Stingray23

I'd like to one day soon get into a C2 vette and would like to know, who do you trust to buy a vette from? What I mean is, which corvette dealers out there have the best reputation? I'm not fluent in C2 codes and problem areas, but I do read up as much as I can here on the forum or books and internet. I'd just like to make sure I dont make an expensive mistake.

capevettes

My advice would be to buy from a private party and have an experienced midyear Corvette guy assist you with the inspection of any car you are serious about buying.

dahogan

BINGO

provette67

Dealers,even long time dealers do not usually drive the cars that they buy to sell much if at all.Let a lone putting the car on a lift.And contrary to public perception most do not know much about what is original and correct on these cars.They do however know what sells and what price they will bring and how to get that price.
I am not so sure that buying from a private party is a necessity either. I have found that many owners do not know as much about their car as you would think.Even long time owners are not aware of things like previous restamps,body repairs,color changes and rust.To most of them these cars are their babies and have no blems.It is a must though to have a very knowledgeable person do an inspection prior to purchase.Good luck with your search.

Dan J

PM sent

Wayne88

I'm also casually looking at C2s. Ebay has nice cars, but I don't trust sending a large amount of money to someone I don't know, for a car I didn't inspect.

I think the best bet is to find a C2 for sale from a long time owner. This way you know how he maintained it. A short-term owner may be flipping it because there is something wrong with it.

A recent NCRS Top Flight award winner is a good purchase, because it's already inspected and is in original condition. It's aslo easier to sell if need be.

If I buy from a dealer, it will be a Corvette dealer with a good reputation. I've heard good things about Conte Corvette's in NJ, but I personally never dealt with him.

http://www.contes.com/ccvlist.htm

pullin-gs

Only have trust in yourself or trust in a 3rd-party C2 expert of your choosing.

The one time I bought from a dealer some of the problems that the car had were not revealed. I saw them, but the price was fair and I wanted the car, so I got it anyway. I got lucky also....I was expecting a total C2 rear suspension rebuild and all it needed was re-torquing of the fasteners (they were loose). I do not think the dealer even knew about the issues to be honest about it. I would buy from them again.

Pay for a C2 guy.....it will be the best money spent, and you will learn a ton of accurate information about the car you buy.

78Hokie66Vette

If there is a local Corvette club - join it. There will be many people familiar with C2's and they not only can teach you about what to look for, but can help you with inspections.

Years ago searching for my C2, I looked at close to 30 cars - some I wasn't really interested in, but every visit taught me something new. Most Corvette owners/enthusiasts are happy to bring new folks into the fold and have good information/experience to share.

Good luck.

jchez7

Do as much study as you can (your own trust is the best, unless a good knowledgable friend is looking for you), never buy a car on Ebay sight-unseen, and have a local, well known/respected 'expert' from a club, etc, check the car out prior to purchase. Good luck; still looking myself.
Of course, getting a recent NCRS Top Flight car wouldn't hurt

63split63

A recent NCRS Top Flight award winner is a good purchase, because it's already inspected and is in original condition. It's aslo easier to sell if need be.

You still need a pro to look it over , It would be very easy to replace a lot of the rare and expensive parts with aftermarket stuff and sell the car with the paperwork . That is an old trick in this market . They keep all the good stuff and move on to another car that they use the parts to get " Top Flighted " and sell .
Get yourself an education before you buy. And when you think you know it all have an expert check it out before you make the deal .



Bill

Hitch

I'm not sure why purchasing a Top Flight car would guarantee anything..

VeroWing

tjschraf

....So, don't buy one at all?

provette67

Certainly buy one just know what you are buying or have someone who does know what they are looking at before any purchase no matter who the seller is

Wayne88

There are no guarantees, but at least you know what the car was at the time of the judging.

Stingray23

Thanks guys. As much as I would love to get a top flight car, it wouldnt be any good to me. I would love to drive it every chance I got without having to worry too much about it. Not saying I want a basket case, but I'd like a very good, correct driver with all matching numbers. Its got to be reliable mechanically.

vettebuyer6369

I never understood the hate for dealers. (no Im not a dealer) I've bought several cars from private parties, and several cars from dealers. The inspection process is the same. The value assessment is the same. The car is what it is. If the dealer price is too high, don't buy it. Same as you wouldn't buy it from a private party.

I'm not overly impressed by some personal owners' stories. Believe it or not, some of them are lies. Long-time ownership and documentation is nice, but not critical.

The keys are: Never ever buy a car unseen. Never believe ANYONE (dealer or private party) about numbers. Check them yourself. (or ask someone who knows what they are doing to check for you) Although, a dealer is more likely to stand behind the "guarantee" of correctness than a private person is. And, if possible, always bring someone with you, most especially if you are not qualified to look at numbers, check for rust, and examine for body damage. And especially if you are not familiar with the model/year you are looking at.

anyChevy

These cars can become a money pit and even the most thorough inspection can overlook minor issues that can cost
$$$ if you're not mechanically inclined.
Take all the above advice, get a knowledgeable forum member (there's at least one in every state) to look over the car,
put it on a lift and test drive it. The $200 or $300 is well worth it, trust me.
Good luck with your search.

JohnNC

Thats kind of expensive, if I knew what I was doing I
wouldn`t charge anything for a forum member. Maybe
a tank of gas??

anyChevy

Some "professional" inspection companies charge $350 and you end up getting a "Ford guy" inspecting you vette.