Vintage Vettes, the Dement brothers, and the greatest job in the world

“This can’t be right,” I thought as the GPS sent me to a crusty old office building on Memorial Boulevard in Murfreesboro. According to their website, Vintage Vettes handles a large assortment of pristine straight-axle Corvettes. Even as I went behind the building and opened the steel door, I did not see how this dark, dismal place could be what I was looking for. I introduced myself to a couple of guys sitting at desks plugging away on their computers, and they welcomed me to take a look in the next room. Suddenly I realized that my initial impressions were way off.

Vintage cars from the 2014 Greater Kansas City International Auto Show

When you go to an event like the Greater Kansas City International Show (GKCIAS), you expect to see the latest and greatest new cars, trucks, and SUVs.  What you might not expect to see is a first-rate classic car show.  But if you were in Bartle Hall over the weekend, that’s just what you saw.  Several groups had vintage iron on display, including the Kansas City Automotive Museum (KCAM), the Art of the Car Concours, the Heart of America Corvair Owners Association (HACOA), and the auto show itself.  So if you’re one of those people that says, “they don’t make ‘em like they used to,” there was still something for you at this event.

Treating Corvette withdraws at Vintage Vettes, LLC in North KC

Corvettes.  You know I love ‘em.  But during the winter, it’s hard to go see a bunch of them together.  I mean, all the Corvette club guys have theirs hidden away until spring.  There is one place you can see them all year-round in Kansas City, though—Vintage Vettes, LLC.  BHo and I stopped in to their very cold (very, VERY cold) showroom during the Christmas break to check out what was new.  And I’m glad we did, because they had more interesting Corvettes than many Corvette car shows we’ve attended.  I love looking through the inventory here, because they specialize in those early cars that helped make the Corvette name legendary.  Let’s take a look at some of my favorites.

The Kansas City Automotive Museum is one step closer to becoming reality

Most of us enjoy the Christmas season, but if you live in Kansas City and you like looking at old cars, cabin fever can easily set in.  It would sure be nice to have a first-class car museum here in town right about now.  And if the folks with the Kansas City Automotive Museum have their way, that scenario will happen sooner than later.  No, there is no museum yet, but these guys are serious about making it happen.  They’ve been raising money and awareness for the past couple of years, and as it turns out, progress really is being made.

Vintage Vettes is like a Corvette car show any day of the week

I could go look at Corvettes every day.  But there just aren’t Corvette shows every day.  So what’s a guy to do?  Well luckily, if you live in the Kansas City area, you can always go to Vintage Vettes in North Kansas City.  There, you’ll find a perfectly lovely selection of Corvettes that will easily fill your Corvette fix.  There are even some other interesting cars in there for the non-Corvette fans (is there such a thing?).

Vettes on the Square impresses yet again, and one year for Hover Motor Company

My day job is editing a car and truck valuation guide. Part of that includes researching every vehicle sold in the United States, and choosing characters out of their VIN that allow that vehicle to be VIN-decipherable in a computer program.

Corvettes used to be easy. There was a code for coupe, a code for convertible, maybe a code for the Z06, and that's it. Boom--three VIN codes. 

Vintage Vettes in North Kansas City is the ultimate Corvette candy store

Summer vacation has begun for BHo, but when mom's not feeling well, that can be a problem. Still, that very issue gave me a chance on Wednesday to entertain the seven-year-old dynamo while mom went to the doctor took it easy. As far as I'm concerned, it beats hanging out in a cubicle any day.

One of our stops was Vintage Vettes, L.L.C. in North Kansas City. I love that place; I really do. It looks like my garage in that fantasy where I win the lottery.