Matt Coffey has a garage. Sometimes--like when he's sleeping--there's even a Corvette in it. Still, neither Matt nor his Corvette are in the garage very often. Matt is one of those guys who believes that Corvettes are made to be driven, no matter what the vintage--a strange idea that seems to be catching on. On most days Matt and his wife Lorraine can be seen on the quiet streets of Valrico, Florida, cruising in their Venetian Red '57 Corvette and, most of the time, they're not alone. According to Matt, "Every day is a car show with us. It's not unusual to find two or three kids packed in, sharing seatbelts, of course!"
It's amazing what can happen when classic Corvettes are let out of the garage.
When Matt and Lorraine purchased this bone-stock '57 over a year ago, they didn't waste any time getting it on the road. They picked up the car in New Hampshire, then drove it down through New England, even through rainstorms that "made it rain inside as hard as outside." When they arrived in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, they reluctantly decided it would be best to have professional movers take it the rest of the way home because the worn weatherstripping couldn't handle the trip. A little rain, though, didn't spoil the experience for Matt, who tells us, "It was a crazy adventure that reminded my wife and me of the things we did while dating and just married."
Now the Corvette has well over 100,000 miles on the clock, and the Coffeys still "rack up between 1,000 and 1,200 miles monthly." Even with all that driving, the car still has its original engine and all the original parts. Folks have always suspected that these cars were built to last; the Coffeys are putting that theory to the test. Their results are amazing. As Matt puts it, "This car is truly a bright spot in our lives, but only because we drive her on a daily basis. Too many people hide these treasures away in garages where they--and nobody else--can experience them. Corvettes were meant to be driven!" Matt hopes this philosophy spreads like wildfire. "My advice to you trailer-queen owners is: Tear off the car covers and drive her like you stole her! You and others around you will get so much more enjoyment out of it. Trust me, I know."
He knows.