Guy, You're second wave OG.
mdpalmer, some newer Vette guys don't know the culture. I'd say I get around maybe 50/50 on "the wave." The trans problem with the GT-R was jsut the first year, but yes cost of ownership would be relatively high, but not as high as say a Turbo Porsche.
Ron, it's really more about available resources, namely time, and all other goals and priorities than anything. I'd love tinker and finesses the Vette regularly, but that's just not in the cards, and so it's annoying when I have complex problems that there's really no one to go to. "The turn key" car does solve that aspect.
But anyway, the money future (out a few years) is looking fairly decent barring fiscal meltdown, then I'll at least have money in the play money bucket which I haven't had in years. At that time I can consider whether i want to continue with the next "big" steps with the C3 or not. One thing I might do sooner than later is add the Guldstrand 5-link at Dick's shop. It would make it even more unique (like probably the only one in the world literally) and to have it done at Dick's place adds a little more "uniqueness." But even just that is pushing $4g now. These are all sunk costs, at least in this economic environment.