Corvette of the Month
DECEMBER 2024
Stan and Cindy Hayes
2006 C6 Callaway Machine Silver
As a young adult I was always around cars, particularly Corvettes. My brother owned a Corvette. My brother-in-law owned and raced Corvettes, and had a repair shop in northern California specializing in them. When I met Cindy, I discovered that both of her brothers had Corvettes, too!
Then, after Cindy and I married, the first home we bought was across the street from Craig and Jo Heidman, who also owned Corvettes.
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So, it seemed we were destined to own one! After all, their combination of beauty and performance is second to none.
But I had never seen one that I just HAD to have ….. until about six years ago.
Happily, this C6 Callaway found it’s way into our garage!
NOVEMBER 2024
Bob & Chris Roethler
2001 Millennium Yellow Corvette Convertible
2016 Corvette Z06
Our dream car was always a Corvette but it seemed out of reach until all the stars aligned with our first Corvette: 2001 Millennium Yellow Corvette Convertible. We never thought our first corvette would be yellow, but with a black top it stood out from all others and we knew that was the one. Of course our first corvette needed a special license plate: YLWFRR (yellow fever). We also joined Corvettes of San Diego which opened the door to so many friendships that have lasted for years.
Amazing how a Corvette can change one's life - amazing journey! We had no intention to purchase another Corvette until we attended the reveal of the C7 at Peterson Museum. We were hooked and knew a C7 would be in our garage one day. Once the Z06 rolled out it was time to purchase our first new Corvette. Upon waiting over 18 months after placing order, our 2016 Corvette was finally born and we picked it up at the National Corvette Museum on August 15 2015. This is an amazing Corvette - well worth the wait! Our new license is: C7PASNU. Road trips with members from Corvettes of San Diego and Colorado River Corvette Club keeps our wonderful journey alive with our Corvette family.
OCTOBER 2024
Shelly Walker
2024 C8 Riptide Metallic Blue Z51
I have had three Corvettes since 2007. The 2007 was a black coupe. Then I traded it in on a 2016 Laguna Blue convertible. I loved the car and thought it would be my last! Then along came the 2024 Riptide Blue Stingray, Z51. She stole my heart and here we are. I love everything about the car and just hope I can hang onto my license for a few more years!! LOL!I feel privileged to be a Corvette owner!
SEPTEMBER 2024
Stephen Northrop
2019 Corvette C7 Long Beach Red 1LT
When I was growing up as a boy, I was always making model cars in the basement when the weather was bad outside in Wisconsin. I also drew cars in my class at school. I had a favorite back then and I finally saw it for real in 2014. The best looking car I’ve ever seen similar to the pictures I drew in school: a Corvette C7. Wow my dream car! It took me five more years to buy my Long Beach red C7. I’ve had the car for five years. Every morning when I wake up, I go into my garage and say hi to my car as it makes me so proud and happy to own it and being a member of Corvettes of San Diego is my dream come true. Wherever I drive, I always get compliments from people either at the store or anywhere I go.
Wow, what a great car!
AUGUST 2024
Michael Baessler
2017 Corvette C7 manual
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I have been a car nut since I was a kid. With my friends, I would sit on the side of the road and see who could name the cars first and describe their engines. The first car model I built was a 1963 Corvette coupe. Growing up, I was into muscle cars, especially GTO's. In fact, my first car was a 1965 GTO.
But I have always loved Corvettes. I have owned a 1979 L-82 4 speed, 1985 Corvette, and the current 2017 Corvette C7 manual. To purchase the 2017 Corvette, my wife Linda and I flew back east to New Hampshire. (My wife lived in Nashua, New Hampshire as a kid and I grew up about 15 miles from her in Lawrence, Massachusetts.) Who knew that the Number 1 Corvette dealer resided in Nashua, New Hampshire? With friends we went on a sightseeing trip through New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont hoping to see some fall color as it was early October. That year unfortunately the color had not even begun to change. Before the trip, I had already contracted the deal for the Corvette, so we went to Macmulkin to pick it up and start our trip across the country back to Utah. On our trip back we stopped at many presidential libraries. McKinley, Lincoln, Hoover and Eisenhower. Those libraries were all very interesting and historic.
One issue we did have was weather in Kansas. We stayed in a hotel for the night, and saw on the weather radar severe thunderstorms and tornados heading our way. After talking to the hotel manager about my brand-new Corvette with about 1,000 miles on it (and the concern of it being pounded by hail or worse, a tornado) he allowed me to park under the car port at the entrance to the hotel. About 20 minutes later the storm hit with all its hail and heavy winds and rain. But the car was safe, and we could go to sleep.
We continued our trip and met friends at the Wine Country Inn in Colorado. Unfortunately, both Linda and I somehow came down with the flu. So, we visited our friends but kept very separated to keep them safe. The rest of the trip was uneventful to our home in St. George Utah. Since moving to Ramona to be near our daughter, we have enjoyed the friendship, fun runs and activities of the Corvette's of San Diego club.
JULY 2024
Jerry Vink
2021 Corvette Stingray Convertible 3LT, Rapid Blue
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I have owned and ridden motorcycles most of my life. After a couple of accidents and close calls, I decided to swap the motorcycles for mountain biking (which hasn’t worked out too well for me either) and my long time interest in Corvettes. I have owned three Corvettes. A 1992 triple black roadster; 2014 Stingray Coup; and just recently purchased a 2021 Corvette Stingray Convertible. We have had incredible driving experiences
with the 2014 Corvette on all the runs -- including the trip to Colorado with the COSD club -- plus our trip from California to Maine. We plan to have similar experiences with the C8.
