(i posted this thread first over at a corvette forum, but I wanted to crosspost it here to get opinions from the other side of the table)

Its no contest, right? Any day of the week, in any category except passenger capacity, a corvette will kick a monte carlo's a$$. This brings me to the dilemma I have been contemplating for the better part of a year now.

I am 23 years old, just graduated from college last year, was lucky enough to score myself a half-decent job in this economy, and now I'm getting antsy to buy myself a car. And not just any car, mind you, but a shiny new (old) C5 corvette. Like many others here, I grew up with the corvette as my dream car. I have the models, the posters, the books, etc. I am at the point where (I think) I can afford to get into a nice C5, which is really freakin awesome to me!

The only thing standing in the way, however, is my first car. Its a '79 Monte Carlo, older than me, but I've been driving it since I was 17 and its been in the family since new. Just rolled over 100k miles this past year. I've had a ton of fun in this car; alot of firsts, a ton of roadtrips, and more memories than I can begin to count. Plus, it was originally bought by my grandfather who passed away a couple years back, so there is that connection.

The downsides to this car are many. Anyone who has driven a bone-stock car from the late-70s (even a corvette) knows how slow these cars are. Gas mileage isnt great, it needs a paint job, and there are many little problems that are springing up that need attention. Overall though, its been a solid car for me. It starts up every single morning, even in the dead of winter, so I really cant complain about reliability.

Even if I don't do much of the work myself (which I'd be kidding myself if I said I was going to), I can restore this car to pretty nice shape and reasonably quick for less than the $20k I'm planning on spending on a corvette.

I love this car and I will miss it if I let it go. I've seen grown men close to tears thinking about their first car, and I'd hate to be one of those guys someday. Monte Carlo's have gotten sort of a reputation in recent years as being popular with the low-rider crowd, but if you can get past that, I honestly think its a decent looking car. For those of you unfamiliar with a 79 Monte (which I'm pretty sure is rarer than a corvette now), here is a picture of one.

I know you guys are biased here, but I'm interested in your opinions as to what you would do. I have no wife or kids right now, so I feel like now is the best time to have a vette. But on the other hand, I hate to see the monte go, and I have no storage space for two cars.

What do you think? (and sorry for the long post)

 

keep the monte, find a place to store it, buy a vette and be careful in it! no way does the monte need 20k for resto work! case closed. have fun!! the monte has better memories than the vette!!

 

Thats what I say, stick it in a shed and slowely fix up some stuff on it.

 

hmmm thats a rough one. if it were me though with my monte or even my first car (97 plymouth breeze) it would be extremely hard for me to get rid of either one of them bcuz of all the memories and all. it seems like you really gotta connection and what not with the monte so in my opinion i think you should restore the monte. i absolutely LOVE corvettes and really want one myself so i know where you are coming from but i would still would keep the monte. but its obviously entirely your choice and what you are going to be happy with. good luck with the choice!

 

Don't know the seasons were you live but were I live the C5 is def a six possibly seven month driver. I love vettes myself but truley from a distance . to me I prefer my feet lower than my axx when driving (saves the tailbone) and the only item I want a mortgage on is my house. I love gen fours and gen threes are very simular in the restore...leaving the hardware tonight as I stepped out next to the main street there was a very throaty rumble that passed I looked up in time to see the axx end chrome dual tips and all of a midnight black gen four just rolling by. Thats truely the way to go......be green and recycle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

...Yes by all means; KEEP THE MONTE CARLO. The Vette will come when you have
the money for it ( don't forget Insurance for those Vettes. ). Just keep the oil
changed in the MC and other vitals and it should last you a long time. The Vette
can be your toy and something to talk about Cars with to your buddies.
The C5's just happen to be my favorite Vette. I would love to own a 50th
anniversary edition.
Just be patient.........it will come.

 

keep the monte restore it later on & get the vette for a fun car & slowly rebuild your monte is prob the best way to go

 

to respond to a couple peoples' posts before i head to bed.

Number one, I really really don't have room for two cars. I am unfortunately still living at home, and we already have too many cars (not rich trust me, but just have a combination of older sedans). I don't have garage space to keep a Monte, and I'm really worried that, if I get a vette, I will suddenly have no time or money for the Monte, because all my dollars will go into modding it anyway.

As to where I live, I'm from NJ. I feel comfortable driving a corvette year-round if I buy one. Yea there is snow here sometimes, but I live in an area where it is usually cleared within a day, and I work less than 3 miles from home anyway.

And finally, to address nascar43, yea the corvette will come eventually. With any luck, someday I'll be able to afford a C6 Z06. The thing is, I see far too many guys with gray hair driving corvettes (no offense to the older guys here). Its got that reputation as a midlife crisis car, and I'd like to own one before I hit midlife. I've got no wife and no kids right now, so as far as I can see this is the best time to own a 2 seat car.

 

I say both. Keep the monte like others said and slowly restore it over time as you have the extra scratch and go buy the vette.

 

Gee, a 2 door luxury sedan or a sports car? That's such a har... no it's not, go with the 'Vette. At $20k you're likely to be able to score a clean Z06 since you're talking C5.

The only Monte I'd choose over a C5 'Vette stock for stock is a '70 SS 454. I like Monte Carlos, but I like Corvettes more.