Rich and Nancy's 87 Roadster

This 1987 is the only Corvette we've owned. I purchased it used in 1990 at Corvettes at Carlisle. The car is stock and remains a daily driver. I retrofitted the hardtop back in the mid-90s so the interior heat loss could be minimized in the winter and also to preserve the soft top. The car currently has 165,xxx miles on it and still runs strong - the engine has never been opened.

My interest in Corvettes began in the early 60's while stationed at Offutt AFB near Omaha, NE and watching Buzz and Todd via Route 66 on TV. I had a good friend with a 1960 Corvette and just before we were reassigned to Hickam AFB, HI, in 1966, my friend blew the engine. That led to a Saturday at the Offutt Auto Hobby Shop along with three other friends swapping out the 283 engine with a 327 out of a 63 Impala (no idea of keeping things original and numbers matching concerns back then).

Moving in the Air Force from base-to-base, raising kids and other activities didn't lend themselves to buying sports cars so it wasn't until I retired from the AF and settled in Northern Virginia that a decision was made to find a late model for daily driving - no trailer queen for me. I continue to do as much preventative and corrective maintenance myself as I can but I know my limits and take it to those who can handle the more technical needs better than me.

More to come …