My Corvette and Roadtrip Across America
cars My Corvette
I mentioned in my last post that when I finished chemo, I would likely either get a dog or trade-in my Golf for a sports car. I spent many weeks cross-shopping C6 and C7 Corvettes with the Mustang GT and Camaro SS. There were pros and cons for all three options:
- All three have v8 engines (great)
- All three can come in manual transmission (great)
- Mustang has a crappier manual transmission but both Corvette and Camaro SS have amazing Tremec transmissions
- Corvettes were about 10k more expensive for similar year/mileage
- Mustang and Camaro give off “just home from my first military deployment” energy
- Corvette gives off “divorced 50’s dad” energy
- Corvette has 2 seats while Mustang and Camaro have 4
Ultimately, I landed on a 2015 z51 7MT Corvette… the only issue is it was located in Las Vegas, NV.
Exotic Car Trader
I first discovered the car on AutoTrader but the car was listed incorrectly. The car was listed as a base 2015 Stingray with ~50k miles, but reading the description and CarFax, it became clear the car had the z51 performance package and was worth a bit more than a base Stingray. As a result, the list price of 38k seemed like quite the bargain.
The car was offered by a private seller through Exotic Car Trader
Admittedly, I was initially concerned this was all a scam but I did some research and the company seemed legit.
Their process is simple:
- Negotiate price
- Agree on price and sign sales contract
- Wire money to escrow account managed by ECT
- Once funds clear, ECT works to get the title in hand
- ECT offered to ship the car to me for 2.4k but I figured I could do it cheaper by flying out and driving it back
- ECT got me a temporary registration in Florida and some temporary plates
- Once I’ve taken delivery, ECT works to assign me the title and mail it to me
- I then take the title, sales contract, and whatever insurance info I have and go register the car proper
I am currently at step 6 with the car in my driveway and am waiting on the title. They should also send me an affidavit stating that I paid the 6% FL sales tax and any MA tax I owe will be the difference.
I was able to negotiate the price down to 37k based on the pre-purchase inspection.
I was also offered 12k for my Golf trade-in, altogether, that put the cost of the car at 25k, not unreasonable IMO.
Trip to Vegas
Once I received the temporary plate and tags, I was ready to book my flight to Vegas.
I was able to get a one-way ticket to Vegas for $140. I landed on a Saturday and took a cab to pick up the car. I picked it up and drove it to my hotel and made an appointment with the Chevy dealership nearby to do a full service before starting the 2700 mile drive back to Boston.
Altogether, I spent two nights in Vegas for combined cost of $190. I spent the first night at a seedy hotel called The Mardi Gras Hotel and the second at Treasure Island
Day 1: Las Vegas, NV to Beaver, UT
Monday morning, I brought the car to the dealership and after 8 hours, the car was fully serviced and ready to hit the road. Since I spent most of the day waiting at the dealership, I was only able to drive about 3 hours before crashing for the night.
I ended up in Beaver, UT and stayed at the Comfort Inn for $140. A bit expensive but the free breakfast was worth it.
Day 2: Beaver, UT to Denver, CO
The next day was by far the most scenic and fun day of the trip. I drove to Denver, CO which took me through the Rocky mountains. Miles of twisty canyon roads, surrounded on all sides by beautiful ice-capped mountains, or the reddish orange desert mountains. The Corvette was at home on those roads and was able to disregard all the speed limits, feeling incredibly planted at high speeds, it was a new and exhilirating experience.
I ended up staying at a DoubleTree which was a nicer hotel than I was previously accustomed to but it didn’t have free breakfast and I even had to pay for parking! Overall, not worth it as the hotel was $112 but the parking was $18 and breakfast was another $10, bringing to lodging total for this day to $140.
Day 3: Denver, CO to Omaha, NE
The third day took me through middle America, long straight highways with endless fields on corn on either side. Not much to look at but hard to get bored when you’re driving a Corvette.
I stayed at a Best Western Inn for $92 and overall, this was probably the best value hotel of the whole trip. The rooms were clean, the breakfast and parking were free, and the cost was reasonable.
Day 4: Omaha, NE to Hammond, IN
The fourth day was the first time I encountered a hiccup. Early on in the drive, the engine shuttered oddly and I saw the CEL start flashing. I was immediately concerned but the engine felt fine so I continued driving. At my first rest stop, I googled what the flashing CEL means it is indicative of a cylinder misfire. The cylinder misfire should obviously be addressed ASAP but I was still en route, I committed myself to getting to Hammond, IN and taking the car to the dealership the next day to fix the issue.
I made it safely to Hammond and stayed at a Quality Inn for $72. The value on this hotel was very good but the breakfast was extremely lacking. Still, an overall good stay.
Day 5: Hammond, IN to Erie, PA
Early morning, I took the car to the nearby dealership to fix the cylinder misfire. The CEL was not on but the previous day, it did flash about 4-5 times during the trip. The dealership ran the codes and it showed cylinder 7 and 8 were misfiring. The fix? Replace all spark plugs, replace ignition coils for 7 and 8. They also ended up replacing the serpentine belt which was developing small cracks and also the fuel injector for cylinder 8. Total cost? $2500… Damn!
It would have been worth it if the fixes were good but literally within 50 miles, I felt the misfire again the CEL started flashing, this time it stayed on. I decided I would get the car home before doing any more “fixes” as I was already out $3800 to the dealership and couldn’t stomach another expensive “fix” that might not even really fix the issue
Day 5 ended up being the most tiring day of driving, as I drove about 6 hours after spending the day at the dealership. I ended up arriving at the Quality Inn in Erie, PA at 11:30 PM. Breakfast sucked and all the rooms smelled like cigarettes. It only cost $67 but I would have probably paid more for a non-smoking room. Allegedly, all the rooms were non-smoking but empirically, they were all smoked in pretty heavily.
Day 6: Erie, PA to Boston, MA
The final stretch! This day had the most mileage but I was close to home and motivated to make it. Driving through upstate New York was very pleasant and beautiful but the cylinder misfire was still an issue I had to keep an eye on and I was babying the car like crazy (not fun).
It was really nice finally being home! I really missed my wife and kids and sleeping in my own bed. The trip was amazing a much needed reprieve after all those rounds of chemo.
Cylinder misfire follow-up
I brought the car to my trusted mechanic to diagnose and implement a permanent fix to the cylinder misfire issue.
Alas, it was cylinder 7 that was misfiring but I am still waiting on a diagnosis and action plan to fix.
More pics
Needless to say, both kids love the car
