Fan Friday: Mick Proxmire's 2002 Torch Red C5 Corvette Coupe

When Mick Proxmire’s wife was diagnosed with ALS and began losing the use of her legs, she asked him whether there was something on his bucket list. There was. Mick wanted to run Route 66, in the right car, while she was still able to make the trip with him. Her answer: “Then go find the right car.”

He found it in Dublin, Ohio — a Torch Red 2002 coupe, completely stock and in mint condition, with the 350-horsepower LS1 V8 under the hood. The two of them ran Route 66 for more than two weeks, and one of Mick’s photos has the car parked at the Midpoint sign in Adrian, Texas, still on its silver five-spokes. Afterward he kept it stock for several years and took it to car shows with good success, and kids loved it — Mick would let them climb in and “drive” while their parents took pictures. These days it’s a daily driver, and Mick has brought it into the 2020s. Under the hood there’s a chrome dual air intake, chrome billet fluid caps and a polished alternator cover. Inside, the original seats are re-covered in red and black leather, with a carbon fiber steering wheel and double-DIN console framing a touchscreen stereo. Outside, LED “frog eye” headlights, blacked-out LED turn, marker and brake lights, black lettering and gloss black C6 wheels give it a sharper, more modern face. Mick also had two well-known C5 trouble spots, the ECM and the steering column lock, taken care of before either one could fail.

Mick’s car is one of 2,830 Torch Red base coupes built for 2002. And that Midpoint stop is the real halfway mark: Adrian sits 1,139 miles from both Chicago and Los Angeles, and the town has billed itself as the middle of the Mother Road since the mid-1990s.

Thank you for trusting us with this one, Mick — it’s an honor to share it. 🏎️

Parts for a C5 Owner

If Mick’s interior and engine bay have you thinking about your own C5, these are a good place to start.

Lloyd Ultimat C5 Floor Mats — Mick’s C5 has logo mats underfoot, and these give you that look in dense, heavyweight carpet with your choice of black, Torch Red or Light Shale, plus a C5 logo or Corvette script. They fit 1997–2004 coupes, convertibles and Z06s. Each set is made to order, so allow about 3–4 weeks. → Shop Lloyd Ultimat C5 Floor Mats

C5 Hydro Carbon Inside Door Handle Bezels — Mick’s gloss carbon console and wheel set the tone inside his car, and these bezels carry that finish onto the doors. They’re made for 1997–2004 cars. → Shop C5 Hydro Carbon Door Handle Bezels

C5 Deluxe Alternator Cover with Crossed Flags — If the polished alternator cover in Mick’s engine bay caught your eye, this is our version of that look: mirror-polished stainless with a crossed-flags emblem and your choice of colored inlay, made for 1997–2004 base cars. → Shop the C5 Deluxe Alternator Cover

Want to be featured in a future Fan Friday?

We’d love to see your Corvette. Head to our submission form and tell us your story — the car, how you found it, what you’ve done with it, and what it means to you. Great photos make a huge difference, so bring your best shots. We feature a new Corvette every Friday.

Have a question about your order or our website? Reach out to help@carolinaonlineretail.com — our team is ready to help.