with it.

    You might be able to run the VIN by GM (it's not like you guys aren't "connected") to see what options or features the car came with originally. Depending on the state of the records they kept from that period it could be interesting knowledge to know just how original this car made it through its 49 year life.
  • cjasiscjasis Member Posts: 274
    I AM NOT a Corvette guy (although I do like the C7) but the 63-67 Sting Ray has always been a poster car for me.

    I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this choice. Please drive this vehicle.. a lot. Awesome choice.

    And hey.. it's a stick!!!!
  • roar02ramroar02ram Member Posts: 12
    Great photos! Cool car.
  • jjlawyerjjlawyer Member Posts: 17
    Wow that AC option was expensive - at about 10% of the MSRP for the car. By today's standards on an AC would be an $8,000 option on an $80,000 C7.
  • 500rwhp500rwhp Member Posts: 99
    Coolest car in the long term fleet ever. If only I had a 4 car garage.....
  • ebeaudoinebeaudoin Member Posts: 509
    +1 for posting the MPG for us MPGeeks :D Very cool choice! Inflation-adjusted this thing cost close to $36,000 new. A/C cost just over $3,000 equivalent. Wow!
  • kokomojoekokomojoe Member Posts: 150
    If you get tired of it I'll be glad to drive it for you stock tires, brakes and all.
  • bankerdannybankerdanny Member Posts: 1,021
    edited May 2015
    This is going to fun to read about. Personally though my favorite 'Vette is the 1970-71 Stingray convertible with the chrome bumpers and egg crate fender vent.
  • funcarguyfuncarguy Member Posts: 5
    Nice choice, but I would have passed on the loud side pipes.
  • mittzombiemittzombie Member Posts: 162
    edited May 2015
    My friend has the split window one, 1963? Fun to drive around town, but man do seats without headrests suck for long trips.
  • desmoliciousdesmolicious Member Posts: 671
    This is going to be cool! Excellent photos. Maybe you can get a small bottle of Testor's paint and fill in the black that has flaked out of the badges?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    This car is about being loud and terrorizing the general population. If you can't drive it like a Viking on a raid, then I think the point of it is being missed entirely.
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    Great, GREAT choice. I would have gotten the hotter 327....even with the base one, you will still be using a lead-replacement additive, because it does not have hardened valve seats - not until 1972. So if you had to use an octane booster also, so what? You're still not going to be able to just gas and go, so you should have gone for some high-compression, solid-lifter goodness.

    BUT - awesome choice of a car...bravo!
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    desmolicious said:

    This is going to be cool! Excellent photos. Maybe you can get a small bottle of Testor's paint and fill in the black that has flaked out of the badges?

    And also some overspray from the reshoot...on the rear window trim. Don't know if this is really a $55k car...pretty nice, though. Real issue with these cars is no room for more than a 78-series tire in the wells. Get some radials.
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    If you are really shooting for 20k or thereabouts over the next year, I would consider getting paint protection film on the front clip, A-pillars and leading edge of the roof - cost you about a grand but will more than pay for itself when you go to sell. Also a fitted sunshade to protect the dash from the southwest sun. Rain-X or Aquapel does wonders for those crappy wipers they had then, and for visibility - no RH outside mirror is going to be a challenge to those staffers spoiled by backup cameras and lane-departure warning systems...
  • grijongrijon Member Posts: 147
    Edmunds, y'all knocked it out of the park with this one! Thank you! And great photos!
  • apollo49apollo49 Member Posts: 1
    Whoa.... how did you get that personalized original looking license plate??? Don't recall those back in '66.
  • expensivehobbyexpensivehobby Member Posts: 91
    Wow. My brother bought one of these, new, when he got out of the Navy that year. I could fit in that open area behind the seats. His had the 327, no idea which, straight pipes, either Nassau or the darker blue shade and a light blue interior. I was probably genetically inclined to love cars, but that one cinched it.
  • mtakahashimtakahashi Member Posts: 31
    apollo49 said:

    Whoa.... how did you get that personalized original looking license plate??? Don't recall those back in '66.

    Photoshop and a color printer!
  • bonzjrbonzjr Member Posts: 44
    I see you made the article change based on my comment. No credit? ;)
  • gslippygslippy Member Posts: 514
    OK, I'll be That Guy. I think you're crazy to spend $55k on a 50-year-old classic car, and then try to use it as a daily driver. This will certainly reduce its value, and virtually amounts to Car Abuse. Would anybody else here really drive a 66 Vette every day?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    On the other hand, why own something just to keep it stashed away in the closet (or garage)? Your garage could burn down tomorrow and you would have lost all that fun of tooling around in a cool car.
  • ralphhightowerralphhightower Member Posts: 11
    Corvette is my "bucket list" car. Although my preferred Corvette styling is from 1968 onwards, I LIKE THIS CAR! I want to buy it once y'all are going to sell her!
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