Dealer discount looks like bargain of a lifetime

Joe Jacobs had a problem. The Chevrolet dealer had a shiny new 1972 Corvette sitting in his Wilmette showroom that he just couldn't sell. Luckily for him, Clive Fishman strolled in the dealership that summer about four decades ago.

Fishman, who now lives in Vernon Hills, had just sold his 1969 Mach 1 Mustang and was hunting for a new ride. An eager salesman led the young man right toward the Chevy coupe. "I told him it was nice," Fishman said. "But there was no way I could afford it."

Undeterred, the salesman darted into the back and returned with Joe. Jacobs confessed no one was interested in a green Corvette; the preference was white or red. He also shared his daughter was a senior in high school and hungrily eyeing the performance machine; it had to go.

"He took 30 percent off the sticker right then," Fishman said. "It was an incredible deal."

Despite the savings, Fishman's father was not pleased, believing that his recently graduated college son should be saving funds.

Still, Fishman wasted no time in enjoying the new acquisition. That winter he and his wife Elaine took a road trip to Key West, Florida. Packing was tight because their trunk-less Vette isn't equipped with the exterior-mounted luggage rack.

"We shared a suitcase stuffed behind the front seats," Fishman said. Somehow the pair also managed to return home with two bushels of grapefruit as a souvenir from the journey.

After the vacation, Elaine daily drove the Corvette around town while Fishman walked to work. That arrangement didn't mean he didn't get seat time. Fishman opted to do much of his driving in short jaunts, racing at area drag strips.

In 1983, his mechanic suggested swapping engines to better preserve the classic's value. The factory 350-cubic inch V-8 was pulled and safely stored. In its place went a souped-up speedboat motor that had been used by the Newman Haas Racing team. No expense was spared when Fishman ordered the mechanic to further tweak the engine, making it "powerful, bulletproof and to last the life of the car."

Zora Duntov, considered to be the Father of the Corvette, was even phoned during the process and gave several pointers. The hard work paid off as the engine has since never been tuned and still runs strong.

Fishman continued racing with the new engine, immediately noticing a big difference in his Vette's performance. In 1986 he made one last road trip. His mechanic passed along Duntov's Michigan address. Fishman drove there to show off his ride.

"I knocked on the door and Zora came out. He immediately asked for the keys," said Fishman. Without any other words, the engineer hopped in and sped off. "When he returned, he stated it was the best '72 Corvette ever," Fishman said.

Fishman sought to get his son involved in the hobby and in 1986 he built a matching go-cart to mirror his full-size car. For many years, they showed off the pair together at area car shows and events.

The shared father-son Corvette love didn't end there. Fishman's dad, coming to realize the vehicle's collectability and increased value, would eventually grow to fully appreciate his son's purchase. In the final years before his dad's death, Fishman recalls, "We would joke that I should have bought ten of them!"

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