JUNE 2024
Claudia Keck
2014 Corvette Z51 Stingray 3LT Convertible,Cyber Metallic Grey
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When it came to hobbies, life took me through different paths enjoying boating, off-roading, and Harleys.
Sports car? I never really thought about it....until 2014. I was driving to work one day and I saw a brand new C7!!! I drove next to it for approximately 10 miles, admiring its looks, sharp lines, and the driver's smile from ear to ear! I was hooked. I knew right then, one day, I'll own one... As far back as I remember, I've always had a fascination for Corvettes.
It was time. I began my search in 2017. A few months later I was a proud and happy owner
of a Corvette! "DAREYAA" is 2014 Corvette Z51 Stingray 3LT Convertible, cyber metallic grey color, 7 speed manual, with chrome rims. Since then, I've had incredible experiences.... meeting new friends, exploring new destinations, enjoying the open road, sunshine and fresh air!
MAY 2024
Mike Grassi
2022 Stingray Convertible 2LT w/ Z51 Package, Silver
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When I came from Italy in 1967, the first car I saw was a 1967 Corvette. I fell in love with it. After graduating high school, I got a job at Ciba Pharmaceuticals in Summit, New Jersey and saved my money to buy a Corvette. I bought my first Corvette in 1980, a 1976 Stingray with t-tops. I still have it in New Jersey. When I saw the mid-engine Corvette C8, I fell in love all over again because it reminded me of a Ferrari, another car that I love. When I retired, I bought myself a retirement present, a 2022 Stingray.
APRIL 2024
Norma and Paul Heeter
2019 Grand Sport 8-speed automatic Silver/Black
As far back as 1954 when he was 11 years old, Paul saw his first Corvette, a 1954 Polo White Corvette. He decided then and there he would some day have a Corvette, never realizing that over the span of 57 years he/we would have 19!
His first Corvette was a 1957 red Corvette convertible bought when he was 19 years old. From the time Paul and Norma were married in 1967 until the present, they have had 18 Corvettes together, some for personal use and others for selling eventually. In 2003, Heeter Corvette mania reached a height when the Heeters and six others formed their own Club, Corvettes of San Diego.
The 2019 Corvette pictured here is the last, a 2019, a fitting year for our 19 th Corvette! If anyone is interested in a full on “novel” about the history of these 19 Vettes, look under Our Club, About Us, Norma and Paul and the history is there.
MARCH 2024
Chiko and John Briquelet
2016 Z06 coupe Long Beach Red metallic
I saw my first Corvette at a Chevrolet dealership in Seattle in 1953. It was white with a red interior, and I loved it! In 1963, I was totally smitten with a black Sting Ray, split window coupe. I wanted one! Unfortunately, life happened. Vietnam, the draft, marriage, kids, college, etc… I had to wait. But, in 2016, the moon and the stars aligned, and I ordered a 2016 Z06 coupe, with 3LZ and Z07 options. As the color combo, Long Beach Red metallic tint coat, and the Kalahari tan interior was very scarce at the time, I had to wait a little longer, but I finally became a proud Corvette owner!
FEBRUARY 2024
Rex and Barb Whitmer
2016 Z51 Stingray Arctic White
Isn’t she beautiful? She is a 2016 Arctic White Z51 Stingray with a 460HP 8 speed w/paddle shifter. She has Carbon Flash Black trim inside and out with Red Stitching trim on Red Leather interior and seats.
Our journey to be her owners began with Rex owning his first 1966 Rally Red Vette. Then, in 2006 he influenced his wife Barb to replace her red 1996 T-Bird with a Monterey Red Vette. She was very happy she succumbed because this was her first vette to own and it would be her EVERY DAY CAR!
That same year (2006) they went shopping for a Vette Club. First stop was the Qualcomm Stadium parking lot. Norma and Paul Heeter were hosting a COSD event with fun games including an autocross race which Barb won as she was the one driving that day. Norma’s excitement and friendliness lead to the next stop, Rex and Barb joined!
JANUARY 2024
Larry Scarpa
2017 C7 Corvette Grand Sport "black rose metallic"
I happily own a 2017 C7 Corvette Grand Sport hard top / coupe. The color is "black rose metallic" with chrome rims. This is my first Corvette even though but I really liked them for a long time and so wanted a sports car. I began my search in 2016 but just couldn't settle on a color. With the 2017 year model came the Grand Sport and this rare color. I began a search high and low and finally found a local dealer had one fresh off the truck and I bought it. Maria and I love to spend the day zipping through twisty turns.
DECEMBER 2023
Steve Turkheimer
2009 Coupe Red Metallic/Black & Tan Interior
NOVEMBER 2023
Steve Gaylor
Jet Blue/Ebony Interior
OCTOBER 2023
Jim Wellington
1966 C2 Roadster
50 years later
2016 C8 Convertible Roadster Red/Red
SEPTEMBER 2023
Becky Vink
2014 Corvette Stingray Coup Black
AUGUST 2023
Shelly Walker
2016 Z51 Stingray Laguna Blue
JULY 2023
Chuck & Debbie Sharp
1967 Corvette Coupe Sunfire Yellow
JUNE 2023
Ken & Carol Shuttleworth
2016-Z06-650HP SuperCharge Long Beach Red Metallic
MAY 2023
Stan & Cindy Hayes
2006 Calloway Coupe Machine Silver
MARCH 2023
Shawn Green
2009 Z06 Corvette Atomic Orange
JANUARY 2023
John & Dee Harry
2018 3TL Corvette Sting Ray Red
